2007 Action Plan - Jenn

With the official launch date of the Six Figure Challenge only days away, it’s about time we started sharing some of our goals, plans, and strategies for our freelance writing careers in 2007. Each of us will be taking our own, individual, approaches towards six figures. Here’s how I’m planning my own efforts and focus:

Goal: A six figure income through my freelance writing, editing, and related work (detailed below), over the course of 2007, through part-time efforts.

Objectives (where I’ll put my focus):

• Increase passive revenue on my own content sites, including www.BizAmmo.com, www.AudioXposure.com, www.NakedPR.com, among others.
• Find better ways to monetize my freelance writing forum at AllFreelancing.com.
• PR writing through my firm (press releases, press room / media kit contents, etc.)
• Other business writing / client writing (feature articles, marketing copy, etc.)
• Publish my first book (on creative self-promotion adapted to a traditional business environment)
• Ebooks and Reports (on writing, marketing, PR, small business, etc.)
• New Web ventures on writing or for writers
• Self-publishing
• Presentations

Tactics (how I’ll try to do it, when, etc.):

I’m more or less using my time in the Six Figure Challenge to experiment with new methods. My primary focus will be on my own writing, rather than client work, in an attempt to see (and show newer writers) what you can do to expand your income options by simply writing for yourself.

I’m expecting an incredibly slow first quarter in 2007, as much of that time will be spent on overhauling my top two content sites, researching and querying print magazines (I usually work with Web-based publications), launching one or two new sites targeting writers, and finishing up my book proposal and pitching publishers.

Prior to pitching publishers, I’ll also be working hard on two new blogs (one recently launched at www.NakedPR.com and another to soon be launched at www.CreativeSelfPromotion.com). The purpose of these blogs is to build up a targeted readerbase to present them as additional promotional vehicles (on top of other sites I own that already have a following in the niche) for the book during the pitching process.

I’ll be scaling back some of my PR writing efforts in the early part of the year, because the start of the year is good “campaign season” for me, which means my PR efforts will be concentrated outside of the Challenge.

The two sites I’m currently considering launching, which would apply to the Challenge, include a professional writers’ marketplace (not quite like current freelance marketplaces), and a subscription-based site for professional writers. These projects may be pushed back until later in the year, as time permits.

While much of my first quarter time will be spent on development and promotional activities, I will still be querying and (hopefully) publishing with small- to mid-sized business sites, and will still be serving as an editor with the Suite101 content network, managing their technology section. Most of my drastic changes, I would expect in the Spring, especially as I move back to a PR and business writing focus in my firm, which will push relevant writing work closer to a full-time basis.

I will be publishing at least one report monthly, targeting writers, starting in January. One report will be available for free each month to SFC newsletter subscribers, before being sold through my business site, or other related sites that I manage. At this point, I’m aiming for at least one ebook to be published in 2007; more if I find the time (with the first being related to online PR, due to several requests).

I’m also planning to release one short book via self-publishing options (likely a POD publisher, such as Lulu.com). This “test book” would be a relatively short piece targeting independent musicians (based on my work as a music publicist). I call it a “test,” because I’m mostly curious about my ability from a publicity perspective (my primary expertise), without the backing of a publisher. I already have an extensive network of contacts in the indie music “world,” so it’s a perfect opportunity to see whether self-publishing is a realistic option for income generation over the long haul (for me).

Towards the end of the year, I’d like to get back into public speaking / presenting through projects such as webinars, podcasts, and possibly looking into seminars (more likely dealing with my PR work, but possibly dealing with its writing aspect… I’ll look more into this as the months go by and update here).

Time:

For the majority of the year, I would expect to spend 10-25 hours per week on my writing work, including administrative and marketing responsibilities.