The #GOALS thread

[Amy]

Ooh results. Yes those would be nice lol. My goal is to write, I'm not sure about results. Maybe one day. I occasionally look at my sales and see yay 2 for the month.

[Amy]

Excellent. I on the other hand have my squinty face on (got something in my eye) I am close to finishing the first draft of Nate and Day. That would be nice to tie up that book. I've had the two of them around for so long now. And a novella almost ready to go.

I need to make a decision on whether to set Modified up as a paperback and if so what to use to do it.

[Amy]

Thanks. I might wait to see what Carole says. I'm basically procrastinating. I can't face the formatting right now. Especially as I'm not convinced it's going to do anything other than cost me money if I go down the route of giving things away.

Before they did what they did, what was KDPs like to format for paperback?

[Amy]

Thanks.

[Erica]

For your first book, you might try createspace since it is a little more user friendly and there is no set up fee. Just my thoughts. Ingram spark isn't as user friendly but a good alternative/next step.

My goals this week: it's a busy week so I have one goal...Try to set up a hardcover edition for my recent release.

[Amy]

Great thanks.

[Nat]

Okay, I mapped out the chapters and timeline and I think I can finish the first edit pass on WW3 by the end of May. That's my goal. Finish the major edit on that third novel.

Wish me luck!

(I must not slack, I must not slack, I must not...)

[Amy]

Good luck Nat. Go for it Alex own that editing lol.

I've done mine btw.

Re-edit book
Upload ebook to Amazon and Smashwords
Publish paperback

TICK

[Amy]

I couldn't reach out. Too scared of being told it's crap.

[Amy]

It wouldn't be crap though would it? I still couldn't ask. I also couldn't beta read. I wouldn't have it in me to point things out. Plus it would take a decade to finish anything.

[Amy]

Same for me.

[Amy]

We're awesome lol

[Amy]

Lol that must be what it is.

[Steven]

How do most of you handle Beta Reading? Do you just send the manuscript out to folks or do you set up a website for it?

[Carole]

Julie Gerber is our primary Beta Reader. She started out doing my publicity and then drifted into beta reading for both my son and me. Now she does it for other people as well. It's like having an extra pair of eyes.

[Nat]

Alex wrote: "Nice one, and thanks; I'm still debating whether to ask if anyone in this wonderful group would be prepared to beta read after my first couple of editing passes, I remain uncertain about reaching out, though, especially because of what might be said #confidenceissuespersist

Alex, what is your timeline on that, how long is the book? If you wanna chat beta reading PM me.




TICK"

Nice one, and thanks; I'm still..."

[Nat]

Amy wrote: "I couldn't reach out. Too scared of being told it's crap."

Never hurts to ask, and isn't it better your beta tells you things to fix rather than have people comment on it poorly? Find a beta you trust! It's worth it. :)

[Nat]

Steven wrote: "How do most of you handle Beta Reading? Do you just send the manuscript out to folks or do you set up a website for it?"

I just ask for people to beta it, email it to them, and they email me back comments, a mix of line editing as well as a chapter by chapter break down on what they thought as a reader, as well as any questions, frustrations, inconsistencies, plot/character problems, blocking.... the list goes on. :)

I just do it all through email.

[Amy]

Is getting there...25% through...good so far...honest...reads at the pace of a snail...

[Amy]

Nat wrote: "Amy wrote: "I couldn't reach out. Too scared of being told it's crap."

Never hurts to ask, and isn't it better your beta tells you things to fix rather than have people comment on it poorly? Find ..."

I may consider asking around for a beta for book 2. Although how many people would be willing to beta read erotica? It's hardly anybody's cup of tea, and I've been incredibly fortunate to have people here read the first book despite it not being their thing.

[Amy]

Head painting day at the hairdressers tomorrow so I can get some reading done while I'm being painted like a smurf!

[Amy]

Do smurfs have white hair? Awesome, never liked the idea of looking like a Smurf. No, it's blue hair. So relieved now! Not a Smurf.

[Amy]

Yay, definitely not a smurf. White hair and yellow hair are never things I aim for, unless it's just bleached. Blue hair colour does nothing on my natural hair colour, it needs to be bleached first.

[Skye]

(Hello group, I'm new)
My goals for the next 7 days:
- Find 5+ beta readers
- Prepare manuscript for upload to Amazon
- Find out more about creating a website

[Skye]

Alex wrote:
"Good luck with those g..."
Thank you very much!

[Amy]

Hi Skye, welcome.

I also need beta readers. Whether I ask for some depends on my mood.

[Nat]

Amy wrote: "Nat wrote: "Amy wrote: "I couldn't reach out. Too scared of being told it's crap."

Never hurts to ask, and isn't it better your beta tells you things to fix rather than have people comment on it p..."

Lots of betas will let you know if they do erotica or not. I write gay erotica, so I understand. :)

[Amy]

Gay erotica is the next one I'm working on after the current book. So many things almost finished.

[Jannie]

Hi everyone, lurker here but would like to be accountable to everyone.

My goals for next week:
1. Continue to be active and visible in my groups and on Goodreads
2. Sort out the programs I signed up for.
3. Finish that one birthday fic I was working on.
4. Decide on which AirBnb I should book for my vacation.
5. Get good and decent sleep.
6. Learn one new skill.

[Erica]

Best of luck with your goals Jannie! And wishing you luck too Skye!

[Erica]

I haven't updated my goals in a while, mainly because I have been hard at work completing them. :)

1. Hardcover complete and released.
2. Website complete...kind of, I still have a little tweeking and a couple more pages I am working on, but it is complete enough to start sharing.
3. Contact 5 reviewers...not done yet
4. Contact 5 bloggers...contacted 3/5
5. Work on book 5...I haven't been in a good book writing mood this week so far. Still a couple days left though :)

[Nat]

Amy wrote: "Gay erotica is the next one I'm working on after the current book. So many things almost finished."

Yay! Gay erotica is lovely. Let me know when you're starting it, if you need a cheer leader or anything.

[Nat]

Okay: Goals!

I am setting aside an hour a day, NO MATTER WHAT, moving to my bedroom, out of the dining area that is well trafficked, to focus on my current WIP. I intend on completing, on this second draft, two chapters a week. Doable. Totally doable!

*deep breath*

[Amy]

Nat wrote: "Amy wrote: "Gay erotica is the next one I'm working on after the current book. So many things almost finished."

Yay! Gay erotica is lovely. Let me know when you're starting it, if you need a cheer..."

Thanks Nat. I'd say the book I've just finished is more gay erotica than anything else. There's a couple of MF scenes and at least, hang on. One voyeur/ménage/MM, two MF and two MM. think that's it.

My goal for this week was to find interesting parties to beta read it. I have looked and the active erotica groups are few and far between. And even fewer for the mixture I have created. I tried to post in one but I removed the post because I've added women and that group was active, but I'm under the impression that MM plus female action would be unwanted.

And if I ask my friends to beta read it-there goes my book sales lol.

I may just wing it again, buy a cover and publish.

[Skye]

Nat wrote: "Okay: Goals!

I am setting aside an hour a day, NO MATTER WHAT, moving to my bedroom, out of the dining area that is well trafficked, to focus on my current WIP. I intend on completing, on this sec..."

Wohoo, you can do it!

[R.L.]

My Goals this week:
Read at least one members book and write review
Get second draft of book completed
Finialize magazine layout
Sleep more if possible

[Amy]

Here's another one time to completion unknown. Finish reading Alex's An Eye For an Eye which is a really good book I'm almost half way through but read at the rate of a sedated sloth.

[R.L.]

Thanks Alex I'm trying. As for the magazine our reach is around 50k so it's doing amazingly well. Those haven't translated to followers and likes though but people are downloading subscribing and reading.

[Erica]

Those are incredible numbers! Is there anywhere we should be following and liking the magazine that I may be missing?

[Erica]

I feel I need to set some goals to get me back on track:

1. Contact 3 reviewers
2. Prepare for upcoming promotional events
3. Finish and review Kay's book
4. Finish text for one of my next books so I can begin illustrating
5. Complete at least one hour of continuing education. This is not related to my books, but I need to do it!

I have some busy weeks coming up so that's all I am going to plan for now. I hate planning too much and not being able to check everything off my list. Lol

[R.L.]

Hey guys no there isn't anywhere else to share from, just the Facebook and twitter for now as far as social media goes. I'm hoping it continues to thrive. Word is certainly getting out!

[Amy]

50k? Insert impressed emoticon here.

[Erica]

Thanks R.L. I just wanted to make sure I am doing everything I can. :)

[R.L.]

Erica wrote: "Thanks R.L. I just wanted to make sure I am doing everything I can. :)"

Oh no worries there!

[Nat]

Thanks Skye and Alex. I'm doing well with my goals after Day 1!

Alex, hope you have good sleep!

[Nat]

Amy wrote: "My goal for this week was to find interesting parties to beta read it. I have looked and the active erotica groups are few and far between. And even fewer for the mixture I have created. I tried to post in one but I removed the post because I've added women and that group was active, but I'm under the impression that MM plus female action would be unwanted. ."

I am in a review group exchange right now so can't take on any betas, but if you need one later, I'll beta for you. (just remind me later, like in July is when the review round is over.)

Try joining some of the beta groups (check my groups listing) and plop down that you have het and gay erotica... someone might bite.

[Amy]

Thanks Nat I'll take a look.

[Amy]

Completed and submitted a guest post. Really, I should have completed that in the week I started it. These things hang over me otherwise.

Received feed back from a certain person who kindly beta read for me.

Have successfully renamed characters so I don't have Nate, Day, Nine, Tate and Jake. I have short names for a reason (laziness), but that was a bit ridiculous.

Is now confidently finishing Nate and Day which will be a most excellent continuation of FunnySexySciFi. If I use that term often enough it will become it's own genre on Amazon...not.

[Amy]

lol at walked the dog. (Really wouldn't know what that could otherwise mean)

I am busy physically describing people in Nate and Day. People are difficult. They all look the same to me. Back on my home planet they at least appear as different geometric shapes...

[Amy]

I'm not good at people description. I'm trying to be better. I'm very good at scenes.