It's A New Year! What Are Your Writing Plans?

[UpAndAtEm]

Wow. I can't believe there aren't any posts here since Christmas. I hope that's because you're all so busy writing and making money!

Me? I'm up to the usual. Still working on my new writing products and website. I've got plans in the works now for a fourth title, which I hope to complete next month. I've also got a quantity deal in the works. I nearly lost it but called my contact and found out what the problem was. We're communicating again and I'm optimistic that they'll be placing an order very soon. Apparently there's a major staff change going on so we need to wait until the changes are complete before we can proceed. I'll be talking with them again next month.

I'm also filling orders for my third title. I got alot of orders over the holiday and I'll be going to print early next week and getting those out to everyone.

So, how about you? What are you writing this year? Any big plans? Long range goals? Short term goals? Taking it one day at a time? Share please!

[judilynn]

Kim! Glad to hear your business is doing so good! That is great you got a lot of business over the holidays! Looks like your 2008 is going to be very successful!

As for me, I have decided to eliminate the middleman and go after my own clients. You can take a peak at Written Word Services (hopefully it is in my sig block :) It's been up less than a week and I already have one client :) Yipee! Ok so we bartered for services, but it was something that I really needed!

So I have been busy writing, writing and more writing :) All sorts of various topics. At least with this though I can write about what I know and love more. You gotta love that!

Content Content Content! Got some???

[tam2005]

Kim...that sounds awesome! :)

And Judi, your new site looks great and congrats on your new client! :D

Something exciting is happening with me...I'll be sharing this in a couple of weeks. Hopefully! :p

[UpAndAtEm]

Judi,

I looked at your new site. Very nice! I also noticed your Market What You Make site is finished. It looks great! Congratulations to you on getting so much done!

Hey, email me or pm me. I'd like to know what your fee is for content. I'm very soon going to be producing two print newsletters - one for authors and the other for business owners. I may need someone like you to put it together for me or at least help with some of the content. I'll be writing some of the content too, but I just can't do it all. I'm in the process of building two new author sites, and a new blog, and keeping up with the old site and blog there, plus I've got a new booklet title (my 4th!) coming out next month. Add in all the marketing I do plus handling all the sales, and I'll soon be handling sales for other authors too, and you can see there just aren't enough hours in a day!

So, get back to me and we'll talk!

[judilynn]

Tam, can't wait to hear what's up! You got me curious now girl!

Kim I sent you an email. Can't wait to see your new sites! When will they be coming online?

So many great things going on!

[UpAndAtEm]

Judi - I emailed you back!

Tammy - I'm curious too now! Do tell!!! Please?

[for2kids]

Well this week I'm going to start writing an ecourse to use for building my leads list with my new Watkins biz. After that, I want to commit to write at least 2 articles a month, to submit to sites.

I started a blog and I plan to write daily or at least every other day.

It's not much, but it's something :rolleyes:

[UpAndAtEm]

It may not seem like much, but every little bit adds up! How are you planning to deliver your ecourse? Autoresponder? Email? Pdf? I ask because I have a home study course I'm developing and I'm still looking for the best way to deliver it. At present, I'm seriously considering delivering it in hard copy via snail mail.

[for2kids]

I'm going to be using autoresponder. I got free unlimited autoresponder account here (http://www.isoregister.com/GA/for2kids.html). I think it's easier than using regular email. I created my squeeze page already all I need to do if finish those classes, upload them, and watch the leads roll... :rolleyes:

[UpAndAtEm]

Hmmmm. That is a very intriguing option. I think I will learn a little more about this company and what they have to offer. It might suit my needs too. Thanks for sharing that!

Good luck getting those leads!

[for2kids]

I know! They offer a bunch of other free stuff too. So far I am impressed. Thank you for wishing me luck with my leads. I have written 2 classes so far (out of 7) but I think it is going great.

[UpAndAtEm]

Good for you! It sounds like you're off to a great start! I bet in your line of business there are all kinds of classes you can offer.

One question. When you write an email or send out your newsletter, is there any kind of stamp on it from that company? Most of the time, I've found that free autoresponders stamp everything you send out.

[judilynn]

That would be my issue with free autoresponders. You never know what advertising may appear. It may even be your competition. The one I use has their name on the email it generates when some one subscribes but that is it. any email, ecourse or newsletter is not branded.

I know a lot of people resist paying for things in this business. I just did an article over the weekend for Market What You Make called "You Get What You Pay For". While there are some great free products out there, this isn't one that I would mess with. But that is my personal opinion. I tried unsubbing from a list this morning using this service and there was just no way to do it. :( not a good impression. There are great list builders and autoresponders aweber is great and then there is WAHMcart. I personally support anything that is run by WAHMs :) and it has a shopping cart to boot.

And just for those that are curious the others I wouldn't mess with are domains and webhosting. Free sites and webhost are just not the impression you want to give in business.

And with that I get off my soap box :) Just one of my little pet peeves. Take it as you will. We all have opinions.

[UpAndAtEm]

Wow, Judi. I never even thought about all the other advertisers on the free autoresponders. Good point! I was thinking mainly about the autoresponder's own stamp - which sends the message to your clients and customers that you are cheap or can't afford to pay for the service. Not a good message to send.

[judilynn]

You know everyone wants their name on something, and that would be great. I have a lot of stuff that says Walmart, LOL. But you know they have to get their money from other advertisers who want THEIR name on things. If you knew who it was, I guess it wouldn't be to bad, but it is the unknown of who is going to show up on the page.

If you have been on the internet for a while and had a geocities site (now yahoo) you will remember that there were banners at the top that rotated. A lot of places would have a statement below it saying that they were not responsible for the content of that banner. Geocities didn't like that either, but some of those banners were really questionable.

I would hate to see that in anyones business, you know? I don't think its cheap to let them know who you use (especially if there is an affiliate program :) Just make sure you are using one that fits your needs and gives the appearance you wish to present to the world :)

Well I am off to start my to do list. Your email is right at the top Kim! Blame it on the nyquil I didn't get there last night, but hey this AM my brain is working much better and I can breathe again!

[UpAndAtEm]

Judi,

I think you misunderstood me. I meant it makes your company appear cheap if you are using a free autoresponder and your email recipients can see that. I get email all the time from a company I know makes millions of dollars a year, and some of the email I get from them is stamped, but it's an expensive program so it make sense. If they were sending me email stamped with name of a free autoresponder, I'd have to wonder if they were really legit and making as much money as they claim to be.

[judilynn]

Judi,
I think you misunderstood me. I meant it makes your company appear cheap if you are using a free autoresponder and your email recipients can see that.

Nope I got you, LOL. The walmart comment was just because, well I am cheap. Would prefer my clothing was labeled with ... see I can't even think of a good line of clothing I am so cheap.

But we are saying the same thing. Our labels say so much about us. Make sure we represent our business with the best that we can afford. And the right fit for us, which may not be the most costly. Does that make sense???

[UpAndAtEm]

Yes, Judi. That makes perfect sense! Glad we're on the same page!

[smbwallace]

My plans this year are to GET SOME WORK DONE! I don't have anything as ambitious as you ladies have going, but then again with an infant around just getting some work done is rather ambitious itself.

My work (hence my pay) suffered greatly last year just because I couldn't keep pumping it out as prolifically as before the baby came. I didn't lose any jobs/clients although I did have to go from a weekly assignment to a monthly assignment with one newspaper and went for months on end without submitting a thing to my best paying newspaper client.

Desperation has brought on several light bulb moments lately and one of them was to try working at night. The baby is old enough now to go down with his dad at night and sleep three or four hours for the first stretch, and I've been using that time to work. Though I hate working while my husband and the other kids are around (I feel that I should be spending that time with them but we're running on fumes financially right now) I've been having them babysit the baby while I work some in the afternoons/evenings.

It's all worked out just great! I can't believe it. The weekends seem to be my best times to churn out work, and I work a few hours a few nights during the week depending on how much work I have to do. I just started this a few weeks ago but it's going really well. I got caught up very quickly and have now am working to get back to normal with everything on frequency of publication. YAY!

[judilynn]

I actually writer really well on the weekends as well. Except yesterday when everyone was off and the neighbors dog barked all day.

But going to make up for it today. May even break out that book I am writing if I get all my work done!

[UpAndAtEm]

Good for you, Michelle! It sounds like you've worked everything out beautifully! Just remember, even on days when you don't get everything done, every little bit helps. It's like dropping coins into a jar. Pretty soon the jar is full and those coins add up to alot of dollars!

[judilynn]

I find that after a day when I don't get "anything done" I feel inspired the next day. Almost as if not writing for one day clears the path for the next few days. Though I have learned to keep a notebook with me on those off days to jot down ideas so I don't lose them, when I do get time to sit down and write!

[smbwallace]

Thanks ladies ... I love the feeling of getting something accomplished with my work. It's like I can relax and breathe easier and maybe even have a day where there is very little on my planner to do, like today. I love taking the day off because I've been able to get so much done lately that I'm not in a rush for the day.

This working at night is working out really well for me, so I'm definitely going to keep it up. (I guess now my goal should be to balance that with getting some rest and keeping my house cleaner!)

[UpAndAtEm]

Judi,

When I don't get everything done in a day, or I don't get enough done in a day, I don't feel inspired the next day. I feel anxious! I hate falling behind because it seems that it has a snowball effect. But, sometimes it happens and it can't be helped. When it does, I just get myself in gear and get busy as fast as I can.

Michelle,

Yes, rest is very important! At one point, when I was writing at night, I'd be up until 3am and once I even stayed up until 5am. But, it made it too difficult to get through my day because I was too tired. It also took its toll on my immune system and I found I got sick more often. So, make sure you get enough sleep!

Why don't men ever have these problems?

[judilynn]

I kinda meant a day without writing. I write so much that sometimes a days break were I write nothing helps keeps things in perspective. Since 5AM I have written 10 different articles. Now granted some of those over lapped subjects, but that is a lot of words. After a few days of this I will need a break where I don't type out one single word. Those days are the days I get inspired :)

[UpAndAtEm]

Judi,

If I wrote as much as you do I'd feel the same way! I'd probably only work three or four days a week just so I'd have breaks to look forward to! I admire your tenacity and dedication.

[judilynn]

Well I need to pay bills, so the more I write the more I get paid :) anyone need content? send them my way!!!

[UpAndAtEm]

Yes, I understand the bills dilema! But, at least you're able to pay them by doing something you enjoy.

Keep writing!