Six Figure Writing

Hi from SueC here at Six Figure Writing! As a new reader, be sure to subscribe to my email list, and my RSS feed to get the most out of SFW. Thanks for stopping by!

Here’s an extremely interesting take on how to be successful in a music career, which I think has a ton of great advice for writers as well.

Derek Sivers is a musician who built the business CD Baby. Last month he published a free ebook titled “How To Call Attention To Your Music” giving musicians really incredible, distilled advice about reaching a bigger audience.
I think this amazing doc has a really important message for writers who want to be successful into the future.

Writers need to grasp that the publishing industry is going the way of the music industry - decentralized, far less attention (meaning marketing muscle) given to the smaller artists in favor of the big, sure-thing blockbusters. But also, the tools to make a career are now in everyone’s hands thanks to the massive technloogy changes in the last 2 decades.

Since it’s really only been 20 years of technology, I can understand why some don’t feel the ground shifting yet. For example, I read a hilarious set of posts on a big writer’s forum recently (which were truly sincere and not trying to be funny) on a writer’s forum, where some posters seemed to say that in order to be published there was a lot of praying involved.

But look at Siver’s website: the technology gurus he bookmarks, the ideas. he generates.

Then think about how musicians are coping now that their dreams - of being picked up by the mega-music conglomerate for multi-multi-million record deals, massive international concert tours - you know, the next Beatles or Rolling Stones - are virtually gone, because it’s not viable in an iTunes world.

While those dreams might be fruitless, yet musicians’ options have dramatically multiplied - itjust takes a different mind set to be successful.

Can writers learn the same lesson? You’ll have to eventually. Why not figure it out sooner than later?

written by SueC

I sent a post to the SixFigureWriting mailing list a couple weeks ago, offering to give a web site review for selected readers who might be interested.  My review consists of offering ideas for (1) making the site more traffic-friendly, and (2) features to add to attract long-term visitors and add-on business.

Out of several dozen submissions, I chose three that I think show how different writers approach using the web, and each site is in a slightly different phase of development, from fairly basic to significant content.

For each site, I’ll be suggesting changes, and the site owners will select three to implement and track.  I’ll be posting all the details and progress here on SixFigureWriting, including videos and screen capture so you can follow right along with my analysis.  I’d be itnerested to hear reader’s comments too, things you’d have suggested instead, or questions that you think of when you see what I recommend.

Stay tuned!

written by SueC \\ tags: Search engine optimization, site enhancements, Site Management, Web Design and Development, website traffic

Freelance writers are, by definition, flexible, and that is going to be a very important trait indeed as we head into a rocky economic downturn.

I just read a truly wonderful post at Escape From Cubicle Nation, about how to be creative in your business during a downturn.  How can writers survive and even capitalize on rough economic times?  here are a few ideas:

• Try branching out into topics you haven’t tried before.  if you are a fiction writer, try a few nonfiction topics (they can help pay the bills).
• Expand your marketing into arenas you haven’t tried before - or just expand your marketing!  Tweak your blog (I’ll be demonstrating some ideas in a future post using sites my readers have volunteered).  Do a massive post across the web of press releases, articles or content about your topic, or your self, or your publications.  Automate this so you have consistent, and constant, PR  exposure.
• Find new audiences for your work: Are there discussion forums you haven’t yet joined? A new venue where you can advertise? A potential partner you haven’t yet approached?  Network more.
• Find ways to improve your efficiency, and increase your output. Can you outsource the drab tasks of paperwork and accounting or what have you, and use those hours to send out or rite more material?
• Education is always a good investment - so take a class about something you haven’t tried before, and don’t just learn the material but use the class to network with other writers.
• Find ways to connect with others to enhance ways to learn of new opportunities or good product ideas.

What are you doing to protect your business in a tough time, and take advantage of opportunities?

written by SueC

We’ve just added a new page to the blog of free items we’re offering to our readers, plus useful tools for writers that we find on the web that are either free or low cost. Just click on the Freebies tab above. (Hint: If you want to get first crack at these, sign up for the mailing list on the right, since we post to our list first! )

This list will be updated on a regular basis as we find and create more great free stuff. Look for some video and other things shortly - right now, we’re working on some “spy” videos that show you what works - and doesn’t work - on writer websites, as well as more interviews with successful writers and much more.

written by SueC