Anyone up for a Daily Check-In?

[JoHunley]

This is something I used to do in a writer's group years ago, as a sort of motivational tool. Sometimes the hardest part about writing is getting your butt in that chair - a bit of dread at the thought of you staring at that blank white screen and it staring right back at you, and neither thinking of much to say. Or what non-writers think of as "having a real life" gets in the way. So we would check in with each other daily to post progress and get some gratifying hurrahs (on great writing days) and supportive talk (on bad ones). The ultra-experienced CC writers probably don't need this at all, they've already found their rhythm, but newbies might find it to be a lifesaver. Besides, I don't think there is such a beastie as a writer who gets enough hurrahs and support.

I'll start us off. Any interested can just chime in.

[JoHunley]

Two days of no-computer hell as the semi-SO had piece work repairing someone else's computer drive (or whatever) and was constantly switching towers to get the repair done. That long without computer, listening to technical gibberish... I was twitching, I swear it. My word processor program and I spent some quality time together last night to make up for it. Researched, wrote, edited and submitted four articles, a movie review and three on real estate for that request. Not sure if they're what the customer wanted, as the request was blasted vague, but I needed to branch out anyhow. Had three sales yesterday, which was an incredible feeling. Two on household budgeting and one sort of humor piece on pool hall etiquette. Just about wiped out my portfolio (Celeste, your advice was so right). Also, found out that in my short absence I'd gotten my first rejection. Woe! My bete noir, the semi-colon, was to blame. I adore the little things and tend to toss them about willy-nilly, often incorrectly. It's been a few days since I've seen the article so this morning, while I'm fresh, I plan to review semi-colon usage and edit. The rejected article was about pool, so perhaps the customer who bought my first article about pool will want that one as well.

Yesterday's stats: 2907 edited words, three sales and one rejection. Productive, with highs and lows and room for improvement.

How was everyone else's day?

[BarryDavidson]

I'm open to anyone seeking advice about computer hardware. I'm not a master, but I've been fixing them long enough to usually have an idea about the problem.

Aside from that, I heartily recommend that EVERYONE have at least a second computer available. A desktop computer is cheap, and comes in quite handy. I have seven working computers laying around the house, and four are in use at any one time. I know that most people want the light weight and versatility of a laptop, but a thousand dollar laptop isn't in everyone's budget. A three hundred barebone desktop can also have other advantages.

If you set your home network up correctly, you can open files on a dedicated unit from any other computer on your network. Someone may have told you to buy one of those MyBook hard drives, but they're not that great. Eight in ten times the hard drives will crash within the first year, and it costs several thousand dollars to recover data from one of them. You'd do better buying a 32GB flash drive.

I'm rambling, so it's time to close out.

[JoHunley]

Thak you, Barry! We do have multiple computers - my desktop, his laptop - but he was using his for diagnostics and switching my tower out with the tower to be repaired. Or something. I'm hopeless with anything that has more than one button, one cord (the reason I keep him around, ha). I know he was using both for something, I could see him switching between.

Did not a darned thing day before yesterday. Started a few different pieces but the writing was crud so they all wound up junked. Some days are not writing days.

Edited the rejected piece yesterday and resubmitted. The fingers are crossed that I fixed all the problems. Wrote only one article, 670 words on budgeting, and added that to Ed's To Do list.

Today is going all right. I've already got one sale, and one article done. 690 words on dieting, there were all those weight loss sales a couple of days ago so I thought I might toss one up and see how it does. I think the article turned out fairly well. More budgeting articles on the chore list today, they seem to be selling very well indeed, and I'm seriously thinking a few egghead articles on economics might be in order. I've seen good sales on budgeting and business, perhaps economics will be the next wave.

Hope everyone has a good day!

[JoHunley]

One more thing. Does anyone find an article about how to make money with your writing being priced at three dollars, to be just ironic and funny-only-not-funny?

[HayleyWriter]

Hi Jo,

Yes I found it funny and sad at the same time. I think the customer knows more about how to make money than the author, as the customer is more likely to make money from this tiny spend than the author would have received. I've said it before, but selling articles for less than $10 for usage just doesn't make sense (or dollars!) for the author, because it takes far longer to write, proofread and submit the article than the money you make. I'd hate to convert some author's pay into hourly rates - probably less than $0.50 an hour for those who sell work so cheaply. I certainly refuse to work for that rate of pay. I'm worth more than that, and so is my skill as an author (and so are most of the authors here).

I'd love a daily - or maybe a weekly checkin!

I've had the best month for sales so far, which is terrific. It's lovely to see you and Barry and some others going so well too. However, I've been a bit down in the last couple of days - partly because I haven't sold anything, and partly because the sales are going back to the cheap, and very cheap, usage rights, not the full rights sales. However, I've been around CC long enough to know that sales come in batches and what is a popular topic one day will not be the most popular topic the next. So, I'll pick myself up and have a good day anyway.

I'm sweltering in the hot Australian sun at the moment and it's hard to get motivated to write, but I keep trying to submit one article a day (which is working on most days!). Some days I don't submit, but usually I get motivated the next day and submit two. Then I have to wait until poor Ed gets a chance to catch up - writers must be prolific at the moment!

Anyway, there is my "catch up". I'll drop you a line next week with an update.

Kind regards,

Hayley

[Celeste Stewart]

Hayley,
I saw yesterday, or the day before, a BUNCH of high dollar sales on the recently sold board - all of which were general articles (not private requests). If my memory serves, there were several in the $100 full rights range and at least one over $200. Plus, it looked to me like they sold at different times of the day, which leads me to believe that several clients where buying. I also think that several categories were involved but I can't remember much more than that.

The premium articles are indeed selling right now. Maybe you just checked when there was a recent clump of cheapies displayed on the screen. So, chin up!

[HayleyWriter]

Thanks Celeste!

I did see a couple of higher sale articles, but sometimes I can miss out on seeing all the sales due to the time differences. If many articles are sold over the day in the US, I may only see the last few sales when I get up, as the sales usually happen while I sleep in Australia. This, of course, makes for a lovely day when I get up in the morning to see a sale on my account!

I have absolutely no reason to be discouraged, as I have sold many articles at high prices this month, but sometimes I get impatient for the next sale too. I guess I want the 'high' of a sale most days but that's just getting greedy! Thanks for the encouragement though, I really do appreciate it! It's only midday here, so I intend to enjoy a great afternoon now.

Kind regards,

Hayley

[BarryDavidson]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with greed. Well, as long as it's not your sole driving force. I worry about people with no greed in them. Without that tiny sliver of greed, where is the drive to excel? No, greed is a good thing. Just as long as you don't screw everyone else over along the way.

[HayleyWriter]

NEVER! I still gotta live with myself! Naw, I'm the sort who cheers on others who are succeeding too, rather than bring them down. But, I must admit I'm more motivated to write after a sale! Just was having a hard time generally this morning so things looked a bit blue. However, I'm much better now because everyone here is so encouraging, upbeat, and fun! It's so good to have your sense of humour enlightening the forums again Barry!

[BarryDavidson]

I do try. It's nice to have someone laugh at my antics. My kids stopped liking, "Pull my finger," years ago.

[HayleyWriter]

You're kidding! I didn't think anyone actually liked that trick in the first place!

[BarryDavidson]

My youngest used to pull my finger for no reason. She's gonna be trouble.

She belches loudly in restaurants, and then yells, "Excuse Me!" Very loudly. Let's not talk about when they slip out the other end.

[JoHunley]

Hayley, do you live in Australia or are you on holiday?

WOOOOO for greed. A little greed is a great thing.

I'm a wee bummed. Got another rejection, and have subsequently sworn off semi-colons for life. Or, at least in articles. A fifteen-year bad habit is going to get me booted off this site. Plus my hands and wrists are killing me. I got a job at a butcher shop - the work isn't difficult but, after a few hours you want to cry like a sissy from how painful it is. Hurrah for tylenol. Another sale would make me feel a great deal better. *suggestive leer at customers* AND ANOTHER THING. The five-dollar sales are killing my morale. The writer isn't even getting minimum wage at that price, so why are they doing that?! Boggling, frustrating, nonsensical notion.

But let's look on the bright side. I've got two pounds of really gorgeous sausages, free from work. Next week, for the first time in my life, I'll be paid for stuff I wrote. Awesome.

I've edited the rejected article and submitted it. Now I'm off to catch up on writing.

[BarryDavidson]

I'm hanging out in Atlantic City, New Jersey this weekend. So what if I'm losing money? At least I'm having fun, and my family is with me.

(The money I'm making here also doesn't hurt when figuring where all the money went.)