How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career: September 2007

Friday, September 28, 2007

POST #24: 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career

PUBLISHER NOTE: If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know about the upcoming freelance writing seminar in October. You will learn exactly what to do to earn $100, $150, $200/day or more as a freelance writer, editor and/or copy editor. Click to register!

Many have inquired about what will be discussed at the seminar. So, in order to answer your questions and to get you prepared for what to expect, I've started a series of posts entitled "40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career."

To start at the beginning, click here. And, welcome to the blog. Now, on to today’s post . . .

Why Marketing Too Much Can Lead to Less Business

There are so many ways to market your freelance writing services, it’s downright scary and can leave you immobilized.

But, when you finally take the plunge – doing too much can lead to fewer clients – not more. How?

Consider this: The outlets for marketing include the following -- and quite a few more that I’m sure to leave off the list.

Offline Marketing Outlets: postcards, flyers, sales letters, newspaper ads, brochures, promotional items, face-to-face networking, cold calling, etc.

Online Marketing Outlets: website, e-newsletters, forums, social networking sites (eg, MySpace, FaceBook, Squidoo), blogs, ebooks, article writing, online columns, etc.

How to start, where to start, what will give you the most bang for your buck – and your time? It can be difficult to know. So, how do you decide?

Quite frankly, your niche and your marketing budget will dictate which marketing methods to use, as discussed in Post #21. However, if you’re still confused, stick to the following advice:

POST CONTINUED BELOW
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FREE Freelance Writing E-Course! And, the special e-report: How to Make $100/Day as a Freelance Writer! Limited time offer. Details.
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1. Consistency: As in, choose marketing methods you can afford – and have the time to – repeat. Marketing is not a one-hit wonder. And, as I’ve written so often in the past, a common marketing rule is that it takes the average consumer 7 to 28 times of seeing your ad before they will buy.

So, spending money on a splashy direct mail piece is not prudent – if you can’t afford to send it out week after week, month after month, etc.

2. Combine Methods: As in, combine different marketing methods for maximum effect. I use a couple of free methods all the time (eg, article marketing, newsletter publication). A few times a year – usually once a quarter, I’ll send out a direct mail piece.

As marketing is something that has to be done consistently to take effect, by combining free and paid methods, I’m never in danger of not being able to market.

If ever I can’t afford to do send out postcards or brochures (my favorite mailers), then I’ve still gotten my name in front of prospects via my newsletter and article marketing efforts.

3. Don’t be “Faddy”: IE, don’t feel like you have to jump on every new fad that comes out. I put up a MySpace and Squidoo page a few months ago, and have only gone back to them a few times.

Why did I do it? A momentary, "I got caught up in the hype" lapse. Like a blog, if you’re not going to actively update and market via that outlet, it’s best not to bother with it. You’re simply wasting time.

Again, it all goes back to consistency. I’ve blogged since February 2005. I’ve used article marketing since 2002 or 2003 (can’t exactly remember). I’ve had my website since 1999. Via these outlets, I’ve built up a pretty good client base.

Why? Because I consistently update, change and market via these outlets. So, they work.The bottom line: Find one, two or three (and I don’t advise more than three) free marketing mediums you have the time – and money – to devote to, and stick with these.

Spreading your efforts more than this will only scatter your marketing efforts – making them less, not more, effective.

MONDAY'S POST: We’ll discuss when you should change your advertising – and how?

What do you think? If you have questions, comments or observations about this post, send them in. Email them to info [at] InkwellEditorial.com.

Creatively and consistently yours,
Yuwanda (who is this person?)
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What’s in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter?

Current Issue: For all you artists our there (illustrators, cartoonists, photographers, this one is for you). I interviewed successful cartoonist Dan Rosendach. He’s been a freelancer since 1976 and lays out some very interesting marketing tactics for keeping the business rolling in.

Missed the last issue of Inkwell's freelance writing newsletter? The 9/12 issue featured an interview with freelance writer, Gordon Graham, aka, that white paper guy.

Gordon charges $90/hour just to edit a white paper and a minimum of $4,000 to produce one from scratch. Wanna know what he had to say? Sign up to receive your copy to read his informative, in-depth interview.

Gain clients, web traffic and brand awareness. How? Let us interview you for our popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.
************************************************
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.
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Thursday, September 27, 2007

POST #23: 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career

PUBLISHER NOTE: If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know about the upcoming freelance writing seminar in October. Details.

Many have inquired about what will be discussed at the seminar. So, in order to answer your questions and to get you prepared for what to expect, I started a series of posts entitled "40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career."To start at the beginning, click here. And, welcome to the blog. Now, on to today’s post . . .

The Dangers of Forums for Freelance Writers

Forums can be dangerous places for freelance writers, for a myriad of reasons. But, the number one reason is that they are time killers.

What Housekeeping Can Teach You about Freelancing

I got up this morning, made the bed, folded two baskets of laundry, put another load in the dryer, cooked breakfast and washed the dishes. Total time: About 45 minutes. I did all of this before I started my workday.

My point?

When I get up in the morning, I’m on a mission. I usually have a list of things I want to get to during the day, and from the time my feet hit the floor, I’m conscious of not wasting time.

While some make think this is a bit regimented, it really isn’t – once it became a habit.

You see, I can’t stand a dirty house – I’m not a neat freak, but I do keep a pretty clean house. I could easily spend 14 or 15 hours a day at my computer – but, I do have a family that I have to devote time to, I’m a runner, so I have to make time for that, and I’m a freelance writer – which encompasses a lot (eg, writing ebooks, producing seminars, updating my blog and website, etc.).

Women – and I don’t mean this to be a sexist statement at all – are natural multi-taskers. For example, while my breakfast was cooking, I was washing up the few dishes in the sink.

When my fiancé cooks, he doesn’t do this. He leaves all the dirty dishes and the containers from whatever he’s used to prepare the meal to clean up last. I stay away from the kitchen when he cooks because I can’t stand to look at the unruliness of the space.

I clean and put away things as I cook.

Applying this type of regimentation to your freelance career will ensure that you use each day to the max. This is one of the things I talk about in the e-report, How to Make $100/Day as a Freelance Writer. [FYI, I gave this report away free to newsletter subscribers yesterday. Later on today, it will be listed on InkwellEditorial.com for $5. Want the free copy? Become a newsletter subscriber]

So, what does all of this have to do with forums?

Many freelancers lurk in them for hours on end – wasted hours that could have been spent on income-producing tasks.

“But,” you may be thinking, “I learn a lot in the forums.”

My response: Fine. But go to them to find the answer to a question you have, and then leave. Don’t get lost in threads and/or, get sucked in to contributing to threads to the point where you lose big chunks of time.

Time is your most valuable commodity as a freelance writer. As I’ve said in many, many articles in the past – time is money – and this is especially true when you are a freelancer.

Now, I’m not saying don’t contribute to a forum. I love forums and probably wouldn’t know half of what I do know if I didn’t spend some time in them. But, I consciously limit my time in them, and follow a few rules to keep me on track.

Rules for Forum Lurking

Plan Ahead: As in, schedule some forum time into your work day/ work week. This way, you have a defined time that doesn’t take away from something else you could/should be doing.

Limit Contributions: The very nature of forums is to share information. But, limit the amount of time you spend sharing. Answering one question can take an hour or more, if you answer it thoroughly.

I get a lot of questions from readers of my blog, ebooks and website, but I structure how and when I answer them. If it’s a question I get a lot, I simply provide a link to previous answers. If it’s a relatively new question, I may save it and turn it into an article, posting in on my blog for all to benefit from. This way, I get double duty from the question – it serves as a blog post, and it answers the reader’s inquiry.

Research: Use forums as research. When you go to one, be there for a specific reason. Once you find the answer to what you’re looking for, leave.

Market: Forums are great for marketing. For example, if you’re promoting an ebook or your writing services, log on and answer a question – in detail – then provide a link in your signature to whatever you’re promoting (your website, ebook, seminar, etc.).

If you’re serious about making money as a freelance writer, you have to be ruthless with your time. Social networking outlets like forums can be great boosters to your career, but only when they are used in a defined manner, as outlined above.

Happy lurking!
Yuwanda (Who is this person?)
Endnote: It’s about 10:45 am. I started work at 8:30 this morning – way early for me. So far, I’ve surfed the net, checked email, finished this blog post, taken two phone calls, made the bed, folded two baskets of laundry, put another load in the dryer, cooked breakfast and washed the dishes.

Have you wasted time today?

P.S.: IT PAYS TO SUBSCRIBE! Yesterday, I sent a free, 11-page report to subscribers entitled, How to Make $100/Day as a Freelance Writer. This report will sell for $5 later today. But, if you become a subscriber to Inkwell's newsletter, you will receive it free along with the latest issue.

It's jam packed with info on how -- and why you should -- take concrete steps to reach the $100/day mark freelancing. Subscribe today.

P.P.S.: BONUS! Oh yeah, you get the free e-book on article marketing -- Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Article Marketing: Results of a 30-day Article Marketing Experiment -- for signing up too!
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What's in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter?

Yesterday's Issue: For all you artists our there (illustrators, cartoonists, photographers, this one is for you). I interviewed successful cartoonist Dan Rosendach. He’s been a freelancer since 1976 and lays out some concrete marketing tactics for keeping the business rolling in.

Missed the last issue of Inkwell's freelance writing newsletter? The 9/12 issue featured an interview with freelance writer, Gordon Graham, aka, that white paper guy.Gordon charges $90/hour just to edit a white paper and a minimum of $4,000 to produce one from scratch.

Wanna know what he had to say? Sign up to receive your copy to read his informative, in-depth interview.

Gain clients, web traffic and brand awareness. How? Let us interview you for our popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.
************************************************
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.
**************************************************
Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Make us a Technorati Favorite. Simply click the Technorati icon at the top right-hand corner of the page.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

POST #22: 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career

PUBLISHER NOTE: If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know about the upcoming freelance writing seminar in October. Details.

Many have inquired about what will be discussed at the seminar. So, in order to answer your questions and to get you prepared for what to expect, I started a series of posts entitled "40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career."

To start at the beginning, click here. And, welcome to the blog. Now, on to today’s post . . .

How Naming Your Files Descriptively Can Lead to Cash

As Dan Rosandich, the featured interviewee in the latest edition of Inkwell Editorial's newsletter (published today) noted, getting noticed online is one of the things you can do to snag clients.

Dan wrote:

Learn web design yourself and don't let anyone do it for you. Because if you do, you immediately lose all control of the way you want it to look and how it should appear to potential clients. . . . Learn some HTML, it sounded complicated when I first began studying but I slowly became a freak / geek and developed a love / hate relationship with coding....it gets more interesting as you go along because you soon realize all the potential the web has to offer in getting you "out there" - - -

In keeping with this spirit, today's post is a simple tip I picked up a long time ago from some reading on how to get noticed online.

A Tip to Get You Noticed Online

When you name anything you upload -- files, photos, video, etc. give it a descriptive, meaningful name. For example, instead of name a picture photo1.jpg, name it, tips-on-freelance-writing.jpg, if that's what it's used for.

Why? Because when search engines crawl the web, they look for words that describe something. And, when they pick it up -- no matter what the file type (.jpg, .htm., etc.), it can still be picked up when people search for it. Note the following Google result when I typed in the phrase, "Freelance Writing Newletter".

[PDF] Inkwell Editorial Freelance Writing NewsletterFile Format: PDF/Adobe AcrobatIssue 3: July 18, 2007 can be found at http://www.inkwelleditorial.com/Newsletter/7-18-07-. freelance-writing-newsletter.pdf. Always editorially yours, ...inkwelleditorial.com/Newsletter/8-15-07-freelance-writing-newsletter.pdf - Similar pages - Note this

FYI, this is the #11 result on Google (not the first page, but hey, you can't win'em all) -- not bad considering there must be thousands of freelance writing e-zines out there. And, note that my newsletter is a .pdf file.

BUT, as I have the phrase "Freelance Writing Newletter" as part of my naming mechanism, whenever someone types in that phrase to search for info, my newsletter is going to pop up in their results -- hopefully one day soon on page one :-).

Now, I sell ebooks. So, if they curiously open up my newsletter, read it, and like the content, they are likely to become a subscriber -- for possibly years to come. How likely do you think it will be that at some point in time they will purchase an ebook?

See how naming your files descriptively can lead to cash -- for years to come?

It's hard to get found on the net, using little tips and tricks like this can be one more way you reach hundreds and some day thousands of readers.

Helpfully yours,
Yuwanda
P.S.: IT PAYS TO SUBSCRIBE! Today, I sent a free, 11-page report to subscribers entitled, How to Make $100/Day as a Freelance Writer. This report will sell for $5 starting tomorrow. But, if you become a subscriber to Inkwell's newsletter, you will receive it free along with the latest issue.

It's jam packed with info on how -- and why you should -- take concrete steps to reach the $100/day mark freelancing. Subscribe today.

BONUS! Oh yeah, you get the free e-book on article marketing -- Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Article Marketing: Results of a 30-day Article Marketing Experiment -- for signing up too!
***************************************************
What's in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter?

Today's Issue: For all you artists our there (illustrators, cartoonists, photographers, this one is for you). I interviewed successful cartoonist Dan Rosendach. He’s been a freelancer since 1976 and lays out some concrete marketing tactics for keeping the business rolling in.

Missed the last issue of Inkwell's freelance writing newsletter? The 9/12 issue featured an interview with freelance writer, Gordon Graham, aka, that white paper guy.Gordon charges $90/hour just to edit a white paper and a minimum of $4,000 to produce one from scratch.

Wanna know what he had to say? Sign up to receive your copy to read his informative, in-depth interview.

Gain clients, web traffic and brand awareness. How? Let us interview you for our popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.
************************************************
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.
**************************************************
Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Make us a Technorati Favorite. Simply click the Technorati icon at the top right-hand corner of the page.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

POST #21: 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career

PUBLISHER NOTE: If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know about the upcoming freelance writing seminar in October. You will learn exactly what to do to earn $100, $150, $200/day or more as a freelance writer, editor and/or copy editor. Click to register!

Many have inquired about what will be discussed at the seminar. So, in order to answer your questions and to get you prepared for what to expect, I've started a series of posts entitled "40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career."

To start at the beginning, click here. And, welcome to the blog. Now, on to today’s post . . .

Where Should You Look for Freelance Writing Work – Online or Off?

Freelance writing has changed immensely since 1993, when I started. But, there are some definite guidelines to be followed when looking for work.Like most things in life, it depends on your goal and the type of writing you like/want to do. So, take the following into account – and you’ll come up with the answer that’s right for you.

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FREE Freelance Writing E-Course! And, the special e-report: How to Make $100/Day as a Freelance Writer! Limited time offer. Details.
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4 Things to Consider When Deciding Whether to Go Online, or Off, for Freelance Work

1. What type of writing do you want to do? I’m a commercial freelance writer and many of my clients are local small business owners. I locate them primarily through networking events and word of mouth these days. Remember, I’ve been at this since 1993, so I don’t have to do as much advertising anymore.

However, when I first started out, I found great success with postcard advertising (sending postcards through the mail). I also used to do fax campaigns – faxing a flyer to prospects whose info I’d located through their ads in the Yellow Pages, newspaper, etc.

Now, fax broadcasting is illegal in many states, so I stopped doing that years ago.If you wanted to write primarily for magazines, for example, practically all of your market efforts will be spent online – locating editor contact information, preparing queries, searching for submission guidelines, etc.

My point: The niche you target will largely dictate your marketing efforts.

2. Income Goals: There is no set pay scale for freelance writers. One write may charge $50/hour, while another may charge $15/hour -- for the exact same project. This is one of the reasons many freelance writers are severely underpaid, in my opinion. But, that’s another topic altogether.

The reason I like commercial freelance writing – ie, writing for the corporate/small business sector – is that there is somewhat of a standard fee. Many commercial freelance writers charge $50/hour – just starting out. Where are they likely to find the bulk of their clients? In my opinion, offline.

So, doing things like going to Business Licensing Division of your local county seat, buying a list of the latest registered businesses and contacting them via phone or direct mail, is a great way to get new customers – and it can be much more effective than email. (FYI, this was discussed in Post #17 of this series.)

On the other hand, if you want to provide web copy to the clients of web designers, then you’d contact them – usually via email.

The bottom line: Choose niches that pay well and where prospects are plentiful so that no matter how you reach them – online or off – you won’t have to work 12, 15 or 16 hour days to make a decent living.

3. Your Marketing Personality: I’m a pretty solitary worker. I can literally stay in front of the computer for 12 or 14 hours – and be perfectly happy.Although I do a lot of offline networking to get clients, when I work, I prefer to work alone.

This distinction is very important because you may use one method to acquire clients, but the project may require another way of working altogether.

If you don’t like cold calling or the monotony of putting together a direct mail campaign, for example, then you may want to target markets where most of your marketing efforts are concentrated online – eg, SEO writing. For this, simple, short emails will usually suffice.
4. Your Marketing Budget: Last, but certainly not least, your budget will play a great part in how you market.

Online marketing is some of the easiest and cheapest marketing you will ever do. And, it is highly effective – when simple guidelines are followed. Proof?

According to ClickZ.com, “Court Cunningham, who oversees DoubleClick's DARTmail program estimated the average email cost per unit at $0.25, versus $1.25 for a direct mail piece. Response rate? One to two percent for direct, five to fifteen percent for email.”

Cold calling is also extremely effective. I didn’t start using this until about two years ago – I always hated, hated, hated it. And, it’s still not my favorite. BUT, I’ve made great strides with this – I think more than anything, it was overcoming my fear of it.

Direct mail, which can easily be the most expensive of the options discussed here, doesn’t have to be prohibitively so. If you send like postcards, sign up for bulk mail rates and use an extremely targeted mailing list where your chances of getting a good return are high, it can really make it money well spent.

The graphic shown is an actual postcard I used as a direct mailer a few years back. I designed it myself on VistaPrint.com.

Marketing Tip: I used an an actual testimony I'd received from a client on the front of the postcard. Testimonials are very effective in print marketing.

Final thought: I’ve used both on- and offline methods when looking for freelance work. And, I’d say it’s a combination that produces the best results.

What do you think? If you have questions, comments or observations about this post, send them in. Email them to info [at] InkwellEditorial.com.

Editorially yours,
Yuwanda (who is this person?)
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What's Next in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter?

Tomorrow's Issue: For all you artists our there (illustrators, cartoonists, photographers, this one is for you). I interviewed successful cartoonist Dan Rosendach. He’s been a freelancer since 1976 and lays out some very interesting marketing tactics for keeping the business rolling in.

Missed the last issue of Inkwell's freelance writing newsletter? The 9/12 issue featured an interview with freelance writer, Gordon Graham, aka, that white paper guy.Gordon charges $90/hour just to edit a white paper and a minimum of $4,000 to produce one from scratch.

Wanna know what he had to say? Sign up to receive your copy to read his informative, in-depth interview.

Gain clients, web traffic and brand awareness. How? Let us interview you for our popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.
************************************************
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.
**************************************************
Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Make us a Technorati Favorite. Simply click the Technorati icon at the top right-hand corner of the page.

Monday, September 24, 2007

POST #20: 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career

PUBLISHER NOTE: If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know about the upcoming freelance writing seminar in October. You will learn exactly what to do to earn $100, $150, $200/day or more as a freelance writer, editor and/or copy editor. Registration is now open!

Many have inquired about what will be discussed at the seminar. So, in order to answer your questions and to get you prepared for what to expect, I started this series of posts entitled "40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career." To start at the beginning, click here.

Welcome to the blog. Now, on to today’s post . . .

Freelance Writers, “Suck It Up!”

My stepfather was recently diagnosed with cancer, a major client put a project on hold I was contracted to do two months ago, and – until two days ago – I had a severe head cold that woke me up constantly in the middle of the night unable to breathe (hence, sleep).

So, why am I telling you all this?

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FREE Freelance Writing E-Course! And, the special e-report: How to Make $100/Day as a Freelance Writer! Limited time offer. Details.
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I still have client deadlines to meet and my head, heart and desire is everywhere but on work. BUT, I have to suck it up, remain professional and plow ahead. In other words, I endure.

One thing many freelancers – especially newbies – fail to consider is what's going to happen to your career if you fail to push through the "I don’t feel like working," syndrome -- even if it's only a couple of times.

Many freelancers are so excited to just have projects, that they don’t take into account the long-term effects of not pushing through this -- almost every time.

I implore you to remember this – short of a major emergency, you must, must, must be reliable – above all else –in this profession.

Clients will forgive the occasional grammatical error, an error on an invoice and maybe even a completed project they didn’t exactly love. BUT, most will not forgive tardiness. This can kill your career before you even get it off the ground.

And, while they may say, “It’s okay; take one more day,” you will have planted the seed of unreliability – and you don’t want even a hint of this to be attached to your name, for the following reasons . . .

Companies hire freelancers because they either:

i) don’t have the in-house staff to handle a project;

ii) don’t want to hire in-house staff to handle a project;

iii) are too busy and need help to get them throuch crunch time; and/or

iv) to sub for an employee who may be on maternity leave, taken emergency family leave, etc.

So, YOU, my dear freelancer – are the ace in the hole – the person they turn to to save the day. Which means, you get no sick days, maternity leave and/or vacation time (from clients).

Why Clients Give Repeat Work to Freelancers

As I wrote about in Post #13 under the sub-headline, 3 Things to Focus on to Get Work from Department Heads/Managers

Managers are accountable for the freelancers they hire. If they feel like you can make them look good, they will throw more stuff your way all the time. Looking good means covering the following bases, primarily: . . . Time: As in, complete the project on time.

I have no control over how my stepfather’s chemo treatment is going to go; as hard as I tried, I couldn’t get rid of my cold until it ran its course; and, controlling client projects – fuggeeddaaboutit!

What I do have control over though is my work. So, although my mind is not exactly on work these days, I use it as a respite from what’s going on in my life.

And that, sometimes, is all the inspiration you need to “suck it up!”

What do you think? If you have questions, comments or observations about this post, send them in. Email them to info [at] InkwellEditorial.com.

Editorially yours,
Yuwanda (who is this person?)
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What’s Next in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter?

Next Issue – 9/26: For all you artists our there (illustrators, cartoonists, photographers, this one is for you). I interviewed successful cartoonist Dan Rosendach. He’s been a freelancer since 1976 and lays out some very interesting marketing tactics for keeping the business rolling in.

Missed the last issue of Inkwell's freelance writing newsletter? The 9/12 issue featured an interview with freelance writer, Gordon Graham, aka, that white paper guy.

Gordon charges $90/hour just to edit a white paper and a minimum of $4,000 to produce one from scratch. Wanna know what he had to say? Sign up to receive your copy to read his informative, in-depth interview.

Gain clients, web traffic and brand awareness. How? Let us interview you for our popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.
************************************************
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.
**************************************************
Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Make us a Technorati Favorite. Simply click the Technorati icon at the top right-hand corner of the page.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Registration Open for Freelance Writing Seminar

Registration is finally open for the upcoming freelance writing seminar. To register, click here.

Tickets are going fast! There were 63 signups who were pre-notified; 41 bought tickets. So, that leaves 59 tickets. Once all the tickets are gone, I'll start a waiting list. If someone cancels, you will be notified and given a chance to sign up.

Why registration was delayed: 1) I was trying to wait for full details on which ballroom we're going to be in. However, I'm not going to find that out until 72 hours beforehand. Of course, you'll be notified.

2) Unfortunately, my stepfather was recently diagnosed with cancer, so it's been hard to focus on work. He starts his chemo soon -- and hopefully -- all will go well.

Tomorrow, the 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career series will resume.

Thanks for your patience.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda (Who am I?)
P.S.: BONUS! Seminar attendees receive all of Inkwell Editorial's ebooks and its e-course FREE. See the registration page for full details.

P.P.S.: Can't attend the seminar, but still want info on how to start a successful freelance writing career? I've packaged all of Inkwell's ebooks together at a special rate -- for a limited time. Click here for details. It's the next best thing to being there!
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What’s Up Next in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter?

Missed the last issue of Inkwell's freelance writing newsletter? The 9/12 issue featured an interview with freelance writer, Gordon Graham, aka, that white paper guy.Gordon charges $90/hour just to edit a white paper and a minimum of $4,000 to produce one from scratch.

Wanna know what he had to say? Sign up to receive your copy to read his informative, in-depth interview.

Next Issue – 9/26: For all you artists our there, I interviewed successful cartoonist Dan Rosandich. He’s been a freelancer since the mid-70s and details some very interesting marketing tactics on how to keep clients rolling in. He gives A LOT of very specific marketing info -- you won't want to miss his interview!

Gain clients, web traffic and brand awareness. How? Let us interview you for our popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.
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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.
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Wednesday, September 19, 2007

POST #19: 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Post #18: 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career

PUBLISHER NOTE: If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know about the upcoming freelance writing seminar in October. Details.

Many have inquired about what will be discussed at the seminar. So, in order to answer your questions and to get you prepared for what to expect, I've started a series of posts entitled "40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career."

To start at the beginning, click here. And, welcome to the blog. Now, on to today’s post . . .

How to approach a new business owner & become their freelance writer of choice – for life!

One problem common to almost every business owner is acquiring new clients. While retaining old clients is essential to success, you must have a steady stream of new ones to remain viable.

One of the best– and cheapest -- ways for freelance writers to do this is to contact new business owners. As I discussed in yesterday’s post, because they are just starting out, they need everything – brochures, web copy, sales letters, etc.

“But,” you may be thinking, “how do I go about this?” Following is a plan of attack to getting those new business owners as clients.

POST CONTINUED BELOW
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Want to learn exactly what to do to earn $100, $150, $200/day or more as a freelance writer, editor and/or copy editor? Inkwell Editorial's upcoming Freelance Writing Seminar will tell you how. Details. It's a career anyone who can read and write can start  with the right information.
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Freelance Writers: A specific plan for getting new business owners as clients

Implement what I’ve labeled a call-mail-call program.

1. Placing the call: If you’ve done as I advised in the last post and purchased the new business registration list from your local business license office, then you should have the name of the business, the name of the proprietor and the type of business right in front of you.

Tip! Don’t make the first contact a sales call. Your first call should go something like, “May I speak with [name of proprietor] please?”Most of the time, you will have reached the owner of the business owner. At this point, they’ll say something like, “This is she. Who’s calling?”

You’ll respond, “My name is Yuwanda Black and I’m a freelance writer who specizliazes in helping new business owners acquire new clients. I’m calling you today for two reasons.

One, to congratulate you on opening your [type of business – eg, cleaning service, auto repair shop, real estate agency, etc.]. And two, to send you some information on increasing sales. Before sending out the information, would you mind verifying your address for me? Is [repeat address as listed on the list you purchased] correct?”

At this point, they’ll usually say yes or no. After getting the correct address, you’ll then follow up with, “Would you prefer to receive this information via email?”

If they say yes, get their email address and get it out to them pronto!

To end the call, congratulate them again on the opening of their business, and let them know you’ll follow up in 5-7 business days to see if they have any questions about the information you sent.

Eg, “Thank you for verifying your information. I’ll get that in the mail right away, and will follow up in 5-7 business days to see if you have any questions. Congratulations again on the opening of your business. I look forward to speaking with you again soon.”

2. Mail: This is the easy part. Mail out the promised information – the same day you make the call.It can be as simple as a postcard with your website information, which is where they’ll get detailed information about your services.

To entice them to log on, direct them to a page especially targeted towards new business owners. Eg, I specialize in helping new business owners:

**Increase Sales by ??%: This works because any increase in sales is good because they probably don’t have many (or any) when they first start;

**Start off Right by Getting Customers for Life: By sending out a monthly newsletter, a joke of the day, a business tip of th4e week, etc., new business owners start to build customer loyalty (eg, customers for life); and

**Get Fresh Leads Month after Month after Month: This can be as simple as starting a monthly drip campaign via postcard mailings. Wonder what I mean by drip campaign? Its effectiveness is explained in Post #7.

**Etc.

3. Follow-up phone call: Call on the fifth day to see if they received your mailer. If they say they didn’t receive it, send it again and follow up in 3-4 days this time.

If they did receive it, ask if they have any questions. No matter what they answer to this, always end with, “There are a number of ways I can help you start to acquire clients. They’re all cost-effective and relatively easy to start.”

When is the best time to discuss how you’d like to get started?

Notice how I don’t ask any yes or no questions – other than did you receive the info I sent you.

It’s an old sales trick, but never give a prospect the chance to say no, because plenty of them will take it. While this may seem a little pushy, it’s always awkward acquiring clients.

To push through whatever trepidation you have in this area, think about how much this client could mean to your business over the course of 2, 3 or 5 years.

Two or three awkward phone calls is worth it to acquire what could be worth tens of thousands of dollars worth of business over the years.

See how relatively easy it is to market to new business owners? You have more to offer them, simply because they need more of what you have to offer and probably have no providers in place to handle their needs.

Often, being first also means being last. As in, being the first freelance writer they deal with means you may also be the last one they deal with (ie, they become your client for life).

Now, get to your county’s business licensing office and purchase that list!

As always, editorially yours,
Yuwanda (who is this person?)
**************************************************
What’s in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter?

Missed the last issue of Inkwell's freelance writing newsletter? The 9/12 issue featured an interview with freelance writer, Gordon Graham, aka, that white paper guy.

Gordon charges $90/hour just to edit a white paper and a minimum of $4,000 to produce one from scratch. Wanna know what he had to say? Sign up to receive your copy to read his informative, in-depth interview. Next issue will be published on 9/26.

Gain clients, web traffic and brand awareness. How? Let us interview you for our popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.
************************************************
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.
**************************************************
Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Make us a Technorati Favorite. Simply click the Technorati icon at the top right-hand corner of the page.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Post #17: 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career

How to Get Fresh Leads Who Desperately Need Your Writing Services

I had some business down at the county seat the other day. As I was paying a bill at the window, I noticed a sign that said business lists must now be purchased using cash or a credit card.

I asked the clerk how much the lists were, and she said $6.50. I promptly purchased one. Why am I telling you this?

POST CONTINUED BELOW
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Want to learn exactly what to do to earn $100, $150, $200/day or more as a freelance writer, editor and/or copy editor? Inkwell Editorial's upcoming Freelance Writing Seminar will tell you how. Details. It's a career anyone who can read and write can start  with the right information.
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Well, the list I purchased was a printout of all the businesses that were registered in my county the previous month – there were probably 200-250 of them.

The list had the following information:

Business Name
Type of Business
Name of Proprietor/Owner
Phone # of Business/Owner
Address of Business

While I’ve always known that these lists exist, I’d always researched this type of information online – and usually found it months or years later. But, buying it directly from the business license office is so much better.

Where to Go to Get the Leads You Need

Why? Three reasons:

1. Fresh Meat! The list is new/fresh. The county clerk takes the information directly from the business license application – so all of the information is most likely 100% correct. This means that if you do a mailing you are likely to get between a 97-100% deliverability rate (you always have to leave room for data entry errors by the county clerks).

The clerk gave me one piece of valuable information – she said that new business registration lists were available every month. Eg, if I came down in September, I could purchase a list of all the businesses that were registered in August.

She said come around the middle of the month because it took them a few weeks to enter the data and make it available to the public for sale. Are you realizing how valuable this is? Which brings me to my next point . . .

2. Cost: If you are just starting out and don’t have much money, this can cut down on your marketing costs by hundreds of dollars because instead of buying a list from a marketing company for perhaps a few hundred dollars, you can spend less than $10 and have a couple of hundred new leads at your fingertips – each and every month.

Do this for a year and you’ll have a few thousand contacts in your database easily. Even with a 1-3% return, that’s easily 10-30 new customers a year. If each one only spent a $1,000/year with you, that’s a decent part-time (depending on where you live, maybe even a full-time) living right there – from one marketing source!

3. Easy Sells: New business owners are easier sells because they need everything – brochures, web copy, newsletters, sales letters, etc. Sending them a “Congratulations on opening your new business” postcard and offering your services will probably garner you a few calls right off the bat.

I’d be willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that you’ll be the only freelance writer to contact them. Why? Because freelance writers – for the most part – are not proactive marketers, especially utilizing offline measures.

Better yet, pick up the phone and call them.

TOMORROW'S POST: In tomorrow’s post, I’ll tell you exactly how to approach a new business owner and become their freelance writer of choice – for life!

You won’t want to miss this – it can start your business off with a bang with very little effort and, most importantly, very little cost.

Stay tuned!

What do you think? If you have questions, comments or observations about this post, send them in. Email them to info [at] InkwellEditorial.com.

Editorially yours,
Yuwanda (who is this person?)
**************************************************
What’s in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter?

Missed the last issue of Inkwell's freelance writing newsletter? The 9/12 issue featured an interview with freelance writer, Gordon Graham, aka, that white paper guy.

Gordon charges $90/hour just to edit a white paper and a minimum of $4,000 to produce one from scratch. Wanna know what he had to say? Sign up to receive your copy to read his informative, in-depth interview.

Gain clients, web traffic and brand awareness. How? Let us interview you for our popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.
************************************************
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.
**************************************************
Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Make us a Technorati Favorite. Simply click the Technorati icon at the top right-hand corner of the page.

Friday, September 14, 2007

POSTS #15 & 16: 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career

PUBLISHER NOTE: If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know about the upcoming freelance writing seminar in October. Details.

Many have inquired about what will be discussed at the seminar. So, in order to answer your questions and to get you prepared for what to expect, I've started a series of posts entitled "40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career."

To start at the beginning, click here. And, welcome to the blog. Now, on to today’s post . . .

Post #15: How to Tell If Freelance Writing Is a Career for You

Before I sat down to write this post, I was trying to come up with a unique list of things to tell you to consider about becoming a freelance writer. I wanted the list to be unique because I hate writing something that’s been written about a thousand times better by a thousand other writers.

So, instead, I switched it and thought to myself, “What is the number one thing I’d want to know if I was trying to decide is a freelance writing career is for me?”

The #1 Question Wannabe Freelancers Should Ask Themselves

And, I kept coming back to one thing – the work. As in, if you can’t actually sit down and actually do the work – on a schedule – then this career is not for you.

While it may seem like a simple and obvious detail, it’s one I think many wannabe freelancers overlook. Why?

Because, like many new business owners, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of working for yourself. I mean, you get to decide every detail – so, off you go thinking up your company name, opening your new business account, buying your new laptop to sit on your new desk beside your new coffee mug, which you emblazoned with your fantastic new logo!

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement. But, after your office is designed “just so;” your bank account is ready to receive funds and your marketing campaign has finally brought a project to your door, you have to sit down and do the work.

Why Freelance Writing Can Suck as a Career

And, you know what? Nine times out of ten, it’s going to be something you could care less about, and/or that will probably bore you silly.

Eg, a local hardware manufacturer hires you to write the copy for their new brochure, a local mail order companies hires you to write the copy for their postcard campaign, and/or a cleaning company hires you to rewrite the copy on their website.

Yawn, schmawn – a thousand times!

But, you know what, you’re going to have to sit down and write, rewrite and edit copy for this as if you’re editing a Stephen King novel – you must bring that same excitement and rush of energy to your clients.

Believe me, it’s hard to muster sometimes. If get a string of clients like this, you could be working on material you are lackluster about for months on end – and you’ll count yourself lucky. Why? Because you have work – work that allows you freedom from things that bother you more than rewriting a hardware manual.

Eg, fighting traffic to get to a job you hate for pay that barely allows you to pay your bills. And, this is the payoff.

One thing I’ve realized over the years as a freelance writer is that no one – and I do mean no one – has the absolute perfect situation (although Oprah seems to pretty much rule her universe).

We all have to answer to someone and perform some duties that we’d rather not. BUT, the joy – at least for me as a freelancer – is that I get to mitigate how much of this I have to do and for how long.

The Greatest Joy of Being a Freelance Writer

Like anything in life, freelance writing is a tradeoff – you trade of the “security” of a full-time job for the “insecurity” of working for yourself. And, the reason the words security and insecurity are in quotation marks is because I don’t believe there’s any such thing as a secure job anymore.

I’d rather depend on many “employers” (ie, clients) for my living than one employer (eg, a job) because, as a freelancer, the loss of a few clients doesn’t mean the loss of my livelihood. It just means the search continues for the next “employer.”

POST CONTINUED BELOW
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Want to learn exactly what to do to earn $100, $150, $200/day or more as a freelance writer, editor and/or copy editor? Inkwell Editorial's upcoming Freelance Writing Seminar will tell you how. Details. It's a career anyone who can read and write can start  with the right information.
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Post #16: The First Steps to Take If Freelance Writing Is a Career for You

Now that you’ve answered the question of whether freelance writing is a career for you, you may be thinking, “Now what?”

Well, the very next thing you need to do is to decide on a structure for your business. And, if you read Post #14, entitled, Should You Officially Register Your Freelance Business?, you know that I recommend NOT registering your business in the beginning.

So, here I’m going to tell you how to set up as a sole proprietor so you can start getting those tax benefits of running a home-based business.

First, as a sole proprietor, you don’t need to do anything if you already have a bank account. You can accept checks in your own name and deposit them into your account. BUT, I strong advise against this.

Why? The IRS doesn’t like it when you commingle funds – eg, access the same account for personal and business use. And, if you’re ever audited, you could face penalties.

How to Keep the IRS Off Your Back as a Freelancer

So, I recommend that you set up a separate checking account. I suggest a checking account because that way you can write checks for business expenses.

Use this account ONLY for business purposes. Even though it’s a personal checking account, using it strictly for your freelance writing business purposes will make your accounting so much easier at tax time – and avoid any questions should the IRS have a need to question you.

Assuming you have all equipment, this is pretty much all you need to do to be in business as a freelance writer.

At tax time, I suggest using a professional tax preparer to file taxes. Doing this will get you all the deductions you’re entitled to as a home-based business operator. And, it will lessen the chance that you’ll be audited by the IRS.

According to the article, “Common Red Flags that Lead to IRS Audits,”one of the red flags that could trigger an IRS audit is a home-based office expenses.

The article sates: “There have been several articles on major sites recently touting the tax advantages of a home office, but you’ve got to be careful. This is a huge red flag. For more information, here are some home office deduction reminders from the IRS web site. [source: http://www.getrichslowly.org/: 2/27/07]”

Knowing what is a legitimate expense, how to categorize it and what percentage of it you can/cannot claim can be confusing – especially if tax law reads like Latin to you (I know it does me!).

Hiring a competent tax preparer can alleviate all of these worries – and, you’re much less likely to be audited if you use a paid tax professional.

NOTE: You can save money by using tax preparation software like TurboTax, which literally walks you through the process of preparing your return step by step. But, at least for the first year, I recommend hiring an accountant.

If freelance writing is a career you decide you’re going to keep for the long haul, you can decide how to organize your business for the long-term (eg, whether or not to incorporate). Then, you can revisit the idea of preparing your own taxes.

What do you think? If you have questions, comments or observations about this post, send them in. Email them to info [at] InkwellEditorial.com.

Editorially yours,
Yuwanda (who is this person?)
**************************************************
What’s in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter?

Missed the last issue of Inkwell's freelance writing newsletter? The 9/12 issue featured an interview with freelance writer, Gordon Graham, aka, that white paper guy.

Gordon charges $90/hour just to edit a white paper and a minimum of $4,000 to produce one from scratch. Wanna know what he had to say? Sign up to receive your copy to read his informative, in-depth interview.

Gain clients, web traffic and brand awareness. How? Let us interview you for our popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.
************************************************
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.
**************************************************
Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Make us a Technorati Favorite. Simply click the Technorati icon at the top right-hand corner of the page.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Registration for Freelance Writing Seminar in October

Many of you have inquired about registering for the upcoming freelance writing seminar coming next month. Details. The web page to ready will be live exactly one week from today -- next Thursday, the 20th.

Final details are being worked out, which is why it hasn't been posted.

I look forward to seeing you there.

FYI, Post #15 in the 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career will be posted along with Post #16 tomorrow -- in essence, a two-in-one post.

Stay tuned, and thank you for your interest.

Exhaustedly,
Yuwanda (Who am I?)

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

POST #14: 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career

PUBLISHER NOTE: If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know about the upcoming freelance writing seminar in October. Details.

Many have inquired about what will be discussed at the seminar. So, in order to answer your questions and to get you prepared for what to expect, I've started a series of posts entitled "40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career."

To start at the beginning, click here. And, welcome to the blog. Now, on to today’s post . . .

Should You Officially Register Your Freelance Business?

I’ve owned quite a few businesses in my day – some I’ve registered, some not.

Each person and their situation is different, so consider the following when trying to decide if officially registering your freelance writing enterprise is right for you.

Paperwork: Any type of business you register is going to generate paperwork from good ole Uncle Sam (ie, the IRS). The reason I didn’t register some of the businesses I’ve owned is that I just didn’t want to go through the hassle of filling out some inane form because I made $7,000 last year.

Some things you will be forced to deal with: Filing annual and/or quarterly taxes (no matter how much you made – or lost); paying business registration fees; getting an EIN number, filing more complicated personal taxes; etc.

The paperwork – for even the simplest business – can be, at best, annoying, and at worst, downright harrying. If you’re not adept at this, don’t want to deal with it and/or can’t afford to hire an accountant to handle it, then you might want to accept checks in your own name, instead of registering a business.

POST CONTINUED BELOW
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Want to learn exactly what to do to earn $100, $150, $200/day or more as a freelance writer, editor and/or copy editor? Inkwell Editorial's upcoming Freelance Writing Seminar will tell you how. Details. It's a career anyone who can read and write can start  with the right information.
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Image: This is one of the major reasons to register a business. It makes you appear more professional. Although, I know plenty of long-time freelance writers who accept checks in their own name.

On the invoice, simply put: “Make Payable to Yuwanda Black,” for example.

Depending on how you market your services – eg, high-end, blue-chip clients, as opposed to small, independent shops.

One thing I will say is, if you have a website and the name of the business listed on the site is, for example, The Writing Tavern, most clients will automatically assume that’s how checks should be made out. I’ve done both in my career – and really, once you secure a client, it hasn’t made that much of a difference because by then, they will have the quality of your work in front of them.

Registering the Right Way: What I mean by this is, if you decide to register your business, you must figure out which structure works best for you (eg, sole proprietorship, Corporation (Subchapter S, Subchapter C, LLC)); etc.

Setting up the right structure is critical to getting the right tax breaks for you and your financial situation. So, consult a professional and/or do some extensive reading on it before you decide.

When we first started Inkwell Editorial (which I discussed in Post #13), my sister set it up as a sole proprietorship. Once I officially came on as a full-fledged partner, we re-registered it as a partnership. When we opened the staffing division, we incorporated – first as a Subchapter C, then as a Subchapter S (once we hired an accountant, he advised us that this was the best structure for us).

While all the changes we made were based on the needs of the business at the time, we could have registered as a Subchapter S right from the start and saved all those filing fees and extra trips to the courthouse. And, oh yeah, every time you change the business structure, there is a fee (gotta love Uncle Sam – he has his hand in every pie you bake!).

Liability: One of the main reasons to register a business is to protect personal assets. FYI, not all business structures offer this protection (eg, sole proprietorships, partnerships and even in some cases, some types of corporations).

People sue for any and everything these days. While you may be thinking, “What could a freelance writer do to cause someone to sue,” you’d be surprised. Eg, copyright infringement, slander, not completing a project on time, etc.

While I think it’s rare you’ll be sued because of something you did as a freelance writer, I just wanted to throw that out there for you to consider.

Career Uncertainty: What I’m getting at here is, are you sure this is a career you’re going to stick with – at least for the next 2, 3, or 5 years. Why is this important?

In my opinion, you shouldn’t go through the expense of registering a business if you’re not sure you’re going to stick with it for at least a couple of tax filings. While registering a business is not all that expensive, it sets into motion a series of things that have to be taken care of if you decide to close up shop, which brings me to my last point . . .

Closing Up Shop: If you register a business, you can’t simply decide to quit and that’s it. You have to file closing papers with the government. Otherwise, you will continue to get bills from the IRS associated with your business – eg, quarterly tax fillings, annual registration fees, etc.

I’ve owned three or four side businesses that I did not register for this very reason. They were hobby businesses that generated a few thousand dollars a year. So, I just accepted payment in my own name -- and of course, claimed it on my personal tax return.

Once I no longer wanted to do the business, there was no closing paperwork.

Now, did I get all the tax breaks I could have gotten had I registered them as a business? Most probably not. But, I’ve been at this long enough to weigh the headaches of having to file this form and that one for an official business, as opposed to just quitting – and that’s it.

I abhor IRS paperwork – it’s like Chinese math to me. Not only that, it takes up space in my head because I worry if I filed the right form, sent it to the right department, calculated the right fee, etc. I’d rather use that energy for other, more productive things.

But, you may be a different personality type.

I did register my major businesses – Inkwell Editorial, and the now defunct, Ethnic Home Décor. I put a lot of money into these and wanted all the tax breaks associated with running them from home and paying for supplies, materials, advertising, travel, etc.

My advice: While it may seem that I’m against registering a business – I’m not at all. I’ve just found that unless you’re going to be in this for the long haul, and plan to take full advantage of the tax breaks a work-from-home career allows, you might want to hold off on it.

You can register a business at any time. When you do, be sure to get the advice of a trusted accountant and business lawyer. They will be able to set you up right from the beginning – and you’ll be well positioned to take full advantage of all the perks associated with owning a home business.

NEXT POST: As we mentioned Career Uncertainty above, in Post #15 tomorrow, we’ll talk about how to decide is freelance writing is a good career choice for you.

What do you think? If you have questions, comments or observations about this post, send them in. Email them to info [at] InkwellEditorial.com.

Editorially yours,
Yuwanda (who is this person?)
**************************************************
What's New in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter?

Did you get a copy of today’s newsletter? Gordon Graham, aka, that white paper guy, talked about white papers and case studies. He charges $90/hour just to edit a white paper and a minimum of $4,000 to produce a white paper from scratch.

Wanna know what he had to say? Sign up to receive your copy to read what he had to say.

Missed the last issue of Inkwell's freelance writing newsletter? The 8/15 issue featured an interview with B2B freelance writer, Meryl K. Evans. Want to break into this very lucrative market? Meryl's interview sheds some detailed light on how to go about it.

Gain clients, web traffic and brand awareness. How? Let us interview you for our popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.
************************************************
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.
**************************************************
Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Make us a Technorati Favorite. Simply click the Technorati icon at the top right-hand corner of the page.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

POST #13: 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career

PUBLISHER NOTE: If you are a regular reader of this blog, then you know about the upcoming freelance writing seminar in October. Details.

Many have inquired about what will be discussed at the seminar. So, in order to answer your questions and to get you prepared for what to expect, I've started a series of posts entitled "40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career."

To start at the beginning, click here. And, welcome to the blog. Now, on to today’s post . . .

Freelance Writers: How to Approach Your Existing Employer for Work – Without Jeopardizing Your Job

My sister started Inkwell Editorial, the editorial staffing we owned from 1996-2004. What many of you may not know is that Inkwell Editorial started out as an editorial outsource agency.

The Story of Inkwell Editorial: How an Employer Contract Led to the Founding of a Corporation

For those of you who know this story, forgive this bit of repetitiveness.

My sister and I worked at a large legal publisher from the late 80s through the mid-90s. She got me the job there. We both started as part-timers while we were in college, and went on full-time after graduation.

We both started in admin and worked our way into editorial departments. During the mid-90s, the company outsourced a lot of work (copy editing, inputting editorial corrections and coding, primarily).

As the editorial department was overwhelmed, we started to take on projects in a freelance capacity. Meaning, instead of doing simple overtime, we charged the company a certain rate for each project. Someone blabbed to HR that we were doing this, and we were told that we couldn’t.

POST CONTINUED BELOW
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To this day, we don’t know who went to HR, but I will be forever grateful to them because this gave me my start as an entrepreneur.

Now, let me note that at no time did we, or the department managers who assigned us the projects, realize that this was against company policy. We later found out that there was no official policy against it, but according to the powers that be, “it didn’t look good” that we were making money on the side while working there full-time.

So, my sister – brave soul that she is – decided to quit her fulltime job and form a company. That way, they could officially outsource projects to us via our company, Inkwell Editorial.

You see, we had started to make more money from the outsource work than we made as full-time salaried employees.

HOWEVER, there was one glitch – we didn’t make enough to cover two salaries, plus office expenses (my sister rented a small office space in midtown). So, as the business could support only one full-time salary, she quit and I helped her with the projects. She paid me under her company name (Inkwell Editorial).

So, it worked out for all concerned. And this was the rocky beginning to Inkwell Editorial.

"But," you may be thinking, "how did you actually get the first freelance project?" To be honest, I don’t remember the first project. What I do remember is that my sister and I had great reputations as hard workers. I’ve always been the kind of worker that you can give a project to and not have to worry about it.

This is one of the main things that managers (people who can throw work your way) look for. If you haven’t already done so, work on this.

How to Get Work from Department Heads/Managers

You really have to know people to be in business – any type of business. So, what does this have to do with getting a manager to give you a shot at a project? Consider this: Managers have budgets, bosses, time limitations and family/friends they want to spend more time with. What does that have to do with you?

Managers are accountable for the freelancers they hire. If they feel like you can make them look good, they will throw more stuff your way all the time. Looking good means covering the following bases, primarily:

3 Things to Focus on to Get Work from Department Heads/Managers

Time: As in, complete the project on time. I always set my due date one day before I told the client I was going to get it back to them. And, with rare exception, I made it. I worked many 16, 18 and 20 hour days. I remember one night my sister and I stayed at the office until 5:30 am finishing up a project.

She was like, “We can get one more day,” but I said, “No, we’ve never been late and we’re not going to start now.” This particular project was for our previous employer. We were friends with the managers who outsourced work to us and it wouldn’t have been a problem to get one more day – as a matter of fact, it was common among many of the freelancers they used.

BUT, I wanted to be different. I wanted to always, always, always deliver early or on the due date. And, I’m convinced that’s why we were practically always given first dibs on most projects.

Budget: Most departments have budgets. Managers are responsible for staying within those budgets. What does that mean for you?

Get really good at estimating to within a 5-10% certainty of the final price because if your estimate is significantly off, you will blow your chance at getting more work very fast.

Obviously, if you’re soliciting work from your current employer, you should have a good idea about how to price a project. Just starting out, you will make mistakes. But, eat the losses (take the hit) and consider it a learning curve.

All things being equal, I’d always rather undercharge if my estimate is off. Doing this, you will get better very quickly at pricing projects.

Error Free: Managers like it when you turn in a project and they don’t have to do more than give it a precursory look. One manager confessed to my sister and I that he never bothered to look at stuff we turned in because our work was always impeccable.

That’s about the highest compliment you can be paid as a freelancer.

If you save managers time, this means they can get on with other business, actually get out of the office early or on time to spend more time with family and friends, etc.

Remember when I said the following back in Post #2, which discussed how to create a marketing piece that sells – a lot? I said:

You never want to sell clients; you want to share your services with them in a manner that highlights the benefits to them.
The reason grasping this concept is so critical is that when you approach your marketing from the standpoint of how it benefits potential clients, you are really able to hone in on what is important to them.

By saving managers time, staying within budget, turning in error-free project, you are appealing to what they need – to look good to their boss, to spend more time with their family, to remove worry about “one more thing” from their plate, etc.

With all that being said, following are four more suggestions for getting work from your current employer without risking your job.

1. Be Nosy: Or, in more professional terms, if you don’t work in the editorial/ communications/ marketing department of your company, make it your business to find out who does and take them to lunch.

The purpose is to find out as much as you can about how that department operates – and use it to your advantage when the time is right.

2. State Your Desire: Let it be known that you are interested in working in/with this department. To get started, submit a story to the company newsletter, suggest “little, helpful” changes to the company website, etc. The reason little and helpful is in quotation marks is because you don’t want to step on anyone’s toes.

3. Volunteer: Many companies have special projects that you can volunteer for. This is a great way to show them what you can do and build credibility to ask for freelance work.

4. Be Blunt: My final tip is, just be bold and ask. Something along the lines of, “I love my work here and would welcome the chance to do some freelance work on the side. No outside freelancer knows the company, products, procedures, etc., like I do and I’d love the chance to prove myself in this manner.”

How you get freelance work from your current employer depends heavily on what kind of company you work for – eg, are they open to this type of thing; can you ask outright or must you play the “corporate game” first; what type of boss you have; etc.

I happen to know that many companies – I’d even venture to say the vast majority of them – hire current or past employees as freelancers because they know practically all there is to know about the company. Hence, the less they have to explain.

The Bottom Line: If there’s work to be had from your current employer, you have the inside track on getting it – you just have to figure out how. Good luck!

NEXT POST: In Post #14 tomorrow, we’ll talk about registering your freelance business – as in, should you? The answer might surprise you.

What do you think? If you have questions, comments or observations about this post, send them in. Email them to info [at] InkwellEditorial.com.

Editorially yours,
Yuwanda (who is this person?)
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What's Next in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter?

TOMORROW: Gordon Graham. We ring in the “editorial season” by interviewing Gordon Graham, aka “that white paper guy.” Gordon writes and edits white papers and case studies. He charges $90/hour just to edit a white paper and a minimum of $4,000 to produce a white paper from scratch.

Now, do you see why I had to interview him?! Most freelancers don’t even dream of making this type of money. I can’t wait for this interview.

Missed the latest issue of Inkwell's freelance writing newsletter? The 8/15 issue featured an interview with B2B freelance writer, Meryl K. Evans. Want to break into this very lucrative market? Meryl's interview sheds some detailed light on how. Sign up to receive your copy to read what Meryl had to say.

Gain clients, web traffic and brand awareness. How? Let us interview you for our popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.
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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.
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