Mayday! Mayday! (AKA May Update Day)

Hi all! Today’s the last Friday in May, and that means that it’s time for another update for my monthly blogfest. 

For those of you who are new to my blog, Beth Fred and I host a blogfest where the participants list their goals, then post monthly updates on progress. We then go around and cheer each other on or commiserate. Whichever works best. You’re more than welcome to join if you have a huge, hugely important or just plain crazy goal. You can click here for more information and to see who else is participating. 

And now… My progress report. 

Remember when I said that May was just going to be a nice calm month for me? 

Well… Turns out it wasn’t. Because I realized that I’m very very close to publishing two of my books. Which means that I’ve now set a release date for both: 31 June.

I set this goal on 1 May, which is why it didn’t make it into my previous goal post, but it’s had a huge effect. See, I thought that I’m close to finished with the stories, so I should be able to get the final, formatted versions done in no time at all. 

Which was good in theory, but I’m still editing. Why? Because my business is popping back somewhat like a mushroom at the same time. 

Having learned from the great shoe disaster of 2014, I’m trying to keep the growth controlled so that my mother and I (we’re business partners) can maintain a hold on the business without it taking over everything in our lives. 

The thing is, this takes effort too. 

Add to all this a flu that keeps leeching my energy levels and we have a perfect storm. 

Anyway, these are the goals I set, along with what I achieved or didn’t achieve in May:

My Goals for May:

Writing:

1) Write, edit and/or rewrite something every weekday.

There were 21 weekdays in the month, and I wrote and/or edited something on 18 days (although I did put in extra hours and some weekends to stay more or less caught up.)
2) Continuity edits between Wo6C1 and 2.

Just so we’re on the same page, these are The Vanished Knight and The Heir’s Choice. I’m through TVK, but have only just started with THC.

3) Copy edits for BvB1

I sent the version out for critiques yet again, but I’m thinking I’ll just not work on this until I’m done with TVK and THC.

4) Revisions/Edits for ES1 and the Untethered Realms Anthology story I submitted.

Did Untethered Realms Anthology. ES1…no.

5) Finish rewrites to O1.

No.

6) Flesh out concepts for P and my Science Fiction story idea.

Nope

I did, however, also achieve a whole slew of related things that I’ll mention under the Social Media heading. And I finished and posted two back cover blurbs for publishing. Oh AND I sorted out a few mess-ups about my ISBNs.

Reading

1) Read King Lear.

Still haven’t gotten to this.

2) Read something by one of my blogging buddies.

Three words: Mark. Of. Nexus. I’ll hopefully be reading the last book in the series this weekend.

3) See how close I can get to reading 10 books this month.

Currently at 5 books, with me maybe reading the sixth by Sunday. I’m planning to have a lazy(ish) weekend in bed in an attempt to kill this flu bug.

Social Media

This is assuming that Internet and/or my country’s electricity provider actually work like they should…

1) Catch up on blog visits.

This I managed.

2) Catch up on Wattpad Critiques I’ve promised.

This I didn’t.

I did, however, also do the following: 

1) Sort out my author page(s) on Amazon. 

2) Expand my Wattpad readership

3) Start a tumblr blog (mishagerrick.tumblr.com in case you’re interested)

4) Add both the new version of TVK and the first edition of THC to Goodreads. 

5) Reach C in my blog sort out (Yep, still ongoing) and took part in a blogfest that’s not my own. 

6) Post much more regularly on both this and my lifestyle blog than I’ve done in almost a year. 

7) Basically I’ve confirmed most of my blog tour and cover reveal running up to the book releases. 

Life

1) Mainly, my goal is to get back to my happy place this month. (Other than my continuing goal of getting my business back off the ground.)

Happy place mostly achieved, partly because the business seems to be hovering off the ground and ready to fly.

2) Do something artistic or crafty that isn’t writing related every weekend.

Eh…I’ve been driving around a lot to meetings in the week, so I crocheted in the car a lot. So weekends ended up being when I caught up on edits.

Still with me? Awesome. Have a cookie. Don’t worry, my June goals will be quick:

Basically: Yesterday, I realized that I might be going to Europe in June for work, which might make June one heck of a complicated month for me.

As such, I’m going to go the simple route.

Writing:

1) For TVK and THC: Finish everything that needs to get finished for the final formatted submissions by mid-June.

2) Send out review copies by mid-June. (Or a week after that if I must.)

Reading:

Read enough to keep sane, but other than that, no set goal.

Social Media:

1) Get started on the materials needed for the blog tour.
2) Continue with the stuff I’ve been doing because it seems to be working.

Life

Basically to keep growing my business and not go insane while I’m putting myself through a publishing hell of my own creation. Which might mean letting off steam with other crafts.

How are you doing on your goals? Think I’m going to make it or are you finding seats for the possibly inevitable fireworks of disaster?