For a while now I’ve imagined various writing and publishing accomplishments and events as various boxes on an author bingo card you could fill.

Unlike conventional bingo which looks at getting five numbers in row, the goal in author bingo is to see how many achievements you can check off. Successes, setbacks and failures, they all count. It’s as a fun way to deal with the ups and downs of publishing and being an author, as well as a device to acknowledge those hard won accomplishments and experiences.

Below are candidates for your author bingo card, in many cases grouped by progressions or types of publishing experiences. I’ve personally checked off many of these on my own author bingo card, but nowhere near all of them.

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Writing a short story. Getting your first rejection. Getting your first acceptance.

Seeing your story published. Having a second story published. Seeing one of your stories appear in an anthology. Having a collection of your stories published.

Writing a novel. Receiving feedback on your novel. Working with a developmental editor. Working with a copy editor.

Sending out a query. Landing an agent. Getting a publishing deal from a NYC publisher. Being published by a small press.

Setting up self-publishing.  Novel published. Publishing a book that bombs, either trad or indie.

Getting a positive review. Getting a negative review. Getting no reviews for a particular book. Getting a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly, or the equivalent in Booklist or Library Journal.

Having an audio book produced from one of your works.

Finding your books in your public library or in a bookstore.

First email from a reader. Being emailed by a reader pointing out you got a detail wrong. Two bingo boxes if the emailer alleges you got a detail wrong about firearms.

Having a book reach the top 100 in a category on Amazon. Having a book reach the top 20. Having a book reach the top 100 on Amazon. Becoming a New York Times Bestselling author. Becoming a #1 New York Times Bestselling author.

Completing your first series. Completing your second. Your third.

First convention appearance. Being a guest of honor at a convention. Serving as toastmaster at a convention.

Receiving an award nomination. Winning an award. Serving on an awards committee.

Being interviewed on a podcast. Being interviewed on the radio. Having a book be highlighted /reviewed in a YouTube video or a BookTok.

Changing editors. Being dropped by a publisher. Having your agent drop you. Landing a new agent.

Discovering your books have been pirated. Discovering your books have been used to train AI. Getting a scam email about marketing and publishing “opportunities.”

Switching sub-genres. Publishing in an entirely different genre. Returning to a genre you’d previously published in.

Presenting a writing or publishing workshop. Teaching a class on writing or publishing.

Selling foreign rights to one of your works. Having a story or book optioned by Hollywood. Having a story or book become a movie.

Relaunching a previously self-published book. Self-publishing a previously trad-published book. Having a self-published novel appear in a multi-author box set. Landing a traditional publishing deal for a book you originally self-published.

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Again, while these external outcomes are largely outside of your direct control, I believe it’s important to recognize what you’ve achieved, noting the milestones on your writing and publishing journey. It’s also a way to enjoy that journey.

How about you? Do you like the idea of an author bingo card? How do you acknowledge or celebrate your own publishing milestones and experiences?