Patience is a virtue...

It certainly was for me the last week when I had been trying to publish my latest children's book on Createspace. I didn't complete the first setup to start with, then there was a problem with the cover, then the interior file, then the cover, then inside again. The cover was sorted out by my illustrator. It was accepted. The interior file (contents) aren't perfect as there are no page numbers and the text isn't the same length on each page (like the others) but I am going to get it sorted out very soon as my illustrator has said she does interior formatting, and I will ask her to help me out to reformat it. Anyway, Tuesday just gone I finally got Susie out the in world. Her story is now on Amazon, available at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Susie-Jiggling-Jumper-Rainbow-School/dp/1720452539/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1528460311&sr=1-1&keywords=susie+and+the+jiggling+jumper.

This story is close to my heart because Susie is based on me when I was at primary school, with Asperger's and heart problems (I still have both).

I hope you will buy it and spread the word about Asperger's and heart problems that go with it.

How to create a business plan - Step 1

I got this idea from the current issue of Writer's News magazine, and thought it was a good idea so am using it to create my plan for next year's writing. The first step is to write down what you have achieved this year. So here I am doing this here.

1. Ebooks - I published three ebooks (2 short books and one story). They were 'Life in the Old Dog', 'The Vanity Quest' and 'The Leaping Angels'.

2. I wrote a children's book, the second in the series about Asperkids finding confidence via a magical world at school.

3. I had published several letters in magazines this year, and got more rewards than I've done before doing this.

4. I started to give more talks at a local library, helping new authors get on the path to indie writing.

5. I created a new marketing website, to help other authors get discovered. This goes with a blog.

6. Finally, I wrote and sent off a story to Woman's Weekly magazine, after attending their workshops and realising what sort of stories they publish.

Despite all that I have achieved this year, there are things I haven't, and I will be mentioning those in the next post, and why I think this is.

So, what have you achieved this year that you are proud to have done? Let me know.

Writing goals for 2014 - an update

Last month I wrote about what I wanted to do in writing this year. Thought I'd give you an update on how it is going for me.

1. I said that I wanted to try to write poetry. I have so far written 1 1/2 poems about having Asperger's. I want to attempt to do more to make a whole book, which I might try to get published or self-publish.

2. I was going to pitch to US magazines about birds. I have queried one magazine and wait to hear from them. Have pitched another but got rejected as they have too many mss to put in their small magazine. I have found another magazine and will read their guidelines and pitch to them.

3. Want to get my 7+ children's books published. Waiting to hear from publisher. He has started to read my ms and working out how to turn it into a graphic novel.

4. My goals for this month were to finish current drafts of my 7+ book and my next Angel ebook. Getting there with the first - on the last chapters. Half way there with Angel ebook. Hope to finish both by end of the month or at least the next goal setting brunch in March.

So, how are your writing goals going? Let me know in the comments below. Also, would anyone of be interested in a free 'goal-setting' sheet to work on so you don't stray from your goals? Let me know below as I am planning to do one for my internet marketing blog followers who like my posts about planning and goals.

Writing goals for 2014

So, all you writers and illustrators out there, have you made your new year goals yet? I have, and here they are. There might be a few more to come later in the year.

1. Finish writing and publishing both my YA 'Guardian Angel' series and adult romance series 'Geraldine's Gems.' Have edits to work on the penultimate Angel ebook, and two more romance ones to write after I've published the current wip in the new year.

2. Try writing poetry. I have an idea for a book of poems. We shall see. If I manage it, it will be my life with Asperger's in poetry.

3. Enter more stories for magazines/competitions.

4. Write more non-fiction, and submit to magazines both in UK and overseas, inc competitions. I have one competition in mind already, and got the Writers' Market book from my brother for Xmas with US magazine markets in.

5. Get a publisher for my 7+ children's books. Waiting to hear from a publisher at the moment. Wait and see if he likes my work enough to want to publish it as a graphic novel.

So, there you have my new year goals. What are your goals?  Let me know.