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
10, ISSUE 6 – JUNE 2011
Publishing
the first Tuesday of every month since May 2002
Read
it Online at: http://www.wellfedwriter.com/ezine/june2011.html
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COMING
THURSDAY, 6/9! ÒPROFITABLE – BY DESIGN!Ó (EBOOK)
Everything you need to
know about partnering with designers to dramatically boost your income. Sneak
preview: http://www.wellfedwriter.com/partnerwithdesignersebook.shtml.
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The WELL-FED WRITER BLOG
is RockinÕ!
Weigh in on ÒStories Like This Prove Big Companies DonÕt Always Have Their Act
Together,Ó ÒTurning Kind Deeds to Writing Income: Helping Funeral Homes
Minister to Families,Ó and more. Check it out and weigh in at http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog.
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ÒTHE
WELL-FED WRITERÓ (2010 EDITION) 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. APPETIZER: GOT A DESIGN PARTNER?
Teaming Offers Clients Same (or Better!)
Work for Far Less Than Pricey Agencies!
(New Ebook
on Maximizing Partnership Model Coming Thursday!)
II. ÒFIELDÓ
GREENS: IS ILLUSTRATION IN YOUR MARKETING ARSENAL?
My Fave Illustrator Shares How Good Illustration Can Improve
Any Commercial Project
III. MAIN ÒMEATÓ COURSE: SCRABBLING FOR BUSINESS??
NYC FLCW
Shares Fun Story: ÒHow I Finally Got on the Board with Social MarketingÓ
IV. DESSERT: Sweet
Success Stories and Tips
New FLCW Keeps Cool, Avoids Quoting Hourly, Shoots High,
Lands First Gig!
TIP: Marketing Pro Says Quit
Hunting for the ÒBestÓ Strategy; Just Pick a ÒGoodÓ One!
V. COFFEE, MINTS AND
TOOTHPICKS
- THE WELL-FED E-PUB
NEEDS ALL COURSES!
- The WELL-FED WRITER
BLOG is RockinÕ! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog
- MISSED MY
TELECLASS? Full 38-PAGE e-Transcript – Just $12!
- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get
2 Bonuses (no charge!)
- How Can
My Mentoring Service Serve You?
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I. APPETIZER: GOT A DESIGN PARTNER?
Teaming Offers Clients Same (or
Better!) Work for Far Less Than Pricey Agencies!
(NEW EBOOK ON MAXIMIZING PARTNERSHIP
MODEL COMING THURSDAY!)
IÕm working on yet another project
with one of my favorite graphic design partners. Our client has plenty of
money, and could certainly hire a tony agency if they wanted, but they like us
and LOVE the work we do for them. AND they know the superior results they get
from us come at a fraction of what an agency would charge.
EveryoneÕs looking to save money
these days, and sure, that can hurt FLCWÕs like us when our clients pull the
work theyÕve been farming out to us, in house, to save a few bucks. But, just
as often, companies thatÕve been using a pricier
agency are great prospects for a talented and far more cost-effective
writer/designer team. Two caveats:
1) They have to know about you! Bottom
line, thereÕs a lot of potential work out there, but itÕs hidden, because that
client is currently Òspoken forÓ by some agency, larger design firm or
marketing company. Yet, an approach selling them on the same or superior
results at far lower cost (something I and my design partners have been
routinely delivering to our clients for years) can absolutely get someoneÕs
attention. AndÉ
2) You both have to have the chops
to be able to deliver those better outcomes. Though, just for the record, from
beaucoup experience, a lot of stuff IÕve seen come out
of agencies is none too impressive, often because there are Òmore cooks in the
kitchen.Ó
So, build those alliances with
designers, and keep these ideas in mind as you prospect on your own, or with a
designer. And incidentally, summer – often a slower time for folks like
us – can be a great time to get those ducks in a row (i.e., building
partnerships, doing your prospecting, etc.), in advance of businesses cranking
back up in the fall.
Oh, and speaking of which (grin),
look for the release of my new ebook on this very
subject, ÒProfitable – By Design!Ó this coming Thursday, 6/9: For more
details, visit
http://www.wellfedwriter.com/partnerwithdesignersebook.shtml.
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II. ÒFIELDÓ
GREENS: IS ILLUSTRATION IN YOUR MARKETING ARSENAL?
My Fave Illustrator Shares How Good Illustration Can Improve
Any Commercial Project
In our world, weÕre used to thinking in terms of writing, design
and photography, but rarely illustration. Not sure why that is, given that
illustration can give a business piece a compelling, eyeball-grabbing edge. Who
knows? Maybe it goes back to our love of cartoons as kids. IÕve long wanted to
introduce Robbie Short, my favorite illustrator (http://www.robbieshort.com;
robbie@robbieshort.com)
to you guys. With an eye, of course, towards planting the seed on how he can
make your work even stronger.
Of course, RobbieÕs the guy behind the fun illustrations on
the home pages of both http://www.wellfedwriter.com
and http://www.titletailor.com.
They add some fun and whimsy, while still allowing the sites to convey
professionalism and substance. Check out his site and his words below; maybe theyÕll
get your wheels turning.
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Ever considered illustration with your writing? Whether one large picture to set a tone, or several pieces of spot
art throughout, illustration can add value to your work.
The right imagery can liven up an otherwise dry topic. When
describing something tangible, say, car repair, the art you include can illustrate
a particular procedure, a worst-case scenario to avoid, or even an absurd or
whimsical situation to add some humor.
Intangible subjects you canÕt see or hold are perfect for
using illustration to convey abstract concepts, such as life insurance. Humor
is a great tool for adding interest and lightening the overall tone of an
otherwise serious piece of writing.
For a magazine article about nuclear power safety
inspections, I once created an inspector character with a large magnifying
glass. Spot illustrations of him in different inspection situations appeared
throughout the article, breaking up the copy and adding color and a bit of humor.
Photography just wouldnÕt have had the same impact.
Writers, like artists, are just different, and from time to
time, will come up with edgy, bizarre, or just plain goofy concepts that
scream, ÒillustrationÓ! This makes me happy.
PB: Besides being a great artist, RobbieÕs unusually
creative. For the icons on TWFW home page, I rarely knew exactly what I wanted,
only what it needed to convey, and typically he nailed it first time. When he
didnÕt, he was always gracious and patient until we got it right. AND exceptionally reasonable. So, how might you put him to
work?
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III. MAIN ÒMEATÓ COURSE: SCRABBLING FOR BUSINESS??
NYC FLCW
Shares Fun Story: ÒHow I Finally Got on the Board with Social MarketingÓ
Got this
fun, offbeat, yet substantive piece about a unique approach to social media
that led to work. Alan Zoldan (www.a2zmicromarketing.com)
is a NYC-area copywriter who, Òstays up late in his never-ending quest to keep
current with emerging marketing trends – or just to play Scrabble and
read cool stuff on his iPad.Ó Enjoy!
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There are
dozens of good ways to promote your freelance copywriting business. In fact, a
February article on http://www.freelanceswitch.com shared a bunch (once there,
search for Ò110 Ideas to Get More Freelance Work and Generate New Client LeadsÓ),
more than enough to try if your phone hasnÕt exactly been ringing off the hook.
Most of us
whoÕve been toiling in the marketplace for a while know the drill: periodic
email or e-newsletter promotions; offering a free report to build your mailing
list; postcards, clever ad specialty items, and even the oft-dreaded cold call.
The idea is to get your name out there – ÒthereÓ being before the
eyeballs of your highest-value prospects and industries.
All this
is easier said than done of course, but there is a magnificent motivator here:
you want to stay in business for yourself. Your Òin pocketÓ main client of
today may not be your client next year – or even next week. As one of my
first mentors in advertising always emphasized: A.B.M – ALWAYS BE MARKETING.
I recently
had the exciting experience of connecting to a new client in a most interesting
way – while playing Scrabble via Facebook in one of the many Òpublic
games.Ó As I often do, I checked out my opponentÕs Facebook profile in-between
turns.
Bingo
– and I donÕt mean the 50-point bonus one gets in Scrabble for using all
seven tiles. My fellow gamer owned an integrated marketing agency in
Chicago. This was a first. While I generally peruse Facebook profiles just out
of idle curiosity, in this case, I happened to discover a bona fide prospect.
We started
chatting, and once I eased her understandable concern about how I happened
to know of her professional affiliation, location, etc., she also found our
professional similarity intriguing and was quite agreeable to learning more
about me (cue up http://a2zmicromarketing.com website and e-brochure).
Long story short, she liked what she saw and promised to share my information
with her creative team.
A few
weeks later, I landed a substantial first project. Looking back at this
serendipitous online encounter was an object lesson on the ÒrulesÓ of social
media marketing:
1) I was
not overtly trying to sell anything to her, at least not initially. We were
merely pursuing a mutual interest.
2) I
noted our professional affinity simply because it was right there on Facebook
(and LinkedIn too) and ran with it. As the ubiquitous credit card marketers
would say, my prospect was pre-qualified.
3) The
medium positively affected my message. Although she and I were just two
Scrabble players involved in our first game, we were – at least in some
way – involved. Rapport preceded the selling effort.
The
downside of ÒScrabble MarketingÓ is that it is not easily repeatable. I could
easily play another 100 games without finding another Òpre-qualifiedÓ prospect,
but guess what? It doesnÕt really matter to me all that much – because I
love playing Scrabble.
What IÕm
trying to say is that it does not behoove us to use every
self-promotional tactic in the book. Most of us chose the freelance life
because of the autonomy and the freedom to be ourselves, so I say: be
yourself! The more ÒfunÓ your marketing efforts are, the more happily
youÕll do them. And IÕve never heard anyone claim how much fun cold-calling is. Like they say, if you truly enjoy
what you do every day, youÕll never work a day in your life.
Lying down
in bed playing Scrabble?? Sure doesnÕt sound like work to me! And,
just for the record, my new client is a very talented Scrabble player who
pounded me in our first game (and several times since) – except that
I kind of won, too. The metrics of social media marketing remain a tough
nut to crack.
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IV. DESSERT: Sweet
Success Stories and Tips
New FLCW Keeps Cool, Avoids Quoting Hourly, Shoots High,
Lands First Gig!
TIP: Marketing Pro Says:
Quit Hunting for the ÒBestÓ Strategy; Just Pick a ÒGoodÓ One!
Cool out-of-the-gate success story from a FLCW who prefers to
remain anonymous (given the details shared). Some good lessons here: including,
not quoting hourly rates; and stretching a bit in what you think you can
charge. Remember, assuming youÕre working with good clients, our field just
pays better than most writing avenues.
After that, a great installment (12/22/10) of Marcia YudkinÕs (one of my fave
copywriting/marketing gurus) Marketing Minutes (to subscribe, visit http://www.yudkin.com/markmin.htm).
I get the ÒbestÓ question all the time, from commercial
writers looking for the ÒbestÓ way to do just about anything. Never understood
why it bugged me, but Marcia nailed it. Great message. Put another way:
Perfection is the enemy of good. Find a good way to get where youÕre going, and
thatÕs typically enough. Enjoy!
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After going out on my own in April, a Facebook friend referred
me to her boss who was looking for a freelance writer for his companyÕs monthly
web-based newsletter.
His initial inquiry, via email, asked for my hourly rate. I
resisted, thinking back to what I had learned from you and Bob Bly. I calmly
(on the outside) wrote back that I quote a flat fee for a project after we
discuss the scope and details of what heÕs looking for. Much to my surprise, he
agreed and we set up a phone call for the following week.
Over the weekend, I came up with a ballpark figure I thought
was reasonable based on his past web articles. Monday morning, with a nervous
stomach and pounding heart, I called him. We chatted about the project and I
casually tossed out the ballpark figure, emphasizing that IÕd give him a firm
written proposal, including a set dollar amount, if he agreed to proceed. ÒThat
sounds doable,Ó he said, as my heart jumped for joy. I wrote the proposal and
two days later he accepted all my terms and my firm quote.
Needless to say, I was overjoyed at landing my first ÒbigÓ
assignment and stretching WAY out of my comfort zone. Getting that first ÒyesÓ gives me the
confidence I can repeat the process with the next prospect. Thanks, Peter, for
the mentoring, for teaching me to not sell myself (or my services) short and to
believe I can achieve.
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From 12/22/10 installment of Marcia YudkinÕs
Marketing Minute:
ÒI need help figuring out the best way to position myself.Ó
ÒWhatÕs the best way to contact CEOs who donÕt know me?Ó
ÒIÕm looking for the best location for my seminar.Ó
When I hear questions like these from clients, I halt the
discussion and shine a spotlight on the word Òbest.Ó
ItÕs natural to want
the best. Who wants to spend energy on something second rate or less than
optimal? However, most of the time the questioners donÕt have a solid set of
criteria
for ÒbestÓ or a method of determining what sits at the pinnacle, only an
assumption that one answer towers above the others.
ÒYou actually donÕt
need the best,Ó I say. ÓOne that works very well does the trick. If there
are two that get the job done, either one is fine.Ó ThereÕs usually a silence
as the client processes that surprising point.
ÒThere is no ÔbestÕ?Ó
ÒItÕs not useful to
hunt for it,Ó I reply. ÒLetÕs choose an excellent option and go on to the next
step.Ó DonÕt waste time and effort chasing a myth.
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V.
COFFEE, MINTS AND TOOTHPICKS
- THE WELL-FED E-PUB
NEEDS ALL COURSES!
- The WELL-FED WRITER
BLOG is RockinÕ! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog
- MISSED MY
TELECLASS? Full 38-PAGE e-Transcript – Just $12!
- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get
2 Bonuses (no charge!)
- How Can
My Mentoring Service Serve You?
****************************************
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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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MISSED MY TELECLASS? ÒThriving
as a Freelance Commercial WriterÓ
38-PAGE e-Transcript! $12: www.wellfedwriter.com/jan07tstranscript.shtml.
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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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For details and testimonials, visit http://www.wellfedwriter.com/mentoring.shtml.
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