Lists can be very helpful in goal-setting, and we know
goal-setting helps focus mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical energy.
According to my mother, I've been making lists since I learned to write. Lists
for what I wanted, what I owned, what I thought, even what I wore. I know - OCD
in the making. Fortunately, I brought that useful habit into adulthood with
upgrades - longer, more intricate lists about much more important things. A
challenge, for a time, was where to keep those lists and how to organize them
so I could find them later. Along came Excel, and voila!
So let's talk about some lists that might be helpful for you
to make of your own. I'll list them and say a bit about each to get you on your
way:
1. Story ideas - you might even want to keep a digital
recorder with you so you're ready whenever your muse pops in. We
musician/composers do this all the time, too. It can be hard to recapture those
great ideas if you don't catch them right way.
2. Publishing opportunities - large houses, small
publishers, online, self, the possibilities are numerous these days.
3. Low cost and free advertising opportunities - include
host blogs, forums, yahoo sites, even reviewers, as these are all great ways to
get more exposure.
4. Social media ideas - publicity, collaboration, blog
topics, etc. To help expand your career and reach, make sure you're at least
strengthening your presence on the big three (facebook, twitter, &
youtube). Google will pick up blog activity, so add that g+1 button to your
site. Also, linked in and pinterest have quite a few followers and they're
growing by leaps and bounds.
5. Writers and other possible "team" members -
people with whom you have things in common and respect. Build those
relationships. Fave writers and their success stories. Contrary to popular
opinion, writing should not be done in a bubble for long. Not only will you
suffocate, but you'll also get left behind. Look into Triberr and Hootsuite.
They both help with your social media presence as well as online relationship
building.
6. Informative sites - websites, blogs, online news spots.
In other words, writing resources. I'm excited about World Literary Care. It's
a connection place for readers and writers, and the admins are great resources.
I just recently joined their review team.
7. How to and info books - more writing resources, and they
can be great springboard material for blog posts, tweets, even writing forums
and sites.
8. Great reads, TBR, etc. - Goodreads and Shelfari are great places to do
this. forums, online groups & forums.
9. Online groups & forums with topics related to your
writing - for instance, one of my new faces is Lycan forum. I'm writing a
series about mutant wolf shutters. Just makes sense to keep your stories fresh
and interesting.
10. What you learned and what you'll try next - keep up with
your progress, make notes of what does and doesn't work. Develop systems for
success. You can save someone else a lot of time and trouble and become an
experienced expert on the subject.
11. Places to promote on and off line - again, make the most
of press releases, interviews, media (radio, Tv morning shows), signings,
libraries, conventions, exhibits. One Tv station in my hometown just recently
started interviewing locals every evening about some aspect of our lives. Cool!
You'd be surprised the opportunities you find when you're actively searching.
Oh, and make sure you keep business cards on hand with your book covers, genre,
and website.
12. Day-to-day to do lists for your lists so you don't get
overwhelmed. - you might want to choose a few specific things from your lists
to do each day and make a schedule. This way, you get more done and you see
progress. You also learn quickly what does and doesn't work for you so you can
make adjustments without losing momentum.
Twelve is a biblical number of completion, so I'll stop
here, but you can always think of more lists and add as you grow. In all of
your getting, make sure you give more. Share with other writers and offer your
supporters, including readers, writers, and others who help you along the way,
freebies and special deals when you can. Well, what are you waiting for? You've
got lists to make and goals to reach :-)
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