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Sep 13, 20233 min read

August 2023 Progress Report

August was a period of contemplation, doing, and sweating through summer days.


August 2023 Progress report is slow progress

Thinking, and thinking, and thinking, and thinking ... -- Sung to the tune of "Wishin' and Hopin'" by Burt Bacharach and Hal David


August was a time of evaluation. Webster's defines the word as ... Oh, look it up yourself!


I decided to think about my current financial status and my to-do list, and make some changes for the near future. "Oh, Richard," you scoff as you drink your afternoon tea. "That's a lot of folderol. You say this because you completed nary a task on your August list."


First, are you saying this from the 19th century? Second, I did complete tasks from my to-do list. However, now that funds are available to pay my rent and bills on time, I thought I should redirect my energies. Perhaps take some pressure off of my mind for things that aren't getting done.


August Adjustments

Dropped Medium: I know media outlets need paywalls to earn revenue. Still, I'm not hip to paying to read my Medium articles so I can get paid. So, what you see is what you get. When I die at 150 years of age, enormously famous across the solar system, scholars and professors will use my Medium articles to show the galaxy the purest form of creativity.


Dropped Fiverr: I'd rather earn $1000 for a project over $250 from Fiverr. It's not worth the time or effort right now.


Zero LOI emails or follow-ups: August was an interesting month for my LOIs after I followed up with nearly 100 companies. I received several responses. Sadly, they weren't within my pay range. I'm typing at you, six-cents-a-word company.


For September, I decided to do LOIs differently. I'm going to refine my niches to technology and real estate. Additionally, I won't blindly send out queries. Instead, I'm focusing on companies whose primary focus is those niches. Finally, I'm sending out 20 LOIs and clearing my list of follow-ups.


September Goals

Pop culture book proposal: It's now at the top of my creative list.


Portfolio update/domain name: It's time to adult up and finish my website portfolio. Next, if possible, I need to repurchase wpantscreations.com. Finally, purchase a subscription to host said domain name.


Research business loans/grants: An entry once at the bottom of my list. It's now one of the top three. Although I'm blessed with my current salary, extra funds can certainly help me reach my goals.


20 LOIs/follow-ups: See above.


Four blog posts: I did five in August. Ha! I already published one this month and have three more, including this one, ready. It’s a huge accomplishment for someone who continually drops blogging for another shiny object that draws his attention.


Fifteen pitches/contest submissions: I did one of each last month and succeeded in both. A poem of mine is part of a local art & poetry display until December. Meanwhile, Hope Clark accepted an article for an upcoming Funds for Writers newsletter. Look for it in February of 2024.


Ten installments of The Mediocre Quest of Rathspun for Kindle Vella: The figurative wheels fell off this one. It’s typical of me these days to start a new fiction story and let it sit for eternity. Part of it is fear. Attention deficit issues related to my bipolar disorder are another. It's enormously frustrating, but I'm determined to see things through.


New eBook and Vella series: It's doable. I have enough material to produce multiple eBooks and Vella series. I must make a concerted effort to avoid extra naps and the television. They simply suck time out of my life.


Purchase ISBNs: I need the ISBNs to move my books from electronic to print. The new edition of Thinking Inside My Box is one example. Hence, I need to increase my revenue.


100 Print on Demand designs: I've done this before. I have ideas. What I need is the energy to focus.


Explore podcast/non-profit ideas: I'd like to get back into the podcast realm and interview creative folks beyond authors. Plus, I'm toying with a mental illness non-profit. Stay tuned to this station for more news.


What Did We Learn Today, Rich?

Can Rich make these things happen? Can he avoid binging old CSI episodes? Can he cut back to one nap every few days? Stay tuned to this website for more information. Same blog time. Same blog channel.


All the best.

Rich Scott Keller

 

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