Something Better Than A Good Idea

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Writers are swimming in a sea of ideas is a statement bestselling author and editor Elizabeth Sherrill said years ago in a class I was taking from her at a writer's conference. I find good ideas come to me often and I try and capture them. Here's what is better than having a good idea: taking action on that idea.

 

Each week I write these articles for The Writing Life.  I have a steady group of people who receive these entries through their email addresses. Yet this list isn't increasing and in fact each week is declining when a few people unsubscribe. How can I increase the number of subscribers? The answer is simple. I need to be telling more people or a different group of people about the availability of this email resource.

 

I took action on this need. I wrote an email, showed the variety of articles and sent it to my email list. Also I crafted a similar email and sent it to a different email list. Overall I sent this email to thousands of subscribers where I encourage readers to subscribe to get my blog updates through their email. 

Of course, those readers have to open my email and take action on my suggestion for anything to happen—but at least I called the idea to their attention and increased the possibility of getting more subscribers. It was more than a thought or idea. I took action on my idea and turned it into a communication tool with my readers. Here's where you can subscribe and receive these entries through your email. 

 

Where do you need to grow as a writer? Do you have a book which is in the market but not selling? What steps can you take to be telling more people or book on a podcast or radio show? While it is easy to blame others in this process, I return to one of my consistent themes: I have to take my own responsibility for my own success. What actions can I take to reach a new audience? What do I need to learn to execute this idea? For example, I understand many authors are having success with their sales through the book area of Tik Tok. I have never done a Tik Tok video. I have access to some teaching on this topic but need to make the time in my schedule to take the teaching and then apply it to my writing life. Taking action is a much better step than having the knowledge and the idea.

 

What ideas have you had which are only ideas because you didn't take action on them? Make a plan and commit to moving forward. Let me know in the comments below.

 

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Five Reasons I Read and Respond to Email--And You Should Too

In various online and print articles and from time management experts, I have read repeatedly that we should take control of the number of times we read our email. Some people recommend you do it only once or twice a day rather than checking your phone or email many times during a day. I understand the reason for this suggestion since most of us check our email too much—to the annoyance of our relatives sometimes. You do have to be controlled about when you check it—but in this article I want to give you a contrarian type of answer—about reasons you should be reading it”

1. Opportunities come in various emails. Recently another author asked me to write the foreword for their book. I looked at the book and agreed then wrote my foreword and sent it via email.  I have a new forthcoming writing book and I've been gathering endorsements for this book and a foreword. I've done this work through email. Edtors ask authors to write articles for magazines and much more via email—provided you are faithfully reading them and responding in a timely way.

2. Book contracts come via email.  Years ago, contracts were sent in the regular snail mail. Today with secure servers and such, contracts are often sent via email. You can also print, sign, scan the pages and return the contract to the publisher through email. It is how I have been working with authors on their book contracts at Morgan James for the last several years.

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3. Money comes in email. As I've mentioned in these articles, I am involved in affiliate marketing. Some of the emails that I send through my email list promote others and their products. If you attend their event and buy their products, then I get a percentage of the sale as an affiliate. I explain more about affiliate marketing in this free ebook, You Can Make Money (use the link to get it and learn more and become one of my affiliates for my products).

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4. I learn about writing reading my email. I'm on other people's email list—and I have an email list. I believe every writer needs to be growing an email list. If you don't know how to get started on an email list, I have a little product called The List Building Tycoon After you have an email list, you need to be using it on a regular basis.

5. I communicate with authors through email. As an editor, I send a lot of email to authors. It's how I set up phone meetings and for some people, I send them book contracts from our Morgan James publication board.

I'm certain there are more than five reasons why I read my email and respond but these will give you ideas for your own email reading. It's why I read my email and respond to it throughout the day—every day.

Do you have boundaries for reading and responding to your email? Let me know in the comments below.

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