My plans for 2023 [mid-year update]

At the start of the year, I wrote a blog regarding my plans for 2023. Considering we’re now halfway through the year, I thought it would be a good idea to look back on the first half of the year and update the goals I set and see what progress I’ve made.

Listen to the blog here. (I apologise for the slight background noise- my gerbils were going crazy in the background)

Books

At the start of the year, I set out 5 books to release in 2023. As a reminder those books were.

The not-so-romantic Railways: The Railway King
The not-so-romantic Railways: The Activity Book
The not-so-romantic Railways: How a steam locomotive works
The Ghost Pirates
Eugene the Golden Engine and the free ice cream

Out now

Book releases started off very well.

Both “The Railway King” and “The Activity Book” came out within one week of each other all the way back in February- looking back now it was probably not the best idea to release them so close together as they kind of got in each others way, but lessons learnt.

They’re available to buy in paperback and then the Railway King is also available on Kindle and you can read it for free if you’re a Kindle Unlimited subscriber on Amazon.

Monsters of the 12 seas

Despite it not being in any way planned I wrote an entire book in 30 days during April which came out on the 1st of May. This was very much spur of the moment, though I used a story idea that had been bubbling away in my brain for a little while and just went for it.

“Monsters of the 12 Seas” is a universe story connected with the Phoenix Saga. (The vampire fairy/Ghost pirates). It’s set a few thousand years before the events of the Ghost Pirates and is available to buy on Kindle, paperback and free if you’re a Kindle Unlimited subscriber on Amazon.

Writing this shorter-form story has opened my eyes to how much I enjoy writing smaller pocket stories set in a bigger universe. I have one more planned out set in the vampire rebellion era in the same universe of the Phoenix Saga.

I’m not planning on writing it in 30 days mind you but perhaps I should. I read somewhere a long time ago that “work expands to fill the time you allocate it” and being able to write a book in 30 days really did highlight that.

Giving myself tight and strict deadlines seems to bring out the best in me- though I know it wouldn’t work for everyone.

The Ghost Pirates

Of the rest of the books I plan to release this year, I’ve made the most progress with “The Ghost Pirates”. This surprises me more than anyone as it’s been stuck in production ever since The Vampire Fairy came out in 2019.

I’m perhaps 85% of the way there with it. I’m currently aiming for a release around the 1st of October as that’s when the real-life Phoenix’s birthday is, and it sounds pretty poetic to release a book featuring him on his birthday.

How a steam locomotive works

I’ve got stuck in the mud with “how a steam locomotive works” so I’m unsure of any timelines for that. I’m not quite sure what’s happening. I exploded out the blocks while writing it, but have become stuck. It doesn’t feel like writer’s block (as I know exactly what I want to write) I just haven’t quite found the best style to write it in.

I have a lot of images ready to go for this, so I feel like when my how a steam locomotive works brain kicks back in I’ll finish it pretty quickly. I’m 99.9% confident that this book will still come out in 2023.

Eugene the Golden Engine

Eugene the golden engine has been written for about three years in all honestly. The thing holding it back is the huge amount of artwork needed for it. I have no drawing abilities myself so I need to outsource the artwork which is very expensive.

I don’t say this as a moan or complaint. The artists I work with are incredibly talented and deserve to be paid appropriately for their work. I say it more in the area of being fully transparent. I don’t have the finances to be able to get all of the artwork at the same time. (Maybe help me out by buying a book?)

This means artwork needs to be bought in small quantities- I can only get one or two every few months which means it takes a long time to get everything I need. I don’t want to release a book that isn’t what I want it to be, more so I don’t want to release a book that isn’t what I know it can be.

My hope is still to bring Eugene out this year but financials will be the determining factor when it comes out.

Also, don’t read this thinking I’m struggling financially. I just don’t have the additional income on top of bills and rent to be paying hundreds of pounds for artwork on a regular basis.

Overall, I would say my book release plan is on track and the books will hopefully all be released before the end of the year. I really need to focus on trying to sell more copies as sales are really low at the moment. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love writing books but I would love it even more if I were selling more of them.

I understand that makes it sound like I’m just doing it for the money but for as long as I can remember my dream has been to be a full-time author. To be a full-time author- I need to sell books.

And full transparency, if you went to Amazon and bought Monsters of the 12 Seas right now- I would make 47 pence from it. I keep my profit margins low so I can keep book sale prices low- as I will always do.

The not-so-romantic YouTube channel

Yeah- this isn’t going very well. I got into a good habit of uploading shorts… I am no longer in this habit.

I need to pull my thumb out of my nostril and stop sitting on top of the five videos I have filmed. I’m letting perfection be the enemy of the good in the sense I’m editing and changing them to find the perfect video… I have five videos which are authentic to me and I need to be okay if they aren’t cinematic masterpieces.

I always spoke about wanting to do British Sign Language (BSL) versions of these videos- but the old nemesis of finances is making the possibility of this happening less and less likely. I’ll keep fighting to make it happen though!

I’ve fallen out of a good routine over the last couple of months so, whilst we’re speaking of video content, I need to get back on the Tik-Tok game and upload more regularly as well.

The not-so-romantic blog

I don’t want to sound big-headed but I think I’m absolutely smashing the blog.

I’ve missed uploads here and there but for the most part have managed to upload at least one blog a week. My good friend Sophie became the first not-so-romantic guest blogger and has more blogs planned.

My aim for the rest of the year is to really push and promote the blog to boost readership and reach, whilst maintaining my “once a week” aim and getting more guest bloggers to keep growing the blog.

Blog writing improves my writing style and ability so I’ll undoubtedly keep going with the blog, but… and it is a small but… at least at the moment but the but might get bigger in the future but currently it’s only a small but… I’m just writing but a lot and it makes me happy.

Blog views are still quite low, I’m trying- I really am- to promote it and get readers and will continue to do so.

My writing has improved since starting the blog so they’re worth writing in that sense but it costs an increasing cost to keep the website and the blog live on the internet- if I don’t crack the code then I might have to rethink things- hence the currently small but.

The ugly head of finances rears its ugly head again!

Not-so-romantic podcast

Technically this has already happened as when I publish the audio on blogs it uploads onto Google podcasts. I did have more in mind with the podcast- including guests and other sorts of wonderful things.

Sadly, if something on the list doesn’t happen in 2023- it will be this sadly- I’m reluctant to acknowledge that there are only so many hours in the day and I need sleep. But 2024 could be the year.

I guess we’ll find out at the end of the year.

Coding videos and workshops

My love for coding continues to grow and, to my own surprise, my skills are improving every day. I run regular free coding workshops for kids at York Libray (check out the library Eventbrite page to book a session if you’re in the area).

In August I’m also launching my £5 online code club, so no matter where you are in the world, you’ll be able to join. Keep an eye on the website for the full details.

I do have some videos for coding. You can find the links on the coding page of my website.

Try at-home activities

Erm… If I had a plan for this I have no idea what I was thinking. This very much fits in with an “I can do everything I want to do in a single year” attitude.

Try at-home activities are part of my longer fully manifested plan but, for now, I think we can go ahead and put a big “forget I ever wrote this” next to this one.

Final thoughts

I think I started the year with an “I CAN EVERYTHING” approach. I can’t do everything, no one can. I definitely stretched myself too thin. I still have so many plans, so many things I want to do- I could write a whole blog about why I never let myself stop, but it’s a story for another day- but I need to put more focus on a smaller number of projects.

And that’s what I’ll be doing for the rest of the year. I’m going to write down some additional targets for me to keep referring back to when things are getting on top of me.

Focus on selling more books and growing the brand
Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good

Buy my books

Thanks for reading my plans for 2023… well the updated plans for 2023.

I’ll see you in another not-so-romantic blog really soon, and at the end of the year for another update to see how the rest of the year plays out!