12 novels in 12 months

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Lena Hillbrand

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Wow, everyone here is so accomplished! I feel both inspired and intimidated to join in.

But, here is my insane goal.

I've been working on a collection of novels for the past 3.5 years. I have 1 ms polished (queried for it this year, but despite a good rate of requests, all ended in rejection so far...waiting to hear back on 4 FRs, but heard one of the agents is a 'no response means no' on fulls, so let's say 3). But I'm not holding my breath on getting agent. Realistically, I know my chances are slim.

So. On to the goal of self-publishing if I don't get picked up by an agent. I have written 6 novels in the collection (5 need edits & revisions, the other is the polished ms I queried). I have 3 ms half-way written or need a complete rewrite. And I have 3 that haven't yet been written, b/c I have a character in mind for each but they haven't showed up to deliver their stories to my muse. Wouldn't that be nice?

My short-term goal was to finish a ms during nanowrimo, which I did. My long-term goal is to write all 3 of the remaining novels by the end of 2015 and to rewrite or finish the 3 that fizzled out.

And THEN. My insane goal is to publish all of them in 2016. Just writing this makes me realize how crazy it sounds. But I am excited for the project that I've put years of my life into. I have wanted to give up so many times. And I'm sure I will again. I may give up before it ever happens. But right now, this is my mad, mad goal.
 

Thewitt

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If you have not already lined up a cover artist, do so soon. It has taken me 8 weeks so far to get to a cover that's close...

Good luck and I say go for it!
 

amyall

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That's a really inspiring goal!

I'd like to push myself like that as well....ok, not exactly like that. I'm not ready but I will be someday!
Thanks for putting it out here ^_^

Best of luck to you.
-A
 

Lena Hillbrand

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If you have not already lined up a cover artist, do so soon. It has taken me 8 weeks so far to get to a cover that's close...

Good luck and I say go for it!

I have a graphic designer who does my book covers now. She's pricey and slow, but she will tweak and tweak to my exact specifications (paid by the hour, of course :)

I also found a good designer who does premade covers and custom jobs as well. But feel free to offer suggestions if you have good designers who need business! I'm still shopping around.
 

wampuscat

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Wow! Good luck!
 

crehbohrahku

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Don't take this the one way. But it's seems like you're trying to do quantity over quality which in my opinion is never a good thing to do. I've been focusing on improving my quality.

Unless you're saying you're trying to improve on what you already have. I'm kind of confused as to what you're saying. What do you mean by editing? Revamping?
 

Lena Hillbrand

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Don't take this the one way. But it's seems like you're trying to do quantity over quality which in my opinion is never a good thing to do. I've been focusing on improving my quality.

Unless you're saying you're trying to improve on what you already have. I'm kind of confused as to what you're saying. What do you mean by editing? Revamping?

I agree, quality comes first. That's why this goal is so tentative right now! However, by 2016 it will be just shy of 5 years, and I think that for me, that's doable (12 novels in 5 yrs). Yes, I know some writers work on one novel for 10 years. There are also a growing number of best selling authors who churn out a book almost every month. It all depends on the writer's abilities.

For me, I felt like I could aim for having my 12 done by 2016 and still have them be of satisfying quality. So for now, that is my goal.
 

grayworld

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I agree, quality comes first. That's why this goal is so tentative right now! However, by 2016 it will be just shy of 5 years, and I think that for me, that's doable (12 novels in 5 yrs). Yes, I know some writers work on one novel for 10 years. There are also a growing number of best selling authors who churn out a book almost every month. It all depends on the writer's abilities.

For me, I felt like I could aim for having my 12 done by 2016 and still have them be of satisfying quality. So for now, that is my goal.

Best of luck, Lena. If you can keep that kind of pace up, more power to you.

I think most writers fall in between James Patterson (always) and Thomas Harris (rarely) on the pace-of-publishing scale. I set a modest goal of three novels a year a few years back. That hasn't happened yet. Life tends to get in the way, no matter how hard you try to avoid it.

Just keep writing, no matter what. That's what all of us here at AW are wired to do :) And that's a good thing.
 

BeeG

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Wow - now that is a goal that makes me feel tired even thinking about it!!
 

mommytozachandgrace

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Wow! You sound very dedicated and I admire that! I only hope to become that dedicated. I'm working on my first MS...well technically not my first as I've started several but never finished, but this one has special meaning to me so I'm GOING to finish it, but I wish you the best!
 

Lena Hillbrand

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Wow! You sound very dedicated and I admire that! I only hope to become that dedicated. I'm working on my first MS...well technically not my first as I've started several but never finished, but this one has special meaning to me so I'm GOING to finish it, but I wish you the best!


Thanks! You, too. Good luck.

Update on 12n/12m project: I pulled out one of the MS that needs a total rewrite. It is terrible. Simply awful. Ashamed to say I wrote it. Trashing all but a few scenes and starting over, with an outline this time, as it has absolutely no plot whatsoever. Basically, it is more work than starting from scratch, since I have to comb through for anything worth saving.
 

KaseetaKen

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Know the Feeling

Thanks! You, too. Good luck.

Update on 12n/12m project: I pulled out one of the MS that needs a total rewrite. It is terrible. Simply awful. Ashamed to say I wrote it. Trashing all but a few scenes and starting over, with an outline this time, as it has absolutely no plot whatsoever. Basically, it is more work than starting from scratch, since I have to comb through for anything worth saving.

Wow... I know THAT feeling! It is almost expected as opposed the surprise at reading something I wrote and thinking "Wow! I actually WROTE THAT! And it is really good."
But usually I find much more valuable than I realize when I go through the rewrite. I have a chapter that has stumped me repeatedly because I keep thinking it is so hard to read (the material not the writing) that no one will ever make it past it to the rest of the book (non-fiction).
I managed to move it around (it is no longer chapter one) and that did help a lot but it will need to be rewritten. I've decided to leave it for last so that I can finish the rest.

KK
 

Chasing the Horizon

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Don't take this the one way. But it's seems like you're trying to do quantity over quality which in my opinion is never a good thing to do. I've been focusing on improving my quality.
There's no actual relation between speed and quality. My quality actually improves when I write very quickly, partially because I stay in the head-space of writing all the time, but also because it's ten kinds of impossible to write boring scenes quickly, at least for me.

Anyway, good luck on your goals, Lena. I'm trying to write a book every month or two too.
 

Lena Hillbrand

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Wow... I know THAT feeling! It is almost expected as opposed the surprise at reading something I wrote and thinking "Wow! I actually WROTE THAT! And it is really good."

KK


I expect to alternately or simultaneously love and hate my novels, but this is not the wishy-washy writer in me. This is a novel I wrote about 3 yrs ago, and haven't looked at since. Most of it is not salvageable. But I think I have figured out the plot that this character needs, so onwards I go!
 

Layla Lawlor

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Good luck! This sounds like an excellent goal - and since you already have six and parts of 3 more, I think it's entirely doable to get all 12 prepared in a year! :)

... though I wonder if, when it comes to actually publishing them, spacing them out so you have more than a month elapse in between books might be beneficial? I've done a little self-publishing, and I've found that there is a TON of work involved in putting out a new book -- not terribly difficult work, just a lot of nitty-gritty detail stuff: doing interviews, contacting reviewers and local bookstores, dealing with headaches and delays in getting it listed on different book-selling sites ... plus, it's less of a financial burden for readers if the books are coming out, say, every 3 months or every 6 months rather than monthly. This is not to say it would be impossible to do, or that it might not work out very well for you! I'm just thinking, if I look at it from the angle of my own (admittedly limited) self-publishing experience, as well as looking at it from a reader perspective, I think maybe backing off a little from the monthly schedule might benefit you more in the long run ...?
 
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