Welcome to THE WELL-FED E-PUB!

The companion monthly ezine to the quadruple-award-winning
how-to guide, “The Well-Fed Writer.” 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 “Freelance
Commercial Writer”—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. 

*****************************************
VOLUME 13, ISSUE 11 – NOVEMBER 2014
Publishing the first Tuesday of every month since May 2002
Read it online at HERE.

*****************************************
I’M PRESENTING @ THE NO-HYPE COPYWRITING SUMMIT – NOVEMBER 3-7!
It's not too late to listen to days 2-5 (no charge!) and pick up the recordings
(small charge). If you're turned off by—and hate writing—overly “hype-y” copy,
know that you CAN be true to your ethics AND make good money. Join me and
others who share this philosophy. Details HERE!

*****************************************
2014 EDITION OF “THE WELL-FED SELF-PUBLISHER” NOW AVAILABLE!
And it’s a TRIPLE award-winner! Check out various book AND ebook
(multiple formats!) products/bundles HERE!

*****************************************
ARE YOU PARTNERING WITH DESIGNERS? IF NOT, YOU’RE MI$$ING OUT…
Get the real-world scoop on a low-effort flow of writing jobs HERE!

*****************************************
NEW 1-ON-1 COACHING PROGRAMS: SAMPLE/SITE REVIEW & “SIDECAR”!
Low-cost peace of mind and guidance. Details HERE.

*****************************************
WANT TO BUY “THE WELL-FED WRITER” IN BULK (AND SAVE BIG)?
Buy for writer’s group, class or workshop! Details HERE.

*****************************************
THE WELL-FED WRITER BLOG! Weigh in on “How Long Did It Take You to
Become a Profitable Commercial Writer?”; “Is Your Web Site Bio
Creating Trust or Indifference?; “What’s Your ‘Discomfort Threshold’
for Growing Your Writing Business?”; & More!

*****************************************

THIS MONTH’S MENU:

I. APPETIZER: (BOOK REVIEW): “THE SENSE OF STYLE” by STEVEN PINKER
New Release Promises Stronger, Clearer Writing & More Engaged Audiences

II. “FIELD” GREENS: 5 ½ TOP TIPS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR LINKEDIN EXPERIENCE
NC FLCW Who Gets 100% of Her Clients from LinkedIn Serves up the “How-to”!

III. MAIN “MEAT” COURSE: MEET “THE WELL-FED CLONE”
Australian FLCW Shares the Ins and Outs of Cloning Yourself!

IV. DESSERT: Sweet Success Stories and Tips
KC FLCW’s Online Order (Using “Writer” Email Addy) Turns into Big Copywriting Gig
TIP: Web Optimization Pro Reminds: Lose the “Welcome!” on Home Pages!

V. COFFEE, MINTS AND TOOTHPICKS
- MORE WORK WITH LESS EFFORT? Ebook Serves Up “How-To”!
- GOT ANY SUCCESS STORIES YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE? Email ME.
- THE WELL-FED E-PUB NEEDS ALL COURSES!
- The WELL-FED WRITER BLOG is Rockin’!
- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get Bonus CD!
- How Can My Mentoring Service Serve You?

*****************************************
*****************************************

I. APPETIZER: (BOOK REVIEW): “THE SENSE OF STYLE” by STEVEN PINKER
Newly-Released Guide Promises Stronger Writing, More Engaged Audiences

I’m part way through a wonderful new book entitled, “The Sense of
Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century,”
by certified Really Smart Guy, Steven Pinker, award-winning cognitive
scientist, professor of psychology at Harvard University and author of
“The Language Instinct,” and other critically acclaimed works.

Drawing extensively on his vast knowledge in the sciences of language
and the mind, Pinker has created an extraordinarily useful guide to
clear, effective and engaging writing that gets attention, while steering
clear of the linguistic sludge that gums up so much of the written output
of academia, government, science and the business world.

(My use of “linguistic sludge, etc.” is an example of one of Pinker’s
suggestions: to replace clichés with fresher analogies that keep
readers engaged while still allowing them to quickly grasp the meaning).

In addition to being a wonderfully accessible writer who practices
what he preaches, I appreciated Pinker’s good-natured assault on some
sacred cows of traditional style guides (e.g., passive voice is okay
sometimes…), with their authoritarian “don’t-even-think-of-doing-this”
rules—rules crafted, in some cases, centuries ago, yet still enforced
by modern-day sentinels who fail to recognize the ever-evolving nature
of language.

I especially enjoyed watching him poke fun at the practice of
lamenting the degradation of language skills. As he skillfully points
out, it’s by no means a modern phenomenon, but rather, a
well-chronicled pastime for hundreds of years.

An unsurprising—though nonetheless, pleasant—discovery was that
many of his suggestions echo a cornerstone of marketing writing:
understanding your audience and writing with them in mind. He’s even
got a whole chapter on “The Curse of Knowledge.”

The end result of following Pinker’s prescription? Writing that
doesn’t speak up or down to the reader, but rather, treats that reader
as a peer. Through its color, clarity, confidence and assertiveness,
it treats the reader as someone deserving of respect, and smart enough
to understand where the reader is going—without spelling it all out.

I don’t care what kind of writing you’re doing; this book will improve
it. And that goes doubly so for folks like us. On that tasty
educational note, let’s eat!

*****************************************
*****************************************

II. “FIELD” GREENS: 5 ½ TOP TIPS TO MAXIMIZE YOUR LINKEDIN EXPERIENCE
NC FLCW Who Gets 100% of Her Clients from LinkedIn Serves up the “How-to”!

Great list of tips from Apex, NC sports-writing FLCW Michelle Hill. As
the subtitle above impressively notes, ALL Michelle’s clients come
from her LinkedIn efforts. Read and heed. Michelle serves up writing
for pro athletes, coaches and agents, along with sports psychologists
and fitness professionals.

*****************************************
I’ve been working LinkedIn since starting my sports-writing business,
Winning Proof, in 2008. 3,300+ connections later, I’ve learned how to
use LI as a powerful tool to cultivate business. And, 100% of my
business has come from LI and includes many NFL-ers. My acceptance
rate for invites is virtually 100%.

Getting “into” LinkedIn can gobble up chunks of time, but it doesn’t
have to; vow to spend only 15 minutes a day sending a few invites and
you’ll be well on your way to a healthy LI experience and maybe even
gather a few clients along the way.

1. Name/Headline/Location: LinkedIn will provide boxes to fill in.
Name and location are simple enough but make the one-line headline box
succinct, powerful, attention-getting and include searchable keywords.
Clearly state what you do and whom you do it for. This is not the
place for cutesy titles. Mine says, “Sports & fitness content writer
for pro athletes, coaches, agents and fitness pros.”

2. Summary: This is NOT a complete historical account of your life and
career, just who you are, and what qualifies you to do what you do;
max: a few short paragraphs. Add a few bullets to highlight major
successes and qualities. Don’t be afraid to get personal by stating
specialties and interests.

3. Personalize: When “significant” connections accept your invitation,
send a short thank-you and include their first name. Mine? “It’s a
pleasure to connect with you, (name). If I can ever be of assistance
for any writing projects, I’m ready to help. I write and polish website
content, brochures, e-newsletters, and other marketing collateral.”

4.  Connecting: The key to more connections: Join targeted groups but
only those with a healthy number of members. Don’t click the “join
group discussions” box or your inbox will be flooded; it’s just as
easy to check LI for interesting topics.

5.  The Little People Really Do Matter: Connecting with lower-level
folks within a company (they’re more likely to accept your invite)
will provide the email “path,” (i.e., john.smith@abc.com); then
connect with higher-ups.

5 ½. Update, Update, Update: Post updates almost daily. Add value to
those updates with links (to relevant articles), tips, and newsworthy
items germane to your niche. And congratulate key connections on new
jobs and birthdays once in a while.

*****************************************
*****************************************

III. MAIN “MEAT” COURSE: MEET “THE WELL-FED CLONE”
Australian FLCW Shares the Ins and Outs of Cloning Yourself!

Ever wish you could clone yourself in your commercial freelancing
practice? Well, Australian FLCW Ally Chumley (a.k.a. The Wizardess of
Oz) did just that—and is reaping some great benefits from it. Intriguing
ideas here for all potential cloners OR clones, and delivered with a bit of
cheeky wit, to boot. Thanks, Ally, for a great piece!

*****************************************
Peter’s EPUB and books certainly were life-changers for me. I picked
up the first WFW title ten years ago and have never been out of
freelance work since.

I was so glad to get out of the rat race that I (for years) encouraged
my sister to do the same. Finally, after fifteen years as an English
teacher, she’s launched—as my Clone.

I work in Australia, primarily in educational publishing, but I land my
fair share of commercial gigs as well, both in Oz and internationally.
From my earliest days as a freelancer, I struggled with the “feast/famine”
scenario. With my Clone in place, I’ve solved the problem.

As PB has noted many times, there’s more than enough work out there
for all of us. So, teaming with my Clone and sharing jobs and duties
was a no-brainer. The scary part is finding someone with whom you are
able (and willing) to work.

Weirdly, my sis and I are both ex-English teachers, both keen on
writing and both often high on book-binding glue. So we kept it in the
family and enjoy working together in our Virtual Office, powered by
Skype. As long as she does everything I say, of course.

As any WFW knows, it is tough starting out. Your instinct is to grab
at morsels of work with both hands, talons extended. But my Clone and
I have discovered that, together, we present a lovely twin-pack deal
to our clients that we couldn’t achieve apart.

If you’ve built up a long-term relationship with a client (in my case,
an educational publisher), and you do a good job, they’ll find
themselves wishing you had a clone! That very statement made by my
publisher first made me realise that freelancers are very attractive
in pairs when large projects are in view.

Think about it: the client has held your sweaty little hand through months
(or years) of training in their ways, their house style, their little quirks.
They need not do that with your Clone; that’s your job now.

The client may have been thinking of launching a large new project (in
our case, an educational gaming website) and needs to pull a team
together. This is time-consuming, risky, fraught with challenges.
Budgets become  a problem; different writers have different expectations.

How can the client secure quality writers at consistent prices? How will
they wrangle a team without those folks being in-house? Enter the Clone.

The Clone arrangement also enables you to team up to survive the
inevitable freelance famines and the feasts. Promote too much and you
have too many projects on at once; promote too little and you starve.

With your very own Clone, you have twice the hours in day to get
things done. You have an invaluable resource and a big competitive
advantage: a fresh set of eyes, a sounding board, a researcher, a
copyeditor, a ghostwriter and a proofreader.

What does my Clone get out of all this? A leg up. No cold calling
necessary: The Clone is introduced to your contacts (as ‘my colleague’,
of course). She’s only programmed to answer to ‘Clone’ in private.

And how does my Clone feel about mirroring me in every nuance?
Treading quietly and humbly in my broad footprints? Following my
orders and making me virtual coffees? Tell you what, I’ll dictate an
answer for her and she’ll read it out to you.

One last thought… If you are not a ‘managerial’ type, or you’re
struggling with finding work yourself and can’t afford to take on a
clone, why not be someone else’s clone?

Clearly, I’m fortunate to have scrupulously tutored and groomed my
Clone over decades of family togetherness. But I’d be willing to bet
that there is at least one other person in the world with whom you
share some writerly "oneness." Why not give them a call?

*****************************************
*****************************************

IV. DESSERT: Sweet Success Stories and Tips
KC FLCW’s Online Order (Using “Writer” Email Addy) Turns into Big Copywriting Gig
TIP: Web Optimization Pro Reminds: Lose the “Welcome!” on Home Pages!

Love getting serendipitous success stories like the one below from KC
FLCW Maria D’Marco. It’s really true: You NEVER know where your next
gig could come from. After that, another great “Easy Web Tip” (#196) from
copywriter and Web Optimization pro Katherine Andes. I like
Katherine’s approach, her quick and useful tips, and of course, her
results. Sign up for her EWT’s here. The one below is a great reminder—
whether writing copy for our own sites or those of our clients.  

*****************************************
Recently landed a nice project in a cool way! Here’s the deal…

This summer, I ordered something off a site offering all-natural
household products. I used my copywriting email (tigerxwriter) with
the order, which the owner of the company happened to see. He tossed
back an email asking if I would call him about re-doing the web
content on their new site, as well as working up press releases for
all their conversion from commercial to residential uses (200+
products!)  He also sent me an extra order of product, free.

On our call, I found him to be very astute, progressive and ready to
leap into high voltage marketing online. I've been pushing him toward
the more traditional PR stuff (soft sell, facts to pump the product,
etc.) as opposed to the promo 'press releases' I hate.

What a crazy way to land a client! Heck, the guy standing in line at
the grocery might be next. Just proves that every business needs
copywriters. I think the easiest way to broach that subject is to look
at their website and offer some smart ideas on updated copy, articles,
press releases, blogs, newsletters. All things simple for a writer to
do, but a big deal to those who can't (or don't like to) write—and
there are a lot of those.

Don't assume the businessperson knows more than you; they probably do
know their product or service better, but that's a tool to use when
you make contact.

*****************************************
Although I don't see it as often as I used to, I still run across consumer
web sites that have headlines on their home page saying "Welcome."

Really?

Companies have an opportunity, front-and-center, to make their best
effort to pitch folks to stay on their page and all they can say is "Welcome"?

The purpose of a headline is to keep your visitor on your page.

Yes, for many retail stores, often your images are what catch your
visitor's interest. But all the other retail stores have beautiful
images, too. It's your headline that helps to set you apart from the
other stores. Just putting "Welcome" is a wasted opportunity. Even
worse is having no headline at all as many retail stores do.

You should put in something to grab attention and hold your visitor.
It could be your unique selling proposition (USP). Are you the oldest
dealer of your product in your locality? Are you the hot-shot new guy in
town? Do you have the biggest stock in a warehouse? Do you have the
biggest showroom?

Or perhaps you just need to put someone in the mood and write
something to go with your image: “This room could be yours. Imagine
coming home to it.”

"Welcome" is for your doormat, not your home-page headline. To
comment, go here!  

*****************************************
*****************************************

V. COFFEE, MINTS AND TOOTHPICKS
- MORE WORK WITH LESS EFFORT? Ebook Serves Up “How-To”!
- GOT ANY SUCCESS STORIES YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE? Email ME.
- THE WELL-FED E-PUB NEEDS ALL COURSES!
- The WELL-FED WRITER BLOG is Rockin’!
- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get Bonus CD!
- How Can My Mentoring Service Serve You?

****************************************
MORE WORK WITH LESS EFFORT? Ebook Serves Up “How-To”
That’s not hype. It’s 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 HERE.

*****************************************
GOT ANY SUCCESS STORIES YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE?
While my call for submissions netted some things a few months back, I’m
still a bit lean on success stories. Whether starting out or experienced, if
you recently had a noteworthy success (i.e., landed a new client—perhaps
in an unusual way—a new gig, new work from an old client, or anything
else that has a good lesson for your fellow FLCW’s), send it on to ME.
100-300 words is great.    

*****************************************
I’M (STILL) SERIOUSLY LOW ON ALL WELL-FED E-PUB COURSES!
Got a great strategy, approach or specific expertise you’re willing to share?
Turn it into a Feature (MAIN COURSE) for the EPUB (500-600 words;
query first). ALSO, send your “GREENS” (200-400 words), TIPS (100-200)
and SUCCESS STORIES (150-300) to ME. Archived issues HERE. 

*****************************************
The WELL-FED WRITER BLOG is Rockin’!

*****************************************
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!

*****************************************
HOW CAN MY MULTIPLE MENTORING PROGRAMS SERVE YOU?
For details and testimonials, visit HERE.

*****************************************