Looking Ahead: 2017 Changes and Plans

Today you’re probably reading this at my new home – www.WriteNowEdits.com. That’s the biggest, most obvious change for 2017, but there’s a lot coming up. Here’s what’s in store for me in the New Year, and how it will impact you:

• New website. I told a bit of my story last week (Let Me Be Your Cautionary Tale). The result is my new website. My SEO will take a hit, but it’s worth it to be the master of my domain, and hopefully my experience will help someone else make better decisions than I did.
• New interviews. I’ve been interviewing editors once a month, but this blog isn’t for just editors – it’s for business owners who need help and tips regarding freelance work and their business content. With that in mind, starting in January 2017 I’ll be interviewing small business owners and freelance workers who want to share their tips and tricks with you.
• New guest posts. See #2 – more than just writing tips, I hope to have more business and leadership tips to help encourage you through the year.

Those are the changes. Here are some of my already-schedule plans for 2017:

• PEN Institute. In 2017 I will take over as the fiction-editing instructor for the Christian Proofreaders and Editors Network (PEN). I’ll be teaching Fiction Editing 101 and 201 next year, adding 301 in
• NMC Extended Education. Earlier this year I taught Content Writing for Business as part of the local college’s extended education program. This spring I’m repeating the class (Mar. 7) and adding a new class – Writing and Publishing a Novel that Sells (Mar. 14 & 21)
• PENCON 2017. I’ll be in Atlanta in May teaching editors what they need to know to edit fiction and how to help their authors create authentic characters.

And the things I’d like to do next year:

• Create two more digital products. In 2016 I launched the Press Release and Better Bios tool kits. In 2017 I hope to add two more products to my store.
• Book more speaking gigs. I’ve discovered that I love teaching people to write and edit as much as I love writing and editing. I’ll be looking for more opportunities to speak and teach.

I have other writing goals for the year, but most of those are fiction-related, so they aren’t completely relevant (but you can read about them here if you’d like). This list should keep me plenty busy though!

What are your plans for 2017? Have you set any goals for yourself?