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2015: My Year in Review

Image from mustang-times.com

The ball will drop in Times Square. Another countdown with celebratory kisses and confetti is only four days away. But where, oh where, has 2015 gone?

This is my year in review…

January

  • Crazy revisions on two separate manuscripts to get them off to beta readers.
  • Two deadlines made. Two deadlines met.
  • (This seems so long ago that I’m having trouble remembering)
  • Researched short story markets and agents for YA fantasy

February

  • My fiction debut. I become a published author with the appearance of “Dream Architect” in the romance anthology Accidental Valentine. *Happy Dance*
  • Manuscripts come back for my fictionalized novella.
  • Wrote and submitted two short stories. One is accepted (in April) the other rejected.

March

  • I seek and employ a freelance editor to line edit my manuscript, Reflections from a Amazon PH CoverPondering Heart.
  • A cover designer is contracted and we shoot ideas back and forth over Facebook messaging.
  • All but one of my beta manuscripts for Doomsday Dragons is returned, but since that one is coming from an actual published YA fantasy author, I decide to hold off on making revisions.

April

  • Wrestled with the CreateSpace publishing platform for the first time.
  • Uploaded my cover and interior with weeks to spare before the release.
  • Put the Kindle up for pre-order
  • Wrote another short story and submitted it. Rejection received.

May

  • Release day for my independently published women’s fiction Reflections from a Pondering Heart
  • Hosted my first ever release party on Facebook
  • Successfully generated hundreds of adds on Goodreads by running a giveaway
  • Mailed out nearly fifty signed copies of the book
  • Wrote a 20,000-word novella for a ten-author collaboration

June

  • Sent Matchmaker: Reality to beta readers
  • Wept bitterly when my image of Doomsday Dragons was shattered by my good friend and beta reader
  • Went to work revising according to the feedback
  • Received two thumbs up on the rewritten first fifty pages

Willamette-Writers2July

  • Purchased tickets for Willamette Writer’s Conference
  • Purchased two pitch sessions at the event (to pitch Doomsday Dragons)
  • Perfected the pitches
  • Finished polishing the complete manuscript and proofread it
  • Had a wonderful visit with my cousin from Oklahoma
  • Brainstormed a dragon story and an origin story

August

  • Attended the conference
  • Pitched the book twice – got two requests for pages
  • Sent out a batch of ten queries to agents and the pages requested at the conference
  • Finished Matchmaker: Reality (the novella mentioned in May which was supposed to release in an indie collection in October)
  • Heard from a publisher of a SHH-secret short story anthology that they might be interested in a novel in the same universe
  • Wrote an origin story for this universe

September

  • Wrote a military themed short story and submitted it
  • Worked out a ten-point outline of a novel to present to the publisher who expressed interest
  • Experienced vertigo from mood swings of fear, anxiety, excitement and disbelief
  • Finished writing a study book and devotional based on Psalm 119
  • Short story was accepted for publication in a January anthologyHeartsofValor_eBook_CVR
  • Polished the origin short story and submitted it. Rejection received.

October

  • Wrote the study guide for an updated version of Reflections
  • Scrambled to research settings and characters for the novel my editor was pitching to the publisher
  • First round of edits accomplished on “Hero of her Heart” (the romance accepted in September
  • Outline and character sketches ready for November
  • Organized scene cards in the new Scrivener file
  • Hired a cover artist for the study book
  • Completed author bio, blurb and excerpt for “Hero of her Heart”
  • Prepared a presentation for National Novel Writing Month to give to local writers in November

November

  • Wrote the first draft of a 68,000-word young adult dystopian with sci-fi and fantasy elements in 20 days
  • Completed second-round edits on “Hero of her Heart”
  • Logged rejections from eight of twelve agents regarding Doomsday Dragons
  • Began classes to become a licensed substitute teacher
  • Edited and uploaded the manuscript for the study book
  • Uploaded the cover
  • Wrote parts for a Christmas program at church
  • Spent a week at the coast with my husband and a wonderful Thanksgiving with my sister
  • Wrestled with CreateSpace over cover specs and interior issues on the study book, Poet Inspired

PoetInspired3DDecember

  • Sent Matchmaker: Reality for editing
  • Released a second edition of Reflections
  • Finished training for sub teaching and jumped through licensing hoops
  • Ordered and approved proof of Poet Inspired
  • Worked on the Christmas program parts (my first foray into voice acting – I think I’ll stick with writing)
  • Released Poet Inspired in print only
  • Worked on marketing tasks for these releases and the upcoming January release
  • Editor notes on Matchmaker: Reality asked for extensive additions and changes
  • Wrote a (15,000-word) fantasy romance for a future anthology (to be revised, edited, polished, and submitted in January 2016)
  • Added to and revised Matchmaker:Reality
  • Somehow managed to get ready for my son’s wedding

Don’t forget that I publish original blogs bi-weekly on my personal website and weekly on my church’s blog. So I wrote all of these every month amidst all the other work.

I would like to say I’m reaping huge benefits from all this writing and submitting. Monetarily, it hasn’t happened yet. All of my contracts are “royalties only.”

As for my independently published title, I have sold around 55 print books, and 100 e-books were downloaded during promotional periods when it was free.

I’m still an unknown. But I’m pushing forward, closer to meriting the title I give myself “full-time author.”

Looking forward to 2016

A new calendar year is about to dawn.

I’ll have new goals. They’ll be written in my business plan.

Among them:

  1. Increase my newsletter mailing list (not sure how to accomplish this at the moment, since I follow all the industry advice and have 22 subscribers after a year)
  2. Submit the dystopian novel to the publisher by May
  3. Write another study book (or two) and publish them for print on demand
  4. Write and submit six short stories to anthologies (one is written for a February 2016 deadline)
  5. Work on the grief memoir/Bible study I’ve outlined (possibly ready to pitch by the summer)
  6. Write the rest of the dystopian series
  7. Land a book publishing contract

What accomplishments from 2015 do you want to shout about? What’s on your list for 2016?

2 thoughts on “2015: My Year in Review”

  1. Wow! When you look at the list, you should be amazed and proud of your hard work! Next year I am training for my next blackbelt test. I want to find some volunteer work in the community and become a positive inspiration to others.

    1. I worked hard. You know me, I wish I had more to show for it. But I felt like a “real” writer for the first time in 2015. I intend to grow that feeling into a fiery furnace.
      Good luck with the black belt test. You will rock it, I’m sure.

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