Sometimes it takes a writer a long time to learn. I’ve been writing for years and about five years ago I started writing web content articles for people. I would have sales from time to time and it was a kind of nice trickle of writing. When I decided to go fulltime as a web writer and give up the other online things I did like web design, I set up a system that was ideal. It involved outsourcing. And while some aspects of outsourcing have been incredible, some of it was not the best.
Long story short, I ended up advertising about this incredible system that allowed a tremendous output of article writing and getting lots of writing assignments. There was a workflow process set up and ideally, the articles would just be pumped out at great rates of speed.
When things go bad they go really bad. Lose a writer, have crappy quality writing delivered, lose another writer and then – Disaster! I ended up with irate clients, writing the 450 articles pretty much by myself and being stressed out and embarrassed at my naivety in not trying to push the system to the limits before it crashed when I had duties to clients.
What to do? Oh, yes. What to do? The best thing I could do was disappear. Well that seemed like the easiest thing to do. But it was not very mature. So instead, the best thing to do became a matter of streamlining – not the process – but the service.
Separately from the article writing, I have been working on marketing, not just online but offline. I’m good at that. It is something that I can do by myself and not have to rely on others. I also gave up web design except for my own sites. One of my sites is about the importance of eliminating chaos from your life and learning to focus. I have been unfocused for so much of my life because I was pretty good at a number of things that I flitted from one to the other and back again.
For instance, when I was getting my masters degree in history, I discovered the delights of databases and never used my MA but went right to computers and ended up with certificates galore in Microsoft, Lotus, Web Design, technical instruction, and even got a CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional). During all of this I wrote. I even became mayor of the town where I lived.
Being a Jill of all trades and master of none was perfect, I thought, for writing articles for others.
Then (motivated by Jason Fladlien) I learned to focus. I love history so I set up a non-profit corporation to handle that hobby. I still outsource the work that is non-writing oriented. Then I just had to focus on writing. But that was scattered as well. So now I just focus on the writing I do best – the cohesive package necessary for marketing any website or product.
This involves:
- The product – an ebook.
- Articles to promote the product:
- 5 for the website
- 10 for the article directories
- 25 blogs
- One press release
The benefit of this is that it satisfies my writing addiction and lets me focus on one topic so I can explore it from all angles.
I’m selling this service to others.
Here is a breakdown of what these would cost individually:
- The product – an ebook (3,000 words) $300
- Articles to promote the product:
- 5 for the website (500 words each) $50
- 10 for the article directories (400 words each) $80
- 25 blogs $150
- One press release $200
Total cost: $780
Package deal – $497
Because I am an unproven quantity, here is the really special part of the deal:
No down payment. You pay when it is complete.
There is a limit to one client at a time.
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