At the beginning of this year, I set a publishing schedule for myself. I based it on my normal (comfortable) writing speed and the desire to start building a backlist in two genres. So far, I’m a little behind, but overall I’m very close to where I wanted to be by this time, all things considered. We’re just heading into the busy fall season, so this will be the big test for whether I can keep the same pace in the fall as I do the rest of the year or not. Experimentation is good.

Why did I set a schedule at all? Why not just write, and see what happens?

Because in order to *reach* a goal, I have to *have* a goal.

My larger goal is to make an increasing amount of income from my writing. The more books I put out, the more I make (simple, eh?). So the logic behind the publishing schedule is to publish as much as possible this year while writing at a comfortable, steady rate (ie, not rushing just to meet arbitrary deadlines, but not dragging my heels just because I’m lazy either). By making a schedule and basing it on a comfortable speed (in my case, 500-800 words per day, 6 days per week), I set myself up for a decent chance at success. I also sort of self-limited myself by keeping my schedule full enough to not leave much room for “extras” (work expands to fill the space available, I’ve found).  

If I didn’t have a schedule, I’d feel like I was just floating aimlessly rather than executing a well-thought-out plan. I’m not good at floating aimlessly even on a non-work day. I tend to get bored and anxious and insecure. With the schedule, there’s a purpose to fulfill, deadlines to meet, and a sense of accomplishment every time I hit a goal.

It’s also something I can share with my cover artist and editor, so they have an idea of when I’ll need their services. Always a good idea, in case they get super busy.

As an added bonus, my readers know roughly when things are supposed to be out, so waiting is less of a chore. And because I know pretty much when something will be released, I can do a decent job of early marketing if I’m so inclined.   

There’s also the fact that it just looks and feels more professional (which helps me keep things in that perspective). Writing is a business. A publishing or release schedule is a normal part of that.

Do you have a publishing schedule? Or if you’re querying, do you have a query schedule? How are you doing at meeting your milestones this year?