Checkin' In - goals reviewed and revised

by Maggie Toussaint

I can't think of the world "goals" without a hockey announcer mouthing off in my head "she shoots, she scores!" This works wonders for my self-esteem and it gives me confidence to launch power shots that I wouldn't have dreamed of taking a year or two ago.

After all, I've been working towards publication for a long time. 13 years to be exact. So when The Call came in 2006 in multiple markets, it was wonderful and overwhelming. My goal for 2007 was to not fall flat on my face.

While that's not much of a goal, it has kept my head up when things got tough this year. Deadlines and work schedules and family events pulled me in different directions, so that I barely knew which end was up. Finally I've stopped treading water and I'm taking little doggy paddle strokes forward.

What have I accomplished this year? Lots of editing, that's for sure. I've had book signings in GA and MD, and another one in FL this coming weekend. I've given talks for clubs and workshops for my local RWA chapter. I've been on an author panel at a mystery conference. I've marketed heavily online, navigating the tangled swamp of review sites, yahoo loops, newsletters, and myspace. I've found vendors to carry my print books, and I keep a working relationship with those sellers.

I've been learning the business of writing this year. By Christmas, I hope to have 3 e-books out. At least one of those will come out in print next year, which will give me a second print book to market, and another use for those folders of media contacts. I'd like to try a radio interview this year sometime.

One of my longterm goals has come true already, in an odd way. With the advent of my local access tv program on literacy, I was interviewed on tv. Again, its all local access stuff, but its a step in the right direction of being on a major network talk show. I don't know if that dream will come true in 2007, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Once I get done with edits of old books, I want to start something new. I need to write a story that's about the coast, which will get me in more markets down here. I had planned to dust off the 2nd book in the Freya's Bower series and send that in - still going to do that. Then I was going to write the 3rd book in that series, with the goal of being done by Christmas. Now that half the year is done, that goal seems out of reach. So I'll work on what is doable and go from there. Finish the rewrites of the 2nd book, and market the heck out of the ones coming out.

Keep on writing!
Maggie Toussaint
www.maggietoussaint.com