Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Tis the season to start planning for the next year, and in 2025, I have several goals as an author I’d like to achieve. But as I’ve said many times before, a goal means nothing without the effort to back it.
The reason I start planning my goals in November is so that I can adjust my schedule to accommodate what I want to accomplish. In this case, it’ll involve jockeying a few things around to give me more time.
When it comes to my goals, time is the greatest enemy. That’s because I often pile too much onto my plate.
The most important thing to remember when creating goals is that you want them realistic. This means making goals that you have the potential to accomplish by putting in the effort.
7 Realistic Author Goals for the New Year
The best goals are built around things you can control. For instance, you can’t force someone to read your book, but you can set goals to improve those chances.
So, don’t focus on things that you cannot directly affect.
1. Maintain a Routine Writing/Editing Schedule
My goal is to try to maintain the 2-hour block of time Monday through Friday for writing sprints on YouTube. I’m sure I could squeeze in a bit of time after hours or on the weekends, but that depends on what’s going on those days. It’s not as easy for me to carve out some time to write if it’s not on a weekday.
Perhaps one of the more important goals for me as an author is to maintain a writing and editing routine. If I don’t schedule time in my day to work on the books, they won’t get done for a myriad of reasons.
In the past, I was using the writing sprints on YouTube to guarantee myself two hours per day to work on books. Unfortunately, a series of unfortunately events have plagued my house, so I haven’t been able to do them as often as I’d like.
Because my life is so chaotic, I’m focusing on the total time for the entire year. That way, I’m not stressing myself out if I miss a day. And because my spreadsheet estimates the total time in any given project, I can monitor it easily.
The bottom line is that if you truly want that book written, you need to find time to write it.
2. Spend Time and Money Marketing
I’ve scheduled a block of time during the week specifically for marketing. And I also plan on writing blog posts about my experiences with different methods. All I need to do now is commit to promoting myself as an author.
If no one knows your book exists, no one will buy it. Marketing is perhaps one of the most vital parts of being a self-published author.
I haven’t spent a lot of time marketing myself over the years. I suppose a part of that has to do with impostor syndrome and not believing I’m good enough. However, I have been coming out of that funk over the past few months.
Of course, some aspects of marketing require a monetary investment. But like the saying goes, “You gotta spend money to make money.”
3. Start a Savings Account for Publishing Services
At the moment, I’m only able to tuck away a small percentage of my income. Even then, it depends on the month and the day. But even tucking away $20 or so every paycheck can help offset various publishing services.
As a self-published author, there are all kinds of products and services you can use to improve the performance of your book. Hiring editors, graphic designers, and even marketing professionals can make a world of difference.
Yet, most of these cost quite a bit of money. Some editors can charge thousands of dollars to give your book a thorough editing.
If you don’t have the upfront cash available now, it doesn’t hurt to start saving up for the future. Tucking away a bit here and there may help you afford some of those services down the road.
4. Attend at Least 5 In-Person Events
I would like to spend more time researching and scheduling at least one event per month. However, I’m also realistic and know that my life is usually wall-to-wall insanity. So, let’s start small and see if I can attend at least five throughout 2025.
I had a great time at Read Between the Stars, my first author event. It was a learning experience that gave me a chance to meet some of the great authors we have in the Denver area.
There’s no guarantee that you’ll sell books while at these kinds of events. But if you go into it with the right mindset, it won’t matter. For example, I was there to network with other authors and engage any reader that came by. I wasn’t focused on making sales.
As a self-published author, you gotta get your name out there. The more recognizable you are in the community, the greater the likelihood of selling more books. Not to mention the opportunities that could arise by interacting with other authors, such as collaborations and friendships.
This is probably among the more important author goals for me. I would love to get out more and mingle, especially in larger settings.
5. Create at Least One Personal Writing Challenge
I’m not entirely sure what kind of challenge I’ll create for myself in the coming year. I was thinking about buying a pre-made cover and then writing a story based on the image within 90 days. But we’ll have to see as I am currently working on publishing my next two books first.
I often create challenges for myself as a way to push my limits. It’s a way for me to see what I am truly capable of doing if I put in the effort to make something happen.
You can create writing challenges in a number of ways. For instance, you can give yourself a strict deadline for your next book, write a certain number of words per day, or even step outside of your comfort zone and try a new genre.
Just remember that you don’t want to make the challenge too easy. The point is to challenge yourself, after all.
6. Add Book Store to Blog
At some point in the next year, I would like to add an actual bookstore to MichaelBrockbank.com. Although I am testing the waters with WordPress Books Gallery, it’s a bit expensive for the lifetime license. I might build the store using WooCommerce instead.
Amazon isn’t the only way to sell books. Some authors have had a bit of success selling a few copies directly from their blogs. Of course, that also depends on the level of marketing you do for yourself as well as those titles.
If you use a platform like WordPress, you have a few different options for setting up an online bookstore. WooCommerce is perhaps one of the most popular eCommerce platforms on the Internet. You also have plugins that center on selling books such as WordPress Books Gallery.
The idea is to get your book in as many stores as possible to reach a wider audience. Why not start with your own blog as a base of operations?
7. Expand the Merch
I would love to get my 3D printer fixed and make figurines of the characters in Kingmaker. Nonetheless, I’d love to add something a bit extra, especially when I get the online store running. Besides, merch is a fun addition when you’re attending in-person events.
A lot of authors sell more than just their books. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen a single author website that didn’t have bookmarks, buttons, or some other fun gadget that goes along with their stories.
When my mom published Defiant Souls, she had coffee mugs, necklaces, fridge magnets, and posters made as promotional material.
Even something as basic as branded bookmarks can go a long way to help promote a book. But there is a wide variety of merch available that may bring in a few extra bucks from fans.
What Are You Planning for 2025?
Remember, goals mean nothing to an author without putting in effort. Just make sure you’re making them realistic according to your actual capabilities. You don’t want something that seems a bit too lofty.
Even though I have a lot on my plate, I’m sure I can handle the vast majority of these. Sure, some will be a bit more difficult to obtain, but nothing is outside of my scope of ability. It’s mostly going to come down to time.
Create goals that are realistic for yourself as an author. They can help fuel pride and self-confidence.
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