Thanks to the generosity of fellow freelance writer Julie Fletcher, I received a free coaching session from Stacey Mayo. Since I wrote about coaching for DASH magazine several years ago, I had always wanted to have a session. But I wasn't sure what to expect.
Speaking with Stacey for 40 minutes was like having a brainstorming session with a non-judgemental, understanding, creative and highly intelligent friends. She was completely transparent, and I felt like she had no other motives other than the desire to help me succeed.
Why did I feel like I needed a life coach? Honestly, I don't. I have a wonderful husband, a beautiful daughter, the opportunity to work from home while raising my daughter, and I'm doing a job I love. I am earning an honest living in one of the most expensive regions of the country. But I wanted to take my business to the next level, while still managing the new demands of parenthood.
One of the first things Stacey mentioned (ah, here it is AGAIN) was the wisdom of bringing in someone to help me with the baby, even just a mother's helper for a few hours a day. It is increasingly difficult to run a business during naptime, and I try to resist the urge to plop Ashley in front of Baby Einstein DVDs. While breastfeeding, though, it doesn't make sense. I might wind up paying someone to take care of Ashley, but if it's her mealtime, I'll still be sitting there feeding her. (Please don't ask me about pumping.) Nonetheless, I have the luxury to choose.
Summer will be easier, with TJ working less hours. So after Ashley is weaned in the fall, I will bring in a mother's helper. Issue one, crossed off my concern list.
I spoke with Stacey about earning "passive income," through affiliate programs and the like. As I described my plan to earn passive income, she showed me the truth. "Now, none of that is very passive at all, is it?" I laughed at the truth of her statement.
We considered the possibility of my selling articles PLR (Private Label Rights). Again, not very passive to get it launched.
Then Stacey asked me about my various writing niches, and I rattled off my lengthy list. "Wow," she said.
"Well, I believe in diversification."
"But what's your passion?" she asked.
I thought for a second. "The writing." I explained where the title for this blog came from, and how my passion is in the craft and art of the writing, regardless of the topic.
That's when she reminded me of an idea I'd had about a year ago: to launch a course for beginning writers, to share my passion with them and hopefully help them to achieve a full-time income.
In between my various assignments for this month from multiple magazines and Web sites, I'm putting together the marketing material for my e-course, which I hope to launch come May.
Meanwhile, I'm still looking for other ways to achieve multiple streams of income on the Web. I found a site where I can get paid (about a dollar a minute!) for taking surveys. Check it out here: http://tryvindale.com/VJHjyXNP2
I'll also continue to add affiliate buttons if I feel they fit this blog and would help serve my readers. But I won't lose site of my passion: writing "anything that pays."
Thank you, Stacey for a wonderful coaching session. (Psstt... If you would like to learn more about Stacey's coaching, click here.)
Showing posts with label affiliate marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label affiliate marketing. Show all posts
Get Writing Assignments Without Querying
In a previous post, I mentioned that I have built a full-time career as a freelance writer without querying. How do I do this?
1. Word-of-mouth – Anybody whose ever read a book about marketing knows the importance of word-of-mouth. Its significance is enhanced in Web 2.0, where WOM extends to social networking. I’ve landed several assignments through my social networks on Twitter, Facebook, and various forums. But my favorite story about word-of-mouth relates to a long-term client I began working with about 5 years ago. While shopping for paintball gear, I revealed to the marketing director at one of the top paintball distributors in the country that I was a freelance writer. He immediately hired me to write press releases. That job turned into a position as Editor-in-Chief at a leading paintball magazine. I share the story here, on one of my favorite sites for writers.
2. Assignments - My cash cows as a freelancer are regular clients who give me assignments every month. They generate the ideas in-house and, in most cases, provide sources. Since coming up with unique ideas and finding sources are two of the biggest challenges in freelancing, this makes my life a lot easier and my business more lucrative.
3. Ads – Sure, responding to ads takes time, and you’re up against intense and copious competition. But if you craft a basic letter that you can tailor to each specific ad, you’ll save a lot of time. The site Freelance Writing Jobs (www.freelancewritinggigs.com) is a great place to start, but you can have even more success by mining sites that aren’t regularly visited by every other aspiring freelancer on the Web. One caveat—there’s never any need to pay for job listings.
4. Letters of Interest – Want to write for a specific publication but don’t have an idea on tap? You can save time and capture the interest of an editor with a Letter of Introduction. LOIs, as they are known, work best if you have some credentials and quality clips. In this letter, rather than presenting an idea (as you would in a query letter) you sell YOURSELF as a writer. Start with a strong lead, emphasize why you would make a positive addition to the magazine’s team, and end with a call to action, asking for an assignment. Include clips and possibly your resume in the body of the e-mail (never send attachments).
I’m not saying you can easily break into a national magazine without a query (although it could happen) but you can build a successful freelancing career without spending hours on query letters!
1. Word-of-mouth – Anybody whose ever read a book about marketing knows the importance of word-of-mouth. Its significance is enhanced in Web 2.0, where WOM extends to social networking. I’ve landed several assignments through my social networks on Twitter, Facebook, and various forums. But my favorite story about word-of-mouth relates to a long-term client I began working with about 5 years ago. While shopping for paintball gear, I revealed to the marketing director at one of the top paintball distributors in the country that I was a freelance writer. He immediately hired me to write press releases. That job turned into a position as Editor-in-Chief at a leading paintball magazine. I share the story here, on one of my favorite sites for writers.
2. Assignments - My cash cows as a freelancer are regular clients who give me assignments every month. They generate the ideas in-house and, in most cases, provide sources. Since coming up with unique ideas and finding sources are two of the biggest challenges in freelancing, this makes my life a lot easier and my business more lucrative.
3. Ads – Sure, responding to ads takes time, and you’re up against intense and copious competition. But if you craft a basic letter that you can tailor to each specific ad, you’ll save a lot of time. The site Freelance Writing Jobs (www.freelancewritinggigs.com) is a great place to start, but you can have even more success by mining sites that aren’t regularly visited by every other aspiring freelancer on the Web. One caveat—there’s never any need to pay for job listings.
4. Letters of Interest – Want to write for a specific publication but don’t have an idea on tap? You can save time and capture the interest of an editor with a Letter of Introduction. LOIs, as they are known, work best if you have some credentials and quality clips. In this letter, rather than presenting an idea (as you would in a query letter) you sell YOURSELF as a writer. Start with a strong lead, emphasize why you would make a positive addition to the magazine’s team, and end with a call to action, asking for an assignment. Include clips and possibly your resume in the body of the e-mail (never send attachments).
I’m not saying you can easily break into a national magazine without a query (although it could happen) but you can build a successful freelancing career without spending hours on query letters!
2009: The Year When Procrastination Can Wait
I didn't make any New Year's Resolutions, but I did post a few goals here. I also changed my mindset going into 2009. This is the year I am going to stop procrastinating.
Part of this philosophy began when I first had Ashley. With a baby, you never know when you'll have a chance to do something, so you better do it when you have the chance. I don't know whether the saying originated with Robert Heinlein or the Marines, but I follow the credo of: "Eat when you can, sleep when you can. Never stand when you can sit and never sit when you can lie down."
This urgency to accomplish "life" tasks has translated into everything. No longer do I let projects, from small to large, sit. If I have an opportunity to do something, I do it right that minute. Of course, I still follow my to-do lists for business-related tasks.
Here's a small example. I have a bad habit of making purchases and then leaving the bag in my car overnight, or for weeks. I'm not hiding purchases from my spouse ala "Shop-aholic." I'm just too lazy to carry them inside, because that would mean finding a place for them. (Yes, that's a whole different issue of buying things when I don't have room for anything else in my house or in my life!)
Now, if I see something that needs doing, I just do it. This means no more dirty coffee mugs on my desk. If I see a smudge on the bathroom mirror, I wipe it off immediately. I don't wait until I have time to clean the entire bathroom. Nothing has to be perfect. It just has to be *done.*
After only a week of living this philosophy, my house is a bit more organized and I feel like I'm accomplishing more.
The same philosophy works in business. I don't wait for one-hour chunks of time to complete a task any more. 15 free minutes? I will knock out a blog post. An extra half-hour? I'll try to transcribe a 15-minute interview.
I just purchased an eBook and educational program titled "How to Write an Article in 7 Minutes" and hope this will boost my productivity even more. I will return with a complete review after I use the program and, if I find it effective, I'll add an affiliate link to this blog.
In the book, Jason Fladlien talks about "article-writing frenzies," where you take a grain of an idea from one article and create an offshoot article (or 10.) You can sit down and write these continuously, in a frenzy. If you don't have time for a frenzy, though, you can always jot down the ideas and write another article when you have another seven minutes. Keep in mind, I haven't read the book yet, so I'm paraphrasing based on my understanding from the promotional materials.
I'm going to try that right now, however, as this post has sparked an idea for a post about the concept of writing ANYTHING in seven minutes. (Teaser: I used to think it was impossible!)
Stay tuned... and while you're waiting, why not use a few free minutes to tell me:
What tools and techniques do you use to combat that ugly, lazy monster called procrastination?
Part of this philosophy began when I first had Ashley. With a baby, you never know when you'll have a chance to do something, so you better do it when you have the chance. I don't know whether the saying originated with Robert Heinlein or the Marines, but I follow the credo of: "Eat when you can, sleep when you can. Never stand when you can sit and never sit when you can lie down."
This urgency to accomplish "life" tasks has translated into everything. No longer do I let projects, from small to large, sit. If I have an opportunity to do something, I do it right that minute. Of course, I still follow my to-do lists for business-related tasks.
Here's a small example. I have a bad habit of making purchases and then leaving the bag in my car overnight, or for weeks. I'm not hiding purchases from my spouse ala "Shop-aholic." I'm just too lazy to carry them inside, because that would mean finding a place for them. (Yes, that's a whole different issue of buying things when I don't have room for anything else in my house or in my life!)
Now, if I see something that needs doing, I just do it. This means no more dirty coffee mugs on my desk. If I see a smudge on the bathroom mirror, I wipe it off immediately. I don't wait until I have time to clean the entire bathroom. Nothing has to be perfect. It just has to be *done.*
After only a week of living this philosophy, my house is a bit more organized and I feel like I'm accomplishing more.
The same philosophy works in business. I don't wait for one-hour chunks of time to complete a task any more. 15 free minutes? I will knock out a blog post. An extra half-hour? I'll try to transcribe a 15-minute interview.
I just purchased an eBook and educational program titled "How to Write an Article in 7 Minutes" and hope this will boost my productivity even more. I will return with a complete review after I use the program and, if I find it effective, I'll add an affiliate link to this blog.
In the book, Jason Fladlien talks about "article-writing frenzies," where you take a grain of an idea from one article and create an offshoot article (or 10.) You can sit down and write these continuously, in a frenzy. If you don't have time for a frenzy, though, you can always jot down the ideas and write another article when you have another seven minutes. Keep in mind, I haven't read the book yet, so I'm paraphrasing based on my understanding from the promotional materials.
I'm going to try that right now, however, as this post has sparked an idea for a post about the concept of writing ANYTHING in seven minutes. (Teaser: I used to think it was impossible!)
Stay tuned... and while you're waiting, why not use a few free minutes to tell me:
What tools and techniques do you use to combat that ugly, lazy monster called procrastination?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
