THE NUMBERS GAME (Making Great Headlines).
THE NUMBERS GAME (Making Great Headlines).
TCA #3.
Life imitates Substack. We have birthdates, zipcodes, social security no’s, passports, bank accounts etc. At Substack we are constantly besieged with Stats, and with clickbait “How I grew Xx,000 subs in Yy months”, total views, total followers, so many likes, comments and restacks, gross annualised income, more clickbait “How I make buckets of bucks per second, per Second…..
Numbers that exceed expectations, numbers that numb, yet recognizable as targets reassuringly robust, yet manipulatively mocking. Images that we know, Images that Influence. For that is how “Education” = One Fits All systems, Systematically programming us into thinking we are Thinking…… BUT HEY !!…. WHOA ! STOP ! For Humans do NOT ALL think in the same way….. Some think towards destruction, some towards Creativity, It’s - a - Spectrum !! Where have you heard that one before ?
Most of us struggle with where we sit, confused by misinformation overkill.
In a world that is driven by Monetization, Numbers rule. But Creative People don’t dwell on numbers, they prefer Images. Hold that thought….
In Our World there are 700 Spoken Languages - diminishing over Millenia. Tens of Millenia ago we invented the first visual languages, ie; cave paintings with dots and dashes, a global system that everyone could read, understand. This developed into pictographs, simple symbols that eventually became alphabetical systems that only the rich could read.
Monetization - again. Creative people, preferring imagery to numbers, became beholden to the rich, who said “Behold ! and Worship the God of Money,…… TITHE, Or go to Hell”
What Rule Bound Rigorous Restricted education does not allow for is Intuition, for that is the domain of the Naturally Creative Mind Only. The god of money cries “Tosh ! Hunches have no value ! Guesswork doesn`t work !” Maybe that’s the god of of money’s own Intuition that here lies a threat to their Learning by Numbers failed rhetoric.
But Creative People don’t rely on numbers, they rely instead, once they understand that they can, On - Their - Intuition…. They learn by experimentation and observation. They discover which rules work for Them -and why. It’s a slower process than via the rules, but it’s deeper and far more satisfying, and does NOT preclude earning a reasonable living.
We will come back to that later.
First let us look at Numbers on Substack :- Let’s assume that for one full day of work, to post once per week you eventually gain a total of 300 followers - of which 100 are free subscribers, then the average of “Paid to Free” at SIX %, each paying standard rates means you eventually gross thirty bucks a month - Less 13.5% in Fees. In other words you are earning almost a dollar a day. Oh dear ! So you set about posting every day to the same people to net 173 dollars a month. OOPS, that didn’t work, ‘cos you sent to the same people. Maybe if you could do different stuff every day of the week to different audiences ? OKaaay…. just how long will it take to find Another 900 followers to net you 690 a month ?!?! …. Get my drift ?
“Butbutbut I read that some authors are making A Hundred Grand a year !!”
Well they probably arrived here years ago bringing a thou or so subs with them from other platforms….. Or maybe they were already Famous……
“OH !! Big Hurdles… So should I call it quits, or should I fork out upto hundreds for courses under the Gurus ?”
Well you could quit hard overworking and learn how to do it smart, but can you really afford to risk the cash you haven’t yet earned ? What does your Intuition tell you ? And most importantly, - how do you figure out the courses that will give you the best value for your money ?
“UHUH, OK, I’ll think about these points, and if I decide to stick with it, then where can I get some help ?”
Well, the Hurdles can be dealt with, and I’ve been using Intuition rather than courses to support my life of adventure - for decades. My current adventure is right here on Substack - a desire to help a community to navigate, develop, enjoy their own Unorthodox Creative Adventures. Show you a few shortcuts to……
…… erm….. Getting it Write !! …….
Orthodox marketing says, to tell ‘m about the fees AFTER the pitch….. Well that’s very American, (sadly becoming slowly English too), but I have never been Orthodox… so here goes…. I am quite happy to pay Substack and Stripe their percents for the great opportunity they give us…. Standard Paid Subs are $5 per month or $50 per year, but not Set in Stone… Special Offers are allowed. Here at This Creative Adventure, if you pledge before 30th Sept you can get Nov 30th 2024 to Nov 30 2025, for just TEN Dollars. Note that until that first date, it’s all free to read and absorb anyway, allowing you to try before you buy and even cancel your pledge if you no likeee !!
So what do you get in return for your trust ?
Three or Four Fridays, eleven months a year (no overwhelm), You will be walked through the steps that I am long familiar with, plus you will be introduced, under Hallo Goldies, to some of the most generous and genuine teachers and mentors on Substack, Next month we have TWO of the keenest minds on the platform, Diana and Julie, whos own stacks will bring insights and inspiration to your writings. Watch out for Douglas & other Goldies being scheduled. Read articles on Developing your understanding of how Substack works; How to improve your writing skills; Encouragement for writers who’s work encompasses finding peaceful solutions to climate disaster++. Most posts will have “Tipsheets”, and/or mentoring under “Now Here’s a Thought”. Additional material includes “Trike Trek News”** and “Boulevard Updates”**
++ = Starting in January, Subscribers who have recently started writing in this field are invited to be featured under “Hallo Newbie”. This could be you…
** = A pair of sustainable green tech projects initiated by This Creative Adventure, both very dear to my heart…. Your Paid Subs Provide the Seed Funding necessary for these projects. May I thank you in advance…Thankfully, my pensions provide my personal requirements, allowing me to focus on the work….
BTW - There are no additional course fees at This Creative Adventure, your subscription covers everything.
It is a core belief here that “Knowledge is Not a Commodity”, which is another reason for the Special Introductory Offer… Thankyou.
The Last Word then… In the near future I will be writing about creation of Headlines that are effective in attracting potential readers. So before you go, please take a look at the headline that brought you here today. Perhaps you would be kind enough to restack this post… THANKS AGAIN, Maurice.
Numbers ?
INTUITION…. CREATIVITY…. COMMUNITY…. YES
NeXt on This Creative Adventure, Fridays -
TCA #4, 27th Sept. “Trike Trek News”.
TCA #5, 11th Oct. “Why Only One Guru Ain’t Enough” + “Hallo Goldie, Diana van Eyk”.
and on Maurice’s Substack
Wednesdays -A, B, C + D #9, 2nd Oct. “Clarence’s Dragon.”
Ancient Legend #13, 16th Oct. “Ham’Shaffa, Lessons from the Lantern”
