I don’t usually dwell on the minutiae of my writing career. I don’t consider it good marketing or a professional reflection of what I do. But I do think it’s useful—first for myself, and also for readers who might consider supporting me—to reflect at least once a year on what I’ve accomplished and what I’m planning next. Here is my 2025 in writing.
The Decision to Go Professional
A year ago, I made the decision to take my writing to a professional level. I’d grown tired of my own back-and-forth, vacillating between creative activities without seeing significant progress or impact from any of them. I completely halted my activities as a fine arts painter and chose writing as my priority.
This decision became even sharper as 2025 progressed.
Establishing My Foundation
Night Light Tales and Finding My Name
My first action was to review all my short stories and publish them in a new collection. I’d published them before, but I felt they needed a considered and final home. This resulted in the publication of Night Light Tales in late February.
However, after publication, I decided to revert to publishing under my full name rather than a pen name. It was too late to pull Night Light Tales, and it now lives happily (and obscurely) alongside my children’s books.
Branding as a Novelist
With the decision to write under my full name came another decision: how I wanted to brand my writer identity. I’d already lost patience with the writer-versus-author debate, and I decided not only to focus on writing but specifically on novels—standalone novels, or singletons as they’re also known.
My branding became: Gerhi Janse van Vuuren – Novelist.
Revising The Seventh Kill
My second major task for 2025 was revising my novel The Seventh Kill. Originally published under my pen name, I pulled it from publication because it had major structural issues I needed to address. It was a slow process working through the novel, but it taught me an immense amount about my own writing, my proclivities for procrastination, and the methods I need to employ to finish a novel.
The Seventh Kill was republished in mid-August.
The Review Quest
I have a severely limited budget for developing my publishing business. This year, I spent it on using the services of StoryOrigin to line up reviews for The Seventh Kill. I managed to secure five reviewers.
Again, I’m not revealing this information as pity marketing. I’m merely noting the milestones I’ve reached and the obstacles I’m still working to overcome.
Of these five reviewers, one read the book and then graciously declined to post a review:
“Sorry, but I couldn’t engage in this story. It’s for the best if I don’t write a review. There’s a book for every reader, but this one is not for me.”
A second reviewer left me a glowing review on Goodreads. The other three ghosted me—possibly the novel wasn’t for them either. This means I haven’t yet made contact with my readers.
Building a Newsletter
My third major focus for 2025 was establishing a newsletter: Novel Notes. “Establishing” here means two things: gaining subscribers and sending out regular emails. I decided on a strict monthly schedule because I didn’t want to overwhelm myself or potential readers, despite knowing that more than two weeks between newsletters is considered ineffectual.
I wrote a long post last December laying out my plan for this newsletter, mainly because I was frustrated with the intimidation factor of “gaining hundreds of followers is a fairly simple task.” I still hold the same opinion.
Even though I wasn’t aggressive in my marketing, I was active in my efforts, which included writing a reader magnet and participating in group promos through StoryOrigin. My growth was steady to one hundred subscribers, then incrementally slow to my current number of 205. I haven’t done a deep analysis, but casual observation tells me that at least 40% of these are sleeping subscribers. I could clear out my list, but it seems premature given my subscriber count.
On that note, consider signing up for my newsletter. You’ll get a free short story if you do.
Establishing Simile Press
As part of my rebranding, I also established a publication entity—though at the moment it’s only a sole proprietor business. Simile Press now publishes Gerhi Janse van Vuuren, and if I revise, republish, or write anything new as I.M. Gerhi, that too.
The Struggle with Novel Number Two
I’d hoped to have a second novel finished for 2025. Here I faced the most obstacles, mainly because I realized my writing process is very much a hit-and-run affair, chasing energy rather than following an effective strategy. I attempted a sequel to The Seventh Kill, paused that when I decided to focus on standalone novels, tried multiple other options (including reviving old manuscripts), and still didn’t finish anything.
Joining a Writing Group
As part of retooling my writing process, I joined a local writing group. We meet once a week to exchange a chapter or two and give each other feedback. I picked an old manuscript to revise, rewrite, and rework into a finished novel, and I’ve benefitted from both the regular commitment and the reader feedback.
This is now the novel Midnight Thesis.
I decided to publish these chapters on my blog as an additional marketing effort, and because I was already working on the novel weekly. Last week I took a hiatus after posting eight installments, but this week I’ll continue, eventually posting the complete novel on my blog. It’s been good for developing my writing practice and discipline, but it’s had negligible impact on my website traffic.
When Oceans Dream and the Path Forward
The novel I eventually settled on—the one I hoped to finish this year—is When Oceans Dream. It’s already up for pre-order with a publication date of January 22, 2026. I’d hoped that if editing progressed well, I could move this date to December 2025, but that hasn’t been the case (having only last week, for instance, decided to completely change the novel’s setting). I’d rather publish a better novel in 2026.
The third novel I’m working on, A Cruel and Vicious Place, has a long, bitter history—a manuscript that’s seen multiple iterations. It still wants to be a finished novel and will either be the next I put through the writing group (when Midnight Thesis finishes by May 2026) or the next to rework after finishing When Oceans Dream. I haven’t decided which yet.
The Great Deletion
One reason my writing kept stalling was the weight of unfinished novels. After pottering with writing for more than twenty years, I’d accumulated a compost heap of more than forty novels in various states. This November, I took the drastic but necessary step to delete all of them permanently.
It should have been a traumatic experience. It wasn’t. It was extremely liberating.
One thing I’ve realized: coming up with a novel idea is the easiest thing under the sun, and writing those first 10,000 to 20,000 words is almost just as easy. It’s what needs to happen after that that’s my Achilles heel. I have ideas bubbling, but I’m refraining from creating files for them because when I split my attention too much, I can’t complete my work.
My Current Writing Priorities
In order of priority, here’s my current writing focus:
- Working through and completing When Oceans Dream to be uploaded to Amazon by January 18, 2026, and published on the 22nd. This will be digital-first only because even a POD paperback currently involves costs I can’t carry.
- Continuing to write, edit, finish, discuss, and post Midnight Thesis on my blog.
- A Cruel and Vicious Place is laying dormant, composting until I’ve finished When Oceans Dream.
- Writing a lighthearted adventure story as a creative break from the intense focus I need for both When Oceans Dream and Midnight Thesis.
- No sequels—I’m not writing or planning to write any until I’ve had some movement on stories already published (which, at the moment, only means The Seventh Kill).
My Marketing and Business Priorities
Here’s where I’m focusing my business efforts:
- Continue sending a newsletter every month on the second Thursday. These may not be the ideal frequency, but they’re sufficient for now, and as I’ve become used to the schedule, they have minimal impact on my writing.
- Continue publishing installments of a serial novel on my blog. Once Midnight Thesis is complete, it will probably be succeeded by the next project I share with the writing group.
- Continue using StoryOrigin for as many promo opportunities and review processes as work for me.
- Write and publish complete standalone novels throughout 2026.
Yes, I know the last seems like a writing goal rather than a marketing/business goal, but my main aim at this point is to develop a backlist and establish a basic standard for the type of novel I write. And by that, I don’t mean any particular sub-sub-genre, but satisfying reads finished to a professional and competent standard.
Looking Ahead to 2026
If there’s one thing 2025 taught me, it’s that focus matters more than volume. But now that I’ve found my footing—with clearer processes, regular feedback, and a commitment to finishing what I start—I’m setting my sights higher. My goal for 2026 is to publish at least four novels. It’s ambitious, but I believe it’s achievable with the systems I’ve put in place.
More importantly, I’m committed to continuing to improve my craft. Each novel teaches me something new about structure, character, pacing, and what makes a story work. My aim isn’t just to produce books, but to give readers the best experience possible—stories that are satisfying, professionally finished, and worth their time.
Here’s to a year of completed manuscripts and readers who find what they’re looking for in my work. And here’s to a new year of novel writing en enjoyable reading!
