Hi Reader,

Every year, I pick a theme, one simple idea I can use like a compass. Not a 37-item resolution list. Not a personality transplant. Just one guiding star that helps me make better decisions when life (and inboxes) get crazy.

This year’s theme: I Love Data!

Before you hide under a cozy blanket with your favorite novel, hear me out. Data doesn’t have to mean spreadsheets. Data can be as friendly as a sticky note. It’s just information that helps you make smarter choices.

And if you’re a writer trying to build a sustainable creative life, data is basically your flashlight. You don’t have to love the dark to appreciate a flashlight.

Why Writers Need Data

You already use feedback loops in storytelling:

• If Act 2 drags, you tighten it.
• If a character feels flat, you deepen their want and wound.
• If the stakes are mushy, you sharpen the consequences.

That’s data. Creative data.

Business data works the same way. If you aren’t tracking anything, it’s hard to answer questions like:

• What’s actually making money?
• What marketing efforts move the needle?
• What drains time with zero payoff?
• What should you double down on next quarter?

Knowledge is power.

Without it, you’re guessing. And guessing is cute for rom-com misunderstandings, not for running a creative business.

Data for Dummies

Step 1: Choose 3 numbers to track.

If you try to track everything, you’ll track nothing. So, pick three health indicators for your writing life. Think of these as your story beats, but for your career.

Here are some options:

📖 For novelists:

• Words drafted per week (or hours written, if word counts make you twitch)
• Books finished (drafts count!)
• Revisions completed
• Sales by format (ebook, print, audio)
• Ads/Promos run and what they did (even roughly)
• Reviews gained (not for validation, for visibility)

🎥 For screenwriters:

• Pages written per week
• Scripts finished
• Rewrites completed
• Pitches sent
• Meetings taken
• Submissions (contests, fellowships, reps, producers)
• Connections made (new industry relationships, follow-ups sent)

For everyone building a platform:

• Newsletter open/click rate
• Audience growth (email, social, YouTube, podcast, etc.)
• Opportunities booked (speaking, coaching calls, paid gigs, podcast guest spots)

Pick your three. That’s your starter dashboard.

Step 2: Decide how often you’ll look.

Log your numbers in a spreadsheet, Word doc, or bullet journal. Whatever works for you.

Try this simple rhythm.

• Weekly (10 minutes): Log your three numbers.
• Monthly (30 minutes): Look for patterns and make one small adjustment.
• Quarterly (60 minutes): Decide what to amplify, improve, or stop.

If you want a gold star, put it on your calendar like it’s a dentist’s appointment for your business. No one loves it, but you always feel better afterward.

Step 3: Track income like a grown-up.

Even if you’re allergic to accounting, your future self will thank you for taking this seriously.

Minimum viable money tracking:

• Have one place where all income and expenses live. It can be accounting software or a spreadsheet, whatever you’ll actually use and keep up to date. (This year I’m using Xero, which several authors recommended. I’ll let you know how it’s going in a few months.)
• Categories that match your income streams (books, scripts, comic books).
• A monthly “money date” where you review totals without judgment.

This isn’t about shame. It’s about clarity. Clarity leads to strategy. And strategy leads to more financial freedom, which feeds your creativity.

Step 4: Ask the only question that matters.

When you review your data, don’t ask, “Am I winning?”

Ask: “What is this information trying to tell me?”

Examples:

• If submitting to contests drains your time and money, never leading anywhere, pause and redirect.
• If one income stream quietly outperforms the rest, protect it and feed it.
• If you never write because marketing eats your mornings, rearrange the schedule.

What’s your theme this year?

Pick a theme that feels like momentum. Then pick three numbers that will help you steer.

Your numbers could be:

• Jobs booked
• Pitch letters sent
• Projects sold

Hit reply and tell me:

1. your theme, and
2. the three things you’re tracking this quarter.

I’ll be cheering you on, clipboard in one hand, confetti cannon in the other.

Some of my Numbers

In 2025:

• Podcasts - I guested on five podcasts! Up from two in 2024.
• Speaking – I spoke to four groups: two paid gigs, one in person event, and three over Zoom.

In 2026, I am building on these numbers.

Podcasts – Do you have a podcast or a friend with a podcast? I would love to be a guest!

Speaking – If you belong to a group looking for speakers or workshops, I would love to be a guest in person or over Zoom!

Email me at lindsey@thepitchmaster.com to schedule. Check out my press kit with topics, bio, headshot, and links to past appearances.

You Might Like

Learn How to Write a Cozy Mystery from a Bestselling Author

One of my favorite mystery authors, Kirsten Weiss (The Paranormal Museum Mysteries, Tea & Tarot Mysteries) is offering her Cozy Mystery Toolkit for just $18!

I have taken a couple of her workshops and her mystery teachings are incredible. If you are interested in writing cozy mysteries as movies or books, I highly recommend this bundle.

​
​IMDBPro is 50% through Jan. 29!

If you are a screenwriter, you need IMDBPro to contact producers, track competing projects, and compile directors lists.

In Case You Missed It

​Is Clutter Killing Your Creativity?​

​What is Public Domain and Why Does it Matter for Writers?​

​Set Yourself up for Success in 2026​

Cheers,

Lindsey

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