Why Would People Pay To Sit And Write?
I'm very excited today because I'm launching something new. I've been planning it for the past few weeks and have created some of the first pieces of content.
For now, I'll just say that if you write for a living, create your own marketing copy and content, or have a passion project that involves writing (fiction or non-fiction), my new membership is for you.
I'll reveal all on Wednesday, but today I want to share the part I'm most excited about: my monthly write-alongs.
I've already mentioned these in a previous email, but I wanted to give you a little bit more info.
I ran something similar during the lockdown and they were really productive so I'm looking forward to bringing them back.
Each session will be 90 minutes. I'll start by doing a short intro, then I'll invite members to share what they are working on (if you don't want to share, there's no pressure).
Next, we have 45 minutes of writing time where you get rid of all distractions and just write. Turn off your phone and close down your email so you can focus (but stay logged into the call so I can let you know when 45 minutes is up).
After the 45 minutes, we'll have a quick comfort break, then we'll finish with a group discussion where you can ask questions, share challenges or successes, get advice on how to improve a phrase or sentence and so on. Again, you can contribute as much or as little as you like to this session (and you can always message me privately if you have a question).
You'll also have the chance to set "homework" - a target for what you want to achieve with your writing between sessions. If you share your goal with others, you're more likely to stick to it.
And that's one of the biggest benefits of the write alongs - the accountability.
When I first launched these sessions in 2020, a friend asked why people would pay to sit and write. Wouldn't they rather get some training or advice and then do the writing part in their own time?
But I think of it like going to the gym. You can go to the gym any time you want and do a workout by yourself. Plenty of people do.
But when you're relying on self-motivation alone, there's always the temptation to skip a session. There's no one holding you accountable if you miss a week. Nobody is waiting for you to turn up. And even if you do turn up, you can take it easy if you aren't in the mood to push yourself. You can do a lighter workout or a shorter workout. You can half-arse it.
In contrast, if you book and pay for an exercise class or PT session, you're more likely to go. You've paid for it. Someone is expecting you to turn up. There's more pressure on you to go. And once you are there, you're more likely to work hard because the other people in the class are working hard too. You put the effort in. You do the full workout. You get better results.
And it's the same with my monthly write-alongs.
Yes, you can schedule time in your diary to write. You can block out a couple of hours to write your monthly blog post, or work on your book, or update your website copy.
But there's always going to be that temptation to cancel on yourself. To find excuses not to write.
"I'm not in the right mood."
"Something more important has cropped up."
"It's not urgent - I'll do it next week."
Nobody will notice if you don't show up to write. Nobody is holding you accountable or pushing you towards achieving your writing goals.
But if you've booked to come to my write-along, you're more likely to do the work. You've paid for it so you might as well get your money's worth. And you've booked on so you know I'm expecting you.
And once you get there (and I've got you motivated to write), you're more likely to put some effort in because everyone else there is putting in the effort too. And if you do get stuck, you can get help and support from me and other members.
If that's not a good enough reason to join my membership, I don't know what is.
Your weekly ten-minute task
The weekly ten-minute tasks are short simple tasks that should take around ten minutes to complete (although you can spend longer if you want to). The goal is to help you improve your sales and marketing processes.
Completing these tasks won't magically transform your business, but doing one small thing each week to improve is better than doing nothing. So block out ten minutes in the next few days and complete the below task.
Follow up with three of your previous clients.
It's often much easier to sell to people we've already done business with than it is to win new clients. And yet, marketing to past and existing customers is something a lot of freelancers neglect. I'll hold my hands up and admit I'm terrible at it.
So your task (and mine) for this week is to get in touch with three customers/clients that you enjoyed working with.
You don't have to sell them anything - just check in with them. It could be to follow up on some recent work you did for them, comment on something they shared on socials, or ask them for a recommendation.
The goal is simply to start a conversation with them - you never know where it might lead.
Weekly anagrams
Sometimes you need a little break from work or something to get your brain going while you have your morning brew. That's where the weekly anagrams come in.
And this week they are all types of flower:
- sore
- do rich
- cat no rain
- hamster munchy
- lit up
If you are unfamiliar with how anagrams work: An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, using all the original letters only once.
Feel free to send me your answers once you’ve got them all – there’s no prize, but it’s always good to share your achievements. I'll give you the answers in next week's email.
And talking of answers, here are the answers to last weeks anagrams:
- alp basic oops = Pablo Picasso
- egg natch vin von = Vincent van Gogh
- ordinal voidance = Leonardo da Vinci
- lace mounted = Claude Monet
- chill mega one = Michelangelo
Thanks for reading
That's it from me this week. As always, if you'd like my help with anything sales, marketing or business-related, you can book 90 minutes with me.
