Archive for writing
Outsourcing Article Writing
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve been dragging my feet a bit in relation to restarting my internet marketing outsourcing project. Partly because I wasn’t successful last time and partly because I now realise my expectations were way too high.
For example, John Jonas of Replace Myself recommends that you start off by giving your worker just one task to begin with. He describes how he works with content writers by expecting them to write 1 or 2 articles a day and then submit them to article directories.
No wonder my first worker disappeared. I told him I expected him to work up to writing an article in 45 minutes. After 2 days he hadn’t produced anything. I can see that that gap would have seemed enormous to him to be able to close.
Something else John Jonas said that really struck home was “Some people, after listening to my initial presentation, think that hiring someone in the Philippines is a magic bullet for their business. They think this is some magic talent pool of people who are going to fix all their problems.” Although I didn’t think an outsource worker would “fix all my problems”, after listening to John Reese’s presentation back in May, I definitely thought it was going to be a hell of a lot easy than it turned out to be.
John Jonas spends more time emphasising the learning aspect of hiring someone overseas to work with and that it takes time to learn how to manage them and the systems you will be using.
So this time around I will have to be more patient. Last time I was looking for someone who was good at English and had some SEO and WordPress experience. This time I will focus primarily on the English skills since article writing will be the first thing I need to have done.
Currently, it’s relatively easy to get good enough articles written for $5 each so I could be losing money when I start out. If my worker writes 2 articles a day that’s $50 worth a week which works out about $200 worth a month. Chances are I’m not going to find someone with good enough English for that rate so I really need to look at this as a long-term investment.
I won’t know until I try though so I’m off to find 20 potential candidates to email.
Outsourcing Round Up – Back To One Task At A Time
Posted by: | CommentsThe biggest lesson relating to my internet marketing outsourcing project was that it wasn’t as easy as it sounded when I watched John Reese’s videos. I remember wondering, at the time, why anyone would buy his course since he appeared to have given us pretty much all we needed to know. There’s obviously more to it than I thought.
Looking back, I simply wasn’t ready for a full-time outsourcer since I still don’t have the strategy for my internet business clearly defined enough. So, even if the people I took on hadn’t disappeared without a trace I think it would have been hard going to manage.
So now, I’m going back to outsourcing tasks and will build from there. Maybe even find someone full-time eventually as a result.
The tasks I’ve least enjoyed doing these past couple of months have been writing and spinning content. I’m actually able to write a good article in about 30 minutes when I’m in the right frame of mind. But, since most of the time, I’m resenting doing it and feeding myself negative thoughts about it, it can take me the best part of 2 hours to complete.
I’ve tried to be positive about it and link the task to my long-term goals but I always seem to default to my moaning, complaining stance so it makes sense to outsource this first.
There are a number of places you can get articles written for $5 so I’ve started trying them out and will budget for that in my 4 week plan.
If you want to read the full story of my outsourcing experience so far just click on the link on the right of this page and you will find all the posts I’ve made on the subject in date order.
Fourth Shelf Down and 20 Books From the Left
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s an idea if you’re experiencing writer’s block . . .
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Finding myself with some of my writing time still outstanding, and feeling singularly uninspired, I decided to play a game.
The Aim
To overcome my writer’s block and write a complete article no matter how good or bad I think it is whilst writing it.
The Setting
I’m in a public library.
The Game
Go to the bookcase where a number of my favourite books are housed and select the book that is on the fourth shelf down and 20 books from the left. No matter what it is, use that as my inspiration for writing.
. . . walks to the bookcase and selects . . .
The Book
The Way of The Explorer – An Apollo Astronaut’s Journey through the Material and Mystical Worlds.
by Dr. Edgar Mitchell and Dwight Williams
The Writing
Well, that was an interesting synchronicity since I feel this year of internet marketing mentoring is a bit like my own personal journey through “material and mystical worlds.”
Creating an internet marketing business is the material world whilst coaching is more mystical and more of a journey into the unknown.
But can these things be separated really?
My focus for this year is not so much on the material goals as on the process.
I like to think that if I keep taking action and adjusting my course on the basis of the experience and the results I’m getting I may end up somewhere that, from here, I can’t envision. All very mystical.
But my rational, left-brain, feels a pressure to stipulate some goals and to know where I’m going.
Generally, material goals hold little attraction for me. Nothing I could achieve, during this year, would be worth it to me if the journey to get there was constantly dull, uninspiring or a struggle.
When I set out this morning I was dragging my feet but now I feel excited and I’m enjoying the process of completing my writing and my CFT.
I like this game. I will play it again.
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Obviously, you don’t need to be in a public library to do this exercise. You could choose book shelves at home or in your office. Or you could go into a shop and choose the second aisle on the left, third block down, fourth shelf from the top and 7th item along. The possibilities are endless. The most important point is to make a commitment to write about whatever you’ve chosen, regardless of what you end up with.
Once you take the pressure off yourself by allowing it to be a mediocre piece of writing as well, you can just relax and enjoy it. And from that place you are far more likely to produce something original and inspired.
Please feel free to leave a comment and tell us how you get on with.
Julia Uses The “F” Word
Posted by: | CommentsWell that was one crapola day! First one since I began the mentoring when I didn’t do any Critical Focus Time activities. I woke up bored with the whole thought of it and failed to push on through. So here I am. At 17.21. The end of the working day in other words. Still faffing about on the internet.
In my 1:1 with Ed last week I said I would rather wait and create a business that I enjoyed, i.e. blogging about this 12 month experience, than create something just to make money. And he mentioned a couple of blogs where people had set out with no intention of making money but had, none the less done so. And that, as long as I was willing to wait, then carrying on with writing this blog, as part of the mentoring, was fine with him.
One of the blogs was the Julie/Julia project which I’ve just visited whilst NOT doing my CFT.
The first thing that leapt out at me was . . . now don’t laugh . . . that she uses the “f” word. I was struck, not so much by the use of the word itself, but the style of her writing and the image of her it conjures up in my mind = Someone who knows her own mind and is not afraid to express herself.
Whilst writing this blog I’ve been aware of a certain reluctance to say what I’m really feeling, for all sorts of reasons, and part of me longs to have the courage just to write it as it is. I’m too old for this “caring what other people think” s**t. And yet, if I cared that much, why bother publishing a blog at all?
In Julia’s second post she writes:
“The Hows and Wherefores…
For the moment, I will not tackle the existential query, “Why, Julie? Why Julia? Why now?” Instead, I shall stick to explicating the rules of engagement.”
I like that she doesn’t answer the “why” question. Since, in my own life, I have found it an oft overrated one. Not particularly useful whilst, at the same time, one I seem addicted to asking . . .
. . . “Why Gillian? Why Ed? Why Now?”
True to form I attempted to answer those questions in my first three internet marketing coaching year posts. But, today, after an exhausting lack of focus I’m tempted to answer:
“Why Gillian? Why Ed? Why Now?”
“WHY THE BLOODY HELL NOT?!”
And as for the “rules of engagement” . . .
Here are mine:
- I will not struggle.
- If I’m not having fun I will take the time to step back and do something about it.
- I will honour the commitment I have made to stick with this for 12 months whilst applying “1″and “2″ above.
Creating a Productive Work Environment
Posted by: | CommentsI’m feeling pretty proud of myself for actually managing to put pen to paper today. It’s the first day back to work after the Easter break and I’m having a great deal of trouble cranking up the energy, not least because it’s a beautiful, sunny, spring day.
But these are the times when it’s especially important to keep your agreements with yourself. The longer I let things slide the harder it is to get going again and the longer it will be before I see results that will help to motivate me further. And, in the meantime, there’s the little boost in energy I always feel, when I’ve kept my agreements, especially when it took some effort to do so.
So, here I am in my favourite cafe, treating myself to a cappuccino and writing. And of all the “tricks” I have for developing my writing habit this one is my favourite. I find it very hard to write at home. It’s the same with any task I’m resisting. There are just too many distractions – too many excuses. But taking myself off to an environment I enjoy being in works a treat.
I find that even when I’m really struggling to write I will always produce something when I’m in the cafe. Even if it’s not particularly good. I also enjoying writing in the public library (reminds me of happy college days) and on a bench on the prom overlooking the beach.
A productive environment is an important factor in relation to motivation so I recommend experimenting with what works/doesn’t work for you. It’s not just about physical space either. I find I can’t write, for example, if there are songs playing in the background. Classical music I can manage but anything with words I can hear and I just can’t concentrate.
Sometimes I find lighting a candle on my desk helps me to tackle tasks I’ve been putting off. No idea why. There’s just something I find comforting about it.
So, I encourage you to experiment with different places and environmental conditions and build up a selection of circumstances that help you feel more motivated to work on those tasks you have been procrastinating over.
