Recently I coached a couple of new freelance writers. It was huge fun for me because I got to motivate and inspire them, and in the process, I inspired myself.
I’d forgotten the sheer hard slog of hustling every day. The slog itself isn’t difficult, rather it’s the doubts which plague you and drain your motivation:
- Am I charging enough/ too much?
- Am I good enough?
- Is this the best use of my time?
- And on, and on…
The doubts will kill you, if you let them.
Here’s what I suggested to my students: as soon as possible, create and publish something, so that you have a product to sell. You need to create something that’s just for you and gets you out of bed in the morning.
Enhance your writing career when you write for YOU, too
Refuse to allow doubts to creep in. YES, you can create and publish, even if you’re a brand new writer.
What you create is up to you — you can publish short stories if you like. Or you can do as my students did. They created mini-products which they hoped would appeal to their current clients.
The operative word in the previous sentence is hoped. You’ll never know whether something you create will sell, or not. All you can do is create it. Scroll down to the Resources which will help you to create and promote fast.
Create FAST, and have fun
When you’re a new freelancer doubts are ever-present. They’re present for veteran writers too, unfortunately. So, aim to create something quickly, preferably something you can create in a few hours on the weekend.
That might be:
- A tutorial;
- A short report;
- A checklist…
Make it short, make it useful
One of my students created a tutorial for an app which is used by many people in her clients’ industry. She told me that she’d had to learn the app and found it tortuous: “The app’s Help file was a mess. You clicked and clicked, and at the end of seven clicks you got a paragraph which repeated the information in the menu.”
So, she created a five-page PDF, put it up on her website, and charged $25. Initially, she was too diffident to promote the tutorial — she gave away a few copies for free.
After a couple of months, the tutorial started to sell and it keeps selling. She says: “I sell at least a couple of copies a day.”
What could you create in a few hours which has the potential to bring in on-going income? Ignore your doubts. Create and publish. You can do it.
Resources to help you to create and publish FAST
These books will help you to make the most of your time so that you can create and publish fast.
Build a fiction ghostwriting business: start today
Our new program, Story Spinner: Build A Lucrative Fiction Ghostwriting Business In 7 Days, is available now.
In this new program you'll discover how to build a new business as a fiction ghostwriter in just seven days. The program includes everything you need. Get started today.
Recent Comments