Aawwwww yeeeeaaaah! We have hit our second target of 50 new monthly members in just a matter of days. You are heroes among humans (and non-humans) and we love you dearly. Thank you for all the shouting about us you have been doing.
Here’s a handful of testimonials we’ve had over the last week that have legit made us cry:
Thanks to Writer’s HQ I discovered that I have a voice; a voice that keeps on getting louder thanks to the incredible support that I have found in this wonderful community. More than the publications and prizes, I value being heard. – Jujules
I did a free writing course with WHQ at the start of the pandemic and joined up straight after – since then I have had over twenty pieces published, been long and shortlisted in various competitions and won one at the beginning of this year – these ladies, and the encouragement of the forum members, are fantastic. – Clairey
Without a doubt, WritersHQ has given me self-worth and belief in my writing, as well as new found confidence, thanks to the courses and support from the forum and community. – Kayleigh
This blog is just a brief celebratory update as to how we’re doing so we won’t bore on with waffle and daub, but here’s a brief reminder of what we’re doing…
The pandemicky-Brexit-economic-websiteogical- clusterfuck in which we find ourselves has put quite a tight squeeze on ye olde WHQ purse strings.
But we’re not going to let a series of minor apocalypses stand in the way of our mission to save the world with stories. No we’re not.
We need 200 new monthly members in the Writers’ HQ family (Collective? Community? Badassery? Coven?) to secure us for the long term.
We’re not asking you to, like, do a sales job for us or anything, but we are asking you to do another three things, if you can (or two of them, or one):
1.
GET MORE EYES ON THE PRIZE
If you have a blog or website or lit mag or anything onliney at all, please find a way to link to us at www.writershq.co.uk
If you know anyone who works for a blog or website or lit mag or anything (or broadsheet or lifestyle mag!), please tell them they should feature us because we’re rad.
Please head to our blog and pick your fave bit of content and SHARE it. On Twitter, on Facebook, On Insta, on Tumblr, on LinkedIn (seriously LinkedIn traffic is weirdly good!), on Pinterest if we’ve remembered to make a Pinterest image for it, with your local book group, your local mental health support group, or idk whatever social networks you types are using these days.
And finally (for number 1), add Writers’ HQ to your bio! On social media, your writer bio, any bio you happen to have. Share the love!
2.
GET ANALOGUE, BABY
Damn straight we’re going ANALOGUE. Below this paragraph are two posters (sweary, non-sweary). If you have a printer and if you are mobile, please print these out and go stick ‘em on the community board at your local library, pub, supermarket, book group, community centre, the forehead of your local famous writer, the dog park, back of a toilet door, where ever.
Three important things to note: please don’t put the sweary version anywhere that young or delicate eyes might see them, and please check with the management first. And DO NOT pay to put them up. Please. Thanks.
3.
LEAVE US A REVIEW!
But!
(teehee butts)
We’re not asking for something for nothing coz that is very much not our style at all.
Here’s what we’re gonna do…
From now until the end of March, we’re aiming to get 200 new MONTHLY members, and we’re gonna give you stuff in return for your help in spreading the WHQ love, thusly:
⭐️ GOAL REACHED! ⭐️25 new monthly membersA video tour of Sarah’s bookshelf with some of her faves and what they mean to her
⭐️ GOAL REACHED! ⭐️
50 new monthly membersA video tour of Jo’s (amazing!) bookshelf with some of her faves and what they mean to her
100 new monthly members
Sarah and Jo will run an evening Write A Novel In 60 Minutes Special, complete with Q&A and an extraordinary amount of extra silliness
150 new monthly members
A real life pack of dopamine badges sent to the 10 most prolific sharers of our content on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr and/or Instagram
175 new monthly members
A zoomy party! Like Flash Face Off, but not. An open mic spoken word night with tea and/or margaritas in which Sarah and Jo will both read a story of their own instead of sitting on their words like jealous mother hens
🎉 200 new monthly members 🎉
We will add a Flash Face Off lit mag to the website, yes that’s right, a lit mag, publishing our fave FFO story of the month and showcasing your incredible work
DEBUT BONUS
300 monthly members
I know we’re not aiming for this BUT if we make it to 300 new monthly members by the end of March 2022, here’s what we’re gonna do: Sarah and Jo will run a REAL LIFE WRITING RETREAT in Brighton (or possibly Worthing depending on venues) with 15 FREE places for our top sharing memberoonies
TRICKY SECOND BONUS
400 monthly members
Ok we’re getting silly now but if we do this? We will print a real life Flash Face Off anthology IN PAPER AND INK and send free copies out to our members
🌟 TRILOGY BONUS🌟
500 MEMBERS
Ok we’re taking the piss now. Sarah and Jo will get up their respective unicorn onesies and dance, tiktok stylee, for all you glorious bastards
OKAY WE’RE DONE!
There’s a little frequently asked questions below the line. Otherwise go out and spread the word, my little writerly sausages!
Thank you thank you
Sarah, Jo and Team WHQ
*****
OH MY GAR YOU HAVE A QUAR(STION)
Why monthly and not annual members?
Because then we have reliable, recurring revenue without having monthly heart attacks! Our membership base stays fairly stable. Some people come, some people go, but the overall number stays roughly the same, except the last 18 months has seen a huge drop due to economic and technical problems. We need to get that number back up.
What will those 200 new members do for WHQ?
It will allow us to stop losing money on the cost of running WHQ every month, to make sure everyone who works so hard behind the scenes gets paid a proper, living wage, to continue fixing the website mess, and most importantly to continue supporting our amazing writing community. It will take us back to pre-pandemic, pre-website disaster levels and allow us to carry on carrying on f o r e v e rrrrr.
Why such a focus on traffic?
After the website disaster we lost 90% of our traffic, yes 90%! And with it went our stellar Google ranking. Sob. So. That’s the thing. Technically there is nothing more we can do to improve this until we get our new-new website in the summer, so until then we have to work extra double triple quadruple hard to get eyes on us!
Shouldn’t you be fixing this behind the scenes and do the swan swimming gracefully on top but paddling like heck underneath kinda thing?
Fuck that shit. Absolutely not. Vulnerability is not weakness. What’s community for if not to support each other?
Ok we’re really done. You can always share the I love Writers’ HQ image on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn and any other network you happen to be on. THANK YOU WE ALSO LOVE YOU MWA MWA.
