The start of a new year offers a unique opportunity to start over. If you’re an author and want your writing journey to look a little different this year, consider these New Year’s resolutions for writers.
Write More: The Most Obvious Resolution for Writers
Writing takes time and focus. Many writers struggle to find either, especially in the midst of life’s busyness. But you can make this the year you find time and focus. How?
- Find your sweet spot. Figure out when your brain is most ready to write. It may be early in the morning, late at night, or during lunch break at work.
- Put it on the calendar. Once you determine when your writing brain functions best, add writing to your daily to-do list. Add writing to your Google Calendar, so you get a reminder.
- Set reasonable goals. You may want to write 5,000 words a day, but a more manageable New Year’s resolution for writers may prevent disappointment. Typing 250 words or getting 20 minutes of focused writing is a good start.
- Kill the distractions. When it’s time to write, put away your phone and block time-wasting websites. All that can wait. For now, you need to write.
Learn More About Writing
Writing is an art and a craft. You may be good at it, but you can always get better.
Three ways to improve your writing skills are:
- Get online. Experts are ready and willing to share their expertise, and many of them do it online. For example, you can find an immensely helpful video series on YouTube videos by Dan Wells that explains how to structure your story for maximum effect. Watch and take notes!
- Go to the library or bookstore. There are a lot of great books about writing. If you have a question about writing for a specific audience in a specific genre or using better grammar, there’s a book that covers the topic.
- Join or create a writing group. Every writer brings something unique to the table. By meeting up with a group of writers, you gain access to other creative minds that can help you better understand writing and push your storytelling forward.
Market Your Book: A Writer’s Resolution That Pays
When you decided to publish your book, you had goals. One of those goals may have been to sell some books. In the early days, you told everyone you knew about your story. Then you ran out of steam. And you ran out of people you knew. So, your book marketing fell by the wayside.
If this sounds familiar, marketing is one of the most important resolutions for writers you should consider. It’s vital to sell more books. The formula is simple, but it’s not always easy to implement.
- Determine your book’s audience.
- Figure out where your audience hangs out (in person or online).
- Go talk to them like real people and when given the chance, offer your book as a solution to their problem. Remember: Problems range from not knowing how to budget to being bored and beyond.
Afraid your marketing efforts will fall off your radar in a week? Add marketing to your calendar. Plan to market your book an hour a week, three times a week, or however often feels right to you. Then do it. It will feel forced, because it is. That’s okay. You can’t move stuff (including books) without a little force.
When You Fail at New Year’s Resolutions for Writers
As with any resolution, New Year’s resolutions for writers aren’t easy to maintain. When life gets in the way, it can become difficult to write regularly. You may forget to market your book, and you put learning on the back burner. When this happens, get back on the wagon. Recommit to your resolution. At the end of the year, you’ll be surprised at your progress, even with the occasional misstep.
Hoping to publish your book this year? Take the first step by submitting your manuscript for consideration today.