Looking Ahead to 2020
Where did 2019 go? I blinked and it was gone! I swear, the
older I get, the faster the years go by. So as we stand on the cusp of not only
a new year, but also a new decade, let’s invoke Janus, god of doorways, to look
at the year gone by and the new year ahead.
[image error]Janus, Roman god of doorways | Adolphe Giraldon, Wikimedia Commons
How did I do with my writerly resolutions for 2019?
Complete all
instalments of the Mythical Menagerie series
Done! Sort of. I still need to edit the final instalment of
Book 1, which I anticipate to have ready for beta readers around the end of
January 2020.
Compile the completed
series as a single novel to be published wide
Fail! I wanted to get this done before my 40th
birthday, which was in June 2019. Things didn’t work out as planned, but I’m
hoping to get it published early 2020, before my next birthday, which still
sort of adheres to that milestone.
Continue writing a
monthly flash fiction piece
Done! I have quite the collection of flash fiction pieces
now. Not yet enough words for a novel, but maybe by the end of 2020 it will be
enough to either set up for sale as a collection, or give away as a freebie for
subscribers.
Write bi-weekly blog
posts as part of a content marketing strategy
Sort of… I do try to write at least twice a month, but
sometimes this falls by the wayside. Certainly something I can be better at.
Complete the first
draft of a full fantasy novel
Fail! Not even close. I am a glacially slow writer and
Ambrose’s adventures are taking up all my writing time. Still something to aim
for.
Grow my email list to
1000 subscribers
Fail! My strategy has changed since I made this resolution.
My list was close to 700 subscribers at one point, but is now down to just over
650. I’ve come to the realisation that it’s not quantity but quality that
matters here. Instead of forcing lots of freebie seekers to subscribe in
exchange for a free read (which just languishes unread on their TBR pile in any
case), I’m letting the list grow organically now. I’d much rather have someone
on it who is there willingly and of their own accord, and who enjoys what I
write. Having ten people email me to tell me how much they enjoyed my story is
infinitely better than having 700 people who just ignore my unopened mails.
Release an audio book
version of one of my short stories
Fail! Let’s finish one format before we tackle another one.
I also had the following secondary objectives:
Increase followers
and their engagement on my Facebook page
Fail! I currently have 77 Facebook followers, most of which
are family and friends.
Use Instagram more
effectively to engage with the book reading community
Fail! I have around 165 Instagram followers at the moment, pretty
much the same as last year.
Create a monthly
video for my (much neglected)
YouTube channel
Fail! This is not something I focussed on in 2019. I’m still
a little camera shy…
Create some sort of
writing or reading course for passive income
Fail! I’m in two minds over this one. Of course, passive
income would be fantastic, but who am I to give writing advice? There are
literally thousands of people out there more qualified to do this than me.
Maybe in the far future.
Well, it seems like I’ve really been slacking in 2019 with
only 2.5 of my goals actually achieved. This is the reason why I find roundup
posts like these so invaluable – so I can get motivated again to pick my socks
up and get my act together.
What did I achieve this past year?
I wrote 3 instalments (2 of which are novelette length and the third is novella length)I changed tactics from releasing each instalment to keeping them and compiling them into a novel length “Series 1” in a longer running novel seriesI made Beginner’s Luck free on various platforms and unpublished both Banshee’s Wail and Asrai’s Curse so as not to confuse readersI had a new book cover for the complete novel designed by a talented cover designer (cover reveal to come soon in the new year)I changed email provider from Mailchimp to MailerliteI created Strawberry Moon Press, my own publishing imprintI decided on a publishing strategy for when the novel is finally finishedI travelled through Slovenia and Croatia for 3 weeks and came back inspired!I attempted NaNoWriMo again – and finally made peace with the fact that it’s just not for meI completed Neil Gaiman’s Storytelling Master ClassI completed a Udemy course on Social Media Marketing MasteryI read 48 books
So I did manage a few things at least, even if I didn’t
deliver on most of my resolutions.
Here’s what I have in mind for 2020:
Complete and publish Series 1 of the Mythical
Menagerie SeriesWrite and edit 3 instalments of Series 2 of the
Mythical Menagerie SeriesContinue writing a monthly flash fiction piece
for my email subscribersCompile a flash fiction collection novelWrite bi-monthly blog posts for my author blogWrite bi-monthly blog posts for my travel blogRead 1 non-fiction book per month
Additionally, if I have enough focus and energy left, I’d
like to also do the following:
Complete the first draft of a fantasy novelEngage more and grow my following on FacebookEngage more and grow my following on InstagramCreate some content for my YouTube channel
2020’s list looks a lot like 2019’s, I see. However, I do
believe that it’s doable and, with my eternal optimism revving at high speed,
I’m ready to make it happen this year.
What are your plans
for the new year? Did you achieve any of your resolutions for 2019?
