15 Tips For Authors Setting Goals

Authors need to set goals if they are to achieve various levels of success. There is no limit as to what you can wish for. But there are some sound ways to approach your goals.  

First, here are some goals authors may set for themselves: 

* Write a good book.

* Get the book published, even self-published.

* Sell a certain number of copies. First, you measure success by the hundreds, then thousands. Then: 100,000 copies; 250,000; half-million; a million or more copies.

* Get at least 50 positive Amazon or Goodreads reader reviews.

* Secure at least 10 strong professional book reviews, whether paid or free.

* Get interviewed by major news media.

* Win or be a finalist in smaller book awards.

* Win or be a finalist in bigger book awards.

* Launch a sequel or series or a spinoff series.

* Sell the foreign rights into multiple languages and nations.

* Sell the movie or television rights to the book.

* Secure a literary agent to represent the next book.

* Land a publishing deal with a Big 5 publisher or respectable mid-sized publisher or university press.

* Make an amazon best-seller list; get on the NYT bestseller list; rank No.1 or stay on bestseller lists for more than an hour, day, or week. 

Whatever your goals are, here are 15 steps writers can take to achieve them:

1. Set several goals — not just one.

2. Have mostly realistic goals and a few pie-in-the-sky ones.

3. Prioritize them — note which ones are more important or need to happen first.

4. Write down your goals.

5. Be prepared to revise and update that list.

6. Assign timelines to achieve goals.

7. Break each goal up into smaller goals.

8. ID resources/people who can help you.

9. Make sure your goals are stated in the positive and affirmative.

10. Be aware of the incentive/reward to achieve.

11. Seek out tactical, emotional, and useful help.

12. Challenge yourself to do more, even when you are tired, not in the mood, or struggling.

13. Compete with yourself.

14. Keep trying to reach your goal, even when you have a setback.

15. Consult with others to gain insight, inspiration, and feedback on your goals pursuit. 

Good luck! 

Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with 3.6 million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.6 million pageviews. With 4,800+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.