My ultimate goals for 2022 involve more than just writing a single book. In fact, I plan on self-publishing a few this year. I had so much fun with the last one, and I found it to be quite addicting. So, how do I plan on making this “The Year of the Book?”
Through daily goals that will help me achieve my end game. And because I often have a lot to do, this isn’t always an easy task.
What Are My Exact Book Writing Goals for 2022?
In reality, I only have two major goals that I will focus on this year. Well, at least from the perspective of writing books. I have a lot of other goals for blogs, YouTube videos, and other projects.
After spending several days analyzing and estimating my workflow for 2021, I think I have a good handle on what I am working to achieve.
Writing 360,000 Words Minimum
I know what you’re thinking, 360,000 words is an awful lot. And no, this isn’t for a single book. The idea is to self-publish at least three this year. So, I am averaging it out to about 120,000 per book.
Of course, this will change depending on the story and what books I want to write at any given time. I could just write a series of thin novellas.
Instead of simply stressing about more than a third of a million words for writing books, I am breaking up the goals into smaller chunks. For instance, if I focus on a daily goal, I would only need to write 987 words.
I can do that before breakfast.
I’m probably not going to want to write every single day, though. This is why I am using a weekly goal instead. Every week, I plan on writing a minimum of 6,924 words for the books. This doesn’t include blogging and video scripts.
Thanks to my elaborate spreadsheet, I will always be apprised of the number of words written in 2022 based on workflow and averages.
Because I’m a bit of a dork when it comes to tracking data, my estimations are usually pretty close to accurate.
Maintaining a Good Workflow
Now comes the hard part; being able to keep my productivity high enough to achieve my goals.
I keep track of every minute spent on every project I work on. This gives me a pretty accurate portrayal of how long certain tasks take me to do at any given moment.
For me to achieve my writing goals per book, I need to maintain a good workflow for 2022. This means spending less time doing stuff throughout the day, watching YouTube, and sticking with my schedule in Asana.
I’m easily distracted most days.
I’m relatively confident I’ll be able to surpass my numbers for 2021, though. Don’t get me wrong, I accomplished a lot this past year. But I could have done more if I would have stuck closer to my schedule.
At any rate, the schedule and goals I have set up for 2022 are ideal to help me in writing another book or two before the end of the year.
Changing the Sidebar Tracking
In the sidebar of this blog, I usually add the “One Million Word” goal. For 2022, I am going to change it up to focus on self-publishing. I might keep the one-million-word challenge but just add the 360,000 words.
I don’t know, though. It might make the website look a bit cluttered. I also keep track of my work-in-progress, which is “Kingmaker” at this point.
So, that means I’ll have three progress bars on the site. Maybe if I break them up a bit, it won’t look so bad.
In any case, I am adding “The Year of the Book” to the sidebar.
Focusing On the First-Draft
The key to achieving such a large number of words within a year’s time is focusing on the first draft. It’s all about just getting the book done and ready for editing.
After all, you’re not going to publish the first draft. The idea is to just get the story written. It doesn’t have to be perfect in the beginning, just legible.
Later on, you will undoubtedly find all kinds of sections, chapters, conversations, and paragraphs you’ll want to change. But you don’t need to worry about it in the first draft.
It’s called a “first” draft for a reason.
Once you have the backbone of the story done, the rest of the editing and publishing process starts falling into place. However, you can’t go anywhere until you have that initial novel written.
How Realistic Are My Book Writing Goals for Myself?
Consider this, in 2020, I wrote 468,580 words mostly for blog posts. In 2021, I wrote more than 700,000 spanning across blogs, scripts, and A Freelancer’s Tale.
And I wasn’t even close to hitting my workflow goals. This means I could have easily added far more words to both of these totals.
In reality, I am the one who poses the greatest threat to not achieving my goals. I tend to get easily sidetracked, especially if someone wants to go out and do something in the middle of the day.
I need to focus more on meeting my productivity goals every week. In other words, I have to work a bit later than normal to compensate for the time I lose by going shopping or getting coffee.
In the end, though, I am confident I can stick to my writing goals.
What Are Your Goals for Writing a Book in 2022?
There’s no doubt that I have my work cut out for me. Sure, it may sound like a lot to some people. But for me, it’s more a matter of time management than anything else.
If I want to make 2022 “The Year of the Book,” then I need to absolutely make sure I’m hitting my writing goals.