Wicked Wednesday: Business Goals for 2018

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Wicked Wednesday!The Wickeds are working on their goals for the new year, and today we’re weighing in on goals for our author businesses. These may be different than writing goals, and could include new websites, podcasts, Pinterest or more!

Jessie: I will be starting work on another historical series. I am chomping at the bit to get going on it and I am already planning a research trip to D.C. very shortly in order to get a proposal written.

Edith: I wish my goal were to get more organized on my author record-keeping, especially in the financial area, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t meet it. I know my limits, and my 2018 and 2019 are already pretty overloaded, so I won’t even try.  I already accomplished the new web site last fall and I love it, but it’s a new platform, so I’ll set my business goal as getting more comfortable with the format and being able to easily post to the site myself (instead of paying my web designer to do it).

Liz: I’ve been taking some steps to approach my writing as more of a business, and this year I want to up my game even more. A website refresh is definitely on my list. My alter ego, Cate, needs some love, both on the website and marketing materials front, so that’s probably my first goal.

Sherry: I want to get out there and meet more people. I’m excited about a couple of upcoming trips this spring. And I need to finally get going on a newsletter something I’ve been reluctant to do. And my website could use a refresh too!

Barb: I’d like to make a financial investment in my writing career this year. I figure the most important thing I can buy myself is time, so I am investigating hiring a virtual assistant.

Julie: In 2019 there will be another JH name launched, and I want to spend this year prepping for that, and supporting Julianne Holmes and J.A. Hennrikus. I’d like to up my game regarding marketing, and connecting. Like Sherry, I may figure out a newsletter. (Do readers like newsletters?) I look forward to hearing how Barb’s virtual assistant works out as well. Very tempting.

Readers, do you have any business goals looming in this new year? Any skills you want to add to your toolbox?

Published by Julie Hennrikus aka Julia Henry

One woman, three names, many books. As Julia Henry she writes the Garden Squad series for Kensington. As J.A. Hennrikus she writes the Theater Cop series, and as Julianne Holmes she wrote the Clock Shop series. Click on my profile picture to connect with me on Facebook and Instagram! @JHAuthors

33 Thoughts

  2. My goals this year all pertain to clearing the decks: Cleaning out my husband’s office (five-room house) where his family business has been headquartered for nearly fifty years, so we can tear it down and build a new home there. And clearing, paring down here at home so we have less to move in a year or so.

    For recordkeeping, I have a tip, if you’re interested. I’ve used Quicken for decades, ever since it was invented (by a former client of mine). If you use credit cards, which most of us do for virtually everything, you can set up Quicken so that every transaction automatically gets downloaded into the program, as well as checking and other financial accounts. Using the tax categories in Quicken, or ones you set up yourself, it’s very easy to categorize every single purchase, payment, or income, and then create instant reports on the fly for tax reporting.

    We’ve had five different businesses (only one now), plus investments and rental properties, and I do not spend more than a couple hours a month managing it all, thanks to this program. Nearly every financial institution works with it, too.

    There are other programs, but Quicken is very simple to use.

  3. Hi, Wickeds,
    I’m coming up with a better way to track sales and possibly consider a website do-ever. I’m also tweeting the Wicked Cozy Author blog. I’m a solid Midwesterner who likes the East Coast.

  5. Ooh, I’d love a Virtual Assistant. Or a real one who could file all my paperwork and keeps my books sorted. I agree wholeheartedly with Karen: Quicken is great, especially around tax time. I’d be lost without it. But the biggest need is discipline, especially if you’re writing more than one series–what’re your deadlines? When do you dig into promotion? How do you manage your time? And you can’t lose sight of enjoying the whole process.

      1. It is a series. It features a PA State Trooper and county assistant district attorney. Investigations into drugs and murder converge with disturbing results for both of them.

  7. My company has been sold and will be merged with another company, so my “business” goal at some point this year will be to find a new job. Unless I can find someone to pay me as much as I make at my day job to read and review what I want when I want. So far, that job has eluded me.

  8. This year I have to learn the balance of my business – marketing one book, the internal launch process like cover art collaboration and editing for another, and writing a third.

  9. I’m retired from owning my own business for 14 years, so business goals are no longer of importance, but I want to find even more time to read, read, read! And travel. One trip planned for April, but I want to see as much of the world as possible. And I can read at night before going to sleep. Combine two pleasures into one.

  10. You all sound organized but definitely out of necessity. With your busy schedules, I can certainly understand it. Keep us informed of progress! Staying organized is the hassle. With volunteer work and everything else I keep doing, my biggest issue is not overbooking my time! That’s quite a trick sometimes.

  11. The usual plan–write two more Witch City Mysteries. Clear the decks in this messy office. I’ve found that a few personal writing retreats works well for me, so I plan to do two or three Holiday Inn weekends. Ever since I turned over the quarterly newsletter duty to O’Ryan, the wise cat, it’s been easy.He’s working on the January one now. Here’s a link to the fall one http://tinyurl.com/yciy8wu9

  12. This year I would like to keep my head above water – debuting a book, editing a second, and writing a third – because I have another book I’d like to see the light of day. Gaining a lot of insight and hope watching you Wickeds juggle it all so gracefully!

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