Monday, January 5, 2015

Owning Your Words

Some of my readers are writers, some of them health and wellness seekers, and others are finance readers.
For the writers, I just wanted to mention, that it really does make a big difference where you decide to
"sow" your words. Just throwing your carefully crafted words anywhere and everywhere all over the internet ......just might not be the best strategy.

Yes, there are the typical ways that folks try to build up blog traffic, and one of those ways is by writing as many comments as possible on blogs that have similarly interested readers. The hope is that a reader will find your comment intriguing and therefore click on your blog link to seek out more of your brilliant words or just simply because they find you interesting as someone they want to get to know as a friend or mentor.

But I just wanted to mention, that if you are a real hard core "author" and each and every word that you write has been preplanned and crafted into an artisanal masterpiece, then you might want to be equally as discerning as to just where you plunk your hard work.

If you want to  really "own your words" then you might want to consider only the on line avenues which will allow you to do just that. Set up your very own personal author blog and don't share the writing ops with any one. You will be the sole creator/author/artist of your blog. It is your domain. You control it's contents, it's look , it's advertising and it's focus.

Another option is to set your heart to more Indie type of publishing using one of the various self publishing sites that are popular now such as Create Space, Kindle Direct Publishing, Smashwords or Lulu.
I have used all of those. Each has it's own unique vibe and efficiency..

I'm very conscious of what is under my control and what is under the control of others.
There are microblogging sites that I write for, and when I write for them, I am under no illusions and I realize that I am really selling them my work for micro-pennies on the dollar. I am not "Author Royalty" sitting on a stuffed leather chair at a glossy mahogany desk, permitted to spend months crafting just one sentence of genius. Simply put....I am a mini-content farm and  "My words" are bucks for them. It isn't personal....it's business. As long as my words earn them viewers, they will continue to seek out to buy my words.

Ok, get to the point Carla. I just want to say, that in your writing you are going to have to make choices. Many or most of these choices are going to have to do with control. Who will you allow to edit your words?
Who will be allowed to post your written work? Which sites will you grant permission to publish your work?

Marketing your written work is often not best done by the author him/herself. It takes an objective eye who understands the dynamics of marketing written material to know how and when and where to promote your work. They might have to tell you gently that your book covers really need help, and that your
work isn't compelling or trendy enough for mainstream media. Know your niche. Know what you like and what you are good at. Then pursue it full steam ahead, all the while knowing that ultimately it must be you and only you  who decides who gets your words and who will not be admitted into the "circle of trust" to take good care of your written babies.

May your work be blessed and prosper, even as you sow it like precious Non-GMO seed into the earth.

Peace and prosperity.

Carla


Sunday, January 4, 2015

Mommy Blog? Nah...I don't like that term

Well yes, for the record I  am a mom and yes I am a blogger too....but please don't categorize me as a "Mommy Blogger".... it just evokes an image that I just can't handle.
My focus is not on how to pick the right pillows for my couch , or how to get grape stains out of my kids' t-shirts. And no, I really don't care what brand of dishes I eat from, as long as they please ME. If they happen to be valuable, then great...but dishes are not my raison d'etre.

How 'bout you. Do you have a hobby that folks often misname or misunderstand?
Do you cringe when folks call you a "crafter" when you're really a serious artist?
Or you folks label your ability to fix anything mechanical...."tinkering" ?

Push comes to shove, we have to be content when we are accomplishing our own goals, no matter what others are saying or writing about it.

Peace and enjoyment this new fresh month of 2015.



Thursday, January 1, 2015

Throw Some of your Earnings Into Tomorrow

Perhaps you are already so wise, as to have gotten a grip of this concept many years ago.
But although, I'm not always lightening fast quick on the uptake, I am incredibly persistent when I want to learn something. "Neva Geev Up" was coined for me.

Anywho, what I wanted to mention today, as it's the beautiful first day of this brand new year 2015.....is the idea to to:

Spread some of your efforts towards a certain point in time in the future.

How and why you may ask? Well, because it diffuses the delusion of only living "for today" and stirs up an expectancy for future blessings.

For example, if you run a blog or website, you can pre-write some of your post and post date them to appear one month or 3 months or three days from today. By that method you are not putting all your eggs in "today's" basket. You can Spread your blessings out over the long term.

Another example, would be putting some portion of your investments into something that won't pan out until at least 10 years from now. Instill some kind of preventive mechanism so that you won't be able to touch that investment until a decade from now. That gives you a Christmas present ten years from now to look forward to.

And now for the "Why".... Well, let me just say this....When folks go through hard times, sometimes they just
paint themselves into an inspirational corner, solely by living hand to mouth which feeds into a mindset of "living only for today". But that isn't a life affirming way to live. Living only for today encourages too much risky behavior and provides no nourishment for the years and decades to come.

Our life expectancy is a lot longer than it was for folks born 100 years ago. For someone my age, I was recently given a life expectancy estimate of around 88 years. That's  a pretty juicy long life.
Why would I want to burn all my candles while I am in my forties? Don't I want to save some blessings and energy for my fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties and however many years God gives to me on this wonderful earth?

So I just want to encourage you as my human friends. Don't give up on your long term plans.
Plan and sow something into your future that you can look forward to.
Some folks even schedule couriers to mail a parcel to themselves or someone they love ....for way in advance, like one or two years from now. What a great idea! Preplanned blessings.

So much to look forward to.
God's best for you in 2015.

Carla