2013 Goals: August Status Report

August turned out to be a pretty amazing month in terms of my writing goals!

1) Complete final draft of Novel #2.

Done!

I downloaded the final draft to my Kindle Fire to do another quick read through. Furthermore, another beta reader has the most recent draft.  So far, the response has been very positive. Yay!

2) Work on converting Novel #1 into first person.

Still on the shelf (and that’s okay).

3) Submit 5 pieces of writing.

This goal is still technically on the shelf, however, my muse is still going crazy with poetry. I am writing A LOT of lines! Some are good and some are bad, but I’m finding the journey interesting. I’ve noticed my voice is changing as I explore different themes.

4) Submit three query letters for Novel #2

Thanks to WriteOnCon, I found the courage to Twitter pitch my book, (see WriteOnCon Rocked!) The experience was nerve-wracking and terrifying, but the end result made me realize its better to do something scary than nothing at all.

I got the attention of an editor and received a request for a query letter. I’ve since sent my query and now I’m in the waiting stage. It will probably be a while before I hear anything back, but whether anything happens is beside the point. I’m proud of myself for finding the courage to put my book out there. Better yet, I can say I’m one query down on my three query goal!

The WriteOnCon experience has given me the confidence to push even further. Between posting my query letter in the critique forums (where I got great advice and positive responses for my story concept) and learning about how to navigate the YA publishing industry, I feel a little more prepared to pitch my book.

I’ve already got a list of five agents that will be receiving query letters from me in the near future. All I’ve got to do now is finish that darn synopsis!

5) Continue building author platform

I redact everything I said about Twitter last month. Ever since going back to work, I’ve been spending more time scrolling through my Twitter feed. As a result, I’m discovering more connections and have a new appreciation for the platform.  I’m sure finding success via a Twitter pitch had nothing to do with my new attitude, (hee hee).

My Facebook Page has grown from  322 to 330

On Twitter, my followers have grown from 531 to 541

Thanks so much to all my followers on social networks and on this blog. Your support and encouragement means so much!

6)  Read three books on the writing/publishing process.

Maisie Dobbs continues to be my main source of reading pleasure. The last two books arrived this weekend and I will be reading them before I jump back into this goal!

7) Inspire others to keep writing.

As always, I can only hope I am a positive presence!

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How are you doing on your 2013 goals?

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c.b.w. 2013