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Organizing what to do

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on July 16, 2010

in building a plan for writing., business, dicipline, growing as a writer, improving your writing, Making money writing, organization, Reach your goals, success and Writer's Life

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We talked about this a little bit last week when we were talking about organizing your time. Now we want to think a little bit about whether you have everything you need to accomplish your goals.

I don’t mean if you have all of the necessary training or background. Writing is a growth process so you’ll never arrive there. What I mean is just simple things. When you sit down to write do you have the notes that you need?
Do you have your character sketches?
Do you have your copy of Writing The Breakout Novel?
Do you have pictures that you use to help describe your main characters?
Do you have pencils to jot down notes?
Do you have your mouse? Your keyboard? Whatever it is that you use as part of the writing process so you’re not getting up and down out of your seat constantly to get things that you might have forgotten.

Organizing your workspace, as we said in the last post, is not always a matter of eliminating distractions but it’s also including things that will keep you focused and on task.

Till next time, remember to organize your workspace as well as your time.

Don’t miss a single posting! Subscribe here to receive these postings by e-mail. Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website atwritingcareercoach.com.

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Considering other venues for your writing

Published

Tiffany Colter

on March 2, 2010

in earn money writing, growing as a writer, Making money writing, Reach your goals, Writer's Life and writing groups

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sleep-to-dream-723188 Do you dream of one day living the life of a novelist? Each morning you wake up full of creativity and then spend a few hours typing beautiful prose that whisk your reader off to a world they never knew existed. As you finish one book and send it off to your agent the next one flows. You get book deals with substantial cash advances. Royalties come in and your only work is going to the book signings.

Well, that isn’t the reality. The truth is many books get a cash advance of only a few thousand dollars and first time authors don’t often get more than $12,000 for a book that took them more than a year to write. Of that 15% goes to your agent, 30% goes to the government and another sizable chunk goes to marketing. Those book signings? You set them up, not your publisher, and you handle all travel expenses.

So, why would a person want to be a writer? Passion. We cannot deny the thoughts buzzing in our minds. Our stories need to get out.

How do you earn a living at it? Diversifying is one option. Find individuals, groups, or community organizations who need writers. Offer your services to them and commit a specific number of hours each week to working on these projects.

Think of three places where you could offer your services for a fee.

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A Writer’s Business Team: Part 3

Published

Tiffany Colter

on February 18, 2010

in Books to build your business, business, growing as a writer, improving your writing, Making money writing and Writer's Life

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What does each person do to build my business? blocks

To determine how each of these people build your business you must first determine what role you’d like them to perform and what the specific result is. For those of you who completed “Intro to the Writer’s Life” pull out your business plan that you created and go through this as we build in this lesson. You may find that you can expand your goals by delegating tasks. You may also find that some of your goals that you created don’t directly build your business and that they should be delayed or eliminated.

Let’s start to look at each task they perform. Feel free to write in additional tasks that are specific to your writing business.

Editors

For the purpose of this lesson Editors means the people who acquire and edit work for periodicals, publishing houses and e-zines. These are the people you will submit a project to hoping to sell to them. I include them on your business team because you cannot look at yourself as an employee of a publishing house. You are an independent business owner who is contractually obligated to complete one or more projects for their company in exchange for a portion of the profit generated by that product.

This is very hard for many writers to accept in the beginning of their publishing career because they look at their writing as such a personal thing. I agree strongly that this is. I have spent a great deal of time researching my story, writing character sketches and building character arcs. I take great pride in the stories [both fiction and non-fiction] that I put together. However, in order to grow your business to the place that you can focus on that ARTISTIC portion of the business, you must first remove yourself emotionally from an individual story and look at the business as a whole.

So, the function of an editor as part of your business team is to be your advocate to the publishing board and also to help you shine that book in to the best it can be. Again, this is where emotionally separating yourself from your work must come in. If you get your affirmation from the exact story you wrote then this business will eat you alive. There will be no way for you to continue to function with the painful cuts in word count, the rejection of a book you spent months at and the mail from unhappy ‘fans’ if you are too emotionally connected to the project.

One great thing about writing, however, is it is highly relational. That means that as you begin to develop relationships with people on your writing team, like editors, you begin to mesh and join in a common vision. This makes it much easier to work together on future projects.

Marketing

To decide the role of the marketer you must first recognize what marketing is. For the sake of this lesson, marketing is establishing name recognition and credibility with your target audience. This will lead to sales of book length fiction, articles, non-fiction, etc.

What are some ways a writer markets. If you took my course “Writing Career Coach Part 1: Creating a Platform” we discussed at great length how you can build this name recognition. If you don’t own it I you can get it free with my coaching program. Information is available on my website.

Based on the teachings you’ve read these last few days, what roles might these people fulfill. Respond in the comments section of this blog.

Publicity

Agent

Freelance Editors

Web Designers

Virtual Assistant/Secretary

This is excerpted from: Writing Career Coach Part 2: Your Writing Business Team. Written by Tiffany Colter

Read more excerpts and follow the links below:

A writer’s business team: Part 1

A Writer’s Business Team: Part 2

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A Writer’s Business Team: Part 2

Published

Tiffany Colter

on February 16, 2010

in Books to build your business, business, growing as a writer, improving your writing, Making money writing, success and Writer's Life

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Who are the people that make up the team? Business_Team_2

Depending on your overall goals and business plan your team will vary but there are some positions that every writer must fill on their business team. Those people are:

Editors

Marketing

Publicity

Agent

Whether you fill these roles yourself or your hire them out, every writer must include these people on their business team. In addition to these there are others that will help build your writing business and should be included in a highly successful writing business.

Freelance Editors

Web Designers

Virtual Assistant/Secretary

In the beginning of your writing journey you’ll fill many of these rolls yourself. Gradually, however, you will need to focus your time and effort on doing the things that build your business and make you more productive. You will begin to outsource these tasks and focus increasing amounts of time on your actual writing.

Learning how to do this is why you bought this product.

This is excerpted from: Writing Career Coach Part 2: Your Writing Business Team. Written by Tiffany Colter.

Read more excerpts and follow th links below:

A writer’s business team: Part 1

A writer’s business team: Part 3

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A writer’s business team: Part 1

Published

Tiffany Colter

on February 11, 2010

in Books to build your business, business, growing as a writer, improving your writing, Making money writing, success and Writer's Life

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STEP 1: What is a writer’s business team?

A writer’s business team can radically change the functioning of your business. By recognizing all the functions necessary to the running of your writing business you can begin to outsource these various tasks as you grow in your writing.

Most people recognize this truth, even if they don’t openly acknowledge it. The advent of the virtual assistant shows this. Virtual assistants usually handle email correspondence, organizing newsletters and even blog tours. There are a variety of uses for a virtual assistant but they are not the only member of a person’s business team.

In his book, the E-myth revisited, Michael Gerber focuses on the idea of systems to create an effective business structure. On pg 12-13 he says “In the throes of your Entrepreneurial Seizure [the sudden need to start your own business], you fell victim to the most disastrous assumption anyone can make about going in to business…That Fatal Assumption is: if you understand the technical work of a business, you understand a business that does that technical work. And the reason it’s fatal is that it just isn’t true. In fact, it’s the root cause of most small business failures!”

This is important because it puts to rest the idea that if you are able to write a great story it does NOT necessarily mean you have what it takes to be a successful author. That is because writing is an art AND a business.

In my course “Intro to the Writer’s Life” I lay out the basics of the people who make up your business team. We are going to revisit that idea here and expand on them.

This is excerpted from: Writing Career Coach Part 2: Your Writing Business Team. Written by Tiffany Colter

Read more excerpts and follow th links below:

A Writer’s Business Team: Part 2

A writer’s business team: Part 3

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Preparing for change: part 1

Published

admin

on June 23, 2009

in future of publishing, Making money writing and marketing

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Last weekend Chip MacGregor posted a fascinating blog about where he thinks publishing will be in 5 years. Rather than the usual list of non-information you can find on some blogs, this posting is very thought provoking. Over the next couple of posts I want to comment on three of Chip’s points. I urge you to go back and read the entire blog to get a full understanding of all the changes he sees ahead.

Chip’s 1st point: “You will own an electronic reader.”

The reason I found this idea so striking is the multiple marketing channels that are available when you consider instant gratification in book reading. While it offers authors the opportunity to sell their books online through their own website [and have the reader see them instantly] it calls in to question current marketing practices like book signings, influencer copies [that are then passed along to other readers who become fans] and sales based on scanning the shelves.
On the positive side, it can also mean an increase in impulse buying.

Chip’s 4th point: “The concept of convergence will jump from newspapers and magazines to books.”

This is a really neat concept that I hope comes soon. This is having links, video, audio and bonus footage in the electronic books. I love the bonus features available on DVDs and many smart authors have recognized the benefit of bonus chapters or other special gifts on their website, but to have an ‘interactive book’ is awesome. When I consider the kinds of things that are possible with this technology my creative and marketing centers of my brain start doing flip flops. In fact, I can hardly wait 5 years to see some books using this. I can’t wait to use my creativity to maximize this technology with my own book.

Friday we will look at his 8th point. Make sure you go over and read his post, comment on my blog and then come back Friday to talk more.
So, if either of these are the future of book publishing, how do you need to start adjusting your marketing strategy and your platform development so you’re prepared to maximize your book sales?

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at http://writingcareercoach.com/contact.htmlTiffany is a speaker and teacher. Find out about available topics for your group’s next event.Tiffany is a National Examiner. Read her articles here.Learn more about Tiffany’s Marketing techniques on her main blog.Common-sense money management is free at The Balanced Life website. [www.TheBalancedLife.com]Read Tiffany’s award winning manuscript “A Face in the Shadow” on her fiction blog.She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer’s Rest.[http://writersrest.blogspot.com]

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How do I get there from here?

Published

admin

on June 15, 2009

in Making money writing and Staying focused on your goals

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Napoleon Hill wrote his classic book “Think and Grow Rich” not knowing that it would continue to be read and studied decades later. For him it was simply a matter of recording the wisdom of others.

He not only took the time to listen to people who knew something, but he also took the effort to apply what he’d learned.

We have a large amount of information available to us now. Even 10 years ago the internet wasn’t what it is today. However, you must discern the information that will help you at each juncture. That means you need to know where you’re headed.

Many of my new coaching students begin with a question like “How do I get published?” or “Is my book publishable?”

It begins with learning from other people. That is why I spend so much time reading and sharing recommended books with you. The next step is always application.

“BUT WHERE DO I START?”

I will have to defer to the Wizard of Oz on this one. Dorothy was given a yellow brick road to follow. It clearly led her through scary lonely times and it led her though wonderful happy times. The key to why it led her was that she knew where she needed to go. She knew her ultimate goal was the Emerald City. She listened to the advice of someone who knew more than her [the Good Witch of the North] and started excited [The Munchkins--your other writer friends].

Once Dorothy knew where she was headed she kept going. That is what we must do. We must keep pushing forward…

To a clear goal.

So, on this Monday think about your goals and set some clear ones. What is it you’re working towards? What is your Emerald City?

If you don’t know that you’re simply wandering around paths and running back to Munchkin land every time you start to question yourself.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Tiffany is a speaker and teacher. Find out about available topics for your group’s next event.
Tiffany is a National Examiner. Read her articles here.
Learn more about Tiffany’s Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Common-sense money management is free at The Balanced Life website. [www.TheBalancedLife.com]
Read Tiffany’s award winning manuscript “A Face in the Shadow” on her fiction blog.
She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer’s Rest.[http://writersrest.blogspot.com]

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A rare Wednesday post

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admin

on May 13, 2009

in growing as a writer, Making money writing and Writer's Life

. 2 Comments

You know that I usually don’t post on Wednesdays here at Writing Career Coach, but I simply had to write.

I read a blog on the ChipMacGregor.com website today that had me almost cheering! Sandra Bishop, an agent at MacGregor Literary, wrote an analogy about the writer’s life that I believe EVERY SINGLE WRITER–no matter their stage of writing–should read and share with others. Read the posting here.

[If the link doesn't work copy and paste here http://chipmacgregor.typepad.com/main/2009/05/a-twisty-little-story-from-sandra-about-the-writing-journey-.html]

After you’ve read it I would love to have you come over and tell me what you thought of the posting.

I’ll see you on Friday for our normal end of the week blog.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Tiffany is a speaker and teacher. Find out about available topics for your group’s next event.
Learn more about Tiffany’s Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Common-sense money management is free at The Balanced Life website. [www.TheBalancedLife.com]
Read Tiffany’s award winning manuscript “A Face in the Shadow” on her fiction blog. [http://tiffanycolter.blogspot.com]
She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer’s Rest.[http://writersrest.blogspot.com]

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You now have insider information!

Published

admin

on April 30, 2009

in building a plan for writing., Making money writing and marketing

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How many of you have read about how much best sellers actually make? L Viehl shares in this blog how much they actually earn. While it was a little discouraging for me to see that she received a $50,000 cash advance and only began to receive royalty statements about a year after the books RELEASE, it also is a very useful article to see how a best selling author determines her marketing budget [yes, even best sellers use some of their cash to promote their books.]

What is great is that in this blog posting we’re able to see the wizard behind the curtain and get an idea of what our actual potential is in publishing.

Here is the positive view. This is ONE book! For a writer who wants to build a business as a writer it is likely to do more than write a single book in a year. Furthermore, 1/2 that advance is still $25,000 which is a decent wage.

This demonstrates again the need to have multiple streams of income in your writing business. You need to have a marketing strategy that not only points to your current book but to your developing back list [books you've previously published]. This is a growing warehouse of products you’re creating. Think also of the teaching opportunities that come with a best selling book. What articles can you write? What auxiliary services can you provide [remember those from a few weeks ago?]

What this shows you is that the book can be the “infusion of capital” that fuels your writing business. Rather than being the end result, a cash advance can actually be the ongoing income stream that helps you build your actual writing business [which includes not only books and articles, but speaking, teaching and other products/services.]

It’s about thinking flexibly about your writing career. It is about seeing how everything works together and then creating a business plan that will capitalize on the REALITY rather than the ILLUSION.

You have information that most people only dream of. Use it to your advantage!

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany’s Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Common-sense money management is free at The Balanced Life website.
Read Tiffany’s award winning manuscript “A Face in the Shadow” on her fiction blog.
She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer’s Rest.

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Making money when the magazines aren’t buying

Published

admin

on January 27, 2009

in changing with the times, finances, Making money writing and New Features

. 5 Comments

So, I imagine that one of the goals for you guys would be earning some money. What are you going to do in Feb. to make that happen? With fewer and fewer magazines buying articles these days it can be really tough to figure out where to start.

One thing I’ve done is offer additional services. Of course, you need to have some knowledge about the service you’re offering. I don’t offer medical transcription because I don’t know medical jargon. I do offer Newsletters, however.

What made me decide to write and design newsletters for others?

As I was researching on marketing I came to the conclusion that Newsletters are a great way for businesses and non-profits to keep in touch with their readership. E-newsletters are less expensive than traditional newsletters and offer the option of linking directly to a specific blog posting or website. They offer tight copy with click through options. This is what I specialize in. I’m an author. I know how to write in a way that engages readers. That is what I’m doing. I’m taking the skills I’ve learned in sales and marketing the Writing Career Coach and my own writing to create another stream of income.

What are skills you’ve developed that you could market to others?

What are some things you’ve learned to do that you can use to create another stream of income? What need can you meet? We’re in a down economy so what skills do you have that can help advance others? Can you earn an income doing this?

What foundations can you lay now for the future?

History shows that some of the greatest fortunes were from people who sowed in a time of lack. What skills can you acquire now? What businesses can you plan? How can you set yourself up for a future with greater success than you now have. What you’re doing now is setting the course for future success or failure. What you do today determines your long term results. These are facts, not cliches.

Take this slow down to reassess whether your spending is in line with your goals. Is the way you spend your time going to give you the tools you need? Have you changed what you’ve been doing? That is the only way you’ll change what you get [unless you've already made positive change and you're simply building momentum. In that case, keep going.]

So spend some time finding out what the needs are you can meet. Maybe it is doing some website design? Maybe writing business letters for a few local businesses for $20 each. Or maybe, like me, you’ve discovered a way to offer a service with high quality but a lower price than what others are currently doing. Larger firms can be locked in to higher prices because of high overhead. You can be nimble. You can adapt.

So find the positive in every change of circumstance. Find the hidden money. Consider writing content for brochures or descriptions of products. All of these can build you financially and create a sphere of influence for the future.

If you’d like to know more about my low cost newsletters email me through my contact page. You’ll find that keeping in touch with your clients is less expensive than you thought.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at www.WritingCareerCoach.com
Learn more about Tiffany’s Marketing techniques on her main blog.
Read Tiffany’s award winning manuscript “A Face in the Shadow” on her fiction blog.
She writes a blog for the Christian writer Tuesdays at Writer’s Rest.

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Archive for the 'Making money writing' Category

Organizing what to do

Considering other venues for your writing

A Writer’s Business Team: Part 3

A Writer’s Business Team: Part 2

A writer’s business team: Part 1

Preparing for change: part 1

How do I get there from here?

A rare Wednesday post

You now have insider information!

Making money when the magazines aren’t buying

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