Hats Off to Published Authors

Not long ago I was talking with a friend about the book I have been writing. He was amazed first of all that I was a writer, and he thought it was cool I was writing a book. As we parted ways, he told me not to forget him when I was rich and how I would have it made when my book was published. His comments did make me smile, but I thought to myself, “Boy if you only knew.”

I had that same idea about writers years ago when I first started. I thought a writer must have the best, easiest life in the whole world. Well, some do; others work there ass off just to make ends meet.

Writing a book is hard work, harder than I ever imagined. You have to give so much of yourself to a project that has no guarantee of success. You lose time with family and friends that you can’t get back; but still being dedicated you press on. With or without an agent you spend lots of time promoting your work. The time spent promoting always feels like it should be spent writing.

A writer always deals with setbacks of one kind or another. If you haven’t made it to full time writer status, then you probably have schedule issues that continually pop up. Family issues arise, and in my case, computer issues. Some days it seems like the words just flow smoothly; other days it’s like my computer has a mind of its own and refuses to cooperate.

But even with all these obstacles in the way to me the end reward will be worth it. Thousands of authors struggle through and are published each year. That is the reason for today’s title. My hat truly is off to each of you published authors…be proud, you earned it.

Why Should You Build a Fan Base?

First of all before we answer the title question, let’s answer another question. Who should build a fan base? The way I see it, any professional can benefit from building a sizable fan base. Musicians, writers, actors, and athletes discovered long ago the importance of their fans. Without them they would be nothing.

 

Other professionals such as doctors, lawyers, food truck operators, skating rink owners, and even contractors can benefit from having an active fan base. Social media is the perfect place for a business to gain popularity and fans.

 

Many business owners are behind the times when it comes to social media and the benefits connected with it. Why would a contractor even bother spending time on Facebook or Twitter? Well, for one thing, social media is free advertising. All business owners know the value of advertising. Radio, TV, and newspapers were once the only real choices an owner had. A contractor could spend just a few minutes a day putting his business out there on social media and reach customers that never knew he or she existed. Word of mouth on social media is much greater than the old word of mouth method. If one happy customer posts what a great job you did, ten more may call the next day. That one post might be the little push the new customers needed to send them in your direction. Hey, and it was free.

 

Advice for new businesses building fans or your brand; don’t promise things you can’t deliver. Don’t be too pushy, and most important be nice. People want to work with nice, honest people. If you’d like to learn more about social media, I will be blogging more about it soon. Take a minute to subscribe to my blog. I hope each of you has had a great day. See you soon…Lowell Henderson.

America: The land of turmoil and confusion

Our nation seems to be in a constant state of turmoil and confusion. Our leaders no longer care about leading; they are driven by power and greed. There are so many small petty issues bouncing back and forth that it is hard to keep track of them all. Name calling and back stabbing should not be part of this great nation’s daily agenda. I truly believe we have forgotten where we came from.

 

The Pilgrims that first settled here came in search of a place where they could worship how they wanted, live as they wanted, and just have a chance to be happy. I think if those same people could see our country now they would shake their heads in disbelief and sadness.

 

At some point in time we got away from the original values of the Pilgrims, and that is when we began our downward spiral as a nation. The early settlers had it tough, but they were so proud of what they had. They worked hard and went to bed tired every night. They built their houses from trees they cut, and they ate the food they grew and hunted. Sometimes even I forget just how easy I have things. I find myself bitching about having to drive two blocks to the store for a gallon of milk. Bet the Pilgrims wouldn’t have bitched about that.

 

So how do we turn this nation around and get back on the right track? Well it’s going to take some time to fix: it didn’t get in this shape overnight. I believe change has to start from the top. We need leaders that care to start with. We need leaders that understand they work for us. If our government has to have a total overhaul…so be it. We actually do have some very smart people running our country, but, they are just not smart enough to work together. If they can’t agree on anything then we as a nation can’t possibly improve and move forward. Remove them.

 

As we work on improving our government, there are things all us average citizens can do too. We need to learn to be nice again. When we get back to a time when we can once again wave at our neighbors as we drive down the road, we will be making progress.

 

If you share my values and enjoy my blogs, please share them. You guys have a great day. Lowell Henderson

Learning to be Successful

The more I write and work on building a steady income, the more I realize I have to learn. It seems that every week, or at least every month; I learn something new that helps me a little more. The more I challenge myself, the more I learn, the more confidence I seem to gain. It no longer feels like if I become successful, but when I become successful.

The hardest thing for many writers attempting to make a living online, or freelancing in general, is to understand that they don’t know everything. There is and always will be something new to learn. Being open minded and continuing to learn is a writer greatest tool.

In my case I am learning that I must diversify in order to reach my income goals. My blog alone isn’t enough. My You Tube channels aren’t enough. My website isn’t enough. But, as I continue to press forward and learn how to tie the different income streams together; I am finding that I have a real shot at the success I am looking for.

To me success doesn’t necessarily mean a tremendous amount of money. But the freedom allowed by money is a different matter. My idea of success is the ability to work from anywhere I choose and to spend as much time with my family as I want. This is why I persevere. My goals are to be able to set my own hours, work in areas that I enjoy, and feel like I am in control for a change. I want to be able to load my family up and take them to the beach or the mountains and continue my work without ever missing a beat.

This is why I keep an open mind, keep trying to learn, and put what I am learning into action. You guys have a great day, Lowell Henderson.
If you like my blog please subscribe so you never miss one…thank you.

What Is A Blogger?

What is a blogger? That is a question that I hear asked often. Even in this day and age of internet dependence, everyone isn’t up to speed on all of it. And that’s ok; many people have absolutely no need for the internet or anything online. I say to each his own, and live and let live.

As for blogging; to me blogging is like having your own show, but it happens to be in written form. The topics you write about are of your own choosing. The tone of your blog is set by you, and the opinions expressed are entirely yours too. A blog allows an author to share his or her side of a subject with their readers; these readers or fans sometimes number up in the millions. Bloggers sometimes do have quite an influence.

Other than expressing your feelings, why would anyone want to be a blogger? For me it helps to hone and hopefully improve my writing skills. Some bloggers blog about specific causes; this means they have found a niche and they stick with it. Niche blogging is the most successful way to earn a paycheck with your blogging. They develop large fan bases that are interested in their thoughts and opinions, and they write directly to that audience.

My blog “Just Another Day,” is more of a random type blog. If I were just in blogging for the money I would probably start over and find a more defined niche to write about. Instead, I write about the things that are either important to me at the time or that have stirred some emotion inside me. Bloggers also get to be a little more personal in their writings. Article writers are often told point blank to stick to the facts, and some employers will turn down articles if a writer gives too much of his or her own opinion. This is my blog and I’m proud to say I have never turned myself down yet. 

Whether you are a first time reader of this blog or a regular, I think the world of each of you. I hope you will click on my “Just Another Day,” link every time a new one pops up and see what I have to say. I would be even more honored if you subscribed to my blog. If you like my blog or even don’t like my blog, feel free to tell me in the comments. You guys are great, have a nice day. Lowell Henderson

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