PLANNING YEARS AHEAD
Before we start this, lemme introduce myself because I think that's just gonna explain everything. Hi, I'm Joey, and I have serious anxiety about a lot of things, but mostly about getting everything I need to done. I start there simply because, that image at the top? It's not just two books on that list, it's every single book I've finished, plus two I haven't, and every single stage of the writing, revision, editing, and publishing process. Yes, I have a problem.
With that out of the way, and while I admit to having a lot of other lists just like that one, I will make it clear that it's not detrimental to me to have those lists. They help me focus, and they also keep me on track, which is kinda the point of them to be honest. It soothes me to make lists like that, and another thing to be clear on, NONE of it is set in stone.
A lot of people will see that screenshot and think I'm setting myself up to fail because those dates that are blurred out are years in advance. They worry that I'll set myself to hit a goal in 2029 and then be heart broken if plans change. It's not like that for me. It's never been like that. I am very adaptable for someone who deals with life and anxiety the way I do. I don't mine missing a date or having to change the whole thing. I do mind, not having it in the first place.
But! I can hear you ask. Why do it if it's not set in stone? Why plan that far ahead? Simple answer? Because I like to keep track of this kind of stuff. Long answer? Because it can help frame decisions I make down the line. For example, down that list are the two books I'm currently revising and rewriting. I put them there because ever since I finished them both, I've worried about their status. So having them on a list, knowing when I'll be due to pull them out and get them ready for publication, allowed me to spot issues with that and allowed me to slot them into the state they are now.
You certainly don't have to plan years in advance, but you remember those questions about where do you see yourself in 5/10 years? This is, for me, like that. I know what I'll be publishing, I even know some of the pub dates (not all of them, just the next few years or so) and I know what I need to get done to reach that state, and when it needs to happen.
Publishing is hard work. It's draining, it's exhausting, and it can be very isolating, same as writing. Going into it, even with only a tentative plan, can be, for me at least, a way to ease some of that pressure that comes from publishing itself. I know whether I've booked my editor or my sensitivity readers. I know what I need to be doing with that project, and when. It all works out for me, because it's also how my brain works. If yours doesn't work that way, if you find the whole thing stressful and anxiety inducing, that's okay, you don't have to do it. But for me, it's a relief and it helps me plan better long term.
We all gotta do what works for us, and that's okay!
Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!
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