The decision to finally begin using a quarterly business
plan is probably one of the best decisions I’ve made…besides making the
decision to begin writing in the first place. J
Each quarter when I review my progress
and map out another quarterly plan, I can see in black and white where I’ve done
well and what needs attention or tweaking.
When I reviewed my progress based on my expectations for the
first quarter of this year, it was immediately apparent that my intentions had
been great, but not realistic. I thoroughly expected to have the first draft of
my young adult completed by March along with the final draft of the next book
in the mystery series on top of an eBook for marketing purposes.
But I didn’t hit the mark.
My young adult is still in the works and the eBook didn’t
see the light of day. The main reason is that I spent much of January and part
of February reviewing and revising my manuscript so that it could be ready for
my editor. The editing and revisions on my end took more time than I had anticipated.
It happens and it is what it is. And even though I was able to work on my young
adult (and a completely new series idea!) for a few weeks while my novel was
being edited, final revisions have been my main focus for the past few weeks
and now I need to focus on cover & formatting and publishing &
marketing.
When I spent time prepping my second quarter business plan,
I didn’t beat myself up about the uncompleted projects. Instead, I used the plan
to appreciate the progress I’ve made and to assist me as I reworked my action
list on how I might complete the remaining projects during the coming months.
It’s not an exact science – projects take longer than anticipated
or unseen hurdles pop up but that’s why reviewing my projects on a quarterly
basis works for me. Based on how my schedule has gone or if my personal life has
affected my progress, I can assess, analyze and amend the plan as needed. Having
a plan doesn’t always mean I’ll always stay on course, but it’s better than the
alternative of driving by the seat of my pants. I may write that way because I
don’t mind taking a fork in the road when it comes to writing, but when it
comes to all the admin responsibilities and other tasks related to an author’s
life, I’d prefer to have it down on paper so I can stay in my lane.
However, when it comes to business plans, there are many
opinions about what to include…vision, business structure and planning, writing
and publication plan, market analysis, audience research, marketing strategy,
pricing strategy, sales projections, financials, platform building, growth and
development, and so on.
But I wanted a plan I could look at every day and use in a
relevant way. I found many ideas and played around with a few, but overall I
just wanted something simple. After researching the idea more and feeling
bogged down by suggestions, I was saved when I finally discovered this post by Jane Friedman about a suggested business plans for writers. I like Jane’s suggested format, so that’s what I use. It’s simple
with four columns: Area of Focus, Goals, Timeline (my word; she says “Timing”)
and Action List.
So I thought I might share with you what I include in my
business plan.
In the focus column I include four main areas: Writing,
Publishing, Marketing and Platform. These areas have their own row and for each
focus area, I add projects and ideas as goals, note an expected timeline and add
an action list for each particular project.
The goals column for writing and publishing would include
whatever projects I’m currently working on, whether they are in first draft,
final revisions or just the nugget of an idea that I want to begin researching
and making notes about. I note in the timeline column when I anticipate
completing each project, or I leave it open-ended if it’s still an idea that’s
a WIP. Under the action list for writing, I use bullet points to list tasks
still pending for each project. Those tasks might include the date the manuscript
is due to the editor, how many words per day/week will result in my completing
the novel within the timeframe I’ve guesstimated, what areas need further
research, cover option or ideas I need to check out, and anything else to keep
me focused. Under the action list for publishing, I use bullet points for tasks
relating to final formatting, anything necessary to do right before publishing
and also tasks I need to complete once the book is published.
My goals related to marketing are based on the projects
underway and soon to be published, along with ideas on how to market previous
listings and what I might do to further market myself. These might include online
promotions for previous listings, a specific promotion for a newly published
book, social media marketing, or live events where I can promote myself as an
author. My timeline column for marketing can be all over the place for new
books, since I’m hazarding a guess based on when I think I may publish. That timeline
is more forgiving, but it can also help me stay on task to keep up with regular
or seasonal promotions for past publications and for any upcoming events I have
already scheduled. The action list for marketing will include bullet points
with specific ideas on how to promote a newly published book, an event or tasks
for regular and seasonal promotions, but it can also include a brain dump of random
ideas that I may like to utilize during the next quarter.
Goals relating to the focus of platform building are not
necessarily specific to each quarter. My goals usually include a brain dump of
what I hope to begin working on soon, or what I need to focus on in order to
expand and build on where I already reach an audience. These goals reflect new
ideas for engagement, visibility, interaction with readers and networking. The
timeline is very forgiving, and sometimes I just list a season or the first or
second half of a year, since I have no idea how long each project might take me.
This action list is added to regularly whenever I come across a new idea that
might help me with that particular platform idea.
This is how I’ve been organizing my business plans for the
past year and so far, it works for me. I’ve tweaked a thing or two but overall,
I can easily manage it, refer to it and update it (i.e. scribble all over it)
as I go along and at the end of each quarter.
How I keep up with it, though, is due to quarterly and
monthly check-ins. However, since this post has become long-winded, I’ll have
to share my thoughts on those another time.
What works for one doesn’t always work for another, but I
thought I’d share what’s been working for me. If you organize your writing, or
any other creative business with a business plan, I’d be interested in hearing additional
idea or thoughts.
Until next time…keep planning and carry on!
No comments:
Post a Comment