“How big is Talking Shrimp’s email list?” Oh my, aren’t you forward! That’s quite the personal question. When you ask, what you’re probably also wondering is: “What’s a good email list size?” I’m happy to answer both questions, the best I can. So, not to brag, but around town, I’m kinda known for my list […]
KEEP READINGShrimpmukkah! A 2020 roundup of must-have opt-in freebies from Shrimp Club superstars
Interested in the most recent Shrimpmukkah Freebies? Check out the list from 2023 here. Happy seasons! There are plenty of gift-buying guides out there. I thought I’d add one that’s a gift-getting guide. Free gifts, for you. All they cost is your email address. Whether you’re shopping for help with: Segues (that bridge in your […]
KEEP READINGI’m a born procrastinator who hates homework. Here’s how I designed a “no homework” career
My fall semester, Frosh year—that’s what we called first year instead of the male-centric “Freshman”—I stayed in my room most of the time. I passed up invitations to go to the student center, to go play pool, to go hang out “with the guys.” My friend Risa, locking her room across the hall and dangling […]
KEEP READINGHow I Motivated My Lazy Ass To The $1M Mark – A Timeline
[This was originally an email to my list (Subject: About that 1M…). Shrimpers get my best stuff. Are you one of them yet? C’mon, get on the list!] At dinner the other night, my friend Avo told my husband, Steven, “You better install Ring [security system] on your door and put cameras everywhere, because this […]
KEEP READINGYes, I ate all your ice cream.
This weekend, I discovered from an influencer’s Instagram page that it was National Ice Cream Day. (Belated Happy National Ice Cream Day, if I forgot to wish you one.) She was showing how to make coconut milk ice cream, which is NOT ice cream and can wait till National Milk-Alternative Frozen Dessert Day, but anyway. […]
KEEP READINGFor Some of Us, “A Time of Fear” is Always.
Written February 22, 2020 at the Gateless Writing Retreat “You seem to have a long list of interesting fears,” she says as I decline her offer of pouring coffee into the cup while I hold it. We’re at a weekend writing retreat, all staying in one house and squeezing on two sofas. This isn’t her […]
KEEP READING“Salt your cucumber” and other handpicked Talking Shrimp emails
Here’s a curated archive of Laura Belgray’s Talking Shrimp emails. That’s me, referring to myself in the third person, just in case it’s good for SEO. That’s also me, hoping lots of people are searching for “archive of Laura Belgray’s Talking Shrimp emails.” Or maybe: “Best email newsletter examples from Talking Shrimp.” And that’s not […]
KEEP READINGHow To Get Out Of A Rut: 13 Ways To Stop Feeling Like A Useless Blob And Get Back To Your Creative, Motivated Self (If That Was Ever You)
It comes on suddenly. For months, I’m obnoxiously giddy about my life and what I get to do for a living. I’m on a roll. No, not just on a roll: I’m on fire! #Unstoppable. Until, one day, I wake up feeling…doomed. Life is relentless. I have to do this till I die? I hate […]
KEEP READING11 Ways To Get Paid To Write: Every type of writing gig I’ve ever been paid for (and one that paid ≈$zero).
“You have to be EL James or Colleen Hoover to make a decent living as a writer! Don’t even try! Get a real job!” Ever hear that? Ignore it. There are countless ways to get paid to write. To give you some ideas, I went all the way back to the early Nineties – the […]
KEEP READING“What If My Life is Boring?” – How To Find Great Stories For Emails And All Your Content, Even If Your Life Is Dull AF
I’m about to shove a stick of dynamite into a big ol’ excuse, and light it. RUN! (Cut to me walking away calmly, with a small mushroom cloud exploding behind me.) The excuse, I mean, very good question is: “Oh sure, Laura Belgray, easy for you to always tell fun stories in your emails, posts, […]
KEEP READINGBehind the scenes of my big, fat website redo
(11 crucial steps for your branding or rebranding project, including one I missed) A website and branding redo is no small, or inexpensive undertaking. So let’s start with this: Why I redid my site – even though I didn’t “need” to
KEEP READINGHow To Charge What You’re Worth
I see a lot of blogs and Facebook conversations about “earning the income you deserve” and “charging what you’re worth.”
Blog post vs. email — the death match
What should go in my emails and what should go on the blog? Can they overlap? Should they be the same, or different? I struggled with this one for a long time. Here’s what I used to do:
KEEP READINGHow to sell art, photography, jewelry, luxury goods, entertainment, cupcakes, and anything else that doesn’t "solve a problem."
Have you noticed this? Entrepreneurs* love to get on the digital soapbox and yell, “YOU HAVE TO SOLVE A PROBLEM! IF YOU DON’T SOLVE A PROBLEM, YOU DON’T HAVE A BUSINESS.”
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