This September issue is
being sent out Wednesday this month
(vs. Tuesday) to avoid the post-holiday
email crush. Normal
"first-Tuesday-of-the-month"
schedule will resume next month.
Welcome to THE WELL-FED E-PUB!
The companion monthly ezine
to the quadruple-award-winning
how-to guide, ÒThe Well-Fed Writer.Ó
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 13, ISSUE 9 – SEPTEMBER
2014
Publishing the first Tuesday of every month since May 2002
Read it online at HERE.
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2014 EDITION OF ÒTHE WELL-FED
SELF-PUBLISHERÓ NOW AVAILABLE!
And itÕs a TRIPLE award-winner! Check out various book AND ebook
(multiple formats!) products/bundles HERE!
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PARTNER WITH DESIGNERS EBOOK –
25% OFF EXTENDED UNTIL Sat. 9/6
at Midnight EST! Want a low-effort flow of writing jobs? Details HERE!
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NEW 1-ON-1 COACHING PROGRAMS:
SAMPLE/SITE REVIEW & ÒSIDECARÓ!
Low-cost peace of mind and guidance. Details HERE.
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WANT TO BUY ÒTHE WELL-FED WRITERÓ IN
BULK (AND SAVE BIG)?
Buy for writerÕs group, class or workshop!
Details HERE.
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THE WELL-FED WRITER
BLOG! Weigh in on ÒWhatÕs Your ÔDiscomfort ThresholdÕ
for Growing Your Writing Business?Ó; ÒHas ÔBusynessÓ
Become an Excuse for a
Lack of Professional Courtesy?Ó; Put These in Place, and YouÕll Grow Your
Copywriting Business Faster, and with Less StressÓ; & More!
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THIS MONTHÕS MENU:
I. APPETIZER: GET UP, START WALKING
AND GET TO WORK!
Yours Truly Stands Up for His Right to Walk at WorkÉ
II. ÒFIELDÓ GREENS: NOT ENOUGH (OR
THE RIGHT KIND OF) SAMPLES?
WI FLCW Discovers That Having Few Samples DoesnÕt Keep Him from the Gig!
III. MAIN ÒMEATÓ COURSE: WELL-FED
WRITERÕS GUIDE TO INFOGRAPHICS
Bay Area FLCW Serves up the ÒWhereÓ and ÒHow-ToÓ of a Growing Specialty
IV. DESSERT: Sweet Success Stories
and Tips
Boston FLCWÕs Mom Helps Her Land ÒA Big Fat Greek ClientÓ
TIP: How This NC FLCW Uses Her Kindle Fire to Enhance Productivity
V. COFFEE, MINTS AND TOOTHPICKS
- MORE WORK WITH LESS EFFORT? Ebook Serves Up ÒHow-ToÓ - at 25% OFF!!
- 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 RockinÕ!
- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get
Bonus CD!
- How Can My Mentoring
Service Serve You?
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I. APPETIZER: GET UP, START WALKING
AND GET TO WORK!
Yours Truly Stands Up for His Right to Walk at WorkÉ
Well, I finally did it. IÕve been
complaining for years about how all the
sitting involved in our line of work was killing me. And if youÕve read all
the articles and studies on the cumulative damage long-term sitting
wreaks on the body, you realize ÒkillingÓ is no
exaggeration.
It will take time off your life.
So, I found a guy selling one of these
treadmill desks on eBay (and who
was here in Atlanta), and IÕve got it—barely used—for about 40%
of its original retail. Sweet.
IÕve only had it a few weeks, so no
definitive conclusions as yet, but
so far, itÕs been great. Its speed range is .4 – 4.4 mph, and IÕve
settled
in on 1.5 mph as my ideal, which means I can easily walk 3-4 miles
a day while working. I had a 90-minute client conference call the other
day, during which I walked two-plus miles. A beautiful thing.
And no,
the movement doesnÕt impede my keyboard work.
Mine comes with both treadmill (engineered
specifically for longer
periods at lower speeds) and desk. If you already have a treadmill,
consider this desk-only option—designed
to fit over any existing treadmill.
Or, if youÕre handy (or know someone who
is), perhaps you
just
build your own. OR, just a standing
desk. Anything but sitting
all day. On this happy, healthy note, letÕs eat!
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II. ÒFIELDÓ GREENS: NOT ENOUGH (OR
THE RIGHT KIND OF) SAMPLES?
WI FLCW Discovers That Having Few Samples DoesnÕt Keep Him from the Gig!
Great reminder piece from Green Bay, WI FLCW
Andy Duchow about
not letting the lack of a huge portfolio keep you from reaching out to
clients. Yes, when starting out, more (samples) is better, but IÕve also
heard plenty of stories of initial meetings where clients didnÕt even
ask to see samples!
AndyÕs story also supports my contention
that clients donÕt want to
hunt too long for a writer; if oneÕs in front of them, they want to believe
they can do the job. Thanks, Andy!
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Peter: I had an experience recently, which
should inspire other writers
from getting hung up on "not having the right/good enough samples."
IÕm niched as a freelance direct mail
fundraising writer. I got there
early in my career before I had a strong collection of samples. An
agency recently reached out to me (their offices are above the coffee
shop where I work) about doing some collateral—which included
different project types than my usual—for a client.
I said sure! They asked for samples, but I
realized I had nothing to
show them. I've done brochures and website copy, but they're all from
before I got into direct mail—not up to my current standards.
Reminding myself that I was, in fact, a
highly effective writer (regardless
of my lack of samples), I printed off a couple direct mail letters to show
instead, and headed to the meeting. The agency head read my letter
very carefully, set them aside and proceeded to share the project details
and timeline with me. Hired!
Why it's important: A lot of writers get hung up on not having the
right samples or "good-enoughÓ ones. It can keep them from
approaching clients and sabotage them in prospect meetings.
Remember: Familiarity and confidence can take you a long way!
Right place, right time also goes far...
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III. MAIN ÒMEATÓ COURSE: WELL-FED
WRITERÕS GUIDE TO INFOGRAPHICS
Bay Area FLCW Serves up the ÒWhereÓ and ÒHow-ToÓ of a Growing Specialty
Got this kick-butt primer on the ins and
outs of landing/creating
ÒinfographicsÓ work, from San Francisco FLCW Mat Thomas. This is
cool, fun and growing area of writing that MatÕs added to his work mix,
and clearly has learned a lot about. Thanks, Mat!
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As a marketing professional, you probably
know that infographics are
a form of visual communication that blends words with numbers and
pictures to convey complex information, data and concepts concisely.
TheyÕve been around at least since the ancient Egyptians started
recording their seasonal grain harvests with pictographic hieroglyphs
over three millennia ago.
Now, in the early 21st century, infographics are ubiquitous on the Internet.
After all, information overload from the digital screen has shortened
readersÕ attention spans, creating fertile ground for the growth of a
visual medium that explains complicated concepts quickly and
succinctly.
What you might not know is that most infographics are written
before
they're designed. That is, Stage 1 in the infographic-creation
process
is typically a structured textual script consisting of short sentences,
bullet points and notes describing iconic elements.
Graphic artists then render this
blueprint-outline into an actual infographic
using vector-based computer programs like Illustrator and image-editing
software such as Photoshop. So you donÕt need specialized design skill
or technological knowledge to create infographics—and
as an enterprising
FLCW, you can add this innovative communication
power-tool to you
marketing utility belt.
Show & Sell: Copywriting vs.
ÒVisual LanguageÓ
While a traditional prose approach will often serve your clientÕs marketing
needs well, infographics can sometimes provide more
value than words alone.
Infographics can be stand-alone pieces or embedded as components
in
website pages, brochures, white papers, newsletter articles, fundraising
letters, direct mail pieces and pretty much any other content you write.
When to use infographics depends on the information
and message
you want to communicate. Some ideas?
1) Data visualization – Infographics are
great at starkly illustrating
statistics. For example, you can visually chart or graph an industryÕs
evolution
over time with a striking numerical change, or use a table to compare and
contrast your client's features and benefits side-by-side with their
competitorsÕ
less impressive offerings.
2) Sequential art – Some infographics
dramatically engage audiences using
the distinctive narrative storytelling techniques of comic strips. For
instance,
a visual case study demonstrating how your client uniquely relieved a
sympathetic cartoon characterÕs pain points can entertain as it persuades.
3) Step-by-step – Infographics are
well suited for instructional content
because they can literally show
people how to do things instead of just
telling them. Providing users with pictures of the objects they are physical
working with enables them to both learn faster and more easily refer back
to specific steps they find particularly challenging.
4) Static & dynamic – Static infographics
are designed to be read, while
dynamic infographics are animated and made to be
watched like videos.
In the Internet Age, when YouTube is the worldÕs third most popular website
(right behind Google and Facebook), dynamic infographics
can make your
clientÕs campaign go viral.
Getting Started
1) Partner with designers – From personal experience (and with
absolutely
no promotional prompting), PeterÕs e-book Profitable
– By Design provides
invaluable advice on initiating and nurturing collaborative relationships with
complementary business affiliates. Google Òinfographic
designersÓ to find
designers and agencies specializing in infographics,
then pitch your
services as a potential professional partner.
2) Design your own infographics
– Drag-and-drop
template-based programs
are available online that you can use to make your own infographics:
some of them for free. For example, I used Piktochart
to create
my
own infographic resume.
3) Sell infographic
services to your clients – In todayÕs
exponentially
expanding multimedia universe, writing competes with flashier, more
modern forms of communication that constantly clamor for audiencesÕ
attention. Tell your clients how infographics can
separate their signal
from the noise.
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PB: Thanks Mat, for the plug for my ÒProfitable – By Design!Ó ebook,
which was on sale through August for 25% OFF. AND which IÕve extended,
thanks to MatÕs mention, through midnight of the 6th (this Saturday) at
midnight EST. Pick up your copy HERE.
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IV. DESSERT: Sweet Success Stories and
Tips
Boston FLCWÕs Mom Helps Her Land ÒA Big Fat Greek ClientÓ
TIP: How This NC FLCW Uses Her Kindle Fire to Enhance Productivity
Cool success story from Boston FLCW Katherine (Tsoukalas) Huether
about an alert Mom keeping her eyes/ears open, and helping her
daughter score a pretty juicy gig.
And while I got the smart tip that follows it from Greensboro, NC FLCW
Kimberly
Schimmel last year, given the ongoing evolution
of tablets,
itÕs even more valid now. Anything that gives us more freedom from
a physical office is a good thing. Thanks, Kimberly!
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IÕve been a freelance writer since 2002 but
it wasn't until recently that I
decided to focus almost entirely on the commercial end of things (with
the occasional stint into self-publishing). HereÕs how I landed my latest
client.
IÕd noticed that a popular, local website
focusing on the Boston Greek
community erroneously listed my church as having a Greek Festival this
year. No one in my church felt like contacting the webmaster
to get the
listing taken off so my mother did it.
She noticed that a local SEO firm where the
CEO is of Greek descent
was in control of the website so she mentioned my services. She passed
along my website and information, the potential client and I had a phone
conversation, and I now have a steady gig of providing weekly articles
to this site indefinitely.
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My Kindle Fire is more than just a device
for consuming media. I use
mine to do background research for my writing and keep up with
customer requests while out of my home office. It allows me to carry
PDF documents conveniently in my purse.
I can pull out the device and read a
scholarly article while waiting in a
school parking lot or sitting in a dentistÕs office. I also have access to my
substantial reference library of e-books. All my research for a project—
books, articles, and webpages—can be accessed anywhere there is
a Wi-Fi network.
Since my e-reader also gives me access to
email, I wonÕt miss any urgent
client request because I was away from my desk. I can even do some
minor revisions on the Kindle Fire, although my eyesight wouldnÕt stand
typing an entire article on the device (IÕm thinking of upgrading to a Kindle
Fire HD to see if I can manage to do some editing of documents on a
larger tablet).
Yes, many of the things I do on it could be
done on a smart phone, but I
prefer the e-reader because I wonÕt be interrupted by a phone call. I also
avoid the distraction of Facebook and other such sites because I find them
difficult to use on the Kindle.
My device keeps me focused on reading text,
which is what I need to do
during working hours when IÕm not writing text. The portable e-reader is
perfect for research and enables me to work where a laptop computer
would be too bulky. I return home ready to type my next batch of articles.
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V. COFFEE, MINTS AND TOOTHPICKS
- MORE WORK WITH LESS EFFORT? Ebook Serves Up ÒHow-ToÓ - at 25% OFF!!
- 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 RockinÕ!
- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get
Bonus CD!
- How Can My Mentoring
Service Serve You?
****************************************
MORE WORK WITH LESS EFFORT? Ebook Serves Up ÒHow-ToÓ
(AND @ 25% OFF!) 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.
And itÕs 25% OFF until midnight EST this Saturday, 9/6/14. Check it out HERE.
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GOT ANY SUCCESS STORIES YOUÕD LIKE TO
SHARE?
While my call for submissions netted some things a few months back, IÕm
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 FLCWÕs), send it on to ME.
100-300 words is great.
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IÕM (STILL) 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 (200-400 words), TIPS (100-200)
and SUCCESS STORIES (150-300) to ME. Archived issues HERE.
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The WELL-FED WRITER
BLOG is RockinÕ!
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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!
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HOW CAN MY MULTIPLE MENTORING PROGRAMS
SERVE YOU?
For details and testimonials, visit HERE.
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