Kern Carter's Blog, page 133

Confidence & Creativity

We’re at war with ourselves under the issue of self-confidence. Our thoughts have so much power, and when our thoughts team up with others’ negative opinions, it makes it that much harder to win the battle for our self-confidence, even when those opinions lack insight and only see what is on the surface.

How do you even survive in this social media age without confidence?

Everything we put on social media feels like it depicts who we are all the time. Even when we delete an old post, some people remind us of them, as if they are current. As we change, we only hope that others will see us in our new forms rather than focus on who we were in the past; however, that may require too much compassion and isn’t always the case.

You have to find confidence in yourself frequently. The natural thing for us as humans to do is to focus on the negative. We look at our peers on social media; we see all of the good in their lives and can’t help but compare ourselves; we don’t realize how this distracts us from seeing our blessings.

“She unfollowed me,” “they unfollowed me,” “they never followed me back,” are my thoughts as I look through a social media insight application. My subscriptions are low from my YouTube that I just started. It has one video that I was ashamed to put up, but I instantly get validation from a small group of friends. Once I do, in my mind, the video is going to go viral; in reality, the video hits 30 views.

I spend the next couple of days wondering, do I matter? Or why do I matter? I reflect on all the hard work that I’ve done to get me to this point. Still, I want the most validation from the people who remind me that I’m not enough because my work has not yet produced any benefit for myself or them, such as a house, car, followers, etc. I’ve increased my network to sell myself to the world. But what good is it if I’m continually being rejected or ignored?

Is my content not good enough?

Everyone more successful than me seems to have been an overnight success until I do the research and learned that it took believing in themselves for others to believe in them.

They all focused on being consistent and building a team. Issa Rae and Jordan Peele, to name a few, share the experience of rejection, and through that rejection, they would navigate to the people interested in taking a chance on them. That’s one of many things I’ve learned on my journey. You’ve got to filter out all the nos to get to the yes.

The time it takes is based on how prepared you are. The preparation doesn’t stop at the opportunity; instead, it evolves into how you deal with adversity during uncertain times.

There were moments that I would establish a great relationship with someone. They would promise me the world and then disappear. I learned that things were happening to them that made it hard for them to live up to the expectations that they had set for themselves.

For example, one time, an editor left me “on read.” Another time an agent unfollowed me on Instagram after agreeing to work with me on a project. I can laugh at it now, but at the time, I would have preferred better communication on whatever issues they were facing to find empathy rather than thinking that I was the problem. I often felt that I said too much or didn’t say enough.

While listening to a sermon from Dharius Daniels, a leader at Change Church, I learned that a theologian named Søren Kierkegaard gets credit for the theory that “life is lived forward but only understood backwards.”

Søren Kierkegaard is articulating a principle called the direction of perspective. This principle suggests that it is where you sit, that determines what you see and what you see determines what you do.

Often we don’t know what is happening in the life of other people. We only know how other people’s experiences affect us. When their life isn’t going great, we overlook that some of us may be in a season where we may be battling with depression or anxiety.

People can see things from the outside because of how they may act towards the people that mean the most to them. They often project their insecurities onto others that they expect to save them from their situation. They can’t do for themselves, so they come down on you because they feel you are holding them back; when in actuality, what is keeping them back is themself.

If you take some of those attacks personally along with your negative thoughts, you’re delaying the process of success. We don’t all have the strength to fight off our negative thoughts; however, I’ve learned that we can acknowledge the negative thoughts and change the focus; when you eliminate toxic people from your life, it is easier to align yourself with people who cheer for you.

Nothing good or bad lasts forever.

I’ve come to learn that the bad is preparation for the good you’re about to receive. The most challenging times are where we develop the most. Even in the times where we feel alone, we must rely on ourselves and push through. The only thing stopping us from moving forward is us, and frankly, our goals don’t care about our feelings.

Confidence & Creativity was originally published in CRY Academy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Struggling to make money writing? Try these 3 things

I’ve been fortunate. For the past six years, I’ve been able to call myself a full-time writer. I still get excited declaring that out loud and that’s because I still remember how hard it was for me to get here. But the struggle was worth it. The uncertainty at the beginning of my career, not understanding that there was more to being a writer than I could’ve ever imagined, dealing with low paying, shitty projects — all of it feels like a grand masterclass that has gotten me to where I am now.

What do I mean I’m a full-time writer?

This is a good question with a simple answer. When I say that I’m a full-time writer, it means that I don’t need any other side job outside of writing to support my lifestyle. All of the projects I take on include writing in some way. Even if I’m hosting a workshop, that workshop will be based on some aspect of what it means to be a writer.

What being a full-time writer does not mean is that I am now a full-time author. That’s a goal I’m working towards but haven’t conquered yet. Although I’ve sold thousands of copies of my two self-published fiction books (Thoughts of a Fractured Soul and Beauty Scars), it’s nowhere near enough to manifest my dream of waking up every day just to write stories.

3 things you can do right now to make money writing

I’d be lying if I said it’s been easy to get here. I first started my mission to make a living as a writer back in 2008. That means it took about five or six years of grinding before that mission came to fruition. Are you ready to make that kind of commitment? If you’re not and you’re comfortable with making money as a writer on the side or just writing for fun, there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, I recommend that all writers do some personal writing. But if this is what you want to do, there are steps you can take right now to start driving some dollars into your pocket.

Learn to write for other people — It is much harder to sell your own writing than it is to sell your services as a writer. And there’s probably never been a time when the need for writing (for content in general) was so high. All you need to do is open your eyes to the opportunities. In your network right now, there is someone who needs help writing Instagram posts, someone you know who wants to start a blog, someone you know who has a small business and needs marketing and social content. Find those people. Connect with them. Create a post on your Facebook timeline that lets people know that you’re able to help them share their stories. You’ll be surprised how much money is sitting right in front of you and all you have to do is raise your hand.Work with recruitment agencies — I wrote an entire newsletter about this but it’s so important that it’s worth mentioning again. It’s a recruitment agency's duty to match you with employers that are looking for writers. And because a recruiter’s pay is tied to the projects they get you, those projects will almost certainly pay well. When I say pay well, contracts I’ve signed or have been offered through working with agencies typically land between $35-$65/hour. And the duration of the contracts has been at least six months. If you haven’t read my newsletter about this, I give a list of agencies you can connect with. Go check it out and start making money.Learn different styles of writing — I told you from the beginning of this post that making a living as a writer takes some time. What it also takes is some versatility. There are so many ways to make money as a writer, you just have to be willing to learn those skills. I’ve probably made the most money as a copywriter. That has included me writing ads for landing pages, social media campaigns, email campaigns, website copy and other pieces of copy meant to influence a consumer to purchase. Ghostwriting has also been lucrative for me. I’ve ghostwritten books for several people, some of whom are well known, and have been able to secure tens of thousands of dollars per project. Being versatile is vital to your ability to earn a living as a writer.Don’t be discouraged

I went years before I made the leap to full-time writer. There were a lot of times it felt impossible and I wanted to throw in the towel and call it quits. But I knew if I kept on learning, kept getting better and more well-rounded as a writer that eventually it would pay off. And it has, in a big way.

My income as a writer is in the six figures and growing. I’ve managed to carve out a life for myself and my daughter that I’m proud of. And while I’m still working towards fulfilling more goals, I can confidently say I’ve accomplished a lot already.

And you can, too.

Just try some of the things that I’ve outlined here. They seem simple, but each of them can really help add to your income and get you one step closer to doing this full-time.

Struggling to make money writing? Try these 3 things was originally published in CRY Academy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Freelance Writers — use these recruitment agencies to find jobs

Freelance Writers — use these recruitment agencies to find jobsImage by John Schnobrich

One of the loudest complaints from any writer is the way they are compensated. Over the last week alone, I’ve had two writers tell me that someone offered them $270 to write a 70,000-word book and $20 for a landing page. I wish I was kidding, but I can’t make this stuff up.

I’ve been freelancing long enough to know that these stories are all too common. For whatever reason, the demand for content is at an all-time high but the value people place on creating that content isn’t. Clients and companies are trying to get away with severely underpaying writers and it’s ridiculous.

This was the motivation for my post that detailed how much freelancers should be charging. I gave a baseline for popular gigs such as 500 word articles, landing pages, email campaigns and even ghostwriting full books. The popularity of that post, along with the dozens of emails and messages I received thanking me, showed me that writers really didn’t understand their own value and people have been taking advantage of us for far too long.

How recruitment agencies work

It’s actually pretty simple. Recruitment agencies work for both the employer and the client. It’s their duty to match you, their client, with contracts from employers. When a recruiter thinks they’ve found a match, they’ll pitch your portfolio or resume to the employer on your behalf. This step is important because it doesn’t relegate you to the common pile of candidates. Employers expect that the recruiter has done the work of vetting the potential candidate and so your chances of getting interviewed for the position increases significantly.

Recruitment agencies livelihood depends on securing contracts for their clients. So if they’re not scoring large contracts, they don’t get paid. That’s all the motivation they need to not ever entertain those $20 contracts I mentioned earlier.

Try these recruitment agencies

I realize something: not many writers know about recruitment agencies. The best thing about working with recruiters is that you know they’re not reaching out to you unless the money is worth it. Personally, recruiters have helped me sign my biggest contracts. I’m talking about 6-month contracts that ended up paying me $1,500/week.

Unfortunately, when I speak to writers, many of them don’t know these agencies exist. But they do, and they’re great. So I’ll list a couple that I’ve worked with or know about:

Creative CircleTundra TechnicalCreative NicheThe Creative Group (Robert Half)Ari AgencyFind the best fit

Like any other partnership, you’ll need to find the right fit. The agencies I’ve listed above all incorporate creative contracts into their portfolio. You can expect to see job opportunities for Content Strategist, Copy Writer, Digital Strategist and more. But they’re offerings, customer service and they way they operate all differ, so you have to do some work to figure out which agency works best for you.

In my experience, you’re not obligated to work exclusively with any recruitment agency. That means there’s nothing stopping you from working with several at once. But I would suggest that you research the agencies I’ve mentioned and build a relationship with the one you believe is the best fit.

Freelance Writers — use these recruitment agencies to find jobs was originally published in C.R.Y on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

At My Own Pace

How I deal with not being seen

Continue reading on C.R.Y »

Call for submissions — confidence and creativity

Call for submissions — confidence and creativity

I read a quote from a writer the other day that essentially said that confidence and the creative process don’t mix. I’ve been thinking about that ever since. I think writing (and other creative practices) is the only occupation where you can doubt yourself through the entire process and still come up with something incredible.

Maybe I’m wrong, but we want to hear from you. What is your relationship with confidence as it relates to you creating? Are you self-assured during the entire creative process? If confidence is an issue for you, what is the source of your insecurity?

Same rules as always:If you’re already a writer for CRY, go ahead and submit.If you’re not a writer for CRY but would like to submit to this request, let us know and we’ll add you ASAP.Be as creative as you want in your submissions. As long as you stick to the topic, we’ll consider it.Just because you submit doesn’t mean we’ll post. If you haven’t heard back from us in three days, consider that a pass.Deadline to submit is this Monday, November 9.

Please reach out if you have any questions at all. If you are new to Medium, here’s how you submit a draft to a publication.

Call for submissions — confidence and creativity was originally published in C.R.Y on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Selling thousands of books without thousands of followers

A guide for independent authors.

Continue reading on C.R.Y »

Purpose, Profit and Photography — Interview with Roya DelSol

Photographer and videographer Roya DelSol talks about what it takes to maneuver in the creative industry.

Continue reading on C.R.Y »

How CRY makes money

I realized that we’ve never taken the time to fully explain all that we do at CRY, including how we earn revenue. It’s fairly simple but does warrant some discussion.

First, we are a three-person team. It’s hard for me to give you titles because, for the most part, all of us do a little of everything. At our core, we are content creators. Whether it’s here on CRY Mag or our We CRY Together celebration, our goal is to create or curate stories that are in line with our vision of elevating emerging artists, building a connected creative community or navigating the emotional aspects of what it means to be a writer or artist.

How we make money

As much as we love what we do, we need money for our business to work. And yes, we are a business. As much fun as we have doing this, we’re actually very focused on driving revenue because we know that’s what it takes to give us the freedom to keep creating.

Ghostwriting

Our main source of revenue comes from ghostwriting. We help people write stories of accomplishment, overcoming some kind of obstacle, memoirs, or family histories that people want to capture. This means someone contracts us to write an entire book. The cost for this is tens of thousands of dollars so it’s reserved for those who are committed to telling their story and have the finances to do so. Not everyone who chooses this option is “rich.” You’d be surprised how resourceful people can be when they’re motivated.

Proposals (story structures)

We definitely understand that not everyone can afford for us to write their book in full. As a separate offering, we write proposals. A proposal can have different meanings, but for CRY, it’s more like an outline for your book. If someone who is not a writer has an idea for a book, it’s actually really difficult for them to understand how to get the idea out of their head on onto the page. That’s where we help. We provide structure, a succinct synopsis, chapter by chapter summary, along with other outputs so by the time we’re finished, our clients know exactly what to write and how to format their story. We do this for anywhere between $2,000-$3,000, depending on a few variables.

Editing

Sometimes, clients come to us with hundreds of pages of blog posts, journal entries and loose notes. We take those pages and turn it into a real book. The cost for this varies depending on the amount of work we have to do, but typically comes in around $6,000 — $8,000.

Why are we sharing this?

Because it’s important to be transparent about money. There shouldn’t be this secret around how revenue is earned, especially if it can help inform or educate someone who is trying to do something similar. We love what we do at CRY, and earning revenue through these streams allows us to create and curate content. We definitely have plans to expand our offerings, and when we do, we’ll be sure to share another update!

How CRY makes money was originally published in C.R.Y on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Finding Your Writing Voice Isn’t Always Easy . . .

How I motivate myself to keep writing  . . .

Continue reading on C.R.Y »

Call for submissions — how do you deal with not feeling seen?

Call for submissions — how do you deal with not feeling seen?

As writers and artists, we put so much into our work. We’re literally offering pieces of ourselves to the world in exchange for recognition, appreciation and the opportunity to be seen and heard.

But that doesn’t always happen. Not in the way we hope. As writers, we’ll put out articles no one reads or books no agent or publisher wants to represent. Yet we keep on writing.

In this call for submission, I want you to talk about how you manage to keep going without feeling like you’re being seen or heard. What motivates you to wake up every morning and dedicate your life to your art? How do you react when something you’ve been working on for weeks or months or even years doesn’t get the kind of attention you think it deserves?

Same rules as always:If you’re already a writer for CRY, go ahead and submit.If you’re not a writer for CRY but would like to submit to this request, let us know and we’ll add you ASAP.Be as creative as you want in your submissions. As long as you stick to the topic, we’ll consider it.Just because you submit doesn’t mean we’ll post. If you haven’t heard back from us in three days, consider that a pass.Deadline to submit is this Monday, November 2.

Please reach out if you have any questions at all. If you are new to Medium, here’s how you submit a draft to a publication.

Call for submissions — how do you deal with not feeling seen? was originally published in C.R.Y on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.