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.

Email me for details.

There is a limit to one client at a time.

Writing is my forte and my passion. Which results from my love of research and information. So many things fascinated me over the years that I tried a lot of different things. When I decided that I should stick to writing,  I ended up getting a lot of writing assignments but at very low rates – I was anxious to get back into the writing business and started off with some cheap writing deals. Essentially this meant putting a cheap label on myself and failing to value my expertise.

Of course this can be a fatal step if things go wrong – and I am in the midst of preventing that. With a too much work for too little pay what happens is that I end up writing what felt like 18 hours a day and burning out. So I am in the process of weeding out the client list and only keeping the two or three best clients. Which means people who pay well and who are consistent in their wants.

Meanwhile I am working on more tightly focusing the work I do. Sure I can write articles until the end of time but  there are other things I would rather do. Earlier this week I found a blog on creating a mothership blog and that really struck a note with me.  I often get stretched too thin with the different projects I have and they all end up suffering. Keeping these blogs going and creating a mothership blog is a perfect idea for me. But that means weeding out the work that does not pay enough and focusing on the things I want to do.

I am off to pull together the mothership. And weed.

I was going to call this freelance for adults but realized that could end up being found by searchers looking for a different kind of writing. So it’s freelance writing for grownups not adults. Part of writing that I have always avoided is authenticity because I have been a ghost writer for years. Of course, I dabbled to keep my name in print.

Dabbling was my downfall because it was not just in writing that I dabbled but in careers too. I commended myself on having the curiosity to want to try out different lines of work and specialties. That was cute for a while. But it became a habit – so did living on the edge all the time. And of course there is all that real life to enjoy.

Then one day age comes along and reality hits home. I sat down to create a new focus – it was my first attempt at bringing it all together. After all with the words I’ve written over the years I’ve become adept at putting an article together. Having had the experiences I’ve had has given me a good solid background in a variety of fields. I would give up ghostwriting and get into web content writing.

By the time a person gets to my age they should have focused on one thing. But that simple fact still escaped me. So suddenly there I was with a work load that I could not possibly finish and the pay was pathetic and I was afraid to open my email program because I did not need people to be yelling at me electronically. I was missing out on a personal life. And worst of all, I realized that I was not having fun.

Back to the drawing board. Some more changes needed to be made.

As a writer, you likely know the whole drill. You get caught between wanting to live a life while being a writer and needing the money to pay the rent. So I don’t need to detail the whole process of focus to you. Just because you can do something that does not mean that you have to do that. You have to take the time to find out who you really are and what you can bring to a client.

Make a list of the top 10 things you know about yourself.

Make a list of the top 10 things you like to write about.

Now take these lists and start focusing on your ideal day. Your process for getting to where you want to be begins here – somewhere between you and your passion.

Freelance writing for grownups involves focus, valuing yourself and your work, good time management, and a balanced life. Waking up each day ready to be blown by the winds of chance is no way to live and make a living.