writing goals for 2020
Happy New Year, everyone!
Now that 2020 is upon us, let’s see what I plan to do with writing, if all goes well.
1.) Write a million words of new fiction.
I’ve done that pretty consistently for the last several years, so barring unexpected difficulties, I should be able to do it again in 2019.
2.) Continue the DRAGONTIARNA series – reach book #8 or #9.
I’ve decided DRAGONTIARNA will be 10 books total, so I should get a bunch of them written in 2020.
3.) Continue the CLOAK MAGE series.
CLOAK MAGE has gotten a nice response, so I’m looking forward to continuing the series in 2020!
4.) Continue the GHOST NIGHT series.
I think GHOST NIGHT is going to end up around 10 books, so I’m hoping to write more of those in 2020.
5.) Reach 34 total audiobooks on Audible.com.
Right now I have 27 titles available in audiobook form, and I’m hoping to reach 34. Though that’s more of a stretch goal – audiobooks are expensive and there are a lot of factors outside my control.
6.) Pass the 100,000th copy of FROSTBORN: OMNIBUS ONE
This is kind of another stretch goal, but I think it would be cool if FROSTBORN: OMNIBUS ONE became my first title to pass 100,000 copies sold. It’s at 98,500 as of the end of November 2019, so reaching 100,000 in 2020 is within the realm of possibility.
7.) THE LINUX COMMAND LINE BEGINNER’S GUIDE audiobook.
THE LINUX COMMAND LINE BEGINNER’S GUIDE is one of my bestselling ebooks, and it’s my bestselling paperback. So it makes sense to turn it into an audiobook, and I’m planning to do that early in 2020.
8.) Project Colossus.
Over the last year, I’ve been gathering the pieces of a very, very long audiobook that I’ve nicknamed “Project Colossus”. It’s almost done – just one hour left to record, and that should happen in February or March. Watch this space for news!
Also, I’m giving my secret projects codenames, so when I get to the end of 2020, I can remember what the heck they are. 🙂
9.) Project Shard.
Alas, DRAGONTIARNA is generally selling at only about 40% of the level of SEVENFOLD SWORD. Which isn’t surprising, since the book market has changed quite a lot in the last two years. So perhaps it’s time to adjust tactics and try something new and different. The book I’ve codenamed “Project Shard” is something different.
After all, it’s a new decade, so perhaps it’s time to try something new!
-JM
I like the Dragontiarna series, but will note that you’re writing essentially two different stories on two different planets that are occasionally interacting with each other. They run on different physics, as well, and it can be a bit difficult for me to keep things straight.
Perhaps a bit of character fatigue as well? Poor Ridmark and Calliande certainly deserve a rest, right? 🙂
I admit that crossovers are really complicated, and I’m not doing another one after DRAGONTIARNA is written.