BACKPAGES JOURNAL - MONDAY, Nov 20, 2023 wk#47 - BLOG EDITION

Slight change of direction.

Good Monday, friends!

I am crazy late with the journal today. Sorry.

I hope you had a great weekend.

I know I surely did.

My website didn’t fare so well, however. www.donmartinbooks.com has been my home base for many years. now there are times it won’t open. Gives me a message that my header fields are too large. Until recently, nobody has ever worried about the size of my header fields. Yet here we are.

Therefore beginning right now, this Substack will be my blog. Please enjoy, and please subscribe so we can build our numbers.

I will talk a bit less about me on my personal blog, and a bit more about writing, especially writing for money.

Almost everywhere my normal business takes me, people of all professions, upon hearing that I have written books, tell me how they have a book in their head that needs to be written, but they do not know where to start.

And EVERYBODY wants to make some more money without taking on a second job.

Now I write every day. Usually short pieces. Some for publication. Some to be part of a larger book.

But at any rate, I’m here and you’re here, and I thank you.

This publication, as I said, is being completed, tweaked, and perfected as we go. Such is my style, so any help or suggestions will be great!

Part of the purpose behind this Substack is to allow me to write and publish daily to give my writing that OUTLIERS (Amazon link) advantage to actually become better. Like practicing the piano. you can read the stories here, but they won’t be mailed to you.

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MY NEWSLETTER UPDATE

This is a newsletter about three things.

1. It is about my writing for those peeps who enjoy my writing. You are a blessing to me. Some would like to know a little more about a writer’s life. I have augmented my income from the sale of my books and some from writing for Medium.com when people join. I do have some digital products available, and I am working on this Substack, It will increase my exposure and someday make me some money. Besides I get to share the random stuff I stumble across in my brain.

2. Folks often ask for pointers on how they might do the same, so helping them is part of what this publication is all about. I will chronicle my progress and help others do the same. I may be only a couple of years ahead of a lot of my readers, but we’ll take this trip together. As I worked the last forty years, I never realized that life could be like this. It’s great now, however!

We will examine writing to get paid from a couple of different places, writing books, having a blog, or a newsletter like this one, and maybe making a video or e-course. These projects are, together, how I get paid for, and how people support my creativity.

3. Part of this report will concern building the number of subscribers to this publication. It is free, of course, but, as the numbers grow, there may be some ways it can help support me.

I have not gone out seeking new subscribers until now.

My next goal is 500 readers.

This letter is all free now, with a tip jar if you ever get all carried away. in which case I thank you. very much!

Thanks,

-don

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TODAY’S SONG IN MY HEAD

MY REAL-LIFE WRITER’S LIFE

And of course writing, for me, is best begun early, like now.

I am nothing if not a creature of habit. I find if I don’t create good habits, the bad ones will create themselves.

So I start writing early each day.

It’s difficult on days when I am not here by myself for one reason or another, like the grands sleeping over, but, for the most part, it works.

Right now I’m writing a book, publishing a chapter each day on Medium. Then I’ll put it all together for Amazon. Details soon.

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Remember, this newsletter is completely free! If you ever wish, I believe there is a place at the bottom where you can buy me a cup of coffee.

THAT will support the arts!

Thanks,

-don, changing what I can change, laughing at what I can’t.