This week we took a huge step and launched David’s online writing program – WRITE YOUR NOVEL.
This program is a combination of online videos, workbooks, worksheets, and group coaching calls, all designed to help writers push their work in progress forward and deepen their creative craft.
It may have launched this week, but all the hard work has taken place over the last six months as we built the digital framework, made the content, and planned the launch.
It’s been a hugely challenging and also rewarding experience, and we’d like to share some insights from the process with you.
After all, online programs are all about sharing knowledge, so let’s do exactly that!
Opportunities multiply as they are grasped
So, why did we decide to do an online writing program?
Simple – we came into direct contact with them last year when Carmen joined a few courses, including business coach Steph Gorton’s program for female entrepreneurs.
At around the same time, David began teaching an in-person series of writing workshops for the City of Wanneroo, which he greatly enjoyed.
Combining the two worlds was a natural step for us.
With Dave’s newfound confidence in his teaching ability and Carmen’s know-how for online marketing, we decided to launch online courses as a new revenue stream and creative outlet.
Focussing on Dave’s passion for writing aligned with the thing we value the most – freedom.
Diversify revenue streams to gain freedom
So what benefit do online programs bring us? Why not do something else?
Well, since Dave launched his book Locust Summer last year, his writing career has begun to develop with talks, workshops, and interviews punctuating his calendar.
But time and space to write is vital for him in creating the next book, because the momentum of the first work will eventually slow down.
So online teaching offers the best solution, in that he creates something valuable and useful that can also run itself, with him focusing on managing the process for students and coaching them when they need it.
This leaves more time for writing work, and keeps him in the writing space, focussed on his work and the valuable task of helping others.
This is why online programs rock – you do all the hard yards up front, and then you focus on managing them, and adding elements to them to make them even more effective.
The benefit you also get more time and space to keep doing the work you love.
Following the process to establish the online writing program
With our why sorted, we needed to do it. And we realised – everyone needs a coach.
For this project, Carmen enlisted the help of gun course launching coach Laura Vucic, whose straightforward, energetic, and always informative program gave us the details we needed to follow.
And that’s the key – follow the process.
With Laura’s help, we mapped out every stage, every detail, every move on the road ahead to launch Write Your Novel – and then we walked the walk.
That took discipline, but also belief.
But we got there in the end, and now, with an online writing program built and the promotion of it fully underway, we’re seeing the results we wanted.
So, whilst it’s wise to create a process, it really pays to follow it!
Marketing is the big challenge
Aside from recording all the video modules and creating the workbooks, the biggest challenge for us has been the marketing of the course.
Because it’s an online writing program, you need a personal touch. People will only engage with it if they are convinced it’s going to work for their unique situation.
To help do that, Carmen helped Dave to set up a free online writing event to demonstrate his skills, and then recorded personalised video messages for the more than 70 people who attended.
Carmen also took the lead in developing a social media strategy with Instagram stories, reels, and posts, and an email marketing campaign.
This was often uncomfortable territory for Dave, but he pushed through his blocks and did the work, and the results are promising.
And we’ve found we really love doing this!
What it feels like to help a community
The best thing about online courses is that they help people, and give your knowledge.
The response to Dave’s free writing event was overwhelmingly positive, and we’re looking forward to welcoming a group of paying students to Write Your Novel who will no doubt get a lot out of it as well.
Perhaps the toughest block anyone can have about marketing something they have created to someone else is the “selling.”
But if you frame it as helping, then it feels right. Write Your Novel was created as a resource to help people. Yes, you have to pay for it! But it’s worth it, because it helps.
And that’s the thing we’re the most proud of.
