Success Markers Update! Set Phases to Stun!
TRANSPARENCYMILESTONEPLANNING
If you are new here, I am a big advocate for defining success for yourself. And part of that is breaking it down into more digestible chunks so you can give yourself a sense of accomplishment.
With ticking off my last item on my Short Term Goal list, I felt it a good time to give this whole list an overhaul. Moving forward, I am going to start calling the individual lists Phases. So my Short Term Goal List that I just completed is now called Phase 1. The Longer Term Goal List is Phase 2. Then there will be Phase 3. Make sense? If not, it does to me and that's all that really matters I reckon.
So here we go:
Phase 1: 14/14 Complete
(Formerly Short Term Goal List)
That's it, the list is done! To be fair, I cheated, because I moved my 'have a book launch that earns 1k' to my long term list. My reasoning there is I won't have a book launch this year as it looks like. And honestly, I doubt my next couple of launches hit the mark, since they won't be Marsh likely. But to balance that out, I took all the items I have already ticked off my Longer Term List and moved them onto this one. I mean, if I got it done in the short term, I reckon I should track it that way.
Get 100 reviews on a book - Done! 2022
Do six panels at Dragon Con - Done! 2023
Sell 1,000 Books - Done! 2023
100,000 KENP - Done! 2023
Have a 1k month in a non-launch month - Done! 2023
Sell 5,000 Books - Done! 2025
Instagram over 500 likes - Done! 2023
Facebook over 1000 follows - Done! 2024
250 subscribers to my newsletter - Done! 2024
Patreon to 4 paid subscribers - Done! 2023
Be asked to blurb a book - Done! 2024
Make 10k in a year - Done! 2023
Write a script and shop it around - Done! 2024
Patreon to 20 paid subscribers- Done! 2025
Phase 2: 0/14 Complete
(Formerly Longer Term Goal List)
These are items that I hope to complete by the end of 2030. That's probably a little ambitious, but that's the point. I did add 'Get an agent' back on the list, because I think I am going to need one before all is said and done. I also moved 'Sell 100,000 books' to Phase 3.
Have a 1k book launch - Not Yet (900ish is the current record)
Sell 10,000 books - Not Yet!
Sell 50,000 books - Not Yet!
Trad Publish - Not Yet! Coming in 2026
Make 50k in a year - Not Yet!
Insta, Facebook over 5k follows each - Not Yet!
1,000 Reviews on a book - Not Yet!
Over 100 reviews each on at least 10 books - Not Yet!
Get an agent - Not Yet!
1,000 subscribers to my newsletter - Not Yet!
5,000 subscribers to my newsletter - Not Yet!
Patreon to 100 paid subscribers - Not Yet!
Social media follows totaling 15k across all platforms - Not Yet!
Run a successful Kickstarter - Not Yet!
Phase 3: 0/8 Complete
I'm not putting a time on this, because I need to get through the previous phase to have an idea of where I am at. I am hoping my authorial landscape is a lot different (in good ways only) by this point, so how could I even try to predict how long this phase should take at this point? Also, this is just a tentative list, I will probably be expanding it as time goes on.
Sell 100,000 books
Patreon to 500 paid subscribers
Net 50k in a year
Net 100k in a year
1,000 Reviews on at least 3 books
Over 500 reviews each on at least 10 books
Social media follows totaling 100k across all platforms
10,000 subscribers to my newsletter
Soft Goal List: 2/5 Complete
These are items that I have no control over, as they are entirely fan led. But damn if two haven't already happened!?
Have a fan do a Rule 34 of my work. - Not Yet!
Have a fan write some Jubal County Fan Fiction. - Not Yet!
Have a fan get a Tattoo of my work. Not Yet!
Have a fan cosplay as Howard Marsh at a convention. - Done! 2023
Have a fan make some fan art. - Done! 2023
The Realistic Big Goal
World Travel - A realistic goal for total success for me is that at least once a year I can afford to pay to take my family anywhere in the world for a couple of weeks, just using profits.
The Big Goal
Full Time Author - This is of course the absolute goal of goals, truest of true success. But it's a hard point to get to. I have to totally replace my current income, plus benefits like health insurance. I am guessing that by the time I get to this point, based on current day time career trajectory, that I will need to be bringing in 150k net a year, or be retired. Whichever comes first. Sadly, my money is on retirement. Womp.
