2012 Theme: Revision & Release
Inspired by Chris Guillebeau’s annual review and the 2011: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE AWESOME review from {r}evolution apparel, I realized I should step up and do one too.
Sometimes a few months can feel like its very own year. The last half of 2011 certainly felt that way for me. And now, with 2012 underway, January alternates between flying fast, and ticking long and slow. Still, 2011 was packed with good and bad, and I know 2012 will be too. Here’s what I’m also working to be ready for…
2011
The good
- I quit my job and set up shop as an independent writer and editor. Hooray!
- Became co-chair of Mid-Valley Willamette Writers.
- Blogged about once per week, and re-organized my website to work in more information about my copywriting, social media and online marketing services.
- Drafted my novel and set up my own publishing company for travel fantasy books and urban fantasy stories.
- Met awesome colleagues at the 2011 Willamette Writers Conference.
- During November, wrote both a 50,000-word novel for NaNoWriMo, and blogged daily for the BootsnAll 30 Days of Indie Travel project.
- Had a baby. Oh, yeah.
The bad
- Part of being an expectant dad is you can’t get individual health insurance. Turns out your unborn child is too much of a risk. We had to take on the extra cost of being in our state’s high-risk insurance pool in order for me to have health insurance coverage while my wife was pregnant. Welcome to the USA.
- I often still feel too closed-up when blogging and sharing ideas, projects and plans with my readers. My default has too often been to clam up, instead of singing out. That will most likely always be a work in progress, but I’m trying, dang it, I’m trying.
- Stumbled a lot on various things for my business. There are contacts I’m making now, that I probably could’ve made months ago. There are things I probably could’ve put in place ages ago, but didn’t. At least they’re in play and underway now.
- Realized that I really, really suck at writing short stories. My structure and understanding of the “why” of the story need a lot of work.
2012
The get ready
- Saw the other night that Antsaint ranked tops in Google for “craft beer writing” and “craft beer writer”. Wow. (‘Course, this stuff changes all the time. But still.)
- Writing a freebie story for Rucksack Press and getting the word out for travel fantasy stories coming 2012.
- Talking with more people for copywriting, email marketing and social media projects. There’s nothing like working with awesome people, and I’m glad to be working with more of them.
- Looking hard at a Kickstarter campaign to fund costs on my first books. Working hard to earn the trust and interest to make that happen with my readers.
- Publish 2 books. Now that I’ve had some time to get distance from my novel and short story collection, it’s time to come back to both projects. My theme for 2012 will be “a year of revision and release”. I plan to get at least 2 books to market this year: my novel, and a short-story collection.
- Be a bad-ass dad. As I type this, my wee son is strapped to my chest in a Moby Wrap. The whole baby-wearing thing? I dig.
Excited to find out
It’s going to be an interesting year. There is so much happening, and I have no idea what all is going to happen. But as Steve Jobs once said, “I’m really excited to find out.”
