Use 30-Day Trials to Boost Your Business
Personal development blogger Steve Pavlina is all about the 30-day trials — he’s conducted month-long experiments in going vegan, going raw, polyphasic sleeping (where you sleep for 20 minutes every several hours around the clock), and more.
This seems like a good tactic for freelance writers. You can do pretty much anything if you know you only have to do it for 30 days and then you can stop, and 30 days is enough time to create positive habits. I can’t start any trials right now as we have a baby turning our schedules upside down, but when I get back into the swing of things, I’d like to do a 30-day trial of making X number of marketing “touches” per day, including cold calling corporate writing prospects, sending out queries, and sending letters of intro to editors.
Other 30-day trials that could help freelancers are:
- Cutting out all non-work-related web surfing
- Sending out a query a day
- Sticking to a morning routine (one that doesn’t include checking e-mail!)
- Posting on your writing blog every day
- Working on your novel/book proposal for one hour each day
- Reading up on your industry or the writing business for one hour a day
- Taking a one-hour break from work each day and get outside
- Negotiating every single contract you receive for one month
What 30-day trials do you think would be helpful? Have you ever conducted an experiment to boost your writing business? What were the results? Please post your experiences in the Comments below. [lf]
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Jan 8, 2009 Writing
I think that setting short-term targets can be extrememly useful for writers. It’s okay to say, I’d like to write a novel in 2009, but saying you’d like to get the first 3 chapters out the way by the end of January makes the whole thing feel much more achievable. And it takes the pressure off and frees you up creatively. Hopefully.
Good post – thanks.
A great concept – I mean, you can do anything for 30 days, right?
IMHO – the key in this tactic is “the time-limited stress” – you can tell to yourself every day – “ok, it’s just for the next 30 days” and as you told – 30 days is big enough to build a good habit, but not so big to destroy “let’s change the world” spirit.
I think it would work great for some aspects of your day-to-day activity… but I agree with Iain – what about creativity?
p.s.
anyway – make sense to try – you lost nothing
I just received your automated e-mail providing access to your successful queries. Thank you!!! This is a great idea. I’ve recently signed up for Twitter and giving it the 30 day trial. I’ll be posting my experiences with it as a newbie. Great site. I’m your new fan