Self-Publishing a Children’s Book - 4 Realities

I self-published a children’s picture book back in 2008 when self-publishing wasn’t like it is today. And, as a newbie to self-publishing, I made a couple of mistakes. The first of which was that I didn’t hire an illustrator – I did the illustrations and cover for the book myself. 

I can hear all the gasps. It's okay though, I did correct this super-major error about four years later. 

But I didn’t self-publish to become rich or famous as some new authors aspire to. My book was created from a lullaby I wrote when my first child wouldn’t sleep. I’d walk the hallway every night with my daughter in my arms and sing the lullaby … and pray for her to go to sleep. 

 It became a family lullaby and my children thought it’d be a great idea to make it into a bedtime story. At the time, I thought self-publishing was the way to go. 

Back then, I used Booksurge which became CreateSpace which is now Amazon, and I was very pleased with the support and results. 

Then a few years ago, I self-published a nonfiction book on writing for children: Fiction Writing for Children. Although I knew a lot more than I did when I self-published my first book, but I still made a few of mistakes: 

1. I hired someone from Fiverr.com to format and upload my book to Kindle and Createspace. And, I hit the ‘publish’ button without previewing the book first. The margins were off. 

 2. I wasn't crazy about the title I created, but used it anyway. 

 3. I wasn't crazy about the book cover, but used it anyway. I used someone on Fiverr for that also. 

 4. I didn’t give it to Beta readers or an editor before publishing. 

But, again, my purpose for the book wasn’t to make money. It was to provide answers to questions I keep getting about writing for children. It ended up being over 170 pages of all information – no illustrations – no fluff. 

This year, I took the time to revise, update, and add more content to the original book and titled it How to Write a Fiction Children's Book. I also made sure to avoid the same mistakes.

So, let’s go back to the title question: Is self-publishing a young children’s book the way to go? 

 Well, based on an information-packed article at Jane Friedman’s site, you should think twice and even three times before deciding to jump in. 

Why Self-Publishing a Children’s Book May Not Be Right For You

 It seems everyone is self-publishing today. And, there’s nothing wrong with that if your expectations are in check. 

Here are a 4 reality-check reasons you may want to stop and think before self-publishing: 

1. The stigma. 

While it’s better than before, there is still some stigma attached to self-published books. The reason for this is there are NO gatekeepers for self-publishing. If you have an idea, write it down, get a book cover, and get it formatted for publishing, you have a book.

- Don’t know how to write? Doesn’t matter.
- Didn’t bother with editing or proofing? Doesn’t matter.
- Didn’t bother with a professional cover? Doesn’t matter.
- Didn’t bother to hire a good illustrator? Doesn't matter.

Self-publishing does open the arena to everyone and makes the playing field more even, but it also allows for a lot of less than professional and less than quality books. This is why there’s still a stigma attached to self-published books.

2. You’ve got to do it right.

As mentioned in #1, anyone can self-publish a book.

But YOU don’t want to be anyone; you want to do it right and that takes work especially if you’re publishing a book for young children.

- Do you know that the story must be told from one point-of-view?    
- Do you know that there should be only one protagonist?
- Do you know the proper format and punctuation for dialogue?
- Do you know about present tense and past tense?
- Do you know about showing vs. telling?
- More and more and more.

If you don’t want to learn how to write for children, then you definitely shouldn’t be self-publishing a children’s book. Or, you should hire a children’s ghostwriter to do it for you.

In the article at Jane Friedman's site, Brent Hartinger noted that “the Gold Rush is definitely over. There is now an absolute deluge of content, and the market has become extremely competitive. Your idea needs to be really, really marketable, or your book needs to be really, really good, and preferably both.” 

3. It can be very expensive.

Illustrations - If you’re self-publishing a children’s picture book (or even a chapter book with illustrations), you’ll need to hire an illustrator. If you want a good one, s/he won’t come cheap.

One of my clients hired someone for over $12,000 USD a book. This included is the interior illustrations, design, text layout, front cover, and back cover. And, this client did a six-book series.

Another client hired a subsidiary self-publishing company of a major publishing house. He paid $10,000 for illustrations and to have it designed and formatted for published. AND, at least half the illustrations stunk! He had the service do them over and over.

Granted most authors can’t afford these kind of fees, but if you want someone who WON’T make your book look like a total amateur job, then you’re looking at spending around $100 to $200 per interior illustration.

And, you’ll need around 12-14 interior illustrations. The front cover is usually more money unless you use one of the interior illustrations for the cover. And, then there’s the backcover design.

Publishing service – Once you have your story complete, with illustrations and text layout, you’ll need a service to format it and upload it to distributors like BookBaby, 1106 Designs, Smashwords, etc. This is an additional fee.

Some of these companies can be worth their cost, but be super-careful. Most of them will try to sell you everything and anything: editing, rewriting, illustrations, design, layout, formatting, distribution, and marketing.

Keep in mind they make their money from you and only you.

4. You’re one author in an ocean teeming with authors.

The market is swamped. If you’re looking to reach lots of people, become famous, or make a boat load of money, don’t hold your breath.

Most self-published children’s authors don’t recoup their publishing investment.

While there are exceptions to the rule, they are far and few between.

5. You’re not willing to actively market your book.

Okay, even if you know how to write and have the money to hire a pretty good illustrator, if you don’t actively market your book, you most probably won’t sell any.

Before you even get to the publishing decision, create a marketing plan and include an author website in those plans.

With thousands and thousands of books vying for a reader’s attention, you’ll need all the help you can get.

One note here: Most self-publishing services offer marketing as part of a package deal or separately. Don’t waste your money. These companies don’t bother with effective, ongoing marketing.

I’ve seen the results of marketing from these services numerous times. Again, don’t waste your money.

Ask around. Do research. Ask exactly what you'll get for your money. Make sure you're working with a professional company. 

The original title to this article was: Is Self-Publishing a Children’s Book the Way to Go? 4 Realities

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author and children’s ghostwriter as well as the founder and editor-in-chief of Writers on the Move. She is also an author/writer online platform instructor with WOW! Women on Writing.

You can connect with Karen at:
LinkedIn  http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice
Twitter http://twitter.com/KarenCV
Pinterest  http://pinterest.com/KarenCioffi/

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Indie Authors : Sell your Books Face-to-Face

RJ Mirabal's New Children's Adventure Series

Last year, pre-pandemic, I was gearing up to arrange a book signing, school visits, and gather materials to sell my books in a booth at local events. At the same time, I was working on creating a viable platform that would introduce the world to MOI.

All that changed, of course, but we indie authors are forever optimists. I’m glad I had to wait. Now, another year smarter, I’ve come up with a much better plan than I ever could have had a year ago, one that I think will be attractive enough to interest local librarians, teachers and parents, and online readers.

Find your Platform: Explore your Deepest Desire

If you need to create a plan and a platform on how to present yourself as a tour-de-force author, here is an idea. Explore what you’ve done in the past, what you’re doing now, or a skill you’d like to develop; use it as your focus and expand on it.

My focus has turned out to be puppets—a project I pursued when my two daughters were very young, under five years old. My idea at the time stemmed from my elementary-teaching background. I wanted to enhance my children’s creativity. That, and being involved in my children’s lives, worked. My daughters, now in their 30s, are both very creative.

The reason this idea of focusing on puppets hadn’t occurred to me until now is because my first book project was a mystery/ghost series for 7-10-year-olds. Puppets never occurred to me as perhaps in the back of my mind I must have thought that children that age wouldn't be interested in puppets. Rather, I devised a way to present myself in the classroom and at libraries by doing a science experiment, which would illuminate part of the Secret in the Stars story. The ghost in the story appears to Abi Wunder in a cloud. I would create a cloud. I thought of other types of presentations I could come up with, such as a presentation about honey bees, which is a prominent subject in the story. However, I didn’t have much confidence that these ideas would be attractive enough for me to be invited into schools and libraries.

Enter the realization that the one project, the Abi Wunder mystery trilogy, needed more. More book projects. I looked through my files one day and found several stories suitable for possible picture books. Two of these stories have now turned into completed picture books, currently being illustrated, and planned to be published sometime this year.

Expanding into picture books turned out to be key. I have collected the puppet plays and materials I saved from those past puppet presentations, and am creating a plan to write puppet plays from my picture book stories, create the puppets and materials (without a stage, rather the plan is to keep the presentations simple), and make a short list of the first places I would present these puppet plays, with the hope that requests for more presentations would follow. Of course, the Abi Wunder series would become an integral part of these presentations, both in person and online.

Selling Books Face-to-Face, by RJ Mirabal

RJ Mirabal, an adult and children’s author, and member of our SCBWI chapter in New Mexico, gave a terrific presentation on the ins-and-outs of selling our books locally.

After publishing an adult fantasy trilogy, the Rio Grande Parallax Series, a finalist in the NM/AZ Book Awards, in the science fiction category, RJ burst onto the children’s literature scene with the award-winning first book in a series for children, Trixie Finds her People, a story based on his rescue dog. One of five finalists in The Next Generation Indie Book Awards, an international contest honoring independent and self-published books, Trixie Finds her People won first place in the Animal/Pets category; and the book was also a finalist in the New Mexico Press Women’s Writing awards, a regional contest. The next Trixie book will be coming out sometime this year.

RJ’s new children’s series, Dragon Train, is about a dragon who makes an unscheduled stop in a small village because this dragon towing a train is dying of exhaustion. A curious young farmer runs down to the tracks to help her, which sets the young man and dragon on an epic adventure to gain freedom and happiness. Learn more about Dragon Train and RJ’s other books: 

https://rjthestoryguy.com; adult books: https://rjmirabal.wordpress.com; and to order books: https://rjm-creative-arts.square.site/ 

 Open up for Business in your State 

To open for business in your state, there are certain things you need to do. Here are a few examples from RJ’s presentation:

• Register your business with the state; you will have to pay gross receipts tax for your sales.
• You may need to register in your town or city, which might require a business license. RJ registered in Albuquerque, NM. Cost: $35.
• Register your business as a sole proprietorship; you don’t need to register as an LLC.
• Report your income on personal tax forms.
• Create a name for your business. RJ's is RJM Creative Arts.
• Obtain a PO box, a good idea to use as your professional address.

Create your Display:

• Purchase a portable table and tablecloth to match the mood of your books.
• Decide how you want to display your books, author swag, a bowl of candy, etc.
• Have a full-color poster (11 X 17 is an economical size that can be printed at Staples) made to use as a table display.
• Have a banner made, a long sheet of plasticized paper, to match the banner on your website.
• Have pictures from yours books, characters, book covers made to display.

RJ has graciously agreed to provide a PDF from his presentation for anyone interested. You can contact him at rjmcreativearts@gmail.com. Learn more about RJ’s children’s books: https://rjthestoryguy.com; adult books: https://rjmirabal.wordpress.com; and to order books: https://rjm-creative-arts.square.site/. To see an insightful interview with John Hoffsis at Treasure House Books & Gifts in Old Town, Albuquerque, NM, go tohttps://www.facebook.com/100003819340/videos/1288478417989098. 

Linda's younger daughter in a
puppet show at two years old

Linda Wilson lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has two daughters, who inspired her stories when they were younger. Linda is the editor of the New Mexico Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators newsletter, and has written posts for the Writers on the Move blog since 2013. She is a classical pianist and loves to go to the gym. But what Linda loves most is to make up stories and connect with her readers. Find out more by visiting Linda’s website at https://www.lindawilsonauthor.com.

Writers - Make Your Blog a Powerful Marketing Tool

Unlike personal blogs that simply convey information about the writer's day, or thoughts about life or certain issues, a blog created to promote your writing and writing services can be a powerful marketing tool.

In that case, the blog doesn't need to be ALL ABOUT YOU.

In fact, the more you post about other writers, writing opportunities, and writing services, the better FOR YOU.

Why is that, you ask?

Well, for one thing, as a writer you want to attract other writers to your blog as well as people who are looking for a writer to write something for them.

Use your blog to show off your writing skills and talents, of course.

But also stop and think about this—How can you best SERVE the people who read your blog?

Many times, you can best serve your readers by directing them to information written by and/or about someone else.

Still your readers will consider you a valuable resource because you provide them with the kinds of information they need, even if you don't write, or directly provide, all of that information yourself.

And that will cause readers to come back to your blog time and time again because they know you'll always have helpful resources and information for them.

Another big plus for you is—since you don't have to write every single post for your blog yourself—you'll actually have more time to do other writing assignments.

The other big payback to you for giving information from, and about, other sites and writers will be that those other sites and writers you direct your readers to will be thankful that you sent traffic to their sites, so they'll likely send traffic to your site(s), too, from time to time.

It's a win-win-win situation.

You win, your readers win, and the other writers you direct your readers to win.

It's just one way to make your blog a powerful marketing tool.

Try it!

Oh, and with all this in mind, since I'm predominately a children's writer, I'd like to share some of my favorite sites for children's writers with you:

underdown.org

www.kidlit411.com

www.evelynchristensen.com

www.scbwi.org

www.nancyisanders.com

www.taralazar.com

www.karencioffiwritingforchildren.com

Enjoy!

For more writing tips, be sure to visit writebythesea.com and get your free subscription to The Morning Nudge.

Once you're a subscriber, you'll also have access to a Private Resource Library for Writers.

Suzanne Lieurance is the author of over 35 published books, a freelance writer, and a writing coach.

Why It's Called The Slush Pile

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

 

Every writer pitches their ideas to literary agents and publishers. I've listened to many of these pitches personally at writers conferences and I've received stacks of these submissions as an editor and agent.

In a matter of seconds, I can tell if something is going to be worth reading and considering. Yes, seconds. Millions of submissions are in circulation at different offices. The editors and agents are actively looking because it is their business to find fresh talent and publish authors.

 

I've received many unusual submissions. The number and variety of these submissions grew that I started a file in my desk and labeled it, Strange But True. Recently, another one landed in my mail box. Just to be clear, I've worked at Morgan James Publishing for eight years. Our primary mailing address is in New York City. This handwritten letter was addressed:

 

Manuscript Review Committee

Morgan James Publishing

9457 S. University Blvd, Suite 621

Highlands Ranch, CO 80129

 

It came to my personal address yet it was addressed to the “committee.” OK. I opened it and thankfully it has an SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope). The letter (typed) began, “Dear Sirs,” Why would you address a single editor to his personal mail box with the plural Dear Sirs?

 

First paragraph: “If you could hold in your hands, this moment, the most urgent, significant, consequential revelations of the century, a manuscript so meaningful as to rival the Holy Bible of old, a manuscript containing the most sacred and controversial heavenly truths ever bestowed on the eath (she meant earth); would you publish it?”

 

OK, this paragraph is engaging yet full of exaggeration. It is in many respects over the top.

 

Second paragraph: “This manuscript exists. _______ is about 900 pages of the most sacred words of the holy angels of God. This is a powerful, dynamic manuscript from a heavenly perspective, not a mortal imagination. These are deep, thought-provoking, intelligent, inspirational words which will invoke an indelible emotion in the reader. Some will tremble in the soul. Eyes will fill with tears as they recognize these are actual truths of angel's wisdom. This is not another “angel book.”

 

A typical nonfiction book (which this claims to be) is 40 to 80,000 words. The world of books and magazine looks for the word count--not the page count. Estimating 200 words a page, this manuscript is 180,000 words or over 700 pages of a typeset book. That fact alone is enough to get this instantly rejected. The author has no concept of the challenges of book production or the difficulties that such a large book will mean to any publisher--much less thinking about the contents. I'm speaking only of the word count. It is way beyond the normal range.

 

Whenever as a writer you submit your material to an editor or agent, you only have one chance to make a good first impression. I answered questions about book proposals in a free teleseminar. This teleseminar launched my Write A Book Proposal training program. In 12-weeks, I teach step-by-step how to craft a book proposal and sample chapter which will gather the right sort of interest.

 

Every writer needs to learn all they can to make the best possible impression on the agent or editor. They are searching for a champion who will move their idea through the publishing process and they will ultimately get their book published and into the marketplace. As for this “submission” to the Manuscript Review Committee, it will only land in my “Strange But True” Manila folder. My hope is my article gives you an explanation why unsolicited submissions are called The Slush Pile. Rarely do you find something golden in there but it is possible and hope springs eternal. 

 

Are you targeting your submissions to the right editor or literary agent or leaping into their slush pile? Let me know in the comments below.

 

Tweetable:

Wonder why the unsolicited submissions are called The Slush Pile? This prolific editor and author explains what type of submission might be in this pile. Get the details here. (ClickToTweet)

W. Terry Whalin is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. His work contact information is on the bottom of the second page (follow this link).  He has written for over 50 magazines and more than 60 books with traditional publishers. His latest book for writers is 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed. Get this book for only $10 + free shipping and over $200 in bonuses. One of Terry's most popular free ebooks is Straight Talk From the Editor, 18 Keys to a Rejection-Proof Submission. He lives in Colorado and has  190,000 twitter followers. 

Marketing Tips for Writers

 

 

 

Marketing Tips for Writers, by Deborah Lyn Stanley

Promotion is sharing what we find important with people who appreciate hearing about it. Marketing is about the reader; who are they and what are they are looking for? The answers help develop your target market and competition awareness.  

It’s all about getting readers to find your writing.

This path helps guide to best planning. Whatever stage you’re in, it’s always a good time to outline and review our Marketing Plan. Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, consider where readers would find books or articles like yours, and make sure they can find yours as well.

Ways to market & promote —
Make the task frequency doable, choose what works for you:
•    Create your web-presence, aka an author’s website—your platform
•    Blog actively & often
•    Collect the best keywords and category designations for search optimization—in bookstores, online searches, and for your web-presence
•    Social Media posting—choose the social media platform that works best for you.
       -LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter
       -Post often using images and videos
       -Always link back to your website post/page
•    Create a newsletter and use email blasts each month or at least quarterly
•    Start a Podcast: see link below for details to get started.
•    Publish an audiobook
•    Some suggest blogging daily is the best. I suggest listening to your readership and follow their patterns. I become annoyed receiving daily posts overloading my email and unsubscribed when it occurs. Also, daily blogging doesn’t work with my schedule.

Critical Details for Reader Searching & Finding your book or article:
•    Genre, choose the most applicable genre listing—listen to your readers and where they search
•    Price to fit the market
•    Metadata is also a vehicle for promoting your work. Metadata is information about your book, the title, sub-title, sales description, categories and author bio. Optimize its use.

Find the perfect promo fit. Make marketing work for you consistently.

Book List & Podcast Link:
*Successful Self-Publishing & How to Market a Book by Joanna Penn https://www.thecreativepenn.com/

*The Frugal Book Promoter by Carolyn Howard-Johnson https://howtodoitfrugally.com/ 

*Starting a Podcast: https://www.thepodcasthost.com/planning/how-to-start-a-podcast/
 

 Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts.
Visit her My Writer’s Life website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/   
Visit her caregiver’s website: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/
Available on Amazon --- Mom & Me: A Story of Dementia and the Power of God’s Love ||  www.amazon.com/Deborah-Lyn-Stanley/

Facebook: Deborah Lyn Stanley, Writer    https://www.facebook.com/deborahlynwriter/?modal=admin_todo_tour 

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Lexile Reading Levels for Self and Small Publishers of Children’s Books

 Lexile Reading Levels for Self-published and Small Publishers of Children’s Books

Did you know children’s books should be “leveled” for reading classes? Yes, most teachers and libraries check the Lexile level of books before purchasing. Why is that? A Lexile level is an approximate reading level for a student, which may vary from the grade level.  You have probably seen statements such as, “This book is recommended for children ages 6-8.” Publishers find age information is by having the Lexile level (https://lexile.com/) determined to include this information in their book listings for authors on sites such as Amazon. It is easily found where the page numbers, IBNs, and so on are found on book sales pages. Self-published and smaller publishing houses may also take advantage of reading levels assessed by the Lexile Framework for Reading. Authors may have to add Lexile levels to Amazon and other online book descriptions themselves.

Lexile.com is a rather extensive site and so here is an explanation of the different site sections. A parent page, educator page, education companies & publishers, and the departments of education page can be found using the menu. Also, books may be looked up in the find a book area. Lexile level grade-level charts, an analyzer, growth planner, Lexile career database, Wordlists, and a Measures manager are included. Listening levels are a new feature on the site. Spanish book levels are also available on the site.

Many States Have Memberships for Their Residents

Because reading levels are critical to student understanding and success, many states have already joined the site. I live in Minnesota, and my membership is free. A teacher friend of mine lives in New York and also has a free membership. The annual cost is only about $18 if an author lives in a state without a membership. Even with a free membership, though, the site offers an extensive amount of information.

The reasons authors should be aware of this site while writing includes the following:

1.     An author may copy then paste up to 1000 words in the analyzer to determine the Lexile level. Full sentences should be entered before clicking the analyze button. A Lexile level range will be given, although not certified and is only an estimate. The overview column will list the longest sentence and recommended books at the same level. The indicators column will include decoding, vocabulary, and patterns. The vocabulary column will select up to ten words from the text that can help inform instruction. See this page for more information. (https://hub.lexile.com/analyzer)

2.     Leveled word lists may be downloaded from the site and used to inform authors as they write.

3.     If an author creates curriculum or teacher resources for his or her book, the teacher assistant area provides state standards. I can look up Minnesota state standards. I have written two math storybooks and created student work pages for them, so I check the math standards information.

4.     Lexile Tools for Find a Book allow searching by author, keyword, ISBN, grade level (easy, just right, and challenging), or by measure (a number) or a Lexile Range.

5.     When looking for comp titles to submit a manuscript, this site is also beneficial for finding such titles.

6.     Book level labels may be downloaded for books placed on “my shelf” and printed, if interested.

The Most Important Reasons to Consider Using Lexile Measures

However, an important reason for an author or small publisher to use this site is to get their books leveled. I did so and received levels for about $35 a book. For another $10, a vocabulary list is provided. At the beginning of each book sales page description, I added the Lexile Level number so teachers will see that first. Many teachers and librarians will look for Lexile levels first thing.

The second important reason for authors or small publishers to seek Lexile Levels is because the books are searchable online and in school and library catalogs. A member may make a bookshelf on the site and add books. I  put the books I authored on my bookshelf, although they may be searched by individual title. Links may be shared in blog posts, social media, and press releases.

I hope you found this information useful!

Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm

Author and Owner of The Wise Owl Factory

Carolyn Wilhelm is the curriculum writer and sole owner of The Wise Owl Factory site and blog. She has a BS in Elementary Education, an MS in Gifted Education, and an MA in Curriculum and Instruction K-12. As a retired teacher of 28 years, she now makes mostly free educational resources for teachers and parents. Her course about Self-Publishing from the Very, Very Beginning is available on UDEMY. Her children’s books are available on Amazon and Barnes and Nobel sites.

#FebruaryReset: Ten Tips to Restart Your Year

The beginning of the year is always an exciting time. New Year + New Goals = New Years Resolutions. 

Yet, oddly, as ramped up as people are on January 1st, many abandon their goals by February 1st. When they make little or even no progress in the first month, they figure, "That's okay. I'll try again next year."

News flash: You don't need to wait until the New Year to reboot your goals. Every day, week, and month is the opportunity for a new start. 

  

Here are 10 things you can do for your #FebruaryReset:

1. Read your goals from January 1st. Refresh your memory of what you set out to achieve. 

2. Rewrite your goals for the year. What stopped you from getting started? Was there an impossible something on your list? Something you forgot to include? You can take items off that original list, and add new things. Just make sure you have a mix of easy wins and stretch goals to keep things interesting.  

3. Set personal goals. Most people concentrate only on professional goals. Whenever you achieve a personal goal, you are more productive and happy, which enhances your professional life. The opposite is also true. Personal and professional goals elevate each other, so pay attention to both. 

3. Post your goals in a place where you will see them every day. Out of sight is out of mind, so  ... keep your eye on what you are working toward. It helps!

4. Clean up your workspace. File papers, shred envelopes. Make your work environment as user friendly and inviting as possible. 

5. Clean out your closet. Or a room in your house ... or your garage. Clearing out actual clutter will help clear your mind.

6. Review your social media profiles. Make sure your picture is current and your experience, motto, and mission are up to date. 

7. Do a digital cleanse. Go through your inbox and unsubscribe from email lists you never get a chance to read. Also, take the opportunity to remove unused programs and archive old files.

8. Introduce healthy habits. Find an exercise you enjoy, and schedule time to take part regularly. Find new healthy meal options. Cook more. Eat out less. And drink lots of water. 

9. Schedule goal-time, me-time, and downtime. Treat the time you spend working toward your goals, treating yourself, and chilling out as sacred as the time you spend working for other people. Whether it's an hour every other day or an hour a week, it doesn't matter. Put these invaluable appointments in your electronic calendar ... and keep them! 

10. Give yourself a break. You can't do everything all the time. Sometimes life gets in the way of pursuing your dreams... you can't punish yourself when you get off track. If you fall off the goal-wagon, just get up, dust yourself off, and start again.  

Need more inspiration and motivation? Every day in February, I am posting a new #FebruaryRestart Goal on @TheDEBMethod social media.

Best of luck on your goal journey. To your success.

* * *

So, what is your best #FebruaryRestart tip? Please share your advice in the comments.

Debra Eckerling is the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals. A writer, editor, and project catalyst, as well as founder of the D*E*B METHOD and Write On Online, Deb works with individuals and businesses to set goals and manage their projects through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and online support. She is also the author of Write On Blogging: 51 Tips to Create, Write & Promote Your Blog and Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages, host of the #GoalChat Twitter Chat and #GoalChatLive on Facebook, and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.