15 Ways to Move Forward Faster as a Writer and Author

As a writer, you probably set goals for yourself. You want to get your book published this year, land your first byline in a magazine, increase your income as a professional writer, or get more subscribers to your blog. You may even set New Year’s resolutions or write these goals down or create a vision board for yourself once a year. But do you ever check in during the year to see if you are making progress toward these goals?

It’s important to take an accounting on a regular basis of how far you’ve come, where you are now and where you want to go as a writer and author. This means taking an objective, big-picture view of yourself, your work, your progress, and your career. It also means determining what you still need to do to move yourself toward your goals by the deadlines you’ve set.

It’s a good idea to do this type of review once a quarter. Many people do it just once a year, but if you want to move forward quickly, do it more often—even monthly or weekly. That way you can continue to give yourself action items—and to move on those items on a regular basis.

Here are 15 things you can look at regularly and do to move you farther along the path to meeting your writing and publishing goals.

1. Analyze your progress toward old goals you set, and set new milestones or goals.
2. Review your website (or create one) for ways to attract more clients, readers, agents, etc.
3. Get a mentor or coach (or ask others for help or feedback).
4. Hone your brand—ask yourself if it is still representative of who you are and what you do.
5. Write a new book proposal.
6. Send out more query letters.
7. Network-online and off—daily.
8. Hire the help you need—or ask or barter for help.
9. Promote, promote, promote —but determine which promotions are working.
10. Learn something new—and put it to use.
11. Set up a system that allows you to monitor your progress easily.
12. Use a daily t0-do list as well as a weekly and monthly one.
13. Ask yourself if you are still passionate about what you are doing, and, if not, what you do feel passionate about.
14. Set daily or weekly writing goals—and meet them.
15. Stretch (mentally, emotionally, professionally).

You might also consider taking my Author Training 101 class. It helps you accomplish 8-10 of the items on this list in about 8 weeks.

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