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CREATIVE SMALL BIZ

Turn your talent into a flourishing business.

For freelance writers and other creative professionals.

Published monthly, on the 15th of each month.

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Issue 100: December 15, 2004

Read this issue online at:

http://www.digital-e.biz/newsletter.html


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*** NEW BLOG: DAILY WRITING NEWS, VIEWS AND TIPS ***

Angela Booth's Writing Blog:

http://copywriter.typepad.com/copywriter/


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(For instructions to join or leave the ezine's mailing list,
scroll to the end.)
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In this issue:

* Editorial: Issue 100 of Creative Small Biz

* Article: Ten Top Tips From Our First Ten Issues


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=> Editorial: Issue 100 of Creative Small Biz

Wow, we're 100! It's hard to believe that we're now at three
figures. I've been rereading our first few issues, and have
compiled Ten Top Tips from issues One to Ten. We've published
some fantastic material to help you to build and run your
creative small business over the years.

If you're looking for reading material over the holiday break, go
through the newsletter archives on Digital-e:

http://www.digital-e.biz/archive.html


In another ten short days, Christmas will be here. Birgitt and I
wish you and yours everything that you wish for yourselves this
joyous season, and for 2005.


==> Your yearly review, and plans for 2005

At this time of the year, you'll be looking back over your
accomplishments, and are looking ahead to the new year.

Did you achieve everything you set out to achieve in 2004?
Whether you did or not, 2005 is a new opportunity. Consider:


* making ONE change in your working habits which will help you to
achieve the results you want in 2005. Change is always difficult,
and you'll be tempted to make a whole raft of New Year's
Resolutions, so just aim for one change.

* setting measurable goals. "I want to sell more" isn't a goal.
It's a wish. "I will sell one article per week in January" is a
goal.

* keeping a work log.


Relax and enjoy, and stay safe over the holiday break.

See you in 2005!

All best wishes from

Angela Booth

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=> Our Holiday Special --- Kickstart Your Writing Career

Seasons Greetings from Birgitt and Angela. Let us help you to
kick your writing career into overdrive in 2005 with our
fantastic holiday season ebook special:

http://www.digital-e.biz/specials.html

Until January 6, 2005 all four of our ebooks are reduced as our
holiday gift to you.

Buy one, or buy them all. Make 2005 your best writing year EVER.
Remember, each ebook is a complete writing manual, with
information you can use, right now, to help your writing career.

You'll find information about the books on Digital-e Specials'
page. Click "more info" to get complete details on each book.

However, YOU MUST ORDER FROM THE SPECIALS PAGE to get the books
at the Holiday Season price, so please make sure that you click
back to the Specials page to order.. :-)

http://www.digital-e.biz/specials.html

Happy Holidays! Seasons Greetings to you and yours, and all best
wishes from

Birgitt and Angela

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=> Ten Top Tips From Our First Ten Issues


By Angela Booth


Copyright C 2004 by Angela Booth. All rights reserved.


Tip One: Public Relations is about image and branding, not
publicity (from Issue #1)

Many entrepreneurs feel that if their mention in a newspaper or
magazine doesn't immediately lead to new business, their PR
activities have failed. Not so. It's important that you look for
opportunities which, while they may bring you no instant monetary
return, do nevertheless enhance your profile and improve your
image. As an equivalent example in the corporate world, think of
sponsorships: big business knows that sponsoring is about their
image and branding, not about instant returns.


Tip Two: Actively look for Multiple Income Streams (from Issue
#2)

The world is changing fast. Most of the jobs around today weren't
in existence a decade ago. Actively looking for your own Multiple
Income Streams means that you won't be blindsided if your current
work dries up for whatever reason.

Here's how to recognize a new Income Stream that's right for you:

* it gets you enthusiastic;

* you feel you can do it right now, or with some practise or
training;

* it has a market.


Tip Three: Produce! create anywhere (from Issue #3)

Take a notebook, or a tape recorder and camera with you
everywhere. Snatch five minutes (even if it's in a restroom) and
write, or sketch.


Tip Four: Charge what you're worth (from Issue #4)

How much are you worth? You can't stay in business if you don't
know. However, there's more to pricing than setting your basic
prices. If you have years of experience, offer fast turnaround,
and are prepared to handle jobs on weekends, and overnight, you
can charge more.


Tip Five: Watch your mental images (from Issue #5)

Who's in your head? Two of you. Your brain has two halves, so
you're two people. Truly. There's the left brain analytical you,
and the right brain creative you.

Your right brain has charge of your subconscious mind. And if you
sabotage yourself, your subconscious is what's doing it.

I found writing exhausting for years. Even thinking about writing
made me tired. I dieted, started new exercise programs, gulped
vitamin pills, got more sleep. Didn't work. I'd finish a few
hours of writing completely worn out.

Then an image formed in my mind. The image of a mountain climber,
toiling up the rocky slope of a steep, ice-covered mountain.

Numb fingers. Aching legs. Deep crevasses on either side of me.

That explained the exhaustion. My subconscious equated writing
with mountain climbing.

So I changed my image of my writer-self. My new image is of a
seed-sower, walking along the rows of a tilled field. The field
has black, rich soil. I scatter handfuls of seeds from a bag as I
stroll along in the warm sun.

This new image makes me feel pleasantly relaxed.

It works. Writing no longer makes me tired. I'm just ambling
along, scattering seeds.

If you find marketing difficult, ask yourself what image you're
holding of marketing.


Tip Six: Get it in writing --- make sure you have an agreement
(from Issue #6)

If you provide a service, you need a basic agreement that you
automatically give to all new clients. Always insist on something
in writing, whether you fax them your own agreement, or they fax
you a purchase order. Without the details of the project in
writing, you'll forget what you said, or they'll forget what
they said. It's worth taking the extra trouble to spell it all
out in writing --- however briefly --- so that everyone's on the
same page.


Tip Seven: Negative thoughts are just thoughts --- replace them
with positive feelings (from Issue #7)

Developing the ability to feel positive about yourself starts
with recognizing when your thinking is negative.

Thoughts are like waves on the ocean. The ocean produces waves,
your mind produces thoughts. Thoughts lead to emotions. You can't
stop your thoughts, but you can refuse to buy into them.

Noticing your thoughts, especially recognizing negative thoughts,
is a major achievement. It takes a while to realize when you're
thinking negatively, because for many of us, negative thinking
comes more easily than feeling positive.

When negative thoughts discourage you, replace them with a
positive feeling. Think of something you love: going to the
movies, pizza, puppies.


Tip Eight: Write to sell, by combining entertainment and
information (from Issue #8)

The best way to sell either fiction or non-fiction is to combine
both in your writing.

Mix a dash of entertainment with your information. That is, when
you're writing an information product, an article or a book, even
though it's non-fiction, don't be dull. Check out the wildly
popular For Dummies series of books: good information, delivered
with an entertaining style.


Tip Nine: Write proposals to get freelance work (from Issue #9)

If you're a freelancer looking for work, drop that CV! Your
primary tool for generating work is a proposal, not a CV.

Some of your proposals will be written in response to Requests
for Proposals (RFPs), where businesses put out a call for
proposals to provide solutions to problems.

The proposals you generate on your own, after you've identified a
need the client has, are called Unsolicited Proposals. By
creating lots of proposals, you get lots of work.


Tip Ten: Write an article a day (from Issue #10)

Want to become a better writer? Easy. Just write an article a
day.

When you write each and every day, you develop skill. Writing is
a skill that demands the easy interaction of various parts of
your brain. This interaction isn't developed without practice,
nor does the interaction seem to remain viable unless you
consistently practice --- unless you write every day.

I imagine writing skills as being like developing communication
pathways between different areas in the brain. If you don't
practice your writing daily, those pathways disappear, just like
untraversed paths through a forest.


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*** Copywriting eight-week email course ***

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With Angela Booth

(A professional writer for 25 years, published by mainstream
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Dear Fellow Writer

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make your writing pay --- by copywriting (writing for business).


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You may be interested to know that established copywriters with a
stable of clients estimate that they'll earn at least $100,000 a
year. And that's without working particularly hard. In fact,
copywriters who specialize in company reports may only work a few
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Write from home, and write when it suits you

Most freelance copywriters write from home, either moonlighting
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There's no age barrier on freelance copywriting. No one cares if
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There's also no education barrier. You can have an MA or a PhD or
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(Earn as you learn --- weekly payment option available.)

Want a sample? Sign up for a free 3-day course based on the
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Creative Small Biz: Copyright C 2004 by Angela Booth. All rights
reserved.

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Creative Small Biz

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