Career Planning for Writers

1) Complete manuscripts. Finishing your manuscript would be the most important goal for a new writer.

2) Write to publish. Write at least two or three articles for your writing group's newsletter. This gets you name recognition and exposure...two things essential to any writing career.

Take this one step further and get those articles out there on the World Wide Web. There are Ezines, websites and newsletters like this one that pay for reprints of articles. Writing For Dollars and Funds for Writers are just a couple, but there are hundreds of places to market your work.

Short-term Goals for Published Writers

1) Finish that next project. Every author knows that in order to maintain the coveted title of "published" you must continue to write things that will sell.

2) Focus on Promotion. Spend at least five to 10 hours per week promoting. This goal is as individual as you are but promotion is the key to a successful writing career.

Before setting goals for promotion, every author should also set a budget. Be reasonable and be realistic! Do some research and get the most exposure for your money. For low cost promotional ideas check out places like Earthly Charms or read books like 101 Ways to Promote Your E-book for Free!, Beyond the Bookstore: 101 (Other) Places to Sell Your Book and Book Marketing Made Easy by Rusty Fischer and Promotion for Paupers by Karen Syed, Echelon Press. There are also groups such as Divas of Romance where you can participate in group advertising for a low monthly or annual fee.

Remember, Free is always better! List your book at every free site and sign up to receive every newsletter available to you. This provides you with numerous opportunities to promote and write! Check out places like Firstwriter.com, Faithwriters.com and Once Written.com.

3) Speak up. Schedule at least one book signing and/or speaking engagement per month. These serve two purposes: exposure and sales.

Plan for a Career

If you want to make writing your career, you'll have to establish longer term goals. Here are two ways you can provide a sure foundation for a writing career.

1) Multiply your efforts. Plan to Write and publish two, three or five books within three to five years. This can be expanded to cover 10 or 20 years. One or two books per year is a very reasonable goal (depending on what you write) especially if you already have a career and a family and are busy promoting yourself and your work.

2) Write full-time. Another goal would be to make enough money from writing to do it full-time. Consider writing and marketing articles, short stories and essays. Check out resources such as Anthologies Online, Word Smith Shoppe and How I Made $66,270 in 9 Months Writing for Web Sites by John Riddle (available at I Love To Write.Com) for ideas on how you can make a living as a freelance writer.

Live the Dream

Goal setting and career planning are navigational tools for writing success. Is it important to write those goals, check them off, and reevaluate them? Many would answer this question with a resounding yes! Writing is as personal and individual as writers and goals should be tailored as such. Keeping your goals flexible makes them more attainable.

Finally, keep in mind that writing-not goal setting-should be your top priority. If setting goals takes the enjoyment out of your writing, build up to it slowly. But don't put it off forever. Writing is a business, and every business must establish short- and long-term goals to ensure continued success. 3) Submit and Work Those Rejections! Submit your manuscript-or at least query-two or three editors and/or agents. Books such as Be Your Own Literary Agent by Martin P. Levin and How to be Your Own Literary Agent by Literary Agent, Richard Curtis give you information on how working those rejection letters can benefit you and your career.