Everyone that publishes a newsletter or ezine knows that "list" is most important thing, if you want to be successful with any online venture. To build that list we are told to submit ads to other ezines, join as many ezines as is humanly possible to read in a 24 hour day without food or sleep. And of course write articles.

They also tell us that any dim bulb can write. I've read a few articles and I think that statement may be somewhat false. Ok, we know we can write because all of kids in your daughters 3rd class think you write "neat" poems.

Now all we have to do is pick a topic that is intersesting, informative, is less than 1 ba-zillion words, and will make people want to come back and read more of your articles. Hopefully they will become subscribers to your publication.

Oh yeah, they have to be good enough to be able to submit them to other ezines and make public think you are second coming of Mark Twain.

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Summary: If you're a writer or other creative person and despair of ever getting paid for your work, here's how to start.

Category: Small Business, Marketing, Writing

Words: 900

Start To Make Your Creativity Pay

Copyright © 2003 by Angela Booth

** Note: while this article is primarily addressed to writers, it applies to you if you're doing anything creative.

Can you make a living as a writer, artist, designer or other creative soul? Yes, you can, if you learn a few tricks.

The most important trick is to learn to think of yourself as TWO people. The first is creative person who writes, paints, photographs or designs, without a care for anything except creative work itself. The second person is a sharp-eyed, clear-thinking marketer.

In many creatives, sharp-eyed marketer is in embryonic form. Fear not. You can nurture your inner marketer.

Here's how to start to make your creativity pay:

=> 1. Start small: downplay your creativity

Your ultimate goal may be a book on New York Times bestseller list, or your own show in a major gallery, but start small and build your confidence.

While you're doing that, downplay your creativity at home and among your friends. Why? Any number of reasons. The chief one is that your creative endeavors are as important to you as a new baby is to proud parents. While you're a taking first hesitant steps of your creative career, you're sensitive. You're likely to get badly blocked if someone whose opinion you value says wrong thing to you. This doesn’t mean that you're completely unsocial. Get a writing or painting pal, take a course, or join a group. But among your nearest and dearest and closest friends, silence pays off.

Starting small means small sales, not working for free. There are times you may choose to give your work away, but in beginning of your career you need validation that only money can give you. So write fillers for magazines (fillers are small articles, of 200 words or less), advertisements for your local bank, or copy for greeting cards. Write a short story or two, and submit them for publication.

Anything you write, that you get paid for, will boost your confidence. When you're confident enough to disregard ill-informed opinion, you can share your aspirations freely.

=> 2. Be passionate, not desperate