I'm a hypocrite.
In the last year, I've been telling you to do one specific thing in writing, but I have stopped doing it myself entirely.
I've repeatedly told people to sell themselves as writers.
But I don't do it anymore.
Here's why.
Why marketing yourself is key
Marketing yourself is one of the highest ROI actions you can ever learn.
In corporate, it can enable you to score better jobs, and when self-employed with it, only the moon is the limit.
Look around.
"Competition is fierce.", they say. There are more freelancers, companies, and applicants than ever before.
You want to stand out.
You want to make them need you instead of the other way around. In writing, it's even more key. There are a gazillion writers out there.
It's easier than ever to publish your texts and books online, but without a strong brand, people don't recognize you.
I get it, but...
The price you have to pay
Marketing seems to be inevitable.
Like self-doubt is the pay you have to pay for freedom, advertising yourself is the price you must pay to become a monetarily successful online writer.
"Successful" online writers market the sh*t out of their content.
Re-purposing content, webinars, funnels, masterminds, discount codes, and urgency/scarcity to make you buy.
"Educating" to make you buy.
Convinced they created a product or service that can help many people, they start manipulating others into buying it with exhausting sales funnels.
They spend as much or even more time marketing as they spend writing. And monetarily, it pays off.
But isn't there more to it than constantly selling yourself?
I've seen it, I've done it, and now, I can say it isn't me.
Why I don't want to do it
It's simple.
I'm no salesman.
I learned this in London when trying to call people to convince them to work with me all day, every day. And I re-learned it when creating funnels, scarcity, urgency, and more as an online writer.
Call me romantic, naive, or both, but I believe in people buying things because they're naturally inclined to buy them.
Without being manipulated into it, I played their insecurities like Catrin Finch, her harp.
"But Tim, everyone is selling something all the time."
Sure, if that's your capitalistic take on a multi-faceted world, I'll let you have this conviction. It isn't mine, though.
Writing is more than a means to an end (anymore).
It isn't the vehicle I use to sell my ideas, products, or services.
It's a form of expression of the innermost self and a way to make sense of life and the role I play in it.
I know I'd be better off monetarily if I'd only sell this course or that streamlined system. But you know what?
I don't.
Because I'm not willing to sacrifice my authentic values to fill my bank account. Again.
What's your take on marketing yourself?
Let me know in the comments.
