One of my fun little neuroses is that I never feel my projects succeed. I never feel I succeed at much of anything, in fact. Yet the evidence of having at least moderate success stacks up and points out that the problem, more than likely, is internal.
But there is something problematic in the external world too. My projects rarely reach a point that feels satisfactory, and objectively I can see why these feel like failures. The proper solution, as I see it, is not about convincing myself that these are actually successes. Rather, the solution is defining success in a way that lets me fairly gauge how far I’ve come and how far I have left to go.
So, for those of you interested in my projects and process, I invite you to read on. For the rest of you, this is likely to feel rambly and highly analytical.
At this point I won’t attempt to break up these larger projects into smaller pieces (though that will inevitably be part of the process). Instead this will be a birds-eye look at my projects and objectives.
This Blog
What this project is about:
I mentioned in my earlier post that I wanted to move the writing-focused content to another site because I felt strange posting personal content on this blog. I felt that my writing posts had attracted a specific audience who came to the site for a specific reason—and that many of my personal writing experiments, rants, etc., were distractions.
Part of the purpose for this blog is having a place to put all those little experiments. Having a place to showcase some of my creative work, including both my portfolio and blog entries that veer more toward creative nonfiction, is a major part of why I want this space. Having a platform where I can talk about anything that’s on my mind is also nice.
In brief, this is my “me” platform. A place where I can talk about myself, my life, my goals, and my writing—rather than my role as writer. This is a space where I reach out to an audience interested in my thoughts about the world rather than my expertise in specific areas. I also want to make this blog a platform for reaching out to potential readers of my poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The only method of monetizing this blog in the foreseeable future will be the sales of my own creative work.
The goals:
- Build a personal platform to express my views and build my audience.
- Reach out to potential readers of my creative work.
- Have a space for random expression and experimentation.
What metrics can be looked at when gauging movement toward those goals?
- The number of Facebook “likes.”
- The number of Twitter “follows.”
- The amount of daily traffic.
- Sales of my creative work through this website.
What defines success?
As a long-term asset, it’s hard to put down an exact figure that would qualify this blog as “successful.” That said … I would consider this site a success if it reached 500 visitors per day, connected me with 2500+ Twitter followers, brought my author Facebook page to 1000+ “likes,” and sold $450 of my creative work each month.
Adventurous Rob
What this project is about:
While backpacking through the British Isles, I started the Adventurous Rob project in the hopes of setting myself up as a successful travel blogger. There are two main reasons for doing so: First, it opens up opportunities for the sort of awesome experiences and connections I would like to have. Second, it gives me a chance to make some cash.
The travel industry has ads that pay well. With a travel blog, the target audience is also concretely selected. I have a lot of experiences to talk about, thousands of pictures I haven’t gotten around to sharing yet, and the gear—and passion—to go on more adventures. Plus, having an income source that’s connected to going out and doing awesome things, getting into better shape, and meeting awesome people just sounds like something I would love to have in my life.
As I’ve defined success here, it strikes me that the bar is higher than it is for this blog and my author-y content. Part of the reason, for me, is that much of my success in creative work doesn’t stem from website traffic. More importantly, though, travel blogs are a specific industry with clear directions for outreach, so I’m okay with being a bit more ambitious.
The goals:
- Connect with awesome, adventurous people.
- Open up new opportunities for travel, events, and experiences.
- Make money.
What metrics can be looked at when gauging movement toward those goals?
- The number of Facebook “likes.”
- The amount of daily traffic.
- The number of offers for free events, travel, or gear each month.
- The amount of money I make from advertisements.
What defines success?
I would consider this site successful if it reached 1,000+ visitors per day, had 2500+ Facebook “likes,” got me three or more offers to interesting events or gear-tests per month, and got me $1000+ in monthly income.
The Creative Writing Collective
What this project is about:
This is, without a doubt, the most ambitious of my current projects. The goal is to provide a college-level creative writing education for free for the general population. It is not about monetization; I want the site to make enough money that it can run itself, pay professors, pay developers, and keep the community running. If paying myself a fair wage for my time is part of that, then cool, but only because it lets me justify putting more time and energy into the project.
I see this project happening in several main phases. Currently, it’s about building the site’s reputation with an audience and with search engines. It’s about forging those first connections with the people who will serve as the foundation for the community. And it’s about putting the site in a position where it can transition to a full-blown educational platform. My current plan of action is to develop a readership over the next couple of years and then launch a Kickstarter when the project is ready to move to the next phase. Hopefully the readership, and anyone they can get on board, will give enough resources that we can move into professional site development and advanced curriculum.
The goals:
- Produce a lot of awesome content for those who want to write.
- Have a website structure that organizes and motivates learning.
- Have a healthy, active community.
- Get a loyal readership.
What metrics can be looked at when gauging movement toward those goals?
- Newsletter subscribers.
- Daily traffic.
- The amount raised in a Kickstarter when transitioning to phase 2.
What defines success?
I would consider this site successful in phase 1 if it reached 2,000+ newsletter subscribers, 1000+ daily visitors, and raised $25,000+ on Kickstarter.
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