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    Goal Setting for Writers. How to set and achieve your writing goals, finally write a book, and become a successful author
    Goal Setting for Writers. How to set and achieve your writing goals, finally write a book, and become a successful author
    Goal Setting for Writers. How to set and achieve your writing goals, finally write a book, and become a successful author
    Ebook184 pages2 hours

    Goal Setting for Writers. How to set and achieve your writing goals, finally write a book, and become a successful author

    By Sandra Gerth

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Writing a book is on the bucket list of millions of people worldwide, but very few actually finish their book or manage to fulfill other writing dreams such as making a living as a writer.

    Many writers fail because they don’t know how to set effective writing goals and how to develop an action plan that will turn their dreams into reality.

    Whether you are a complete newbie just thinking about writing your first book or a multi-published author dreaming of becoming a full-time writer or somewhere in between, this book will help you to:

    - Learn the difference between dreams and goals,
    - Turn your dreams into effective, realistic writing goals,
    - Discover what matters most to you about your writing,
    - Break down your goals into bite-sized chunks that you can achieve more easily, even if you don’t have much time to write,
    - Create an action plan that guides you through every step of the writing and publishing process, from brainstorming ideas to marketing,
    - Overcome procrastination, writer’s block, and other obstacles that keep you from finishing your book.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherYlva Publishing
    Release dateMar 24, 2015
    ISBN9783955333591
    Goal Setting for Writers. How to set and achieve your writing goals, finally write a book, and become a successful author

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    Reviews for Goal Setting for Writers. How to set and achieve your writing goals, finally write a book, and become a successful author

    4.5/5

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    • 4/5
      The second half of the book was far better than the first as she explains why having a goal means having a plan.. She doesn't fully explain how to do that, but showcases books and planners and software to help you get there. The problem is without information about how to plan or use time management the book is more of a catch all than an actual problem solver.
    • 5/5
      This book gives you clarity as a writer. Try it. It broke down goal setting into manageable actions.
      A great shout to Sandra Gerth!

    Book preview

    Goal Setting for Writers. How to set and achieve your writing goals, finally write a book, and become a successful author - Sandra Gerth

    INTRODUCTION

    You probably bought this book because you want to write and publish a book and be successful as an author. Well, you are not alone. According to a survey that the Jenkins Group—a publishing services firm—commissioned in 2002, 81 percent of Americans feel they have a book in them. Writing a book is on the bucket list of many people worldwide.

    All writers have dreams—finishing their novel or nonfiction book, seeing their name on the cover of a book, writing more, or even giving up their day job to make a living as a writer—and I want you to accomplish your writing dreams. I know that it’s possible, because I’m living my dream, writing full-time.

    So if you are one of many writers who stopped setting goals years ago because you’ve had a string of disappointments and failed New Year’s resolutions, or if you’ve stopped believing in the power of goals, take heart. All you need to know is how to set effective writing goals and how to develop a detailed action plan that will help you accomplish those goals. With the right goals to motivate and guide you, you will make it through the long and arduous process of writing a book.

    Oftentimes, writers are creative, right-brained people, so just thinking about goal setting and planning makes us recoil in horror. That is truly unfortunate, because for us writers, it’s even more important to set goals for ourselves. Unlike people with other jobs, we don’t have bosses who tell us what to do, when to do it, and whether we have done it well. Writing lacks that kind of structure—unless you establish it yourself, and this book will tell you how to do it.

    This is not a book on the art or the craft of writing; it’s about the actual writing process. It doesn’t tell you how to write but how to get started, keep writing, and finish your book. This book isn’t just about setting goals but also about accomplishing them by coming up with a detailed plan of action. It will guide you through every step of setting and accomplishing your writing goals, providing you with plenty of helpful resources along the way that will help you to plan, write, revise, and publish your book and to become a better writer.

    Whether you are a complete newbie just thinking about writing your first book or a multipublished author dreaming of becoming a full-time writer or somewhere in between, this book will help you to:

    •  learn the difference between dreams and goals;

    •  turn your dreams into effective, realistic writing goals;

    •  discover what matters most to you about your writing;

    •  break down your goals into bite-sized chunks that you can achieve more easily, even if you don’t have much time to write;

    •  create an action plan that guides you through every step of the writing and publishing process;

    •  find the best resources for writers;

    •  develop habits that will help you overcome procrastination and reach your goals;

    •  overcome roadblocks and obstacles that keep you from finishing your book;

    •  avoid common mistakes in goal setting.

    By the way, you can also use the techniques you’ll learn to set and achieve goals not just in your writing, but also in all other areas of your life, e.g., losing weight, improving your relationship, making more money, enhancing your spiritual life, or learning a language.

    WHO AM I?

    Some of you might be wondering who I am and what qualifies me to publish a book about setting and achieving writing goals. I’m a full-time writer, the senior editor of a small but fast-growing publishing house, and a psychologist. I’ve been writing for twenty-five years, and I have finished every single book I started. I have been a published author since 2007 and have so far published eight novels, two novellas, and about two dozen short stories under the pen name Jae (jae-fiction.com). So far, I have translated four of my novels into German, which is my native language. In 2013, I fulfilled my lifelong dream to give up my day job and make a living writing.

    I also worked as a psychologist for eight years, guiding my clients to set realistic goals and work toward them. As an editor and mentor, I have helped many writers achieve their writing goals. I hope I can help you accomplish your dreams too.

    HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS BOOK

    We all know how most people read books like this one. They read it straight through from beginning to end, and they intend to go back and implement the tips and advice once they finish the book. But since they all have busy lives, chances are they will never get around to it.

    So, instead of simply reading the book, I want to encourage you to read each chapter and then to stop, take action, and implement what you’ve learned into your daily life. At the end of each section, you’ll find a task that, once completed, will bring you closer to achieving your writing goals. Get a notebook and write down your thoughts on each exercise. That way, you’ll have a personalized pathway to writing and publishing success by the time you finish this book.

    Happy reading and writing!

    Sandra Gerth

    PART I — SET YOUR GOALS

    Part one is devoted to teaching you everything you need to know about how to set effective goals. In this section, you’ll find out why it’s so important to set goals and what the differences are between goals and dreams. I’ll guide you through the process of setting goals that are SMART, positive, present, and personal. You’ll discover different types of goals and decide which ones are most important to you. You’ll also learn techniques for keeping your goals fresh in your mind and for keeping yourself accountable.

    By the end of this section, you’ll have defined your writing goals in a way that gives you the best possible chance to achieve them.

    1. Overview:

    Achieve your writing goals in 17 steps

    There are 17 steps toward achieving your goal of writing, publishing, and marketing a book—or any goal for that matter.

    Interior1.psd

    Here is a quick overview. While I’ll explain each step in more detail in the following chapters, you can always come back to this chapter to see the list of steps at one glance.

    1.  Think about your dreams for your future as a writer (chapter 3).

    2.  Turn your dreams into SMART goals (chapter 4).

    3.  Make sure your goals are personal, present, and positive (chapter 5).

    4.  Keep your motivation for wanting to achieve your goals in mind (chapter 6).

    5.  Decide on areas of your (writing) life for which you want to set goals (chapter 7).

    6.  Write down your goals (chapter 9).

    7.  Create visual prompts and reminders so you won’t forget about your goals (chapter 10).

    8.  Share your goals with people who will hold you accountable (chapter 11).

    9.  Decide which of your goals are most important (chapter 12).

    10.  Break your goals down into manageable steps (chapter 13).

    11.  Develop an action plan—a list of tasks that you need to complete to reach your goals (chapter 14).

    12.  Set deadlines for when you want to accomplish each step toward your goals (chapter 17).

    13.  Create a system of rewards for each important milestone to keep yourself motivated (chapter 18).

    14.  Work toward your goals by taking daily action (chapter 19).

    15.  Regularly track your progress toward your goals (chapter 20).

    16.  Reevaluate and revise your goals if circumstances change (chapter 21).

    17.  Identify and overcome obstacles that prevent you from reaching your goals (chapters 22 and 23).

    Once you’ve made it through these steps, you will have achieved your writing goal. But before you get started on step one, let’s take a look at why goal setting is so important.

    2.

    Harness the power of goals

    Have you ever wondered why some people never have much success, even though they work long hours, while others achieve all of their dreams? It’s because the latter set goals.

    Goals are powerful tools with several benefits:

    •  Goals give you a direction and allow you to take control of your life. Without goals, you drift through life like a boat without a rudder.

    •  Goals provide you with a road map to success. If you set goals for yourself, you’ll be more successful in many areas of your life. If you know what you want, you’ll have a much better chance of achieving it.

    •  Goals are great motivators because you are more aware of why you are working so hard and what you have to gain. You will work harder and not give up so fast.

    •  Goals help you to manage your time and to focus on what’s really important instead of wasting your time on less important things.

    •  Goals challenge you to grow and become the person you want to be.

    •  Goals help you overcome procrastination and keep you focused away from distractions.

    •  Goals boost your confidence and your self-esteem. When you achieve your goals, you feel a sense of accomplishment. Even just making progress toward your goals will make you feel happy and proud of yourself.

    Now that you know why setting goals is so important, read on to clear up a common misconception—confusing dreams with goals.

    3.

    Understand the difference between goals and dreams

    You bought this book hoping that it will help you to finally write and publish your own book. It’s likely, then, that you might think that writing and publishing a book and then selling many copies of it is your goal. Actually, it’s not. It’s your dream.

    A lot of people confuse goals and dreams. Most of what they assume are their goals are actually just their dreams and wishes. Let me explain the difference.

    •  Dreams are something passive that you just think of but never actively pursue, while goals are something you act on. Goals have a plan of action attached to them.

    •  Dreams can be vague and abstract; goals are a concrete, specific end result you want to achieve.

    •  Dreams can last a lifetime, while goals must have a set time frame. Goals are said to be dreams with a deadline. Stating that you want to someday write a book is a dream, but saying that you want to finish your romance novel by July 31 is a goal.

    •  Dreams stay in your head, while goals produce tangible results in your life.

    •  Dreams are things that you can only partially control. While you can certainly influence them and work toward them, achieving a dream also depends on other factors. For example, the dream of publishing a book with a Big Five publisher depends not just on the quality of your writing but also on agents, publishers, timing, and just plain luck. Goals, however, are within your control. You will inevitably reach them if you just work hard enough.

    Here are a few examples that give you a better idea of the difference between dreams and goals:

    Dream: Getting an agent.

    Goal: Query two agents each week.

    Dream: Being published by a traditional publisher.

    Goal: Submit your manuscript to five publishers by June 30.

    Dream: Selling a million books.

    Goal: Post on social media every day and do two readings a month to market your book.

    As you can see, goals are more powerful because they focus on things that are within your control; they don’t leave you frustrated when you work hard yet still don’t reach your dreams because of circumstances outside of your control.

    DOES THAT MEAN YOU SHOULD STOP DREAMING?

    No, of

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