How to Prime Your Writing Pump
"Priming the pump" is one of those expressions you probably use without thinking about it. Used metaphorically, it means to encourage the success or growth of a thing by taking steps to get it started. But literally, the origin of the phrase is the practice of pouring...
To Build Your Business, Let Your Light Shine
"I think I'm really good at what I do," declares technical writer June, "but I don't ever seem to get a chance to show people." June is experienced, highly-skilled, and has written dozens of instruction manuals and other how-to guides throughout her career. But she...
Do You Think You Should Be Able to Write Without Help?
Picture the solitary writer, scribbling alone in a dismal garret. Shivering in a threadbare sweater and fingerless gloves, the writer persists despite poverty, heartbreak, and isolation from humanity, until completing the great work that will lift the writer from...
Do You Need a Business Plan? Or Do You Need an Action Plan?
If you're a self-employed professional starting a new business or expanding the one you have, developing a written plan is a valuable first step. You've heard about business plans, but did you know there is more than one type? Depending on your situation, you may need...
What’s Your Plan for Writing this Year?
If you expect to produce written material on a regular basis in the coming year, you need a plan. Writing coach Nina Amir explains it like this: "If you were... a marathon runner, you'd have a plan for how to run the race... how to overcome the tough spots-like when...
How to Reach People Who Need Your Work… But Don’t Know It Exists
A significant challenge with marketing unique, experiential work like lesser-known healing modalities, personal growth approaches, or transformative group processes is that your ideal prospective clients aren't already seeking it out. They're looking for ways to...
Your Words Need Space to Grow
Dame Hilary Mantel published her first novel at the age of 33. Over the next three decades, she wrote twelve books of historical fiction, two collections of short stories, and a memoir. She was the first woman to twice win the Booker Prize for fiction. I'd say she...
Why Aren’t You Earning More?
In a national survey of self-employed professionals, almost 50% of the consultants, coaches, and other professionals declared that they were currently not earning enough to meet their expenses. This result isn't too surprising, since according to the U.S. Small...
What Do Your Online Readers Want from You?
"Being successful at writing can be defined by one parameter: How well we know and resonate with our audience." These are the words of freelance writer Christina M. Ward, one of the top earning writers on Medium, where earnings are determined by how much time readers...
Learn the Art and Skill of Follow-Up
If I had to name one thing that causes more self-employed professionals to fail at marketing than any other, it would be lack of follow-up. Every day, I see solopreneurs and service business owners do a fabulous job at filling their marketing pipeline with prospective...