Pointers to publishing | Sign off the year on a high

In my previous article on December 4, I gave you a marketing plan with activities to implement over a 20-day period. As you read this article, you should be in the last round, with the finishing line in sight. The awesome taste of completion in your mouth and the possibility of closing the year with a smile on your face have you on a high; you can't even breathe! Exciting isn't it?

Don't only see this time as closing the year off, but also see it as a new beginning. You have started something that works, simple as it may be. Now all you have to do is replicate, up the ante, and challenge yourself in the coming year, where your writing and marketing are concerned.

The key is to keep the momentum and to not give up!

Marketing can be daunting, especially when you are not seeing the results fast enough. There are no guarantees, but with consistent action, focus, and determination, once you keep your eyes on the finishing line - which is your objective, your goals, and vision - you will make it.

The following are some tips to keep you focused for the coming year. Let's get a head start, shall we?

- Keep a journal - It is very important to keep a journal of all your thoughts and ideas. Don't ever feel your ideas or thoughts are stupid. Think out of the box. Ask yourself 'what if' questions, and see your thoughts becoming a reality and taking form. Draw your ideas if necessary. Use images - whatever it takes - and at the end of each day, choose one idea that you believe that you really connected to, that gives you a challenge, drive, and passion, and put it into action. Just one more thing. Be careful who your share your thoughts and ideas with or else you will find yourself shelving ideas that could have become success stories for you.

- Start networking - Determine which groups would be best to serve your objectives as well as to allow you some 'me' time. Don't take it all as business. Use the time to breathe, relax, and at the same time, make some good friends on a real level and not one with a motive. People can sniff that out from a distance!

EMBRACE SOCIAL MEDIA

- Start building your social media presence - Don't wait till you're ready to start your new project, whether it be a new book or otherwise, to start engaging and increasing your visibility. Start a blog, a Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter, and any other of your choice. If it's too overwhelming, start with one and then add another, or choose two or three and stick with them consistently.

- Increase your skills - If you want to save on investing or outsourcing certain jobs or services, then you will have to do it yourself. That means adding new skills to your databank. Start learning how to do the simple things like creating a website and maintaining it; doing YouTube videos and monetising it, SEO, and managing and tracking your analytics. This can be overwhelming, but take it one at a time and consider it fun while learning. Many of us waste a lot of time with activities that take us nowhere closer to our goals. It's time to get focused and delete those activities that distract and derail us from success.

The next article will be in the New Year. So I will close by wishing all of you a safe, holy, and blessed Christmas. I look forward to continuing to serve you with my articles and advice and anticipate a more prosperous, focused, and successful 2017!

- Corine La Font is a speaker, author, coach and self-publishing consultant. She is also an award-winning publishing Resource in the 2013 Small Business Book Awards. Get a copy of her book at http://amzn.to/TFHQka, Subscribe to her Magazine at http://bit.ly/1IDj7pQ tune in to her radio programs at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/helpdeskja and http://www.blogtalkradio.com/youtripping Check out her website at http://www.helpdeskja.com She can be reached at corinelaf@gmail.com.