My Writing Goals For 2019

My Writing Goals For 2019

Can you believe another new year is already upon us? I’m sure it’s just one of those adulting things, but it really does seem like time flies, am I right!?

I’m not sure how I let the date slip my mind, but back on December 20th, my website turned 6 months old. I can’t believe it’s been that long since I launched! I put lots of time and energy this year into working on my author website. I learned a lot about website creation and really got back into blogging again. It’s been such a wonderful couple of months and I can’t wait to continue seeing how my author journey grows.

I know I mentioned that I would be blogging every other week, but since the new year is coming up in a few days, I wanted to get this post out sooner rather than later. So, allow me to share with you what my goals are for me as an author in 2019!

Publish My Novel

This year, I am FINALLY going to get my novel published. Yes, the story that I have been working on since 2007 will finally become a finished piece of literature. By December 31, 2019, this book will be published.

Thanks to Camp NaNo and NaNoWriMo in 2018, I have a solid 37,610 words completed. I’m about halfway through. That gives me a solid start on getting this done. I’m planning on participating in Camp NaNo again in April and doing July this year as well. The goal is to finish (if it’s not already) writing the first draft in April and doing editing/rewrites in July. After editing and rewrites comes the really hard part: publishing.

I’ve done the query process before in the past for different novels I had written. I sent proposals to literary agents and publishing companies to no avail. While I’m not completely ruling this strategy out, I have decided that I will be self-publishing my novel. I don’t really know the lengths of what I’m in for, but I have to give it a try! It’s an exciting yet frightening task but it’s long overdue for me as an author.

Click here to subscribe!

Be A Better Freelancer

In 2018, I began freelancing as my main source of income. I had been a freelancer before, but this was my first time doing it as my primary job. It’s been a learning experience, but one that I’m glad to have had.

As a freelancer, I apply to two different types of jobs: writing and social media. What I find with applying for gigs is that I only hear back from about 10% of the jobs I apply for, if that, sometimes. It’s frustrating, to say the least! I’ve had a few jobs here and there, nothing that has been ongoing for very long, for one reason or another. These past few months have really helped me discover what I want my journey as a freelancer to look like going forward.

Since September, I have completed two ghostwriting gigs and am currently working on a third. I’m having lots of fun doing it! After all, writing is what I love. While I enjoy social media, it’s not where my greatest passion lies.

So, this year, I’ve decided that I am going to focus solely on writing jobs. My main focus will be in ghostwriting but I’m also going to do some content writing as well, like blogs or articles. I think it will be better for my freelance business if I choose a niche. At the moment, I’m getting gigs through Upwork, but I have added a Services page on my website and have optimized my LinkedIn to hopefully gain clients on my own (which will help me avoid losing money from fees through third-party sites).

Another goal I have for my freelance business is to be a bit braver and bolder. I do not do well with confrontation and have a tendency to be kind of a pushover. Next year, I want to work on being much better about that. I need to be more confident in my role as a freelance writer and not settle for less than I deserve.

2019 Is My Year

I have a good feeling about the coming year. In 2018, I really took the plunge in making my dream of becoming an author a reality. I’m much closer than I have been in the past. I’m determined to make my writing happen. Wish me luck!

My Writing Goals For 2019