The new year is here and this time my muses are busy. This year includes the goal of finishing 1 book before the end of the year, so that I can publish a new novel. I have the bones of 2 books written down. One was inspired by my trip to Japan, and the other is one that hit a speed bump and got stuck.
Being honest with myself, finishing two novels in the same year wouldn’t be realistic, especially since I also have my art career to develop. I might get closer to the finish line with the one I call the never ending story but it’s going to take more pages to complete the story of the characters. The stories are also for 2 different audiences. One is for children, and the other one is for adults.
The big question going into 2025 is whether or not I will self-publish or go the traditional route. I’ve done self-publish route but the traditional route will take patience. This requires queries, finding an agent for each genre, and then going through the whole publishing process. Will my manuscripts end up in a slush pile?
Talking with other writers in my area, I’m going to follow their practice. They do their best to consistently send in their queries for a set amount of time. Some of them opt to self-publish once that time is up. Some are die-hard for the traditional route and will never give up the fight to find a publisher. I’ve seen both routes work.
The difference is that self-publishing takes more patience and you may get more help with final edits and marketing. Keep in mind that most publishers will still have you self-promote and recommend that you use social media.
Should you decide to try traditional publishing, I recommend one tool to keep track of your progress and keep things organized. Keep your list of who you send off your work to on a spreadsheet to track details. Trying to keep everything in your head will only lead to something forgotten.
I think trying to finish just one kind of novel in one year is a big enough goal, so wish me luck. Let’s hope that my books don’t go to die in some pile in an agency. I’ll keep you updated on my progress.
Imagine Inspire Create: 52 Weeks of action and gratitude is available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09S6XCLFY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_Q7MHM9CFBSASDG56YMJQ
Get closer to your writing goals with my Writer’s Journal filled with writing prompts and exercises. You can find a copy at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0931QRL7C/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_VTHN0QSHXRYK6RJ1XSWQ.
Writer's Block Inc 