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3 Writing Business Tips for a Successful Year Ahead

We are halfway through the year, and WOW has it gone quickly. I have really stepped up my writing business this year. With proper organization and productivity, I was able to get ahead of hitting my goals. I started with creating an optimal workweek, wrote my goals, and really stuck to them. In turn, I have been increasing not only my client base but my experience. I don’t just write anymore. I am doing a lot more virtual assistant work, review of courses, and more. I made this blog post to help you take the next step in your writing business to lead you to success for the rest of this year.

1. Establish Tangible Goals

If you are an avid reader of my blog, you will notice this is a pattern for me. I am a goal-focused person, and I believe everyone should be who wants to own a writing business. Goals in my writing business for 2018 are:

– FINISH BOOK – Check!

– CONTINUE GROWING LINKEDIN, ADD MORE TRAFFIC TO MY BLOG (PINTEREST), AND CONNECT ON FACEBOOK THROUGH MY PAGE AND THE HWN

By December 31, 2018, gather 100+ connections to my email list.- OVER that!! Yay! Also, for Pinterest, LI FB, and Twitter I am WAY past what I thought I would be!

– BOOK CLIENTS TO COVER THE MAIN CLIENT

Done, done, and done! I have my main client who is a HUGE buffer to my income from my writing business, but I am supplementing with other clients and mixing up my skillset to be able to offer more.

– MAKE $24,000 THIS YEAR IN MY WRITING BUSINESS

Without my girls in the Mastermind Group and my determination and diligence, this wouldn’t be possible. I am already beyond half this amount and continue to grow with it. See my income reports through my email list and you can see what my writing business has let me done (VACATION) for 2018 so far.

– STAY STATUS QUO WITH MY CURRENT WRITING CLIENTS

Always. Stay on good terms with your current clients. Even when a project ends, they will refer you and think of you when new work is beginning. Related post: January Passion Planning + 2018 Goal Setting

2. Connect and Gain Clients

writing business tips using linkedinHave you followed me on LinkedIn? I feel like that is the platform that I have made the most connections for writing work. Recently over in the Healthcare Marketing Network, I hosted a LinkedIn challenge. My connections grew rapidly. I haven’t gained a new client from that challenge yet, but that’s not what it’s about when you start to first connect. When I started my writing business I always thought the hardest part was finding clients. Freelance writing is always a feast or a famine job. Recently, I have discovered that diversifying my skills has actually kept me less bored and increased my clients. I do a range of skills now from blog writing, course writing, and VA work. It helps me not put all my eggs in one basket. If you’ve heard that phrase before it’s because it’s true. The problem with writing business is that tomorrow a client can email you and you could be done. My friend Carrie talks about how that happens to her recently.

3. Stay Productive

My writing business friends always call me the “queen of productivity”. I’m always asked, “How do you manage it all? You’re such a good mom. How do you run a writing business and work at the hospital and do a research job? Aren’t you constantly stressed?”  The answer is complicated. I am able to work at my hospital job because I love what I do. The look a mother gives me when she knows that she can’t get through childbirth without me is indescribable. I am that person to help them to that next level, motherhood. It’s funny what patients remember. I always think it’s the glorious moment of the child being born, but I have heard things such as, “I couldn’t get through it if you didn’t hold me for my epidural” or” I’ve never been so kindly treated and not judged.” I even had a patient one time tell me the best thing someone ever did for her was what I did… I broke a popsicle in half and put it in a cup instead of giving her the entire thing in a package. Seriously? These little things really mean so much to me. That’s what keeps me going to that job.

The separation of wife, friend, and mother

As for being a good mother, wife, and friend? I have learned to separate things very easily. My writing business doesn’t take over my life. I try to maintain a very good work-life balance. It’s essential to my health. my mind, to my kids, my husband, and my friends. I throw in working out (I even did an Ironman challenge this year) almost every day of the week because it helps me clear my mind and keeps my body in shape for my rambunctious children. When you ask my boys if they have a good mom they look at you because how could they not? I’ve given my kids so many experiences beyond anything I ever had. My kids have been to more states than I have in my 35 years of living. We go camping, hiking and we take care of others. To stay afloat, I always utilize my hour of power. every.single.day. Does that mean I work every day? Pretty much. But, when you work and it’s not stressful, it doesn’t feel like work. That sounded pretty cliché. It’s true, though. There’s nothing I like more than waking up on a Saturday morning before anyone gets up on my weekend off and sitting there with a cup of coffee in my thoughts. (hint: It’s not a “miracle morning“) When do you think I’m writing this blog post? 5 am. It’s my way to be creative. It’s my way to escape all the thoughts in my mind and put them down on paper. I don’t do my really hard work and less I want to. I do give myself a break and sometimes I do the work in the morning and that’s all I do all day because my boys want me to hang out or do whatever we want to do that day.

Keep Pushin’

Nursing is a tough career. You never take care of yourself because you’re always taking care of everybody else. That doesn’t mean just your patients at work. You’re caring for your coworkers and if your charge nurse like I am all the time, it’s the floor, it’s the doctors, the secretaries, etc. Then, you go home and you take care of everybody there…your husband, kids or your mother or father…whoever it may be. It’s a tough job. And personally, I don’t see myself working full-time bedside nursing care until I’m 65. Honestly, that sounds miserable. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen nurses burn out and I don’t want to be them. Period. Above all, if you put your mind to anything, I sincerely believe you can do it if you want to.
  • Have you tried any of these tips so far this year?
  • What are your goals? Have you accomplished any?
  • How do you stay motivated and productive?

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Janine Kelbach

Janine Kelbach

I'm a Registered Nurse since 2006, specializing in labor and delivery. I still work at the bedside, as needed. I am delighted to have been featured on many podcasts, publications, and worked with clients such as Pfizer, Healthline, Medscape, and more.

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