5 Noteworthy Goal-types for Writers to Have A Successful Career

Writers tend to experience a wild ride of creativity, passion and let’s be real, some obstacles along the way of their journey. Whether you’re just starting out or have been writing for years, setting goals can be a total game changer. Goals keep you focused, motivated and moving forward even when things get tough.

We all know writing isn’t just about stringing words together. It’s about creating something meaningful whether you’re telling a fictional story, uncovering truths through nonfiction, capturing the essence of a brand in copy, or connecting with your audience through a blog or article. The path to becoming a successful writer is rarely linear – it’s full of ups and downs, bursts of inspiration and yes, those dreaded moments of writer’s block.

But what separates those who dream of writing from those who turn their writing into a career is often the ability to set clear, achievable, and action-oriented goals. Taking initiative and maintaining motivation through these goals fosters self-identity, builds momentum, enhances confidence, and ultimately leads to greater opportunities for success and breakthroughs in life.

In this post we’re going to explore the different types of goals that will help you succeed as a writer no matter what kind of writer you are. Whether you’re looking for short term wins like hitting a daily word count or big picture goals like publishing your own book or growing a large blog following, setting goals is the key to making it happen. We’ll break it down into bite sized steps, covering everything from the small wins that keep you motivated day to day to the big plans that keep you moving forward over time.

So grab a notebook, get comfy in your favorite writing spot and let’s get started on how setting the right goals can make your writing dreams a reality. Whether you’re creating fictional worlds, dissecting real life events, writing ad copy or building your online presence, the right goals will keep you on track and successful. Let’s go!

Goals for Writers

Goals are the foundation of a successful writing career whether you’re creating fictional worlds or exploring real life through nonfiction. For writers of all genres goals are a roadmap, guiding them from the initial spark of an idea to the completion and publication of a finished work. By setting clear, achievable goals writers can navigate the often unpredictable and tough journey of writing with more confidence and direction. These goals keep writers on track, providing structure and motivation as they move through the various stages of their work from first drafts to final edits and beyond.

Understanding the different types of goals and what they’re for is essential for any writer who wants to achieve long term success. It allows them to break down big, often scary projects into smaller, manageable steps and make steady progress towards their ultimate goals. By learning to create goals that align with their personal desires and aspirations, writers can establish meaningful milestones and make the journey towards these goals more manageable and fulfilling.

Writers can benefit from setting multiple goals that cover different aspects of their writing journey. We can tailor these goals to their individual aspirations and categorize them into several areas. Each type of goal serves a purpose, helping writers focus on different aspects of their craft and career, and connecting tasks to their day-to-day work for effective planning and goal achievement.

1. Writing Goals: Writing goals are essential for keeping momentum going and for writers to keep producing new work. It helps writers establish a routine, making writing a regular part of their life rather than an occasional activity. For nonfiction writers this might also include research goals or outlining chapters.

2. Publishing and Submission Goals: These goals focus on getting a writer’s work into the hands of readers. Publishing goals push writers to take their work beyond the desk and out into the world whether through traditional publishing routes, literary magazines, contests or self-publishing platforms.

3. Personal Development Goals: These goals are about improving one’s skills and expanding one’s horizons as a writer. Personal development goals are essential for continuous growth as a writer. These goals not only improve a writer’s craft but also their overall growth as a creative person, broadening their perspectives and fueling their imagination.

4. Emotional and Mental Wellbeing Goals: Maintaining emotional and mental wellbeing is key to a long term writing career. Writing can be a solitary and emotionally tough activity so it’s important for writers to set goals that support their mental health. These goals help writers build resilience, prevent burnout and stay positive throughout their writing journey.

5. Long Term Career Goals: Individuals focus their long-term career goals on achieving lasting success and recognition in the writing world. These goals often take years of dedication, strategic planning and consistent effort.

Writing Goals for Success

Your short-term writing goals are the foundation of long-term success. A short-term goal is a specific objective intended to be accomplished within a brief timeframe, such as a day, a week, or a month. These goals are important because they provide immediate milestones towards bigger, more ambitious objectives.

Examples of short-term writing goals include:

• Daily word count targets: Setting a goal to write a certain number of words a day helps maintain writing habits. Whether it’s 500 or 2,000 words, having a daily target keeps writers on track and ensures progress.

• Completing scenes or chapters: Aiming to finish a scene or chapter by the end of the week helps keep the narrative flowing and ensures the story or argument moves forward.

• Editing a manuscript: Setting a goal to revise and polish parts of a manuscript incrementally ensures continuous improvement. Breaking down the editing process into smaller, manageable tasks makes it less daunting and more achievable.

By achieving these short-term goals, writers get momentum and a routine that makes tackling bigger projects feel doable. This progress not only builds confidence but keeps the creative juices flowing, making it easier to tackle the bigger milestones in the writing process.

Working on your Craft

Craft goals focus on the quality and depth of a writer’s work, fiction or nonfiction. Understanding how knowledge workers contribute to larger organizational objectives is crucial for aligning their tasks with company goals. These goals are important for developing skills, refining techniques and ultimately producing good writing. Craft goals are about the writing itself, making sure each story, book or piece of work is as good as it can be.

Examples of craft goals include:

• Trying out different genres or styles: Writing in different genres or styles expands a writer’s skill set and adds to their portfolio. For nonfiction writers this might mean trying out different formats, such as essays, investigative journalism or memoirs, while fiction writers might try out different narrative techniques.

• Completing a first draft: Finishing the first draft of a novel, short story or nonfiction book is a big milestone in the writing process. This goal marks the transition from idea to actual work, providing a foundation to build upon and revise.

• Revising and editing: Setting goals for each stage of revision ensures the work is systematically improved. For nonfiction writers this might mean fact checking and clarity and coherence, while fiction writers might focus on deepening character development and tightening the plot.

These craft goals help writers stay focused on the writing itself, resulting in better writing. By continually working on their craft writers can lift their work and make it more interesting and relevant to readers.

Publishing and Submission Goals

For many writers the ultimate goal is to get their work out to a wider audience. Enrolling in an online course can be a valuable step for professional development, helping writers set short-term goals to enhance their skills. Publishing and submission goals are key to this. These goals involve the practical act of submitting work for publication, whether through traditional routes like literary agents and publishers or self-publishing platforms.

Examples of publishing and submission goals include:

• Submitting to literary magazines or contests: Regular submissions get you out there and provide valuable feedback from editors and judges. This is essential for understanding the market and refining your work for publication.

• Querying agents or publishers: Setting a target number of queries to send each month keeps writers proactive in seeking publication. Querying is a numbers game and persistence is key; setting specific goals ensures writers keep moving forward even in the face of rejection.

• Self-publishing milestones: For those who self-publish, breaking down the process into manageable chunks—such as cover design, formatting and marketing—means steady progress towards publication. Each step requires planning and execution and setting clear goals helps you navigate the self-publishing process successfully.

Writers can feel more in control of the often daunting world of publishing. Whether traditional or self-publishing, having clear submission and publication goals means a writer’s work gets to the intended audience and fulfils the purpose of storytelling or sharing information.

Personal Development Goals for Writers

Personal development goals are for writers who want to grow as writers and as people within the writing community. These goals are about expanding your knowledge, creativity and network. To maintain social connections, set a short-term goal to contact at least one person each week, leveraging technology like Zoom and texting. Personal development is more than just writing—it’s about becoming a more rounded, informed and engaged member of the literary world.

Examples of personal development goals include:

• Reading widely and regularly: Setting goals to read across different genres and styles helps improve your writing and stimulates creativity. Reading widely exposes you to new ideas, techniques and perspectives all of which can inspire and inform your own work. For nonfiction writers this also means staying current with research and developments in your area of interest.

• Attending writing workshops or conferences: At least one or two events a year provides opportunities to learn and network. Workshops and conferences offer feedback, professional development and connections with other writers, editors and industry professionals.

• Joining or forming a writing group: Regular participation in a writing group gets you constructive feedback and support from peers, continuous improvement. Writing groups provide a sense of community, accountability and the opportunity to share and critique work in a safe space.

These personal development goals help you become a well-rounded writer and a strong networked writer, both of which are key to long term success. By investing in yourself you can evolve, adapt to new challenges and stay inspired throughout your career.

Emotional and Mental Well-being Goals

Writing is a personal and often lonely business which can take a toll on a writer’s emotional and mental well-being. Setting goals that balance writing with the rest of life is key to a long-term writing career. Just like with new year’s resolutions, it is important to emphasize realistic planning and personal desire in the goal-setting process. Emotional and mental well-being goals are about building resilience, managing stress and making writing a fun and enjoyable activity.

Examples of well-being goals include:

• Managing rejection and criticism: Developing strategies to cope with rejection and criticism helps you stay positive and keep going. Rejection is part of the writing process and learning to see it as an opportunity for growth not a setback is key to motivation and resilience.

• Balancing writing with life: Setting realistic goals for how much time to spend writing each week prevents burnout and ensures a work-life balance. Writing should be a fun part of life not an all-consuming burden and finding the right balance is key to creativity and enjoyment. For nonfiction writers balancing research and writing with personal life is especially important in avoiding burnout.

• Celebrating milestones: Acknowledging and celebrating achievements, no matter how small, is important to stay motivated and see progress. Celebrating milestones—whether it’s finishing a draft, getting positive feedback or hitting a word count—helps you stay motivated and enjoy the journey as much as the destination. Taking time to celebrate these successes reinforces the good bits of writing and keeps the process fun.

These goals keep you mentally and emotionally healthy which is key to long term success and creativity. By prioritizing well-being, you can stay resilient, motivated and produce your best work over the course of your career.

Long Term Career Goals

Long term career goals are about achieving sustained success and recognition in the writing world. Setting short-term goals for personal and professional life is crucial for personal and professional development. These goals take years of dedication, strategy and consistency. Long term goals give you direction and purpose and help you see the bigger picture of your career and work towards your dreams.

Examples of long-term career goals include:

• Building an author platform: Having a presence through social media, blogging or newsletters is key to connecting with readers and industry professionals. An author platform builds a loyal audience, increases visibility and opens up opportunities for book sales, speaking gigs and other career advancement.

• Recognition or awards: Setting goals to win awards or industry recognition can motivate writers to produce high quality work and build a strong portfolio. Awards and recognition validate a writer’s work and increase their credibility and marketability in the literary world.

• Publishing multiple works: Setting long term goals for the number of works to publish ensures continued productivity and growth as a writer. Whether it’s writing a series of novels, branching out into different genres or consistently producing short stories or articles, publishing multiple works keeps you in the literary market for the long term.

These long-term goals are to help you build a long-term successful writing career. By setting big but achievable goals you can work towards becoming a published author with a body of work and a name in the literary world. Long term goals give you the motivation to keep writing even when things get tough and help you stay focused on your ultimate career goals.

Finding Success

Success in writing is more than just setting goals it’s also about accountability, tracking progress and being flexible. Using SMART goals, which are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound, can ensure clarity in goal achievement and help prioritize long-term aspirations effectively. Success in writing is creative achievement, personal growth and professional recognition and requires a strategy to goal setting and time management.

Key to writing success:

• Accountability: Having an accountability partner like a writing group, mentor or fellow writer can keep you focused and disciplined. Regular check-ins with your accountability partner ensures you meet your goals and provides the support and encouragement to overcome obstacles.

• Tracking progress and staying motivated: Using tools like writing logs, setting weekly goals or creating a writing schedule helps you track your progress. Reading, attending conferences or joining a writing community can also give you the motivation to keep pursuing your goals. Tracking progress helps you see how far you’ve come and stay on track.

• Staying focused and flexible: Setting measurable goals and a writing schedule is key to staying focused. But you also need to be flexible, open to feedback, willing to try new things and eager to learn. Flexibility allows you to adjust your approach as needed so you can overcome obstacles and keep moving towards your long-term goals.

Conclusion

So, there you have it, goal setting for writers. Having goals is not nice to have, it’s essential if you want to build a successful and fulfilling career. Whether you’re crafting fictional worlds or diving into nonfiction topics, setting and achieving goals is what will keep you moving forward even when the writing gets tough.

Goals are your roadmap, helping you navigate the unpredictable and often challenging journey of writing. They break down what seems like an impossible task into smaller steps, giving you the structure and motivation to make progress. By understanding the different types of goals – from short term writing targets to long term career goals – you can tailor your approach to your own journey and each milestone you reach gets you closer to your ultimate vision of success.

Writing is a marathon not a sprint. It’s a journey that unfolds over time, with each draft, each published piece and each new idea adding to your writerly growth. By setting clear and achievable goals, and balancing them with your personal goals, you’re not only making that journey more productive but more enjoyable. So, take a minute to think about what you want to achieve in your writing career, set those goals and start taking those first steps. Your future self will thank you. Happy writing!