POST #28: 40 Days to a Successful Freelance Writing Career

PUBLISHER NOTE: Many have inquired about what will be discussed at the upcoming freelance writing seminar this month. Details. 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 to Make Money Interviewing Experts for Your Newsletter (Website, Ebook, Blog, etc.)
Making money selling information is not a new phenomenon. Newspapers and magazines do it every day. But, the way the information is packaged and sold changes. From radio to tv to podcasting to blogging to streaming video to newsletters.

What do all of these have in common? A draw. IE, they cover an interest people want to know about and what better way to do this than interview an expert.

Interviewing experts is a relatively easy way to increase your freelance writing income – especially if you’re new to the industry. And, there are a couple of ways to do this, eg, sell the interviews to interested publications or publish them yourself.

I prefer self-publishing (particularly newsletters) because you don’t have to: i) find a source to pitch the interview to; ii) wait for them to get back to you; and iii) negotiate a fee. All of this can take weeks or, more likely, months.

Self-publishing allows you to circumvent this process altogether. You simply make contact, as discussed in the 6/26/07 and 6/27/07 posts, and publish when you’re ready.

“But,” you may be thinking, “where does the money part come in?”

POST CONTINUED BELOW
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FREE E-Report: How to Make $100/Day as a Freelance Writer! Simply send in your email address and the report will be emailed to you absolutely free.
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Where’s the Money in Newsletter Publishing?

From new subscribers, ebook sales and ad placements (if you sell advertisements in your publication). To explain further, making money interviewing experts is relatively easy for the following three reasons:

A) Public Hunger: Quite simply, people want to know what successful people have to say.

Just last night, I was watching Business Nation, a CNBC show. As described on CNBC.com, “"Business Nation" is a monthly, one-hour newsmagazine focusing on the stories behind the business headlines.”

The show features segments like, “Why Didn’t I Think of That?” and “How I Made My Millions.” These features are of ordinary individuals who have achieved extraordinary success in the business world – some companies are worth hundreds of millions; others just two or three.

But, the compelling thing about them is that they are just ordinary Joe and Jane Schmoes (not Harvard MBAs) who had good ideas (not even really great ones) -- and with persistence and hard work, made them pay off.

In other words, they feature the, “I can” factor, eg, if sheeee can do it, then “I can too!”

One of the things I love about publishing How to Start a Successful Freelance Career is that I get to be somewhat of a voyeur into the success of other freelancers. Every single issue, I learn something. And, I’ve been at this a while.

But, we can all learn from the successes of others. And that was my whole goal in relaunching the newsletter. Since the relaunch, my site’s subscriber rate has gone up a good 25-30%; ebooks sales are more consistent and my Google Adsense earnings have increased consistently as well.

Some days, I’m really surprised at what my daily Google take is, especially when I look back at the same time last year.

Now, don’t go getting all excited. My site’s Google earnings have never been anything to support a family on, so any boost is measurable (and pleasurable). But, most especially this month, I’ve hit some highs I haven’t seen since I first put the ads on the site back in 2005.

The only thing I’ve done differently during this time is consistently publish the newsletter, which have featured some very informative interviews. And this, has paid off – handsomely.

Monday's Post: We’ll discuss two more ways you can increase your income interviewing experts for your newsletter (ebook, website, etc.).

Until then,
Yuwanda (who is this person?)
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What’s in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter? There are freelancers who make very good livings at what they love. Inkwell Editorial's newsletter features these successful professionals who put to rest the phrase, "starving freelancer." Subscribe to read all previous issues.

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.

Next Issue: 10/17. Sue Fagalde Lick, author of Freelancing for Newspapers, has graciously agreed to be interviewed. Whether you are an experienced or inexperienced freelance writer, this is one market that eagerly accepts freelancers, as Sue outlines in her book.

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. Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Get the e-report, How to Make $100/Day as a Freelance Writer -- free! Log on to http://www.freelancewritingwebsite.com/ for details.
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