Speak Up!  5 Year Career Goals
Author: Mary Varble
Original Publication Date in Love Notes: December 2005

Question:  Where do you want your career to be in five years? Be realistic or let it all hang out!

Ramona Richards: I'd like to be the "new Denise Hamilton." And land the right agent who can help me get there.
 
Jody Wallace: Five years from now, I would like to be published and making more money than I spend on books. Me, not just my naughty cat. Idealistically, I'd like to sell the movie rights to the hick lit and have it be a big sleeper hit, only I promise I'll resist the urge to allow it to be turned into a TV series, ala MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING and its metamorphosis into MY BIG FAT GOOBY LIFE. Or whatever it was called.

Trish Milburn: In five years, I want to be published, of course. By then, I hope to have had at least 10 books bought, more would be great. I'd love to have been nominated for a RITA and presented more workshops at conferences across the country. And it would be fabulous to hit at least the Walden's bestseller list. I've put more than a decade into this career now, so hopefully these hopes are not huge stretches.

Sherrilyn Kenyon: I hesitate to answer the "where I want to be in five years." The last time I answered that one for someone in the industry, they actually laughed at me because I said I wanted to be where I am now. And who can blame them for laughing? It took me a decade of trying before I found a publisher who was willing to take a chance on my pipedream. It's sometimes hard to hold those dreams close, especially on the days when they seem to be far beyond your grasp. But you have to believe in yourself and in your dreams. Now my goal seems a lot more simple, but I know it's really not. In five years, I just want to be here with my friends and family,  and still writing the books I love.

Janice Lynn: I'd like my career to be where I'm consistently having two books a year come out and at least one that has hit a major list.  No biggie, right? 

Mary Varble: I'd like to have a major mass market print contract and a wonderful agent who gets my voice. I'd also like to have all three of my e-published books made into movies with Kelly Ripa or Reese Witherspoon playing Randi in LOVE ON THE RUN, Gwyneth Paltrow playing Gwyneth in THE MAN FOR THE JOB, and any tall blond model-type, who can actually act, playing Nikki in SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS. My heroes can only be played by Roy Dupuis, although he might have some trouble with the British accent in LOTR, so maybe Clive Owen would do for that one. Here it is: all hung out! Dream big, folks! That’s my motto.
(Now you can all laugh.)

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