The Year, New & Old

There are only a few more days left before year's end and it would be a mistake to leave my blog untouched before 2011 slips quietly into the dark on New Year's Eve.

As an indie author, I think it's important to step back and look at what has been accomplished. Sometimes the fear of failure and that nagging haze of uncertainty can keep an indie creator from moving forward. By looking at what you've done and planning what you'll do, you set yourself up for greater success.

So, here is a brief list of things I accomplished as a writer in 2011. And after that, I'll share some of my plans for 2012. I'd love to hear about your own successes and plans for the next year.

In 2011...

- I published an ebook of short stories.

- Then I published a print version of that same book.

- I published an e-short story about demons and bowling.

- I published the first part of an ongoing science fiction serial.

- I published my first novel in ebook format. It was much longer than any of my previous works.

- I was interviewed by gracious and friendly bloggers.

- I wrote a guest blog.

- I tried to raise money for Relay For Life through downloads of my works.

- I met several awesome writers, bloggers, readers, and a particularly talented graphic designer.

- My novel was featured in a giveaway contest featured on another author's website.

- My novel received fantastic reviews on Amazon.

- One of my short stories was published in an online literary magazine.

- I released a soundtrack of original music inspired by my novel.

I'm pretty stoked when I look at this list. In January of 2011, I was only focused on finishing the novel. I had no idea that by the end of the year, I'd have accomplished all of this other fun stuff. Everything turned around for me when I decided indie publishing was the way to go. It was at that point that I started developing a plan for myself. Success followed. I was free to create and publish on my terms; this freedom allowed me to build momentum.

But the momentum only pays off if I have a plan.


In 2012...

- I will finish and publish a humorous fantasy that's been resting in my hard drive for the past year.

- My serial scifi project will be published every two months.

- I will blog on a regular basis. And I will conduct at least one blog tour - that is, once I figure out exactly how to conduct a blog tour.Tips are appreciated.

- Book two of the Godblood Saga will be published by September of 2012.

- My horror novella will be published by October 30.

- I will start working on a second series featuring science fiction and adventure for young readers.

- I will write. And when I don't feel like writing, I will write even more.

This list is half the size of the other. I anticipate some changes as the year comes and goes, but at least I'm going in with a plan. I had no plan in 2011 and look at the accomplishments. I can only imagine what will happen when I go into 2012 with a solid agenda.

Feel free to share your plans for 2012 in the comments below. You may inspire me to adjust my own list!