The Art of Planning
I do a lot of planning with my authors. For some reason I work better with a deadline than not and I’ve found that they do too. In the past few weeks, as I’ve been getting the new agency up and running, I’ve been chatting with my authors about immediate goals and future goals they have for their careers. We’ve been planning on how to achieve these goals in the least amount of time and with the maximum amount of success. Here’s what we do. I have them draw up a goal list of things they’d like to achieve in the first year they’ve signed with me. Some of the more common goals: get published, understand a royalty statement, and put up a website. Some of the unique goals: lose five pounds, get a pair of awesome shoes without the hubby raising eyebrows at another pair and get teenager into good college with minimal fuss. Now I can help a writer with all of these goals (within reason, they’ll all be achieved). For instance, the get published one: give me a good book and though I can’t give you a definite timeline, I can get your book in front of editors so that they can buy it. For the get pair of awesome shoes: once we sell your book, you can buy yourself shoes as a reward with the money from the advance. Wear them to all of your signings, all of your media appearances and while you’re grocery shopping. Show him that they’re another part of your wardrobe and it’s all because of your book. With the get kid into college, once you’ve gotten the task of writing your book out of the way, you’re free to focus on nagging your kid about writing a brilliant essay. See, it all comes back to writing.
Seriously though, the more you plan, the easier it is to visualize what you want from your career and how hard you’re going to work to get it. For this year to motivate myself to sell, sell, sell, I have these shoes in mind to purchase once I’ve hit five books sold by March. If I don’t get that number sold, then I can’t have them. And I really want them. Here’s to making my goal.
C.
Caren Johnson Estesen
13 Comments
Reader Comments (13)
Oh, CUTE! We need to get you those shoes!!!
Aren't they gorgeous? They're listed on the agent provocateur website. I'll let you know if I'm any closer to my goal.
I love that website. I'd buy stock from that website.
Love the shoes! Trust me, we ALL want you to hit that goal :)
Kelley
I'm not a shoe person....but those are NICE! Here's to doubling that book count so you can get TWO pair! =)
Thanks Caren,
You inspired me. To reward myself for the book sale, I went out and got these shoes. My girlfriend looks at me funny because she says I'm a man and men don't wear heels and what will my nephews think, but I don't care (they're symbols) and I EARNED them. My girlfriend also requests that you not only post "reward" photos of a feminine nature and that you might think about posting "power tool" shots. But she's just jealous. I think she wants my shoes!
Dear A. E.
I'm glad you got celebration shoes. Tell your girlfriend that if she's nice to you (and that better include doing the dishes--that's what I always hold out for), then she can wear them too. If not, tell her she's only gets to seethe with jealously.
C.
Hi, Caren,
Just as I posted over at Caridad's blog, I LOVE those shoes. (As for why I posted it there as opposed to here...uh...I need coffee. lol.)
Here's to hoping you get to buy them!
Faye
I've always promised myself that when I sold to an advance-paying publisher I would get a pair of Manolos. Or Choos, or Louboutins...basically, I'm gonna but myself a kick-a pair of shoes, even though I have nowhere at all to wear them here. I'll wear them in London. :-)
The shoes are great, but I'm more interested in getting that kid to college! I had one sent who boomeranged back. How many books does it take to make them stick?????
Thought you guys might be curious, but I made my goal Those shoes are mine. Now I need a bag to match. So if I sell two books during the month of March, I'll be purchasing a purse to match. It's all in the name of goals.
Caren
Atta girl!
Way to go!
H.
I want to know why you don't represent any African American Fiction....