It’s the end of the round (ding ding ding!) and I’m ready for a new one. Bring it on!
My assessment of how it went, this first quarter of 2014? Pretty darn well. I’ve made pretty good progress, though I haven’t even come close to the end of my biggest project, which is finishing the novel and getting it ready to publish. But overall I’m pleased, especially since we have a solid plan in place for doing the revisions and edits. Here are the specifics:
Creating
In collaboration with BlackLion, edit, revise and polish our NaNoWriMo novel,The Door Is the Key. Have it ready for the next step, which is yet to be determined (submission, beta readers, or self-publishing). In progress. We’re using the Rock Your Revisions system, and I’m halfway through my first read-through, taking notes and thinking about what we need to change and add. I’ve also recruited a few beta readers from my women’s group, which feels good.
Post to my Starcat’s Corner blog at least 3 times per week, and on this blog at least 2 times per week. Didn’t really happen. For our Feline Dreamers blog, we started planning out the topics for our blog posts in advance, and that has really helped us stay on target. I’m thinking of doing that for my personal blogs, too, though of course I’d leave room for flexibility depending on what comes up in my life (since I enjoy writing about my own current events, so to speak). Having at least an outline in advance should help me to post more consistently.
Write and edit at least three guest blog posts and have them posted. This includes Moon Books and Kind Over Matter, both due in February. DONE. Moon Books, Kind Over Matter, and one that BlackLion and I did for the website Bliss Habits. I really enjoy guest blogging, and it’s a good way to reach out to new readers.
Choose my next book project and outline it. Haven’t done this yet. I’ve been enjoying lots of daydreaming and pondering about new writing projects, though. I’m blessed with a surplus of ideas, that’s for sure.
Learning and Sharing
Continue learning about ethical marketing and promotion. Read at least 3 books on this subject. DONE. Well, one of them was actually about revising novels, but I’m counting it. I have a few more queued up in my Kindle, and I’ll continue my learning into the next round.
In collaboration with BlackLion, update our Feline Dreamers website and create a marketing plan for 2014. DONE. The website looks terrific, and the marketing plans we’ve made are proceeding well thus far. Yay!
Promote and sell more copies of both of my existing books. Use new techniques I’m learning as well as ones I already know about. This includes posting excerpts of my books, trading book reviews with other authors, and asking readers for Amazon reviews. Well, yes, I’ve been doing more promotion, on several fronts. The sales haven’t really taken off yet, but I’m persevering and trying new things. I have several book review trades in progress, and have asked readers for reviews (not many results from that yet, but I’ll be patient).
Explore creating a hard-copy version of Cultivating Self-Love. Look into CreateSpace and other options. Haven’t gotten to this one yet.
Practicing Wellness
Enjoy my life and go with the flow. This is going along well. March is a challenge, but overall I’m much more in the flow, and enjoying what I do.
Continue with my five main spiritual and creative practices: journal writing, yoga, drumming, dancing, and gratitude. Yes. And I’m extremely thankful for my practices. They are so good for me on many levels. On the drumming front, I’m taking a set of 3 classes on the doumbek (a Middle Eastern drum) and really enjoying it thus far.
Eat well. This means eating healthy vegan foods, avoiding sugar and junk foods, and drinking plenty of water. Meh. I’ve been in the thrall of sugar lately, though I also eat healthy meals. Water is an off-and-on thing. I need to focus on this more.
De-clutter my desk and filing cabinets. Make the space more user-friendly so I’m more likely to use it. I haven’t gotten to this yet. I still want to, though.
