Every Result is an Asset

Not long ago, I went to an Internet Marketing Seminar. One of the speakers was John Reese, a man who set the Internet world abuzz in August 2004 by achieving the amazing result of just over a million dollars worth of sales in 18 hours. The product, Traffic Secrets, was all about driving traffic to web sites in order to become known and ultimately make a profit.

So what is the common link between writing and internet marketing?

It's simply this: the mantra that John Reese lives by -- "Every result is an asset".

You may be thinking that it's very easy for someone who made a million bucks in less than a day to say something like that. Undoubtedly, such results are an asset to him! But when you learn more about John Reese, you discover that he spent years finding out what worked and what didn't work. Before he made that million dollars, he started 'in the hole' - one hundred thousand dollars in debt. Nothing he did seemed to work.

John didn't give up. Bit by bit, he added to his store of knowledge and built his business. He treated every result as an asset: another fragment to add to his growing data bank - whether the news was good or bad. If something didn't work, he knew not to try that again. If something worked well, he adopted that strategy as part of his arsenal. He tracked results, tweaked and tried again, made mistakes and had successes. Then, a HUGE success - a million dollars in a day.

"Every result is an asset."

Think about that for a moment. Imagine what it means to your daily life. It has implications far outside Internet Marketing - and far outside writing. It's first cousin to the saying "Everything happens for a reason". It's all about learning what works for you in life. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone experiences rejection. Everyone encounters roadblocks.

You can choose whether to give up when the results fall short of your expectations... or you can treat every result as a valuable piece of information.

Your story or article is rejected

After you swear and slam a few doors and maybe burst into tears, calm down and think about how this result can be an asset. What have you learned?

• Did you target the wrong market?

• Did you submit a story that is the wrong length?

• Does your story need further polishing?

• Do the characters need work?

• Do you need to contact (or start) a writing group to help you work out what you might be doing wrong?

• Do you need feedback from a critique service?

If you're lucky, the editor will give you some feedback to indicate where you might be going wrong. If not, you'll have to try to work it out yourself - and you might need help to do that.

There are other things that rejection can teach you, too - like how much you want to keep writing. Is your desire to write strong enough to withstand rejection? Are you willing to put in the time necessary to polish your craft and market your work? Do you have the resilience to bounce back after rejection - or would you be happier with another hobby or job?

Belinda Alexander's Story

Belinda Alexander was devastated when she sent her 'chick lit' story to agent Selwa Anthony and got a firm 'no'. After all, chick lit was selling well. Belinda thought she could write it OK.

Her agent didn't agree. She told Belinda to go away and figure out what it was that she really should be writing. So Belinda did.

The result was "White Gardenia" - a sweeping saga of a mother and daughter torn apart by war and finally reunited more than two decades later, after spending years searching for (and just missing) each other. Belinda's inspiration was her family - tales of wartime hardship and the plight of refugees.

This time, Selwa Anthony gave a resounding 'yes'. The novel met with critical acclaim and was a best-seller - and Belinda has found her true voice. For her, the apparently negative result of an initial rejection was a huge asset - it set her on the right path.

As a writer, you are going to meet with rejection - from editors, agents and sometimes from critics who pen negative reviews. You are going to say things you wish you hadn't said. You are going to hear things you don't like from those offering critiques. You are going to get a 'no' when you send in samples of your writing in order to secure a grant or a writer's residency.

At those times, remember: EVERY RESULT IS AN ASSET. What have you learned about yourself, your writing, your approach? Use what you learn to do a better job of crafting your work, finding new markets or deciding on a better direction. Use every bit of knowledge to move yourself further along the path to the results that you really want!

(c) Marg McAlister

Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/

---

Six Tips for Creating More Lifelike Story Characters

Working on my first humorous novel, I started with a... Read More

Get Published: The Nuts and Bolts of Good English, and How to Impress a Publisher (1)

Not all writers write good grammar. That's a fact. It's... Read More

A Simple Contest with a Strong Message: Wake Up Your Writing Spirit

The Blogfest 2005 Writing Contest has only been running for... Read More

Screenwriting and Screenwriters ? beyond Syd Field

Without denigrating the work and contribution of Syd Field to... Read More

Writing Made Them Rich #3: Richard Bach

One day in the mid-1970's a young man stumbled into... Read More

How NOT to Get a Freelance Writing Job

In the business of freelance writing, it's not enough to... Read More

Break in with Fillers: The Best Market for New Writers

Interested in breaking into writing or breaking into a new... Read More

Understanding Editorial Guidelines

Editorial guidelines, also known as writer's guidelines, are the rules... Read More

Message to Online Writers: Dont Give Up On A Good Idea

The writing community is a strong one, with many new... Read More

Need a Book Coach, Ghost Writer, or Editor? Part 1

If you either want to write a book to help... Read More

Permission NOT To Write

Quite a few years ago, I enrolled in a Degree... Read More

Why Every Freelancer Should Have A Web Site

"Do I send samples, a media kit, or just the... Read More

Making Better Word Choices ? 4 Examples

Choosing the wrong words can have a poor effect on... Read More

8 Quick Tips on Creating Vivid, Memorable Characters

These 8 tips on using characters in your stories will... Read More

Self-Examination

Self-examination sheds light on a writers motives, goals, and aspirations,... Read More

Writing for the Internet -- How To Give the Readers What They Want

In this article you will find tips on: How to... Read More

Learn to Write Like a Pro

Many writers write for the experience. Others dream of having... Read More

Story Structure - Final Conflict

Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More

Why I Write Horror

These are some of the snapshots I carry with me:... Read More

The Three Cs of Writing an Excellent all Purpose Headline

Since the headline is the first contact your readers have... Read More

The ENTP Inventor Writes A Novel

People familiar with the Myers-Briggs Personality test know that the... Read More

Ten Ways to Get Cheap (and Free) Magazine Samples

1 - Join a reading or writing group. Ask members... Read More

Uncommon Advice for Beginning Novelists

1) Convince yourself you want to do something else. If... Read More

Graphology - Unleash Inner Personality & Talent of Child

|| Graphology & Graphotherapy ||Everybody wants to know more about... Read More

A Few Brief Tips to Deal with Writing Rejection

What to do when you get rejected.You've just finished your... Read More

How Three Publishing Myths Kill the Author

Agents and publishing houses have their best interests at heart,... Read More

Publisher Ethics For Reprint-able Articles

Let's Discuss Publisher Ethics:If you are an ezine publisher or... Read More

How To Avoid Viewpoint Slips

Sit back, and imagine what it feels like to be... Read More

Ten Tips to Help You Finish Writing Your Novel

1. Set aside a time to write and keep it... Read More

Five EASY Ways to Improve Your Business Writing

Have you ever wondered why some people can make millions... Read More

10 Tips on Writing Effective Dialogue

1. Become an EavesdropperListen carefully to the way people REALLY... Read More

10 Best Writers Who Ever Lived

Compiling a list of the history's ten best writers is... Read More

The Struggle

Sometime one must coax the words out.Each day is a... Read More