Also, this is why Earl Nightingale recommends that we write Matthew 7:7-8 on the back of our goal card and review it each time we review our goal. Matthew says:

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.

There’s no doubt in my mind, these 27 different ideas for taking my writing to the next level are a result of my asking, seeking, and knocking.

One of the first ideas appearing on my list is The Writer’s Rule of 12. Some call it the Rule of 13, others the Rule of 14, and still others the Rule of  9 – the number is not important. The level of income and success you want to enjoy as a freelance writer determines the number used in this rule. It can even be the Rule of 1, if that’s the level of success you want.

Basically stated, The Writer’s Rule of 12 says, that you will have 12 queries in circulation at all times. Period. And, it doesn’t have to be 12 different article or story ideas; in its simplest form, it can be one idea submitted to 12 different editors – talk about simultaneous submission …

Personally, my goal is to have 12 ideas circulating at any given time. With the time lag between sending out a query letter and an editor responding, up to 6-months in some cases, this will spread out writing assignments and not only keep me busy writing, but more importantly, give me a steady income – eliminating the feast or famine cycle that many writers experience. If I find that I’m too busy, or not busy enough, I can easily adjust the number of queries I have circulating.

The power in the Writer’s Rule of 12 is hidden in the fact that the more you do something, the better and faster you get at doing it. Believe me, by implementing the Writer’s Rule of 12 you will get good at writing query letters. And, that’s a good thing, because the query letter is your main tool for selling your writing to editors.

I’m curious, do you have another take on the Writer’s Rule of 12? Do you know of a better way of submitting your articles to editors? Please share your thoughts with us.

Until next time …

Never a day without a line.

Bill

Related Posts:

• You already know enough to Become a Freelance Writer
• 52 Books in 52-Weeks: More from my 30-Day Experiment
• Becoming a Freelance Writer: My 30-day Experiment
• 5 Tips for Writing a Novel

If I were a teacher and had to grade myself on the effort I’ve put forth on my 30-day experiment it would be a C+, maybe a B-. I can do better …

One thing I’ve learned is that the flashes of inspiration I mentioned in my post on Becoming a Freelance Writer can happen at any time – and it’s usually when you’re busy doing something else when they pop into your head. Later, when I try to recall the idea, 9 times out of 10 I can’t. It’s really frustrating. To solve this problem, I’ve started carrying a notebook to scribble down these hunches and insights. Keeping these ideas in a single place has helped tremendously.

While I already have more than a dozen ideas for reaching my goal of becoming a full-time freelance writer - and I’ll be writing about them in the coming days and weeks – ideas are worthless without action.

However, I don’t think it has to be massive action as some personal development gurus tout. One thing I do know is that we overestimate what we can accomplish in a day and underestimate what we can accomplish in a year. That’s just another way of re-stating the Chinese Proverb, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Another discovery I’ve had is that these ideas, combined with the appropriate action, are more than enough to become a full-time freelance writer. We just have to take the action.

My goal for goal for today, my next step to becoming a freelance writer is to develop a spreadsheet to track article submissions. What single step can you take today to move yourself closer to your single, clearly defined goal? Share it in a comment.

Until next time …

Never a day without a line.

Bill

Related Posts:

• The Writer’s Rule of 12
• 52 Books in 52-Weeks: More from my 30-Day Experiment
• Becoming a Freelance Writer: My 30-day Experiment

“We live in the richest era that ever existed on the face of the earth … a land of abundant opportunity for everyone.

However, if you take 100 individuals who start even at the age of 25, do you have any idea what will happen to those men and women by the time they’re 65? These 100 people believe they’re going to be successful. They are eager toward life, there is a certain sparkle in their eye, an erectness to their carriage, and life seems like a pretty interesting adventure to them.

But by the time they’re 65, only one will be rich, four will be financially independent, five will still be working, and 54 will be broke — depending on others for life’s necessities.

Only five out of 100 make the grade! Why do so many fail? What has happened to the sparkle that was there when they were 25? What has become of the dreams, the hopes, the plans … and why is there such a large disparity between what these people intended to do and what they actually accomplished?

He continues …

“We learn to read by the time we’re seven. We learn to make a living by the time we’re 30. Often by that time we’re not only making a living, we’re supporting a family. And yet by the time we’re 65, we haven’t learned how to become financially independent in the richest land that has ever been known. Why? We conform! Most of us are acting like the wrong percentage group — the 95 who don’t succeed.”

Now there are several habits that the 95% who don’t succeed have in common. One habit, I believe, that  contributes to their “depending on others for life’s necessities” is revealed in a study conducted by the American Booksellers Association.

In the study, the ABA discovered that 58% of American adults never read a book after graduating from high school; college graduates don’t fare much better. 42% of college graduates never read a book after graduating. This is an example of the Chinese Proverb, “Those who do not read are no better off than those who cannot.”

How does this tie in with my 30-day experiment? Well, there’s another famous saying, maybe you’ve heard it, “Not all readers are writers, but all writers are readers.” With that in mind, I’ve included reading as part of my goal statement for my 30-day experiment. It reads:

“I will continue to grow and improve my writing through self-directed study and working with my mastermind group.”

My “self-directed study” involves a lot of reading – and writing of course. What do I mean by “a lot of reading?” Several months ago I came across a blog post by Steve Pavlina, Read a Book a Week. As is obvious from the title, Steve advocates reading a book a week and he goes on to explain the many benefits of developing this habit – I recommend you read his post.

Not only do I intend to implement this habit in my 30-day experiment, and I recommend you give it serious consideration, I plan to do it for the next year; 52 books in 52-weeks. I can only begin to imagine the influence that that amount of reading will have on the achievement of my goals.

As the late Charles T. Jones often said, “We will be the same person in 5 years that we are today except for two things: the people we meet and the books we read.”

I’d be interested in learning what are you’re currently reading, just leave a comment. Also, is there a book that has positively influenced your life? Please share it in a comment. Until next time …

Never a day without a line.

Bill

Related Posts:

• The Writer’s Rule of 12
• You already know enough to Become a Freelance Writer
• Becoming a Freelance Writer: My 30-day Experiment

Not long ago I came across a 3×5 index card in my files dated February 4, 1991. It reads,

“I am joyfully earning and spending $50,000 a year as a freelance writer. I am able to support my family comfortably on the income I earn from my writing so that my wife doesn’t have to work.”

I’m not sure why I kept that index card; it reminds me of a failed attempt at improving my life, my income, and achieving a lifelong dream – being a full-time freelance writer.

I’m still not a freelance writer, my wife is still working, and we’ve added three daughters to our family since then. So why am I writing about this? Because I’m making another 30-day experiment, this time I’m more determined and a little wiser. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in the past 19 years and I plan to use the lessons learned to make this 30-day experiment a success.

I learned about the 30-day experiment from Earl Nightingale’s classic recording The Strangest Secret – I just converted my cassette copy to mp3 so that I can listen to it on my ipod…

The 30-day experiment as explained by Earl Nightingale, begins with “a single, specific goal, clearly defined.” My updated goal is to earn $10,000 per month writing. Yes, this goal is going to stretch my beliefs and abilities, why would I set a goal I know I can easily achieve? Isn’t one of the purposes of a goal to make us stretch and grow?

As Thomas Edison has said, “If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astonish ourselves.” Achieving this goal will definitely “astonish” me (my wife & daughters will be impressed too).

Every goal needs a deadline otherwise it’s just a dream; so, my deadline for achieving this goal is 90-days or October 8, 2010. I need a deadline to motivate myself to action – taking action is vitally important to success – otherwise, I’ll procrastinate and never get started.

In setting my deadline I used Parkinson’s Law: work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion, 30-days seemed too close and a year seemed too distant, 90-days seems just about right – challenging, yet not so far off as to be “out of site, out of mind.”

After deciding what it is I wanted, the next step was to write my goal on one side of an index card. From the Strangest Secret, “Make sure it’s a single goal and clearly defined. You needn’t show it to anyone, but carry it with you so that you can look at it several times a day. Think about it in a cheerful, relaxed, positive way each morning when you get up, and immediately you have something to work for — something to get out of bed for, something to live for. Look at it every chance you get during the day and just before going to bed at night.”

The key to success with this 30-day experiment according to Earl Nightingale lies in the fact that, “we become what we think about.” As you look at your card, remember that you must become what you think about.

Next, according to Earl Nightingale, “stop thinking about what it is you fear. Each time a fearful or negative thought comes into your mind, replace it with a mental picture of your positive and worthwhile goal. And there will come a time when you’ll feel like giving up. It’s easier for a human being to think negatively than positively. No matter what your goal — if you keep your goal before you every day — you’ll wonder and marvel at this new life you’ve found.”

Also, ‘Act as though it were impossible to fail,’ as Dorothea Brande said.

On the other side of the card write these words from the Sermon on the Mount:

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks it shall be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

(You can replace these words other inspiring words if you like.)

Again, read your goal each morning when you first wake up. Take a few moments before beginning your day to reflect on your goal in a cheerful, positive way. Read it again before going to bed at night. Also, carry your card with you and look at it every chance you get throughout your day. As you read your goal “remember that you become what you think about.”

Do this for the next 30-days until it becomes a habit, commit to taking control of your own thoughts, maintain a positive outlook, do more than you have to do, go the extra mile, know that your results are in direct proportion to your actions.

Taking action is vitally important. From past experience I know that you will receive hunches about what to do and how to achieve your goal. Act on these flashes of inspiration, they are your subconscious mind working to help you achieve your goal.

Don’t worry about how you’ll achieve your goal, as Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, points out, “Our job is not to figure out how. The how will show up out of a commitment and a belief in the what.” All you need to do is keep your goal in the forefront of you conscious thoughts and have faith in your own ability to achieve it.

Interested in making your own 30-day experiment? Leave a comment letting me know what your goal is, we can help inspire and motivate each other… Thanks!

As always, never a day without a line!

Bill

Related articles

• How Successful Writers Maintain Confidence (blogs.forbes.com)
• Lifehacker – A Writer’s Hipster PDA – Writing tips (lifehacker.com)
• 7 More Productivity Hacks for Writers (therenegadewriter.com)
• The Power of Perseverance (lifescript.com)

Related Posts:

• The Writer’s Rule of 12
• You already know enough to Become a Freelance Writer
• 52 Books in 52-Weeks: More from my 30-Day Experiment
• 5 Tips for Writing a Novel

Tom and I chatted about how I came to write, My Virtual Book Tour Secrets! and why an author should consider organizing a virtual book tour for their own book. We also talked about some of the different types of content authors can provide to hosting blogs, the pre-tour setup needed before embarking on a virtual book tour of your own, and even why I choose to release the book as an e-book instead of a print book. Please join us.

Tomorrow I’m heading up to Seattle, Washington, to visit with Dorothy Lemoult, I hope you can join us!

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Today I want to let you in on two items involving the virtual book tour.

First, during the virtual book tour I will be discussing all aspects of virtual book tours, particularly how to organize your own virtual book tour. If you’d like to participate in the tour discussion and have a question you’d like me to answer, maybe I didn’t explain something clearly enough in the Challenge Videos, visit: http://myvirtualbooktoursecrets.com/ask-me-a-question.html, and submit your question. Why not visit his web site now while it’s still fresh in your mind? I will be sure to answer your questions during one of the stops on the tour.

Second, followers of the tour can win a free copy of, “My Virtual Book Tour Secrets.” For rules and to learn how you can win your own copy, visit the “Win a Copy” page at: http://myvirtualbooktoursecrets.com/win-a-copy.html

That’s all for today …

Oh, Massachusetts was beautiful, all except for the sand fleas and the green-head flies (their bite draws blood, ouch!). Got to do a little sightseeing while I was there too. Maybe I’ll post some photos after the tour.

Until next time …

No day without a line!

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Did I succeed in setting up my 10-Day, 10-Stop Virtual Book Tour? I don’t know yet. It’s still early in the day and I’ve got several more bloggers to contact. Check here for itinerary updates.

In this video I review the previous 8 steps in setting up a virtual book tour and then I show you the email I use to contact bloggers asking if they’d be interested in participating in my virtual book tour. I explain each section of the email and why it’s included. You don’t want to skip a paragraph. I encourage you to copy my email formula, not my words. Put your personality into your email, you’ll be more successful.

Good luck in setting up your own virtual book tour.

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll be glad to help you in any way that I can.

Until next time …

No day without a line.

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Today’s lesson is Step 8: Determining a Blogs BR. In this first video I explain my Blog Rank (BR) Formula and how it works. When you’re ready click play …

In this video I demonstrate the BR Formula in action and show you how to evaluate the blogs that we’ve been receiving in our Google Alerts emails. Once you get the hang of it you should be able to evaluate and categorize 10 blogs in about 30 minutes.

Whenever you’re ready, click play …

Tomorrow in Step 9, we finally start contacting blog owners! I’ll show you the email I send them that gets around an 83% positive response rate. After you get good at determining a blog’s BR, you may even get a higher response.

That’s all for today. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Until next time …

No day without a line.

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Today marks the half-way point in this challenge; there’s still a little work to do before we actually contact blog owners to ask if they’d be interested in hosting a stop on our virtual book tour. Let’s get started …

Today’s lesson is Step 7: Creating Your Media Kit. The earlier you get this step done the better. This is where we’ll direct the blog owners we contact to for additional information.

Your Media Kit should contain these 8 items:

1.) Your Authors Bio
2.) Your Photo
3.) Cover images
4.) Reviews of your book
5.) Testimonials
6.) Press Release
7.) Sample Chapter/Excerpt
8.) Contact Information

You can include your Media Kit as a page on your blog, that’s what I did. Or, you can make a static web page on your web site. It doesn’t matter.

In today’s video I reveal several ideas for each item in your media kit. Got your pen and paper handy? Good, let’s get started with today’s video …

NOTE: Don’t forget to go to Google Alerts and set up the other 3 Alerts that I mention in the video.

That’s all for today.

Until next time …

No day without a line.

Random Posts

I’m going to cover a lot of information today. But first, I’d like to give you an idea of where we’ve been and where we’re going …

Today I’m moving from the planning stages – Steps 1, 2 and 3 – that I discussed yesterday, into the data gathering stage. I’ll spend today and tomorrow morning on data gathering – covered in Steps 4, 5 and 6. Tomorrow afternoon – in Step 8 – I’ll introduce you to my secret technique for evaluating a blog to determine if it would be a good stop for your virtual book tour.

In the videos that follow you’ll see that after you put Steps 4, 5 and 6 into place, the data we’ll be evaluating will be delivered right to our email inbox. It doesn’t get any easier than that.

This first video covers Step 4: Listing Your Book’s Keywords and Phrases. We’re going see how to use this list in Step 5 to locate blogs that our potential readers visit or blogs that are already discussing the topic of our books.

Get out your pen and paper for notes. Here we go …

That was easy, wasn’t it?

Now let’s see how to use our list of 20 keywords and phrases.

That’s it for today.

Oh, what about Step 7? I’ll cover that tomorrow morning … it’s what you should have in your media kit.

Until then …

No day without a line.

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