Welcome to THE WELL-FED E-PUB!
Serving up food for
thought and tasty tips for the prospering FLCW*. Come on in, sit anywhere and
bring your appetite!
*FLCW, peppered
throughout the ezine, stands for ÒFreelance Commercial WriterÓ – anyone
who freelances for businesses (vs. writing magazine articles, short stories,
poetry, etc.), typically earns $50-125+ an hour, and is the sole focus of this
e-newsletter.
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VOLUME
11, ISSUE 1 – FEBRUARY 2012
Publishing
the first Tuesday of every month since May 2002
Read
it Online at: http://www.wellfedwriter.com/ezine/feb2012.html
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PARTNER
WITH DESIGNERS FOR A LOW-EFFORT FLOW OF WRITING JOBS!
Details
here: http://www.wellfedwriter.com/partnerwithdesignersebook.shtml.
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NEW 1-ON-1 COACHING PROGRAMS: SAMPLE/SITE REVIEW
& ÒSIDECARÓ!
Low-cost peace of mind and guidance: http://wellfedwriter.com/mentoring.shtml.
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MISSED
THE COLD-CALLING TELESEMINAR WITH WENDY WEISS on 10/12?
Mp3
+ 38-page transcript - $25! http://wellfedwriter.com/coldcallingteleseminar.shtml
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Check out The WELL-FED
WRITER BLOG! Weigh in on ÒTake a Customer Service Lesson from this Amazing
CompanyÓ; ÒTried these ÔUnder-the-RadarÕ Marketing Tactics for Your Writing
Business?Ó; and more! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog.
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ÒTHE
WELL-FED WRITERÓ HAS WON FOUR AWARDS!
To
Order (FR.EE Bonus/U.S. Shipping): http://www.wellfedwriter.com/ordertwfw.shtml.
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I NEED YOUR SHORT
(100-200 words) SUCCESS STORIES for the E-PUB!
Landed a great client?
Had a successful marketing campaign? Done something else that boosted your FLCW
income? Send them to peter@wellfedwriter.com.
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THIS
MONTHÕS MENU:
I. WELCOME APPETIZER: ÒWHATÕS
CURRENT STATE OF FREELANCING?Ó
Lunch with Successful
FLCW Underscores Fundamental Flaw in That Question!
II. ÒFIELDÓ GREENS: SOCIAL MEDIA
(SM) REALITY CHECK (THE SEQUEL)
AZ FLCW Shares Sounds Advice on SM
Campaigns, Plus SM Success Story!
III. MAIN ÒMEATÓ COURSE: ELANCE AS BUSINESS INSURANCE? (Part 1 of 2)
FLCW Makes Serious $ on Often-UN-Serious Online Site, Suggests It As Biz
Insurance
IV. DESSERT: Sweet
Success Stories and Tips
OH FLCW Organizes Talk for Yours Truly, Uses It as Catalyst to
Land Two New Clients!
TIP: Hand-Drawn Graphics Tools Can Boost ProjectsÕ Readability
& Response
V. COFFEE, MINTS AND
TOOTHPICKS
- MORE WORK WITH LESS EFFORT? New Ebook Serves Up the
ÒHow-ToÓ!
- THE WELL-FED E-PUB
NEEDS ALL COURSES!
- The WELL-FED WRITER
BLOG is RockinÕ! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog
- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get
Bonus CD!
- NEW Well-Fed Mentoring Programs Introduced!
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I. WELCOME APPETIZER:
ÒWHATÕS CURRENT STATE OF FREELANCING?Ó
Lunch with Successful
FLCW Underscores Fundamental Flaw in That Question!
Had lunch recently with a successful FLCW, whoÕd heard me on a recent teleseminar,
and realized we lived in the same town. There was no doom-and gloom in our
conversation, no laments about how tough the times were, no fervently expressed
hopes that Òthings would turn around soon.Ó Just the opposite, in factÉ
This gentleman (whoÕll be sharing his story in the E-PUB soon), is just
three years into his freelance commercial writing career, after many years as
an employee working with financial industry publications. In 2009, his first
year solo (after being let go from his job), he made nearly 90K. In 2010, that
jumped to 120K. Last year, it fell back a bit, to just under 2010Õs mark. And
this year, heÕs on track to top 130K.
Yes, heÕs a good writer, and yes, he has a specific niche (financial
writing), but if one believes all the naysayers out there, arenÕt ALL
industries down? And if so, shouldnÕt he be struggling as well? IsnÕt the
Òcurrent state of freelancingÓ in dire straits? No, no, and no. Now, my point
is not to say, ÒThis guyÕs doing well (and IÕve heard from many singing the
same tune), so everyone should be doing well.Ó ThatÕs silly, convoluted logic.
Rather, what IÕm getting at is this: stop buying into the conventional
wisdom that a tough economy, by definition, translates to lousy prospects for
any FLCW trying to make a living. If you believe that, then, lo and behold, it
will come to pass, youÕll report it as your experience, and the ÒrealityÓ is
perpetuated.
Consider this (a point I made in a blog post a few years ago): There IS
no Òcurrent state of freelancing.Ó ThereÕs YOUR state of freelancing, MY state
of freelancing and everyone elseÕs. And those respective states have infinitely
more to do with how each of us work our businesses, and the skills we bring to
the table, than they EVER will have to do with the Òstate of the economy.Ó Is
it easy? No. But, building ANY business that pays $60, $70, $80, $100, $150 an
hour will never be, and no one ever told you it would.
Remember (as IÕm fond of saying): you need an incredibly infinitesimal
sliver of the overall copywriting pie out there to make a really good living. As
such, the Òstate of the economyÓ really has no impact on that outcome. And
ergo, your BELIEF in the power of ÒThe EconomyÓ to determine your financial
future will have far more of an impact on your finances than the economy
itself. And how much sense does that make? LetÕs eat!
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II. ÒFIELDÓ GREENS: SOCIAL MEDIA
(SM) REALITY CHECK (THE SEQUEL)
AZ FLCW Shares Sounds Advice on SM
Campaigns, Plus SM Success Story!
In DecemberÕs E-PUB, I ran an Appetizer entitled, ÒIs
Social Media a Waste of Time?Ó (http://wellfedwriter.com/ezine/dec2011.html). NOT
saying it is, but I was invoking the title of an article by my friend Matthew
Moran, writer, author, speaker, and consultant (http://www.kreativeknowledge.com),
whom I referenced in the piece. I also included a link to one of
MattÕs SM success stories. I asked him to elaborate a bit on his
philosophy around social media. Good ideas to keep in mind when talking to
clients who want to implement a social media campaign, but know little about
it. Enjoy!
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Almost any business can recognize some benefits to
engagement marketing and online presence. For some, Facebook may not be the
first option. ThatÕs part of the reason I refer to it as Òengagement
marketingÓ rather than Òsocial media marketingÓ. The goal of the activity is
engagement. Engagement with a specific goal of being the top-of-mind expert or
knowledge transmitter for your audience. But, keep in mind few key caveats:
1) Social Media is NOT free. You will spend time and money
putting great campaigns together. You will give something of value away. You
will, very likely, hire an expert.
2) If youÕre not serious, donÕt play the game.
Half-in/half-out is very obvious to those who connect with you. You cannot
simply post information about your store, company, product, or service. You
canÕt simply have people ÒlikeÓ you and then disappear.
3) It is part of an overall and broader effort. Mailing
list, text-messaging campaigns, blogging, focused landing pages, and places
like Facebook, must be executed in conjunction with each other. They do not
operate in a vacuum.
With all that said, social media, and specifically,
Facebook, is where people are spending time online. You need to seriously
consider that medium as an important option in your marketing plan.
Clarification: This doesnÕt mean online commercials
(i.e., ÒHereÕs my product/serviceÓ). It means adding tactful and tasteful
educational (and ideally, entertaining as well) content—both yours and
others—thatÕs truly valuable for your network of contacts.
To best understand it, check out this blog entry on Social
Media Suicide...
http://www.kreativeknowledge.com/2012/01/09/dont-it-social-media-suicide-online/
RustyÕs Pizza Case-study
http://www.kreativeknowledge.com/2011/09/26/rustys-pizza-case-study-social-media-success/
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III. MAIN ÒMEATÓ COURSE: ELANCE AS BUSINESS INSURANCE? (Part 1 of 2)
FLCW Makes Serious $ on Often-UN-Serious Online Site; Suggests It As Biz
Insurance
FLCW Trish Lambert sent me this great two-parter about Elance.com. Trish
first hit my radar some years back by making $75-$100+ an hour on Elance, a
site notorious for criminally low writing wages. As a rule, I consider the
online job sites a waste of time, but TrishÕs accomplishment impressed me enough
to include her in the updated edition of TWFW as a notable exception to the
rule.
Her message here is sound: get set up on Elance for those times when
things get slow or established clients drop you. In this monthÕs issue, sheÕll
lay the groundwork, and next month, will serve up some juicy how-to detail.
Enjoy!
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Elance has been an excellent revenue source for seven years. Recently, I
was reminded in a big way, how it can serve as insurance if other sources unexpectedly
dry up.
Early this year I was engaged by a global corporation to write a steady
stream of strategic marketing collateral. The engagement paid well—so
well I didnÕt really need much more income to meet my goals. I chugged merrily
along for months, so busy I didnÕt have the time or energy to do much new
business development. My financial situation—a bit dented from the
recession—steadily improved.
Then the boom dropped. My client informed me that my contract would end
in 30 days. This was a disaster. I panicked for about half an hour, my uppermost
thought being that itÕd take more than 30 days to replace this revenue. My
finances hadnÕt fully recovered from recession-related leakage, and my reserves
were low. What to do?
Within an hour of receiving the email, I was on Elance. It was like the
old days, following the daily Òfind-and-bidÓ process that produced a steady
income stream. Within four days, I had booked $3,000 in projects and, more importantly,
without discounting my rates in any way. I have continued to win work on a
weekly basis ever since.
The most obvious lesson here is NEVER STOP MARKETING. Regardless of how
full your plate is, keep your marketing consistent so tomorrowÕs schedule stays
full. ÒDuh,Ó right? But, for most FLCWÕs, putting it into practice is tough. We
use a lot of creative energy in the work we do; if youÕre like me, at dayÕs
end, I need to recharge. If my Òcreative tankÓ is on low, my marketing results
will be low. But neglect my marketing while the schedule is full, and you end
up in ÒfamineÓ once things quiet down.
This is where Elance makes a difference. No matter how busy you are,
spending 30-40 minutes a day posting bids will keep the door open for new
opportunities. With a good bidding process in place, you can do this without
having to divert your creative energies away from client projects.
Stay tuned for Part 2 next month, where IÕll discuss some nuts-and-bolts
details for establishing a potential profitable presence on Elance!
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Trish Lambert is a commercial freelance writer, marketing consultant,
and business coach to solo business owners. She started her current business in
October 2004 and, thanks largely to Elance, hit the six figures in under two
years. Trish teaches Freelance Express, a one-on-one coaching course that quickly
gets you up, running, and winning bids on Elance and other sites (and for
competitive FLCW rates). More details at
http://tinyurl.com/freelance-express
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IV. DESSERT: Sweet
Success Stories and Tips
OH FLCW Organizes Talk for Yours Truly, Uses It as Catalyst to
Land Two New Clients!
TIP: Hand-Drawn Graphics Tools Can Boost ProjectsÕ Readability
& Response
Did a talk near Dayton, OH over the holidays and got this
from experienced Jamestown, OH FLCW Gery Deer (http://www.theconciergecopywriter.com),
the incredibly resourceful and talented co-organizer of the event (thanks
again, Gery!). Apparently, the talk was a good catalyst for him, and here he
shares what came of it. Enjoy!
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Though IÕve been in the FLCW trade for some years now, IÕm not
too old to learn new tricks! IÕve read TWFW; I use it as a reference for my
business practices. But after your presentation, and following some of the
conversations you and I had prior to your talk, I reviewed some of my everyday
practices and policies, adjusting some of them per your suggestions –
mainly pricing and project pitch methods.
This week I had a presentation with one company, while the
head of another sat in. Not only was I paid for my time as a Ôconsultant,Õ when
I walked out, I had not one, but two new—and very different—clients
in my portfolio. The representative of the second company was so impressed he
requested a proposal to have me to develop, research and write a monthly blog
and provide marketing support (PR distribution, etc.)—all at a premium
rate! Thanks for the inspiration; itÕs going to be a great year!
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Came across a cool/fun product line I thought IÕd pass on.
While most of us just write copy and leave the designing to others, I know many
commercial freelancers (especially those doing direct response, ads, direct
mail postcards, and others) will have a hand in the designing. Which is where
CopyDoodles (http://www.copydoodles.com)
comes in.
According to the company, ÒCopyDoodles are original
hand-drawn, handwritten graphics, comics, and fonts used specifically for
business, marketers, copywriters, etc. When placed on marketing materials, they
have been proven to increase response, readability, and profitability because
they create a more personal and Ôme-to-youÕ effect when marketing to prospects,
customers, and clients.Ó Check it out!
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CALL FOR TIPS: Run across any web sites, tools, software or
anything else thatÕs helped you, as a FLCW, be more productive, profitable, or
a better writer (Please limit it only to the FLCW arena). Would love to hear
about them. Send the name, a brief description of why itÕs been useful for you,
and anything else you care to share! (two paragraphs is all I need; I want to
make it as easy!) Send to peter@wellfedwriter.com.
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V. COFFEE, MINTS AND
TOOTHPICKS
- MORE WORK WITH LESS EFFORT? New Ebook Serves Up the
ÒHow-ToÓ!
- THE WELL-FED E-PUB
NEEDS ALL COURSES!
- The WELL-FED WRITER
BLOG is RockinÕ! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog
- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get
Bonus CD!
- NEW Well-Fed Mentoring Programs Introduced!
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MORE WORK WITH LESS EFFORT? New Ebook Serves Up the
ÒHow-ToÓ!
ThatÕs not hype. ItÕs how my business has worked for the
better part of 18 years, thanks to some juicy partnerships with graphic
designers. The result? 1-2 jobs virtually every month with little or no effort
on my part. And I put all the how-to details down on paper. Check it out at http://www.wellfedwriter.com/partnerwithdesignersebook.shtml.
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IÕM
SERIOUSLY LOW ON ALL WELL-FED E-PUB COURSES!
Got a great strategy,
approach or specific expertise youÕre willing to share? Turn it into a Feature
(MAIN COURSE) for the EPUB (500-600 words; query first). ALSO, send your ÒGREENSÓ
(200-300 words), TIPS (150-200) and SUCCESS STORIES (100-300) to peter@wellfedwriter.com. Archived issues at http://www.wellfedwriter.com/ezine.shtml.
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The
WELL-FED WRITER BLOG is RockinÕ! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog
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AWAI COPYWRITING (& OTHER) COURSES: Register Here, Get
Your Choice of Bonus CD Program! Six-Figure Copywriting, Graphic Design,
Internet Writing, Fundraising, Health Market and more! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/awai.shtml.
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NEW WELL-FED MENTORING PROGRAMS ANNOUNCED!
The One-Hour Sample/Web-Site Review + ÒSidecarÓ Long-Term Coaching
Program
For details and testimonials, visit http://www.wellfedwriter.com/mentoring.shtml.
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