The story of the shivers I felt when I sold my own writing for less than the price of a Starbucks coffee

Have you ever put a price on your own writing and sold it?

I hadn't. I didn't even have the concept of selling it in the first place.
Because writing is everywhere and easily accessible.

Yesterday, I put a price on an article. It was a simple exercise for writing more engaging content.

The price was only 200 yen.
It's cheaper than a Starbucks coffee.
Yet, the moment I set the price, I felt a shiver.

Though it might not look like it,I am a former Japanese teacher and a web writer.
I have written over500 articles in a year and a half—the kind called 'SEO articles' that summarize information from existing content.

For someone like me to feel shivers over pricing my own writing lower than a Starbucks coffee, how cheap of a woman I must be!

Today, I want to explore the true nature of these shivers.

Let's try putting a price on your own writing

Here is the talk event I attended yesterday where I felt that way.

“The Courage to Turn Your Expression into Money”
Let's put a price on our own expressions and have the courage to deliver them to those who need them—that was the theme. There were many points that really struck a chord with me.

Putting a price on an article you've written is a way of treating your own existence with care.

I found Mr. Sueyoshi's words very convincing.I spend time writing 'writing meant to be seen.'What is wrong with putting a price on it?

This also left an impression on me.

Revenue on note is money that people voluntarily pay because they 'want to read' it

The money earned on note doesn't hurt anyone. For someone like me who thought,“receiving money is compensation for taking on someone else's burden,”this was shocking.

“In that case, let's try selling an article!” I tweeted that on a whim. After I got home, I made it paid content.

What I felt after selling an article

At first, I intended to sell it for 100 yen.
Because it seems common to sell for 100 yen at first.
But when I pressed the 100-yen button, I didn't feel anything.

Then what about 200 yen!?

I will probably never forget the sensation I felt at that moment. I shouldn't forget it.
A shivering sensation that attacked my whole body, as if my rectum was shrinking a little.

I am a former Japanese teacher and a web writer. I have seen and written more text than the average person. So, I should have been able to set a price with confidence, yet I felt those shivers.

The cause of the shivers is my own block.I feel a major block against treating myself better than others.

This is what it means to sell your writing

This time, I put a price on my work to experience what it's like to "sell writing." As a result, I gained a great deal.

To write articles that sell, you need certain mechanisms and techniques. You also have to be conscious of writing text that is easier for the reader to understand.

As a result, I feel there are no downsides to putting a price on articles. If I had to name one, perhaps it's the pain that comes with breaking out of your own shell.

Selling articles is not mentally easy, but I felt the potential to be excited about my future self.

I'll write it many times, but charging for content is not a bad thing. It was a lecture that made me realize it's full of benefits for both me and the people who read my writing.

I have nothing but gratitude for Mr. Sueyoshi, who gave me the opportunity, and the event organizer, Mr. O2.
Thank you for the valuable talk ^^