How to Make Money w/Ugly, Free Blog Designs

My blog design sucks. I know that. The design of my website sucks even more, as I've been told three times in the last two days. I know that too! Before I explain how to make money with ugly, free blog designs, let me tell you what inspired this post.

Copyblogger.com! My post there earlier in the week entitled, Where Have all the Freelance Writing Jobs Gone, started it all. Copyblogger is a megapopular blog for freelance writers. It has almost 45,000 subscribers to its RSS feed. Hence, it gets a lot of traffic.

And, apparently my site and blog just don't measure up. And ya know what -- I can't even get mad at those who wrote me to tell me so (they were all very nice) because it's true.

But, my ugly blog and website still make me money. And yours can too! How?

Don't let what you can't do slow you down. Obviously I'm a writer; not a web designer. My skills in this area are very limited. I'm a self-taught HTMLer, and this language is becoming about as old and staid as this presidential campaign has been long (sorry, could resist that!).

I need to move my sites into the 21st century (ie, wordpress). But, I don't know anything about cascading style sheets (CSS) and all the other stuff you have to know to work in wordpress. And, I don't have the time to learn right now. So, I keep working in what I know (HTML/FrontPage).

Is this limiting my growth and my income? For sure. BUT, not to the point (yet) that my business is not growing. AND, that's because I focus on what I do know how to do (write/market) -- instead of what I don't know (graphic design/programming).

Note: I already have a new site designed in wordpress and it's gorgeous! I can't wait to use it. But, I have over 300 pages that I have to migrate over. This means each page has to be redirected to its new page name. To pay someone to do this ranges from 3K to 7K according to the quotes I've gotten. And, that's just not in the budget right now.

So I plug away on my old site.

How to Know When It's Time to Bite the Bullet & Change

I'm the kind of person who has to be pushed into change -- especially when it comes to technology. My brain just can't seem to wrap itself around a lot of it. I find this particularly ironic since I'm sort of a tech writer (as in, knowing and understanding internet marketing technology, NOT programming/design).

But, I know it's time to make the switch. Following are some guidelines that signal when it's time to take the bull by the horns and implement change.

1. Your Peers Are Telling You So: Getting three comments in two days about how horrible my site is make me pause and go, "It's time." When well-meaning peers start telling you that you need to upgrade -- and doing it in groups no less! -- then it's probably time to change.

2. When You Know You Could Be Making More Money: Two of the three people who wrote in about my site practically begged me to change it because I was "leaving money on the table," so to speak.

And I know they're right.

3. When You Could Be Hurting Your Career: Your web presence says a lot about you. It's your face to the world, espeically in freelance writing b/c most of the time we never meet our clients.

I'm lucky in that I have long-time clients who refer me a lot, so I don't have to rely on my site to do so much selling for me. But, imagine what could happen if my site matched my reputation as a writer. Hmmm . . . can we say car paid off 1.5 years early instead of 6 mos to one year early.

4. You're No Longer Proud of Your Web Presence: When you dread logging onto your own site, then it's time to change. Looking at the new site design just sitting there waiting to be used made me drool the other day. Compared to my site now, it's like comparing Jimmy Choo sandals to Payless brands. The new site really is that gorgeous -- and the old one is that bad.

All of this made me realize that I have to carve out time to update all of my web presences (InkwellEditorial.com, InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com and SEO-Article-Writer.com (I'll be retiring SEO-Articles-For-Sale.com)). And, I have to do it sooner rather than later.

So by the new year, all of my websites will look 21st century slick. While the timing sucks, I realize that if I don't make time to do it, it'll be another 6 months to a year before I get around to it -- and that will never do.

Besides, I have some new services offerings, a new affiliate program and a revamped SEO writing company that I'm itching to market -- all of which I'd planned to have ready by the new year. So while the redesigns won't be easy, they will get done.

I heard you everybody, and thank you for taking the time to write in. I truly appreciate it.

120,000+ New Blog Readers? My Freelance Writing Jobs report got written up on Sitepoint.com. For those who don't know, this is a major tech site that gets over 120,000 visitors a day. And they'll all be eyeballing my ugy site (waaaggghhhhh!!).

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Make money selling ebooks online. How? Sign up to our ebook affiliate program and get a cut of every ebook we sell.

Recent Hot Blog Topics
Where are the Freelance Writing Jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
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Freelance Success Stories! 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.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $500, 1,000, or $3,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

One Email -- $2,000 Worth of Work!

Before I get to the title of today's email, just want to let you know in case you've been following along that I wrapped up the unofficial six-part series on internet marketing over at BloggingTips.com today. I end it with a look at how to place a traffic-drawing, sales-increasing online ad.

Not the mechanics of it, mind you, but some concrete guidelines to keep in mind as you go about trying to figure out where to place an ad, for how long, how to write it, etc. I hope you've enjoyed this series.

One Email -- $2,000 Worth of Work!

I addressed the question of how to find freelance writing jobs in this post on Copyblogger.com yesterday. The comments to it really highlight what I've been saying all along, ie, "In spite of the economy, there is tons of work out there." Proof?

I did an e-blast to about 50 contacts on Monday and got in about $2,000 worth of work this week -- with several more "maybes" on other projects.

FYI, I rarely send eblasts to this many contacts. I usually do 1-5 contacts per day, but wanted to fulfill a "quota" since I'd been a little lax in marketing the last couple of weeks. And this is why I don't; I usually get overwhelmed. But as the holidays are coming, I'm grateful.

Freelance Writers are in Demand

In speaking with two clients (internet marketing firms), they told me they are busier than ever.

You have to market to bring in the work though. If you do this consistently, you will get work -- it's almost guaranteed. I receive emails all the time about how I get work, which was the impetus for the ebook How to Find Unpublished Freelance Writing Jobs. Within, I disclose all the methods I've used for years to ferret out freelance writing jobs.

One thing I can tell you is that "unpublished" freelance writing jobs are so much easier to get because there's less competition. You'll rarely look at a job board again if you market like this.

Now I'm off to kill off some deadlines!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Make money selling ebooks online. How? Sign up to our ebook affiliate program and get a cut of every ebook we sell.

Recent Hot Blog Topics
Where are the Freelance Writing Jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hrs or Less for $0
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Freelance Success Stories! 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.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $500, 1,000, or $3,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Freelance Writers: How to Find Affordable Outlets to Advertise In/On

Last week, I wrote a three-part series on internet marketing over at BloggingTips.com that’s kind of morphed into an unofficial six-part series. In today's installment, I tell you the methods I use to track down affordable sites to advertise my ebooks on.

If you write and self-publish information products-- or are thinking about it -- you don't want to miss this post.

Where ARE all the freelance writing jobs? The 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report tells you. It's a detailed report that outlines all of the "hot" freelance writing niches -- now, and next year as well.

Why the recession is good for freelance writers: Read more on how to use a down economy to snag more jobs, and other useful advice about how to stay afloat in this economy as a freelance writer. It's in my post featured on CopyBlogger.com today.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Make money selling ebooks. How? Sign up to our ebook affiliate program and get a cut of every ebook we sell.

Recent Popular Blog Posts
When to Spend Money to Make Money Online

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hrs or Less for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! 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.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Freelance Writers: Where to Spend Money to Make Money Online

In a continuation from my series entitled Internet Marketing: How to Tell When to Start Spending Money to Make Money Online over at BloggingTips.com last week, today I get very specific.

Do you write and publish ebooks or promote some other product/service of interest to freelance writers, bloggers and internet marketers? If so and you want to reach more prospects, you'll want to check out today's post because I outline 5 places I've advertised and/or am thinking about advertising. One costs only $1 per week for front-page placement of an ad.

The post also addresses how to tell if an ad is effective and some insight into why certain forms of online advertising gives you ongoing coverage. Read the entire post here.

FYI, did you get the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report last Thursday, It's an exhaustive list of "hot" freelance writing niches -- now, and next year as well.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Make money selling ebooks. How? Sign up to our ebook affiliate program and get a cut of every ebook we sell.

Popular Blog Posts
When to Spend Money to Make Money Online

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hrs or Less for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! 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.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Where Are the Freelance Writing Jobs?

I spent all day today writing the in-depth report answering this question. The 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report is an exhaustive list of "hot" freelance writing niches. I explain why I think they're fertile right now, along with some ideas for how to capitalize on them.

How to Recession Proof Your Freelance Writing Career

At the end of the report you will find 4 tips for recession proofing your freelance writing career. A few times throughout the report I detail how to go about starting your own business using your writing skills to capitalize on a niche.

I hope you find it useful. At the very least, it should get the wheels turning as to where to look for freelance writing work.

Whomever doubts that writers dont work for their money, or that it is a "sit on your arse type of profession" that's not exhausting . . . well, after today, I'm here to tell ya -- eat goat cheese buster! Writing is exhausting.

I'm off to wind down by running a quick 5 miles. Sounds crazy I know, but that's what runners do to "relax."

Oh yeah, one more thing -- feel free to distribute the report far and wide. That's what it's for!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Make money selling ebooks. How? Sign up to our ebook affiliate program and get a cut of every ebook we sell.

Recent Hot Blog Topics
When to Spend Money to Make Money Online

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hrs or Less for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! 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.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Should You Spend Money to Make Money Online?

Today over at BloggingTips, I wrote the last part of a three-part series that talks about how to know when it's a good time to spend money to make money online.

As a self-published ebook writer and publisher, I've gotten a lot of response from readers. I think it's because I'm "Joe the Plumber," in a manner of speaking. Meaning that, there are a lot of people who want to make money online, but they don't have huge marketing budgets -- or any marketing budget for that matter. So when I say I'm a small-time marketer who's kind of just figuring things out as I go along, a lot of people can identify with that.

Spending Money to Make Money with Ebooks: The Series Continues

I'm extending the series because of the amount of interest it's generated. Here is what I'll be talking about next week.

On Monday I’ll list the websites I've advertised my ebooks on, as well as those I'm thinking about advertising on.

On Tuesday I’ll tell you how I found affordable outlets to advertise on, and how you can do so too if you’re an ebook writer.

On Wednesday I’ll talk about the tangibles that go into placing an ad (ie, how long the ad should run, how to glean info from the sales numbers, whether or not to advertise with an outlet again, etc.).

Tomorrow: 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report! Tomorrow I'll be publishing a monster freelance writing jobs report. It will cover niches that are hot right now -- and will continue to be so for the next year or two based on my forecasts. I'll explain why these niches are going to remain red hot and how you can capitalize on them.

If you want to increase your freelance writing income, you won't want to miss this special industry report.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Make money selling ebooks online. How? Sign up to our ebook affiliate program and get a cut of every ebook we sell.

Recent Hot Blog Topics
Marketing Advice for Freelance Writers: How to Create “Sticky” Clients & Make More Money

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hrs or Less for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! 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.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Are You Losing Money by Not Spending Money to Make Money Online?

Funky title, huh? Sounds like something Rose would say, which would cause Dorothy to crack her over the head with a newspaper for uttering (Golden Girls fans know what I mean).

In Part II of my post over at BloggingTips.com, I discuss rule #2 of how I knew it was time for me to start spending money to make money online, instead of using free methods like article marketing. An excerpt:

. . . the second guideline I used which highlighted to me that I was ready to start spending money to promote my ebooks was that I was ready to make more money. Specifically, more passive income. You may be shaking your head thinking, “Yeah, I’m ready to make more money. Who isn’t?” Well, let me explain how this came about.

Goal: Make a FT Living by Writing and Promoting a Line of Self-Published Ebooks

When I first starting writing and publishing my ebooks, I never thought of it as a way to make a full-time living. I thought of my ebook sales as a supplement to my freelance writing income.

If you write and promote ebooks or anything online, you might find the post insightful. I'd love to hear what you're think as online marketing is still so new. And, its evolving so quickly. While some have "cracked the code," so to speak to making tons of money online, most of us are newbies to the game.

I've been at it for four years now and am just starting to take it seriously. So chime in!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Make money selling ebooks online. How? Sign up to our ebook affiliate program and get a cut of every ebook we sell.

Recent Hot Blog Topics
Marketing Advice for Freelance Writers: How to Create “Sticky” Clients & Make More Money

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hrs or Less for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! 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.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

When to Spend Money to Make Money Online

Three things today dear readers:

(i) BloggingTips.com: The title of today' post is my post over at BloggingTips.com (BT). I've been hired to do more posts at BT -- from once a week to three times per week (M-W; 10 am EST). An excerpt from today's post reads:

I’ve been writing and publishing ebooks since 2004. I’ve never spent money to promote my line until recently. So, how did I decide it was time to take the plunge? Following are some guidelines – and my reasons – for deciding to take this route.

Do you have a product/service that you're thinking of promoting online? Wondering if you should start spending money to promote it? Maybe the guidelines and reasons I wrangled with will help you come to some conclusions. Read Internet Marketing: How to Tell When to Start Spending Money to Make Money Online for some helpful insights.

(ii) IW's e-Junkie Affiliate Program: It's finally up and running. If you become an affiliate, you get a portion of every ebook we sell on e-Junkie, even if you only promote one product. Why is this? That's the way the program is set up.

For example, if you just want to promote the SEO writing ebook, then you can do so. But, when visitors click through from your site and they buy two ebooks, you receive a commission from both sales, not just from the SEO writing ebook. FYI, we have 11 ebooks for sale on e-Junkie, and 25-30% of purchases are multiple sales.

BTW, the freelance writing e-course is not sold on e-Junkie yet. I want to revise it a little before adding it. I'll do this either this week, or over the weekend. Click here to find out all the details on the program -- and to download the 4 free affiliate marketing reports. They help you sell more online, no matter what you're promoting (our products or someone else's).

(iii) Finding Information on InkwellEditorial.com: I receive a lot of queries from readers that I am simply unable to answer personally. Most of the time it's about marketing. Some other popular topics are ebook writing and publishing, seo writing and freelance contracts (I get this one quite often).

Many times, the info is on the site, which has over 300 pages -- and is growing weekly. As I'm unable to respond to every query, here's how to find info on InkwellEditorial.com.

Here's to a profitable week and I'll see you back here tomorrow!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com

Recent Hot Blog Topics

Marketing Advice for Freelance Writers: How to Create “Sticky” Clients & Make More Money

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hrs or Less for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! 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.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

What's It Like to Be a Freelance Education Writer?

Our freelance writing success story series has been revived!

Christine Venzon details how she found success as a freelance education writer. She explains three lessons she's learned, how she got started, how she cracked a very difficult niche -- children's magazines -- and much more. If you're curious about how to become a freelance education writer, read Christine's account. Following is an excerpt:

It's [education writing] one of those overlooked opportunities in freelance writing: not every educational writer is an educator. Sometimes we're as much student as teacher.

I started writing some 15 years ago, right out of college. I'd planned to freelance, fly solo all the way. But after six months with just two bylines, I was happy enough for the quasi-security of a project worker with one of McGraw-Hill's textbook publishing divisions. My first assignment was as a humble researcher for a child care book. I read magazine and newspaper articles and chapters from competitors' books and sorted them according to topic: preschool, parenting, toileting.

Get Paid to Contribute! FYI, InkwellEditoiral.com has several freelance writing series for which I pay freelancers to contribute. In addition to the success series, there's the A Day in the Life of ... series, the International (working abroad) series, and the Best job/Worst job/Most unusual job series.

I'll publish roughly one contribution a month of those submitted. Log on, read the guidelines and send in your story.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com

Recent Hot Blog Topics
Marketing Advice for Freelance Writers: How to Create “Sticky” Clients & Make More Money

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in 24 Hrs or Less for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! 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.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Why Being Told Your Freelance Writing Rates are Too High is a Good Thing

Yesterday, I sent a proposal over to a client who wanted me to rewrite a home page for one of his client sites. I was told that my rate was too high. I politely thanked him for thinking of me and promptly forgot about it.

Client Background: This is a client that I work with on a regular basis. He tends to be a bit of a stickler on rates, so I quote him with that in mind -- to a certain degree.

How to Take It When You Lose a Project Because Your Rates are "Too High"

It didn't bother me to lose the project because I know what it would have required. Instead of a rewrite, it would have required me to start from scratch. I had written some SEO articles for the site -- at the request of this same client -- so was familiar with it.

While I was writing the SEO articles, it had occurred to me that the site needed a complete overhaul, as it was disjointed and didn't spell out the benefits to the clients. Instead, it talked about the company and what they did.

This is one of the major mistakes many clients make -- they try to sell themselves based on what they do -- instead of what their product/service will do for their target market. But, I digress.

When I'm told that my rates are too high, I don't fret, for the following reasons:

Striking a Balance: I know it's a sign that I've struck a good balance. If you don't hear from clients every once in a while that your rates are too high -- you should probably be charging more. The reason is, you’re not challenging the market -- ie, charging what it will bear. You always want to push this envelope to be paid what you're truly worth.

Higher-End Clients: Clients run the gamut -- from simple price shoppers to high-end, "value-oriented" clients. Price shoppers will almost always be looking for the cheapest rates. Higher-end clients put a premium on the value that you as a freelance writer bring to their business.

They won't quibble as much about rate -- they just want the project done right. Strangely enough, many higher-end clients won't even consider using freelance writers who charge too little because they're skeptical about the value you can provide.

Therefore, when you set your freelance writing rates, set them with higher-end clients in mind, not lower-end, price-shopping clients. Why? Because as soon as price-shopping clients find another freelance writer with lower rates (and they always can), they will jump ship.

Higher-end clients tend to be more loyal because, again, they look at the long-term value you bring to their business, not what a particular project is costing them.

Freelance Writing Rates: How to Price Your Services Right

When deciding on your freelance writing rates chart, one of the best ways to know what to charge is to actually do a project. For example, if you’re an SEO copywriter and want to know how long it takes to churn out a 350-500 word, keyword-driven article -- write one.

If you want to know how long it takes to pull together a case study, research and write one. FYI, this doesn't have to be work you do in vain. For example, you can write a case study on your business and use it as a marketing piece.

There's nothing like first-hand knowledge. With this in hand, you will be able to comfortably come up with competitive freelance writing rates.

Just some food for thought.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com

Recent Hot Blog Topics
Marketing Advice for Freelance Writers: How to Create “Sticky” Clients & Make More Money

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Freelance Success Stories! 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.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

How to Get Freelance Writers to Work for Free

Some freelance writers work for free and don't even realize it. It kind of pisses me off because we seem to be one of the only professions I know of who - as a group -- are highly educated and very skilled. Yet, we are more than willing to spend our time working for mere pennies.

And, this has nothing to do with freelance writing rates. It has to do with how we go about branding ourselves -- or not. Are you one of these freelance writers? Read my post today, How to Get Freelance Writers to Work for Free, at BloggingTips.com for details. Feel free to share your thoughts.

New Ebook! In other news, I'm working on a new ebook, How to Get Out of Debt on a Freelance Salary. It's one that's been on my list to write for a while. With the current credit crisis, bank failures and mortgage industry meltdown, it seems that it couldn't be more timely.

Freelancers have an uncertain salary to begin with. The economic troubles now have a lot of of us running scared. There's no need to be. In spite of what's going on, I've been able to make some good progress paying off debt. I'll explain how/why. Book will be finished in the next two weeks. I'll announce it here.

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: The newsletter came out last Monday. The topic of this issue is how to make passive income as a freelance writer. Want it? Subscribe!

Recent Hot Blog Topics

Marketing Advice for Freelance Writers: How to Create “Sticky” Clients & Make More Money

Why SEO Articles are the Best Free Marketing Tools on the Web

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! 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.”

Current Issue: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

How to Create “Sticky” Clients and Make More Money

In my last post, I promised to write a tutorial on how to create sticky clients -- ie, clients who will want to use you over and over again. I posted it earlier today. It details 5 ways to land more freelance writing jobs by creating client loyalty.

Tomorrow over at BloggingTips.com, I'll talk about why it's important to brand yourself as a freelance writer, instead of spending your time branding freelance writing sites like AssociatedContent.com (AC), Helium.com, Hubpages.com and a host of others.

A lot of freelance writers do this. The idea for this article was inspired by a new freelance writer on AC who wrote me the following:

WOW! If Associated Content is the Wild West of the Internet, I've just struck gold in finding you. What a wealth of information. THANK YOU! I'm curious though why, on your InkwellEditorial.com website, you don't just create links to associatedcontent.com instead of writing your whole articles there so you can increase your views.

I'll explain why no freelance writer should do this -- in my humble opinion. Stay tuned!

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: The newsletter came out last Monday. The topic of this issue is how to make passive income as a freelance writer. Want it? Subscribe!

Recent "Hot" Topics on the Blog

Internet Marketing: How to Use the News to Drive Traffic and Increase Web Sales

Why SEO Articles are the Best Free Marketing Tools on the Web

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

How to Start a Freelance Writing Career in Less than 24 Hours for $0
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! 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.”

Current Issue Topic: How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Company Laying Off Workers Seeking Freelance Copy Editors and Editors

This week, I've written a few articles about how the recent bank failures, credit crisis and financial troubles on Wall Street is actually a good thing for freelance writers. Yesterday, I got a call from an old client that illustrates this point perfectly.

As many of you know, Inkwell Editorial was an editorial staffing agency in New York City (1996-2004). I used to recruit writers, editors, copy editors and other publishing professionals for all types of firms.

Company Laying Off Workers Seeking Freelance Copy Editors and Editors

Yesterday, I received a call from a Human Resources Director I worked with back in the late 90s (yep, they keep information on file for years). They're laying off a lot of workers (copy editors, editors and proofreaders), and she wanted to know if I could help them land new jobs.

I told her that I was no longer a recruiter, but a freelance writer myself. And, slipping into business mode, I pitched my services to her. She asked if I did editing and copy editing in addition to writing and I said, "Sure." She said that they still needed people to do copyediting and editing, even though they were laying off workers.

As I wrote in the article, Freelance Writers: Why the Current Credit Crisis Is a Good Thing for Your Career, "While companies are contracting, work still has to get done. And to whom do employers turn to get this work done? Temporary employees and/or freelancers."

I'll be sending her over some links to my website today, along with the name of a contact who may be able to help her find the laid off workers other positions. This is just a little food for thought, just in case you had any doubt about work being more bountiful now than ever for freelance writers.

So, get on your marketing and have a good weekend. FYI, you can get a head start by checking out How to Find Unpublished Freelance Writing Jobs.

BTW, next week, I'll be writing a tutorial on how to create "sticky" clients (eg, make them want to use you over and over again). Stay tuned!

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: The newsletter came out on Monday and it was all about how to make passive income as a freelance writer. Want it? Subscribe!

Recent "Hot" Blog Posts
Quick Money-Making Tip for Freelance Writers

Why SEO Articles are the Best Free Marketing Tools on the Web Today

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

Freelance Writers: Why an Ugly Website Can be Good for Your Business
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! 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.”

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income as an Affiliate Marketer. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Wachovia: Another Bank Failure, Another Opportunity for Freelance Writers

In yesterday's post, I wrote about how to use the news to increase traffic to your website/blog. Today's article, Wachovia: Another Bank Failure, Another Opportunity for Freelance Writers, illustrates perfectly how this is done.

Remember, website and blog traffic is built based on what people are searching for on the net. Make what's topical (what's being discussed in the news) relevant to your niche and you can increase traffic to your online presence, and make your site more interesting at the same time.

On a side note: I actually finished all of my work on time today. That freelance writing tip I relayed in Monday's post really works!

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com

Recent "Hot" Blog Posts
Quick Money-Making Tip for Freelance Writers

Why SEO Articles are the Best Free Marketing Tools on the Web Today

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

Freelance Writers: Why an Ugly Website Can be Good for Your Business
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! 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.”

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income as an Affiliate Marketer. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.

Internet Marketing: How to Use the News to Drive Traffic to Your Website or Blog

In my regular Wednesday post over at BloggingTips.com, I talked about how to use current events -- eg, what's happening in the news -- to drive traffic to your website or blog.

This is not only a fun way to drive more traffic, but it keeps your posts fresh and timely because it forces you to think about the totality of your demographic's lives. Doing this creates true bonds with your readers, which leads to trust, which leads to sales.

Tomorrow, I'll post an article that illustrates this in detail. In the meantime, enjoy this post.

Yuwanda
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
Over and out for tonight!
P.S.: The newsletter came out on Monday and it was all about how to make passive income as a freelance writer. A delicious read, if I do say so myself. Want it? Subscribe!

Recent "Hot" Blog Posts
Quick Money-Making Tip for Freelance Writers

Why SEO Articles are the Best Free Marketing Tools on the Web Today

How Would You Like to Make $1,000 in an Hour?

Freelance Writers: Why an Ugly Website Can be Good for Your Business
***********************************************
Freelance Success Stories! 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.”

Current Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $500/Month or in Passive Income as an Affiliate Marketer. Unlike a 9-5 job, freelance writers don't have company-sponsored 401K plans, medical benefits, paid days off, etc. All these are paid for by us. Wouldn't it be nice to create a passive income stream that brought in $1,000, $3,000, $5,000 a month or more? Affiliate marketing can do this. Interviews with three successful affiliate marketers reveal how. One is only 25 years old and is working on his first five-figure month after only 9 months! Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Want to learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebook software to use and concrete advice on how to land paid blogging gigs? I answer these questions, and a few more from readers who wrote in. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
***********************************************
Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com. Except where noted, no part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without the express, written consent of the publisher. Violators will be prosecuted.