If you have “publish my first novel” on your to-do list for 2026, it’s time to capitalize on that new-year energy and create publishing goals that will allow you to become the published author you’ve always dreamed of being. Here’s our advice on how to make goals so you can publish your book this year:

Define Success

Before you set your self-publishing goals for the year, you need to define what success looks like. Don’t skip this step! If you don’t define success at the beginning, it will be impossible to tell if you’ve reached your goals at the end of the year. To get started, imagine what you want to be able to say at the end of 2026. This answer will be different for everyone. For some, completing an entire chapter after a long battle of writer’s block and imposter syndrome is a huge success. For others, completing three manuscripts you’ve had on the back burner may be your definition of success. Make sure your goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. When you work with a self-publishing service like EABooks Publishing, we’ll help you shape and refine your goals for self-publishing your book so they are easily attainable.

Make Mini Goals

Setting a goal like “finish my manuscript this year” may seem solid. However, without a strategy for when and how you’ll write each chapter, you’re more likely to give up on that goal as soon as life throws you a curveball. Instead, divide your large goal into smaller, more manageable pieces tied to specific deadlines. The more specific you make these mini-goals, the more likely you are to achieve them. Instead of saying “I’ll finish my manuscript by December,” start with smaller goals like “write 500 words a day” or “reach out to one self-publishing service provider this week.” These smaller, achievable chunks will allow you to work toward your larger goal continuously. Once you find success with your mini-goals, you’ll find it’s much easier to achieve your bigger ones.

Pick a Launch Date – And Work Backwards

One of the best ways to ensure you meet your writing goals is to set concrete deadlines. The key to a successful self-publishing launch strategy is to pick a launch date and work backward from that date to determine when your book needs to be set up for distribution, final edits completed, and your manuscript finished. This date should be at least six months in advance—longer if your manuscript isn’t finished yet. The perfect time to launch your book depends on your genre and subject. For example, self-help books launch well at the beginning of the year, while Bible studies and devotionals should be released in July or August so that church small groups can use them for monthly meetings. Once you pick a launch date, tell your friends and family so they can hold you accountable.

Have a Clear Marketing Strategy

With an average of 500,000 new self-published books hitting the market each year, the only way to make your book stand out is to develop an effective marketing strategy that goes well beyond launch week. You can’t rely on readers to simply find your book; you need to seek them out to entice them to pick it up.

The key parts of making a self-published book marketing strategy include:

• Defining your audience.
• Creating an author’s website.
• Establishing an email newsletter to keep readers updated about your work.
• Creating channels on relevant social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, GoodReads, and LinkedIn.
• Growing your audience and engaging with them.

When you partner with our self-publishing service, we’ll help develop an effective marketing strategy to make your book visible and engaging for your ideal readers.

Make It a Habit

The best way to meet your goals is to take tiny steps each day that lead you to them. Focus on consistently showing up for your mini-goals. All these small steps will snowball into achieving your bigger goal. It isn’t about perfection—showing up and staying committed is sufficient. Keep at it until your mini-goals become an ingrained and recurring part of your day. When developing a writing habit, make sure you define where, when, and for how long you write to sustain your goal, while setting boundaries for when to stop for rest and clarity.

Get Your Book Published with EABooks Publishing: Orlando Self Publishing Service

At EABooks Publishing, our self-publishing service provides the tools and resources you need to achieve the published author status you’ve been dreaming of. You don’t need to walk the self-publishing journey alone. We provide a wide range of services that will help you refine and format your manuscript, set up distribution, and market your book so you can focus on what you love to do: write and create stories. From editing to social media management, we’re with you every step of the way! We’re a Christ-centered organization that loves helping Christian authors share their books with the world. Contact us today for a free 15-minute consultation with our acquisitions team to get started!