=================================================
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.

=================================================

Issue 102: February 15, 2005

Read this issue online at:

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


=================================================

DAILY WRITING NEWS, VIEWS AND TIPS:

Angela Booth's Writing Blog:

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

=================================================
(For instructions to join or leave the ezine's mailing list,
scroll to the end.)
=================================================

THIS MONTH:

* Editorial: Get out of your comfort zone

* Article: Five Ways To Fail Your Way To Success

* Coming up on Pro Write: The Art of the Writing Pitch workshop

=================================================

=> Editorial: Get out of your comfort zone

It's February already. :-) Are you working on achieving your
goals for this year? If you haven't created MEASURABLE goals for
2005, do it today.

This month's article is about failing your way to success. You
must tell yourself that success is a learning process, and that
you'll stumble (fail) may times, until you learn how to succeed.

Thought for the day: are you afraid of failure, or could it be
that you're afraid of success?

When you achieve your goals your life will change. Most of the
time, we aren't that enthused about change. Yes, we'd like
success, but it means change. We don't know how we'll cope.

The answer is: get uncomfortable now. Today. Get out of your
comfort zone NOW. Your comfort zone is death.

Apropos success, the first of Bob Parsons' excellent 16 rules for
survival is:

<<<Get and stay out of your comfort zone. I believe that not much
happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I
hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response
to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers.">>

Read Bob's rules here:

http://www.bobparsons.com/RoberttheycanteatyouMyrulesforsurvival.
html

So this month, make this your mantra: "if I'm comfortable, I'm
dead. Anxiety, stress and even failure mean that I'm learning
and growing and on the road to success."

Have a great uncomfortable month!

Don't forget to visit Angela Booth's Writing Blog for a daily
dose of inspiration and fun:

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

All best wishes from

Angela

=================================================

=> ARTICLE: Five Ways To Fail Your Way To Success



Copyright C 2005 by Angela Booth. All rights reserved.


Start today to fail your way to success. Start by defining what
success means to you.

Write a page. Begin with these words: "To me, success means
____________"


=> Way One: See success clearly

Remember the old saying: "Everyone wants to get to heaven, but no
one wants to die"?

We all want success, but we don't necessarily want all the
accoutrements. Success means:

* more responsibility;

* more hard work;

* more demands from others; and

* a LOT OF CHANGE.

It is worth it? Only you know. If you haven't written your page
of what success means to you, do it now. Unless you know what
success means, you're stalled - you don't know where you're
going, so it's impossible to chart a course.


=> Way Two: You're closest, when you think you're furthest away

Countless writers have said something like: "the day I got my
first offer of publication, I'd already quit. I emptied my filing
cabinets into garbage bags, and deleted all my writing-related
files from my computer. I was done. Then the envelope/ phone call
arrived."

Yes. It's true. You're closer than you think. Keep failing. The
very indication that you're ready to quit means that you've given
it everything you have. When you're ready to quit: pause. You're
almost there.


=> Way Three: Desire success

You've got to stay hungry. How much do you want to succeed? Be
honest with yourself. Many people want to write, but they really
mean that they would like to live a writer's life. The glamorous
version, that is. The version where you sit in a book-lined
study, musing, sipping the occasional cocktail. Literary
luncheons with your editor.

A writer's life is nothing like that. A writer's life is writing.
That's all.

Is that what you want? If you desire success in your chosen field
beyond anything else, you will succeed.


=> Way Four: Keep your own counsel

Shush! Don't talk about your work. Just do it.

No one can help you learn your way to success except you. If you
want advice, ask someone who is doing what you want to do. Don't
ask people who can't help you.

Remember that as much as your friends and relatives love you,
they may not be thrilled at your success. It means change, and we
all distrust change. They know the you that you are right now.
They worry that they may not like the you that you want to be. Is
it surprising that they try, often unconsciously, to sabotage
you?


=> Way Five: Expect chaos

The learning process is messy. It's two steps forward and one
step back. Expect chaos. Whenever you feel confused, realise that
this is great: confusion means that you're out of your comfort
zone. It feels uncomfortable, yes, but it's supposed to feel that
way. Remember "Way One: See success clearly". Write about what
success means to you, and then just take the next step.

You have two brains in one: a left, and right brain. Your right
(intuitive) brain, sees patterns and wholes. It will nudge you in
the directions in which you need to go to reach your view of
success. Trust it. Just take the next step.

You CAN fail your way to success. It's the only way to get there.



=================================================

=> NEW on Pro Write: The Art of the Writing Pitch workshop

Our next Pro Write workshop (first lesson on the site on February
20), is "The Art of the Writing Pitch".

http://www.prowrite.biz/

Writers pitch their projects. Whether you're aiming for a
commission to write a magazine article, or an agreement to write
a Web site, or a contract to write a book, you need to recognise
and begin to develop the art of pitching your writing.

Recognising the need to pitch is paramount. You have to know what
the people who buy your work are looking for. Clue: they want
(profitable) solutions to their problems.

I've written about pitching in "How to write a proposal to get
freelance work".

http://www.digital-e.biz/articles/art_writing8.html

In The Art of the Writing Pitch, we'll cover everything you need
to know in order to pitch ALL your writing projects and build
your selling average.

Join us. The workshop will be a lot of fun. :-)


@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Please note, we're having problems with sp#mmers spoofing our
digital-e email addresses. The easiest way to make contact with
us is to use the online feedback forms on Digital-e and Pro Write
until the situation resolves itself.

Please contact us at:

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

http://www.prowrite.biz/contact.htm

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@


==============================

=> Earn as you learn with Digital-e! <=

Sick of your day job? If you'd rather stay home and write,
Digital-e's email writing courses will help you to become a
professional writer. Write when and where you want. The weekly
payment plans on our e-courses and coaching programs make it an
affordable option to earn as you learn. (You'll have Angela at
your side to cheer you on. :-)) You'll find the part-payment
buttons on the appropriate course pages. Not sure how it works,
or if it's right for you?

Info on Digital-e's courses:

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

=================================================

=> Coaching program: Write for the Web

With the long-awaited worldwide economic recovery underway, and
companies increasing their Web presence, Web copywriters will be
in huge demand. Get started writing for the Web today.

You can do it. Work from home, work for yourself, and make a
great income. This program offers personalized, fun one-on-one
coaching.

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


=================================================

=> Email Workshop For Writers <=

Writing To Sell In The Internet Age
by Angela Booth

(A professional writer for 25 years, published by mainstream
publishers.)

Explode your writing profits!

The Internet gives you an unbelievable opportunity to rocket your
writing career into orbit. If you're feeling that you're not
getting your share of the exploding opportunities, our new email
workshop, Writing To Sell In the Internet Age, is for you.

More info, with the course outline at ---

http://www.digital-e.biz/ecourses1.html


=================================================


Creative Small Biz: Copyright C 2005 by Angela Booth. All rights
reserved.


YOUR PRIVACY

Your privacy is important. You've signed on for this ezine in
good faith. Thank you. I will never betray your trust by making
the subscriber list available to others.


Creative Small Biz

PO Box 181

Para Hills SA 5096

Australia

ab@...


**END**