Today I want to give a quick update on the “Escaping from the Rat Race” report. As you probably remember, this is a guide I’m writing that gives a blueprint on how to leave the 9 the 5 world and work for yourself. Unfortunately, I’ve decided to switch topics and talk about something different. Here’s why…
What Happened Last Week
Last week I was busy as a beaver putting together the outline of this report. I started by leveraging 30,000 words of content from old posts. Then I wrote an outline of what else would be written – Which would have been at least 20,000 extra words.
At this point, I realized I had a major problem. You see, 50,000+ words is practically the size of a full-length information product. It’s been my experience that most people won’t take the time to read something this long. They might skim it. But I don’t want something people will skim. Instead I want to create a guide people will put to use.
Furthermore, I don’t think I’m the right person to create a report on escaping from the rat race. I’ve had very little experience working for a corporation. I honestly forget what it’s like to handle bosses or how to deal with the 9 to 5 drudgery. I could write a great report about avoiding the rat race, but I don’t think this is something most people would want.
Here’s My Decision…
After a lot of thinking, I’ve decided to scrap the idea of the “Escape from the Rat Race.” Instead, I’m going to cover the most important aspect of this concept – How to make enough money to leave the 9 to 5 job. The biggest obstacle to escaping the rat race is being able to afford a new life. While I don’t know much about the corporate world, I can give an honest perspective on what it’s like to earn money from the Internet.
Here’s what I plan on covering:
- The advantages/disadvantages of an online business
- Why writing is the most important skill for Internet marketing
- How to improve your writing while making money at the same time
- The right way to manage an online business
- How to create short-term income that puts money in your pocket … starting this week!
- A blueprint for creating affiliate marketing income within 3 months
- How information products are the key to long-term success with an online business
- Plus…anything else that talks about online income
Overall, I want to make this guide a step-by-step plan for making an Internet income. It won’t be a bunch of theory. Instead it’ll be the same steps that both my brother and I have used to make money. No theory here – Just plain old quality content.
A Great Product for Escaping the Rat Race
I do want to apologize to those people who were anticipating the rat race report. It was hard to make this decision. But I also think it’s a good one because I think I can do a better job with the report I’m currently putting together.
Now, I don’t want to leave you hanging. On Thursday, I picked up a copy of the book, “Escape from Cubicle Nation,” by Pamela Slim. While I’m only halfway through it, I’ve found it gives an accurate portrayal of it’s really like to leave the 9 to 5 world. I just looked on Amazon and the book costs around $7, so you’ll definitely want to check it out.
Finally, I’m still on target to have this report released no later than December 1st. I hope you’ll like it!
Take Action. Get Results.
Hey Steve, I was really sad to read about your decision to stop writing the rat race report – until I got to your bullet points about what your new report will include. I’m actually wicked excited to read it! I have been doing this for 1.5 years now and have done my research to death on how to make money online. I actually don’t consider myself a novice anymore, maybe more towards the beginning of an intermediate knowledge level. But admittedly, while I am now beginning to see some success I am so far away from a full time paycheck it isn’t even funny. It is very frustrating. I am always looking for that one thing I am missing, the one thing that will make a difference. But I know that doesn’t exist and that time is really the limiting factor. But I look forward to you proving me wrong – I can’t wait to read it!
Well, time IS certainly a limiting factor. There No way around that. I am a firm believer that there is no instant path to riches. In a way I see it like investing. The things that do give you a “quicker” return, have lower “updside” and the things with a larger “upside” also take longer to come to fruition and, of course, have a great chance of never working out.
BTW,
On the sliding scale I put blogging all the way to the right side for “long term” “upside” and “chance of failure”
Some of the stuff in the report will be geared at people starting out. I am imagining it for a person, who just comes online and wants to start building a way to make money NOW. without getting hooked into schlocky rip-off schemes.
BUT…tat being said, hopefully there might be some good tips for the more experienced too!
Hi Steve,
Thanks for the update.
I feel the discussion of how writing is the most important skill for an internet marketer to master will be very helpful. Beyond all the bells and whistles many believe you need to employ to command attention it all comes down to how you can effectively use words to generate interest in your opportunity.
All it takes is a pen and pad, or more appropriately a computer and Word Doc and imagination.
All the best with your report!
Ryan
Very true. IM is a visual medium for sure. Both through writing and video. Strip away everything else and you are right, it is just someone figuring out what people need and learning how to present it to them.
Hi Steve:
I read your change of plans. I like your bullet points and I have a feeling it covers the extreme demand of a newbie marketer in the real sense. December I, 10 is not to far away, it is just around the corner.
In the mean time happy writing.
fran A
Hopefully there will be interestng stuff in there. Some of the information will be the same I would use in an, “escape from the rat race’, Like I said I just sort of had an epiphany that there was too much I didn’t KNOW about the rat race itself since I really escaped it as soon as I started. I wasn’t dealing with trying to do it having a family and responsibilities; as many people are.
Sweet! I’ve never been in the 9 to 5 so it wouldn’t have really applied to me so much anyway.
I think your step-by-step approach will be great. There’s enough theory and vague BS out there already.
I think one thing that adds immense value and clout to information products is a tour/dissection/walkthrough/analysis of the author’s products/websites/whatever. Is this something you’re planning on doing?
Well,
I tend to try to not be too vague. I like concrete examples. In my mind I am writing this for someone just trying to “start out” so a lot of the material may seem familiar for people with more experience. But hopefully I will give some interesting advice that may be useful for everyone.
I do have a LOT of experience in affiliate marketing for instance. I think that is one path a person starting out can get “up to speed” on pretty quickly, and while it doesn’t have INSTANT results, within a few months, there is often something. Get enough, “somethings” and people begin to have a a significant “something”
Hi Steve,
This is a nice move my friend. I like the topics you mentioned in your bullets. On a side note, are you going to write on how to increase traffic, so we get more visitors? Thanks my friend
Look at tomorrow’s post on blog traffic. And I’ll definitely review traffic strategies in the free report as well 🙂
‘Way cool! Realizing what you really want to write about and delivering that quality to readers will net both you and your readers far more satisfaction in the long run.
Looking forward to hearing more!
Yeah, it is a balancing act. I have stuff to say on my version of “escaping the rat race” but when I started to realize my “escape” was more “avoid” I realized that I am unsure what I had to say was as universal as I thought it was initially.
Many of the topics I wanted to speak on are still relevant elsewhere, it is just a matter of addressing the topic that I say I am addressing.
Hi Steve,
Give me quality content and pragmatism over theory any day. We should always write from our strengths and the things we are familiar with. It is so much easier this way when you know what you are talking about. I think you have made a very prudent decision here by focusing on how to make enough money to leave the 9-5 job. That is after all the thing that most people are concerned with. By cutting through to the heart of the matter, I am sure you will have a superior product that people can learn from.
Thank you for the update! 🙂
Hopefully so. My thinking is all about someone brand new. I would rather give someone a few paths to making “some” money so that they get something in their pocket before having to make a blind faith leap.
Always better to have some real actionable steps.
Hi Steve,
I love practical, how-to guides. I want something that I can actually put into practice so I’m really looking forward to your new product.
I’m very excited by the topics that you plan to cover. I can’t wait to get my hands on this.
WooHoo!
I certainly hope that there are some great steps you and everyone else can use to get ahead, Jazz!
Hi Steve
I can understand your decision, and if doing the rat race report didn’t feel right, then you definitely shouldn’t do it.
I’m passionate about helping people quit the rat race myself, and I’ve talked to a lot of people about it. I think your quote about ‘the biggest obstacle to escaping the rat race is being able to afford a new life’ is interesting – I think it’s more of a perceived obstacle than a real one. People think it’s too hard or even impossible, so they don’t even try. If you actually figure out what you need to survive, and then take steps towards that, it’s a lot easier than we imagine.
Dino,
You kind of hit on my one point i had with “quit the rat race” Personally it was simple for me. I hated it. I didn’t want to do it, so I stopped and worked my ass off until I made it.
For anyone with the OPPORTUNITY to do this…I would firmly encourage it. BUT there are other considerations. I wasn’t married, I didn’t have kids and a wife to support and I feel that saying, “just do it” for people that have responsibilities to make a leap of faith is rough.
BUT….even for people still stuck in a 9-5 i think learning some ways to actually make money is an important step. They could still take a huge paycut (at first) but having something coming in might be a necessity for someone with a family
for a single guy…or someone with enough savings to “weather the storm” I agree 100%. It is not as “hard” as it looks and to a high degree the obstacles are perceived or come from within.
Hey Steve
Feels like I haven’t been her in ages!! Loving the fact that you have taken a step back from what you were planning on putting together to realise that you in fact had a much better way of doing it 🙂
Although I am already self sufficient and work from home full time, I really excited to see what you are putting together here!! I think what you are covering, from reading your dot points, is spot on. Affiliate marketing is a fabulous way to generate some cash if done right. Looking forward to reading it
cheers
Nat
Yeah, AM particularly is something that (though it does take time) can reap some rewards much quicker than some other methods. when you combine this with a LONG term strategy (eventually releasing info products in the AM nice and using contacts/lists you build up in the niche to help it along) It can be really worthwhile.
Huge fan of Pamela Slim, and looking forward to your report. I especially like the idea of making short-term income first, but also focusing on the long-term.
Yeah, she is a very engaging writer.
Long term should always be in the back of you mind, but something ‘tangible” can be a huge benefit to many.
Hi Steve
Looking forward to what you finally come up with. Know it will be quality content and an excellent read. BTW I would have been one of the people to read your longer offering. I even read all the comments above mine on a post as I think there is still plenty for me to learn.
Patricia Perth Australia
I am definitely a fan of longer form stuff. Though i don’t ALWAYS do them I agree that I love to read long posts that really dig into the meat of a topic, rather than simply short little pieces.
I think I could have done the volume, though it would have played hell with my self imposed time limit. But I also think I was missing a piece of the pie for the topic I was going to talk about. I never spent a “significant” amount of time in the rat race myself.
That might have been the more important point.
Hey Steve,
thanks for the update. And also thanks for the great posts you write here one stevescottsite.com, really looking forward to read the newest posts. Sometimes i can’t wait to get another one to read! Go on like this!
Sebastian,
Glad you liked it! I hope you stop in again and continue to like the material.
Maybe I’m a bit naive in this but are there other steps to escaping the 9 to 5 other than earning another income, whether it be through consulting, a product, affiliate marketing, etc? Either way, I look forward to this book in two weeks.
James,
Haha,
No, not naive at all. An income some-way somehow needs to be earned. I think the difference that I am pointing out is that for SOME the leap of faith can be done blindly. That is what I did, just doing it, “live without a net” having missteps and gaffes and eventually developing something that “works”
But for people with responsibilities I am thinking that it “could” be better to ease in rather than jump head first. I makes the going a lot slower and gives more chance to “chicken out” but less chance of catastrophe.
Hopefully though I will show a few good ways to interest both new people looking for a way to ease in (or a path for jumping) as well as maybe an interesting idea or two for all the people that know their stuff!
Nice! I’m actually right there behind you on this decision because I have to admit that I do like my job in a lot of ways – I do like a bit of the structure and I treat it like college classes where I can shoot the sh*t with my boss about business plans.
I realize, at my age, it may still be good to go after a few careers because they can help with networking in the offline world and help create a clear understanding of structure which I can use online – of course I still want to leave it completely but in the meantime I’d love to hear how to build all these things while working still – because a lot of people are in the same boat.
It actually sounds like you have a pretty good job. If I had one like that I may never have made the leap to working full time online.
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) my work really resembled the movie , “Office Space”. Such a bad introduction to the professional world soured me quickly.
Hey Steve,
Well to be honest I wasn’t disappointed, in fact you’ve keep us on suspense again for your product release. I would be interested to know how to put this report together. Am planning to release my own in future, though not so soon. Need to learn from you. I’ll be waiting Steve!
LOL,
I will be honest, I didn’t intend to “bait-and-switch” but if the end result is creating a little extra anticipation or “buzz” then it is certainly not all bad!
I look forward to hearing more about the product release YOU are working on too! 🙂