I love planning. I struggle a bit with execution, but without planning, I wouldn’t get anything done. A plan helps me solidify my goals, narrow my focus, and know what tasks I need to do.
If you want 2026 to feel calmer, more intentional, and more productive, the key is learning how to plan your writing goals and to-dos.
Why Romance Authors Need a Plan (Even If You Hate Planning)
You might pantster your way through a book, but when it comes to building an author career, planning will help you manage all the moving parts of writing, publishing, and marketing so that you meet your goals.
Planning doesn’t mean you’ll never change course. It means you know what you need to do each day…each week. It reduces decision fatigue, helps prevent burnout, and gives you a realistic picture of what your year can actually hold.
Step One: Decide What You’re Publishing in 2026
Before you open a calendar or spreadsheet, start with the big picture. What do you want to release in 2026?
That might include novels, novellas, short stories, reader magnets, anthologies, or serialized fiction. Be honest about your capacity. More releases don’t always equal more income, especially if every launch feels rushed and unsupported.
Ask yourself:
- How many full-length books do I realistically want to publish?
- Am I continuing a series or starting something new?
- Do I want to experiment with new formats like audio or serialization?
- Are there collaborative projects or anthologies I’ve already committed to?
It’s better to plan fewer, well-supported releases than to overload your year and feel constantly behind.
And don’t feel that you need to write and release more than one book. If you’re new to writing, focusing on a single book and taking time to learn and execute all the tasks that go with writing, publishing, and marketing is a lot.
Step Two: Set Tentative Release Dates
Once you know what you’re publishing, give each project a tentative release window. These don’t have to be carved in stone. Think of them as placeholders.
Choose dates that make sense for your life as well as your business. Consider holidays, school schedules, travel, health needs, and other commitments. Also, be realistic about how fast you can write and take care of the other tasks that go with publishing a book.
Spacing matters, too. Releasing books too close together can cannibalize your own launches. Leaving too much time between releases can make it harder to maintain momentum. Aim for a rhythm that feels sustainable.
Step Three: Work Backward From Each Release
Prior to releasing your book, there are many tasks you need to complete beyond doing the writing. Typical milestones include:
- Final manuscript finished
- Alpha reads
- Developmental editing
- Revision period
- Line or copyediting
- Proofreading
- Cover design and revisions
- Formatting
- Beta reads
- Sending ARCs
- Creating a launch and marketing plan
- Uploading files and setting preorders
Each step takes time. Working backward from your publication date ensures you’re not stacking multiple tasks on top of each other at the last minute or not giving enough time for each task.
Step Four: Build ARC and Launch Timelines
ARCs are one of the most overlooked pieces of planning. Too often, authors finish a book and then scramble to find readers willing to read it immediately.
Instead, decide early:
- When you’ll start recruiting ARC readers
- When ARCs will be delivered
- How much buffer time you’ll allow for feedback
- When you’ll send reminders and follow-ups
Every author has their own strategies for this ARC teams. I like to use BookSprout because it saves me time and hassle by delivering the ARC, sending reminders to readers as needed, and keeping track of who follows through with a review. But other authors set up application forms through Google Forms to collect reader names and manage the team themselves (or have their assistant do it).
Launch planning should also be staggered. Newsletters, social media posts, blog content, and promos don’t all have to happen in the same week. Spreading them out reduces pressure and increases visibility.
Step Five: Map Your Actual Writing Schedule
This is where you need to be honest with yourself on what you can actually achieve. That said, don’t be afraid to stretch yourself. There was a time I believed writing a book in a month was too hard. Over the last seven years, I’ve done just that as a ghost writer. Sometimes you don’t know what you can achieve until you do it.
Take your manuscript deadlines and translate them into weekly or monthly word-count goals. Be realistic. If you typically write 3,000 words a week, planning for 10,000 just because it sounds good will only lead to frustration and stress. It’s okay to plan lighter weeks and heavier ones. It’s also okay to plan time off.
Note that if you have several projects planned, some tasks might overlap. Take this into consideration. If you’re writing your next book while editing the last one, make sure your schedule allows the time needed for both.
Step Six: Plan Editing
Build revision time into your schedule. Authors have their own revision strategies, but most I know have several passes through the book before it’s sent to an editor. Remember that you may have revisions after your professional edit. Make sure you build this time into your schedule, especially if you’re an author who also likes to take time away from the manuscript before starting your revisions/edits.
I highly recommend developing a revision/editing plan. How much time off from the manuscript are you going to take? A week? A month? I don’t take much time at all. I quickly go back to chapter one and begin my revisions/edits. I do a pass that is just to fix typos and grammar (spell check). I used to follow up with edits that focused on filler words and passive sentences using Word’s Find feature. Now, tools like Autocrit and ProWritingAid can help with this.
Over the last few months, I’ve also used Autocrit for the first developmental edit. It does a good job giving feedback on plot, character development, pacing, conflict, and stakes. Here is feedback under Big Picture Story Elements:
That said, a couple of causal links feel thin: why the Veil chooses Étienne specifically, or how the Council arrives at the particular solution they do, could be stated more clearly. There are moments when prophecy reads like explanation after the fact rather than a setup that informs earlier action.
These notes make no sense to you, but for me, they tell me that there are areas I need to clarify motivations and the woo-woo elements that set up the prophecy.
Remember that revision and editing isn’t just something you do. You need to hire a professional (even if you’re planning to traditionally publish, it can be helpful to have a professional edit of your manuscript). You should seek out and book an editor in advance. Waiting until a manuscript is finished to see who’s available often leads to delays or rushed decisions.
The big advantage of booking your editor early is that you have a deadline.
Step Seven: Leave Room for Marketing and Admin
Writing may be your favorite part of the job, but it’s not the only part. Marketing, admin, and reader engagement all require time and planning.
If you don’t schedule these tasks, they’ll either get rushed or skipped entirely. That includes:
- Newsletter writing
- Website updates
- Ad setup and monitoring
- Reader group engagement
- Accounting and admin tasks
You don’t need to do everything every week. Batching marketing tasks monthly or quarterly can make them far more manageable.
Step Eight: Create One Master 2026 Planning Document
One of the biggest sources of overwhelm for authors is having plans scattered everywhere. A master planning document pulls everything together.
This might be a spreadsheet, a project management board (e.g., Trello or Notion), or a paper planner. The Romance Author Novel Organizer is a project planner for a novel.
The key is visibility and something you’ll use. If you’re not a digital planner, having an elaborate Trello setup won’t help you. I’m an out-of-sight-out-of-mind type of person, so I have a paper planner that is in front of me whenever I’m working.
Your master plan should include:
- Release dates
- Writing deadlines (I actually schedule my writing down to the specific task, such as plotting or which chapters I’ll write that day)
- Editing milestones
- ARC and launch task
- Buffer weeks
Step Nine: Build in Flexibility and Contingency Plans
Even the best plans change. Illness, family needs, creative blocks, or unexpected opportunities can shift everything.
That’s why buffer time is essential. Build in extra weeks where nothing critical is scheduled. If a book slips, you’ll already know where it can land without derailing the entire year.
A plan that can adapt is far more powerful than one that breaks the first time life intervenes.
Step Ten: Review, Adjust, and Commit
Periodically, assess how you’re progressing. Are you on top of everything? Awesome. If not, what’s the issue? Are you constantly behind two weeks? Perhaps you need to adjust your schedule. Is your editor taking longer to edit your manuscript than you planned for?
Planning as Creative Protection
A solid plan protects your time, your creativity, and your energy. When future-you sits down to write, they’ll know exactly what needs to happen next.
Start imperfectly. Adjust as you go.
Free 2026 writing plan available in the private member area. Not a member? Subscribe to Write with Harte for access!
