I am constantly working on goals in one form or another. For me, they give me something to work toward while keeping me on the path of where I want to be 10 years down the road. And in 2024, I aim to accomplish a lot of goals.
Of course, that’s the aim every year.
Today, let’s review my list of things I hope to accomplish. The idea here is to share what I have planned and perhaps help you establish a few writing goals of your own in 2024.
Plus, writing them down gives the goals more weight for priority. At least, it does for me. And at the end of the year, we’ll compare this list to what I actually accomplished, which might be fun.
A lot can happen in 12 months.
Also, keep in mind that proper goals need to center around things you can control. You can’t control visitation or income because you can’t force people to read your blog.
But you can set goals on improving content, publishing posts, and other things that can affect whether someone will view the content or not.
5 Blogging Goals I’m Aiming for in 2024
First, let’s take a look at a few realistic goals for the blog. Again, I’m not going to worry about traffic numbers or AdSense income because I have no control over those elements.
However, these goals have the potential to affect traffic and income depending on whether people and Google like the content.
One New, One Update per Week (Minimum)
Google and subscribers love consistency. If you don’t keep your content regular, the odds are that you will start to lose the interest of both human and search engine visitors.
Unfortunately, I have so much going on that I can’t publish more than one post per week. That’s because I’m also writing for four different blogs as well as everything else that is on my plate.
In this case, I am working to make sure that I have at least one new piece of content per week on each of the blogs. Then, I am working on updating older content, which sometimes takes a complete rewrite.
This boils down to as many as 8 posts per week in total.
These are the minimums, mind you. If I have a bit of extra time available, I’ll see about adding more content. The idea is to keep a steady flow on a specific day for each unique site.
Of course, I’m also running a case study on this to see if one new and one update matter each week in the eyes of Google’s algorithm.
Invest in More Products to Review
Reviews are exceptionally effective as blogging and video content. What drives the effectiveness of the content is the fact that 93% of consumers use reviews in purchasing decisions.
Six of the top 10 articles on this blog were reviews in 2023.
Considering how effective these posts are, I plan on putting a bit of money into various products to spearhead the content. That’s because I will never write about things I’ve never used.
Unfortunately, this means I’ll wind up blowing a few bucks here and there on poor products. But if I’m lucky, the ad revenue and potential subscribers will be worth the expense overall.
Sometimes it’s better to blow $30 to gain more than $100 throughout the year from visitor traffic. Sure, not all reviews will hit the same, but I found it’s often worth the expense at the end of the day.
Expand and Clean Up Affiliate Offerings
AdSense and other ad-sharing platforms are not the only way to make money from a blog. In reality, ad-sharing platforms perform worse than affiliate marketing or selling your own digital products.
One of the goals for the blog in 2024 is to expand into more affiliate programs while getting rid of the ones that aren’t panning out.
Normally, I try to focus on the free versions of tools and products to help out people like myself who don’t have a lot of money. I’ll still keep doing so, but I’m going to start adding a few of the paid services that pique my interest.
I would like to add at least one brand or major product per month, but we’ll have to see what I come across. Some of them might take a few months to really dive into before I feel confident enough to write a decent review and get affiliate links.
I’m not going to just whip out a list like everyone else unless I can verify products or services are worth your time.
Add Writing Guides
One of my larger goals for 2024 includes adding more in-depth guides for apps and software. For example, I am creating a relatively large guide to using the Reedsy writing app and how to use it for self-publishing.
I plan on covering other writing apps such as Scrivener and Atticus while also putting together guides for blogging and various plugins.
These are quite time-consuming, which is why I didn’t give myself a specific number to publish. So, even if I’m able to finally get one done this year, it’ll still be considered a win.
Yet, I would love to get more than one published this year.
If you have any guides you’d like to see me publish, feel free to comment on them below or send a message through the contact form.
Add More Case Studies
Case studies are great for finding what works best for your blog. Sure, you can use the general consensus data that “experts” publish on the regular. However, niches and audiences vary greatly – not all of those expert opinions are going to work the same for everyone.
That being said, I’m going to run more case studies on all of my blogs. These are not only to show you how certain changes may affect your site but also to help me come up with better strategies overall.
In other words, take the context of the case studies with a grain of salt. Perhaps they can give you ideas of what to try on your own blog.
Never underestimate the value of good and actionable data regarding your own audience.
For instance, one of the case studies I am planning is to demonstrate whether updating older content is actually worth your time versus just deleting the post.
5 Self-Publishing Goals for 2024
One of my most recent foci for the blog has evolved around self-publishing. That’s because in my world, publishing books is the next stage of my evolution.
One of these days, I’ll create a timeline of how I progressed from starting with Textbroker to what I do today. It’s been an interesting ride, to say the least.
400,000+ Words Written
Yep, you read that right…I plan on writing nearly half a million words for my books. I know that sounds like an awful lot, but for someone like me, it’s completely manageable.
When you break down the larger goal, you come up with smaller ones that are easier to address without stressing about the end-game result.
For example, 400,000 words for the year breaks down to 7,693 words per week. Or, it can be 1,533 words every Monday through Friday (400,000 / 261 work days in 2024).
For me, that’s anywhere from 90 to 120 minutes per day. Now, whether the chaos in my life will let me write that much is a completely different matter.
Considering how many books I have going on right now, it’s not like I have a shortage of things to write.
Publish Three Books (Minimum)
One of my more prominent goals is to publish three books minimum in 2024. This includes anything that goes up on Amazon as well as Wattpad and Inkitt.
I am already almost halfway through three. But I tell you, this is the last time I write more than one book at a time.
Anyway, I am relatively confident these three will all be completed by June. Nonetheless, I don’t underestimate chaos. Things could happen that can push the release date of each.
Regardless, the three will be published by the end of 2024. Whether I get more out or not really depends on how the Universe treats me this year.
Attend at Least Three In-Person Writing Events
Getting out and mingling is part of the writing process. Whether it’s for blogging or publishing, your name is your brand, and it’s worthwhile to go to events in person to essentially market yourself.
In 2024, I plan on attending at least three in-person events. I would love to go to more, but it really depends on the scheduling and my financial situation at the time.
I’ve already been looking at a few for here in the Denver metro area. And I have a tentative plan for Las Vegas in July. In any case, I really need to get out of my home office more and be social.
This year, I’m going to keep it somewhat vague as to what events I’ll attend. The only stipulation I am putting on myself is that they have to center around writing in some form.
That means I’ll include things like WordCamps, book signings, author expos, blogging summits, etc.
Create a Comprehensive List of Marketing Methods
One of the biggest contributors to making money selling books is marketing. If people don’t know your book exists, they’re not going to buy it.
In 2024, one of my goals is to create a list of the most effective marketing methods that I’ve come across. In fact, I’ve already started writing the blog post using the methods I’ve used thus far.
With any luck, I’ll have an exceptionally detailed and thorough blog post by the end of the year. Hopefully, it can help other self-published authors.
This also means that I’m going to wind up spending a bit of money this year on marketing. But as the saying goes, you need to spend money to make money.
At least others will know what to expect when they’re ready to publish their own books after the fact. So, it’s still a worthwhile investment even if I don’t sell a lot of books.
Be More Active on Social Media
We live in a world driven by social media. In fact, TikTok contributed to selling roughly 20 million books in 2021 thanks to the “BookTok” sub-topic.
And most of the sales I’ve made for A Freelancer’s Tale have come from Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
The bottom line is that social media is effective at selling, as long as you’re active. Posting a few times per week isn’t going to make the numbers jump like you want.
One of my goals as a blogger and self-published author is to be more active on social media. Well, outside of YouTube, which I view as a different animal from sites like Instagram or TikTok.
The hardest part for me is remembering I need to post something and then coming up with an idea of what to share. I don’t live the most lavish lifestyle and don’t view myself as an influencer.
I could show you what I have for lunch, but it’s usually the same thing every day. I’m a simple man…
5 YouTube Goals for 2024
YouTube isn’t exactly a writing platform, but I am setting up some goals this year because of WriterSanctuary’s YouTube channel.
I currently get about the same amount of views on YouTube as visitors on the blog. So for me, it’s a worthwhile venture.
Upload 3 Videos Per Week
I would love to maintain three published videos per week in addition to the live content. These are going to stretch across blogging and self-publishing with perhaps some freelancing sprinkled into the mix.
The channel is so close to joining the YouTube Partner Program, which will contribute an extra $10 to $20 per month to help afford the products I want to review.
Of course, this is going to rely on producing videos people want to watch. As I’ve said before, you can’t force people to consume your content.
The problem is that YouTube is far more difficult to master than a blog. It’s far easier to get on the first page of a Google search result than upload a viral video.
That’s why the goal is to just get the three videos up per week to help lay some of the groundwork.
Start a Writing Sprint Live Stream
In addition to the videos, it’s been suggested that we try some live writing sprints. I know a few authors who do this on YouTube and think I’m going to join the bandwagon and come up with something unique.
Besides, it’ll help me stay focused on my own writing to reach some of the goals I’ve listed above in 2024. Not to mention that I love live interactions with my audience anyway.
I’m not sure when these will start as I still need to work out the logistics. My time is pretty sparse as it is, so I’ll need to maneuver a few things here and there.
Perhaps I can part with some of the things I’ve learned from the Reedsy writing course I’ve been taking as well as anything else I’ve learned over the years.
Add More Affiliate Links
As with blogging, AdSense for YouTube isn’t the only way to monetize your content. I plan on adding a few more affiliate links to the videos for products and services I come across.
I’ve made a few bucks here and there thanks to the Buy Me a Coffee link and links to my books. But I think I really need to ramp it up a bit more if I actually want YouTube to be a worthwhile form of income.
As I said before, though, I’m not just going to post any random crap. I’ll have to use something before I’ll link to it, which means dropping a few more bucks here and there to try out some things.
Plus, I’ve seen a few creators use the Amazon short link to various products. So, I suppose I can start by highlighting those products I’ve used.
Add a New Channel Trailer
It’s been a while since I’ve uploaded a channel trailer. It’s the default video that plays when visiting a channel for the first time regarding the creator and why the channel exists in the first place.
Since a lot of my life and content has changed over the years, it’s time for a new trailer.
In reality, this video should be live before this post is published. Then again, things are still kind of chaotic. So, let’s cross our fingers and hope things are uneventful for the next few weeks.
Get a New Camera
I’m still using a webcam to record the videos. It does a better job than my old Logitech c930, but it’s not nearly the quality you’d find from larger YouTubers.
One of my bigger purchases for 2024 is going to be that of a decent camera for YouTube. I have enough on my credit card to grab just about anything I want, but I want to make sure it’s a worthwhile device.
See, here’s why people make review posts. I’m going to spend a bit of time comparing cameras to decide which one I should buy.
Then, I’m sure I’ll link to it on the video’s description as an affiliate link.
Possible Writing Challenges This Year
Goals are one thing, but I view challenges as another in 2024. For me, a challenge is something you put together if you really want to push the envelope of what you can handle.
Otherwise, why call it a “challenge?”
Some of the challenges I am considering this year include:
- Writing One Million Words
- Publish a Decent Book in 90 Days
- Anthology from Writing Prompts
- Writing an All-Genre Book
- 30 Days of YouTube Videos
I’m sure I’ll come across another challenge or two throughout the year. These are just some of the challenges I was really on the fence about. What usually prevents me from doing them is time.
Until I get some of the major projects wrapped up, I don’t want to add more to my plate. Still, I’ll keep these in mind until I realistically have the time to dump into them.
Be Realistic, But Push Yourself
Now, the purpose of a goal is to help you focus on achieving something great. However, it’s vital that you remember to keep your goals realistic.
Otherwise, you run the risk of feeling frustrated and potentially giving up on something that could be positively life-changing.
All of my goals for 2024 are things I know I can handle, especially if I put in more effort than I have in the past. Although I talk a lot about chaos sidetracking my efforts, there is still plenty I can do to right the course if I want.
The bottom line is that you want to have realistic goals, but you also want to push yourself to achieve them. Making goals too easy doesn’t really demonstrate to yourself what you can accomplish if you put in the effort.
Most of what I listed in this post requires that I improve my time management skills. That’s one thing I’ve constantly had a problem with fixing. However, I’m confident that I can make them all happen before the end of 2024.
Don’t Get Discouraged By Failing
It’s unlikely that you’ll meet every goal you create. There are simply too many variables in life that can easily sidetrack your efforts. The most important thing is that you won’t be too hard on yourself when things go sideways.
This is especially true when something is derailed that is completely out of your control.
For example, I’ve been trying to finish a 12-week fitness challenge for several years, and each time I hit a massive speedbump. This time around, it was from hurting my back, getting a week-and-a-half-long cold, and dialing up the stress for the Christmas holiday.
Yet, I’ll continue to keep trying until I can make it throughout the entire 12 weeks according to the plan. Part of that is because I never give up…on anything.
It all comes down to figuring out a new strategy to reach the goal. If something isn’t working, change it.
A true failing is a situation that you do not learn from. Otherwise, it becomes a learning experience. Don’t be discouraged by failing at a goal. Figure out what went wrong and try again.
What Are Your Writing Goals for 2024?
Yep, I have an awful lot going on. But when it’s all broken down, it’s nothing that is beyond my physical or mental scope of what I can handle. It mostly comes down to managing my time better.
Will I finish all of these over the next year? I don’t know, to be honest. But I’ll give it my best shot. In the end, that’s all that matters.
What kind of writing or blogging goals do you have for 2024?
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