P.H. Solomon's Blog, page 318

Goals For 2015: Publication

This is a continuation from the blog, The Serendipity of Christmas Generosity. It took time to get to the place where I was ready to commit to writing after the events described in my previous post. But that bit of serendipity certainly affected what I’ve done this past year as well as where I’m going next year. In Part 1 of this series I shared an overview of my goals and now I am posting a discussion of why each is important to me as a writer this year. Part 2 covered why I want to engage with a local writer’s group. Part 3 addressed my review and conference attendance goals.

Novel Publication

It’s time – or close to it. I’ve worked on my first novel for so long and I’m very close to completion. It should be published after all the final editing is completed. Publishing a full book is a very long term goal for me and this year it looks like the fruit will come ripe. I still have a structural edit and detailed edit scheduled during the first few months of the year but I expect to announce a launch date late in the first quarter or the second quarter of the year.

But there are other manuscripts waiting to be completed and published too. I hope to push out at least one more by the end of the year depending on funds available for a cover and editing. I actually have three more books with rough drafts near completion and I fully expect to go through the editing process much faster since I know how to approach the process better and, therefore, schedule more accurately. The latter is important in working with an editor.

As part of this goal, I’m already looking into my book launch and marketing plans. I want to develop what needs to be done beginning early in 2015 to meet my goal of publication not once but up to three times during 2015.

Short Fiction

However, there’s another related goal – publishing short fiction. I also want to submit at least six short stories to short fiction markets. As a writer, having a brand is important and there’s one good way to obtain that – having people read and discuss your work. This comes through reviews but also publication. Short stories are a great way to fund more of what I’m doing and better establish my brand as a writer. I’m working even now to complete four stories and edit three others for submission.

Non-Fiction?

As a side goal that I haven’t discussed, I may also delve into non-fiction articles. I don’t know how much I’ll get into this but I’ll keep my eyes open for opportunities in the near future. This can be a source of income to finance publication goals previously mentioned.

So there are my publication aspirations for the coming year. I’m ready to push forward with several large steps if possible.

What goals are you considering for next year? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today! Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed recently so take a look.

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Filed under: Amazon, Blogging, Creativity, Fantasy, Fiction, Indie Publishing, Planning, Rave Review Book Club, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: blogging, Coverart, creativity, Facebook, Indie Publishing, Launch, Marketing, P. H. Solomon, Planning, Rave Reviews Book Club, Self-publishing, Short Stories, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing

Fantasy Authors Unplugged Featuring Daniel Adorno

This is the beginning of a new feature on Archer’s Aim – Fantasy Authors Unplugged. I hope to frequently share an interview with a fantasy author. If you have authors to suggest and/or questions you’d like to see answered then leave a comment or send me an email. If you are a fantasy author and would like an interview please let me know and we’ll plan one that fits your schedule.

Today’s feature fantasy author is Daniel Adorno whose first epic fantasy novel, The Blade Heir, was released a few months ago and is on sale this week.

What’s the basic plot of The Blade Heir?

The Blade Heir is the story of a young man, Lucius Nostra, who is raised by elves. With his adoptive elf brother, Siegfried, at his side, Lucius embarks on a quest to forge an ancient sword and halt the return of the dragons of the North.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

I have always been a fan of fantasy and science fiction novels, so I was naturally drawn to write stories of fantastical realms or futuristic worlds. Novels like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia were very inspirational to me as an aspiring writer. Stephen Lawhead’s King Raven trilogy and Celtic fantasy books were also influential in my writing.

Where do you get your ideas?

My ideas come from all kinds of media including novels, movies, TV, the Bible, and history texts I’ve read. Occasionally, I’ll get an idea for a story just from creating a title that I like or digital art that really inspires me.

Do you ever experience writer’s block?

I’ve experienced writer’s block a few times and I usually attribute it to either lack of creative ideas or procrastination. The latter just requires me to stop making excuses and write! When it’s the former, I usually need to re-evaluate my story and find out what’s stifling the writing. Sometimes it’s just a matter of tweaking an outline or finding plot holes. Other times just taking a break from writing to read a book or take a walk, clears that writer’s block right away.

Do you work with an outline, or just write?

I’ve done it both ways. With The Blade Heir, I just wrote and let the words come onto the page with a very loose mental outline of how I wanted things to resolve. Just writing is a very liberating experience for writers, but it can lead to massive headaches in the editing stage, which I experienced. Having learned the pitfalls of that method, I’m going the outline route with my current project and I actually enjoy having everything planned out more than I expected. Plots and subplots are easier to manage and keeping track of where I want the story to go is also simpler.

What project are you working on now?

Currently, I’m working on a post-apocalyptic novella that could be considered Young Adult. You can read the first chapter on my Wattpad page.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

The toughest criticism I’ve received as an author is that my writing is “written for a fifth grader.” My writing style is aimed at young adults and anyone older, not middle grade fiction, so it was not a compliment. Alternatively, the best compliment I’ve received is that my writing leaves people wanting more. It’s a wonderful compliment because I struggle with knowing whether I have what it takes to be an author or not.

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

Never stop writing. Even if you get negative criticism or have reservations about your writing. To write is to progress in the craft, so continue on. But also know when it’s time to let your writing out into the world, whether that’s submitting it to a publisher or publishing it yourself.

I would also recommend aspiring writers drop the “aspiring” from their titles. You’re either a writer or you’re not. Once you start believing you are a writer it will make a world of difference in how you approach your writing and the level of confidence you have in the art.

Thanks to Daniel for being first in this feature. I totally agree with the last paragraph. You can find him on the web here and his book on Amazon, Smashwords, BN, etc.

Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today! Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed recently so take a look.

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Filed under: Daniel Adorno, Fantasy, Fantasy Authors Unplugged, Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Self-publishing, Social Media, Writing Tagged: Barnes and Noble, Daniel Adorno, Epic Fantasy, Facebook, Fantasy Authors Unplugged, Interview, Smashwords, The Blade Heir, Tips, Wattpad, writing

THE TWELVE DAYS OF “AUTHORS” – DAY 6

PHS:

Another RRBC author featured by Nonnie!

Originally posted on Watch Nonnie Write!:

Hello, and welcome to my very own 12 DAYS OF “AUTHORS!”  Today, I begin with my theme song:  “On the 6th day of authors, Ms. Nonnie gave to me, one Beem Weeks!”  You’ve heard of the 12 Days of Christmas, right?  Well, this is  my version of that, my gift to these very special people and to you!  This all started on Sunday, December 14, with John “Fio” Fioravanti,  as the 1st of my 12 Days of “Authors,” then Marlena Hand as my 2nd day, Kathryn C. Treat as my 3rd, P.H. Solomon as my 4th, Bruce A. Borders as my 5th and it will continue until Dec. 25, Christmas Day.  Each day I will profile one very special author and their written work.  Because I am in awe of so many of you, (definitely more than 12), I had to come up with a process…

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What is Needed Part 6

Photo used in The Bow of Destiny book trailer

Author’s Note: This is the conclusion of Part 2 of the prequel blog serial entitled “What is Needed”. Click on these links to read Part 1, Part 2 (first section), Part 2 (Conclusion), Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5. This series is a companion to The Bow of Destiny (Part 1 of The Bow of Hart Saga). The events of the blog series pre-date those of The Bow of Destiny by several hundred years but include several long-lived characters who appear in the forthcoming novel. This material is copyrighted and not intended for reproduction except at the author’s consent.

What is Needed (Part 6)

by P. H. Solomon

The sun dangled between corona-rimmed clouds and the snow-capped peaks of the Grey Spires. Golden light bathed the path ahead of the three furtive shapes.

Troll-wolves howled and Hastra slipped into the shade between trees with Zelma and Howart. If only they could avoid the pursuit one last time. The Tower was just ahead if she remembered correctly. She pinched her lower lip and peeked along the old road.

Zelma’s breath puffed mist. “Is it still clear?”

Howart loomed in the shadow of the trees. “They aren’t as close as yesterday.”

“They make enough noise to scare everything for miles. But I don’t see any scouts so let’s go.” Hastra eased out of hiding onto the overgrown road and her two companions followed.

Her stomach rumbled but Hastra dared not call for a halt so she ate bread from her bag. Two weeks and the food’s still good though it was hard. She kicked a root and stumbled but Zelma steadied her.

At the head of the long rise Hastra spied the pile of weathered stone named the Old Tower. Where Withlings used to go to see and hear instruction or speak rituals. Now it was the dead end of the trap Kregen sprung around them. They staggered over the path against wind that snapped and swirled across the end of the headland that thrust into the booming sea.

Horns and Troll-wolves howled. Much closer now. “We must hurry now, sister.”

Zelma shivered as she walked, her eyes wide.

Hastra brushed hair from her face. Was she cold or afraid? The edifice loomed out of the gloom of dusk in the east. Distant lightning flashed across the Bay of Storms from the east and lit the roofless tower-top. It defied wind and weather. Gusts tugged at the low scrub-trees scattered around its feet. This isolated end of nowhere might be the end of them. If only Eloch…

The travelers hurried into the shadow of the Old Tower and took refuge from the blasts in a shallow alcove. Snippets of howling and horns broke through the roar of wind. Their pursuers were coming now. There was no escape. Hastra hugged herself but still shivered. “Now what?”

“I don’t know except go up.” Howart steadied himself with a trembling hand on the stone. He leaned against the wall, slid into a crouch and laid his head on scratched arms folded over his knees. A ragged sigh escaped from his thin lips. “Just need to rest a while.”

Hastra peered along the road. They were all spent and bound to die. She touched the death wound from which she’d risen. “What is needed is given.”

Horn blasts floated on the wind.

Zelma’s lips quivered and dark circles ringed her eyes above pale skin. Sprigs of her hair waved from beneath her gray hood. “They’re coming now.”

Hastra nodded. Even Zelma’s hair seemed faded. “They’ve found our scent. We can’t stay here long. If we are needed atop the tower then let’s climb.”

Soft sobs escaped from Zelma. “Then what?”

Hastra embraced her sister. “We’ll pray, Zelma. All will be well in the end. We’re here for a reason just because we’re still breathing when we should be weeks dead.”

Zelma forced a thin smile through her tears. “It will never be the same as it was, but perhaps we’ll see better atop the tower.”

Zelma’s hair fell across her face as she touched Howart’s head. The Grendonese man remained still. “He’s fallen asleep.”

Hastra’s head whipped around at the close sound of horns. “Trolls are near. It’s time.”

Zelma jumped and Howart started.

The gaunt man stood. “We must go and seek Eloch’s guidance.”

They scurried from the alcove and climbed the stairwell that wound around the tower’s girth. Wind flailed the surviving Withlings and the storm thundered in the bay as they fought for each ascending step. They ignored their weariness as horns sounded closer.

Hastra staggered. Surely they had time. She thrust her hands before her and pulled for the next step as rain pattered the stone.

Horns sounded closer along with hounds baying, clear and constant, as the din of pursuit carried over the wind. They grappled their way to the top and knelt with their cloaks twisting in the violent wind.

Snarls announced the arrival of trolls. The troll-wolves howled. Kregen’s voice rose in the wind. “Quickly, take them.”

Hastra raised her eyebrows to Howart and Zelma. There was fear on their faces. If only they could meditate in all the din. “Pretend it’s the Hall of Silence.”

Hastra shut her eyes and raised her hands. What is needed is given and she needed focus. She ignored the troll boots scraping on the steps. She breathed and reached for practiced calm. “Move in me, O Eloch.” She exhaled. Welcome warmth bloomed at the edge of her awareness and she waited rather than reach for it in conscious thought. Warmth swallowed her fear and grief.

Hastra’s eyes blinked open and shut as her usual trembling at the presence of Eloch took hold. Her arms shook and her body quaked. Zelma and Howart undulated like grass in the wind.

The clouds spun into a whirlwind that detached from main storm and churned toward the tower. Hastra closed her eyes. Calm as a sleeping babe. Indecipherable words erupted from her mouth.

The wind rumbled and drowned the clamor of troll horns and hounds. Hastra’s body stilled with the wind and her eyes opened. Light glowed in the spinning gust. They were protected from our enemy. Her arms dropped to her sides. She fell over and stared at the shape moving amid the light and whirlwind.

Beyond the silence within the whirlwind, Kregen cringed at the stairwell. He stretched out his arms and shouted unheard words. He shook his fist with a grimace and fled.

“You have come as children in need. Will you serve on?” The voice suffused Hastra with the rich whisper of peace and inexorable power.

Kregen’s offer rose with the flash of the knife. Hastra smiled as tears spilled from her eyes. “I will serve.” Zelma and Howart answered the same.

“Zelma Vorcinni, should you choose to follow, to you shall be given the task of protecting for long years that which shall come to you in time. You shall want for nothing, not even companionship in desolate places.”

“Howart Balto, should you choose to follow, to you shall be given the task of hiding against chaos what shall come to you after a while. No power of time or change shall pierce the bulwark about you in the midst of confusion.”

“Hastra Vorcinni, should you choose to go, to you shall be given the task of labor against innumerable foes, yet you shall find rest and plenty in the midst of want and danger.”

“And now, my children reach to me if you will come and be comforted and healed…”

At Eloch’s urging, the three Withlings stretched out their hands as one.

The whirlwind fell away.

Hastra rose on one elbow amid a grass covered field at dusk. “Zelma? Howart?” She sat alone with her bag that held her food and the Book of Prophecies.

End of Part 6

Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today! Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed recently so take a look.

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Filed under: Creativity, Deep POV, Fiction, Indie Publishing, Marketing, Self-publishing, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, What is Needed, Writing Tagged: Announcement, Deep POV, Facebook, Indie Publishing, Marketing, P. H. Solomon, Social Media, The Bow of Destiny, What is Needed, writing

THE TWELVE DAYS OF “AUTHORS” – DAY 5

PHS:

More about the authors at Rave Reviews Book Club!

Originally posted on Watch Nonnie Write!:

Hello, and welcome to my very own 12 DAYS OF “AUTHORS!”  Today, I begin with my theme song:  “On the 5th day of authors, Ms. Nonnie gave to me, one Bruce A. Borders!”  You’ve heard of the 12 Days of Christmas, right?  Well, this is  my version of that, my gift to these very special people and to you!  This all started on Sunday, December 14, with John “Fio” Fioravanti,  as the 1st of my 12 Days of “Authors,” then Marlena Hand as my 2nd day, Kathryn C. Treat as my 3rd, P.H. Solomon as my 4th, and it will continue until Dec. 25, Christmas Day.  Each day I will profile one very special author and their written work.  Because I am in awe of so many of you, (definitely more than 12), I had to come up with a process for my selection.  So, I…

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Managing Scrivener Project & Templates Pt. 4: Career Management

Scrivener has been a key component to improving my productivity this year. I’ve recently written about various uses for Scrivener such as blog posts, newsletters and even template email messages. Additionally, I’ve shared about using Scrivener templates including some resources for these. In my last post I shared about managing templates.

Becoming an author is a project all its own whether you are self-publishing or going the traditional route through publishers. Aside from writing content an author has a host of needs for their writing endeavors. The amount of resources a writer requires today can be confusing.

Many writers already use Scrivener to manage their various writing projects. But I recently started thinking about using something to manage my writing resources more thoroughly and Scrivener came to mind. My idea was to use the software not to publish from this project but to use it to manage the project.

For example, I recently shared my Newsletter template where you can manage as many newsletters as necessary over a long period of time. Other’s have shared blog templates that function much the same way. I use one of these myself. However, this author management template is not meant for compiling writing. Instead, it’s meant to manage the business of writing.

If you are just starting out you can use the folders to organize the various elements of your writing career as well as record target dates to complete various tasks and projects. If you are setting up your website you’ll need to track your goal from idea to launch along with costs, hosting, website development, etc. The same goes for your social media accounts and blogging development.

But there are many other pieces of information that an author may need to track. Suppose you have an agent. You may need to track information related to your agent. If you are developing a book launch you may need to create a sub-folder to keep your plans organized. You can copy files into various locations in your project that may relate to any of your business plans and functions (can anyone say taxes?). With the flexibility of Scrivener, an author can use it to manage just about everything they do including their writing inventory and deadlines.

I’ve created this template to be a starter for newer authors. If you already have much of what you need developed you can still plug in aspects of your career and manage the information or link to ongoing work. This Author Management template is free to download starting today. Try it out and let me know if you have any suggested changes.

Are you trying Scrivener templates out? Are you already using them? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today! Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed recently so take a look.

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Also, in no way do I represent Scrivener or sell the product. All questions about the product, its sales, support and licensing for your own computing needs should be referred to the company.

Filed under: Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Indie Publishing, Planning, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tech Tips, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: Announcement, Coverart, creativity, Facebook, Goals, Indie Publishing, P. H. Solomon, Planning, Scrivener, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing

THE TWELVE DAYS OF “AUTHORS” – DAY 4

PHS:

I may be tooting my own horn here with a re-blog but I am boosting Nonnie’s series…

Originally posted on Watch Nonnie Write!:

Hello, and welcome to my very own 12 DAYS OF “AUTHORS!”  Today, I begin with my theme song:  “On the 4th day of authors, Ms. Nonnie gave to me, a P. H. SOLOMON!”  You’ve heard of the 12 Days of Christmas, right?  Well, this is  my version of that, my gift to these very special people and to you!  This all started on Sunday, December 14, with John “Fio” Fioravanti,  as the 1st of my 12 Days of “Authors,” then Marlena Hand as my 2nd day, Kathryn C. Treat as my 3rd and it will continue until Dec. 25, Christmas Day.  Each day I will profile one very special author and their written work.  Because I am in awe of so many of you, (definitely more than 12), I had to come up with a process for my selection.  So, I threw a bunch of names into…

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12 Things I Learned About Blogging This Year

1. Be consistent – most veteran bloggers advise new bloggers to be consistent and post regularly. I’ve learned this lesson well. I was inconsistent with my content but when I committed to the blog it started growing. Part of the reason is that the more content you have the more visits you get.

2. Work ahead – I’ve found that the more I work ahead the less stressful blogging is. If I’ve got several posts scheduled then I seem to churn out more content ahead of time. Also, in working ahead you may have several ideas in the works but you may find that the content just doesn’t work for some reason and you have time to replace it with something else.

3. Write your ideas down – if you are working ahead then you can keep writing your new ideas down. I use Scrivener to plan and write my posts. This way my ideas – good or bad – are in a central location where I can write them as necessary.

Clip Art Image Copyright by Microsoft. Clip Art Used by Permission of Microsoft

4. Double-check your schedule – several times I’ve found my posts weren’t published as I planned. I use the scheduler in WordPress but a few times I’ve left a post in draft mode by accident. Verify your scheduled posts are actually in the hopper and not waiting in line for publication. There’s nothing worse than losing several hours of a day for the post – or worse yet having tweeted something that hasn’t been released.

5. Make sure you’re using correct forms – I thought I was using a good “Follow this site” form but it wasn’t correct for my needs. I had much greater success getting email followers with my current form.

6. Anything can be a topic – I learned to keep my eyes open for any stray thought, headline or other piece of information for blog post ideas. A stormy topic may be just the thing for your blog as well as something many people use. If you learned something you can bet other people may be informed by it. Just don’t think it’s been written about and doesn’t need to be re-hashed. Your followers may not have read that information so your new learning curve may be helpful. Also, you can link to other sources as a way of sharing additional information. Look for ways to give you opinion about an issue and you may find that you have more followers – even if they disagree.

7. Don’t worry about what you don’t know – I hesitated about blogging because I was uncertain about the whole activity. I didn’t know that much and couldn’t gage how well I could do it. If you are a writer, it’s a great way to consistently produce words and an opportunity to…

8. Keep learning – by blogging you will learn more about blogging. You will learn more about SEO, attracting visitors with relevant topics and linking to other blogs. Likewise, you will learn about sharing ideas through interviews, hosting guest posts and book tours. Also you find…

9. It builds creativity – by blogging often you will find that it sparks your creativity. You begin to write frequently so your mind generates ideas with greater frequency which also…

10. It enhances writing confidence – those old newspaper writers never had trouble with writer’s block. They churned out their content and went to the next story. Over time, they developed consummate confidence in their writing ability such that they wrote without much thought. If they chose to write a book, they did it. Start blogging and you’ll find there’s little time to tolerate a block. This very blog is one such example. I was looking for an idea for this day and it just popped into my head. I’ve written the content to this point in less than twenty minutes.

11. Link your site to as many social media channels as you can – I’ve linked my blog to send tweets and Google+ announcements. I also have my blog linked to my Author Page on Goodreads. There are any number of ways to do this with apps depending on how your hosted. I’m currently limited by being free hosted on WordPress but you can bet when I grow my site into self-hosting or more customized on WordPress I will link my blog in as many ways as I can find. The word of mouth is incredible. I have readers who link my posts over various forms of curation like Rebel Mouse or topical sites built on writer.ly.

12. Schedule social media communication – I use Hootsuite.com for scheduling my tweets about my blog as well as other announcements. Since I use a free account at the moment I’m limited with how many social media channels I use but do make use of them. I also schedule my posts to my Facebook page. I tweet my posts numerous times a day. Why? With a growing number of followers all over the world people won’t see just one or two tweets due to varying schedules so I must tweet multiple times a day. Likewise, I tweet some of my most popular posts regularly as well as keep my newer posts in my feeds for up to a week. People are busy so give them a chance to find your content.

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What lessons have you learned from blogging? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today! Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed recently so take a look.

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Filed under: Blogging, Cover Reveal, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Marketing, Self-publishing, Social Media, Tech Tips, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, Writing Tagged: blogging, Coverart, creativity, Facebook, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Marketing, P. H. Solomon, Self-publishing, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Tips, Twitter, writing

THE TWELVE DAYS OF “AUTHORS” – DAY 3

PHS:

A definite re-blog on Archer’s Aim!

Originally posted on Watch Nonnie Write!:

Hello, and welcome to my very own 12 DAYS OF “AUTHORS!”  Today, I begin with my theme song:  “On the 3rd day of authors, Ms. Nonnie gave to me, a Kathryn C. Treat from Cali!”  You’ve heard of the 12 Days of Christmas, right?  Well, this is  my version of that, my gift to these very special people and to you!  This all started on Sunday, December 14, with John “Fio” Fioravanti,  as the 1st of my 12 Days of “Authors”, then Marlena Hand as my 2nd day, and it will continue until Dec. 25, Christmas Day.  Each day I will profile one very special author and their written work.  Because I am in awe of so many of you, (definitely more than 12), I had to come up with a process for my selection.  So, I threw a bunch of names into a pot and the…

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Author Goals for 2015 Pt. 3: Reviews & Conferences

This is a continuation from Monday’s blog, The Serendipity of Christmas Generosity. It took time to get to the place where I was ready to commit to writing after the events described in my previous post. But that bit of serendipity certainly affected what I’ve done this past year as well as where I’m going next year. In Part 1 of this series I shared an overview of my goals and now I am posting a discussion of why each is important to me as a writer this year. Part 2 covered why I want to engage with a local writer’s group.

This week I decided to take on two goals in this post.

Reviews

One of my goals was to read and review more books. As I mentioned in my original post about my goals I’m a VIP member of Rave Reviews Book Club and to meet my membership requirements I need to review a minimum of four books. I’ve already reviewed one so I need to review more. However, I’d also like to review more than three books during 2015.

Why haven’t I been more busy with this goal this year? I’ve been busy with a big revision of my own book. I’ve also been busy with growing this blog, social media and my crowd-funding campaign. Now that I’m done with my revision I can focus more on reading – just as soon as I replace my broken e-reader.

However, the main idea behind the goal is to connect and give back to fellow authors. Initially, I’ll be targeting my chosen genres – fantasy and SciFi. I’m even considering posting my reviews as blog posts as well as on Amazon, Goodreads, etc…

Conference Attendance

I already attend a local conference which is convenient and inexpensive. While I enjoy the conference and all that I learn as well as the interaction with other authors, I do want to experience a different conference.

Much like my first goal of attending a writer’s group, I’d like to network with a wider range of authors. I’m looking for something close, convenient and inexpensive. However, another goal is to simply get out of my regular schedule and nurture both my creativity and motivation. Along the way, I hope to learn more than a few things.

What goals are you considering for next year? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today! Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed recently so take a look.

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Filed under: Blogging, Cover Reveal, Creativity, Editing, Fantasy, Fiction, Goodreads, Indie Publishing, Planning, Rave Review Book Club, Self-publishing, Social Media, Twitter, Writing Tagged: blogging, Coverart, creativity, Editing, Facebook, Goals, Indie Publishing, P. H. Solomon, Planning, Rave Reviews Book Club, Self-publishing, Social Media, The Black Bag, The Bow of Destiny, Twitter, writing