2022 Author Goals
Happy New Year, everyone! It seems fitting to do my first blog post of 2022 about my upcoming goals for the year. So without further ado, here’s what I’d love to be doing in 2022.
1. Have my 3rd Historical Fiction Novel published
My first goal for 2022 is to have my third Celtic era novel published! I submitted it to them back in March and it was accepted at the end of May 2021. I don’t have a provisional date yet, but just yesterday I signed off on the front cover (so pretty!) and I know the work on the manuscript is ongoing. I’ll let you know more when I know – and I can’t wait to share the front cover with you nearer the time!
2. Edit my November 2021 NaNoWriMo project
Before I begin editing my 4th historical fiction novel, I’m committing to ‘Now What?’ It’s a challenge associated with NaNoWriMo, to edit the project I wrote in November. I really loved working on my historical mystery romance so looking forward to starting! My plan is to make this a free novel for newsletter subscribers, so I’m making it a priority to work on this novel. Also, the novel is set in 1909, but in November I was more focussed on getting the story out, so I’m going to be putting on my historical research hat and diving down a few rabbit holes as I go along.
3. Edit my 4th historical fiction novel
Just before Christmas, I finished my first draft of the fourth novel in my Celtic series. I’d love to get most of the edits done for 2022. There’s a lot of developmental editing to be done to tighten up the story and the structure. I’m planning to start work on it in March, both to give me fresher eyes and so I have more time to work on my NaNoWriMo edits.
4. Participate in NaNoWriMo events
As ever, NaNo will be a highlight of 2022. I’m planning to take part both in the November event and in Camp NaNoWriMo, a more flexible version of NaNo running in April and July. As a lot of this year will focus on editing, I’m hoping to use NaNo to draft some new ideas and keep those creative juices flowing. However, depending on how I’m doing with my other goals, I might use Camp Nano to crack on with my editing.
5. Read 20 books in 2022
Last year I set a goal of reading 12 books – and I ended up reading 27! I’m therefore setting a goal to read 20 indie books this year. I may well read more, but wanted to keep the goal not too pressured. Reading indie books has become an absolute passion. Just last month I read ‘Where The Gulls Fall Silent’, a Cornish historical fiction by Lelita Baldock – which has been one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Looking forward to sharing with you more – hoping to do a blog post soon on my favourite books of 2021. Watch this space! Head on over to my Indie Bookshelf to see the indie books I read last year (November and December’s books soon to be added).
6. Consider Marketing Strategies
I’d love 2022 to be a year where I make progress in sales and income for my writing. So far my only concrete thing is to focus on my strategy for my 3rd historical fiction novel being published. As well as this I have a few ideas. They involve
As well as thinking of my strategy for 3rd historical fiction novel being published so far I’m thinking of expanding my newsletter, looking into Amazon ads and possibly looking into affiliate links with blogging. Not sure yet – I think 2022 will be a year of experimenting and learning what works best.
7. Think about a potential 5th Celtic era novel
I’m deliberately leaving this last goal very vague. The way I’ve left things with my 4th novel, there is definitely scope for a 5th book. It would continue Imogen’s story, who is a new POV in the 4th novel. Plotting is one of my favourite parts of the process, so I’m hoping it will be a nice, low pressure way to think of ideas and keep those creative juices flowing. Especially for when I’m in the depths of editing!
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for dropping by! So those are my 7 goals for 2022. I’ll be posting occasional blog posts to let you know how I’m getting on, so keep an eye on my blog if you fancy checking my progress. I’ll also keep you updated via my newsletter – sign up for news and some great deals on books (as well as books for free!). You’ll also get a free preview of my fantasy novel Lottie’s Locket when you subscribe.
You can also head here if you’re interested in finding out more about my published books.
Do you have any writing or reading goals for 2022? I’d love to connect with you! Why not drop me a comment or hit the social media icons below. You can also get in touch via my contact me page.
Till next time,
Maia 🙂
What a busy year!
Well done Jo on the progress with CN3.
(and the incipient Nos 4 /5.
X Chris A
A great set of goals for the coming year. And good luck with your work on marketing. It’s a difficult area for authors and, as far as I can make out, there’s no one thing which works. You need to keep trying different strategies. Thanks for sharing.