Goals, Tiers and Wishlists – My how things change

The Theory

When I wrote my goals for the year, I tried to make it so I could cover each genre I wrote in, at least in passing. Because I write in so many genres and under so many pen names, I realized I had to plan my time carefully. In doing that, I also realized it was not physically possible for me to have four releases a year in each genre for each pen name… at least, not while holding down a full-time job. So, I came up with a set of tiered goals and wishlists. Tier 1 is the minimum of what I think I can do. At the end of the first week, it seemed to be holding. At the end of two months, not so much; I’m way ahead of schedule, but I’m not producing new words <sigh>.

Tier 2 was what I hope to achieve in good conditions. Tiers 3-4 were my dream tiers, the projects that I really wanted to do, but couldn’t work on, due to time constraints.

So, every week, I planned to advance Tier 1 by a revised chapter or 1,000 words a day, Tier 2 was the same progression, if I could reach it, and Tiers 3-4 got whatever was left over. Everything else was prioritized around that.

The Original Mark-2 List

I spread these goals out over the next four years. Lumped together in a chronological order under each tier, they looked like this:

Tier 1 (all are novels between 80-100k words in length)

• Shadow’s Rise (scheduled 30 January 2013; released 01 January 2013);
• Shadow Trap (scheduled 05 July 2013; released 02 March 2013);
• Shadow’s Fall (scheduled 15 December 2013)
• +1 book/year thereafter

Tier 2 (all are novels between 60-75k words in length:

• 2 releases per year for Madeleine Torr

Tier 3 (a mix chapter books up to 5k words in length, and novellas between 30-50k words in length. As this list is very broken, right now, I’ll only go to the very start of 2014):

• All Alone (scheduled 12 February 2013; released 17 February 2013);
• Novella (scheduled 15 March 2013; released)

• 3 more chapter books by the end of 2013, and 2 more novellas

  

Tier 4 (a mix an annual and roleplaying adventures; broken beyond repair):

• Zombie Annual (scheduled 7 April 2013);
• 3 x roleplaying adventures (scheduled 28 July, 8 December 2013 and 10 April 2014)

Mark 3 Change Theory

So, I’ve simplified things. Why?

• Because my focus changed with experience;
• Because I have completed work that just needs to get out there; it does me no good sitting on a shelf gathering dust;
• Because I need to respond to reader interest as manifest in sales, and the schedule didn’t allow that;
• Because I need to keep writing something new, even while producing the back list;
• Because I’m working way ahead of the original schedule.

Mark 3 Changes

These are broader, but respond to indications of reader preferences, and my own foci:

• Take Tier 1 and accelerate it until I reach where I get to produce brand spanking new words, regardless of the age of the idea (From Fisherpriest 2 onwards);
• Keep working on the Tier 2 list, but add in titles from Pen Name 3 whose work is selling well, and whose readers will be looking for more;
• Tier 3 has had two chapter book titles added and released years ahead of time; release one non-illustrated chapter book per month, while working on sourcing a b&w illustrator. Step up the pace on the novellas for Pen Name 1.
• Tier 4 requires work on rules knowledge and then sourcing line work illustrators. Art work for some products can be sourced on Dreamstime. Zombie Annual on backburner.
• Extras: Anthology work and short stories need to continue, and, therefore, should be added into the schedule. Release rate for short stories should be around 1 per fortnight or month, which will mean older work will be released by the end of the year. Fresh work to be produced in the meantime.
• Dream Projects: Some work for older young adults, and completion of recently discovered earlier work that would suit that audience. This means launching Pen Name 5. Calendars.