Tags
#authortube, book bingo, goal tracking, productivity, quarterly check in, quarterly review, quarterly update, writing goals, writing productivity
Hello, lovelies!
Round two of the quarterly review. Let’s see if I learned anything between the two quarters or if we find some trends.
If you’d like to see my process more fully, watch me plan here:
I stuck with the same basic set up and questions.
What I overestimated. Welp, my time, again. I got more edits done for Time, but they’re going slower because I’m trying to combine two steps into one to save time overall, and that’s to edit the stories I like before moving on to read another submission. It’s kind of working.
What I’m learning from this transition is that I can start editing a story to discover how much work it will take, which makes it easier for me to solidly say yes or no to a specific story instead of ending up with so many maybes at the end of an open reading session. For the last few anthologies, I racked up WAY too many maybes, which meant more time spent reading and trying to decide than was necessary. We’re moving in the right direction at least.
I’m also behind on marketing and advertising. To be honest, I can barely keep up with what I’m doing now, so it keeps slipping to the back burner. However, I am hosting a live launch party this weekend, so…maybe there’s a little progress there.
My finance tracker went by the wayside. I used it for a month, kind of. Set it up for two, and forgot about it on the third. A big signal that it’s not working for me in the form I’m trying. I think I need to sit with my parents and get some budgeting advice. They both have two very different systems, so I can mutate what works for me.
And finally, nothing of a surprise here. I’m not that great at compositing art. I’m learning, but man, I have a long, long, long way to go.
What I underestimated. Again, this shouldn’t surprise anyone, but my ability to admit when I need a day off and the benefits taking a break can offer my overall productivity. It’s funny because I preach to others about taking breaks when they’re stressed over their work or life, but I really like working… Man, that sounds crazy, but it’s true. I love what I do, so I tend to pile myself with all the things that I want to do and need to do. I’m in need of some prioritizing, and what a perfect opportunity to do that, right?
I think I’ve come up with a compromise for myself. And it’s one of the notes I made to myself in the spread, which is to slow down and take more time on projects, which offers more time for marketing and ads, and helps to keep mistakes to a minimum. Less rush and more buzz. Um, no brainer?
I’m pretty sure that last quarter I mentioned this as well, but my creative potential is so much more than I allow myself. This comes back to that prioritizing idea. I’ve made writing every day a priority, so it’s getting done, and I. Am. Loving. It. Oh my shit, y’all. As of today, I’ve written 77,680 words. And although I’m sure some writers might scoff at this, it’s MASSIVE for me. I’m almost done with my newest book. After three months? Are you kidding me? It usually takes me close to a full year to write a novel. Now, there’s a lot of changes that’s allowed me to progress so much, but man… Man, that’s a big stepping-stone to my dream of writing multiple books a year.
Next is actually YouTube. I stumbled into #authortube, and I am really enjoying consuming and creating videos. I have a way to go as far as growing comfortable talking and filming myself, but it’s a new way to move forward in my industry, which keeps me from wanting to jump into another one to cure wanderlust, and I’m all for it.
If you’ve been following any of my video updates, I’ve been working freelance on a cookbook, and I totally underestimated my joy for this type of thing. I love food, the recipes are super new for me, and the photography is amazing. YAS!
My last note is to carve out more time for family. Next month will have buttloads of this, but I need to make it a more regular part of my day. This goes back to overestimating my time. It’s an all-around problem, and it hasn’t changed much. I must change this.
My current vision. Simplify popped up again. Yup. It’s getting better, but we’re still not there yet. Simplify your life, Alisha. Get it together. Do the things. Be an adult.
I also listed consuming more books. I love books, obviously, I write and publish them. It means I read a lot, but it’s not the same as simply reading for fun. At least a chapter a night or a day, or something. Damn it. This is doable. I’m going to make it doable. I also made a Book Bingo Board in my bullet journal to help motivate me.
Freelance more. This was a surprise. I like it. I want to do more. That’s pretty much it.
Finally, I’ve listed to find joy. I’ve loved writing so much, working freelance, and building my business. That’s what I need to make happen on a more realistic and sustainable scale. Also, I’ve loved having a show to watch with my husband every day. We need another one. If you have a suggestion, by the way, make it in the comments below.
Current pain points. Other than what I’ve already outlined above, and frankly, I know can babble on about this stuff for far longer than necessary, but here we are. I need to step up and use focused power blocks to get through work more efficiently. Ahem. Simplify.
I’m trying to juggle too many projects at once. SIMPLIFY.
I really need someone to delegate to, which of course requires money. Maybe some day.
Oh my shit. We have a giant increase in submissions. Like I think we’re hovering around 200 since April. Much love to Authors Publish Magazine for that shout out. I’ve been subscribed to them for a long time. Helpful resource.
And yeah, I need to decide on whether to finish my complete revamp of my Blood Phoenix covers now, or wait until all five books are written. The problem here is that people who have already bought the first three books wouldn’t have complete sets if I shift gears now.
However, some of the big marketing pushes I would like to get into, like Bookbub, won’t be as effective, aka lower ROI, until I do the revamp. My current plan is to do both, but that’s going against my goal of simplifying my life. I don’t know. I could use some advice before I dive into the marketing part of my WIP.
Quarter Three plans. Anyways, here’s how this transformed into my quarter three goals and project plans. It’s still jammed pack with stuff. Probably too much stuff, but I’ve given myself some relief in not trying to push to publish this new anthology, TIME, by the end of 2019. If it happens, cool. If not, that’s okay, too. The fall semester is way too busy for me to push myself like that, and I need to learn to accept that.
The take away. Less is more. Haha. Less distractions. More focus. Less busy work. More productivity. Less worry. More progress.
My motivation to keep writing is on track.
Overall, a successful quarter. Bring on the next.
What are your goals this quarter? Did you get everything you wanted done last quarter? Tell me about them in the comments below!
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