A lot of writers believe they have this digital writing world figured out.
If you think you know everything about digital writing, then you don’t.
Coming into a program like “Ship 30 for 30“ challenged my thoughts and beliefs around what worked in the digital space. Terminology changed for me, along with the insane desire to be clearer in my writing.
Hell, it even led to publishing a book, “Hooked On 39 Feelings,” around my writings in this course.
Yes, you can go look up my name and see all the different genres I’ve written about in my digital writing career. Business, sports, spirituality, self-improvement, and current events…all genres with my name plastered on them.
You can look at this and say, “Wow, you’ve been successful.” As a writer getting work published, yes, I have done so. Success, though, in my eyes has not come to my front door and said, “Hello buddy.”
This is where being in “Ship 30 for 30” started to change my path.
What is the one thing anyone who writes for a living truly tries to do? Find a niche and develop an audience. Look at those topics above and add writing for the facial difference community, too. One would think that there are “riches in those niches,” yet it hasn’t happened for me.
Consistency, clarity, and conciseness are three pieces of writing advice that “Ship 30 for 30” drilled down into my subconscious mind.
Consistency equates to doing the same thing over and over again. This isn’t insanity, OK. A rhythm begins to develop and letting go of expectations leads to doing the work. Writing every day, which I did as an Atomic Essay (250-word pieces on one topic) or Twitter Threads, helped a lot.
Clarity equates to just that…being clear. Getting too fancy and trying to impress people with $5 words will not help in the long run. Write like you speak and keep it simple. Those 50-cent words actually let people into your world much faster.
Conciseness equates to making a point and stopping. Yes, just stop after iterating your point and let it be. As a journalist and copy editor, I learned this over and over again. Use this in digital writing and see your productivity rise.
This course is something that I wish I had bumped into a few years ago.
Why? Looking at data-driven writing and being able to look at analytics from my own social blog would have helped me.
I am not one to totally obsess over numbers. Maybe that’s one reason I have had a lot of financial issues arise, but that’s for another time.
Does the data matter? Yes, it does. Looking at data will help you see what pieces or topics are working and which ones are duds.
Trust me, getting to write for Entrepreneur, The Good Men Project, Addicted2Success, The Huffington Post, and other large-scale platforms is amazing. Yet the consistency and follow-up when it comes to digital writing do take focus, time, and intention.
Also, this idea of “shipping out” ideas in real-time and seeing how people respond or react to them is eye-opening. Imagine having an idea that is within your niche. Sit down and write 250 words about it…no more. Send it out on Twitter and see how it works in the court of public opinion.
As an author and writer (two terms which I have come to embrace), this is radical.
My journalism training did teach me about “getting to the point” and not belaboring an issue. This also taught me about making sure that grammar is solid, too.
So, here I am with one new book produced thanks to “Ship 30 for 30.” I have plans for producing a new ebook every month in 2022.
I’ve settled in the mental health niche because it remains a mystery to many people. Since I’ve struggled with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and addiction, my belief has been to share and support.
Share what happened to me but don’t live there.
Support those going through their own struggles and offer words of kindness.
“Ship 30 for 30” has been a blessing in my life, too. Connecting with other writers around the United States and the world is just a hell of a good thing.
Before wrapping this up, I’d be remiss if I did not mention “Ship 30 for 30” captains Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole. I did not know these young men (hey, I’m 57 and a bit older so they’re young me to me, respectfully). Yet I kept seeing this “Ship 30 for 30” cohort mentioned on Twitter. My “spidey senses” got the best of me and I checked out some of Dickie’s tweets on writing.
That and also checking out Cole’s stuff, too, pretty much sealed the deal.
Yes, dear reader, there are other writing courses available in the digital writing world. You can choose which one resonates best.
Before you go too far down that road, though, taking part in “Ship 30 for 30” is an experience. It’s something that either can be a springboard for future success…or just a journey through learning more about writing.
You do with it what you wish.
Getting involved with “Ship 30 for 30” is a life-changing experience.
For a writer like me, learning and growing are a forever journey.
Today, I can stand on my own two feet and say, both proudly and humbly, that I am an author and writer. There is a lot more writing in my future and using the lessons from “Ship 30 for 30” will be with me forever.
It’s a pretty cool thing to still learn about digital writing at this time of my life.
Take the plunge. You’ll come away with a whole new pair of glasses about writing.
If Joe's story story resonated with you, click here to hop aboard the next Ship 30 for 30 cohort.