Posts
Most newbies make the mistake of spending hours glued to the Internet and on job auction sites looking for the next big writing assignment. Yes, these sites do have a plethora of work you can do, but they are competitive and make it difficult to get the jobs in the first place.
I should know. At any one time, I had applied for over a dozen jobs before I got one that paid really well. Thanks to a kind gentleman who decided to take a chance on a new writer, I landed myself an ebook assignment...and because my client loved the work so much, he decided to give me more work.
While these sites are extremely competitive and can really get you down each time your bid is declined for whatever reason, the best source of work is actually offline. In fact, the best source of work is your home town. What are the chances that there will be hundreds of writers competing for work here?
Join your local chamber of commerce and get familiar with the various businesses that may be in need of a good writer. Scour your local paper and mail shoot every company that places a big advert in the paper. Chances are if they have a budget for advertising, then they are the type of company that will spend good money on hiring a writer to do anything from writing brochures and promotional material to writing their web content and maintaining it.
If you can, go and visit web design companies as they often require someone to write the content for their site. You may be able to strike a deal with them -give them a good rate and they may give you regular work for years to come. The same goes for ad agencies and marketing houses. There is plenty of work to be had if you know where to look.
Sunday 27 June 2010
Monday 21 June 2010
How to Get More Work
How do you get a steady influx of work coming in? Easy. Promote, promote and promote. The holy grail of any good business is the ability to promote and market themselves at all times.
One of the easiest and most effective ways of doing this is to set aside 20 minutes a day to do nothing other than send out queries. Even if you send out just one query a day, it's better than nothing. If you are proposing an article, send your proposal to at least a handful of possible magazines who would be interested in what you have to offer. That's a handful of queries a day.
You could target local businesses and agencies that have a lot of promotional material that they send out. Ad agencies in particular are quite receptive to new writers as they are always on the hunt for fresh ideas that a new writer can bring.
The reality is that if you do not take the time and effort to promote yourself, you will run into periods of 'drought' where you simply have no work for weeks on end. Believe you me, this is not a nice position to be in.
By having a consistent approach and sending out regular queries, you are placing your name in front of people at all times. You will get work, and hopefully a steady supply of it. I have often been surprised when I get work from places I have not even advertised to.
Just recently I was approached by someone in Canada to do their CV as well as someone from the US - and this was from a mailing that I sent out weeks earlier. Someone kindly forwarded on my mailing to others and this too got passed on. I got additional exposure plus two new clients.
Just minutes a day of promotion can bring in steady work, so book it in your diary daily!
One of the easiest and most effective ways of doing this is to set aside 20 minutes a day to do nothing other than send out queries. Even if you send out just one query a day, it's better than nothing. If you are proposing an article, send your proposal to at least a handful of possible magazines who would be interested in what you have to offer. That's a handful of queries a day.
You could target local businesses and agencies that have a lot of promotional material that they send out. Ad agencies in particular are quite receptive to new writers as they are always on the hunt for fresh ideas that a new writer can bring.
The reality is that if you do not take the time and effort to promote yourself, you will run into periods of 'drought' where you simply have no work for weeks on end. Believe you me, this is not a nice position to be in.
By having a consistent approach and sending out regular queries, you are placing your name in front of people at all times. You will get work, and hopefully a steady supply of it. I have often been surprised when I get work from places I have not even advertised to.
Just recently I was approached by someone in Canada to do their CV as well as someone from the US - and this was from a mailing that I sent out weeks earlier. Someone kindly forwarded on my mailing to others and this too got passed on. I got additional exposure plus two new clients.
Just minutes a day of promotion can bring in steady work, so book it in your diary daily!
Thursday 17 June 2010
Getting More Bang for Your Buck
Want to make more money? What if there was a way of enticing your clients to giving you more work for more money? An easy way to do this is by offering them additional things at a discounted rate because they are already a customer. And it works a treat. You will usually find that a good proportion of clients will give you more work, especially if they think they are getting a great deal.
For example, you are writing an ebook for a client. You have a look at their website and notice how badly it has been put together. So you offer to re-write their content at a reduced fee because they are already a client. Then, while completing the web copy, you also notice that their brochure needs some more work on it. You offer to do that too. If you get good at it, you can even stretch to helping them market their products by writing the sales copy.
If you don't ask, you don't get. It's as simple as that. I had a client who asked me to write an ebook and market his site for him. I noticed his web copy was not great, and now I am completing that too. Bottom line: If you don't ask, you don't get.
Yes, I know I have repeated myself, but it is so true it's amazing how many people will not ask because they are too shy or worried the client may think you are trying to leech more money out of them. A sensible client will thank you for pointing out errors and thank you for correcting them. A client that takes personal offense that his site is rubbish (well, you wouldn't say that now would you?) is probably not worth working for anyway.
Sometimes winning over a client can be as simple as re-writing an advert they have created and showing it to them for free. Then asking if they have any work on. The chances are that even if there is no work for you, they will keep you in mind when they do.
For example, you are writing an ebook for a client. You have a look at their website and notice how badly it has been put together. So you offer to re-write their content at a reduced fee because they are already a client. Then, while completing the web copy, you also notice that their brochure needs some more work on it. You offer to do that too. If you get good at it, you can even stretch to helping them market their products by writing the sales copy.
If you don't ask, you don't get. It's as simple as that. I had a client who asked me to write an ebook and market his site for him. I noticed his web copy was not great, and now I am completing that too. Bottom line: If you don't ask, you don't get.
Yes, I know I have repeated myself, but it is so true it's amazing how many people will not ask because they are too shy or worried the client may think you are trying to leech more money out of them. A sensible client will thank you for pointing out errors and thank you for correcting them. A client that takes personal offense that his site is rubbish (well, you wouldn't say that now would you?) is probably not worth working for anyway.
Sometimes winning over a client can be as simple as re-writing an advert they have created and showing it to them for free. Then asking if they have any work on. The chances are that even if there is no work for you, they will keep you in mind when they do.
Saturday 12 June 2010
The Well Fed Writer
Everyone, no matter how good they are at writing, needs a helping hand when it comes to growing their business. One of the most crucial elements of writing is not just the ability to write (although you DO need to be a good writer, and a decent one at the very least) but it is the ability to SELL your writing.
Enter 'The Well Fed Writer' - a writing resource that provides the best in all that writing has to offer. My personal recommendation is that you buy the book (which is available in either ebook format or a traditional book) along with the writers toolbox (which has a whole host of VERY useful writing tools, letters and cut and paste formats to make your business run even more smoothly) and the writers timeline (tools to help organize your workload).
At less than $40, it is a worthy investment because it is PACKED full of techniques to sky-rocket your business to astronomical proportions. I am well stuck in at the moment and there is a HUGE amount of useful information here. What I also like about The Well Fed Writer is that it has a mailing list so you can subscribe to their newsletter and get loads of inspiration right to your inbox.
Unlike some resources which gloss over the details, The Well Fed Writer covers everything in detail so you know exactly what to do. Peter Bowerman who is the brain child behind The Well Fed Writer has thought of everything, and even offers one on one consultation to help you should you need it. A truly worthy resource which is definitely worth checking out.
If you are serious about establishing yourself as a great writer that is able to profit handsomely from writing, then I really recommend that you get yourself a copy of the book. I bought the download (because I am impatient and I didn't want to wait to receive it) and have never regretted it for a moment. In fact, I would go as far as to say that EVERY writer out there should own a copy.
Enter 'The Well Fed Writer' - a writing resource that provides the best in all that writing has to offer. My personal recommendation is that you buy the book (which is available in either ebook format or a traditional book) along with the writers toolbox (which has a whole host of VERY useful writing tools, letters and cut and paste formats to make your business run even more smoothly) and the writers timeline (tools to help organize your workload).
At less than $40, it is a worthy investment because it is PACKED full of techniques to sky-rocket your business to astronomical proportions. I am well stuck in at the moment and there is a HUGE amount of useful information here. What I also like about The Well Fed Writer is that it has a mailing list so you can subscribe to their newsletter and get loads of inspiration right to your inbox.
Unlike some resources which gloss over the details, The Well Fed Writer covers everything in detail so you know exactly what to do. Peter Bowerman who is the brain child behind The Well Fed Writer has thought of everything, and even offers one on one consultation to help you should you need it. A truly worthy resource which is definitely worth checking out.
If you are serious about establishing yourself as a great writer that is able to profit handsomely from writing, then I really recommend that you get yourself a copy of the book. I bought the download (because I am impatient and I didn't want to wait to receive it) and have never regretted it for a moment. In fact, I would go as far as to say that EVERY writer out there should own a copy.
Friday 11 June 2010
Handling Rejection
In the writing world, we all face rejection for submissions, rejected job bids and rejected queries for submissions. For some, it can be hard to take. My first rejection for a job was purely on the basis that my profile was 'work in progress' and I was in the process of updating it. The client turned me down saying that I didn't have any references. I did - but they weren't up on my site. The client promptly declined my bid and that was that, even though I sent him feedback from other clients. Too late.
That rejection really got to me, but instead of sulking or getting mad at myself, I fixed the problem immediately and got cracking with the next lot of work. After all, in the writing world, rejection is extremely commonplace and as far as any good writer is concerned, part and parcel of the job.
The only way to deal with rejection is to get to work on your next proposal and next bid. That's it. If you cannot bear the thought of being rejected, forget it - you are not cut out to be a writer. My attitude is to take it on the chin and get on with it. I now have regular work coming in and whether my proposals are accepted or not, it is not going to deter me from re-applying to the same place.
In fact, keep sending proposals. The more you do, the more you get yourself noticed. If you keep getting rejected, work on your proposal techniques. A great book on this is 'No contacts? No problem! How to Pitch and sell a freelance feature' does exactly what it says on the tin and is an invaluable source of guidance on the matter.
And whatever you do, keep writing!
That rejection really got to me, but instead of sulking or getting mad at myself, I fixed the problem immediately and got cracking with the next lot of work. After all, in the writing world, rejection is extremely commonplace and as far as any good writer is concerned, part and parcel of the job.
The only way to deal with rejection is to get to work on your next proposal and next bid. That's it. If you cannot bear the thought of being rejected, forget it - you are not cut out to be a writer. My attitude is to take it on the chin and get on with it. I now have regular work coming in and whether my proposals are accepted or not, it is not going to deter me from re-applying to the same place.
In fact, keep sending proposals. The more you do, the more you get yourself noticed. If you keep getting rejected, work on your proposal techniques. A great book on this is 'No contacts? No problem! How to Pitch and sell a freelance feature' does exactly what it says on the tin and is an invaluable source of guidance on the matter.
And whatever you do, keep writing!
Tuesday 8 June 2010
Get Paid to Write About Topics You Like
I recently stumbled across an excellent resource and signed up straight away. A new service aimed at writers called Fortitude allows anyone to write on topics they like and get paid for it. It is an excellent idea, and for those of you who have yet to make money from writing, and easy place to start.
You simply write about any topic you like and put it up for review. The more votes you get, the greater the chance of the article making the first page. Any item making the first page will automatically get paid up to $100. Not a bad start for anyone. Fortitude is relatively new, so the chances of you making the front page are pretty high.
Not only do you get paid to write, but the experience is invaluable for any serious writer. You can test out ideas for articles and potential books or features. If you make front page, you know your idea has some weight. Use it to your advantage. It is also a good way for others to see what your writing style is like. This aside, you are getting your name out there to others and making yourself known - a great marketing tool.
There is a subscription charge of $1.99 a month, but you can easily recover this once you get paid for pieces that do well. As a writer, you should relish any opportunities you get to showcase your work. It also shows others how committed and serious you are about making it in the writing world.
You simply write about any topic you like and put it up for review. The more votes you get, the greater the chance of the article making the first page. Any item making the first page will automatically get paid up to $100. Not a bad start for anyone. Fortitude is relatively new, so the chances of you making the front page are pretty high.
Not only do you get paid to write, but the experience is invaluable for any serious writer. You can test out ideas for articles and potential books or features. If you make front page, you know your idea has some weight. Use it to your advantage. It is also a good way for others to see what your writing style is like. This aside, you are getting your name out there to others and making yourself known - a great marketing tool.
There is a subscription charge of $1.99 a month, but you can easily recover this once you get paid for pieces that do well. As a writer, you should relish any opportunities you get to showcase your work. It also shows others how committed and serious you are about making it in the writing world.
Sunday 6 June 2010
Become a Published Author
Becoming a published author doesn't have to be hard or something that only a select few can do. I have personally been published three times (twice for poetry and once for a short story) and am working on a proper book proposal at the moment.
Many people make the mistake of writing their book and then trying to sell it. Bad idea. Unless you have taken your time to glean your competition and taken your target audience into account, the chances are, you will most likely face rejection after rejection. I personally find rejection really upsetting, but it never stops me from moving on and getting on with it. As a writer, you will face a LOT of rejection. That's a fact.
A book proposal is so much less hassle and easier for you to complete than a book. It also spares you with the hundreds of hours being put into a book that may never be published. And the great thing about a proposal is that it will take a week of your time maximum, if even that.
How do you write a proposal and get an advance on royalties (which many people do?) Personally, you should get some professional advice on writing a winning book proposal. I personally recommend 'Book Proposal Secrets' I am in the process of using this myself to create my own proposal.
Once you have received the thumbs up from the publisher, you need to get cracking writing. The course 'Novel in a Month' is a best-selling course by Nick Daws (A leading writer) and helps you get your novel completed in a month. Ideal if you are not organized and find it hard to focus on what you are doing.
A book proposal will earn you royalties in advance, and you never know, that idea you had years ago to write an incredible adventure just might make it onto the bookshelves in the very near future.
Many people make the mistake of writing their book and then trying to sell it. Bad idea. Unless you have taken your time to glean your competition and taken your target audience into account, the chances are, you will most likely face rejection after rejection. I personally find rejection really upsetting, but it never stops me from moving on and getting on with it. As a writer, you will face a LOT of rejection. That's a fact.
A book proposal is so much less hassle and easier for you to complete than a book. It also spares you with the hundreds of hours being put into a book that may never be published. And the great thing about a proposal is that it will take a week of your time maximum, if even that.
How do you write a proposal and get an advance on royalties (which many people do?) Personally, you should get some professional advice on writing a winning book proposal. I personally recommend 'Book Proposal Secrets' I am in the process of using this myself to create my own proposal.
Once you have received the thumbs up from the publisher, you need to get cracking writing. The course 'Novel in a Month' is a best-selling course by Nick Daws (A leading writer) and helps you get your novel completed in a month. Ideal if you are not organized and find it hard to focus on what you are doing.
A book proposal will earn you royalties in advance, and you never know, that idea you had years ago to write an incredible adventure just might make it onto the bookshelves in the very near future.
Thursday 3 June 2010
Some Great Writing Resources
It's amazing what you find on the web. You think you have found all you need to know on a particular subject and then you find more. Only yesterday I was having a nosey at some writing resources when I spotted an advert for a free ebook on how to write power queries. I thought it was excellent and I know you will too.
Subscription to Filbert publishing entitles you to a free copy of their ebook on writing queries. What I love about their site is that you can also download free e courses on improving your writing. I found that surprising as many companies charge through their noses to give you training material, but this one doesn't.
Another good resource is 'Essential English for Authors'. Now I know I have mentioned this before but I cannot stress to you how important it is to brush up on your English if you are serious about writing for a living.
If you are new to writing for the web and seriously want to get stuck in, you cannot do better than the 'Wealthy Writer' which is jam packed full of resources and ideas to get your career off to a flying start. Indeed it is where I started and I think that it is an excellent resource which is highly recommended.
Subscription to Filbert publishing entitles you to a free copy of their ebook on writing queries. What I love about their site is that you can also download free e courses on improving your writing. I found that surprising as many companies charge through their noses to give you training material, but this one doesn't.
Another good resource is 'Essential English for Authors'. Now I know I have mentioned this before but I cannot stress to you how important it is to brush up on your English if you are serious about writing for a living.
If you are new to writing for the web and seriously want to get stuck in, you cannot do better than the 'Wealthy Writer' which is jam packed full of resources and ideas to get your career off to a flying start. Indeed it is where I started and I think that it is an excellent resource which is highly recommended.
Tuesday 1 June 2010
Juggling Family and Work
Juggling family and work is actually easy once you know how. It is essential that you are organized and that your family understand that your working time is your working time. I cannot stress how important this is. When I started freelancing, I knew that in order for me to do well and succeed, I had to set clear boundaries.
It was imperative that I was organized and had clear bedtime routines for my 6 year old and my 1 year old. For me, I work best when my children are asleep - so I don't have any distractions when working. Luckily both of my kids are in bed by 8pm and do not get up until 8am in the morning. My baby also takes two naps during the day for a total of 2hrs and 30 mins.
I am up around 6:45am every morning and have about an hour of work I can easily get done before the kids are up. This time is usually spent on admin, marketing and updating my blog. I use my baby's nap times to get the housework, cooking and other chores done and any spare time is spent working. But the majority of my time is spent working in the evening. I start work around 8:30pm and work up until midnight and beyond depending on what I have on.
On average, I get around 5 hours of work time a day, which is ample for me. I refuse to work full time because my little one is far too young and would definitely need some form of childcare. I take little one with me shopping and for long walks in his buggy so I get a workout too. Too much time spent at a desk is bad for you.
If you intend on working full time, make no mistake about it - you seriously need childcare of some sort. Perhaps you may decide that a babysitter would be a good idea. Many women have a baby sitter come to their home and look after their children in a different room while they work from their office. This can work really well for you as long as your children understand that mummy is working and should not be disturbed.
You may decide to put your child in a nursery, but bear in mind that this is expensive as well as inconvenient because you have to get your child ready and drop them off, wasting valuable writing time. If your partner is working part time, get them to look after your children.
If you think you can dangle a baby on one knee and work at the same time, you seriously need to think again. I strongly recommend you have an early bedtime for your little ones so that you can work in the evening. I know of some women who do a 'childshare'. This is when you look after a friend's child for a few days a week, and your friend returns the favour by looking after your child for a few days too.
This particular scheme can work really well because you do not have to worry about paying high childcare fees, and you get a few full days to work. In the UK, if you and your partner are working for more than 16 hours a week, you may qualify for childcare support. Ring your local tax credit helpline to find out more.
Finally, working for yourself requires some serious commitment and your family have to support you in your decision to do so. I have a rule that unless I have guests that have come from another city, I do not make allowances for anyone. If people turn up at my place in the evening when I am working, I let my husband deal with them. If I stopped for every person that popped over, I would never get anything done.
You have to make it clear that your work time is YOUR work time and just because you are at home, it doesn't mean that everyone can disturb you. Set your ground rules and stick to them no matter what. You will find that once everyone gets used to it, they will respect your time and will not bother you while working.
It was imperative that I was organized and had clear bedtime routines for my 6 year old and my 1 year old. For me, I work best when my children are asleep - so I don't have any distractions when working. Luckily both of my kids are in bed by 8pm and do not get up until 8am in the morning. My baby also takes two naps during the day for a total of 2hrs and 30 mins.
I am up around 6:45am every morning and have about an hour of work I can easily get done before the kids are up. This time is usually spent on admin, marketing and updating my blog. I use my baby's nap times to get the housework, cooking and other chores done and any spare time is spent working. But the majority of my time is spent working in the evening. I start work around 8:30pm and work up until midnight and beyond depending on what I have on.
On average, I get around 5 hours of work time a day, which is ample for me. I refuse to work full time because my little one is far too young and would definitely need some form of childcare. I take little one with me shopping and for long walks in his buggy so I get a workout too. Too much time spent at a desk is bad for you.
If you intend on working full time, make no mistake about it - you seriously need childcare of some sort. Perhaps you may decide that a babysitter would be a good idea. Many women have a baby sitter come to their home and look after their children in a different room while they work from their office. This can work really well for you as long as your children understand that mummy is working and should not be disturbed.
You may decide to put your child in a nursery, but bear in mind that this is expensive as well as inconvenient because you have to get your child ready and drop them off, wasting valuable writing time. If your partner is working part time, get them to look after your children.
If you think you can dangle a baby on one knee and work at the same time, you seriously need to think again. I strongly recommend you have an early bedtime for your little ones so that you can work in the evening. I know of some women who do a 'childshare'. This is when you look after a friend's child for a few days a week, and your friend returns the favour by looking after your child for a few days too.
This particular scheme can work really well because you do not have to worry about paying high childcare fees, and you get a few full days to work. In the UK, if you and your partner are working for more than 16 hours a week, you may qualify for childcare support. Ring your local tax credit helpline to find out more.
Finally, working for yourself requires some serious commitment and your family have to support you in your decision to do so. I have a rule that unless I have guests that have come from another city, I do not make allowances for anyone. If people turn up at my place in the evening when I am working, I let my husband deal with them. If I stopped for every person that popped over, I would never get anything done.
You have to make it clear that your work time is YOUR work time and just because you are at home, it doesn't mean that everyone can disturb you. Set your ground rules and stick to them no matter what. You will find that once everyone gets used to it, they will respect your time and will not bother you while working.
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