Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing EP 055 - Forward Momentum While Looking Back

In this solo episode, Mark takes a look at his 2018 writing and publishing goals and shares the hits, the misses and the alterations that took place in the past twelve months.

He feels it is important to remind writers that if they are already beating themselves up for not completing all the previous year's goals, that he didn't hit all his goals; that he failed at most of them; that he screwed up along the way; that he made mistakes. But also that he adapted several of the goals he'd set as I went along. And he inserted new goals mid-year.

That can happen. It will happen. It's how you deal with those changes that can make the difference between seeing it as a complete failure, or seeing it as an ongoing work in progress.

Mark then says a word about this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices . . .

Mark first talks about the goals he had set at the beginning of 2018 and how he did with them:

1) Write a non-fiction book called INDIE PUBLISHING INSIDER SECRETS 2) Finish the sequel to A CANADIAN WEREWOLF IN NEW YORK 3) Finish the sequel to EVASION 4) Pitch and write a traditionally published book SPIRITS UNTAPPED - to Dundurn 5) Compile a new full book short story collection 6) Stay retired

 

He then shares a number of goals for 2019:

1) Publish Audiobook for 7 P's of Publishing Success 2) Publish Audiobook for Killing It on Kobo 3) Finish writing and Publish eBook/Print and audio for Indie Publishing Insider Secrets 4) Publish Audiobook for ACWWINY 5) Publish Audiobook for I, DEATH 6) Publish Audiobook for ONE HAND SCREAMING (story collection) 7) Write and release SCREAMING SKULLS: And Other Haunted Objects in eBook/print and audio 8) Finish the first draft of FEAR AND LONGING IN LOS ANGELES 9) Book new speaking gigs - Ideally, another keynote either in the last half of 2019 or the first half of 2020

 

Mark also shares his 2018 eBook sales percentages:

Kindle - 45.97%

Kobo - 20.68%

StoryBundle - 20.27%

BundleRabbit - 6.80%

Apple - 3.25%

Nook - 2.30%

Direct Sales - 0.30%

Google - 0.21%

Scribd - 0.12%

Tolino - 0.06%

Smashwords - 0.04%

 

Mark talks about what he achieved and what he didn't achieve in 2018. He talks about what he did well and what he didn't do well.

He reminds writers of the importance of focusing on the forward momentum made, even where a goal wasn't completed, if there was forward momentum that is a step in the right direction.

 

The music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0