I have been doing a lot of shameless self promotion for a competitive scholarship I am trying to win.  Normally I would be intimidated by something like this. Not the case this time it is fun. I am really touched by the support of my people. My friends and family the community that supports me. I'm lucky. However there is a lesson in it. 


Don't wait for permission, be great anyway!
The lesson is don't wait for someone to validate you. Don't wait for permission to be great. First, of all those who are on top want to stay there and rightfully so. What, are you planning on buying there kids dinner or new clothes when you take the top spot? No of course not, however the people on top are going to want that sweet position and that is natural if you want it to have to work for it and earn it. That way people even if they don't like it respect you for it. Cause damit you earned it. So what can anyone say? 

So many writers, so many people are waiting like little bulbs in the soil for someone to make it rain for them so they can be "a chosen one" but it doesn't work like that. You need one of two things to start your success. You need capital money to back you up so you can essentially purchase some love from folks or you need folks. Folks who care what you are up to. That is what gives power to a person Love or Money honey. 


For Love or Money
Power given by Love or money translates to business, politics, fame, writing. You name it, the power is given.  By the people it's on loan, never permanent. Don't ever take that lightly. No one can give you the people's power. Sure it can be transfered in a way by endorsements yet it's on loan. To have access to it,  you earn it, you got it or you don't. 


Garbage out, garbage in


Some people attempt to use fear to try  to embezzle power from people but that never lasts long. Love that is earned is where its at. So how do you get this Love? You give it. You give it out whether it be by helping folks in your family, your neighborhood, your community or an even larger scale.  You say" Sophia what the heck does this have to do with writing? I am a writer. Not a politician or anything else!" Yeah I know. But first you have to know what people care about. 

If you put nothing out, nothing will return.  If you put garbage out, garbage will return. If you put kindness, generosity and love out into the world. Kindness, generosity and love has a way of finding its way back with dividends. 

People have to know how much you care, before they care how much you know. 

That lesson above is one of the most important ones I have learned. You need people to care about you. There are plenty of people that talk at us, very few that communicate with us and that makes a big difference.  Care about people, be a benefit to them, not a dictator of your will and things tend to work in your favor a lot more.  In addition  people of right action win respect. Take action about issues you care about. To put it simply getting out there and doing something helps you to have an impact on the world. It is good to know what someone has done before feeling compelled to listen to them. Talk is cheap, actions are not. Some say it makes the world a better place but that is up for debate what it does is make the world more palatable to you. And when we speak honestly that's all we really want right? 


Next level stuff
So in this vein my latest project is to go to this blogging convention in June. Man I really want to win this! I don't usually want things but I want this.  I really want to go. This is an opportunity for me to hone my craft doing something that is very authentic to who I am and what it feels my mission on this planet is. Seriously. So  I have been asking people to vote for me. Luckily I don't have to ask people for money that's still a stumbling block for me but I can ask them to click for me and click they have and I have to tell you its been pretty awesome!


I'd like to thank...
So thanks to those of you who believe in me. I see the path and I am ready to step onto it. I am ready to manifest the best me that I can. Let's do this! I hope you believe in you enough to express the best version of yourself that you can too. If you need permssion here it is "I hereby give you <insert name here> absolute and total control of your destiny. You now have permission to be happy, successful, to manifest your best work and to be rightfully rewarded. By giving the best of yourself to humanity may you get the best reward for that gift." Ok you have permission go forth and rock the world :o) 


** Side note**
Please help me win a scholarship to #NN11! Click to vote: http://bit.ly/emS60V

Thanks!

Today my action toward my dream of being a successful freelance writer was to apply for a two positions I am somewhat qualified for as a Featured Content writer. I applied though I am not sure if I am ready. I did it anyway  because I read a quote once that says, and I paraphrase, "Choose a dream that's slightly too big for you so you can grow into it." That's what I'm doing. We'll see how it goes.  

 If it doesn't work out I will keep working at it and I know in my heart that one day it will work out. Because I really have a feeling now that I am where I need to be. This is something I can do and that I am good at. Just keep plugging away everyday until I start getting some results. 

I was chatting with a group of writers that I network with on Facebook and we were comparing notes about which articles got the most clicks. The funny thing is it is hard to predict. We found as a group that the articles we did the most research and worked the hardest on were not the ones that got the most page views. Many times it was the article that was thrown together at the last minute on a whim that did better with readers. Who knew? Who knows the magic combination? If anyone did they'd be a billionaire because every one would want to know their secret. In the end it is just fishing. The more lines you have in the water the more likely it is that the nibbles will come. 

Going to work on getting another line in the water now and see if it gets any nibbles :o)

So the biggest struggle is making money with my talent. This is because time is limited and I am not making best use of it. I am going to work on it. There are some great ideas and links I would like to utilize and place on this page and those goals can be met in the upcoming weeks. 

I think I am narrowing in on what makes me unique as a writer. Which brings me to the next question in my progress does anybody else care about these things, who are these people and do they care enough about it to lay some money down for it so I can feed my kids? These are all important questions. Questions writers ask every day. 

How writers can get income. 

Winning Grants and Contests. 


There are many writing grants and contests. They are very competitive. However it is good to lay down the best of your work and see what you've got stacked up to others. It is a good way to hone the craft and if you happen to be awesome you win money and that is fantastic. 

Writing for Content Sites. 

With Google's new algorithm change they added more of a challenge to making money creating content for content sites like Associated Content, Helium, Demand Studios, Hubpages and others. Though these are still worthwhile ventures and I am optimistic that Google will work something out that will mutually beneficial for Google and the content creators though for now it sucks a bit in that category. 

Private clients. 

Yes. This takes marketing and like many fields it is always the first few clients, that breakthrough that is difficult to get. Once you have a few clients and you can show you are worthy to pay for then  referrals can bring in more. I am hoping to open up this avenue once I have the time to commit to making deadlines and that type of thing. 

Queries for magazines etc. 

I have heard about these but as I am not quite to that point yet. I don't have much information about it. 

Local Magazines and Papers. 

These mediums like to have contributors though it is difficult to get payment. Where they can be a benefit is to create credibility and as a marketing tool. 


So these are the things I continue to work on. I feel optimistic and excited that I will crack my particular code and be able to take my work and my credibility to the next level soon. Speaking of which I better get back to writing! 

What should I write? That's the $1 million question right? 
Or maybe several million if you are really lucky and get the movie deal. 
However, for many writers we're happy to get something that others find meaningful to read. There is that line between a hobby writer and a professional writer. When writing for fun, just start typing and see where it takes you. When your writing for money one must follow trends and attempt to find that vein of gold that taps in to the collective consciousness to find that hot topic that millions of readers will click into.

There are some common threads though.  A writer needs experiences the way a carpenter needs materials. The richer the better. Not necessarily expensive. Exclusive, unique, a novelty. Something that addresses the strange dichotomy of the modern reader. Someone who is at the same time overstimulated and bored, someone who can be apathetic and fiercely passionate, someone who has a million choices for information  yet feels comforted by a few trusted information sources. This is an interesting market to manage. 

So what to write? Something that pops you out of your cozy bed in the morning saying I have to explore that! I have to share that! I can't believe that! I wonder what readers would think about this? 

Write about challenges you have overcome because most likely you are not the only one facing them. Write about beauty and hope that  have been witnessed in the world. Write about experiences as a lover, a partner, a friend, an employee, a manager, a small business owner, a  pet owner, a parent as a person from a unique cultural perspective maybe? It is a journey to find and create that unique voice.  

Look up Google and Twitter trends and see if there is something there that you can lend your unique perspective and voice to. Ah there now you got it! The most important thing is to create quiet moments with yourself to allow inspiration to speak to you. Julia Cameron in The Artist's Way calls them Artist Dates. Time with just you, your imagination and Inspiration going out into the world to collect materials. Then a good nap and who knows you may wake up with some inspiration there. A good walk or sometimes drive. The type of activities that get you into that somewhat lucid state where inspiration strikes. Then go for it. Always bring something with you to record good ideas for later, a notebook, a recorder, a sketchpad. Customize a solution just for you. 

What will make lightning strike and a person a world class writer? No one really knows for sure. It's like being a gold miner. Just show up every day at the claim, sift through some sandy ideas and who knows maybe one day you'll stumble upon a nugget or two. 
Good luck !!!

I think the hardest part for me is consistency. It is easy when writing is just a hobby because it is something waiting for you. It makes no demands, sets no expectations. It is similar to the transformation in a relationship from dating to marriage. 

Dating is purely voluntary. It is fun and exciting. You get to do it on your own terms. This is all the greatness of hobby writing. There is nothing expected of one another so there are no disappointments. 

Marriage is career writing. Sure you love them, however there are fights over the checkbook and how much money is coming in. The stakes are higher which can make it seem at times not as fun. Production, consistent production is expected, is required. A writer must live up to the expectation the audience has come to develop of them. If a writer is not careful the art becomes an obligation. It does not do as well in that capacity. Art is like an untamed lover and thrives in that capacity. It does not do as well in the role of husband or wife. 

Consistency in writing has to be there like a marriage to make it work, to make a living at it. That is part of the struggle or challenge of being a writer. The same challenge a married couple faces How to keep it fresh and new? How to keep the passion the excitement? How to do all this and be stable and consistent one that people can depend on. 

A writing schedule helps. Writing minimums for the day helps. To be a pro one must show up and write everyday. A writer must be accountable to themselves because there is no one to answer to, with freedom comes responsibility. Joining a writers group can be good for this. Someone to be accountable to, to socialize with. Groups are great for that as long as they don't become a distraction to writing in themselves. Discipline, writing goals and accountability are the ingredients to consistent writing every time.  

When working at home it is difficult to maintain a work life balance. For many reasons see my article about the challenges of working from home click here.  Working from home to two worlds overlap a lot which at times can mean that not much gets done house wise, or work wise if I am not careful. 

It is important to maintain a schedule of sorts. It need not be harsh though it does need accountability in order for goals to be accomplished. For example since the family is home I gave myself about 5 minutes to bang out a quick blog. However, with kids wanting hugs and friends popping up for a chat on Facebook it is easy to lose focus if I let myself. Again the word is balance. It is good to give kids hugs and have good communication with friends as long as goals are met. 

In the end I want my family, my relationships, to be in tact. It can be a struggle sometimes when just one more thing pulls me away. The fact is that many times writing can be easier for me than other aspects of my life. However, that is because 1) I'm in control of it 2) It is on my time 3) I can choose not to participate in the writing process if for any reason I don't want to . The rest of life is not that cut and dry. 

Work-life balance. A topic that can inspire volumes but for now I am going to spend some time with the family.

It is great to connect with shows like this and with other writer resources. I will try to share them as I find them.

Ok so yeah I know there are other writers who get millions of page views (PV)  a day. My article about the Chamber of Commerce got 128 PVs in one day! Since I was previously psyched to see 20 PVs ever for a story this is a personal best. Hopefully I can build on it. This is part of the journey I was talking about as far as finding my niche market.  They say baby-steps is how things get started. So a little celebration then back to work. How can I get more views, do better, be stronger at what I do? These are the questions I need to answer for myself. 

For now though a friend has invited me to lunch and being a writer I need to defiantly get out more. Much more, so I will prepare for that and get back to more writing later. And I hope to get some of those useful links I promised up on the Home page. Those should be happening soon. 

Write, edit, repeat. Write,edit, repeat!! :) 

Ok hokey title yet still very important, it is something that I have been thinking about and discovering on this journey from hobby writer to professional writer. 

What do you think of when I say writer?

At first I am thinking New York Times Best Seller List, author. People who write are authors. I need to make big money and be one of those! Yet even as I looked into  it, which list? There are so many now, non-fiction, fiction, thriller, romance, children's literature? On and on it all comes back to the question anyone who takes on the blank page faces... "What do I write about?"

Time tells all.

Time tells a lot about what a writer can do. With small kids, a family, volunteer work and other various things that need to be done I don't have the brain cells or energy left at the end of the day to create cohesive string of thoughts to create a novel of any sort. Maybe one day. 

I like the short bursts of information from blogging and article writing. The beauty of the blog is the ability to just let it go. Let the words flow and see what is there. Articles should have research behind them though I have read some articles where that clearly was not the case. However, to me integrity is so important and as such it is important to put best practices and best work out there. All you have as a writer is your reputation it should be protected with good work.

Journalism is another way to go. To be a journalist you need to be able to be mobile, do research and meet deadlines. This tends to be rather consuming and is good for single young people, or others who are otherwise unattached and have a much shorter list of distractions. There isn't much creativity going on in journalism just observe and report. If you do it well the story is there already you just put it on paper in a way that people might want to read.  As opposed to the creative writer whose challenge is to keep it believable.  However, other than that a creative writer can construct a completely new reality.  I think that is why I am so attracted to the idea of creative writing one day. 

The poet plays with words and pushes limits. Poetry done well is magical. However, it is not for the timid or impatient. I can create some poetry in the right mood, consistency is another thing. Patience is something I have little of and so I blog. That is my favorite method. Short and sweet, reality-based with some latitude of creativity. Not too much of a fact check extravaganza of course I do my best to be genuine and speak from the heart it's what I am most comfortable with. 

Know thyself. 

A timeless truth and no less true in writing. Know thyself. What I am doing now on my writer's journey  is trying out many kinds of writing styles to answer the question " Where are my strengths?" 

Many topics, many styles trying them on like a child tries on her mother's clothes. Seeing what works and what doesn't as I take the journey to self discovery as a writer. I really like Julia Cameron's books from her program The Artist's Way to help with this process. I have found benefit from them. Yet I know enough to know ultimately it is a very personal and private experience (though I am sharing it with you). 

No one can do the work for you nor tell you what will work for you.  Primarily what I find works for me are the topics that get my heart racing. Which unfortunately for me has little to do with celebrity news.  Which brings us to the second part of the equation of writing for a living and that is finding something you want to write AND something others want to read. People want to read Cosmopolitan however I can't stop blushing enough to write even a sample article. As my skills improve I may be able to fit in more with the Oprah magazine crowd that plays more to my strengths.  However, I feel I need much more practice before that happens. We'll see how it goes. I believe in miracles. :)

Well that's it for today's installment. Children are now going crazy in the other room. Time to put the mom hat back on. 

So my action item for today was to set up a QuickBooks file for my writing business. 
Having accounting in order is probably the most difficult task of owning/ operating a small business or being self-employed. They sure don't make it easy, yet it can be done. 

I was lucky to already have QuickBooks because my husband was using it for his business. There wasn't exactly one for freelance writer or at least not one that I have found yet. I'll continue to look. I just used the Marketing and Public Relations for now because it was the closest type of business to what I'd be doing. So we'll see how it goes. 

Accounting software...check.
If you are just starting out there are spreadsheets and easy accounting programs that can get you started for less money. However if you can invest in a good small business accounting program and get it set up by an accountant it saves a lot of headache down the road. 


Checking account....check. 
A few weeks ago I opened a really simple bank account that I'll be using for now and then upgrade as time goes by.  If you plan to take your writing seriously enough to make it a prosperous business it is a really good idea for tax purposes to have a separate checking account to run your business out of and not to use it for personal expenses. This way easier to say than to do. However in writing, blogging and web content creation it is difficult to prove until you are making the big bucks whether it is a hobby or a business.  Whether it is a hobby or a business means a lot as far as taxes and exemptions are concerned. Which I can talk more about on another blog. Anyway long story short don't mix business with pleasure financially or the IRS gets mad at you. 

PayPal account...check.
The other important thing I did was to start a business account with PayPal that is because that is the way I get paid by sites like Associated Content, Helium.com and others you can even receive payments from sites like this one on Weebly.com. Please see my donate key on the Home page.  :)

So things are moving a long. I am working on the foundation work and it feels pretty good. 

Well that is it for today. I have a few articles to write that need to be finished today. 
Create an amazing day! 

One way a writer can make some money on her website is to add Google Adsense. That is my task for today in addition to completing some writing assignments I have due in the next few days so I won't be able to spend too much time on it. 

The way it works is that you post a banner somewhere on your page and you get paid when people click on the ads. I think you also get paid for page views but I am still learning about it. I'll let you know when I find out for sure. I also remember reading some really great blogs about creating revenue as a writer. I will try to post them here as a resource over the next week. Well I'd better get to it today, busy, busy, busy!

The biggest challenge for any artist whether it be visual arts, writing or music is the same as it has been over the centuries. How do you make money at it? Where the very lucky have patrons or wealth from other avenues that they can use to support themselves while they hone their craft many of us do not. However there are many who do make a decent living writing and it is my goal to be one of those people. 

I am writing now for Associated Content and Helium. com. They are both awesome venues to learn my craft in a hands-on manner and it brings in a few bucks now and then. The name of that game is volume and choosing content that is timely that the public is hungry for. 

I liken it to a game of Hungry Hippos where many writers are out there trying to grab those hot titles and write to them before the topic is too saturated or the fickle public has already moved on to its next distraction. At first it seemed a little frustrating however over time it became exciting and fun. 

It is easy to get your work accepted for what is called PPV- paid per view. You get paid based on the number of people who click on your page and view it, easy enough. This has driven the industry I feel to move toward the controversial, at time damaging, titles  some which are more than a little misleading.

By mentioning a hot button word that gets folks fired up examples like abortion, gun control (they are taking our guns), or things like Jersey Shore you can get clicks. If you mention Oprah Winfrey, Sarah Palin or Glenn Beck you can get some clicks.  Gay rights, immigration and drug legalization generate some clicks as well depending on the way the title is worded. The thing people do is to make people irate so they click, comment and share. It is good for getting paid but in my opinion it is not very healthy for society.



One of the challenges as I transition from hobby writing to professional is how to bring in the clicks without feeding the monster that media has become. That which the Rally to Restore Sanity spoke out about.  I have a lot of moralistic ideals and not much money. That is one thing I wrestle with on my journey. Can I keep my ideals and my identity and still make money in this trade? We'll see. 

The goal is to crack the code that will allow me to obtain larger up front payments for stories. I have not as of this moment cracked that code. One thing I know about myself though is I am very analytical and tenacious. In addition my kid's futures depend on my success. And as a mother that is more than enough incentive for me to figure this out. I'll leave it at that for today.  

This blog is a field guide. A map of my journey from "just for fun" writer to  a professional. I have been story telling since I could talk and writing came naturally to me as a small child. I loved the control I had over the page in a world that I had very little control over. My journal was my friend an a release as time went on.

As I grew up I learned the power of words, in a love letter, a letter to the editor, and in business. I grew addicted to that feeling when someone reads your work and  a change is made, an impact is imprinted. I also love creating a literary or cyber escape world where devoid of fiscal challenges much beauty and peace can be created. That is why I do what I do. It is a calling. 

Now I find myself almost 40 years old and like many in America in a harsh financial reality the worst of  it is it doesn't reflect who I am as a person. I don't want to be behind on bills and other financial responsibilities. It is not who  I am and I feel that. I feel that my expression of myself in the world isn't genuine right now. I think taking my words to the marketplace and making a living with them will allow me to be more of myself. If that makes any sense to anyone. It makes sense to me :o)

So I will continue to document my journey. It is a career journey and a next phase of life journey. I hope to find others who can relate and share with me on this journey. It's better to take a journey of this magnitude with friends.