Updated December 2023

A lot of people dream of writing a book. I used to be one of those people. Then, one day, I mapped out an action plan that included SMART goals. I went from an aspiring writer to a published author in six months.

Since then, I have written two more books.

Many people ask me how I do it, so below, I detail how I improved my productivity and mastered writing my books with SMART goals.

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Start with a clear objective. 

An objective should serve as a guide for writing your book. My decision to write my first book came following my third job layoff. If you have been laid off, you know it can be challenging. Since this was my third layoff in my 25-year career, I decided to take a positive approach that relied on my faith. While writing in my journal about the experience, I decided to write a book. Here’s an example of my writing objective: Time to Refresh.

I want to write and publish a book encouraging and inspiring women to move forward after being laid off, fired, or pushed to the sideline.

I used the same approach in writing my third book.  I used a similar objective but tailored it to the book’s theme:  battling cancer.

What is your objective for writing a book? Finding your why is important because it will help you keep writing even when you want to give up. The objective for writing your book should be one sentence that includes your ideas and values. Post your objective where you can see it daily during the writing process.

Make SMART goals to support your objective. 

The goals for writing your book are the steps you take to accomplish your objective. SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Here’s an example of my SMART goal for writing my book.

Specific – I will write one book in 2018 (2020 and 2023).

Measurable – I will spend at least two hours per day working on the book.

Achievable – I can achieve this if I cut back on my television time.

Relevant – I must write my book to inspire others and build my writing business.

Timely – I will finish writing my book in six months.

Can SMART goals make a difference?  

Research suggests that you are more likely to succeed if you write down your goals. Whether you want to start a blog or publish your first book, I firmly believe writers need objectives and goals.

Because I had my objective and SMART goals for writing my books, I was able to accomplish the following milestones:

• produced the first draft of my first book in seven days;
• write a minimum of two hours per day and
• finish writing my first book in less than 90 days.

Today, I use the lessons I have learned to help others write their first book. You’re welcome to check out my 10-step guide on how to write a nonfiction book.

Don’t forget to add a money goal.  

If you plan to make money with your writing, creating money goals for each product or service you plan to sell is a good idea. Here’s an example of the money goal for my first book.

Money goal:  Make at least a 5 to 10 percent profit above the cost of writing and publishing the book.

While your money goal is essential, it should not overtake your other goals. Don’t forget what you love about writing or why you started your writing business. Instead, use your money goal as a motivator to help you reach your objective.

Pulling it all together into a plan.  

Once you have your objective, SMART goals, and money goals, pull everything together into an action plan. Creating an action plan that fits your business and personality is essential. Tools like Trello and Asana are great for organizing writing projects. My plan included a checklist and dates to keep me on track. If you are more of a visual person,  consider making a visible action plan that features pictures, dates, and stickers with motivational messages.

Why do writers need an action plan?  

Every writer who dreams of being published needs SMART goals, especially writers trying to finish their first book. We have lives outside our writing. We have jobs, families, and many other things to do daily.

When you find time to write, you need to be able to focus on the right thing. It’s easy to lose track of time on Facebook and Instagram while researching your book. Before you know it, hours have passed by, leaving you with very little accomplished. Don’t let your precious time get taken up by social media. Do what you must do on Facebook, and then close that tab!

I finally finished my book and started my writing business only because I created a plan and mapped out my goals.

A plan with goals will ensure you focus on the right things – not everything.