It’s that time again. The time when I take a look back at what I actually accomplished in the last month. This time my reflection looks a bit different (on my end). I’m sitting in a hotel room while my family sleeps, attempting to get some reflection done in a rather comfortable little armchair before we have to get up and bustle around to a hockey tournament. I’m trying to enjoy the fact that we’re doing this together, since my kids are getting older and my son will be doing most of these trips on his own after this one. But, while they sleep, reflection can happen. Even in a hotel room! Let’s get to it …
If you’ve been following along with the blog then you already know that for 2023 I’ve left myself a big BLANK page of year long goals. I’ll add to them when I focus on them and mark them completed when I finish. I’m focusing where I want/need to focus for the month and celebrating wins. I have to tell you, I’m enjoying watching the page fill up. What was literally BLANK on January 1 now has things on it. See for yourself …
In the pages for the individual months, I sometimes start with focus dates at the top of the page. I had to do that in March. Then, in an act that would’ve sent previous versions of myself into a terrible downward spiral, I missed 2 of the dates. Am I stressed? Not entirely. I’m just moving them. I’ve made a few decisions about this hardcover. It’s happening. Maybe even still by (close to) the original release date. But this one will happen without all the fanfare. I sort of knew that would happen all along. It’s not the 2023 story. It’s just an updated edition. I think I’ll be working out a campaign that more focuses on the new stuff … and just mentions the special thing.
Anyway, back to what I accomplished instead of what I didn’t do. I finished the final proofread of the short stories. The ARCs went out on time, more or less. Feedback has already started trickling in. I am still planning a cover reveal in April and a release in May. This is going to be a whirlwind release, but I want it out in time for Fan Fusion in summer.
After finishing those proofs, I turned my attention back to the Special Edition hardcover. The illustrations are in for the cover but I need to finish the final proof to get an accurate page count on this one before the cover can be finalized. I’m close, I promise! I should be able to wrap up the rest of it in April as planned!
I did also throw some ideas into the idea journal this month (first time in 2023) because they were just burning in my brain and needed to be recorded. As always, I’m not sure what will become of those but at least they’re recorded.
In other news, not recorded on this page, I did also get the proof copies of the Hitman story and OMG they’re beautiful. We’re definitely on track for this full September release with all the bells and whistles!
All told, I managed to write 189 words per day (most of those were honestly book reviews) and edited 120 chapters. Not bad at all.
Once again, no matter how busy I was you were still likely to catch me with a book in my hands. I got a lot of reading done. I’ve said that for both previous months of 2023 … and then I beat those totals by an extra book in March.
I read 14 more books in March, bringing my 2023 total to 40 already. This accounted for 4,680 pages (breaking down to about 139 pages per day). The oldest book I read this month was published in 1937 and the newest was an advanced reader copy of a title releasing in 2023.
- 1 Middle Grade
- 3 Young Adult
- 10 Adult
- 6 Mystery/Thriller
- 1 Science Fiction
- 1 Paranormal Fantasy
- 2 Fantasy
- 2 Romance
- 1 Horror
- 1 Nonfiction
- 3 Independently Published (that’s 21%)
- 4 ebooks
- 7 audiobooks
- 1 paperback
- 2 hardcovers
Of those formats the breakdown works like this:
No books received a 1 or 2-star ratings. 7 3-star (niche but good). 5 4-star (recommended if you read that genre). 2 5-star genre-crossing amazing reads.
So, in conclusion:
- Saw my beautiful copies of the Hitman book.
- Finished the proofread of the short stories and started getting feedback on those.
- Got the illustrations for the Hardcover cover and made progress on editing.
- Read a bunch more books.
1/4 of the way done with 2023 and seriously loving this blank goals page strategy. Onto the second quarter!
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