Thinking (and Praying) about 2014
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about 2014. Maybe it’s because my new book, Power in the Promises, is coming out January 4 and I want to be ready to promote it. I’ll be starting a new blog and will do whatever else God has for me (I would love to some radio). I’m quite excited about the new blog. It will begin in a few weeks, along with new website. Not to worry, I’ll let you know.
My thoughts about 2014 prompt me to ask you: what are your plans for next year? It’s not too soon to plan. You simply can’t wait until the holidays and expect to be ready to hit the ground running the first week of January. Here then are some questions I’m asking myself and I want you to ask them of yourself too.
1. How has my mission as a writer changed in the past year and how does that affect what I do in 2014?
2. What will be my top three projects that I will focus on?
3. How many book proposals shall I do in 2014? (Please say more than one, but no more than five or six).
4. Which writer’s conferences will I go to?
5. If I have published books, what will be my strategy for increasing backlist sales?
6. What specific steps will I do to increase my platform?
7. Am I ready to begin speaking to groups? Will I travel to do so? (If yes, then start preparing your talks now).
8. Are there changes I need to make to my work space? When will I make these changes?
9. Do I need to make changes in the management of my writing time? How can I carve out additional time?
10. Should I be looking for an agent….or perhaps a new one?
11. What local or online classes can I take to improve my writing next year? What books have I heard about that I need to read to improve my writing?
12. Last by not least, what do I believe God wants to accomplish in 2014 through my writing?
You may have more questions than these. Or you may have different questions. The point is to be prayerfully proactive now in getting a vision for your writing in 2014. Don’t wait and just let it happen. Go after it.
Nick, with your kind permission, I’ll print this list and use it as a guideline for personal prayer this week. I hope to have the answers before Thanksgiving and to be well on my way to doing as God directs.
Oh, thank you! I’m printing this out and taking it to my prayer time. I’m releasing my first novel this month. Since it has a Christmas backdrop, the heavy marketing will end by January. Your post made me realize I haven’t thought beyond December 26th!!!!
Wow. Lots to think/pray about. Thanks for the timely reminder that it’s not too soon to plan.
Good morning Nick,
I’m a little late on this one (like 10 days) but wanted to say yes, it’s good to plan. Not much will happen if you don’t, unless you’re an especially gifted pantser. Like you I was saved through Campus Crusade for Christ, and our Crusade director at the time used to give us little seminars on study skills. His favorite phrase was, “Plan your work, work your plan, but don’t let your plan work you.”
I’m not yet published and will incorporate some of these ideas into my plan for 2014.
Kathy Bailey
Joining the party late, but these are some good points. We won’t hit anything unless our aim is focused, and with the publishing industry the way it is, “random” doesn’t work any more. If it ever did.
Kathy Bailey