A couple years ago I read a blog suggesting that writers have a five-year plan. This seemed like very sound advice, so I sat down to work on mine. I quickly realized I only had one thing listed: Get Published.
Since there was no guarantee I could accomplish that in five years, I realized I had to break things down into bite-size pieces.
Everyone who is newly published says how fast things move when they finally get The Call, and even though they THOUGHT they were prepared, they found out quickly just how much had to be done in a short timeframe. In addition to the editor-requested revisions, and writing another new book, there is also getting the word out to all the readers in the world. You should probably also reserve a few hours to have a life, since without it, there really isn't much to write about.
I recently came across my 2010 Five-Year Plan, and it amused me (okay, it actually made me grit my teeth) when I read things like "Finish drafting such-and-such manuscript". I don't have to tell you that I didn't finish drafting such-and-such, because when I wrote that sentence down, I didn't know I would be doing revisions on the two manuscripts that are now on submission with editors.
It would have been better to include something more specific, such as "Draft first 100 pages by such-and-such date". It still may not happen, but at least I have a better notion of what progress I am making, and if I'm not making any progress, I can adjust the timeline--or my typing speed.
Also, instead of a bullet point saying, "Get an agent", something a little more practical is in order. Perhaps "send ten query letters per month" is a better measure, since you can keep track of what you send, as well as what the responses are. Or maybe your plan is "enter two contests during the first half of this year".
Since we're all at different stages of the publishing career spectrum, it's up to each of us to decide what will help reach our goals. Just make sure you're giving yourself a fighting chance to accomplish what you set out to do.
And check back in before the year (or, God forbid, five years) is over. Think of tracking your goals as a toddler chasing a balloon in the backyard. It's fun and exhilarating at first, but then it gets tiring, and finally it's easier to give up and move onto something more entertaining. Give your goals some regular, devoted attention, so you know what to work on next.
You should also think about having a tagline. What kind of experience will you be delivering to readers? What is it you want them to expect from your books? This is where your style or voice will help guide you. Your tagline will deliver this message in just a few words, and it is a promise that readers will come to rely on. So take the time to craft this now. It's harder than it seems. (I know. I've been revising mine for about a millennium.)
If you don't have a website or a blog, you should think about getting one. If you have a blog now, it gives you a chance to decide how often you want to post, and what kind of content you will provide, whether it is advice, or book reviews, guest bloggers, maybe interviews with authors. You decide what best expresses you and your interests, while developing relationships with other writers and readers.
If you think about a website now, when you are not under pressure to make decisions, you can also contemplate what type of web design you want, and research potential web designers.
What types of promotional items would you like to give to your readers? Traditionally writers give bookmarks since it's an easy portable method to showcase your name and your book. But is there something else that could cleverly tie your tagline and your story together? I'd love to hear your ideas for this one, because I'm sure there are some innovative suggestions out there.
So these are just some of the things to contemplate while putting together your Five-Year Plan. I know, I know. There isn't enough time in the day, and you've got words to put on the paper, and lalalala. I've got my fingers in my ears so I can't hear you. It probably means I'm talking really loud right now, too, which is great because I want to emphasize I'm not trying to create work for anybody. I'm trying to make life easier for all of us.
We all dream of that day when our books are published. Will we be able to enjoy that moment if we're harried and crazed trying to accomplish the things I've just described above? Probably not. So why not use the time available to us now, to plan and organize and prepare?
That way you can use all that free time going to bookstores to visit your newly-published books.
What are you doing right now to accomplish your publishing goals? Let's trade ideas about how to get our five-year plans into shape.