Traditional publishing used to be the only way to get your work out into the world. You would work for months or even years on a final draft of your book and then send it out to agents, praying that one of them would like it enough to represent it. These days, with the proliferation of self-publishing, traditional publishing is only viable in a narrow set of circumstances. But when you need to go with a traditional publisher, you’ll regret …
Author: ryanthewriter
→The word-slinging author of many things. I write to change the world, and hopefully myself along the way.
Many people believe that politicians, celebrities, and CEOs keep them from achieving their dreams. The reality is that none of them would have power if someone didn’t give it to them. You know who’s really in control, who absolutely has the power to block you? Gatekeepers — the ones who allow access to power and influence in the first place. Or, at least, they used to. Here’s a little secret: we don’t need gatekeepers anymore. I don’t. You don’t. What you need …
Once upon a time (yes, I went there), NaNoWriMo helped the budding professional writer come out of their shell and get some words on (often digital) paper. In the early days of self-publishing, when traditional publishing still ran the sandbox, it was an excellent pace for professional writers. Today, however, NaNo sells false hope to writers seeking a profession as a wordsmith. Before we get into it, let me be clear: there are many reasons for people to write, and …
The hardest part of being a freelancer is getting new clients. Putting together your portfolio, hounding people on social media, writing on LinkedIn, only to land a quick $300 job for a client you’ll never see again. No one got into the freelance game to self-promote. What if you could take that $300 one-time client and turn them into a $30k per year client? You could spend more time doing what you love, which is why you became a freelancer …
You want to make a living on your own terms. That’s why you’re planning on starting a business, right? As the author of several dozen business plans, two of which have worked out, I can tell you that you’re probably too focused on the wrong thing: money. The paradox is that you want to start the business to replace your income or to monetize one of your passions, but thinking about money at the outset is what will sink your …
Maybe waste is the wrong word. I mean, I learned a lot blogging for over a decade. Being the sole writer for a martial arts blog and a personal author blog taught me a lot about designing on WordPress and got my essay structure on point. But what I’ve learned since joining Medium three weeks ago has given me the boost I needed to make some real money. Here’s what I’ve learned… How to Write a Headline It’s possible that I’ve posted …