Getting Down to Business--Part III

Still with me? I know this is a long series and long posts within the series, but the whole process deserves the time it takes for you to do it right. If you’re just finding this post, go back to Part I and get the background on the series.

Today I am sharing my Financial Plan and Production Schedule/Writing Plans. This is where I hold myself accountable for money and time in this business. I’ll let the sections speak for themselves.

I have to admit to blue-skying this section. I don’t know how much money it will take to launch these two books I’ve contracted, let alone what income to expect or outgo will occur. So, this is a first stab. But in December, when I review my plan and re-write for 2014, I will be much better prepared to fill this part in.

5. Financial Plan

In the absence of immediate income, I am allocating $2000 from personal funds as seed money for editing, website production, conference attendance, memberships, promotions, etc.

{NEED TO COMPLETE AS DATA BECOME AVALIABLE}

Look at sales totals per book, per month, per year, digital and print, in this section

Identify sales totals in percentages of total income, digital and print.

Observations of 2013 sales:

{To be completed in January, 2014}

Income:

Total books sold:

Total: $income by book and by total

Expenses:
Total: $expenses by book and by total

         Editing for Mission Impastable ($274)

Postcards with recipes for Mission Impastable (~$200)

         Book Launch for Mission Impastable (~$100)

         Postcards with top ten good sex tips for Streetwalker (~$200)

         Book Launch for Streetwalker (~$150)

Expected profit of each title and for total

Other Business expenses:
Arizona LLC fee ($45); conventions; memberships (~$300); classes; website upgrades/maintenance (~$180); business cards; business supplies; new sites for different titles/series ($100)

Now THIS was fun! I love beginnings, and to imagine dozens of beginnings was a joy. I write first drafts pretty quickly, so even though this is an aggressive writing schedule, I don’t think it is overly so. I guess we’ll see when it’s review time in late December.

6. Production Schedule and Writing Plans

This business plan, lists every book already written that has potential commercial value as well as those planned for writing, and the schedule needed to produce them. [This plan is not yet completed.]

Production Schedule 2013

Querying for Land’s End, Lucinda; if accepted, adjust production schedule to include them

Streetwalker

Send to Sizzler Editions editor: Jan. 3

First round edits, return on Jan. 16, 2013

Received second round edits on May 21, 2013

Developmental edits, return on May 22, 2013

Release: June/July?

Mission Impastable

Send to Oak Tree Press Editor: March 25

First round edits, return on xxx

Developmental edits, return on xxx

Release: August

“Scarlett in the Hood” (20K words)

First draft: March 1 - April 15

Edit/revision: April 15 - April 30

Send to Sizzler Editions editor: May 1

First round edits, return on xxx

Developmental edits, return on xxx

Release: xxx

Prequels for Streetwalker and Mission Impastable (10,000 words each-40 pages)

First Draft: May 1 - May 31

Edit/revision: June 1- June 5

Post on website, blogs

Release: June 30

The Quick and the Dedd

Edit/revision: June 1-August1
Send to Developmental editor: August 1-August 31
Send to editor: September 1

First round edits, return on xxx

Developmental edits, return on xxx

Release: xxx, 2014

Prime Rib and Punishment: (book 2 in “Dinner is Served” series):

First draft: June 1-August1
Edit/revision: August 1-August 31
Send to Developmental editor: September 1

Send to editor: October 15
Return from editor: xxx

First round edits, return on xxx

Developmental edits, return on xxx
Release: Month, 2014

Hot Dishes (play)

First Draft: June 1-June 30

Edits/revision: July 1-30

Query community theater groups

Sex for Sale (book 2 in “Sex Sells” series):

First draft: July 1-September 1
Edit/revision: September 1-September 31
Send to Developmental editor: October 1

Send to editor: November 15
Return from editor: xxx

First round edits, return on xxx

Developmental edits, return on xxx
Release: Month, 2014

Walk-in to My Life (paranormal) 2013-2014

First Draft: October 1-October 31; December 1-December 31

Edit/Revision: January 1-January 31

Send to Developmental editor: February 1

Begin queries: March 15

Return from editor:  xxx

First round edits, return on xxx

Developmental edits, return on xxx

Release: xxx

November--National Novel Writing Month

Work on a new book--untitled, topic unknown--likely related to one of two series

so it will be ready for a 2014 release

Production Schedule 2014

Peas Porridge Pot--book 3 in the “Dinner is Served” series

Sex Sells--book 3 and final book in “Sex Sells” series

Death Goes On--book 2 in “Quick and Dedd” series, paranormal romance

Light My Fire--possible series; paranormal; djinn

Intermediate grades series: Ghost Club Stories

Voynich Document/aliens/ancient peoples--sci fi/fantasy

Senior Years’ Spring Break-play

Production Schedule 2015

Cooks in the Can--book 4 in “Dinner is Served” series

Healing Woman--historical fiction

Back to the Future--paranormal, time travel

It’s a Dog’s Life--chick lit

The Dycoven Witches series--paranormal, witchcraft

Intermediate grades series: Ghost Club Stories

Production Schedule 2016
The Taming of the Stew--book 5 in “Dinner is Served” series

The Red Brick Road--intermediate grades fantasy (OZ connection)

Time Keeps on Slippin’ into the Future--women’s fiction

Torn Between Two Lovers--romance

Against All Odds--romance

Scientist erasing memories--sci fi

Books to schedule:

Mummified Babies

End of world/Dystopia series

A Perfect Life--women’s fiction

Love between the Pages--chick lit

Teach Me, Professor--erotic romance/women’s fiction

Long Ago and Far Away--paranormal, women’s fiction

Getting Down to Business--Part I

I’ve been on a short trip visiting son, Brooklyn, and daughter-in-law, London. New York, New York! DH’s best line about going to NYC is that it is impossible to bring too much money. Can’t be done. When a hamburger is $19, well, let’s just say we plan ahead--far ahead for our trips there.

But I’m back and ready to work on edits for my two contracted books (Mission Impastable with Oak Tree Press and Streetwalker with Sizzler Editions). I am eager to get the marketing balls careening around. Even though I have kind of pushed the balls and got them rolling, I want them zipping.

All of what I am doing is part of my overall business plan. I’ll do a blog series on what I have learned about making a writing business plan and share parts of mine with you in hopes of helping you figure it out, too. Like trips to NYC, one needs to anticipate a budget for book projects, both fiscal and time budgets.

I read an article series that really changed my perspective. The link is at the bottom, and I highly recommend reading them. First of all, dumb as it may sound to you, I never came at my writing career from a business perspective. I know, I know. I told you it was dumb.

I just wanted to write, and, you know, publish! That was my new career after transitioning from 39 years as an educator. Writing. I never really thought of it as a business except from a tax deduction standpoint. I claim a home office and business expenses, but that was as far as I had taken it.

After reading Swank’s posts, I was convinced that I need to take all aspects of my writing career as seriously as I did the day-to-day writing. If I am a professional writer, that comes with expectations for goal setting, a mission statement, marketing, budgeting, and other aspects of the business world. Admittedly, she is an indie author, and I have support from my two publishers she can’t count on; still, the onus is on me to make this happen. No one cares more than me that my books are read by lots of people.

She convinced me that a business plan added to the actual writing I do will help me achieve at a higher level than I might have. I have goals set for books to write through 2016. I am serious!

I will share what my business plan looks like over the next several posts. The headings I am using are largely based on the original posts I read and other things I read about how to do a business plan. It is titled Business Plan for 2013. That means I intend to revisit the plan at the end of the year and revise it for 2014. Just like real businesses do. And I am a real business.

2013 Business Plan for Writer’s Ink

1. Description of Writer’s Ink
2. Ownership of Writer’s Ink and Location of Business
3. Products
4. Pricing Strategy
5. Financial Plan
6. Production Schedule and Writing Plans
7. Targeted Audiences
8. Marketing and Promoting Plan
9. Web Plan
10. Long-Term Goals
11. Summary

Based on the blog series by Denise Grover Swank, http://thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/a-business-plan-for-self-published-authors-part-one-of-a-three-part-series