The road to Hell, they say, is paved with good intentions.
I start every working day by mentally organising what I need to be doing with my time - including ascribing a 'priority level' to each task. Impressively this is usually all done in the shower (steady ladies!) while I absently listen to the radio. Over the sound of the water I can often also hear the shouting, screaming, laughter, chuckling and singing that normally accompanies my two children being herded into their clothes by my wife.
Very often I'll transfer this mental 'To Do' list onto paper before I start work - it makes me feel good. It makes me feel 'organised' and 'efficient' - which is good.
By 10.00am my orderly, planned and regimented day has gone straight to Hell in a handcart.
My day, it seems, is very much an example of the second law of thermodynamics: Entropy increases. Entropy in this case being the tendency of all ordered things to revert to a state of chaos.
In a similar vein it's just astounding how long it takes to get a small business off the ground. You start off thinking that you'll be up and running within a couple of days. You just need to get a few things, make a phone call or two and boom, you'll be in business.
Not so - no siree.
There's branding, there's business stationary, there's finance, buying equipment, regulations to meet, legal requirements, advertising, marketing strategies, profit & loss forecasts, networking, meetings, blogs, business planning, premises, insurance... The list goes on and on and on.
It can be a little disheartening. At worst it can make you wonder why on Earth you started this whole thing in the first place when you could have easily got another job doing precisely the thing that you hated before you decided to start your own business.
But in the end you know it's going to worth it - so you keep going. Past the limits you thought you could never exceed; doing things that once would have seemed impossible.
So this whole thing boils down to two pieces of advice to bear in mind when you start your own business. Just two. Keep them in mind and it might save you a lot of headaches &/or heartaches:
1) It ALWAYS takes much longer than you think
2) It ALWAYS takes a lot more money than you thought.
But, I also learnt 2 things from the lovely bunch of guys I met last night, each one struggling to set up a successful enterprise just after the deepest recession in over 70 years:
1) You are not alone.
2) Sometimes other people have a lot more faith in you than you do in yourself.
But I do wish I had more time :-)
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
Sunday, 23 May 2010
Cardinal's Corner goes all corporate
Well, it's been a really exciting couple of months - despite succeeding beyond my wildest dreams & being published in several UK magazines it's been very apparent that I need to approach this whole Freelance writing business in a bit more of a 'business-like manner' - after much thought and some advice from some very wise friends I'm currently expanding into *drum roll & fanfare*: Copywriting!
I can hear the deafening silence from here...OK, for a start Copywriting has nothing to do with Copyright - it's basically all about writing for businesses: from the sole trader through to the small company all the way up to huge multinationals. So what do copywriters...well...write? Good question:
Copywriters supply a range of services to companies - either direct or through marketing agencies. Amongst other things copywriters supply the words and persuasive writing for advertisements, informercials, commercials, brochures and sales letters - It's quite startling to think that every single piece of advertising mail that drops through your letterbox has been penned by a copywriter somewhere.
In addition to this Copywriters also write Press releases, content for websites, job advertisements, TV & radio advertisement scripts, newsletters, corporate magazines, etc. etc. etc - In fact virtually anything written that a company will put it's name to!
You would not believe how much time and effort setting up a new business takes - OK, maybe you would if you've done it yourself! And that's not to mention the actual work itself - I think I've worked harder and longer than I EVER did in the 20 years I worked for a company myself - but it's been really fantastic! Fun, enjoyable, facinating, exciting and totally satisfying :-) And the networking! Oh, the networking with other people in business has been great - so interesting to hear about what other people are passionate about - because to succeed in business you absolutely need to be passionate about that idea if you want to turn your dream into reality! I've met some brilliant and very inspirational people.
So, it's out with the old and in with the new! Hence the change of style for the old Cardinal's Corner! The colour scheme is temporary for the moment whilst my excellent friend (and exceedingly talented friend Sam) sorts out my new branding and website. Ms. Douglass is an inspiration and an exceedingly good Graphic Designer - if you're in need of one you can't go wrong to visit her business website: http://www.peachplumcreative.co.uk/
Anyhoo (a lovely expression I've picked up from a few stateside pals) sorry if this has been less of the inspired wackiness and insane ramblings you're used to - no doubt the "tenuous grip on reality stuff" will return in time but for the moment I wanted to kick off with a proper update.
Keep tuned for more regular (and shorter!) blogs in the future - and links to my *NEW* website! Please also visit my business page on Facebook for my sample portfolio (and occasional insanity): http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Norwich-United-Kingdom-NR13/Nigel-Woollsey-Freelance-Writer-Copywriter/111120825598170?v=wall
Now, I must be off as I have a few jobs to do before I can relax and enjoy the beautiful day outside - Even that's amazing: Me, working on a Sunday! I never knew a career could be so much fun :-)
I can hear the deafening silence from here...OK, for a start Copywriting has nothing to do with Copyright - it's basically all about writing for businesses: from the sole trader through to the small company all the way up to huge multinationals. So what do copywriters...well...write? Good question:
Copywriters supply a range of services to companies - either direct or through marketing agencies. Amongst other things copywriters supply the words and persuasive writing for advertisements, informercials, commercials, brochures and sales letters - It's quite startling to think that every single piece of advertising mail that drops through your letterbox has been penned by a copywriter somewhere.
In addition to this Copywriters also write Press releases, content for websites, job advertisements, TV & radio advertisement scripts, newsletters, corporate magazines, etc. etc. etc - In fact virtually anything written that a company will put it's name to!
You would not believe how much time and effort setting up a new business takes - OK, maybe you would if you've done it yourself! And that's not to mention the actual work itself - I think I've worked harder and longer than I EVER did in the 20 years I worked for a company myself - but it's been really fantastic! Fun, enjoyable, facinating, exciting and totally satisfying :-) And the networking! Oh, the networking with other people in business has been great - so interesting to hear about what other people are passionate about - because to succeed in business you absolutely need to be passionate about that idea if you want to turn your dream into reality! I've met some brilliant and very inspirational people.
So, it's out with the old and in with the new! Hence the change of style for the old Cardinal's Corner! The colour scheme is temporary for the moment whilst my excellent friend (and exceedingly talented friend Sam) sorts out my new branding and website. Ms. Douglass is an inspiration and an exceedingly good Graphic Designer - if you're in need of one you can't go wrong to visit her business website: http://www.peachplumcreative.co.uk/
Anyhoo (a lovely expression I've picked up from a few stateside pals) sorry if this has been less of the inspired wackiness and insane ramblings you're used to - no doubt the "tenuous grip on reality stuff" will return in time but for the moment I wanted to kick off with a proper update.
Keep tuned for more regular (and shorter!) blogs in the future - and links to my *NEW* website! Please also visit my business page on Facebook for my sample portfolio (and occasional insanity): http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Norwich-United-Kingdom-NR13/Nigel-Woollsey-Freelance-Writer-Copywriter/111120825598170?v=wall
Now, I must be off as I have a few jobs to do before I can relax and enjoy the beautiful day outside - Even that's amazing: Me, working on a Sunday! I never knew a career could be so much fun :-)
Monday, 22 February 2010
Hello - I must be going
Howdy folks - yes, I know what you're thinking: 2 posts in the same month ?? Business must be slack, but no - I've just been inspired to update my blog after posting my new 'official' profile picture (I wouldn't go so far as to say publicity picture as that implies that people actually know who the Hell I am - which, to be frank, is unlikely at this stage of my new career!).
I am indebted to my fab brother-in-law, Martin, for his professional camera skills. Although I must confess to being slightly disappointed that he couldn't photoshop my image to look rather more like Daniel Craig and rather less like Christopher Biggins... (for my stateside friends put Christopher Biggins into Google and laugh uncontrollably at the images)- still, you can't make a silk purse out a pig's ear, as they say :-)
On the writing front it's been a mixed month so far - I've had another article accepted by Paranormal magazine, so that's er...3 now in total they've accepted with a further (counts on fingers) 3 that I'm waiting to hear back from them about - let me tell you that NOTHING moves quickly in the publishing industry!!
I also received a nice cheque for £25 at the weekend from Bauer publishing - it took me about 2 hours to actually remember what it was for - a letter that I didn't even know they'd printed in Spirit & Destiny magazine so nothing huge but it was a nice surprise on a Saturday morning! :-)
I'm currently working on another couple of related SETI (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) features but had terrible writer's block all last week - hoping this week will prove better (and if the truth be told I'm using this as a little 'warming' up exercise !)
By the way - a couple of people have told me that they couldn't get hold of Paranormal magazine at their newsagents? Sorry to hear that but this month's article was only small (but perfectly formed - ha ha)- the one in the upcoming issue is much larger and much more worth the price of the magazine! It's certainly stocked in larger newsagents and places like W H Smith or Jarrolds in Norwich - should anyone actually wish to see my insane ramblings... ;-)
Right - must get back to the grindstone - Supermarkets and utility companies do unfortunately seem to insist on something called money in exchange for their goods and services... A strange system if you ask me. They showed no interest at all when I offerred them a dead badger to trade last month - it's a hard world! Best wishes to all
I am indebted to my fab brother-in-law, Martin, for his professional camera skills. Although I must confess to being slightly disappointed that he couldn't photoshop my image to look rather more like Daniel Craig and rather less like Christopher Biggins... (for my stateside friends put Christopher Biggins into Google and laugh uncontrollably at the images)- still, you can't make a silk purse out a pig's ear, as they say :-)
On the writing front it's been a mixed month so far - I've had another article accepted by Paranormal magazine, so that's er...3 now in total they've accepted with a further (counts on fingers) 3 that I'm waiting to hear back from them about - let me tell you that NOTHING moves quickly in the publishing industry!!
I also received a nice cheque for £25 at the weekend from Bauer publishing - it took me about 2 hours to actually remember what it was for - a letter that I didn't even know they'd printed in Spirit & Destiny magazine so nothing huge but it was a nice surprise on a Saturday morning! :-)
I'm currently working on another couple of related SETI (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) features but had terrible writer's block all last week - hoping this week will prove better (and if the truth be told I'm using this as a little 'warming' up exercise !)
By the way - a couple of people have told me that they couldn't get hold of Paranormal magazine at their newsagents? Sorry to hear that but this month's article was only small (but perfectly formed - ha ha)- the one in the upcoming issue is much larger and much more worth the price of the magazine! It's certainly stocked in larger newsagents and places like W H Smith or Jarrolds in Norwich - should anyone actually wish to see my insane ramblings... ;-)
Right - must get back to the grindstone - Supermarkets and utility companies do unfortunately seem to insist on something called money in exchange for their goods and services... A strange system if you ask me. They showed no interest at all when I offerred them a dead badger to trade last month - it's a hard world! Best wishes to all
Monday, 1 February 2010
New year, new day, new blog
Morning folks - Yes, it's another update from the world's most tardy blogger. It's a strange thing, y'know, blogging - put a blank word doc in front of me and a vague idea for an article and I'll be flying in seconds; words pouring out of me and onto the screen in seconds but blogging? I seem to get this mental block - or maybe it's just that I don;t get out into the 'real' world much these days! Unlike you folks with proper jobs I only have a wife, an insane toddler and a theosaurus to talk to during the working day.. it's hard to get inspired under such circumstances.
Anyhoo - my writing continues apace: had a small piece printed in this month's issue of Paranormal Magazine (Issue 45 with a big dead alien on the cover) but the larger articles (which confusingly they accepted first) will be start appearing next month. That's the impressive one - all about the Fermi paradox (No - I'm not going to tell you what it is just so you'll have to buy the magazine and read it for yourselves :-)) Currently, waiting to hear back from them about 2 other articles and further one just went off to Psychologies magazine - it would be a real victory to get published in Psychologies so fingers are firmly crossed for that one! My tutor loved the piece when he saw it so hopefully the features editor will be impressed.
Oh, and I hada birthday in January too - I'm now a venerable 38 years old - actually feels quite weird to think that I'll be 40 in another couple of years - but I still feel very young at heart (if still pretending to be a Jedi knight whilst swinging your replica lightsaber around in the artic can be considered being young at heart).
Well, I must start going through the weekend papers looking for interesting ideas for articles, etc. Frankly that's not a bad way to start a Monday morning - leafing through the broadsheets and sipping coffee! That is a distinct advantage over my old office job!
Anyhoo - my writing continues apace: had a small piece printed in this month's issue of Paranormal Magazine (Issue 45 with a big dead alien on the cover) but the larger articles (which confusingly they accepted first) will be start appearing next month. That's the impressive one - all about the Fermi paradox (No - I'm not going to tell you what it is just so you'll have to buy the magazine and read it for yourselves :-)) Currently, waiting to hear back from them about 2 other articles and further one just went off to Psychologies magazine - it would be a real victory to get published in Psychologies so fingers are firmly crossed for that one! My tutor loved the piece when he saw it so hopefully the features editor will be impressed.
Oh, and I hada birthday in January too - I'm now a venerable 38 years old - actually feels quite weird to think that I'll be 40 in another couple of years - but I still feel very young at heart (if still pretending to be a Jedi knight whilst swinging your replica lightsaber around in the artic can be considered being young at heart).
Well, I must start going through the weekend papers looking for interesting ideas for articles, etc. Frankly that's not a bad way to start a Monday morning - leafing through the broadsheets and sipping coffee! That is a distinct advantage over my old office job!
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
Time flies when you're having fun
Good Lord - has it really been THAT long since I did a blog ?! Christ-on-a-bike, if I hadn't have seen the mortgage money coming out of the account every month I would swear that I'd been the victim of alien abduction.
Actually I've been locked up here in the cold, damp, dark attic that is my study (in the very highest tower of Castle Woollseystein) frantically hammering at this keyboard like a teenage boy with a porn obsession and a credit card. Many is the long night I've passed with nothing but an Oxford Theasaurus and a ballpoint for company as I strive to get an editor to notice my fevered ramblings...
However, the good news (for anyone who didn't get the 10,000+ emails that I sent out to everyone and anyone) is that...(Pause for dramatic effect and drum roll)..
I'M GOING TO BE PUBLISHED !!!! :-D Woo-hoo !!
Actually, so far I've had two features definitely accepted: One for Prima Baby which will be appearing in Spring 2010 and another for Paranormal Magazine in January 2010. Paranormal magazine have also expressed an interest in a further article of mine so if all goes well that will be three pieces of work accepted before the Yuletide festivities!!
They're even paying me for it ! Honestly, paying me...!
So now you see why I've been so tardy in updating my blog - I've been too busy inundating publishers with features (often accompanied by begging letters and enclosing a £20 note).
I've also had to officialy register as a Self-Employed Freelance Writer with the Inland Revenue now that I'm actually making a (small) amount of money. However, although I am by no means anywhere near the kind of earning levels of old J K Rowling yet it does feel quite good to be 'official' !
I'll have to start considering my offshore tax haven options for the whole £4.25 I have in my pocket... Hmmmmmm...should I invest this lofty sum in gold bullion or oil stocks ? Decisions, decisions...
Oh, sod it - I'll just get another packet of fags...
Actually I've been locked up here in the cold, damp, dark attic that is my study (in the very highest tower of Castle Woollseystein) frantically hammering at this keyboard like a teenage boy with a porn obsession and a credit card. Many is the long night I've passed with nothing but an Oxford Theasaurus and a ballpoint for company as I strive to get an editor to notice my fevered ramblings...
However, the good news (for anyone who didn't get the 10,000+ emails that I sent out to everyone and anyone) is that...(Pause for dramatic effect and drum roll)..
I'M GOING TO BE PUBLISHED !!!! :-D Woo-hoo !!
Actually, so far I've had two features definitely accepted: One for Prima Baby which will be appearing in Spring 2010 and another for Paranormal Magazine in January 2010. Paranormal magazine have also expressed an interest in a further article of mine so if all goes well that will be three pieces of work accepted before the Yuletide festivities!!
They're even paying me for it ! Honestly, paying me...!
So now you see why I've been so tardy in updating my blog - I've been too busy inundating publishers with features (often accompanied by begging letters and enclosing a £20 note).
I've also had to officialy register as a Self-Employed Freelance Writer with the Inland Revenue now that I'm actually making a (small) amount of money. However, although I am by no means anywhere near the kind of earning levels of old J K Rowling yet it does feel quite good to be 'official' !
I'll have to start considering my offshore tax haven options for the whole £4.25 I have in my pocket... Hmmmmmm...should I invest this lofty sum in gold bullion or oil stocks ? Decisions, decisions...
Oh, sod it - I'll just get another packet of fags...
Monday, 21 September 2009
Patience... I must learn patience... and brevity
It's been over 72 hours since I sent the email outline of my latest article to 'Mother & Baby' magazine - my first, proper magazine article (with proper spelling and everything) to a proper magazine.
72 hours and already I'm on the verge of calling the editor to see if it's reached her safely. I've read my course materials that say 'leave at least two weeks before sending a reminder email' at least 16 times in the last 3 hours to stave off the temptation to pick up the phone and call the magazine Head Office and shout "Is it there ?? Do you have it ?? What do you think ?? Oh please God like it !! I've sweated blood over this, you know - Look, look at these fingers !! These are the fingers of a GENIUS, damn you !!"
I find myself sitting rigid at my laptop trying to coax any kind of alternative thought from my coffee-wired brain whilst all the time my eyes are being drawn to the little 'Email Received' box in the top left hand corner.
Christ knows what I'll do if the count actually goes up by one. Probably have a stroke, I shouldn't wonder...
I've already opened and closed it multiple times just in case a new email has arrived and the number hasn't changed..then of course there's the rabid checking of the 'Spam Folder' in case it's been shunted in there by mistake..
Wait two weeks to send a reminder ?!? I'll be lucky if I make it to the end of today before I call 999 and ask the police to investigate.
Truly they also serve who stand and wait
I wonder if Michaelangelo had this level of anticipation whilst he was waiting for the Pope to get back to him about his quote for redecorating the Cistine Chapel...?
72 hours and already I'm on the verge of calling the editor to see if it's reached her safely. I've read my course materials that say 'leave at least two weeks before sending a reminder email' at least 16 times in the last 3 hours to stave off the temptation to pick up the phone and call the magazine Head Office and shout "Is it there ?? Do you have it ?? What do you think ?? Oh please God like it !! I've sweated blood over this, you know - Look, look at these fingers !! These are the fingers of a GENIUS, damn you !!"
I find myself sitting rigid at my laptop trying to coax any kind of alternative thought from my coffee-wired brain whilst all the time my eyes are being drawn to the little 'Email Received' box in the top left hand corner.
Christ knows what I'll do if the count actually goes up by one. Probably have a stroke, I shouldn't wonder...
I've already opened and closed it multiple times just in case a new email has arrived and the number hasn't changed..then of course there's the rabid checking of the 'Spam Folder' in case it's been shunted in there by mistake..
Wait two weeks to send a reminder ?!? I'll be lucky if I make it to the end of today before I call 999 and ask the police to investigate.
Truly they also serve who stand and wait
I wonder if Michaelangelo had this level of anticipation whilst he was waiting for the Pope to get back to him about his quote for redecorating the Cistine Chapel...?
Monday, 17 August 2009
Holidays are NOT good for writers
I have discovered that taking two weeks holiday is as conducive to good writing as say drinking a 1.5 litre bottle of whiskey is to careful, considerate driving. Or better yet trying to drive after drinking a 1.5 litre bottle of whiskey AND wearing a blindfold.
In other words - one makes the other ever so slighty harder to do.
I've been sat up here in my attic office since 9 o'clock this morning willing my reluctant brain to get back into literary mode - but it just ain't having it. I find myself being distracted by the tiniest things: sorting out my paperwork before I start, oh I'll just wrap that parcel, actually I could write those two letters I've been meaning to do before I start...ad infinitum.
This afternoon I actually spent an hour on the internet casually trawling for spoilers about the upcoming series 5 of Doctor Who - time well spent you would think ? No - because although I feel suitably rewarded for finding a couple of long-range snaps of Matt Smith in his new outfit in (of all places) a rock quarry and the speculation about if the interior of the TARDIS may have a make-over this does NOT fulfil the primary duties of a writer- to wit: to write something (or much more preferably to write something, finish it and get paid).
In addion to this valid point I also have the added incentive that Mrs. W will remove my testicles with a rusty coathanger if she even suspects that I've been indulging my passion for all things Sci-Fi instead of fulfilling my role as joint bread-winner.
Ah, truly marriage is a wonderful institution for instilling clarity and direction in the male partner... without the ever present threat of spousal disapproval men invariably lose all sense of direction and end up going off and doing things which we doubtless enjoy but have little, if any, productive value. Like going down the pub, watching 'Diagnosis Murder' or surfing the internet for Doctor Who info...
Or is that just me..?
So, after my third cup of coffee I have had a stern word with myself, put on a CD of Gregorian Chant (to inspire a Monk-like state of inner peace) and decided to salve my guilty conscience by updating my blog - I mean it is writing, right ?
Good Lord - I can actually feel the old writing muscles actually starting to creak back into life... I wonder what Shakespeare did to loosen up the rusted literary genius after a couple of weeks on holiday with Mrs. Shakespeare and all the little Shakies ? Probably went down the pub and knocked out a preliminary script for Eastenders before getting back to the really serious work about Scottish nobles and Danish Prince's rambling on about regicide...
In other words - one makes the other ever so slighty harder to do.
I've been sat up here in my attic office since 9 o'clock this morning willing my reluctant brain to get back into literary mode - but it just ain't having it. I find myself being distracted by the tiniest things: sorting out my paperwork before I start, oh I'll just wrap that parcel, actually I could write those two letters I've been meaning to do before I start...ad infinitum.
This afternoon I actually spent an hour on the internet casually trawling for spoilers about the upcoming series 5 of Doctor Who - time well spent you would think ? No - because although I feel suitably rewarded for finding a couple of long-range snaps of Matt Smith in his new outfit in (of all places) a rock quarry and the speculation about if the interior of the TARDIS may have a make-over this does NOT fulfil the primary duties of a writer- to wit: to write something (or much more preferably to write something, finish it and get paid).
In addion to this valid point I also have the added incentive that Mrs. W will remove my testicles with a rusty coathanger if she even suspects that I've been indulging my passion for all things Sci-Fi instead of fulfilling my role as joint bread-winner.
Ah, truly marriage is a wonderful institution for instilling clarity and direction in the male partner... without the ever present threat of spousal disapproval men invariably lose all sense of direction and end up going off and doing things which we doubtless enjoy but have little, if any, productive value. Like going down the pub, watching 'Diagnosis Murder' or surfing the internet for Doctor Who info...
Or is that just me..?
So, after my third cup of coffee I have had a stern word with myself, put on a CD of Gregorian Chant (to inspire a Monk-like state of inner peace) and decided to salve my guilty conscience by updating my blog - I mean it is writing, right ?
Good Lord - I can actually feel the old writing muscles actually starting to creak back into life... I wonder what Shakespeare did to loosen up the rusted literary genius after a couple of weeks on holiday with Mrs. Shakespeare and all the little Shakies ? Probably went down the pub and knocked out a preliminary script for Eastenders before getting back to the really serious work about Scottish nobles and Danish Prince's rambling on about regicide...
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