Let’s get to the preparation that goes into establishing an online business.

Writing online can get overwhelming if you do not know how to go about things. I often read about how people have established blog sites and the one common thing about these is the emphasis on the how-to-do rather than a what-to-do.

Okay, this might be confusing, so let’s go over it with an example. An individual M has a flair for writing and has read about a blog that guides him/her through the nuances of setting up an established blog site. After connecting the required plugins and setting up a Google Adsense account, M thinks that he is all ready to start earning money. A couple of articles in is when it sets in.

The lack of direction and clarity, which then translates into a feeling of being overwhelmed and M eventually starts getting stressed about the thing that was supposed to be a passion?

‘Rowing harder doesn’t help if the boat is headed in the wrong direction’

-Kenichi Ohmae

This is exactly what I want to address- the work to put in before jumping into the actual process. Imagining a 1000$ per month as an additional income sure gets to your head, it did get to mine for sure!

The process:

The way I see it, you have some questions that need to be addressed before you venture into the journey of online writing.

1. Identify The Purpose And The Niche

Most people jump into writing with the purpose of making it their source of income. Is that why you want to start a blogsite or will it be only a means of relaxation?

The clarity in vision as to what is the product you are developing will help in streamlining your efforts into the direction of your liking. If there is uncertainty, it will lead to a stagnation of your product’s growth and you will be forced to abandon it. Or in any case, you will have to reinvest a lot of time into reviving the product.

Your niche lays the foundation of your product, which is why you must devote as much thought and energy as you can into it. Most writers think they have a niche and if you’re one of them I would suggest you branch out to all your interests. The likelihood of burnout is very high especially if you’re in it for the long haul.

2. Market Research

Once you’ve identified your niche, another important aspect that you must address is what is being curated? This allows you to understand the content that is being curated, the level you need to be at, and how you can stand out.Addressing these questions will facilitate in establishing clarity and viability of your product.

3. Going Solo Or With A Publication?

If you are in an early stage of your writing, it is advisable to partner in with publications so as to drive more traffic. But then again, are you willing to be associated with a banner or do you want to do things alone and expand gradually? The trade-off between the two is something you will have to decide (points 1 & 2 will help you immensely in your decision making).

4. Developing A Mock Habit Before You Make The Jump

What you do not want to be doing is to committing to writing as your only source of income and then hitting a brick wall. I would suggest you develop a habit of engaging in curating content with your existing routine so you get a feel for things. Platforms like Medium, Quora, and WordPress are great to establish a writing habit.

To sum up, here’s what your preparation should comprise of:

1. Identify Your Purpose And Your Niche- Invest your time in this until you stumble upon THE ONE.
2. Research the content of what is being curated and what you can do to stand out.
3. Think about your progress goals based on which you should decide about going solo or becoming a part of a publication.
4. Indulge in writing as though it was your reality before taking the plunge.

This concludes the first part of the step to becoming a prolific writer. Why do I refer to your writing as a product? It is simply because it is your creation. The internet provides you with a means to showcase the product that you have developed and in a way is a version of perfect competition in competitive markets. Most writers are essentially laying out their products in the form of writings to the consumer based on the demand.

Writing constitutes a community rather than a monopoly, so feel free to reach out to your fellow peers who will be more than willing to help.

Stay tuned for the next article which will give you an insight into the next step, monetizing your writing and actually earning off it.