by Kasia | Jan 26, 2016 | Writing
Barbecues, bikinis, poolside drinks with friends and sunshine. Ok, it’s a little bit overcast today, which seems to be norm for Australia Day the past couple of years but we’re still basking in the random rays of sunshine that pop through the cloudy sky as I sip on the Counting Sheep Sauvignon Blanc by the resort pool feeling grateful that today is a public holiday and husband and I managed to slip away for a two-night weekday getaway.
Happy Australia Day! Hope you’re having a fabulous day wherever you are.
by Kasia | Jan 5, 2016 | Business, Motivation, Writing
Each year I set myself a list of goals. I find it odd come January if I don’t have a file on my computer with all the things I want to achieve, generally categorised between writing and personal development, to health and fitness and personal finance.
These goals are often divided into quarters. Then I have another list for monthly goals, weekly ones and daily ones.
Yes, that’s a little OCD when it comes to lists.
What can I say, I love writing lists, and ticking things off once they are complete.
In 2015, my primary goal was to publish my first novel. I did that. Lethal Disposal was published on Amazon in May 2015. This was an amazing feeling. It also taught me a few things that I wish I paid attention to before putting the book to market. The good thing about e-publishing is that it’s editable. But I don’t plan on making the same mistakes with future books.
In my last post, I mentioned my A goal for 2016. It’s a big one and it’s going to take a lot of commitment, time and sacrifice but it will be worth it.2016 is going to a big year. An exciting year. A hard working year.
1. I want to be a healthy writer.
I’m athletic. I run, swim, cycle, and weight train. Since having my son, my training has been sporadic at best. Given that my day job is sedentary and so is my writing, it’s imperative that I fit in daily exercise. Walking to and from the train station just doesn’t cut it.So I’ve started the year with some daily workouts. I want to run more marathons and do a few triathlons throughout the year and they both require a significant amount of training.
Being a writer doesn’t mean junk food, alcohol and staying on your butt. I’ve found that staying fit boosts my creativity. I use this time to plan out scenes, think through plot problems, and brainstorm article ideas.
I want to be a writer for as long as I’m here so that means I need to look after myself every single day. You can check out some ways I stay healthy as a writer here.
Whatever you do, make sure you invest in your health by eating nutritious food and staying active every day. You can still spoil yourself, just do it in moderation.
2. I want to publish six novels/novellas in 2016.
Insane. I know. How is that even possible?
Anything is possible if you believe and are willing to work your butt off. I’m not one to shy away from hard work and so I like to set myself some lofty goals.
At first glance writing six books seems like a stretch. If I was starting from scratch than that would be the case. I spent the last six months of 2015 writing two novels and two novellas. I’m aiming for the following publication schedule:
January – Lethal Instincts, a prequel to Lethal Disposal.(novella)
February – Lethal Aftershock, a sequel to Lethal Disposal (novella)
April – Lethal Attraction (Book 4 in the Lexi Ryder series)
May – Lethal Untitled (Book 5, a novella still to be written)
July – Lethal Games (Book 6 in the Lexi Ryder series)
September – Lethal Untitled (Book 7 in the Lexi Ryder series)
I hope this works out but life sometimes throws unexpected obstacles at us. While I’ll do everything in my power to achieve this goal, even if only manage half of it, it’s still a success, and more than if I didn’t set the goal at all.
3. I want to become a better writer.
Writing has been a passion since I was a kid. I hope it will continue to be one until my grey old days.
I know I can write fast but at the same time I want to write well. The only way to write well is to write more, read more, and learn more.
I’ll be working on improving my writing skills throughout the year, and I’ll share a post on that later this month.
4. I want to read more non-fiction books
In 2015 I read a lot of fiction. I didn’t keep track but I’d say I went through more than fifty books. For some it’s a lot, for others it’s nothing at all.
In 2016, I want to read 26 non-fiction books. That’s one every two weeks. But I don’t want to just read any old non-fiction books. I want to read two books in each of the following categories – business, religion, politics, crime, culture, biography, writing, espionage, travel, science, history, philosophy, and psychology.
Reading is an important part of being a good writer. It’s not enough to read books in your own genre. We need to engage all our senses, question our beliefs, learn new facts, and develop our minds to fuel our creativity. Non-fiction can also provide ideas for future fiction books. It’s a win-win.
I also want to read 26 fiction books. This won’t be too hard. If I really enjoy a book, I can generally get through it within two days.
So that’s a total of 52 books in a year or one book a week. I’ve joined the GoodReads Reading Challenge for 2016.
5. I want to earn $10,000 from my author business in 2016
I wasn’t going to set a monetary goal for my writing as it’s not one that I can control. But I like quantifiable goals and an income goal does just that, it provides me with a quantifier.
Why $10,000? It’s a nice round number and fairly achievable and it would pay for the two holidays I have scheduled for this year. I’m aiming for 50% from book sales, 30% from affiliates on my websites, and 20% from writing services I offer (articles, blog posts, etc).
If your business, website, blog or magazine requires a writer, check out my Hire Me page.
6. I want to become more confident
Success comes in many shapes and sizes but one thing that every success has in common is confidence. There are a lot of successful people out there who aren’t necessarily ‘the best’ at what they do, but they are confident.
To become successful in any arena it’s imperative to believe in yourself, because if you don’t, nobody will either. Confidence is one of my major weak points and it’s something I need to work on continuously.
As a writer, this means opening myself up for more criticism. I like a healthy dose of criticism as long as it’s done respectfully. Unfortunately, the online world has made some people think that they have permission to be rude, aggressive and vulgar towards others. But just because you aren’t sitting face to face doesn’t give you the right to be abusive. Play nice, we’re all in this together. Let’s help each other out, the world has enough hate already.
7. I want a few more things unrelated to writing.
From finishing a half marathon in under 1:45, to spending more quality time with my family and friends, to exploring new places, tasting new restaurants, embarking on unplanned journeys, building a house, learning the ropes in a new job, and being grateful for the all the wonderful little things that we take for granted.
2016 is going to be an awesome year. I’m looking forward to sharing my journey with you, and I look forward to hearing about yours.
What are your goals for 2016? How are you going to achieve them?
by Kasia | Dec 18, 2015 | Business, Writing
You’ve written a novel. It’s either sitting in your drawer, on a file on the computer, or maybe you’ve taken the plunge and self-published. What’s next?
You have a choice: you either let it be and enjoy the accomplishment or you keep going, write the next book and plunge into creating your author business.
Have you read Joanna Penn’s Business for Authors: How to be an author entrepreneur? What about How to Make a Living With Your Writing: Books, Blogging & More?
If you want ‘Author’ as your full time job title then I suggest you pick up your Kindle or log onto your Amazon account and buy the books right now. Go on, I’ll wait.
You won’t regret it. The books are great. Informative. Easy to read. You’re going to keep going back to them as you start to build your own writing business.
Yesterday, I finished reading Business for Authors.
My dream has always been to a full time author. Since I was about ten or so, I’ve enjoyed writing and in my teens I’d dream of days of getting a publishing deal.
I no longer dream about publishing deals. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with them and if one came up well, then I’d cross that road when I got there. But I want more.
I’ve also wanted to run my own business. The first time I came across the concept of Entrepreneur, I was in high school going to a presentation at Bond University and there was an Entrepreneur there explaining to us pimply know it all kids about careers and study choices. At the time I liked the sound of it but I didn’t completely understand what the word meant but it stuck in my brain somewhere, and ever since I’ve wanted to be an entrepreneur too.
It’s a fancy word. Maybe that’s part of the reasoning, haha.
It’s not about making billions, although I won’t get upset if millions end up buying my books. You can grab a copy of Lethal Disposal here.
So what does it mean to be an entrepreneur? It’s a fancy word for setting up a business.
Anyway, Joanna Penn is an author-entrepreneur. She’s done an amazing job in the last few years with her author business and now makes a full time living with her writing. Her books are awesome too. That goes for both her fiction and non-fiction. Her style is friendly, upbeat and very conversational. From her blog and podcasts she seems like the sort of person you could sit down and have a glass of wine with and chat about anything from books and business to theology and murder. Are you intrigued yet? If you’re interested in religious conspiracy thrillers check out her books under JF Penn.
Go on. I’ll wait.
Good to have you back. So where was I? Ah, yes. We’re getting down to business peeps.
For the past two decades my writing has been treated as a hobby. There was a stint of a couple of years whilst living in Europe and teaching English as a foreign language I wrote and got paid for articles, churning out between three to eight a day for content mills. It was easier money and converting it to local currency, well, it was minimum wage for a quarter of the hours put in. At least it supported my coffee and shopping habit.
What used to be perceived as just a dream has now become a goal? It no longer seems impossible to crack the author circle. It’s no longer about editors and publishers taking a chance on you. It’s you, taking a chance on yourself.
The control has shifted and Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, and ITunes have given us mere mortals with a passion for writing, creating stories and entertaining with the written word, a chance to step out into the light. Ok, that sounds scary, a little overdramatic, but it’s true.
In today’s technologically advanced world, it’s up to you whether you become an author you’ve always dreamed of or continue hiding in the closet. The world is your oyster, and you too can become successful and make a living doing what you love.
It’s going to be hard work though. You’re going to put in the hours. Waking up an hour earlier to fit in your writing quota. Saying no to drinks with friends because you have a deadline tomorrow. Hustling for reviews. Being active on social media. Helping others promote their books. Writing quality reviews of your own. Setting up a blog. Connecting with other writers. Writing every day. Then writing some more.
You’re also not going to become successful on your own. You need a team; a support network. From editors and cover designers, to beta readers and a your own personal cheer squad – your family and friends, who will not always be as supportive of your efforts as you’d like them to be. But remember this is your goal, your dream, tread your own path not someone else’s.
Being an author or an entrepreneur is not sleeping in and watching day time TV. Of course you can do it but your business and your writing has to come first. Otherwise you simply like the idea of having been written. That’s fine too, just don’t complain if you don’t get anywhere. Your author business needs your attention every day, there’s no such thing as waiting for the muse to show.
Like any successful business you’re going to want to put in the hard yards and the success along the way is going to be so much sweeter. I can taste it already as I write this post and sip on my cuppaccino, across from one of the best beaches in the world, the sun rising, a sea breeze adding a saltiness to the air. The clatter of cutlery in the cafe kitchen, a coffee machine’s steamer, the chatter of patrons all around, the waves breaking on the shore.
This is the dream. The goal. And once a week it is my writing spot.
Writing is no longer a hobby. It’s a business. I’m no longer dreaming of being an author, I am making it happen. Step by step. Day by day. Word by word. Book by book.
I’ve got my business plan done and dusted. A one page plan of what I want to achieve with my author-entrepreneur business in the next twelve months as well as where I see myself in five years. A one page marketing plan. A one page productivity plan. And one page that specifies daily and weekly tasks that need to be completed to create a viable business that can support my dream lifestyle.
One thing, at this early stage I’m not making any specific financial goals. I’m focusing on productivity and on activities that are within my control.
My ‘A’ goal for 2016 is huge.
It’s a challenge. It’s reaching for the stars. It’s pushing myself further and harder. It’s stretching every muscle in my body and mind to get it done.
I want to have 6 great books on the market by 31 December 2016.
Crazy! I know.
But here’s the thing. I’ve been writing for almost two decades. That’s a lot of material.
I’ve found two manuscripts that I can salvage. The foundation is in them which saves several months of writing. I just need to put on the editors hat and get moving.
In the past four months I’ve drafted two novels and two novellas in my ‘Lethal’ series. Novellas are becoming more popular these days, people have short attention spans. It’s nice to throw in a shorter book in between long ones to sustain reader interest.
That’s six books ready to be edited, revised, and rewritten.
Will you reach for the stars in 2016?
A friend recommended a book to me a few months back, it’s ‘Do The Work’ by Steven Pressfield. I’ve read it a couple of times now. Every time I’m feeling sluggish, overly critical, lose confidence or just couldn’t be bothered, I start reading the first few pages, and realise that I need to stop resisting and keep moving forward even if it’s just getting a sentence written, publishing a blog post, brainstorming the next scene, posting on Facebook or Twitter, connecting with another author.
It’s going to take time, but it will happen. Success doesn’t come overnight.
It’s the slow but steady steps along the way that help us reach the ultimate destination.
I’ll be keeping track and posting regular updates on my productivity and my results. It’ll help me stay accountable but also allow me to share with you the ups and downs of becoming an author-entrepreneur from day one. I hope you join me for the ride.
There are three possible outcomes:
A) I succeed, and within 3-5 years I start making a six-figure per year living as an author.
B) I fail miserably and keep working in a 9-5 (or 8-4) job till I’m 65.
C) I have a dozen or so on the market within a years, each earning me a small income that gives me the freedom to indulge in my favourite things – travel, coffee, wine, books, running, and of course, enjoying more time with family and friends.
Either way, I’d have given the dream a shot.
So yes, that’s it for me. Six books in twelve months. Did I mention that my writing time is limited to the commute to work and a couple hours over the weekend? The goal is a ginormous stretch but even if I only manage half it’s still better than none at all. The only failure would be having done nothing.
What are you doing today to get closer to living your dream in 2016? Is it still a dream or have you changed it to a goal?
*This post contains affiliate links.
by Kasia | Dec 4, 2015 | Writing
I want it all, and I want it now…the lyrics to a Queen song currently humming in my head. Get out already. Yes, I want it all. But I can’t have it all right now. Life doesn’t work that way. There needs to be some sort of order. Get your ducks in a row, it will all come eventually…if you work hard enough.
Hard work. People are afraid of working too hard in case they don’t get what they want. Then they get disappointed because they are in the same place today as they were a year ago.
Choices. We all have them. Your choices have led you to the place you are today. Remember that.
Having spent twenty years dreaming of being an author, it’s my fault that I don’t have more books out there. I chose to trash manuscripts instead of sending them out to editors or beta readers. I chose to hide my passion. I chose to do nothing about it.
In 2015, I made a different choice.
It’s the best one I could have made.
I finished my novel, I edited, I hired an editor, a book designer, got a couple of people to read it for their opinions. I self-published.
I stopped talking and started doing.
How about you? What choices are you making right now that will help or hinder the chance to achieve your wildest dreams?
Publishing my debut novel in May 2015, unlocked a door for me. Now it’s my choice whether I continue to walk through it or backtrack to a lifestyle I don’t particularly enjoy.
I’m choosing to walk through it. So for the past six months I have been a bore to my family and friends, and drafted four manuscripts; two novels, and two novellas. I also found two stand-alone novels in the bottom of a drawer whilst packing which I wrote years ago that I might be able to rework next year. That’s six books that can potentially hit the market over the next twelve months.
The choice is mine.
Where are you planning to be with your career/life/situation in 12 months time?
The choice is yours.
2016 is just around the corner. You’re probably already thinking about your goals, the fresh starts, the awesomeness of new beginnings and planning out a year of success.
Dreaming is easy. Planning is simple. Taking action is the hard part. Taking the right action is the hardest.
We all want something. I’m here to tell you that you can have anything you want, within reason.
What do you really want?
Consider the previous years. What goals have you set and achieved? Which ones have you regurgitated year after year?
What happened? You probably got excited the first two weeks of January and forgot all about them come March. Maybe they weren’t as important as you first thought. Or maybe you didn’t have a plan.
The first step is to differentiate between a goal and a dream.
A goal is an achievable objective. Eg. I want to publish 6 books by the end of 2016.
A dream is an objective somewhere in the future which may or may not happen. Eg. I want to be a New York Times Best Selling Author six weeks in a row.
As you can see, one is within the realms of your control; the other not so much, if at all.
The goal can be broken up in to smaller steps. Six books in a year is one book every two months.
Are these books going to be full length novels? Are they 25,000 word novellas? Are they a part of a series? Have you already written some of them? Do you just have the editing to go? What about beta readers? Cover design? Publishing platform? Cost? Marketing?
There are a lot of variables to consider. But if you’re serious about achieving your goals in 2016 whether they include writing and publishing a book, losing weight, running a marathon, travelling to five new destinations, or spending more quality time with family and friends, you will take time time to figure out an action plan to make them happen.
Once you have that action plan you will stick it on the wall, keep it in your purse, secure it with a magnet in the fridge, put it up on your cork-board at work, and make sure that each day you’re making an effort to achieve your goal.
I want it all, and I want it now mentality is a detrimental one. You need to be willing to work hard and to work smart for what you want everyday, if you don’t, whatever your goal is was never meant to be. You can have it all, but it will take time.
One small step each day. It won’t happen overnight, but no great success ever did.
Where do you want 2016 to take you?
by Kasia | Dec 1, 2015 | Writing
Welcome December, how nice of you to make it. It feels a little early but as I check my calendar for the third time today, it is indeed the first of December. Twenty-four days till Christmas. Thirty-one days to a new year.
Where have the last eleven months gone?
I say this every year. The days are long but the months are short.
Are you where you expected to be this time of year?
I’m not sure. There are some things that seem so much better than they were. I published a novel which is awesome. We bought a block of land in the suburb I have wanted to live in for years. I drafted two novellas and two novels whilst commuting my day job; they are to be published over the next six months. I’ve been working four days per week in a job I’ve had for four years and I’m itching to gain some new skills. I’ve even returned to running and swimming again.
The seeds have been planted.
2016 is going to be incredible.
How are you feeling this December?
In my part of the world, the days are getting longer and hotter. At 6am you can already feel the mugginess in the air which the fan simply swirls around the room. There’s still a chance of a mild breeze but you know that within an hour you’ll have sweat pouring down your spine. It makes you want to get up early and get the job done.
If you’re on the opposite hemisphere, the days are shorter and colder. Snow might be just around the corner. It might be a time where sleeping in is a pleasant treat.
Wherever you are, the Christmas Carols may have started, the festive season is on our doorstep. You might be reflecting over the past eleven months or going crazy Christmas shopping.
You might be already thinking ahead. Realising that you don’t need to start your resolutions in January. Getting a head start in December, might help you develop a new habit just in time for the New Year to begin.
Wherever you are today, it’s your choice where you end up tomorrow.
by Kasia | Sep 6, 2015 | Business, Writing
Accountability is a huge factor in success. As someone who dreams of living a location independent lifestyle I need to start being more accountable for my goals. My dream has always been to be an author who can make a comfortable living from writing novels. But unless you’re Stephen King or Nora Roberts or even Joanna Penn or Nick Stephenson, well, it’s not as simple as just writing a book and putting it out on Amazon. A writing business, is a business, and like any business it takes time, energy, perseverance and dedication to get off the ground. It’s not going to happen overnight, but it will happen.
The online world is quite transparent. Writers, especially indies, bloggers and freelancers, often share details of their progress with income and sales. I plan on doing the same. Although I’ve been writing for two decades, I am only beginning to treat writing as a career. I want to share my progress with those who are interested. I will be posting monthly updates on my progress including goals, achievements, and income.
I’ve been working up to this post for the week. It’s not because I’ve failed to achieve the goals I set for myself, it’s that I did in fact achieve 95% of them. The only one I stumbled on was contacting 15 book reviewers, I only contacted five. Now I’m worried that I’ve set the bar too high for myself and September will become a let down. Fingers crossed I can continue with my output.
I’m giving myself a pat on the back for August. I set high goals so that even if I don’t tick them all off, there’s quite a bit that I get done. Here’s a quick August recap:
- Regular coaching with Gina – done!
- Apply for 20 freelance jobs – done!
- Complete draft of book 2 – done!
- Interview 5 authors – done!
- Read 5 books – done! (all fiction and I read 6 – reviews to come soon)
- Contact 15 book reviewers – I contacted 5 and 1 got in contact with me.
- Run a Goodreads Giveaway – over 400 people added my book to their ‘to read’ shelf and over 900 entered the giveaway.
- Run a free promotion on Amazon – 2 days and 180 books downloaded. I only advertised on my personal Facebook page and Twitter account. Next time I’m going all out.
CHEERS TO SEPTEMBER!
So what’s up with September. It’s a busy month for me. It’s Father’s Day here in Australia, then it’s my husband and mine first wedding anniversary and eight years together to the day, hubby’s birthday and our lease expires so we’re moving back in with the parents while we start building our new home. It’s going to an interesting time that’s for sure.
September Goals
- Send 100 pitches. That’s five times the amount as last month. I like a challenge. It’s definitely doable. Three and a bit a day, although I’m going to aim for more on the weekends.
- Connect with people I know and ask them if they need a writer/blogger/va for their business or website/blog
- Contact 15 reviewers
- Finish writing draft of book 3 (yes, I’m giving myself a huge challenge), it’s day 5 and I’m 15% into it already.
- Interview two authors
- Improve my websites home page
- Start a series of blog posts on novel writing
- Read 2 non-fiction books (research!) and 3 fiction books (I’m currently reading The Girl in the Spider’s Web).
How are you going with your goals?
Does your business or website need a writer? Check out my Hire Me page for more information or contact me at kasiajradzka@gmail.com.
Have you read Lethal Disposal yet? It’s currently available on Kindle for only 99cents (US$).
Barbecues, bikinis, poolside drinks with friends and sunshine. Ok, it’s a little bit overcast today, which seems to be norm for Australia Day the past couple of years but we’re still basking in the random rays of sunshine that pop through the cloudy sky as I sip on the Counting Sheep Sauvignon Blanc by the resort pool feeling grateful that today is a public holiday and husband and I managed to slip away for a two-night weekday getaway.
