Re: The "Cost" of the matter

**"* C* <d*@sympatico.ca>**

A good point Jeff- even if I'm not Doug

Will the exercise of even  attempting to write out a business plan at least 
identify many of the hidden costs, aka overhead, that most of us don't 
account for until they bite us in the bum come tax time?
Dan
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeff Ball" <jeffball@usol.com>
To: "Garden Writers -- GWL -- The Garden Writers Forum" 
<gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2008 8:43 PM
Subject: Re: [GWL] The "Cost" of the matter


> DOUG,
> How many garden writers have a "BUSINESS PLAN?" You and maybe three
> others who worked in the real world before they chose poverty and
> garden writing.  There is no question a business plan helps to keep
> focused and not get off on side tracks that reduce potential
> earnings.  But I've never seen a framework for a very simple business
> plan that might work for a writer.  I've tried four or five in my 25
> years and none of them lasted more than three months.  My work was so
> unpredictable and I have no discipline.
> Good thread
> .
> Jeff Ball
> jeffball@usol.com
> 810-724-8581
> Check out my daily blog at www.gardeneryardener.blogspot.com
> Check out my extensive web site at www.yardener.com
>
>
>
> On Dec 30, 2007, at 5:22 PM, Douglas Green wrote:
>
> Yah want "free" or to understand another view of "content-cost?" :-)
> Check out the Net.
>
> Every blog or website has literally tons of "free" stuff that is given
> away for one reason or other.   Give a respectable researcher a few
> minutes on google and the world of info is fat and lazy like ripe
> tomatoes on a vine.
>
> So in one way or other, most of us are already tried and found guilty
> at the bar of "free content".   I did a bit of research on my own
> sites, and I'm well over a million words and pictures that are freely
> available about gardening.  Well over 2000 articles/pages of content
> and a newsletter that's in the low 5-figure subscriber  range.  Over a
> million visitors a year and growing.   Many of you are close behind or
> maybe even ahead on these counts of free.
>
> In the context of "old-style" writing, giving this info away on the
> Net makes us all either very stupid or (interestingly enough) working
> on a different business plan than traditional print publishers.
>
> Different business plans call for different pricing structures.
>
> I'm all for folks charging big bucks for giving talks.  Or cover
> photographs or articles for magazines at several dollars a word.  Or
> websites. ;-)
>
> In my .02 world-view, we all decide to market and price our
> information in ways that make sense to us within our business plans.
>
> So I agree with both Lynn and Ellen, undervaluing your information is
> really a poor long-term strategy no matter whether it is freely
> available or whether you deliver if with sound bites in person.
> There's always a cost involved. But that cost depends on your
> individual pricing structure and business plan.
>
> And for the record, I almost never give talks anymore but when I do, I
> charge $350. plus travel at .40/km.  I simply hate all the travelling
> and late nights this creates compared to doing my own thing in front
> of a word processor.
>
> Doug
>
> Online Garden Publishing
> Blog http://blog..douggreensgarden.com
> Home http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com
>
>
>
> On 30-Dec-07, at 4:06 PM, Ellen Zachos wrote:
>
>> Lynn, let me be clear, there's no single price that's appropriate for
>> everyone; I certainly didn't charge the same fee when I was starting
>> out that I charge now, nor do I think it's appropriate for a beginner
>> to charge the same fee as the most experienced speaker.  But I DO
>> think it's important not to undervalue our work.
>>
>> If you spend a few hours putting together a presentation, if more
>> than 10 people show up at the lecture, and if you're good at what you
>> do...I say you deserve more than $75 and lunch.  And FYI, I never
>> complain about the garden club ladies; they are some of the most
>> enthusiastic audiences I've ever met.
>>
>> Ellen
>>
>>
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