Over the years, I’ve helped a lot of people further understand Textbroker and content mills. In reality, Textbroker is what gave me my start as a content creator. However, it’s time to evolve and grow.
Don’t get me wrong, Textbroker will always have a special place for me. Without content mills, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Yet, we all outgrow the things that get us started.
How many toys do you play with as an adult that you loved when you were five? You’ll still love those toys and have fond memories, but eventually, you grow and experience greater things.
Any career path should offer the same type of development. That is unless you’re happy with where you are in life. In that case, my hat’s off to you. Always do what you enjoy.
For me, though, it’s all about going beyond who I was yesterday.
The Shape of WriterSanctuary
Earlier in the year, I had a bit of an epiphany. Actually, it was more of a sad realization when it came to the blog and YouTube channel. The Textbroker posts and videos just weren’t doing as well as before.
In fact, most of my freelancing content slowly began to sink into the abyss that is Google and YouTube search.
It was then that I realized that I haven’t really pushed to go beyond what initially gave me my start.
Sure, I talked a lot about trying new things, and I wrote a few posts here and there. But in reality, I didn’t really go as far as I should have.
So, I’m going to really start focusing on doing more for self-publishing and blogging, especially on the YouTube channel.
I’ll keep the freelancing and Textbroker content up. After all, they still drive quite a few visits. But for the foreseeable future, I’m moving more toward creativity and self-promotion.
Developing the Blog Further
I talked quite a bit about changing the majority of the content on the blog earlier in 2023. And since this realization, I’ve started to put in more effort with reviews and tutorials.
The plan is to get WriterSanctuary.com recognized as more than just an outlet for Textbroker information. To be honest, I’ve spent a great deal of time in 2023 working on books and blogs.
As you may have noticed, I’ve published quite a bit about Reedsy, writing prompts, Scrivener, and more creative elements recently.
Although the decrease in freelancing interest prompted me to shift gears, creative writing has always been a passion of mine. I was nine when I wrote my first story and have been doodling around with words since then.
The reduction in Textbroker interest essentially lit a fire under me to compensate and really start working toward my next stage in personal evolution…
To become the best author and blogger I can be.
If I have even a fraction of the same success as I had to become a freelance writer, some great things are surely on the horizon.
Doing New Things on YouTube
I’ve been trying to shift the content of the YouTube channel away from Textbroker, and now YouTube has me in some kind of weird black hole. I had a feeling changing gears would cause the channel to grind a bit as I looked for second, though.
YouTube hates it when you veer off of your niche too far.
Lately, though, I’ve noticed that the self-publishing content has been gaining far more traction. Not to mention how the live blog webinars have been doing overall.
Over the last week, my review of Scrivener and my review of Reedsy surpassed one of my best Textbroker videos on the channel.
Next, I’m going to try to upload more Shorts. I don’t know how well they’ll perform for a writing YouTube channel, but that’s the point.
You never know what will work until you try it.
That’s precisely the attitude I had when I began my writing career with Textbroker. I had no idea what I was doing but managed to turn myself into one of the most prolific voices of the platform.
Investing in the Future
I try to do as much as possible on the side of free. That’s because I’ve never had a lot of money to spend on extras and whatnots. Plus, I wanted to demonstrate how you can become a successful writer, blogger, and author without having a massive bankroll.
Still, there’s only so much you can do for free in today’s world. While I’ll still try to show off using free products and services, it’s time to start investing in the content.
I started doing this by buying the Atticus writing app. It was a bit more than I wanted to spend, but I plan on generating a lot of content from it in the form of blog posts, videos, and yes, books.
I also plan on expanding my library for Scrivener quite a bit. What’s great about Scrivener is that it costs a fraction of what Atticus charges. That means I’ll be able to recuperate some of that money much quicker.
Besides, it’ll make an interesting blog post and video to show how long it took me to create enough content for these systems to make them pay for themselves.
For instance, how long did it take for the Scrivener posts to bring in enough AdSense money to pay its $60 fee?
The bottom line is that sure, you can build a successful blog and YouTube channel without spending a dime. But adding some of the bells and whistles that cost money can help you grow exponentially.
Never Be Afraid to Evolve
At the end of the day, you can’t be afraid to evolve. That’s because there are so many opportunities out there just waiting for you to do so.
Yes, I am quite worried that the shift in focus will cause me to lose subscribers and followers. But I’ll also be reaching a new audience for the content. And I’m pretty sure that a lot of my writing followers are like myself – writing of any kind.
It’s interesting to me to think that in 2012, I was making $8 per hour working as tech support for the school district while bringing in $25 per week from Textbroker.
Over the past 10 years, I’ve evolved exponentially. And it’s all because I decided to try something new and explore my potential as a writer.
As I’ve said before, I’m just getting started.
There will be self-doubt. You’ll find yourself contemplating whether you’re on the right path and start to second-guess your decisions. But as long as you continue to learn and push forward, you’ll eventually come across some astounding opportunities and experiences.
Remember…
Always in a State of Self-Improvement
From my point of view, becoming an author is the next logical step for me. I’ve become quite a successful freelancer and it’s time to truly see what more I can accomplish.
When you’re constantly in a state of improving yourself, all kinds of things will evolve in your life. And yes, this means you’ll more than likely have to make habit and lifestyle changes.
But in the end, the rewards often outweigh the risks. Believe in yourself and grow into the person you want to be.
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