Tuesday, January 1, 2013

2013!

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happy new year
Woo-hoo, we’re into a new year! 2013, dang it’s hard to believe. And what do we typically do at the end of the year and the start of a new one? We examine the past twelve months, and set goals/resolutions for the next twelve months. So I’ll start and you can jump in. Well, don’t jump too hard in case you partied a bit too intensely. In fact, I’ll understand if you don’t answer for days.
Party smile
Looking Back:
  • Met goals to launch promotions using ads and Facebook
  • Finished and published two more original indie titles
  • Formatted and released four backlist titles with new covers
  • Read more great books
  • Took time to enjoy myself with movies and TV shows (Fringe and Game of Thrones, love!!!)
  • Started production of my first ever audio book (via ACX). This is exciting! The voice talent I hired nailed the tone and accent, much to my immense relief.
  • Set up Authorgraph, a way for readers to request a personalized autograph for their eBooks.
I ended up doing more marketing and hanging out on social media than I had planned, but that’s okay. I had fun doing that stuff. I joined three fabulous Facebook groups for readers and writers. I may have gotten carried away with Facebook ads, so I’m going to cut back (those low prices sucked me right in). I didn’t see a big bump in sales. On the other hand I did see an increase. Also it could pay off as Apple and Kobo move deeper to foreign markets. For some reason a lot of folks in Asia and Latin America dropped by my Facebook author page. Which I love because going more global is a long term goal of mine. Also, though I’m not sure, I think Amazon is one retailer who may have taken note of my efforts. They’re sending out emails periodically recommending my books.
Looking Forward:
  • Release my first audio book- A Darker Shade of Midnight
  • Do the math on releasing a second one, Between Dusk and Dawn, and decide if it makes business sense
  • Write two more original indie titles, one will be the third in a trilogy. The second book is another holiday theme romance.
  • Begin the second book in another series (Triple Trouble cozy mystery series planned)
  • Write more than I spend time promoting
  • Will attend Romance Slam Jam and moderate a panel discussion on indie publishing (author’s POV)
  • Promote smarter (set it and forget it types of things like in 2012)
  • Get my passport and plan a visit to either Belize or Costa Rica
  • Keep reading great books
One thing I also did in 2012 was to finally get off the pot and decide on a device: eReader vs tablet. I bought an iPad. The Kindle app magically filled up with books (0kay, okay. I went a little nuts buying books). Between my iPad and iPhone I’ve been able to take care of my writing business on breaks from my day job. How much do I love tech toys! But of course they’re not toys. I could see cover drafts clearly, get emails about my marketing projects, etc..
Honestly I wasn’t thinking of all that when I bought it. I just wanted the cool tablet! Winking smile
I’ve seen growth in sales and I did  lot of growing up myself as a professional writer. I developed and implemented plans. Adjusted and changed along the way when it made sense (or just seemed more fun).This is huge because I haven’t been a big planner. I’m looking forward to 2013.
Lynn

7 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

Definitely sounds like a productive year. Here's hoping the new one tops it!

Lynn Emery said...

Thanks! Happy writing in 2013 to you, too!

William Doonan said...

Damn! I'm impressed. You've had a most productive year.

Jewel Amethyst said...

Congratulations on all that and Kudos to you. You have certainly had a productive year. I really need to take notes from you, because I suck when it comes to planning. Good luck in the new year. I hope you exceed your expectations.

Lynn Emery said...

Thanks, William and Jewel.
My 2013 plan is to write more and spend less (time & $$$) on marketing.

I forgot to add that I redesigned my FB author page and website. Now if I can just start raking in the big bucks! LOL

Liane Spicer said...

Way to go, Lynn! In case you don't know, you were one of my inspirations to go the indie route, and I'm loving it.

All the best for 2013!

Lynn Emery said...

Glad I could inspire you, Liane! I love the indie author opportunities. The future looks bright for us. :)