Pro members: Our next Pitching Power Hour is this Wednesday, October 1st, at 11:00 AM (EST). Looking forward to seeing you at this wonderful monthly coworking session. Your Zoom link is at the bottom.
For all subscribers at all levels: Please join me for an extra special, experimental coworking session on Tuesday, October 7th at 1:00 PM (EST). The theme? THE BEATLES!
There will be a Beatles soundtrack as we work and special, Beatles-themed prompts to improve our writing. It’s free. It’s fun. It’s for all writers, all genres, all levels of experience. And you can use the time to work on anything you want, knowing that your fellow writers - and John, Paul, George, and Ringo - are there by your side (virtually!)
More details to come but bookmark this Zoom link so you can join on the 7th.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86216076164?pwd=aTcCCmFsxukaajtdeup3PSL8wxwyuR.1
Meeting ID: 862 1607 6164
Passcode: 176899
When did you last set aside time for research and development?
If you worked for NASA, this might indeed be the entirety of your job. If you’re a swimming pool professional, annual spring and autumn design shows are likely a predetermined part of your schedule. But if you’re a writer or other creative person, this is the one thing that can often slide into the “one day” column.
I’m a firm believer that successful self-employment rests on four pillars. There’s the thing you actually do (the writing!), there’s the administration and organization (you gotta pay your taxes and deal with emails), there’s marketing (how else will the world know you exist), and then there’s the research and development. You have to make time to learn what’s new, what’s changing, and what works for you. But when? How?
I was reminded about the importance of research and development when I happened to read someone else’s newsletter and they shared this resource, a list of multiple sources for free stock images that writers can use in their work. (That image of the Beatles statue in Liverpool, above? Free! And legal. So are all the images below). I was so grateful for the hard work that went into compiling this resource that I immediately started checking out all their resources and bookmarked the ones that seemed best for me. I also paused to reflect upon the fact that it’s been a hot minute since I’ve put time and energy into my own research and development work and suddenly I was craving it. Given that we’re about to turn the corner into Q4, it feels like a good time to pause and absorb some new learning opportunities.
Here’s what I’ve done for R&D this week, and how it’s worked out for me.
I sat in on a webinar about writing on art (as in fine art), as presented by an art gallery. Turns out, it wasn’t the right thing for me as it was more for artists who are looking to break into writing, not for established writers looking to expand into art writing. My take away: It’s okay if R&D efforts don’t prove fruitful. You have to allow for wasted time and also appreciate that there’s no such thing as wasted time (in my case, once I realized that this wasn’t for me, I signed off and then checked out the rest of their art-focused offerings and learned that there was something for me down the road).
I attended a freelance writing “masterclass” that contained a lot of prompts to join the presenters’ ongoing coaching program (and there’s nothing wrong with that). My big takeaways were about researching the industries where I’d like to write so I have a sense of their budgets before I go all in (in other words, there’s good money to be found in tech providers for the hospitality industry but there’s probably not a lot you’re gonna earn from Grandma’s Little Inn). I also got a helpful bonus for the attendees, a list of marketing templates that I think will prove useful.
I spent a modest amount of money on an audio-class from a writer and coach I admire who focuses on building financial success alongside work-life balance. Given that this item was on a big sale, I feel comfortable that, even if the class isn’t for me, I won’t be upset over the money. And I think it will prove to be a very helpful prompt for me as these topics were already on my mind.
I asked one of my writing communities for help with a problem and I received encouragement, a helpful suggestion of something to try out, and a handy resource to subscribe to.
I pushed back a flexible deadline so I could take the time to review this resource, along with some others I’ve picked up this week.
If you’re long overdue for some research and development time, I suggest you start exactly where I did, with the first list I mention about different photo sources. Take time in the next week or so to block off time for more research. Take a chance on a workshop which may or may not be your thing. Ask some colleagues for assistance. And take the time to celebrate the fact that you’re working hard on your business and your craft.
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