Writing Goals For 2023

Currently, there are six books I want to publish for sure next year, and draft a seventh.

Writing Goals For 2023
Photo by Kelly Sikkema / Unsplash

Normally I would do a recap post around this time of month, but I want to take a moment to state my intentions for next year.

And I have...quite the list, actually. I am convinced I can knock out my goals quite easily, especially if I have the time and less stress to hold me back. Currently, there are six books I want to publish for sure next year, and draft a seventh.

I have a short story collection I have primed and ready to publish early January; it's a bunch of older stories I was proud of but never found a home for. Mostly fantasy and a bit of science fiction. Very little romance, if any, in that one.

I'd also like to have my current WIP published shortly before Valentine's Day. It's actually a very...cozy romance, I suppose. Not very dramatic as my last, and also lacking obvious supernatural elements; it's more subtle. You can read more about that one here:

New Book Around the Corner
I’m currently focused on a novella set in the same series and town, but the MC, isn’t Evan this time; it’s a park ranger who is exploring the dating scene.

The third book I'd like to publish that year is the second book of the St. Acton series, but not romance focused; most of that was covered in the first book. I do have some regrets in not dragging it out a bit instead of confining it all to one book, but there's so much left to explore. It'll also be more tame in general. That was an experiment I probably won't touch upon in the future.

Everything else I have in mind have some romance, but it's not the main focus of the story. One is sci-fi, even, or cyberpunk.

The cyberpunk story, Early Adopter, features an aro protag and cyborg, who works as a PI. I may do a series of novellas revolving around them and their cases. Nothing grand, just missing persons cases or custody disputes (over pets), and the like. That one has mostly been outlined and is very straightforward. I'm aiming for early March or April with that one.

The last two books are my Kindle Vella series. I suppose they don't entirely count, as they're mostly written. They just need to be edited and converted from the serial format into proper book form.

Both are portal fantasy serials, one being semi-casual and following the adventures of a botany major learning magic and the like. The other is more of a dark comedy with a con artist group consisting of a mage and their giant man-eating spider friend. Very different from my published books, but fun and fairly popular.

I don't have a set date for either of those, as one might not be complete until as late as March, but it's still very doable. I'll explain what Kindle Vella is in a moment, don't worry!

The seventh book I would consider drafting is an urban fantasy, centered around shifters. It features the main characters from this short story I recently published. I originally intended it to be a crime thriller, but never finished it because I didn't have a plan in mind, and spent too much time rewriting and playing around with ideas.

I can safely say it's actually possible now, as I've grown as a writer.

And as for Kindle Vella...well, most people don't know what it is, despite it being around since July of last year. In short, it's Amazon's way of competing with the serial market, but they haven't been promoting it as much as they should, and it's currently unavailable to the main fans of serial fiction.

And by that, I mean it's only accessible to Americans or people with American accounts. Supposedly that may change early next year, and I sincerely hope it does. One of my serials attracts a lot of organic readers on Neovel, but it's mostly writers who know and read Kindle Vella stories.

If you want a quick crash course on what Kindle Vella is, this Youtube video sums it up well.

Anywho, December is going to be quite the busy month for me, as we're moving around Christmas Eve. Not ideal, I know, but our lease is up in January. It's also a busy month in terms of sales, and my books will be discounted, from half off to 75% off, so keep an eye out for the 15th and 26th!