Based on comments on this blog, email from various readers, and interactions with my newsletter subscribers. I have noticed one major problem most writers face, that is preventing them from making money, and this article will be addressing that problem.
How Much are You Really Worth?
If you are asked the question, how much are you really worth? What will be your response?
I love publishing my income reports on this blog because they kinda keep me accountable, and they also inspire a lot of readers of this blog, but one thing I have observed with these reports is that a lot of people read them just because of the fun they have doing so, and not really because they plan to take any real action.
Why can’t they take action? Why don’t they get started and get results? Because they are facing a major problem killing a lot of writers. Because they are dealing with FEAR. Fear of being perfect. Fear of getting clients who will hire them. Fear of getting paid what they deserve for the quality they provide, and other sorts of fears.
There Are Other Writers Out There Better than You
Face it! That’s the reality!
To be sincere with you, I have been on the receiving end of that statement more than once, and the great thing about it is, I’m not ready to argue with others about it.
There sure are other people out there better than me, at writing, at editing, or at doing whatever it is I’m doing for clients – but that’s not the point. The fact is, no matter how poor you are as a writer – or to rephrase it, no matter how poor people think you are as a writer, there are always clients looking for you out there.
The thought of other better writers being out there is crippling enough to make most writers not want to try, but the reality is that your work as a writer is more than writing. In fact, writing is only a fraction of what you have to do. Everybody can write, and there are a lot more writers springing out there everyday. What everybody can’t do is MARKETING! Not every writer can market their skills effectively, and not every writer is willing to do so.
It doesn’t matter whether you only have the most basic form of education available around you, or whether you have PhD in your field. You only need one particular skill to succeed as a writer, and that one skill is MARKETING.
You don’t need to be the perfect writer. Your writing doesn’t necessarily need to captivate your readers and make them do everything you ask them to do.
The cold hard reality is that we now live in an age where you won’t be able to feed yourself as a writer if you can’t learn to market yourself.
Maybe you are someone who sees “marketing” as dirty word, but to be sincere, your opinion about it really doesn’t matter. The reality is that it does work, and it always will.
I can give you a lot of writing tips, but of what use are they when you don’t have someone to write for? I can show you my favorite productivity tips, but of what use are they if you don’t have more clients that you can handle?
Challenge Yourself Now!
Why not take me on my word and try to become practical for just a week.
Identify services you think you can provide people, create a basic page on your blog/website highlighting your skills and experience, and go out there to market yourself. Guest blog on the top blogs in your field. Participate actively on forums. Comment massively on other blogs in your niche, and do everything you possibly can within that week to market yourself – don’t try to write any new content, don’t try to learn to improve your skills. Just go out there, market the heck out of yourself, and come back here to tell me what the result of your experiment is.
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3 Pings on "The One Problem Most Writers Face, and How to Overcome It"
20 Comments on "The One Problem Most Writers Face, and How to Overcome It"
its always good to find writers better than you as you can learn the best in them. With this you can enhance your talent and who knows you will be among the best one day.
This is true. I’ve got some really great books published, but marketing has always let me down. I’m not good at that at all.
Oni – You’re right that there’s always going to be someone out there who’s better than you are, but that doesn’t mean that you should compromise on what you know you’re worth. There are plenty of clients out there who are willing to pay reasonable rates for writers – you just have to find them
One thing that I’ve found helps to differentiate yourself from all these other writers is to offer additional services. When I take on new writing clients, I offer to source images and upload posts to blog sites, which sets me apart from a lot of others who just write.
Thanks for sharing these tips!
Those are good tips Sarah. I never thought about offering to upload pictures. I usually offer to help with SEO and help promise to promote the site with my social networks. I want to get the message across to them that what I am offering will provide results.
I also learn everything about a client as possible beforehand and try to think of ways I can use my writing to improve conversions for my clients. I think about what they are selling and get creative about what kind of content would help them the most. That shows them I have taken the time to understand what they do and know how to actually help them. They are paying me to help promote them in some way, not to write for the purpose of entertaining their readers.
Sarah,
I do offer something that many others don’t. When someone buys my stories they get full color pictures to go with the writing, wherther it is poetry or fairy tale.
I also offer to write holiday or personal poems for birthdays or any occasion for that matter.
See sample of a poem I crafted for a Dad, his three daughters a garden and flowers. (Do you think this Dad is asking for to much?) I guess not, as I delivered to his satisfaction and it hangs on a wall in his office. See below!
THREE FLOWERS IN MY GARDEN BLOOMED
By Don Ford
And in a Father’s garden,
Three gentle flowers grow.
Their petals open wide:
Their faces we behold.
“My children,” cries their Father.
“Stay safe within my garden wall.
May only gentle breezes blow;
My hope for you: Grow strong and tall.
And through the years stay close to me.
You’ll always feel your Father’s heart.
It ever reaches out to you,
Even if someday we part.
Remember this: your garden home,
In case you ever move away.
Your Father’s never far from you;
In my heart three petals stay.”
Author Notes
This was originally a request by a dad who loved his garden and his three girls. So I penned this for him.
I read somewhere that creating a product (or service in this case) should take 20% of our time, and marketing it should take 80% of our time! I guess it makes sense.
Raj,
This might be the case most of the time, but I do spend a lot of my time creating my stories and poems. As a storyteller at many different venues, I have to keep my story library up. LOL Cheers, Don (Greywolf)
P.S. See my children’s tale, Royal Ferdinand, on Amazon and available to read on Kindle as well.
I’d respond with not much at the moment but hopefully more later
Oni you are right on here, especially the last half about marketing. This has always been the case. You can’t expect that being a written genius will make you rich. That’s why writers spend months going on book tours. they need to come across as personable, speak articulately on their topic and get the word out about their new piece. Words can only speak to people if they are already reading them. They don’t sell themselves.
Hi Onibalusi,
I knew many people who don’t have good skills and knowledge but still doing their freelancing work, I mean they got some good contacts and of course doing good marketing to attract new clients. You’re quite right here you have to do marketing if you really want to survive in this competitive world.
I agree, it’s never easy to sell your skills, but somehow we should put modesty aside, and promote ourselves. Id we don’t learn to do this, the trust is that no one we’ll do it for us!
One great way to market yourself to high paying and low paying clients is to consistently write guest posts.
It may not be long before you land your first writing deal. But be steadfast, it’s going to be a success at the end. Freelance writing is all about FOCUS. Thanks Oni for sharing. I’m proud of you.
You are right most of us fear about perfection. We are not perfect and there are a lots of people will make fun of our writing skills or our skill.Thus do not try.
The second part about marketing is very true, if we are not able to market our self well. We will not be able to get some good clients.
Oni, you hit the nail at the head, marketing oneself is the key, its not just about good writing skills.
yea right, the fear to be perfect! That is so true Oni. I guess freelance writing needs belief-am talking about belief in oneself. Thanks 4 the great post
Ok, I’m gonna take that challenge. I’m kinnda short in clients for the past weeks and I can use at least one more serious long term client. Although a week promoting myself will lose me some money I’m willing to pay that price.
I myself at one point felt I was not worthy to blog about anything. Even on a personal note, I used to hesitate. However, I later learned that I could do better. I educated myself while i was blogging and today, i have awesome list of clients that I work with from time to time.
When I feel that my writing is not good I read your blog and I must say I am always inspired by your posts so a big thanks for that
hey buddy you are right marketing is the bedrock of any business,without it you are like a hermit in a lonely island.
Oni, this al rings so true! Love love love this site.