The Five Year Plan

Last week on #Indiechat there was the discussion of the Five year plan. Since I was talking a lot about mine, I thought it would be nice to share mine. I based mine off of a Fortune 500 company's individual development plan and I think it's good to have things like "Potential road blocks" "How to get over those."

And without further ado...

Five Year Goal

To make enough from writing that would qualify as a part-time salary. (20-30K)

One Year Goal

·         Finish Spliced and query

·         Have entire alien series out in E format and paperback

Action Plan

·         Produce at least two books a year, producing ten books in a five year period

·         Develop a marketing plan and budget for each book

·         Query agents/editors/publishers for Spliced

·         Query agents for possible film/foreign rights

·         Decide on future series and books and plans for each with Indie or traditional path

Developmental Activities

·         Continue to use RWA for a source with first page critiques

·         Search for one more solid critique partner

·         Do research on possible new editors

·         Participate in #IndieChat and #NALitChat

·         Take workshops and classes to develop craft

·         Look for more books in my genre to read

Potential Roadblocks

·         Bad Ratings

·         Lack of sales

·         Running low on money for marketing/covers

·         Not making deadlines

·         Not getting an agent for Spliced, bad deal from small publisher

Ways to manage/overcome roadblocks

·         Continue to query new book reviewers

·         Review marketing plans if sales lacking

·         Borrow from self for money for covers

·         Consider changing deadlines or scaling back

·         Self-publish Spliced

Sources of Support

·         Indelibles

·         RWA group

·         NALitChat

·         Kindleboard Forums

Progress (to check every 6-12 months)

·         What is working well and why?

·         What isn’t working and why?

·         What adjustments, if any, do I need to make in my plan?

Outcomes

·         What is different as a result of achieving this goal?

·         What did I learn in the process of pursuing this goal?

Next Steps:

·         How will I apply what I’ve learned or achieved?

·         How will I maintain the goal?

Do you have a five year plan? Are you making one? What is on yours?