Have you got stuck recently thinking about what you should write? If you did, then your focus is on the wrong place. You are getting fixate on things like subject and genre, even niche. And all these are not essential to developing your calling as a writer.
The words you say are the paint on the house. The foundation is the belief behind them, which is something most writers miss.
As writers, we must begin, not with what we say, but how we say it. People care more about the why than the what. In other words:
Voice trumps subject.
Everyone has a story. The easiest way to find your voice is to start telling yours. People connect to other people’s experiences, especially when it’s painful or embarrassing. When you share yours, you’re inviting others into a place where they can feel heard. Write one true, vulnerable story, and see how people connect.
Authorpreneur Journey Step 13
Understand what your business is.
A blog is not a business. A podcast is not a business. A YouTube channel is not a business.
Content is marketing.
A business is activities that produce and sell goods and services for profit. A business model turns your blog or podcast, or YouTube channel into a business.
What is a business model? A business model is a plan for the successful operation of a business, identifying sources of revenue, and the intended customer base, building products to meet their needs, and selling them while making a profit.
Understanding these concepts is important. Many writers do not understand the basics of a business.
In the writing industry, the following story plays out time and time again. It typically goes something like this:
A person discovers blogging for the first time while sitting in their cubicle at their day job or waiting on the kids to get home from school. They get lost in this new world they’ve discovered, reading everything they can find on the subject. They get their nerve up, buy a domain, and start a blog. They’ll worry about the money part later — the goal from the outset is simply to have a creative outlet… And then they wake up a year later wondering when the money part was supposed to happen. Did they miss a step?
Well, yes, they did. They forgot to make a product or service. At some point, every professional creator has to turn the corner from blogger-looking-for-a-creative-outlet to creator-trying-to-build-a-profitable-business.
The key change along the way? Start making money by building a product or service and selling it to your audience at a price that makes sense.
It’s important to choose a business model right in the beginning so that you can design your website, your content calendar, and all of the rest of your marketing efforts to help build that business model.
Here are the four fundamental online business models you can choose from:
Ads, Sponsorships, & Affiliate Marketing
Physical Products (t-shirts, mugs, anything personalized)
Digital Products (books, novels, ebooks, workbooks, journals, planners, posters, wallpaper images)
Services (workshops, courses, coaching)
Your homework this week:
Choose your business model.
While Affiliate Marketing seems to be an easy way to start, it actually needs millions of visitors visiting your site for you to make any money from it.
Digital products and services are a good starting point followed by physical products and ads, sponsorships and affiliate marketing as you grow and have a big audience.
Writing Industry News
A new app, Clubhouse, is making big news. All of a sudden, it is everywhere. Part talkback radio, part conference call, part Houseparty, Clubhouse is a social networking app based on audio-chat where you can listen to conversations, interviews, and discussion between interesting people on various topics. It is just like tuning in to a podcast but lives and with an added layer of exclusivity as Clubhouse is invite-only. [The Guardian].
If you want to know what big names are on it, this The New York Times article is worth a read.
The clubhouse app is at the early adopter’s sweet spot. You may start a room as a completely unknown person and still, get dozens or even hundreds of listeners in — just because there aren’t that many rooms yet competing for attention.
Should you be on it? “That depends,” says Ricardo Fayet of Reedsy.
If you are looking to network with fellow authors (indie or trad) or even reach agents and publishers (who often host rooms about querying and submitting), Clubhouse is currently an unparalleled opportunity.
But you should not force yourself to be active on any social medium if you don’t genuinely enjoy it. It will be a waste of both time and creative energy, says Ricardo.
Naomi Nakashima’s article Using the new Clubhouse App for Writers is worth reading if you want to listen to and follow conversations in your niche.
What Am I Up to?
This week, I finally indexed all of my Medium articles. It was a big task with 80 articles to link, but I am pleased it is done, and now readers can access my articles by category. Here they are if you wish to visit them.
Now the drumroll!
Ladies and Gentlemen, coming to you, in your living room (or bedroom, wherever you prefer), my first ever online course for an international audience, “LinkedIn For Writers,” on Tuesday 20 April 2021, 8:00 - 9:30 PM PDT. As the recipient of this newsletter, you get the first preference to register.
I am only taking 16 participants so that there is plenty of time for discussion and questions.
The registration is open and will close on Tuesday, 6 April 8:00 PM PDT.
Register here and you will be taken to the following screen.
What Intrigued Me This Week?
Steven Moore, a Medium writer, wrote in a LinkedIn post, “No matter what you make or what you make it about, you have to make it for something. Your work has to have a purpose.”
If you make something because you like it or because you think it's necessary, the best you can hope for is a small audience who agrees. The worst case, you'll have an audience of one - you.
But if you can answer the question, "who is my work for?" and "what does my work do?" you will be able to attract a large audience who will benefit from your work.
Many people say, "I'm a writer."
Fewer can say, "I'm a writer whose words help people overcome mental health issues."
Even fewer can say, "I'm a writer whose words help people overcome mental health issues, particularly depression, with a focus on actionable frameworks."
When you get clear on why you are doing something, the who and the how becomes easier. When you know your purpose, you discover the audience.
Wow! That intrigued me.
We all need to figure out “who are we writing for” and “what does my work do?”
Does it entertain or inform?
Does it solve a problem?
Does it provide a service?
Does it make a person's life easier?
Answering these questions can help unlock your true potential.
I came up with the following statement after doing this exercise.
"I am a writer. I write both fiction and non-fiction. With my fiction, I entertain readers who enjoy character-driven stories. With my non-fiction, I help other writers get better at their craft, self-publishing and marketing their work."
That’s it from me this week.
Take care.
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