2024 Author Goals: A Q4 Check-in and Final Roundup

We're at the end of the year! That's hard to believe. Feels like just yesterday I was setting my beautifully reasonable goals for 2024.

As a reminder...

My official 2024 goals:

Finalize The Winner Takes It All for publication
Publish a poetry chapbook
Edit 6 manuscripts
Bonus: Draft The Plus-One Contract

My secret, bonus 2024 goals:

Publish A Necklace of Teeth with Dogleech Books
Finish drafting Loving Her Princess as Cassia King
Submit Loving Her Princess to NineStar Press or query
Edit 12 manuscripts
Bonus: Finish drafting TPOC
Bonus: Read 20 books

Here's how I did on these!

I revised, edited, and finalized Winner, and it was published on 29 October 2024.

Over the course of 2024, I published TWO poetry chapbooks -- The Orange and Pink Sunset and A Necklace of Teeth. I also drafted a third chapbook, Coal Hearted, and submitted it to a small press.

In 2024, I edited 13 manuscripts and a tarot guidebook! That's easily my busiest editing year since I went freelance.

In terms of writing this year:

I completely drafted (75k) Loving Her Princess.
I completely drafted (22k) Witch-Touched.
I drafted 20k of The Plus-One Contract.
I drafted 9k of Loving Her Duchess.
I got 9k into The Queen's Champion.
I completely drafted (6k) my short story for the Scholarly Pursuits anthology.
I drafted 12k of a secret pen name project.
Finalizing Winner for publication included adding 18k to the draft.
On my own time, I wrote over 20k on non-publishing fiction.

I started querying Loving Her Princess in mid-October. I'm currently working on an R&R.

I read 18 of 20 books. (That's published books only. I don't include clients' manuscripts.) I'd like to read more next year!

Witch-Touched was accepted to Lethe Press's Witchcraft In Your Lips novella collection.

And bonus things I accomplished this year:

I attended Sierra DeMulder’s Turn the Crystal poetry class.
I contributed items to 2 charity auctions.
I read tarot at a local bookstore once a month.
I revamped my author website.
I tabled at my first book fair.
I did my first writing experiment.
I participated in Swords, Sapphics, and Scribbles events, as well as the Order of the Written Word.
I matched up with a gem of a critique partner.
I published my first audiobook.
During all this, I held down a full-time job.

QOTD: How did you do on your 2024 goals?

(Next step is to set my 2025 goals, but that's another blog.)

Now go forth and make your dreams come true!

I believe in you!

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