“I’d Rather Be in the Studio!” An Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion
I was just on Cynthia Morris’ Original Impulse Blog this morning listening to her interview Alyson Stanfield, author of, “I’d Rather Be in the Studio! The Artist’s No-Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion.” I came away with some fresh insights that some writers might find hard to swallow. I know I did.
Ms. Stanfield said that as writers (and artists,) we need to get past the excuses. We must “want” to succeed as writers. To make a living as a writer you, must leave excuses behind. Otherwise, we will feel overwhelmed and won’t be able to complete our novels, plays, short stories or whatever projects we’re working on. It is the writing, not the money, that must motivate us.
A known artist coach, Ms. Stanfield shares encouraging insights that you can “do it,” and how to find the support you need to complete your project. You’ll also learn what to do when you get stuck in the creative process, as we all do at some time. Every writer, every artist needs to get a copy of this book.
Until next time …
No day without a line!
Want to Improve Your Chances of Getting Published?
Follow the Rule of 12. Simply stated the Rule of 12 is, you should have at least twelve query letters in circulation at all times. That’s right, you should have twelve query letters on editor’s desks at all times.
Now having twelve queries in front of editors is a bit scary, because that opens you up to lots of rejection. And, while it’s part of being a freelance writer, being rejected is hard. On the other hand, having twelve queries making the editorial rounds will have a tremendous and positive impact on your success as a freelance writer.
How? You’ll get better at writing query letters - a good skill for any freelance writer. You’ll receive more acceptance letters. And, since you’re receiving more acceptances, you’ll earn more money. Now that may be over simplified, but I think you get the point. As Tony Robbins says, “Massive action will yield massive results.”
Getting to the point where you have twelve query letters out will take some time. Set a goal for yourself. Try to send out two or even three query letters every week until you have twelve in circulation.
Once you have twelve queries out, one of two things will happen. One, you’ll receive a rejection letter. In that case review your query to ensure that it is clear and concise and send it out to another editor. Two, you’ll receive a go-ahead for the article. In that case, write another query letter and get it in the mail or email, within 24 hours if at all possible, and get to work writing the article.
In time you’ll find that you are receiving fewer and fewer rejection and receiving more assignments. Congratulations on your assignment.
Until next time …
No day without a line.
Goals for 2008
I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
Over the past several days, like many of you, I’ve been evaluating 2007 and thinking about the upcoming new year and how I can make it better than last year.
I’ve always been a fan of S.M.A.R.T. Goals. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for:
Specific - Not “I want to lose weight.” But, “I want to weigh 190 pounds.”
Measurable – “I will write 1000 words per day, 5 days a week.” This is easily measured.
Attainable – This one is tricky. If I know for sure that a goal is “attainable,” I’m not really motivated to attempt it. I think goals should make you stretch. They should challenge you. The possibility of failure is a great motivator. Don’t be afraid to take a risk.
Realistic – This is another tricky one. I like to think that if someone else has accomplished my goal, that I can too. All I have to do is follow in his or her footsteps. Setting a goal that you know you can reach sets you up for procrastination. On the other hand, if you set the bar too high, you might get discouraged and not even begin. For example, if you earned $30,000 last year, it probably wouldn’t be very realistic to set a goal to earn $500,000 this year.
Timely – Your goal should have a deadline. Deadlines are powerful motivators. Don’t believe me? Invite your in-laws over for dinner tonight and see how fast your house gets cleaned! Keep in mind that as you pursue your goals “life happens” and you will have setbacks. Be flexible in setting your deadlines.
In fact, I believe S.M.A.R.T. Goals are such a powerful tool for success, that I’m teaching my children to set them for themselves. I believe it’s a skill that will serve them for the rest of their lives.
One of the most motivating articles I’ve recently read on goal setting is from Christine OKelly over at Self Made Chick entitled How to Achieve Ridiculous Goals. In it she recommends “Don’t Be Wimpy When Setting Goals.” She goes on to explain:
I am convinced, based on some of my experiences, that the size of the goal is almost irrelevant. Whether you set a goal to do $100,000 a year in business or $1 million in business, you are capable of achieving that goal you set if you adamantly [my emphasis] follow some certain action processes.
Is it humanly possible to make $1 million in a year? Of course. So why wouldn’t you be able to do it? If someone can, you certainly can too. It’s just a matter of figuring out a way to do it.
So set challenging goals.
Motivational speaker and author, Tony Robbins points out that two things motivate people: pleasure and pain. Often, we’ll do more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure. In a September 1990, “Success Magazine” article titled, “The Science of Success,” Harvey Cook says that he rewards himself for success and penalizes himself for failure. So, as Self Made Chick adds, “Create Negative Consequences for Failure.”
Without negative consequences it is easier to fail. To put myself on the record,
My 9 Ridiculous Writing Goals for 2008
- 1.) Write and Publish a Cookbook.
2.) Finish the 2 novels that I started in 2007.
“Timeless Promise”
“The 5-Minute Writer”
3.) Successfully complete NaNoWriMo 2008. (That will be 3 novels.)
4.) Write and have a play produced.
5.) Write a Blog post 5 days per week.
6.) Read 1 book per week.
7.) Attend at least 2 writer’s conferences.
8.) Start a local writer’s group.
9.) And, the grand-daddy of them all… Earn $100,000 from my writing.
I will be posting regular updates on my progress.
Before I close, I need your help. I know these are lofty goals and I risk losing your respect if I should fail. But I am having problems coming up with additional negative consequences. What should my negative consequences be if I fail? Let me know in a comment.
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