It’s time once again to review last year and make resolutions for the new year. I hope you all had a great 2019, and I wish you an even better 2020!
I had a good 2019, and I’m pleased with what I accomplished. I went off track a bit and did not fulfill all my resolutions from last year, but I wandered down some new, exciting paths. I finished my fourth novel, Karluk Bones, and my publisher released it on September 1st. I did not finish my wildlife book, but I am now busy editing it and hope to publish it in 2020. Meanwhile, I’ve started writing my next novel and am beginning to assemble my true-crime book. None of these things happen as quickly as I would like, but I’ve learned I dream up new ideas much faster than I complete the old ones.
I enjoy plotting and writing books, but selling books remains a puzzle I might never solve. I’ve worked hard over the last year promoting my books, but when nothing seemed to work, I decided to think “outside the box.” I needed to search for new places to find my ideal readers.
Paid Advertising: My publisher uses paid advertising to promote my books, but I rarely pay for advertisements. I’ve found I never make as much money from advertising as I spend on the ad, but perhaps this is because I don’t know what I’m doing.
My Blog: I started my blog when I built my website, and while I still love writing posts, I have learned this is not the best way to find people who want to read my books. A respectable number of people read my blog each week, but I think most are either friends or folks who stop by to learn about the specific topic of my post. I plan to keep writing blog posts as long as I have something to say. I learn a great deal from researching and writing my wildlife posts, but my blog posts are not yet useful promotional tools for my books.
My Monthly Murder and Mystery Newsletter: Many of the people who open and read my monthly newsletter buy and read my books, so my goal is always to find more individuals who want to sign up for my newsletter.
Medium: If you haven’t checked out Medium (https://medium.com) yet, you should. It’s a platform for writers, where you can find articles on every topic imaginable. I post some of my true crime articles and my wildlife content there. At the bottom of each true crime article, I include a sign-up form for my newsletter, and dozens of Medium readers have signed up for my mystery newsletter. When I found Medium and began posting my true crime articles, I felt I’d made progress. People who liked my writing and my subject matter opted to sign up for my newsletter.
Podcast: I took a stride forward with Medium, but I knew I needed to do more to find readers. I decided perhaps I should look for readers who also enjoy other types of entertainment. I didn’t know what to expect when I started my podcast, but for a low-budget production, it has done well, and I’ve found new readers.
My writing resolutions for 2020 are to finish and publish my wildlife book and to finish my next novel. I also hope to keep blogging, podcasting, and posting my newsletter on schedule. I’ll work with my publisher to try to think of new ways to reach readers, and I’ll keep doing the things that seem to work.
I’ve learned selling books is hard. It’s like a big puzzle where all the moving parts must fit together somehow. I think if I find the correct alignment, I’ll turn my fledgling writing hobby into a book business. I believe most authors are dreamers. Success is right around the corner, and next year it will happen. Maybe 2020 will be the year for me!
What are your resolutions for 2020, and have you made resolutions for the next decade? I hope 2020 is the year for you to make your dreams come true. I wish you health, wealth, and happiness!
Robin Barefield is the author of four Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, and The Fisherman’s Daughter, and Karluk Bones. You are invited to watch her webinar about how she became an author and why she writes Alaska wilderness mysteries. Also, sign up below to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska, and listen to her podcast, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier.
