Happy New Year

 

2024 is here. Time to reflect on last year and set some goals for next year.

In my second year of retirement, it was challenging to carve out writing time, but scheduling writing days with writer-friend Laura has helped a lot. I finished the first draft of Periphery, got it out and back from beta readers, and I am making great progress with the final draft. The sneak peak of the cover art came in just before the new year, and that is so exciting! Kudos to Erin Ruffino, and now it gets handed off to Aaron La Porta for cover design while Erin works on the map for the inside.

I had three very successful author signings, two with the Dollars for Scholars event at Sweet Home High School and one with the Buffalo Historical Society.

I joined Buffalo Niagara Children's Writers and Illustrators and have attended most of their meetings. I am still meeting monthly with my writer's group. And I attended an inspirational writers' retreat in Rochester this summer.

So, overall, I call it a successful year. Although the initial plan was to have Periphery out in 2023, I think it will be a better read for the time spent crafting it.

So, what are the goals for 2024? First and foremost, get Periphery into the hands of readers. After that, a sequel to Periphery might take over, although I did start working on a ballet story for middle grades while my manuscript was with beta readers. I also have a short story in the works, which I think I might try to get entered into some contests. I would also like to add a couple more signings to the schedule this year. 

Here's to 2024 and staying focused!

Happy New Year!

It's the time of year that people make resolutions, and by the end of the week many of those will already be broken! Nothing wrong with having goals though.

I have a few goals in mind for this year. 

First, I will finish my latest novel. This is a must and a top priority on every list I have.

Second, I will finish the series on how to get those ideas of yours published. There are some tricky entries coming up for this series, but I will do my best to give you quality advice.

Third, I am going to expand my author platform. There are several social media platforms I'd like to explore.

Fourth, I am going to make a concerted effort to make new contacts for expanding book sales. Marketing is always a challenge for an indie author, but if our books aren't out there, how will you ever find them to enjoy?

Fifth, I am going to work on developing the cover for my latest novel. I have ideas in mind, but I need to find the right artist for the job. I have one in mind...

So, there are my top five goals for the year. To me resolutions are a work in progress, that's why I like to think of them as goals instead. Sometimes you conquer them, sometimes you get close, sometimes the goal changes as you work toward it.

So what are your writing goals for the year? Happy New Year everyone!