Looking back, it seems to have been a busy year with not a lot achieved. But then I remember that I had a book published in November, which I was still writing in April and indexing in October, we moved house (in the hottest summer on record for England), we lost 4 of our chickens and gave a cockerel away, and we suffered a close family bereavement. I also wrote a new draft of a novel for NaNoWriMo, and I was editing or proofreading for clients practically every single day. So maybe I shouldn’t be so hard on myself.
Looking ahead, I’d like to increase my output. I want to spend more time on my own work, and I want to become more efficient and much quicker at client work. I’d like to have at least one novel ready to send on its rounds too, as well as another writers’ guide published and at least one other non-fiction book in production. And then I want to move the rest of my ebooks to a multi-format platform.
After today, I only have 3 more working days this year. Then we break up on Friday until 2 January. So the best I can hope for this week is at least one more client edit finished and perhaps a book proposal in the post to lovely-already-boss.
I picked up a new client 2 weeks ago, and I know he has another book lined up for me to proofread for him. I did say I might be able to do that tomorrow, and get it back to him by the end of Friday. But the current edit job is taking longer than I’d hoped it would, so I may not be quite as ready for the new job as I originally thought.
Another job I picked up recently consists of a number of “confidential” assignments, which involve leaving the house. I completed 2 of these last month and have already been paid for them. I feel that this is a worthwhile addition to my “income octopus” for many, many reasons.
And then, of course, we have our alphabet adventures to continue with. We may do ‘I’, and possibly ‘J’, over the Christmas holiday – weather permitting.
Now is the time to take stock, look at the work I already have in, consider my own work I’d like to do, and schedule it all in to a workable state. I want to ramp up my full-length writing work as well as get back into my short work routine. We didn’t have a holiday this year, so we intend to make sure we have a good one between Easter and mid-May – if we can get pet-sitters.
My work diary used to start on 1 September, but for the past few years I’ve started on 1 January instead. This means I have a lovely new diary just waiting to be completed.
Here, then, are my main targets for the coming month or so:
- finish the current client edit
- proofread the new client job if it comes in tomorrow
- write and submit book proposal 1 of 2
- complete current full draft of Catch the Rainbow
- finalise and publish Diary of a Pussycat
- start a new client proofread in the new year (already in)
- send full Catch the Rainbow to beta readers
- write and submit book proposal 2 of 2
- alphabet adventure ‘I’
- alphabet adventure ‘J’
Aside from this, some of the regular work I’d like to achieve includes:
- write a blog post every weekday, whatever the topic
- catch up on and complete 52 books in 52 weeks (currently prepping book 44)
- read and review some of the 58 books I have on my TBR pile from NetGalley
- schedule in at least 1 confidential assignment per week
- start a new novel (possibly The Beast Within – a Marcie Craig mystery)
- revive my short material routine
- look at moving ebooks away from current epublishing platform
- hopefully (if the proposals are accepted) start a new non-fiction book
We’re also contemplating taking the blogs to the next level by not only monetising them, but setting up an online shop too. This will include the alphabet adventurers and some of the poet’s photography. And it means upgrading to a premium package.
So there’s plenty to think about there. Are your plans for next year starting to take shape? We don’t even have our tree up this year, yet …
