Tag Archives: Writing Tips

Blogging and writer’s block

May 24, 2020 By in Blogging Tips Tags: , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

Some days ago, I wrote about me struggling with writer’s block. I have been dealing with blogging and writer’s block since this COVID-19 Pandemic started. These past few weeks have been a rollercoaster for me with my feelings and emotions going up and down like a yo-yo. However, I am happy to say I have finally found my happy place again and I am now back in my working mode again. It took some adjusting with tweaks to my daily routine here and there, but my blogging routine is finally back to how it used to be sort of.

 

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How did I overcome my writer’s block?

My writer’s block was on and off for weeks and I just couldn’t bring myself to write on some days. On some days, I was in the mood to write but didn’t have the time thanks to all the added responsibilities. On other days, I was in the mood to write but couldn’t think or decide on what was best to blog about. I felt it would look a bit wrong blogging about skincare routines or fashion trends for spring while there was chaos worldwide. Not knowing what was ok to write about bothered me for some time. However I had to get out of that state of mind quickly. At the end of the day, my blog is my job, so writing is a must to pay my bills. Fashion and Style Police is about fashion, style, beauty, skincare, lifestyle, travel and many other topics. So those topics are expected and the show must go on. Most of the topics I now write about are a reflection of what is going on but I don’t want to blog to be just about Coronavirus issues going on now in 2020. In a few years, I want to look back and remember how I carried on thriving, working, studying and homeschooling my kids from home during a Pandemic.

Here are some ways I dealt with my writer’s block –

I stopped writing

When it comes to many things, I find that the more I resist, the more it persists. So I just stopped writing completely for days. I believe me stopping writing and not trying to force the process allowed me overcome the writer’s block quicker.

Read read read

I am still reading a book a week and that helps my creativity loads. The more I read, the more I can write. My reading helped me keep the creative writing juice flowing.

Spend time doing what I love

I spent more time doing what I was in the mood for. So apart from reading, I have been sleeping a lot. I have also been watching some interesting shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Spending time with the kids everyday is always amazing. Going for long walks and meditating has also helped my state of mind and mental health. I believe the time I have spent doing what I love has led me back to writing.

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It is good to see the back of this writer’s block. I have learnt from it and I am glad I have gotten my writing mojo back.

How are you doing?

Why you should write a book

September 17, 2017 By in Freelancing/Self-employed Tags: , , , , , , , 22 Comments

This why you should write a book post is like a follow-up post to the 5 lessons I learned from writing a book post. There are so many people out there who want to write a book some day. Sadly very few follow through with their aspirations to have their book published. The main reason why not many people meet their dream of writing a book is because they get overwhelmed by the thought of it.

I felt this way when I started writing my first book. But my motives were simple: I wanted to write a book that will help people. Making money from book sales was never the primary goal. I just wanted to help and impact people. I also wanted the credibility I knew the book would give me, so I went for it, and How to Cash In as a Blogger was born.

 

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But as good as my intentions were there were moments when I got frustrated along the way. Thankfully these moments didn’t stop me. I kept writing my book.  Little did I know that my perseverance will open doors to opportunities for me in the future. So, if you are thinking of writing a book or if you started and gave up along the way, here are some reasons why you should keep going and write a book.

 

It will increase your business and personal credibility

When you write and publish your book, it gives you a lot of credibility as an expert in your niche. It is well-known that writing a book takes a lot of time and work. People also believe that only those who know a lot about their niche are the only ones who are able to write books. This makes people trust you and your business even if they haven’t read your book before.

 

Writing a book elevates you to expert status

While I was writing my book, I was writing a lot about my experiences on the topic. Writing my book gave me the opportunity to share my knowledge with others.

There is this belief that authors are experts as it is only those who know their craft that are able to pass down knowledge and expertise. This is really good as it increases the trust people have in you. People will start looking out for you as someone who knows a lot in your field.

 

Brings you consulting opportunities

Since being an author requires you to share your knowledge and expertise by writing your book, more people tend to reach out to you for consultation. Your book let’s people know that you are a go-to resource. This makes them see you as someone who is in a better position to advice them anytime they are faced with a problem that is within your niche.

 

Creates opportunities for speaking engagements

Writing a book could create opportunities for speaking engagements, if you are interested in that sort of attention. Your new status as an authority figure can bring you the attention you need to land speaking gigs.

 

Helps you sell your other products and services

A good number of people say that selling books is not a profitable venture. The truth is that the real value is not really in how many books you sell, but in how your book markets your other products and services. Those who read your book get to know what business you’re into and consequently would be more willing to buy from you. Your book acts as an avenue to showcase your other work and draw in patronage.

 

These are just a few reasons why you should write a book. Have you written a book? If yes, please share the title in the comments section.

 

 

5 Lessons I Learned from Writing a Book

September 11, 2017 By in Freelancing/Self-employed Tags: , , , , , , , 30 Comments

My book – How to Cash In as a Blogger was written over a year ago. It was released February 2016 on Amazon and my second book is still under construction. The second book would be on an entirely different topic, so watch this space. It promises to be good!

So what did I learn from writing a book? I learned a lot. It could take me a day and a half to write all I learned from writing a book on here, so I will summarise the main lessons, and try to keep it as brief as possible.

 

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Lesson 1 – Writing an eBook was the smart way to go

I released only an e version of my book. There are no paperbacks and this was deliberate. I only read ebooks on my Amazon Kindle. I have not bought a paperback in years because I don’t have the space for them. I love reading. I read about 2 books a week easily. So imagine if they were all paperbacks? We won’t have a place to sit!

I also didn’t want to put myself under pressure to sell! Having the paperbacks would have been an issue if I couldn’t sell them quick. I was not prepared for that added pressure  So you won’t be reading a paperback version of How to Cash In as a Blogger or any of my future books anytime soon.

 

Lesson 2 – Self-promotion is the only way up

This kind of took me by surprise. I thought all I had to do was to write a book worth reading and the buyers would come. I was so wrong. Self-promotion is the only way up! I am still working on this. I am very good at promoting blog posts and all, but I struggled to promote my book as much as I should for reasons I am not aware of. It just didn’t come natural to me.

Maybe because it is my first product. I guess I would have to wait to see if self-promoting my second book would be easier. Regardless of how hard I find the whole promotion process, it has to be done. So be ready to self-promote like crazy if you want to write a book.

 

Lesson 3 – Be ready for the attention

Writing a book brought myself and Fashion and Style Police a lot of attention. So it was a good thing I was ready for it. I expected some attention but as much as I got, especially in the early days. This attention can be a blessing and a curse at the same time, depending on your circumstances and how long you look at it.

The best way to handle this new found fame is to make sure your social media accounts and blog are looking the part. Also, remember to make the most of the attention.

 

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Lesson 4 – I can’t live on the sales of 1 book

This was never my intention but it is good I have experienced this first hand so I know. My book sales are less than 10% of my yearly income, so surviving on the sales would be impossible. I plan to write more books in future, and I don’t plan on surviving on the sales I make from those either, although it would be amazing if I could. Having said that, I have collaborated with many brands, in various ways because of my book. So I am living on some collaborations thanks to writing a book, if that makes sense.

 

Lesson 5 – The reviews or lack of them

Before I though of writing a book, I didn’t think about how many authors struggle to get their book buyers to leave reviews. Now this does not affect only authors, but all businesses. Reviews are like oxygen to a business owner, and we all need them. As I type this post, I have less than 10 reviews and I have had my book downloaded hundreds of times. So why do I have only 9 reviews? Big question that no one can answer. All I know is that book readers do not enjoy writing books reviews.

Now that I have written a book, I know how important book reviews are to an author so I make sure to leave a review, whether it is good or bad. If you have read my book, please leave a review. I need those reviews like I need air. If you have not read my book, you can download it here.

 

Thanks for reading. Have a lovely week.

 

 

 

 

 

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