We had a chicken die last week. One of our original six, she was with us for four years and one day she just got sick and died.
We had a rabbit die the next day. I have no clue why. I went out to feed the rabbits that morning and one of them was stiff as a board.
The first thing I thought . . . both times . . . was that I was a failure as an urban farmer. I must have done something wrong. I must have forgotten to do something, or done something incorrectly . . . but, of course, that was ridiculous. Nobody loves their animals and birds like Bev and I love ours. We pamper them all, from the newborn quail to the cranky old hen, they are all our pets and we love our time with them. We have studied and we work hard to do things properly, so the fact is those two died simply because it was their time to die. It was nobody’s fault and that’s just the way it goes. Despite my best efforts, it just didn’t work out for that hen or that rabbit.
That true story is a perfect metaphor for the profession of writing.
There are going to be times when, despite your best writing, and despite your best marketing efforts, you simply will not get the views or the sales you desire. That’s just the way it goes, my friends. It is not a direct condemnation of your abilities as a writer, and it may not be a condemnation of your abilities as a marketer. Maybe it just wasn’t the right time, or place, for that article or book . . . and maybe it never will be.
There are no guarantees in the writing profession. Most writers fail to achieve success measured by great sales. That’s just “the real of it,” and no amount of weeping and gnashing of teeth will change that.
Write, first and foremost, for the sheer love of writing. That way you will never feel like you failed.
THE SECRET TO FREELANCING
I was asked the other day what my secret was regarding freelancing, or at least one solid piece of advice for making money freelancing . . . I have a couple things to say about it, if you’re interested.
It took me seven years of hard work to get where I’m at right now. None of my success happened overnight, so there’s my first piece of advice . . . treat it like any other job and work hard.
The other thing I think is important is to not put all your eggs in one basket. I make money from writing from a number of sources. I have income from my books (15 and counting) and I have income from customers (5 steady customers) and I have income from services I provide to writers. I do that so in case one source of income dries up, I still have others to fall back on. I think diversifying is a wise move in freelancing. I also believe in the Numbers Game. The more books I write and publish, the more income I’ll receive. I learned this from common sense and a book I read called “Write, Publish, Repeat.”
So there you have it, and add one more: I have a constant desire to succeed, so I refuse to give up.
Have a great week and remember, you are appreciated greatly by little old me.
Bill
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 