The Freelance Writer’s 2007 Blueprint to Success

Now that 2007 is here, there is no better time to own your success. What do I mean? Take your freelance career by the balls and squeeze success out of them.

Following are four steps to take to make 2007 the year you made freelancing your career once and for all. It ain’t going to be easy, but it is a plan everyone can put into action.

1. Set Weekly Financial Goals: Why weekly? According to the November 2003 article in Money magazine, The 4 Steps To Setting Goals & 6 Keys To Achieving Them:

One big reason people fail to reach their goals is that those goals were amorphous to begin with. A goal like "buying your first house soon" is too wishy-washy. Deciding that you'd like to buy a three-bedroom Cape on a half-acre within 30 minutes of your workplace before the next school year is much better.

For freelance writers, this means setting immediate, reachable goals. Small successes spur you on to pursue bigger ones. I like daily goals even better because they force me to be super-organized.

If, for example, I want to make $200/day and I find that I’m $25 short, I’ll churn out a few articles for AssociatedContent.com, a content rich site that pays for articles.

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Before you set freelance financial goals, you will want to get a handle on your personal finances – especially if you decide to quit your job.

2. Get a Website: This is not an option, it’s a must. You can do it yourself, or pay someone, but don’t even consider starting without one. Why? Consider this:

After launching a Web site, 41% of small businesses report an increase in their sales volume, and more than half (55%) with a Web site say their sites have generated a profit or paid for themselves. SmallBusinessComputing.com, "Internet Future Bright for Small Businesses." January 14, 2003.

I’ve been a freelancer since 1993 and a lot of my business comes from referrals, but I recently completed a job for a client who found me via a web search. He was opening a title insurance company and needed me to complete copy for his website.

At the completion of the project, he advised me that he will be offering marketing services to his industry to increase his referral rate (insurance agents, mortgage brokers, real estate agents, etc.). As he was pleased with my services, he wants me to be his “go-to referral source.”This could be worth untold thousands to me over the next few years.

Still wondering if you need a website? Besides increasing your bottom line, it is hard enough to freelance without giving clients a reason not to hire you, eg, hiring a freelancer who does have a nice, professional site.

3. Decide to Work Hard: If you are going to really make it as a freelancer, you are going to work harder than you are right now. Why? Because, you are either going to be doing two things at once, or working double time to make a go of it.

Doing Two Things at Once: If you decide to keep your job until your freelance career gets off the ground, you are going to have to come home and work at night, or get up earlier in the morning to work on your freelance business. Accept this simple fact, make a schedule and get on with it!

Work Double Time: This is the opposite side of the coin. If you decide to quit your job, you are going to have to work 14, 16, or 18 hour days to replace your income – unless you have some savings. Again, accept this fact. Once you make the decision that this will be your reality for a while, it will become the norm.

4. Find the Work: Now that you’ve decided to work hard, know what your financial goals are and have done the one marketing thing you need to do to find work -- it’s time to find the work!
There are so many ways to go about this, it’s impossible to detail here.

What I can tell you is what I’d do if I were just starting to freelance:

a) Find a guaranteed stream of income: Eg, a pay-per-article site like AssociatedContent.com. Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with this site. I’ve just been a pleased contributor since April 2006.

As I said earlier, you need little successes to inspire you to move on. Some days, this might be all the income you’ll ever make. BUT, starting your day knowing you’ve made some money can be just the push you need to make your daily/weekly goal.

b) Make a certain number of contacts: Eg, real estate agents and mortgage brokers are my niche. So, I make it my business to contact a certain number a day/week.

Success is a numbers game and if you continually make contact to a targeted niche offering them benefits (not features), you will eventually get work – that’s a 100% guarantee.

c) Create passive streams of income: Eg, write an e-book, sell an e-course, open a virtual store (eg, CafePress.com). Here the goal is to have money coming in that you don’t have to devote a lot of time to. Eg, once you write an e-book, it’s done. You can make money off of it for years to come.

NOTE: The passive streams of income ideas mentioned here will, in my experience, only add a few hundred bucks a month to your bottom line. BUT, this can literally be the difference in continuing to freelance, or having to go back to a 9-5.

If you're serious about achieving freelance succcess in 2007 and want to know more about the ideas/suggestions expressed here, sign up for the freelance writing e-course: Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! today. Free website included in purchase price.
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.
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Five freelance writers trying to prove $100K a year is doable

Okay, I know I said I wasn't going to post anymore this year, but here's a story I think you'll enjoy -- and it gives you something to strive for next year.

Go to SologigNews.com to read the story of five freelance writers trying to prove $100K a year is doable. They start in January and you can track their progress throughout the year. They'll be posting in a forum and dispensing advice along the way.

Already they've developed quite a nice buzz around this issue and ideas shared are abundant. So, what's your income goal for next year.? Tell me.

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Tooting my own horn a wee bit! On the site also is a nice little piece featuring yours truly entitled, Writer: Being generous around holidays can lead to new business. It's the second time I've been featured on this very popular site.

Enjoy,
Y. Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
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Copyright Notice: Read my copyright notice to the right and adhere to it -- or, the New Year will only bring grinches to steal your holiday booty -- and your good year cheer!
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Want to be a Freelance Writer? Achieve Your Life's Goal

Publisher's Note: This will be the last post of the year, so I wanted to leave with a little personal insight, instead of providing an article.

I turned 40 this year and spent it figuring out what I want to be "when I grow up."

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my profession, but I have to work so much and I realize it's not how I want to spend the rest of my life. So, throughout the year I really focused in detail on life -- and what I want from it.

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The answers came and they are not earth shattering. What I realized that I want more than ever is more time with friends and family; more control over my income; and less stress. What WAS earth shattering about this for me is to make the "want" a "reality."

I'm not a person to accept the status quo; but I've been accepting this for years. What snapped me out of it? Achieving one of my life's goals: running a marathon.

Training for, running and finishing my first marathon (Atlanta, Thanksgiving Day 2006) made me realize that I can do anything I set my mind to (I spent almost a year training for the marathon). All I have to do is 'SET MY MIND TO IT."

Long story short, I answered the question of what I want to be when I grow up. And, I'm taking steps to get there. Before I did that however, I took some things into consideration, ie: how I want to spend the second half of my life.

I hope I have at least 40 more years, and I know I only want to work for 10 of those.

So, I needed to choose an income-generating industry that will pay well, but not take up too much of my time on a regular basis (remember, I'm trying to work less, but still keep the same lifestyle).

I've chosen my path -- real estate investor. I'm lucky in that I have trusted advisors who are in the business, so, I'm taking steps to make my dream a reality.

My questions to you are:

1. Are you satisified with your life as it is? If not, why?

2. What are you doing to change it?

3. Do you know where you want to be in 10, 15 or 20 years? Are you taking steps to get there? If not, why?

The time we have on this planet is so short -- my mom died at 45, and my dad at 47. At 40, I am more acutely aware than most of how short and precious life is. So, if you're not living the life you want -- change it.

Want to be a freelance writer? Do it! (sign up for the e-course, Freelance Writing E-course: Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed!)

Want to lose 25 lbs? Do it!

In a bad relationship? Ditch it!

Whatever your circumstance is, only YOU have the power to change it. It may not be instant, but the longest journey starts with the first step. Take it!

Happy holidays, and see you after the first of the year.

Sincerely,
Y. Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
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Copyright Notice: Read my copyright notice to the right and adhere to it -- or, Santa will boycott you -- this year and next. And, Rudolph? Well, he's one angry deer when he's wronged!
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How to Double (Even Triple) Client Response Rates

Marketing is the bane of every freelancer's existence (in fact, EVERY business owner's existence). Most of us hate it, but it must be done.

So, how do you get the most out of it? By making it personal. Following the steps outlined below, you should easily double -- maybe even triple -- response rates on your next campaign.

1. DECREASE the number of mailings/campaigns: "Huh?!" you may be thinking. "How is that supposed to increase my response rate?" Quite simply by doing some background work. You can't possibly review/read about/research a thousand companies in a week's time.

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BUT, you could make a concerted effort to spend a solid week doing 250. Visit websites, make notes of company accomplishments, call to get a name, etc. Mention something in your correspondence that proves you've done your homework. Rigth off the bat, you stand out b/c you're not just another marketer.

MARKETING GOLD! As mentioned in yesterday's post, finding out who to send your correspondence to serves three purposes: 1) saves on postage; 2) has a greater chance of being opened; and 3) creates a clean database.

Getting personal takes time, so you will be able to make contact with fewer prospects, but the contact you do make has a lot better chance of paying dividends because it stands out.

2. Send out a reasonable number each time you e-mail/mail. No, this does not contradict the first point.

I like to send mailings of at least 250 because you can get an idea of how well a campaign worked with this number. Anything smaller doesn't give you enough data to make an educated judgement about whether a mailer/email campaign was effective, or not.

Does your market respond to humor, sarcasm, a serious tone, folksy bits and pieces, etc. You always want to get an idea of why one campaign pulls better than another to judge what's working and what's not.

Doing 8 or 10 campaigns a year of 250 or more should allow you to get a really good feel for what's working -- and perhaps more importantly, what's not.

3. Be Kind to the Gatekeeper: When you call a company, try to get the name of the person who answered the phone. This person is likely the one who handles all incoming mail, phone calls, packages, etc. They really can make or break your business.

I always record the name of this person and send them a thank you card, saying something to the effect of:

"Thank you for the assistance when I called on 12/18 to inquire about the name of the Creative Director. I'm sure you get bombarded with requests on a daily basis and I appreciate the time you took to help me out."

I always include a business card.

Now, do you think this person is more, or less, likely to make sure my message/package gets to the appropriate party when it comes? More, of course!

I don't schmooze the help only to get something though. I'm a great believer in karma -- eg, what you put out comes back to you. And, I think as a society we underappreciate those who aren't a direct help to us. I always keep a box of thank you cards on hand -- I usually buy them in bulk at my local dollar store.

The most important reason I send thank you cards though is because my mom was big on manners -- after all, we are southern and to do otherwise would be, well, unnatural (said with a drawl)!

Although these steps may seem like common sense, as my grandmother used to say, "Most of us have it, but many of us refuse to use it."

As always, good luck in your marketing efforts.

Creatively yours,
Y. Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
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Copyright Notice: Read my copyright notice to the right and adhere to it -- or, Santa will boycott you and Rudolph and his gang are still on standby to do some serious damage!
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How to Build a Profitable Freelance Database -- Quickly!

In my December 6th post, I wrote about turning old job listings into freelance cash. To piggyback on this, this is an excellent way to get a jumpstart on your freelance career. How?

If you want to freelance, but have no contacts (or very few), you can easily build a substantial database in a few weeks or months, depending on how much time you put into it, by doing the following.

1. Do Detective Work on Blind Ads: As I said in the previous article, many times the ads will be blind, but sometimes there are clues as to who the company is. Eg, take an ad that reads, "Submit resumes to hr@xyzcompany.com." What I do is go to www.xyz.com (the company's website) and hunt for a number to call someone.

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Freelance Writing E-course: Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Course filled up quickly. However, I am accepting back-up registrations. Click here for details.
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2. Pick Up the Phone: After locating a number on the website (or via a Google search or Yellow Page listing), I then call and ask for the name of the appropriate party, eg, Communications Manager, Creative Director, Editorial Director, etc. (depending on the type of company, this will vary). I usually say something like:

My name is Yuwanda Black and I'm a freelance copywriter. I'd like to send the appropriate party some information about my services for their files. To whom would I address this?

Nine times out of ten, they will give you a name. I like to get a name because: 1) postage is expensive; and 2) it is much more likely to get opened; and 3) you know who to ask for during successive calls/mailings (which you will be doing if you want to be successful).

3. Verify, Verify, Verify: While you have someone on the phone, verify the mailing address (which you will usually find on their company website) and any other information you feel comfortable asking for.

I usually keep my calls short and try not to ask more than 2-3 questions. Some respondents are chatty, while others can be quite brusque. I just kind of go with the flow. The reason I think I've had such success with shorter calls -- especially on the first contact -- is that I don't badger the receiver for information.

I keep my inquiries brief, professional and to the point. The whole idea is not to get immediate business -- although some calls will definitely lead to that -- but to build your prospect list.

If you scour your weekly paper -- especially if you live in a large city -- you will find that it is a full-time job just getting the leads into some type of manageable database.

Prospecting from a small town? Don't worry, as a freelance copywriter, you can work for clients nationwide. So, feel free to go online and scour any newspaper you want, eg, the Chicago Tribune, the LA Times, the New York Times, etcc. Prospects are EVERWHERE!

If you do this week in and week out, you will build a large, "clean" database in no time. What do I mean by clean? Clean is when the information is verified. Since you called, you know the phone number, you got the name of the hiring official, verified the address, and know the company's website.

This is more than some professional lead selling companies have. Feel accomplished!

This is your business's most important asset. Continue to build it and use it. When you do mailings and they come back, update the information as it comes in. When the contact person leaves, get the new person's name. If the phone numbers change, change them in your database. Doing all of this keeps your database clean.

If this seems like a full-time job, it is. But, marketing is the lifeblood of every business. And, to market, you need prospects -- to follow up with, to mail to, to ask for referrals from, etc.

4. Make Contact: Once you get a minimum of 250 verifiable contacts, send them your info (I'll explain why in tomorrow's post). If you do it by email, be careful to not to spam. To accomplish this, include a short note, eg:

I called your office and Sarah, your administrative assistant, said you prefer to receive info via email, so I'm sending this one-time correspondence to make you aware of my services.

Make sure you have called and when you do, record the name of the person you spoke with so when you refer back to it you make your contact more personal (more on this in tomorrow's post).

I like email because of the ease and expense. However, with spam being such a problem, unless the prospect has invited you to email, I'd still snail mail a package. I happen to know that companies keep freelancer info on file for a good bit of time. And, you just never know when your package will arrive at the perfect time.

TIP: Get some free database management help by calling local high schools and colleges to see if they have internship programs. Explain what you need an intern to do and see if they have programs where students can earn credit while working for a small business like yours.

Many approach the world of freelancing as a way of making "extra" money. While this is certainly possible, the time you put into marketing for the work you will get will make it seem like a full-time job. So, getting free help like this can add immeasureably to your bottom line.

Good luck!

TOMORROW' POST: Making It Personal -- How to Double (Even Triple) Client Response Rates

ARTICLE MARKETING E-BOOK: To be honest, I'm simply in over my head (where is the time I wanted to take off!). I just haven't had time to sit down and finish it. I do client projects first b/c they pay the bills. Then I do "my stuff" (eg, article writing, case studies, e-books, etc.).

As I finish this post, my head is bobbing from lack of sleep (forgive any typos/grammar errors), my stomach is growling b/c I haven't eaten since 8:30 this morning and I need a shower like nobody's business.

So, I will do my level best to get the book finished by this weekend. That way, I can enjoy Christmas without it hanging over my head -- and hopefully leave you with some insightful holiday reading to psyche you up for next year.

Best,
Y. Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
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Copyright Notice: Read my copyright notice to the right and adhere to it -- or, Santa won't come to visit you this year -- and Rudolph and his gang will dole out some fierce revenge!
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Freelance E-Writing Course Full!

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

The writing e-course, Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed -- or Your Money Back!, is full. I have started a waiting list, just in case anyone cancels.

To be put on the waiting list, you must pay in full (simply register as if the class wasn't full). If you don't get in, your money will be refunded three days before the start of the class (January 26th). Class starts on January 29th.

REGISTRATION FAQ'S

Why do I have to pay first if I am only going to be on the waiting list? Simple administrative management. Pre-payment prevents me from having to call everyone to see if they're still interested. It's easier to simply refund money to those who didn't get in.

When will another class be offered? I haven't decided yet. I schedule classes around my projects. However, it will probably be in the summer, when it slows down again.

Can I pre-register for upcoming classes? Unfortunately, no. I like to give a firm date before accepting any payment. It's only fair to you -- and me. Eg, if I get busy, then I won't have to cancel. As the classes are very hands on, once I schedule a class, I create my entire agenda around it.

Feel free to email me with further questions.

Editorially yours,
Y. Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
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PERSONAL NOTE: I haven't posted lately because I took a mini working vacation to the fabulous city that is New York (especially fabulous this time of year). To get back and find my e-writing course full -- well, Santa blessed me early this year. I appreciate the vigor with which readers trust my experiences -- and the knowledge I try to diligently pass on. Thank you!

FYI, if you haven't seen the tree at Rockefeller Center -- do it (it's gorgeous).

If you haven't taken your kids to see Santa at Macy's -- do it! (Or, see Santa for yourself!).

If you haven't walked hand in hand with the one you love thru the amazing city that is New York -- put on those walking shoes and walk it out!

If you haven't seen firefighters -- right across from ground zero -- with smiles on their faces -- see it!

If you haven't laughed as hard as you can with friends at dinner over margaritas -- plan it!

My message, the holidays are really about the simple things in life. I feel like I already had Christmas, b/c I experienced all the things that make it joyful for me. I hope you have the occasion to do the same.

Tomorrow: The free e-book on article marketing should finally be ready for distribution.

The rest of the week: More freelance marketing wisdom!

Vacationally yours,
Y. Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
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Make Money with Our Affiliate Program! Before year's end our e-books will be availabe via ClickBank. Stay tuned for details.

Our e-books cover everything you need to know to work from home as a Freelance Writer, Editor, Proofreader, etc. Receive 7 EBooks in All for One Low Price! Delivered right to your inbox immediately upon payment!
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Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Subscribe to the Inkwell Editorial feed (under the LINKS section to your right) to receive new content immediately upon publishing. OR, email your address to subscribe and receive job listings -- immediately!

New Job Listing

Editorial Job Opening: See below.

Publisher's Note: Severe head cold, upcoming business trip and family coming in this weekend -- what is the question? When do I find time to blog over the next four days?

Answer: I don't. So, I won't even try.

One of my new year's resolutions (a list which is growing longer by the day) is to not overwhelm myself. I rarely get sick, but have been pushing myself a lot the last 3 months. I know this cold is not some bug I caught, but is due to a weakened immune system from not enough rest.

FREE E-Book on Article Marketing: Although I'm trying to squeeze everything in -- I think my body (and the universe) is telling me to scale back. In keeping with this, I will not be distributing the free e-book on my article marketing case study today; it'll come out Monday, December 18th.

I still have just a few more insights to add before it's done. This should give me enough time to finish it, get family from under foot and try to rest a bit.

Editorial Job Opening
LatinFinance is looking for an experienced Reporter/Writer to be based in our offices in Miami. Expectations / requirements: The ideal candidate will be: an excellent writer; able to address complex issues clearly and incisively; have a clear and detailed understanding of how financial markets and Latin America’s business culture operate. Must speak and write Spanish fluently. Portuguese would be an added advantage.

The job of Reporter/Writer will entail: Pitching and writing articles from short Q&As to longer analytical features. Potentially speaking and/or moderating panel discussions at LatinFinance conferences, roundtables and other events. Travel throughout Latin America.

We offer competitive salary and benefits, including 401K. Application should be sent to: Stuart Allen. Phone: (305) 357-4230; Email: sallen@latinfinance.com

Until Tuesday,
Y. Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
P.S.: Registration is now open for the freelance writing e-course: Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to register and reserve your space now, as participation is limited.

E-Course: Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed!

Many have been inquiring about the upcoming e-course: Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! So, finally, the details are available.

Start Date: Monday, January 29th (by then, everyone should be out of holiday mode and into work mode).

Log on for complete info and to register.

NOTE: Because of the personal consultation/instruction I give, participation is limited. So, register ASAP -- make it your holiday gift to yourself (a new career that you love -- what could be better than that!).

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
P.S.: Free E-Book for Course Participants Only! The Benefits of Hiring a Freelance Writer. You can use this as a free giveaway to potential clients, use it as an incentive to build your subscriber list and/or as a free marketing tool to entice seminar, workshop and/or classroom subscribers.

P.P.S.: The #1 Benefit of this e-book: Helping you realize the value you bring to clients -- and helping you get paid for it!

How to Turn Old Job Listings into Freelance Cash!

Publisher's Note: Last night, I was working on uploading the registration page for the e-course, Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed!, coming in January.

Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans -- my Internet access went kaput! This happens to me probably two or three times in a whole year -- which is excellent in my opinion (Comcast is da bomb!).

I tried to get mad about it, muttering under my breath about my professional reputation being on the line, meeting deadlines, etc., etc., etc. THEN, I thought about the war, people who are going to bed hungry, where the homeless sleep on cold nights like last night and I just had to stop myself. In the big ole scheme of things, this doesn't register on any radar.

So, that's why the course is not uploaded yet; it will be later on this evening after I clear a few client matters off my desk (around 8pm EST). Am suffering from a head cold and got a late start today.

Now, on to today's marketing tip -- turning old job listings into cash!
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How to Turn Old Job Listings into Freelance Cash!

I'm sure many are familiar with popular job boards like Craigslist.org, WritersWeekly.com and FreelanceWriting.com. As you probably know, if you're not among the first to apply, you will most likely never hear anything from the prospective client.

I use job boards another way -- as I get most of my work from old clients (I've been freelancing since 1993, so am grateful to be in the position of not having to market so hard for clients).

How to Effectively Use Job Boards to Solicit Work

So, how do I use job boards to solicit work? In two ways:

1) I always apply -- I don't care how old the listing is, I will still send in my credentials. Most of the time, if I receive a response, it will be something along the lines of, "We received 100 responses to our ad and have already chosen a freelancer. Thanks for applying."

I'm always thrilled to get a response -- even if it's a rejection. Why? Because it opens a line of communication -- which is the first step to building a relationship of any kind. A response allows me to write back. I usually say something to the effect of:

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InkwellEditorial.com E-Course: Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Coming in January.

At the end of this one week, five-step course, you will have a concrete business and marketing plan for your freelance enterprise. Even if you've been a freelancer for years, this course will help you "laser focus" your efforts and exponentially increase your income. Via this course, secure your first client within 30 days -- or your money back!

Make Money with Our Affiliate Program! Before year's end our e-books will be availabe via ClickBank. Stay tuned for details.

Learn everything you need to know to work from home as a Freelance Writer, Editor, Proofreader, etc. How? Order an InkwellEditorial.com E-book. Receive 7 EBooks in All! Delivered right to your inbox immediately upon payment!
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Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Subscribe to the Inkwell Editorial feed (under the LINKS section to your right) to receive new content immediately upon publishing. OR, email your address to subscribe and receive job listings -- immediately!
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Dear Ms. Client:

[be kind and and complimentary in your approach, eg;] Thank you for apprising me of the fact that your freelance writing needs have been filled. It's rare to receive a response when a position has closed; I appreciate your professionalism.

[go for the soft pitch, eg:] Please keep my credentials on file for future consideration. I specialize in helping mortgage, real estate and insurance professionals increase their bottom line. In today's competitive market, turning referrals into paying customers requires consistent contact -- no matter the type of business.

[generally explain how you can help the prospective client, eg:] An on- and offline marketing expert, I can show you concrete ways to increase referrals and turn a static and/or non-existent database into a consistent revenue stream.

[use the following if you don't know who the client is -- most times you will be responding to blind ads] I welcome the chance to consult with you along these lines -- even if you have no immediate needs.

[use the following if you know who the client is and can do some quick research on them]. Eg, I notice from your website that you are one of the largest mortgage providers in the northeast. I can position your company to become the "go to" resource for information by providing a handy e-booklet about the industry.

[give a specific example of how you can help them, eg:] Instead of the standard, "How to Apply for a Mortgage," potential clients respond more to what NOT to do when applying. Eg, an e-book entitled, 7 Things You Should NOT Do When Applying for a Mortgage is much more likely to get a prospect's attention.

This is just one suggestion among many that I can assist you with -- building your referral ratio and database for years to come. Samples of my work can be found at the web address listed below, along with my contact information.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Sincerely,
Ms. Copywriter
MyWebsite.com
000/111-2222
info@mywebsite.com
[always close with a P.S., which should ask them to do something; providing a free giveaway is an excellent way to prompt this, eg:] P.S.: Subscribe to recieve the FREE e-pamphlet, 3 Easy Ways to Turn Passive Prospects Into Paying Customers!

2. The second way I use job listings is to add to my database. Eg, after I apply, I add the contact info to my database -- if it's not an anonymous posting. This way, I know which companies use freelancers. When I do mailings, cold calls, etc., I never have to pay for a list -- I just go to the one I've been building for years. I have over 4,000 listings in this database.

I haven't done a direct mailing to the whole thing in years. What I do do on a consistent basis is send an e-mail blast 4-6 times a year. I do it newsletter style. Eg, I don't e-mail asking for work; I create a marketing newsletter. It contains marketing tips for increasing referrals rates; info on turning passive customers into paying customers; highlights technology that makes marketing easier, etc.

I send a marketing newsletter because my customer base has changed over the years and I haven't taken the time to sort it according to industry. So, I can't, for example send a newsletter about the mortgage industry because some of my clients are legal publishers, some are educational firms, others are graphic design firms, etc.

A marketing newsletter appeals to all of my prospects because if a company is in business -- they want to increase their bottom line. This is a universal need and one that a marketing letter covers nicely.

Producing a marketing newsletter does two things: 1) it keeps my name constantly in front of customers; and 2) it builds my credibility at the same time. So, when it comes time for prospects to hire a freelance copywriter -- who do you think they will more than likely think of first? Me, of course! This is called being top of mind.

Speaking of being top of mind, you want to shoot for being in the top 3 that prospects think of when they think of your type of service/specialty. Why the top 3? Well, there's no guarantee you'll be number one, because the client's sister, Suzie, might just do what you do. And, so might Suzie's best friend. But usually, outside of personal and professional circles, most people can't think of 3 people who do the same thing.

The bottom line -- old job listings can be a great source of leads for new business -- if you take the time to proactively mine them.

Good luck!
Y. Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
P.S.: See the job listings in last Friday's post. Please forward your resume if you're interested, or send it to qualified candidates you know of who may be interested.

P.P.S.: You will be able to register for the e-course at 8pm (EST) today. Be sure to register early as the number of participants will be limited because of the hands-on instruction given (via email).
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May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.
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Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Subscribe to the Inkwell Editorial feed (under the LINKS section to your right) to receive new content immediately upon publishing. OR, email your address to subscribe and receive job listings -- immediately!

How to Get Some Quick Holiday Freelance Assignments

FACT: Many companies are scurrying to find help during the holiday season because their regulars are on vacation, celebrating the holidays, unavailable, etc.

So, take this time to actively call on clients for work. By this I mean pick up the phone! It's easier to market this way this time of year because people are generally in a cheerful mood.

Getting clients is the hard part. Once you get them, service them well and they may never want to go back to their "regular freelancer." Or, at least, you'll be on their radar for overflow projects when the need arises.

Would you make one phone call for $12,000? Cold calling, while it may be scary at first, is much easier this time of year and it could garner you a client for life. Just think, if you gained one new client who wound up giving you $12,000 worth of business in a year's time, wouldn't you be glad that's a call you mustered your nerve to make?

Happy calling!

Tomorrow: Registration opens for the e-course, Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Full details will be posted.

Sincerely,
Y. Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
P.S.: See the job listings in last Friday's post. Please forward your resume if you'reinterested, or send it to qualified candidates you know of who may be interested.
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InkwellEditorial.com E-Course: Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Coming in January.

At the end of this one week, five-step course, you will have a concrete business and marketing plan for your freelance enterprise. Even if you've been a freelancer for years, this course will help you "laser focus" your efforts and exponentially increase your income. Via this course, secure your first client within 30 days -- or your money back!

Make Money with Our Affiliate Program! Before year's end our e-books will be availabe via ClickBank. Stay tuned for details.Learn everything you need to know to work from home as a Freelance Writer, Editor, Proofreader, etc. How? Order an InkwellEditorial.com E-book. Receive 7 EBooks in All! Delivered right to your inbox immediately upon payment!
****************************
Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Subscribe to the Inkwell Editorial feed (under the LINKS section to your right) to receive new content immediately upon publishing. OR, email your address to subscribe and receive job listings -- immediately!

Editorial Job Openings

Funny how the universe works. For a couple of months now, I've been wanting to add the job board back to InkwellEditorial.com. But, because of deadlines, haven't gotten around to it.

It's as if the universe said to me, "I'm going to front burner this for you because it needs to get done!" What happened? Out of the blue, I receive two urgent job openings from a client I hadn't heard from in about 3 years (openings listed below).

So, if you or someone you know is qualified and interested in either of the positions below, send in your/their credentials. Please pass these along to every editorial professional you know. They might just know someone who knows someone, etc.

Want to receive Inkwell Editorial job posts immediately? Simply send in your email address and I'll add you to my subscriber list. Don't worry, only I have access to the list and I use it to send out the occasional newsletter, e-course offering and now, job listings.

NOTE: These are full-time, on-site positions.

P.S.: The job board will officially relaunch again in January. BUT, if you have open, PAID positions, send them in now (sorry, no unpaid listings). It's FREE to post.

P.P.S.: January is going to be a full month. The e-freelance writing course will launch and I will start another case study. This time, I'll turn my attention to online groups and forums. The question, "Is it REALLY worth your time to frequent/post to them, or not?"

See job listings below!

Have a good weekend,
Y. Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
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JOB LISTINGS

POSITION: Copy Editor (Quality Control CE for Scientific Publisher)
LOCATION: Melville, NY (must have car; not accessible via public transportation)

SALARY: 33-37K, FIRM

DESCRIPTION OF JOB DUTIES: Check the quality and accuracy of all copyedited original manuscript files in accordance with in-house Editorial Handbook and individual journal style. Provide feedback for copyediting staff and vendors. Assist Senior QC Copy Editor as needed. Copy edit as needed. TEST WILL BE GIVEN.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
**Check copyedited manuscripts, ensuring high quality and accuracy in accordance with journal style guidelines. Clearly indicate any deficiencies. Exercise good judgment.

**Communicate effectively with Senior QC Copy Editor and Vendor & Cottage Services Coordinator regarding problem manuscripts and copyediting quality issues.

**Provide feedback to cottage staff and vendors as needed and provide samples as appropriate.

**Work closely with the Senior QC Copy Editor and Vendor & Cottage Services Coordinator to ensure consistency and high quality work; demonstrate flexibility in handling fluctuation in workload; assist Senior QC Copy Editor train new cottage staff as needed.

**Keep accurate records and prepare reports as needed.

**Attend periodic training/review sessions and Cottage staff meetings.

**Define and implement new electronic copy editing rules.

**Support cottage staff in the use of electronic copy editing tool.

**Work on special projects as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS
**Minimum 4 years copyediting experience.

**Excellent language and communication skills are essential.

**Must be extremely detail oriented and well organized; must able to use good judgment in copymarking and troubleshooting.

**Must be able to accommodate fluctuating workloads, adapting work schedules accordingly.

**Computer literacy required—fluent in MSWord, including basic understanding of file management structure. Experience with web browsers, Acrobat, Epic, and MathType a plus.

**Bachelor’s degree preferred; in lieu thereof, some college plus two years of relevant publishing experience required.

OTHER DETAILS: Excellent benefits. Company is one where you can build a career; very stable -- many of the employees have been there for years. Fun, friendly, supportive work environment.

TO APPLY: Email resume to CE@InkwellEditorial.com. Please include salary requirement with resume (resumes without salary requirements will automatically be deleted).
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POSITION: Electronic Copyediting (eCE) Support Specialist
LOCATION: Melville, NY (must have car; not accessible via public transportation)

SALARY: 52-56K, Firm

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
**Assume overall responsibility for eXtyles/eCE support activities in Publishing Services.

**Provide support and assistance to the copyeditors and teams on all eXtyles/eCE-related functions.

**Oversee and troubleshoot questions regarding the receipt of eXtyles-created XML, work with other Support Team members with Tex2Word vendor conversion work, training, scheduling, roll-out, and implementation of eXtyles, including configuring eXtyles for new journal/journal groups and liaise between departments regarding broader problems, issues, and development.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
**Work cooperatively with Publishing Services units, such as Staff Development Training/ Applications Specialist, Vendor & Cottage Services, Vendor Specialist, and XML & Composition Team, as needed to resolve any eXtyles-related or eXtyles-produced XML problems.

**Troubleshoot and resolve eXtyles-related problems that arise, taking appropriate action with the copyediting staff/management, training, teams, vendors, Publishing Technology, customers, or Inera, as necessary.

**Work with Production Operations and Customer Services (POCS), Production Operations Support Services (POSS), Inera, and customers as required to schedule, define, configure, and implement the necessary stylistic rule sets for journals/journal groups, as well as for the resulting XML requirements.

**Provide hands-on support for copyeditors or in-house staff using eXtyles and provide feedback to users/training.

**Work closely with Staff Development Training/Applications Specialist to create/update eXtyles/eCE documentation and assist with training.

**Recommend changes to achieve optimal efficiency with eXtyles given the inhouse-supported production workflows and workflow management system. Issue change requests, programming requests, etc., as required, and follow-up as needed.

**Perform careful, comprehensive analysis of content that must adhere to a specific DTD or composition requirements. Where appropriate, work with XML & Composition Team to suggest and/or make DTD modifications.

**Work closely with Training & Applications Specialist, to develop and maintain clear, concise eXtyles user documentation.

**Work closely with the POSS and POCS staff to plan, schedule, test, integrate, and transition modified versions, development, or processes related to eXtyles into the production process.

**Assist in compiling and maintaining statistical analyses and reports.

**Assist with other projects as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS
**Minimum 5 years work experience in an XML/SGML publishing environment required, with an in-depth knowledge of XML/SGML and MS Word.

**Ability to use an XML/SGML editor required, as well as the ability to read a DTD.

**Familiarity with the copyediting process and production workflow is essential.

**Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent related work experience.

**Must be highly organized and self-motivated, with the ability to work well in a team environment.

**Excellent interpersonal and communications skills required.

OTHER DETAILS: Excellent benefits. Company is one where you can build a career; very stable -- many of the employees have been there for years. Fun, friendly, supportive work environment.

TO APPLY: Email resume to TechCE@InkwellEditorial.com. Please include salary requirement with resume (resumes without salary requirements will automatically be deleted).
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Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Subscribe to the Inkwell Editorial feed (under the LINKS section to your right) to receive new content immediately upon publishing. OR, email your address to subscribe and receive job listings -- immediately!
****************************
InkwellEditorial.com E-Course: Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Coming in January.

At the end of this one week, five-step course, you will have a concrete business and marketing plan for your freelance enterprise. Even if you've been a freelancer for years, this course will help you "laser focus" your efforts and exponentially increase your income. Via this course, secure your first client within 30 days -- or your money back!

Make Money with Our Affiliate Program! Before year's end our e-books will be availabe via ClickBank. Stay tuned for details.

Learn everything you need to know to work from home as a Freelance Writer, Editor, Proofreader, etc. How? Order an InkwellEditorial.com E-book. Receive 7 EBooks in All! Delivered right to your inbox immediately upon payment!

The Power of Article Marketing

Publisher's Note: I'm a regular contributor to AssociatedContent.com. Sologig.com recently launched a news site for freelancers entitled SologigNews.com.

After reading an article of mine on AssociatedContent.com, a Sologig rep contacted me and wanted to interview me on a topic about which I'd written. The topic was the benefits of Chambers of Commerce for freelancers. The article I wrote which explores the topic is entitled, Why Every Freelance Writer Should Join a Chamber of Commerce, the October 17, 2006 blog post.

The interview can be found here. Established in 2000 and the exclusive contract provider for CareerBuilder.comone, Sologig.com is one of THE "go to" sites for freelance gigs, this type of exposure is exactly what you're after with article marketing. They average 10,000 job postings/day for freelancers.

My point? You just never know who is reading what you put out there, so keep on marketing with articles -- it's powerful stuff!

To your publicity,
Y. Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
P.S.: Get a FREE E-Book on Article Marketing! My article marketing case study ended on 11/18. On Wednesday, Dec 6th, I will be publishing a FREE e-book detailing all the findings and how you can go about finding success via this free marketing tool.

EVERYTHING you ever wanted to know about article marketing will be detailed. You won't find a more complete book on the subject -- and all of it is verifiable, first-hand information (I conducted a month-long marketing campaign). Read about this experiment from the beginning by clicking here. Subscribe to get your FREE copy.
****************************
Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Subscribe to the Inkwell Editorial feed (under the LINKS section to your right) to receive new content immediately upon publishing. OR, email your address to subscribe to this content.
****************************
InkwellEditorial.com E-Course: Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Coming in January.

At the end of this one week, five-step course, you will have a concrete business and marketing plan for your freelance enterprise. Even if you've been a freelancer for years, this course will help you "laser focus" your efforts and exponentially increase your income. Via this course, secure your first client within 30 days -- or your money back!

Make Money with Our Affiliate Program! Before year's end our e-books will be availabe via ClickBank. Stay tuned for details.

Learn everything you need to know to work from home as a Freelance Writer, Editor, Proofreader, etc. How?Order an InkwellEditorial.com E-book. Receive 7 EBooks in All! Delivered right to your inbox immediately upon payment!

Freelance Copywriters: How to Market for Immediate Results, Higher Paying Jobs & Long-term Clients

Publisher's Note: I apologize for being one day late with this post. I'm swamped after having taken the full Thanksgiving holiday off (something I rarely do, but have sworn to get better at (taking time off)). Today's article is posted below, after this memo.

For those who've inquired about my marathon results: I ran the Atlanta Thanksgiving Day marathon and finished in 4:39:06. I ran the entire thing -- only stopping to fully drink water/juice at designated stations along the way. I'd only trained up to 20 miles, so was worried that I wouldn't be able to finish in under 5 hours (the cut-off time for receiving a medal -- and boy did I want that medal!).

I was really sore for the next two days - but was able to dance my butt off at a party that Saturday night (funny how the body recovers when there's fun to be had). I was then sore again on Sunday, but by Monday felt like my old self. The weather was gorgeous (mid-60s, sunny, lite breeze).

Was it hard? Yes, but not as hard as I thought it would be. I've been a runner for over 20 years, but had never run a marathon. I can comfortably run up to 12 miles and trained for a year to do this marathon, even though I didn't get beyond the 20-mile mark in my training. However, other runners I'd spoken with said that if you can comfortably and consistently run 18 miles, you can do 26, even if you've never done it before. I sure was hoping that was true -- and it turned out to be so.

Would I do it again? Probably not. I enjoy running -- it's a form of relaxation therapy for me. But, when I get to 15-16+ miles, I really have to start concentrating on the running -- this takes the fun out of it for me because I can't think about other things, which is what I like to do when I run. I will be doing half-marathons though. I really enjoyed the camaraderie of the other runners and I'm now going to turn my attention to training for a half-triathlon.

Okay, enough about that -- on to today's topic: Freelance Copywriters: How to Market for Immediate Results, Higher Paying Jobs & Long-term Clients

Implement these three ideas to get immediate results, long-term clients and higher paying jobs from your freelance marketing efforts.

1. To get immediate results, pick up the phone: In the article, 10 Ways For a Freelance Writer to Make Money – Fast! (Part 2 of 2) (my Thursday, September 07, 2006 post), I detail exactly what to say on “cold calls.” Read Tip #6. Don’t cringe, tune out, or set your mind against doing this.

I know that this may frighten the heebie jeebies out of many, but trust me, once you do it 5 or 6 times, it’s old hat. You CAN do it and it will pay off big – almost immediately.

With the short, to-the-point script I laid out in the aforementioned article, you will see that it’s just like making a call to gather information, much as you would calling a restaurant to get directions.

Another immediate response marketing effort – email. Make sure you don’t spam though. How do you accomplish this? By actually taking the time to do some research on the prospect you want to email.

Your research doesn’t have to be in-depth, but does have to be enough to make the recipient feel like you’ve taken the time to get to know their product/service. Reference an article on their site, their current marketing campaign, marketing statistics pertinent to their sector, etc.

Your initial email should include the following: 1) evidence to prove that you know/are familiar with their product/service (eg, the research tip mentioned just above); 2) the reason for your contact; 3) why/how you can help them; 4) a brief professional bio; and 5) a link to your website (you do have one, right?).

Your website should include at least the following: a full bio on you, links to samples of your work and contact info. Testimonials, articles on/about your industry, a media page and a link to your blog (if you have one) is some other info you might want to add.

POST CONTINUED BELOW
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Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Subscribe to the Inkwell Editorial feed (under the LINKS section to your right) to receive new content immediately upon publishing. OR, email your address to subscribe to this content.
****************************
InkwellEditorial.com E-Course: Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Coming in January.

At the end of this one week, five-step course, you will have a concrete business and marketing plan for your freelance enterprise. Even if you've been a freelancer for years, this course will help you "laser focus" your efforts and exponentially increase your income. Via this course, secure your first client within 30 days -- or your money back!

Make Money with Our Affiliate Program! Before year's end our e-books will be availabe via ClickBank. Stay tuned for details.

Learn everything you need to know to work from home as a Freelance Writer, Editor, Proofreader, etc. How?Order an InkwellEditorial.com E-book. Receive 7 EBooks in All! Delivered right to your inbox immediately upon payment!
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2. To get long-term clients, think beyond the initial contact: I detailed how to do this in the article, Freelance Writers: How to Turn a Client Meeting Into a Windfall of Work (this blog's Wednesday, November 08, 2006 post).

To briefly recap, when a client contacts you, always, always, always think beyond the initial job. A personal story:

I recently did all the web copy for a client who is starting a title insurance company. When I sent in the final copy, I also presented him with three marketing ideas that help turn referrals into paying clients. Of course, they were all ideas that I could help with.

Why Proactive Marketing Breeds Success!

As I’ve mentioned before, being proactive in this manner helps in three ways:

a) it shows clients that you are professional and on the ball enough to be forward-thinking;

b) it lets them know that you understand their business; and

c) it gives them a reason to come back to you.

Many freelancers will simply turn in a project and say something to the effect of, “Keep me in mind if you have other projects I can help you with.” This is NOT effective. Be specific.

By offering specific ways in which you can help clients increase their bottom line, you become their go-to resource. This brings me to my last point:

3. To get higher-paying jobs, educate yourself: Freelance copywriters much be more than just proficient wordsmiths, they must be knowledgeable about marketing in general. This knowledge can easily be attained via trade journals, online reading, first-account articles, etc.

As a specific example of how this helps you make more money, I will use the recent client I mentioned above. This client had never had a website before and didn’t know too much about online marketing. I gathered this from our conversations about his web copy.

When I wrote his copy, I told him the reasons why I added, cut, embellished, etc., text. One specific exchange went like this:

“In marketing, it is a fact that if people are confused, there is too little info, or they don't fully grasp a concept, they rarely pursue it. Following this wisdom, it's always better to overstate an idea. Hence, the change I made was adding more of your ideas to this section, not cutting info.”

Explaining the reason behind your actions illustrate to the client that you are knowledgeable. Knowledge – especially when it is imparted in a manner that proves to the client that it helps their bottom line – is something that people are willing to pay more for because this, after all, must make you an “expert.”

Clients rarely question the fees of experts and are much more likely to feel that they’re getting more than “just” a freelance writer -- they’re getting a marketing expert who just happens to write.

Whether you are 3 months or 10 years into being a freelance writer, implementing these three ideas will increase your earnings for years to come.

May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.
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Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Subscribe to the Inkwell Editorial feed (under the LINKS section to your right) to receive new content immediately upon publishing. OR, email your address to subscribe to this content.

How to Get Long-term Clients, Higher Paying Jobs and Immediate Results from Your Freelance Marketing Efforts

In the article, How to Increase Your Freelance Income During the Holidays, my 11/16/06 blog post, I talk about being proactive to bring in the business.

Next Tuesday's post (Nov 28th) will discuss in detail what what I call "Proactive Marketing Success." Although all marketing plans are ostensibly "proactive," in this post, I will be discussing how to go about getting: a) more immediate results; b) long-term clients; and c) higher paying jobs.

Get a FREE E-Book on Article Marketing! My article marketing case study ended on 11/18. On Wednesday, Dec 6th, I will be publishing a FREE e-book detailing all the findings and how you can go about finding success via this free marketing tool.

EVERYTHING you ever wanted to know about article marketing will be detailed. You won't find a more complete book on the subject -- and all of it is verifiable, first-hand information (I conducted a month-long marketing campaign). Read about this experiment from the beginning by clicking here. Subscribe to get your FREE copy.

As this is a short, holiday week, I will not be posting again until next week -- I'm beat! So, for my American counterparts, have a safe, happy and healthy Thanksgiving holiday.

Sincerely,
Y. Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
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Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Subscribe to the Inkwell Editorial feed (under the LINKS section to your right) to receive new content immediately upon publishing. OR, email your address to subscribe to this content.
****************************
InkwellEditorial.com E-Course: Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Coming in January.

At the end of this one week, five-step course, you will have a concrete business and marketing plan for your freelance enterprise. Even if you've been a freelancer for years, this course will help you "laser focus" your efforts and exponentially increase your income. Via this course, secure your first client within 30 days -- or your money back!

Make Money with Our Affiliate Program: As of this month, our e-books will be availabe via ClickBank!

Learn everything you need to know to work from home as a Freelance Writer, Editor, Proofreader, etc. How?Order an InkwellEditorial.com E-book. Receive 7 EBooks in All! Delivered right to your inbox immediately upon payment!

Sales Tip: How to Motivate Prospects to Buy from You

Okay, it's Friday and I'm cheating -- big time. How? By not writing an article today. According to my blog's statistics, most of you aren't even reading it on Friday anyway.

BUT, I did want to give you a little motivating tip, so I borrowed the following from the article, 7 Sales Skills to Improve On (by Shamus Brown) on a sales tip website. An excerpt:

Sales Skill #2: Motivating Prospects
Qualifying goes beyond budget, authority, and need. You want to sell to prospects who *want* to buy from you. Finding prospects that need our products usually is not difficult. Finding those who really want our products though can be very hard if we wait for them to come to us.

Prospects generally do not know they need such products[/services], until they first discover that they have a problem. This process can take seconds or years depending on the nature of the problem (and the prospect!). Prospects get motivated to work with you when you help them to discover that you solve their problem better than anyone else.

KEY TIP: Determine which problems that you eliminate or solve for your prospects. Plan and ask questions to uncover and agitate those problems. **END EXCERPT**

There are 6 other great tips, so click on over and read the entire article.

Until Monday,
Y. Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
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How to Increase Your Freelance Income During the Holidays

This post can now be found at http://inkwelleditorial.com/how-to-increase-your-freelance-income-during-the-holidays in our new wordpress design.

Thanks for dropping by!

Poll Result: Should Freelance Writers Have a Minimum Wage?

Last Tuesday, I wrote an article entitled, Should Freelance Writers Have a Minimum Wage?.

When I posted it to the article directory, Buzzle.com, I included a poll with it (this is a neat little feature of this site - you can include a poll with your article if you want). FYI, following are the results to date.

Since 11/8/2006, 61 people have voted.

Yes: 50 - 82%
No: 8 - 13%
Don't Know: 3 - 5%

To vote on this poll, go to "Should Freelance Writers Have a Minimum Wage?".

Later on today, I'll be posting the article, How to Increase Your Freelance Income During the Holidays. Have to get some client stuff off my desk first.

Until then,
Y. Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com

How to Make $50,000 in Your First Year as a Freelance Copywriter

When many think of freelancing, they think starving artist, low pay, no benefits, long hours, etc. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Following are 6 steps to ensuring at least $50,000/year in your first year as a freelance copywriter.

1. Do the Numbers: Believing you can do it is the first part of the equation. Once you break down the numbers, I’ll bet you’ll say, “That’s it? I can make that!”

So, $50,000/year divided by 52 weeks equals roughly $962/week. Easily achievable once you establish your going rate, which we’ll discuss a little later.

$962/week divided by 5 days (building in weekends off) equals roughly $192/day. Any determined person can make this. And, if you pile on education, experience and the Internet, you should be saying to yourself, “This will be a breeze.”

It won’t, but you should at least be giddy at the realization that this is a more than achievable goal.

POST CONTINUED BELOW
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InkwellEditorial.com E-Course: Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Coming in January.

At the end of this one week, five-step course, you will have a concrete business and marketing plan for your freelance enterprise. Even if you've been a freelancer for years, this course will help you "laser focus" your efforts and exponentially increase your income. Via this course, secure your first client within 30 days -- or your money back!

Make Money with Our Affiliate Program! Before year's end our e-books will be availabe via ClickBank. Stay tuned for details.

Learn everything you need to know to work from home as a Freelance Writer, Editor, Proofreader, etc. How? Order an InkwellEditorial.com E-book. Receive 7 EBooks in All! Delivered right to your inbox immediately upon payment!
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2. Charge Enough: Don’t go into freelancing with the attitude of I HAVE to take low-paying jobs. You don’t! My mother used to say, “How you begin is how you will end.” She wasn’t talking about jobs, but I take this advice to heart in almost everything I start.

A personal story: When I realized that I was going to run this year’s marathon (Thanksgiving Day, Atlanta, GA), one of the first things I did was print out a training schedule.

My point: I took my goal seriously enough from the beginning and figured out what I needed to do to be ready. In the case of figuring out what to charge, this means figuring out how much you have to make each day, week, month to achieve your goal. With your goal clearly mapped out, you will be much less likely to stray.

So, let’s do some hard numbers. Figure a 9-hour work day – in the beginning, you will much likely put in more than this (I never said it was going to be easy). That’s $21.33/hour you need to make.

When you consider that, on the low-end, professional copywriters make $50/hour, you can see how feasible it is to make $50,000 year. FYI, you may only spend 4 hours on a project, but 5 hours doing marketing work to bring in that project – but, it all evens out.

3. Target a Niche: The reason I believe in targeting a niche is that it is so much easier to promote your services – especially if you have some type of experience within that niche.

For example, I target realtors, mortgage brokers and insurance agents. In my professional career, I’ve been a real estate agent and a mortgage broker. These two industries get you highly familiar with the insurance industry.

No experience in your targeted niche? With the advent of the Internet, it is fairly easy to become knowledgeable enough about a sector to market to it.

How to Choose a Profitable Niche

a) Pay: Not only do you want to target a niche, you want to target one that pays well. This usually means turning to the business community. Again, the Internet makes it easy to service clients worldwide – not just those in your community. So, don't let living in a small town scare you.

b) Plentiful: Eg, there may not be enough organic gardeners to target, but real estate agents are vast and plentiful. Don’t have any ideas? Look through the Yellow Pages. Why? These are all the types of businesses you would find in any community. And, there may be businesses that you may never even have thought of in there who could use your services.

c) Evergreen: Try to choose niches that are evergreen – eg, those that will be around forever. Lawyers, accountants, insurance agents, auto dealers – these types of businesses aren’t going anywhere. Once you establish yourself as an expert, getting business will be easier and easier. Notice, I didn’t say easy, I said “easier.”

4. Prepare a Marketing Plan: It doesn’t have to be 30 pages. A basic one will do, eg:

Who: is your target market?

What: do they need? How will you reach them? This will also tell you where you will be spending the bulk of your ad dollars (online or off).

Where: as, in, what geographic area will you service (eg, will I target only a local market, or go national/international (eg, solicit business via the Internet?) )

When: is their season (eg, is it slow during the summer, busy during the fall, etc.)

Why: should they choose me (figure out your USP (Unique Selling Proposition))?

Put this where you can see it every day. I break my marketing plan into quarters. At the beginning of each quarter, I map out what I should be doing on a weekly basis. Sometimes projects interfere and I may not complete everything on my list daily, but I try to get all scheduled tasks done within that week.

Don’t forget to figure in startup costs – eg, primarily getting a website. A basic one will do. Just make sure that it is professional looking, grammatically correct and doesn’t have bells and whistles (eg, no flashing graphics). Most visitors will be looking for information – make it easy for them to get it.

A marketing schedule keeps you on point. Robert Collier, one of America’s original "success authors" said, “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. . .” A marketing schedule does just this.

5. Prepare your Marketing Material: Get a website, get a website, get a website – this should be one of the first things you do! I think websites have progressed to the point where telephones used to be.

Ie, would you do business with someone who doesn’t have a phone? Probably not. Now, I think a lot of people feel that way about the internet. Further, how can you talk to someone about web copy if you don’t even have a website yourself? Ostensibly, this could be the only “promotional item” you need.

But, I would also do a basic introductory letter, a brochure, business cards (of course), a professional bio and a few samples. Don’t have samples? Do freebies until you get 5 or 6. All of this can be on your website.

Why different kinds of marketing material? Different situations call for different types of handouts. Eg, you may be at a Chamber of Commerce meeting one week (give out that brochure) and at the dry cleaners the next week (hand out business cards).

6. Implement & Follow Through -- Consistently: Many freelancers give up before they even begin. I look at freelancing as pushing a boulder up a hill – it’s hard going up (think of this as the ramp up of your business), but, once you get to the top, the ball rolls downhill by itself.

Freelancing won’t be that easy – and don’t believe anyone who tells you that it will. BUT, with sustainable effort, you will begin to get assignments, and then referrals will seem to come in effortlessly.

If you follow this plan, you should start to get assignments within 30-60 days. Good luck!
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Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Subscribe to the Inkwell Editorial feed (under the LINKS section to your right) to receive new content immediately upon publishing. OR, email your address to subscribe to this content.
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May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.

Freelance Writers: How to Increase Your Business with a Simple One-Page Letter

When I owned my editorial staffing agency and would put out a job opening for freelancers, I would get a ton of responses. If I asked for work samples, I would get slammed – even if the ad specifically stated to send, for example, “one writing sample on real estate investing.”

To quickly get through the pile of resumes, the first thing I would do is weed out anyone who sent more than I had requested. The point of this little story – more is not always better.

BUT, you may lament, “I want to show the client what I can do for them.” You can do this very effectively via a simple one-page introductory letter.

POST CONTINUED BELOW
****************************
Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Subscribe to the Inkwell Editorial feed (under the LINKS section to your right) to receive new content immediately upon publishing. OR, email your address to subscribe to this content.
****************************
InkwellEditorial.com E-Course: Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Coming in January.

At the end of this one week, five-step course, you will have a concrete business and marketing plan for your freelance enterprise. Even if you've been a freelancer for years, this course will help you "laser focus" your efforts and exponentially increase your income. Via this course, secure your first client within 30 days -- or your money back!

Make Money with Our Affiliate Program! Before year's end our e-books will be availabe via ClickBank. Stay tuned for details.

Learn everything you need to know to work from home as a Freelance Writer, Editor, Proofreader, etc. How? Order an InkwellEditorial.com E-book. Receive 7 EBooks in All! Delivered right to your inbox immediately upon payment!
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SECTION I: In this paragraph, you simply want to state your name and give a very brief background summary and niche specialty. Eg:

I am Yuwanda Black, the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com. A freelance copywriter for over 13 years, I specialize in increasing the referral rates of real estate agents, mortgage brokers and insurance agents via newletters, brochures, e-books, etc.

Whatever your written marketing needs, I can deliver measurable results. Samples of my writing/portfolio can be found at mywebsite.com (you do have a website, right?).

SECTION II: Illustrate to the client that you are familiar with his product, service, specialty, etc. and how you can improve it, supplement it, overhaul it, etc. for better results. Eg:

I noticed from your website (brochure, postcard, sales letter, etc.) that you have been in business for 5 years and service the XXXX market. I can help you increase your sales by at least 15% over a year’s time (maybe more). How?

Studies (cite a source) have shown that consistent contact is the number one way to get clients to call YOU – and not your competitor. According to xxx (here you would input a reliable marketing stat), in your industry, only X percent of mortgage brokers do this.

Imagine how many more clients you can add to your business by becoming the go-to expert in your sector? I can position you for this – bringing in referrals for years to come!

SECTION III: The wrap up: Repeat here their number one benefit of using you, eg, to increase their bottom line. Eg,

My job is to increase your bottom line. As a results-oriented professional copywriter, I know how to move prospects into your (not your competitor’s) paying customers when they’re ready to buy.

SECTION IV: The call to action. Ask them to do something – now!

Call today for your no-obligation consultation. I can be reached at:
PH: 000-111-1234
CELL: 111-222-3333
FAX: 222-333-4444
Email: info@inkwelleditorial.com
URL: InkwellEditorial.com

SECTION V: The P.S. (EVERY sales letter should have a P.S.). In this section, you can give a way a freebie (e-books are great for this) and/or reiterate a major benefit (eg, increase your bottom line by 15%).

Feel free to use a P.S. and a P.P.S. Eg:

P.S.: With your free consultation, you receive a free e-booklet, “For Real Estate Professionals: 10 Ways to Turn Referrals Into Paying Customers.”

P.P.S.: This e-book is FREE, even if you don’t use my services.

5 Copywriting Tips for Your One-Page Letter

a) Use lots of white space and bold headings. Eg, between each section, create a bold heading that clues the reader in to what they’re about to read. Most people skim copy – especially from unfamiliar sources – this makes it much more likely to get read.

b) Write from a “what’s in it for the client” point of view instead of a “what’s in it for me” point of view. At every turn, reiterate how you can help them make more money, save more time, reach more prospects, etc. In business, most people either want to make more money or increase their referral ratio – these are safe objectives to state that you can help them with.

c) Make a connection: Eg, I read on your website; I heard in your seminar; I see from your brochure – everyone likes to feel that you have at least taken the time to know their business.

d) Give stats: This lends credibility to your “sales pitch.” It’s not just you saying x, a noted source can back up your contention.

e) Use a call to action: If you don’t ask them to do something, they may do nothing. So, use phrases like call today, log on to our website, subscribe to our newsletter, register for your free gift.

I guarantee you, if you follow the format outlined above, your direct mail and/or e-mail conversion rate will be higher, garnering you clients for years to come.
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Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Subscribe to the Inkwell Editorial feed (under the LINKS section to your right) to receive new content immediately upon publishing. OR, email your address to subscribe to this content.
****************************
May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.