Publication, platform, promo: My reading and writing plans and aspirations for 2022

As with embarking on a novel project, so with setting goals for the year ahead: there’s a sweet spot between restraining oneself within an inflexible structure and leaving it all to chance. Now I’m clearer about how novels work, I’ve become a carefree planner – or is that an organised pantser? Now I know – in fact, I’ve always known – I’ll get some stuff done to progress my authorial career, I’m happy to set myself a mix of concrete goals and airy-fairy aspirations each January and review where they’ve got me at the end of the year. So here’s an overview of where I hope I’m heading; I feel I have a better chance of achieving some of my aims since I discovered, two days into the New Year, that toxic positivity is a thing.

Publication

I suppose it had to happen. Although when I said three years ago I needed to write a series, I meant it as a joke. But here I am with the follow-up to my third novel, Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home, on submission and a prequel novella, currently entitled The Cloffocks, halfway through. I aim to finish and self-publish the prequel, The Cloffocks, and to identify the publication route for the sequel, The Age of Staggered Breathing, by the middle of this year (i.e. find a publisher or plan to publish it myself). I also want to submit Snowflake, a crossover dystopian novel that’s been hanging around for a while.

I’ve been saying this for the last two years and, with a few fairly decent stories still homeless, it’s merely a matter of submitting and resubmitting until I get a yes, but I really really really will complete my century of short-story publications this year.

Platform

I never planned to revamp my website last year; now I need to finish the renovations and transfer to a more professional address. I bought annegoodwin.co.uk at the tail end of the year but, a bit like the loft in my house, I’ve got so much stuff, I’ll need help to move it. It should be less tricky to switch my newsletter to the personal email address I acquired at the same time, so a quick win there.

Having attended some branding workshops through the Society of Authors last year, I’m committed to replacing my author bio with my brand story. Hopefully that will help me clarify the purpose of this blog in time to do something to mark my 1000th blog post at some point this year. Toxic positivity might be involved!

Joining another social media platform was NOT part of my plans for January, but here I am on TikTok! (When you're told it's the place to be and offered a free course, what can you do?)

@annegoodwinauthor What book inspired you to become a writer? #booktok #spfexpedition #firstvideo #newbie #books #wordnerd #literaryfiction ♬ original sound - Anne Goodwin

Promo

I don’t know what is the exact relationship between reviews and sales, but everyone says they matter. So I have some strategies in mind to get 30 new Amazon reviews across my four published books. Here’s where things stood at the beginning of this year, and where I hope to be by the end:

Sugar and Snails Amazon = 46 Target = 60 I have a good chance of achieving this with 17 reviewers on a blog tour next month, although not everyone is willing or able to post on Amazon.

Underneath Amazon = 25 Target = 27

Becoming Someone Amazon = 4 Target = 10 It’s always more difficult to get readers for short story collections, although this sells reasonably well at book fairs. I might try a blog tour or a review site.

Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home Amazon = 32 Target = 40

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If all goes to plan with my novella, The Cloffocks, I want to achieve 200 downloads of the ebook by the end of the year.

I won’t set any targets for book fairs, podcasts, guest posts, author talks etc, but will keep alert to opportunities. Because it’s fun to collaborate with other authors, I’d also like to do a couple of group giveaways of signed copies but it can be expensive to do this internationally while it seems mean to exclude my followers/ supporters/subscribers from outside the UK.

Looking forward to recording for Henry Hyde's podcast later this week.

Reading

As usual, I’ve set a Goodreads goal to read 100 books and hope to read many more, with a good percentage of authors of colour and translations.

Writing

It’s funny that I’ve put this last, since writing is at the heart of what I do here. But, other than finishing the prequel novella and maintaining my 99-word story habit, I’m not making any specific commitments. My fortnightly online critique group will ensure I don’t neglect the muse.

What are your plans and aspirations for 2022?
Have I missed anything important from mine?

I was saving this post for the first flash fiction challenge of 2022, anticipating the theme would be congruent. Here’s my contribution to the forthcoming collection on responses to the prompt the wish I made.

Be careful what you wish for

I made a wish for an extra pair of hands. With arms to hang them from, like the goddess Durga. I’d battle aggressors with one set while consoling a child with the other. I’d cook and type simultaneously. I’d play the piano while scratching an itch.

You could say I should have thought it through, but why, when I don’t believe in magic? I should’ve realised no shirt, jumper, jacket, could accommodate my new anatomy. That I couldn’t get comfortable in bed. The waiting list for amputations stretches to infinity. Be careful what you wish for, it could backfire.