The first step to creating sound goals involves figuring out what you want. As simple as that action seems, many of us have no idea where to start! With regard to online writing in particular, we see a lot of Hubbers struggle in the beginning because they don’t know what they should be striving for.
To make life easier for those who might be experiencing goal-setter’s block, I have five fun ideas for online writing goals that you might consider setting for 2013.
Become a niche expert in 2013
One of the most efficient means by which you can develop a strong online presence is by becoming a big fish in a little pond. To do this, simply develop a niche! The more specific your niche, the easier it will be for you to become the go-to expert on that subject.
When establishing goals about developing a niche, it is helpful to create specific objectives, such as publishing a given number of Hubs on that subject, having your work rank high in key search queries on that subject, mentioning your expertise in all of your public online profiles across platforms, etc.
Publish your first book in 2013
Many Hubbers come to HubPages with vague dreams of someday publishing a book. Now is the time to stop dreaming and start planning! Consider this to be your wake-up call, and let 2013 be the year in which you finally make your dream a reality.
By setting specific, attainable goals such as “Sit in front of a word document for at least five minutes every day after returning from work” and “Create an outline of characters and the basic plot by February 15th”, you can avoid feeling intimidated and overwhelmed. By sharing vignettes and chapters on HubPages as you’re working on them, you can also get immediate feedback on your work from our community!
Publish X Hubs in 2013
Much of one’s success on HubPages is contingent on one’s ability to publish a significant volume of Hubs, so simply by being prolific, you can make great progress this coming year.
We recommend focusing on quality over quantity and avoiding burnout, so sticking to objectives of publishing eight stellar Hubs a month would be a reasonable (but very effective) approach (one we have seen to be quite effective through the Apprenticeship Program).
Become an active netizen in 2013
Those who are truly successful on HubPages tend to be successful all over the place online; they are simply good online citizens. Why not therefore make it a goal to become a literate netizen in 2013?
Simple sub-goals can include familiarizing yourself with major social networks, becoming an active participant on your favorites, and getting up to date with important internet issues regarding online privacy, business, politics, and copyright.
Build a robust online portfolio in 2013
While some Hubbers focus on simply publishing a certain number of Hubs in a given amount of time, those who have specific professional ambitions tend to focus more on creating a portfolio.
Small objectives that can move one closer to achieving this goal include establishing concrete professional goals, figuring out what sorts of online accomplishments would help you get there, and making a point of achieving those things over a series of twelve months.
For example, if you wished to someday open your own wedding planning business, you might aim to develop an online presence with a HubPages account showcasing lots of great wedding planning guides, a Pinterest profile curating beautiful wedding inspiration boards, a Flickr account presenting photos from weddings you helped to organize, and a Twitter account that you use to offer tips to those who are in the midst of planning their nuptials.
Do you have any other great ideas for HubPages-related goals? Share them in the comments!
HubPages Blog 
Write a book? Develop a plot and characters? Why would anyone do this here as many have reported their CW efforts have been idled at one time or another? I can personally attest to my fiction being idled, so what’s in it for those of us not keen on writing the normal boring reviews, recipes, and how-tos all of the time?
Would it be better to merely place CW somewhere else since the idle/featured program makes it clear this type of writing is undesirable? Or is there a possibility CW may be appreciated in the future? Inspiring minds want to know! LOL!
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thanks for the blog.. I do wish that I can get an outline creaed for the first book. I could put all of my individual writings together now and have enough for a collection of my works. but I think the higher end is to brave the challenge and climb the mountain one step at a time, to make a plot, a theme, and as you speak characters, and then grow it from there.. thanks!
Great read! Thank you!