VOLUME 24, ISSUE 2 – FEBRUARY 2025
THIS MONTH’S MENU:
I. LITTLE EXPERIENCE? DON’T SWEAT IT…
Even Modest Experience May Be Enough for Clients
II. WANT MORE STABLE FREELANCE INCOME?
Veteran Copywriter: Retainers Deliver Month After Month
III. THE REWARDS OF REJECTION
Turning Life’s Inevitable Nos into Lasting Value
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT COMING IN MID-FEBRUARY- Stay Tuned! – Read the announcement: Big Changes Coming – Retirement Means Passing the Baton
I. LITTLE EXPERIENCE? DON’T SWEAT IT…
Even Modest Experience May Be Enough for Clients
Got a note recently from a copywriter/turned nursing student:
I was wondering if you knew any people that write copy for the field of nursing or maybe outpatient care, traveling nursing, patient care/aftercare, hospice, etc.
I want to pursue my RN degree, but also want to pursue copywriting again. Could you chime in on the topic of healthcare copywriting? And which fields might be more promising vs. those to avoid?
My (excerpted) reply:
While I don’t know of anyone in the fields you named, I have crossed paths with plenty of copywriters over the years who developed a niche based on a surprisingly short resume in their particular fields.
And it makes sense when you think about it from the client side.
Sure, as a client, you’d love to find someone with decades of experience writing about your field.
But that’s rare, and as such, if you cross paths with someone with even a year (or less in some cases) or two, that may be your best option.
Years back, I e-chatted with a woman who got certified as a radiology technician in six months, and then developed a niche writing for radiologists.
Didn’t matter to them that she wasn’t ONE of them. She knew the ins and outs of the field, the vernacular, etc., etc., and that was good enough for them.
As for which healthcare fields to pursue/avoid, I’d encourage you NOT to think about it in those terms. Any HC specialty may have writing needs, so, it’s best to do your own research.
Just know that HC writing IS a bona fide writing specialty, which is good/bad news. There are certainly opportunities, but because of that, there a lot of more experienced people in line ahead of you…
II. WANT MORE STABLE FREELANCE INCOME?
Veteran Copywriter: Retainers Deliver Month After Month
Excellent advice on the power of retainers from 20+-year CT FLCW (and regular E-PUB contributor), Jennifer Mattern—seasoned PR writer and founder of the acclaimed All Freelance Writing site.
PLUS, some additional start-up details and tips for success!
Did you know freelancers like you get paid just for keeping themselves available? If you’re new to retainers, 2025 might be the year to take some on.
What are Retainers?
Think of retainers as selling future access to your time. Clients pay you up front for guaranteed availability. You’re essentially paid to turn down other work in case this client needs you.
You could also set up a retainer agreement to cover a guaranteed number of hours each week or month, or a certain number of projects.
How do Retainers Work?
Let’s look at a hypothetical example of how a typical retainer works:
Example: An email copywriter guarantees availability for four emails per month. The client pays a retainer at the start of each month.
If four or fewer emails are requested, the copywriter keeps the full retainer.
Five emails? The copywriter keeps the full retainer and bills for the fifth email.
Retainers are win-win. You get predictable payments. The client is guaranteed a certain amount of access to you. How much is your availability worth?
PB: In TWFW3, I discussed CA FLCW Tim Lewis, who hammered out a retainer agreement with his former employer after leaving his job as a hospital marketing director.
It was far cheaper for the hospital to pay one freelancer a healthy retainer vs. hiring full-time staff.
A few of Tim’s tips:
1) Set the stage by hitting it out of the park on the first project for a new client.
2) With your talents/professionalism proven, set up a call (or lunch!) to determine any ongoing writing needs, and if so, pitch yourself as the solution.
3) Craft a 1-2-page proposal, with the services you’ll provide, hours you can dedicate, your monthly rate, and terms for “under/over” as noted above. Read any legally binding client-generated agreements carefully.
4) To avoid unpleasant surprises, perhaps start with a one-month contract to see how things go, and then make any necessary changes to the agreement.
Tim typically reduces his rate 25% in return for the guaranteed, prepaid block of time, and lets the client know it (so they know they’re getting a solid deal).
And while any agreement should allow you to charge for work beyond the stated scope, if it’s just a few hours, as a goodwill gesture, Tim won’t charge extra. Totally optional. Good luck!
III. THE REWARDS OF REJECTION
Turning Life’s Inevitable Nos into Lasting Value
Solid (and abbreviated) piece from longtime writer, manager, consultant and entrepreneur, and author of the best-seller, How to Organize Your Work & Your Life, Robert Moskowitz, on the many upsides to rejection. Thanks, Robert!
It’s totally natural to avoid rejection and seek out acceptance, just as it’s natural to prefer sweet foods over bitter ones. Unfortunately, rejection is pretty commonplace for all of us.
It never feels good to lose out or be sent away. Yet, we can derive some positive value from most of the rejections that await us. Here are some of rejection’s “rewards”:
Rejections Save You Time: Getting rejected from a job, a client, a project, or anything else may feel bad in the moment, but it also saves you a ton of time and energy you’d otherwise invest in a likely lost cause.
Rejections Save You from Errors: Think of rejection as one of those “Not a Through Street” signs, one that’ll save you from frustration before you travel any farther down that road.
Rejections Allow Something Better to Happen: Even better than steering you clear of a disappointment or wasted time, a rejection may open a door to a great opportunity.
Early in my career, I was rejected from literally dozens of writing jobs. With bills to pay, I had no choice but to try selling individual stories to magazines.
I learned how to do it, and parlayed that process into a multi-decade career as a writer, manager, consultant, and entrepreneur.
Rejections Offer Important Lessons: What Shakespeare called “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune”—many in the form of rejection—help us grow toward maturity and learn ways to navigate the world around us.
Rejections Boost Motivation and Self-Awareness: Rejection can be a powerful trigger for self-improvement, helping us identify our strengths and weaknesses, while teaching us the value of humility and caring in our daily lives.
Sure, rejection is bitter. But by considering these experiences from a broader perspective than how they feel in the moment, they can help you navigate the world more effectively.