Fab Freelance Writing Blog

For freelance writers

I don’t know where to start! Why confusion is good for you

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At least once a week, I get an email message or a phone call from a befuddled writer: “I don’t know where to start. Where should I start?!”

Beginning writers and established writers both experience this state of confusion. Relax. Confusion is good for you. :-)

In my experience, when you’re confused, you’re close to a breakthrough in your writing if you’re an experienced freelance writer; if you’re a new writer, you’re finally ready to start writing, after years of being nudged in that direction.

Life Writing is the answer to your confusion

The answer to questions about your writing are contained in your writing. You already know what the answer is. This isn’t mystical kerfuffle; it’s the way it is. You’ll always find the answers to any challenges in your life (not just in your writing), by Life Writing: keeping a journal if you will.

There are many forms of Life Writing. However, my preferred form doesn’t involve writing your autobiography, it means writing in the midst of your life and confusion.

How to Life Write

Get a journal, preferably one with blank pages. Writing by hand is best for this kind of writing.

For each entry, write:

* the date and time;

* the weather;

* what you ate today; and

* describe your location.

The above facts will ground the piece (useful in all writing), and will remind you of where you were and what you were doing when you wrote the journal entry. Now just start writing - put your confusion into words. Don’t try to control what you write, just let words spill onto the page.

As you write, avenues will open up; avenues which you could explore, and choices you could make.

Keep writing, don’t decide too soon.

After a few days or a couple of weeks, you’ll need to make a decision.

A PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting) chart is a great way to make a decision. However, do two charts for each choice.

For example, let’s say you were trying to decide whether you should go back to school and do a MFA degree, or write a novel on your own.

Do these PMI charts:

* I will do a MFA degree

* I won’t do a MFA degree

* I will write a novel

* I won’t write a novel

Once you’ve done the four charts (each chart should take you no longer than five minutes), the correct choice for you at this time will be obvious to you.

Enjoy your confusion: it’s a gift. It means you’re no longer stuck in a rut. :-)
For more on using writing to get out of a rut, end procrastination, get motivated and write more, read my “Top 70 Writing Tips To Help You To Write More”.

Technorati Tags: journal, Life Writing, PMI, decisions, novel

Become a full-time freelance writer in 2008

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2007 is all but over - with the holiday season in full swing, you’re finishing up this year’s projects and looking at your calendar for 2008.

I hope you had a great 2007, and that your 2008 calendar is packed with wonderful projects.

If it isn’t, it’s time to do something about it.

My new writing class, “Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process” will ensure that 2008 is your best writing year ever.

You can become a full-time writer in five weeks.

This class will show you how to:

* Look on writing fun, because writing is easy for you - in Lesson One, think like a writer, and discover the Pearl Method. The Pearl Method enables you to write for, and SELL to, to any market you choose;

* Eliminate writer’s block for good, and be amazingly prolific - in Lesson Three, power-punch tools;

* SELL your writing - in Lesson Two, ideas on demand;

* Make great money from your writing in Lesson Four, time management tools, and Lesson 5, make more sales to high-paying markets;

*… and much more.

Subscribe to the class today, and become a full-time writer in 2008.

Technorati Tags: freelance writing, writing class, how to write, make money writing

Ebooks Bonanza – Boost your Writing Income with Ebooks

(This article first appeared in this week’s issue of Fab Freelance Writing Ezine.)

Writing ebooks is lots of fun, and it’s very profitable too, if you sell those ebooks online yourself. Your ebooks can sell profitably for years to come. I know several writers who are making high six figures each year, just from a couple of ebooks.

Yes, the writers promote their ebooks extensively, but the ebooks enable them to live enviable lifestyles. One writer calls his ebooks his “retirement fund”, even though he’s many years from retirement.

In this article, we’ll consider how you can boost your freelance writing income by writing ebooks for yourself, rather than for others.

When you start writing ebooks, you can write them for others so you know how the process works – writing for others gives you valuable experience in: the selection of a topic, the style of an ebook, and of the writing experience itself.

I’ve been writing/ selling ebooks online for five years; I love it for the interaction I have with my customers, and for me, producing ebooks is much more fun than going the traditional publishing route, as I did for many years, when I wrote for major publishers.

There are essentially two types of ebooks you write for yourself: for promotion, and commercial – to sell.

Types of ebooks – promotional, and to sell

You’ll write two types of ebooks: as promotional tools for your writing business, and as commercial ventures.

Your promotional ebooks are part of the marketing process for your commercial ebooks. They tend to be short, anywhere from five to 20 pages.

Your commercial ebooks will be longer, up to 100 pages. I’ve found that for ebooks, 100 pages is the limit. Reading on a computer screen is stressful, and your purchasers will appreciate it if you give them the information as quickly as you can.

Long ebooks of 200 pages of padded information are just annoying to your customers: they want useful information delivered in an entertaining, actionable form.

How much to charge – proprietary information is worth more

Setting a price for their ebooks is difficult for writers, because most writers have zero business experience.

The key to charging is working out how much NEW information is in your ebook, and how much that information is worth to the purchaser. For example, many business sites sell ebooks in to $500 to $900 range, because the information is proprietary information they’ve gathered via research, and because the information is worth much more than the cost of the ebook to their purchasers.

Ask yourself: how much VALUE am I providing? If an ebook is just a rehash of information that’s available elsewhere, it’s worth less.

Promoting and selling your ebooks

Before you start writing your ebook, you’ll need to work out how you’ll sell it. The marketing is just as important as the writing process.

Will you advertise? Where? Will you send out press releases?

Each ebook is different, and your marketing processes will vary. I like to use a combination of blogs, press releases and advertising. Over time, you’ll discover what works for you.

So, get started today, and write an ebook. It will boost your income from your writing, and you’ll have a lot of fun too.

Get started writing and selling your own ebooks.

Technorati Tags: writing, ebooks, sell ebooks, business ebooks, download ebooks, freelance writing, freelance writing jobs, writing process