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There were quite a few hiccups this week while trying to get the first Digital Writer Hangout going, and all of them my fault!

You can see the mishap in the sequence of videos below, or at least the aftermath where I answer some reader questions.

Despite the early hiccup, I’m thrilled it turned out as it did. Making these short, snappy videos turned much better than posting one long hangout people might not be interested in.

With the assortment of short videos, viewers can pick and choose which topics meet their needs most, then share those videos they’re confident will benefit their friends and followers most.

Video 1 – Smashwords and What I Would Do Different

This first video answers a reader’s question about the benefits and pitfalls of using Smashwords. I also explain why Smashwords isn’t our primary (or even one of our major) outlets.

“Smashwords is a global dashboard.”

I was also asked what I would do now if I could reset the clock four years. The full answer is in the video, but the short answer is:

“Whatever you have in your head, get it out immediately. Ideas held too long rot like fruit.”

 

Video 2 – Self-Promotion

How did I promote myself in the beginning? Well, I didn’t. I didn’t have to. But that wasn’t a good thing. I explain why in this next video, as well as why “I’m more comfortable with earned attention than asking for it.”

Dave and I divide our Collective Inkwell duties down the middle, but that’s far from the all on my plate. I’m a Production Model kind of thinker, and much of what I do is collaborative, so the latter half of this second video is a brief rundown of what I’ve been working on over the last three months.

“If I slow down, I’ll write less.”

Video 3 – Confidence

Give yourself permission to suck.

Who cares what your first draft sounds like? You’re supposed to be writing with the door closed. Just write. Then write again. And again.

Find out how many times I sometimes rewrite before I publish my copy, and how you can improve your writing with each step.

“I’ve written four million years in four million words.”

The above sentence is proof: practice makes perfect.

Do the opposite of what I do to be successful – focus on thing at the time and you will get where you’re going faster. Sporadic thinking is what makes me tick, yet focusing on multiple projects at a time, decays my model. I’m willing to sacrifice in this area since I know myself well enough to know that’s something I need as a happy writer, person and entrepreneur.

“You will be more successful if you work on one thing at the time.”

 

Video 4 – Scheduling and Rhythm

Dave and I are working toward crafting an ideal day-to-day schedule, and will hopefully be there by the end of fall/winter. Until then, I must flip back and forth between writing and rewriting.

“I don’t have a daily word count, I have a daily hour count. Within those hours, I try to write as much as I can.”

This video articulates what you can do to push your writing further each day by paying attention to your habits, then improvising your schedule to constantly nudge yourself two millimeters further.

 

Video 5 – My Fail and Time Management

Spending a few dollars on information that is organized and well-researched saves me time and energy. That was the idea behind the Digital Writer titles.

“I’ve never been afraid to spend money to carve myself the kind of career that I want.”

Effective time management is the reason I could shut down a successful preschool and make a living writing, on my own terms. Writing is a job, and you must be show up and tear through your copy on demand, or it will be difficult to succeed.

Spending time searching online for free answers is a poor use of your time. Stop it.

 

Video 6 – Pen Names and the SPP

“You absolutely must have a pen name.”

Different genres require different pen names, especially when it comes to Amazon. Fiction readers will rarely if ever be interested in writing sales letters. Pen names are a part of my business, and in this video I discuss how today’s Digital Writer can use a penname effectively.

In this video I also answer a reader’s question about something I said on the Self-Publishing Podcast about blogging. Essentially, WordPress blogs are losing relevance. A blog should be an outlet, not a place to “blog” in the traditional sense. Using your time to leverage Amazon and other self-publishing outlets will prove more profitable in the long run.

“If I were starting out right now, I wouldn’t blog. I’d publish content directly to Amazon.”

Another writer asked about the page count for serialized fiction. Serialized fiction is different from a novel. Don’t stress over page count. Instead, focus on your story. Make readers care for your characters and give them a strong story. Having said that, 16,000 words is about average for our stories.

Of course there’s more of this in your email, and even more in next week’s private email. Subscribers, see you there. Everyone else, you can get next week’s email by signing up below.

Enter your best email address in the box below, absorb the free content once a week, then take action on what you learn. You will be a more successful writer.


Until next week!
I did it. So can you.

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