Today the second edition of Inkwell Editorial's recently relaunched newsletter, How to Start a Successful Freelance Career, was published.
In this issue, I interviewed Clark Covington who is a successful internet entreprenuer and founder of Internet Research Associates, a firm that hires freelance writers, editors, etc. He tells us how he went about it achieving his success, among other things.
IE, what employers look for in freelancers.
EXCERPT
1. What prompted you to start your company, Internet Research Associates (IRA)? I was moonlighting as a freelance writer while teaching college Speech and English classes. After several frustrating years of adjunct pay with no benefits with little opportunity for advancement, I started IRA.
3. What types of clients use your services? Everyone from real estate agents to e-commerce storeowners utilize our services.
Click here for instructions on how to subscribe and read the entire interview.
Read the first issue here. We speak with one freelancer who earned $10,000 in one year from one source alone, launching her freeance career full-time!
My mission with the newsletter is to inspire you to pursue your freelance dreams. However, not in a vaccuum. But, by dispensing first-hand information from those who have been where you want to be.
Editorially yours,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
P.S.: Inkwell Editorial Ebooks, Seminars & More
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Want to start a profitable career as a freelance writer? Our work-from-home ebooks contain all the information you need to get started right way! Log on to order. It's fast, simple, safe and secure.
FREE Ebook on Article Marketing: If you write and distribute free content, learn how to increase your income via this free e-book. Full details.
Freelance Writing Seminar: Employers tell exactly what they're looking for in freelancers -- and more! Get the details here.
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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Thursday, June 21, 2007
From $0 to 600K in two years -- Interview with Internet Entrepreneur Clark Covington
Monday, June 18, 2007
3 Ways Googling Your Name Can Lead to Cash
Googling your name can lead to cash – and other goodies. How? In the following three ways:
POST CONTINUED BELOW
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Want to start a profitable career as a freelance writer? Our work-from-home ebooks contain all the information you need to get started right way! Log on to order. It's fast, simple, safe and secure.
FREE Ebook on Article Marketing: If you write and distribute free content, learn how to increase your income via this free e-book. Full details.
Freelance Writing Seminar: Employers tell exactly what they're looking for in freelancers -- and more! Get the details here.
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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1. Projects: I’ve received a few projects from Googling my name. How? When I Google my name, depending on why my name appears on a certain site, I’ll propose a referral relationship with the webmaster.
For example, say I Google my name and find one of my articles on a web designer’s site. I’ll approach the web designer, asking them to use me as content provider for their web site clients.
Some web designers don’t provide copy for websites; others do. Either way, approaching them can work in your favor because web designers who don’t provide copy usually refer clients to freelance writers. And, web designers who do provide the content usually farm it out to freelance writers.
So, if the web designer likes your work enough to have it on his/her site, it’s almost like a warm referral. Sending a brief email like the following will do:
Dear Webmaster:
My article, How to Find the Perfect Web Designer, is listed in the “Articles” section on your site. As you enjoyed the article, I wanted to make you aware of my services as a web content provider.
With 14+ years of experience as a freelance copywriter, I provide top-notch, on-time copy to a wide variety of clients. I specialize in the small business, real estate and mortgage sectors, but write across a wide spectrum. For samples of my writing, view my online portfolio at http://inkwelleditorial.com/.
First-time clients receive a discount, and references are provided on request.
Continued success with your business, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
P.S.: Want to get more clients quickly and easily? Subscribe to Inkwell Editorial's popular newsletter, How to Start a Successful Freelance Career, and get the ebook, 7 Ways a Freelance Writer Can Expand Your Profits – No Matter What Your Business Is! absolutely FREE our gift. Simply email us with a "Yes, subscribe me!" and your FREE ebook will be on its way.
NOTE: In every correspondence, use a P.S. Why? According to the article, Effective Database Marketing, on AddressCorrector.com:
Readership studies of conventional letters show that after the headline and the hook in the first paragraph, the postscript is more read than any other part of the letter. It should be used to emphasize one of your product or service's strongest benefits, a deadline, or some other critically important aspect of your offer. Have it in bold or underlined, so that it will stand out.
2. Reviews of your products: Many times when you Google your name, you will find it on other blogger’s sites, other freelance writer’s sites, etc. In cases like this, you can approach the site owner for a book review, for example.
Say you publish an e-book and are in the beginning stages of marketing it. Reviews and testimonials are instrumental in getting sales. Send the site owner a free copy of your e-book and ask them to review it for you. Many won’t, some will.
You can use the feedback to either: (i) implement changes; and/or (ii) as a testimonial (with the reviewer’s permission, of course).
3. Build Web Presence: Finally, a passive way to achieve traffic to your site, over time, is to comment on other’s blogs, websites, etc.
For example, if a site owner has referenced one of your articles, or mentioned your site, write in to thank them and/or provide additional insight. Leaving your name, signature line and link to your site builds your web presence, which, over time, leads to more sales of your product/service.
There are billions of websites on the Internet. Getting noticed is extremely difficult. Googling your name and leveraging those contacts who already know about you can go a long way to increasing your income.
Good luck!
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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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Friday, June 15, 2007
Freelance Copy Editing Job ($35/hour)
Copy editor fluent in Jamaican Patois needed to edit a short children's picture book.
The lead character, Malik, is Jamaican. It's a young reader's picture book. Only Malik's spoken portion needs to edited so it is true Jamaican Patois.
All payments made via PayPal. Pay: $35/hour. Please advise.
To Apply: Send resumes to solybesos@yahoo.com. Put "Jamaican Copy Editor" in the subject line.
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P.S.: Want face time with employers who hire freelancers? Get face time -- and so much more -- in Inkwell Editorial's forthcoming Commercial Freelance Writing Seminar. Details.
P.P.S.: Have you read the story of the freelancer who made $10,000 in one year from one source alone when she was just starting out? Click here to read the inspiring story. THEN, subscribe to Inkwell Editorial's popular newsletter, How to Start a Successful Freelance Career, for more stories of successful freelancers. Details on subscribing can be found here.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
I Hate My Freelance Writing Career! (Part II of II)
Part I of this post examined how doing too much can make you hate your writing career – and how you can combat that.
Here, in Part II, two more reasons you may hate your writing career will be examined – and offer solutions to the problems.
POST CONTINUED BELOW
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Want to start a profitable career as a freelance writer? Our work-from-home ebooks contain all the information you need to get started right way! Log on to order. It's fast, simple, safe and secure.
FREE E-book on Article Marketing: If you write and distribute free content, learn how to increase your income via this free e-book. Full details.
Freelance Writing Seminar: Employers tell exactly what they're looking for in freelancers -- and more! Get the details here.
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2 More Reasons You May Hate Your Freelance Writing Career
Working on Projects I Don’t Care For: Lately, I’ve been working on a lot of projects that just don’t excite me.
To be honest, a lot of what I do doesn’t excite me, per say, but it’s work I don’t mind. During my slump though, it just seemed that the projects – one after the other – were things that I just didn’t like at all.
It was mentally exhausting gearing myself up to work on them.
The reason I’ve been taking on practically any and everything is I want to get out of debt within the next two years – all except for my mortgage. Read about that goal here.
While I have a reason for buckling down and doing work I really don’t enjoy, it was taking a toll on me mentally.
Solution: Either reset goals, or change your mindset. I opted to change my mindset by refocusing on my goal and really ingesting how it’s going to feel to be debt free except for my mortgage.
Now, I have to admit, this is hard -- really hard. And, this is where being a Type A Personality really comes in handy. We’re really good and setting goals and achieving them – no matter the sacrifice.
Putting Dreams on Hold: During this whole process – taking on projects I didn’t like, doing too much – I wasn’t doing anything that gave me personal joy. I was putting my dreams on hold. Eg, training for this year’s marathon.
I had a car accident in February that’s interrupted my training schedule. I don’t know if you know anything about athletes, but when we’re unable to work out, we can get cranky and depressed.
I’d forgotten this. Even though I’m only able to train at a measured pace, now that I’m back on the track, I feel joyous again!
Solution: Do something just for you; chase a dream. This is particularly important when you’re going through trying times.
The Most Important Thing You Can Do To Break Out of a Writing Funk
One of the things I’ve noticed is that I get frustrated when I work without a plan. Many of us go through life without one. We just kind of do our thing – day after day, week after week, month after month.
But, have you ever stopped to think, “Where is this road I’m on taking me? Where do I want to be in 3 years, 5 years, 10 years?”
If you don’t have a life plan – get one – now! It can center you like never before. I talk about how having a life plan helped me make a decision when an “opportunity of a lifetime” was dropped in my lap. Read about it here.
Planning forces you to focus on what’s really important to you. If you’re in a writing funk, it usually has nothing to do with writing, and everything to do with your life.
Here's hoping you never "feel the funk," or get out of it soon if you're already there.
Monday's Post: How Googling Your Name Can Lead to Cash
EXCERPT: There are billions (yes, billions!) of websites on the Internet. Getting noticed is extremely difficult -- if not impossible. Googling your name and leveraging those contacts who already know about you can go a long way to increasing your income. We'll examine three ways to leverage this name recognition -- and put cash in your pocket!
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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, June 13, 2007
I Hate My Freelance Writing Career! (Part I of II)
If you’ve lost your passion for your writing career, here’s why and how to get it back -- with a vengeance!
In my 5/10 post entitled “What to Do When You’re Tired of Writing,” I kvetched about being tired of writing. I had just run out of steam. I had no desire to do it – in fact I dreaded it.
I recently got my writing groove back. I actually look forward to turning on my computer. So, I asked myself, “What happened? Why do I feel so differently now, when I was considering a career change just a few weeks ago.”
After examining the issue in detail, I discovered a few things that I think other freelance writers can learn from.
POST CONTINUED BELOW
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Want to start a profitable career as a freelance writer? Our work-from-home ebooks contain all the information you need to get started right way! Log on to order. It's fast, simple, safe and secure.
FREE E-book on Article Marketing: If you write and distribute free content, learn how to increase your income via this free e-book. Full details.
Freelance Writing Seminar: Employers tell exactly what they're looking for in freelancers -- and more! Get the details here.
Want to be featured in Inkwell Editorial's popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.
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Reasons You May Have Lost Your Writing Passion & How to Get It Back
Doing Too Much: The main reason I was burned out on writing is that I was doing too much. To understand this a little better, you have to understand my (your) personality. I’m a Type A personality.
According to the article, Type A Personality Traits: Characteristics and Effects of a Type A Personality, on About.com: “. . . the following characteristics are the hallmark characteristics of Type A Behavior (TAB):
Time Urgency and Impatience: [Type A’s] are always painfully aware of the time And how little of it they have to spare. Type A behavior often includes . . . competitiveness [and] strong achievement-orientation.The traits about Type A personality that really personify me is time and strong achievement-orientation:
Time: I’m constantly aware of how much time I don’t have – and am always trying to pack in more, more and more. This leads to frustration and exhaustion.
Strong achievement-orientation: I’m an over-achiever. I always have been. The older I get though, the more I realize that it works just as hard against you, as for you, if you don’t control it.
I always have a million ideas floating around my head – and never enough time to implement them. For example, I had driven myself to update all of Inkwell Editorial’s e-books, am re-launching our newsletter, am putting together a freelance writing seminar and have ideas for three more e-books I’m itching to get started on.
This is just off the top of my head. There is more in a “To Do” folder sitting on my desk. This makes me frustrated; I feel like I’m falling behind, so I drive myself harder. This leads to exhaustion – mental and physical.
If any of this sounds familiar, how can you combat it?
Solution I: Scale back. That’s what I did. I just took a few days off. While I was off, I queried myself why I was driving me so hard.
The answer is, I have goals that I want to accomplish and I’m so afraid of not getting there that I just push, push, push. I had to remind myself that if I were doing everything I can, what I want would come. I just have to trust in that.
Solution II: Examine your personality. Ask if your intrinsic makeup is causing you to approach your freelance writing career in such a way that it’s causing you problems.
In my case, I’m not the type [Type A] to leave things to chance. I’m a proactive – not reactive writer, which is why I don’t have the patience for magazine writing, for example. Why? Because you have to query and wait.
I’m much more comfortable as a commercial freelance writer, which is more immediate. I usually approach the client (proactive), I have control over the deadline, the invoicing, the editorial changes, etc.
Knowing your personality makes you more aware of how you need to handle your freelance career for maximum happiness – which leads to increased profits.
TOMORROW: Part II of this post will examine two more reasons you may hate your freelance writing career – and what you can do about it.
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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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Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Freelance Writers: How to Divide Your Marketing Budget for Maximum Profit
I've been a freelance writer since 1993, and owned two other businesses over the last decade. You might call me a small business junkie. I love business and reading and/or listening to discussions about marketing is one of my all-time favorite past times.
You can never learn too much about marketing when it comes to small business is my belief. In that vein, I was listening to the Dave Ramsey show on the radio one day. The show's focus on this day was on small business owners.
A small business owner called in with a really interesting question I think freelancers could learn from. He said that he had set his marketing budget for the year, and he wanted to know how to spend it for maximum effect. His query went something like this:
POST CONTINUED BELOW
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FREE E-book on Article Marketing: If you write and distribute free content, learn how to increase your income via this free e-book. Full details.
Freelance Writing Seminar: Employers tell exactly what they're looking for in freelancers -- and more! Get the details here.
Want to be featured in Inkwell Editorial's popular newsletter? Full details. Read the first issue here.
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"I have $12,000 to spend for fiscal year 2008. I want to know if I should spend $1,000/month for 12 months, or if I should spend more on special deals during a certain period, or if I should pump up our marketing during our busy season?"
Excellent question and one that many of us freelancers probably don't think about in too much detail The reason I thought it was such an excellent question is because editorial (especially freelance writing), is a seasonal industry, as outlined in the article, The Work Flow Cycle of the Editorial Industry, on InkwellEditorial.com.
From approximately mid-June through Labor Day and from Christmas through the end of January are usually pretty slow.
February through the end of May is usually very busy, as is September through mid-December. iven this, how would you divvy up a marketing budget?
NOTE: Even if you don't have a marketing budget to speak of, knowing when to increase your promotional efforts - whether it's writing and distributing free articles or giving away copies of an e-book - can mean a big increase in your income.
Step 1: Know the cycle of your industry. Don't spend money during slow times. Use free promotional methods. Eg, send them articles you've written for possible publishing, distribute a free newsletter, write and disperse press releases, etc.
Step 2: Strike when the iron is hot! As in, spend the bulk of your ad dollars during high season.
Step 3: Prepare in advance: Eg, knowing that things pick up in September, target your marketing venues 3-6 months in advance. Many outlets offer discounts for early placement and for bulk placement.
Hence, you get the best bang for your buck by being the early bird. You may be able to extend your ad run by 20, 30 or 40% by placing it early. Eg, instead of placing an ad for 12 weeks, you get 16 or 20 for the same price by being early.
Step 4: Track your advertising: Placing ads early also gives you enough time to put an ad tracking system in place.
What is tracking an ad? Eg, say you send out 500 postcards - 250 with one message and the other 250 with a slightly different message. You want to see which one pulls better, so you put a tracking code, eg, IW-A on one batch and IW-B on the second batch.
After a certain time, say 2 weeks, you go back and see which one responded to your call of action better.
Successful advertisers are constantly tweaking their message because even a half-percent increase in response can mean hundreds or thousands of extra dollars. The kicker: it can be as simple as a one or two word change that makes the difference. As you advertise and market more, you will get better and better at doing this.
In conclusion, knowing when to market is as important as knowing what to say in your advertising material. So, learn the cycle of your industry and use your ad dollars accordingly.
EXCERPT FROM TOMORROW'S POST: If you’ve lost your passion for writing, here’s why and how to get it back -- with a vengeance!
In my 5/10 post entitled “What to Do When You’re Tired of Writing,” I kvetched about being tired of writing. I recently got my writing groove back. I actually look forward to turning on my computer. So, I asked myself, “What happened? Why do I feel so differently now, when I was considering a career change just a few weeks ago?”
After examining the issue in detail, I discovered a few things that I think other freelance writers can learn from.
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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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Monday, June 11, 2007
Editor-in-Chief Job Opening: An Opportunity of a Lifetime, Or Not?
I recently had what some would refer to as the opportunity of a lifetime. My blog led to an Editor-in-Chief’s job offer. Read about it here. I turned it down. You can read why here.
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Don’t be a schizophrenic entrepreneur: As I said in the aforementioned post, I’m somewhat of a schizophrenic entrepreneur. Meaning, I like to try many different things.
Many freelancers/entrepreneurs/small business owners fail at this one simple thing. They flit from one thing to the next – hoping the next idea will be “the one,” never giving their all to any one thing – over a period of time.
Think of it this way, if trickling water – over time -- can reduce a mountain to pebbles, why would you assume it couldn’t make you successful?
Form a plan, work it consistently and watch your business grow. That's the real key to success.
And this is fine – just make sure the change is something you want because it will lead to greater happiness, not because of the opportunity at hand. Why? Because if, for whatever reason, the opportunity doesn’t pan out, you still have your life plan to contend with.
Even if an opportunity only takes you a little farther down that road, at least you’ll be a little closer to your end goal – not off on a detour that takes you farther away from it.
Getting older is a blessing: I don’t know if this holds true for everyone, but I delight in getting older. I see my truth more clearly. Hence, I’m able to choose wiser what is right for me – not my family, my friends, or my professional associates.
Being comfortable in my own skin, which for me, has come with age, has made me treasure and value me – a lot more than I ever did before.
When you think that the earth is billions, perhaps trillions of years old, and we get 70, 80 or 90 years on it – if we’re lucky – you want to make every decision count – towards happiness.
TOMORROW'S POST: How to Divide Your Marketing Budget for Maximum Success
EXCERPT: I was listening to the Dave Ramsey show on the radio one day. The show’s focus that day was on small business owners. a caller asked a really interesting question that I think freelancers could learn from. He said that he had set his marketing budget for the year, and he wanted to know how to spend it for maximum effect.
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Wednesday, June 06, 2007
How to Name Your Newsletter for Maximum Profit & Subscriber Signup (Part II of II)
In yesterday’s post, we discussed two stumbling blocks you may come across when trying to name your newsletter.
Here, we will discuss two more stumbling blocks, how to overcome them, and how to tell when a name is right. Here goes:
POST CONTINUED BELOW
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Want to start a profitable career as a freelance writer? Our work-from-home ebooks contain all the information you need to get started right way! Log on to order. It's fast, simple, safe and secure.
FREE E-book on Article Marketing: If you write and distribute free content, learn how to increase your income via this free e-book. Full details.
Freelance Writing Seminar: Employers tell exactly what they're looking for in freelancers -- and more! Get the details here.
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c) Another Stumbling Block: Falling in love with a name that doesn’t fit. I started to name the newsletter This Freelance Writing Life. I also thought of calling it simply, The Inkwell Editorial Newsletter, which was the name of Inkwell Editorial’s last newsletter.
The reason I decided against This Freelance Writing Life is that while it was somewhat catchy and had “freelance writing” in the title, it didn’t speak to the “what” of the freelance writing life.
The lesson here: The name should clue potential subscribers into what the newsletter is about – in as specific a way as possible.
d) Another Stumbling Block: Branding your brand or attracting new subscribers. The reason I decided against naming the newsletter The Inkwell Editorial Newsletter is that it would fail to attract new subscribers.
While the name mentioned my company, Inkwell Editorial – which is important – those who didn’t know about Inkwell Editorial would have no idea what the newsletter was about. Thus, I’d have to work harder to attract new subscribers.
The lesson here: An effective name should do both – further your brand AND attract new subscribers.
The name How to Start a Successful Freelance Career will attract subscribers who know nothing about Inkwell Editorial – because their interest is peaked by the subject matter, which the title clues them in to.
How to Determine When Your Newsletter’s Name is “Right”
Perhaps the number one thing to remember when you are trying to come up with a name is to think of your prospects’ wants, needs and problems.
Don’t think of your newsletter as “your publication,” think of it as a solution to problems for a specific group. And, in simple terms, what “one liner” would clue them into what your newsletter is all about.
Many times, a name will just fit – you’ll know it in your gut. Following the advice above will put you well on your way to choosing an effective, profitable name for your newsletter.
Sometimes, a name may not be one you’re crazy about. But, it will be one that will increase your profits and enlarge your subscriber list – which, if you write for profit, should be your main goal.
Good luck!
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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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Tuesday, June 05, 2007
How to Name Your Newsletter for Maximum Profit & Subscriber Signup (Part I of II)
Inkwell Editorial will publish a new newsletter* starting tomorrow entitled, How to Start a Successful Freelance Career. Sign up and receive a FREE e-book. Details.
I vacillated on the name, which surprised me because I’ve been writing about marketing and business for over a decade. I know tried and true marketing “isms.”
So, what made me wishy washy on the name? My passion. It got in the way. This happens to most small business owners. No matter how smart we think we are, sometimes, our passion gets in the way of solutions.
Once I figured this out, I decided on a name quickly. Following is some in-depth advice on how to name your newsletter for maximum profit and subscriber signup.
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Want to start a profitable career as a freelance writer? Our work-from-home ebooks contain all the information you need to get started right way! Log on to order. It's fast, simple, safe and secure.
FREE E-book on Article Marketing: If you write and distribute free content, learn how to increase your income via this free e-book. Full details.
Freelance Writing Seminar: Employers tell exactly what they're looking for in freelancers -- and more! Get the details here.
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Steps to Naming Your Newsletter for Maximum Profit & Subscriber Signup
Ask yourself, "What does it do?" Several things can cause you to stumble when it comes to naming your newsletter or e-zine, eg:
a) You don’t want to alienate any potential readers: For example, my genre is freelance writing. I don’t want to alienate any freelance writer. BUT, although I write within a niche, it’s a broad niche.
So, I need to speak to those my products are mainly targeted to. And, that tends to be freelancers who are just starting out.
So, because my primary market within the freelance writing community is those who are just beginning (ie, have less than three years of experience), the name How to Start a Successful Freelance Career, fit perfectly.
Remember, your newsletter is a marketing vehicle. So, treat it accordingly and speak directly to your core audience at all times.
b) You want to be everything to everybody: This is the flip side of the previous point.
Trying to be everything to everybody will cause you to publish a newsletter that is of no measurable benefit to any one group.
When you hone in on one group, you can solve a multitude of problems for them, making you a go-to source. This leads to trust, which leads to referrals -- which eventually leads to sales.
So, make your newsletter extremely valuable to a few, rather than marginal to many. A good example of this is Darren Rowse’s site, problogger.net. If you want to know about blogging for money, this is the first site you should visit – and possibly the only one you’ll ever need to.
Many are afraid to speak to a niche because they’re afraid they’ll run out of things to write about. I had this fear with my first newsletter – and when I started my blog over two years ago.
But, you know what? LIFE will supply you with endless topics. Not to mention your subscribers. I get questions that I never would have thought of from readers of my ebooks, blog and website.
AND, when you really focus on a group, you will begin to think broader and deeper about their lives – over and beyond say, their freelance writing needs.
You will start to think, for example, of how their freelance writing needs impact other areas of their lives. This is when you really start to make yourself valuable to readers.
For example, primarily, readers of my material want freelance writing advice and tips. BUT, they want it to increase their income because they want to spend more time with their families, get out of debt, leave a job they hate, etc. These are their real desires.
Case Example: I recently did a few articles on freelancers and debt. On the face of it, these two topics don’t go together. But, thinking about the totality of my readers’ lives, it makes perfect sense.
Freelancers have sporadic incomes. Many use credit cards – and other types of credit – to weather dry spells. So, the articles, How to Get Out of Debt on a Freelance Salary and Debt-Free Living: A freelancer's Personal Tale of Getting -- & Staying -- There were not only timely going into the slow summer season, they were necessary.
When you start to think about the breadth of your prospects’ lives, you will literally be overrun with ideas.
In conclusion, select a niche and go deep within it, instead of playing on the surface. Your readers will thank you for it -- in sales, subscriber sign-ups and referrals.
*Inkwell Editorial published a newsletter a couple of years ago on a sporadic basis.
Tomorrow: Part II of this post. We will discuss more things that can block you from coming up with an effective name for your newsletter/e-zine, how to combat them, and how to tell when a name is “right.”
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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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Monday, June 04, 2007
Publishing E-books for A Living: How to Ensure an Income for Life
I’ve been a freelance writer since 1993. Many writers write because it’s their calling. They love it and can’t imagine doing anything else.
Unlike these gifted souls, I write because I have a knack for it and it allows me to order my life around my work, not my work around my life. This is why I love publishing e-books for a living.
Besides the benefit of working in my jammies, the number one advantage of publishing e-books for a living is residual income. Once an e-book is written, it can earn you money for years to come.
What do I mean? Let me explain by way of a personal story.
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Want to start a profitable career as a freelance writer? Our work-from-home ebooks contain all the information you need to get started right way! Log on to order. It's fast, simple, safe and secure.
FREE E-book on Article Marketing: If you write and distribute free content, learn how to increase your income via this free e-book. Full details.
Freelance Writing Seminar: Employers tell exactly what they're looking for in freelancers -- and more! Get the details here.
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Publishing E-books for A Living: How & Why I Started
I published my first e-book, How to Really Make a Living as an Editorial Freelancer, in 2002. It was prompted by all the inquiries I received about freelancing after 9/11, when many in the publishing, advertising, communications industry lost their jobs.
By way of background, at the time, I owned an editorial staffing agency in New York City, Inkwell Editorial. After 9/11, the industry I staffed (publishing, advertising, media, communications, etc.) suffered a severe downturn.
As no one was placing ads, magazines were cutting back, dot-coms were going out of business and advertising agencies were trimming the fat. All of this meant many writers, copy editors, creative directors, editors, copywriters, etc., lost their jobs.
Many turned to freelancing – but few knew how to go about it. So, I wrote the e-book to shed some light on it.
That one was received so well that I followed up with a companion e-book, Advice from Successful Freelancers, which featured advice from real freelancers on how they succeeded.
To date, I’ve published 6 e-books, one e-course and numerous reports, pamphlets and guides – all focused on the business of creative freelancing.
Publishing E-books for A Living: How to Ensure an Income for Life
Once you write and publish an e-book, you can make it an income-generating enterprise for years to come. How? By doing the following:
A) Update Your Publications: Keep your e-book(s) relevant by regularly updating the material. The initial writing is the hard part. Updating it every few years will give readers a reason to re-purchase from you.
You can even offer discounts to those who bought the original publication.
B) Publish a Line: What I mean by this is, publish in a niche. For example, my e-books are all about the business of freelancing.
Each title focuses on a different aspect of this topic – whether it’s getting a website, learning effective marketing techniques or first-hand advice from other freelancers.
The wonderful thing about publishing a line is that the more products you offer, the better chance you have of making a sale. By listing all of the titles you offer at the end of each publication, you can effectively cross promote with little to no effort.
C) Create Other Products: Like what? Seminars, workshops, CDs, DVDs and e-courses.
The beauty of e-books is once they’re written, you have the bones of a seminar, workshop or DVD right there in front of you. Rewrite and rearrange the material to fit the different format.
Some people like their products live (eg, a seminar, workshop); some like to listen to it in the car on the way to work (CD), some prefer to work at their leisure (e-course).
Again, cross market all of these, which brings me to my next point -- marketing in general.
D) Market, Market, Market: This is an on-going thing. Put together a marketing schedule you can following week in and week out – for months on end.
Create a blog, publish a website, do a podcast – whatever it is, do it consistently and watch your sales grow.
Publishing e-books for a living is a wonderful way to ensure an income for life – and allow you to have a life. Good luck if you decide to give it a go.
Wanna know the steps to take to publish a successful e-book? Read this post.
Good luck if you decide to publish an e-book of your own!
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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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Thursday, May 31, 2007
Why Freelance Writers May Be the Poorest Internet Entrepreneurs (Part II of II)
Today’s post is a continuation of yesterday’s post. Without further ado, other reasons freelance writers may be the poorest internet entrepreneurs are:
3. Nobody wants to pay for content: I’ve written on this so many times, I just don’t want to go over it again.
However, I will point out that as outlets like social bookmarking sites and free article directories abound -- many just don't feel the need to pay for original content. And why should they?
They can link to an article, or as long as they put in the resource box, outright publish an article on their website, blog, or in their newsletter.
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Want to start a profitable career as a freelance writer? Our work-from-home ebooks contain all the information you need to get started right way! Log on to order. It's fast, simple, safe and secure.
FREE E-book on Article Marketing: If you write and distribute free content, learn how to increase your income via this free e-book. Full details.
Freelance Writing Seminar: Employers tell exactly what they're looking for in freelancers -- and more! Get the details here.
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4. Publishing is "easy": Easy is in quotation marks because as anyone who's ever started a publication of any kind knows, it's not. Yes, to start is easy. To make money from it is a whole other ball of wax. Why?
Because that means treating is as a business and marketing, marketing, marketing it to the hilt. I daresay that many freelance writers are introverts when it comes to the work. We don't really care for bugging people to buy an e-book, place an ad, sign up for a seminar. Who likes to be told no, no, no? No one.
That’s why there are so many abandoned websites and blogs, why there are so many suspended newsletters and why many freelancers never finish and/or start that e-book, e-course, etc.
Give Freelance Writing Poverty the Boot!
How? By taking the following steps:
For more on how to effectively market your freelance writing services, check out The Small Biz Owner’s Complete Marketing Kit! here.
Monday’s Post: I’m really excited about this topic, which is Publishing E-books for A Living: How to Ensure an Income for Life. Some great inside info will be provided. Stay tuned!
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
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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, May 30, 2007
Why Freelance Writers May Be the Poorest Internet Entrepreneurs (Part I of II)
The war on poor freelance writers, that is.
This got me to wondering, “Are freelance writers the poorest “internet entrepreneurs?” And if so, how can we climb out of this mess?
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Want to start a profitable career as a freelance writer? Our work-from-home ebooks contain all the information you need to get started right way! Log on to order. It's fast, simple, safe and secure.
FREE E-book on Article Marketing: If you write and distribute free content, learn how to increase your income via this free e-book. Full details here.
Freelance Writing Seminar: Employers tell exactly what they're looking for in freelancers -- and more! Get the details here.
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Why Freelance Writers May Be the Poorest Internet Entrepreneurs
1. Much of new technology is for tech people: It seems that every new piece of software that comes out is for tech people.
That's not to say that we as freelance writers can't take it and make it work for us. It's just that it's not invented with us in mind. Hence, we have to use "workarounds" to get maximum benefit.
Take social bookmarking sites like Digg. Many freelance writers use it as a marketing tool -- in one fashion or another. But, is there a category for freelance writers? No.
But, there is a category for technology, as well as science and gaming, among others. As a freelance writer, I get the feeling that I'm not welcome there UNLESS I'm writing on technology or gaming or science, for example. And, that's the freelance writer's workaround.
While I find many articles on Digg about freelance writing, it's not a main category. One has to Digg for the information -- pun fully intended.
Talking about Digg leads me to the next reason I think freelance writers may be the poorest internet entrepreneurs, free article directories.
2. Free article directories: This is only my opinion, but article marketing directories are a blessing and a curse for freelance writers.
They're a blessing in that it's a viable way for freelance writers to promote their products/services at no cost.
The flip side is that there is so much garbage in these directories that it's: (i) hard to get your message through to the masses; and (ii) even harder for potential customers to take you seriously if/when your message does get through.
Don't get me wrong, I think article marketing is a wonderful way to promote -- especially if you are just starting out and have little money. BUT, it's a patient marketing strategy.
Because many use these directories to promote junk, ie, Work 20 Minutes a Day & Make $200, most are skeptical about purchasing products promoted via free articles -- and rightly so.
So, how do you use these directories wisely? Look at it as a way to build your brand by submitting quality, in-depth material designed to help and/or inform the reader, not push a product/service.
If I read one more article that's only 400 words that tells me something I can find from 1,000 other articles on the internet, I'm going to scream!
This not only reflects poorly on you, the writer, but it does nothing to build customer loyalty and make prospects want to come back to your blog, website, and/or order your e-book, sign up to your newsletter or take your e-course.
NOTE: For more on how to effectively market with articles, request the free e-book, Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Article Marketing: Results of a 30-day article marketing experiment. Full details here.
Tomorrow: Part II of this topic. We’ll continue the reasons why freelance writers may be the poorest internet entrepreneurs, and explore ways we can climb out of this mess. Stay tuned!
Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
Photo Credit: Peter Holderness Photography
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Tuesday, May 29, 2007
4-Eyed Writers & Free Ebooks!
I went to the eye doctor today, which got me to wondering, "Are there any writers with perfect vision?" I dare say if there are, it's due to laser surgery. 
Good things come with four eyes is my mantra -- and I'm sticking to it! BUT, I digress.
My doctor put some drops in my eyes -- some kind of eye test -- and it burnt like the dickens. My point -- I can't see close up. It's going to take 3-5 hours for my vision to get back to normal (which, in reality, I should not be excited about).
Anyway, I will be posting the entry scheduled for today, Are freelance writers the poorest internet entrepreneurs? tomorrow. I had planned to finish and proof it today -- but I can't see clearly enough to do so.
Thank God for willing mates to bail you out (he wasn't about to stay still long enough to type and proof the entire post, however).
Here's something you might like: Get a FREE Ebook on Article Marketing. How? Click here for details.
Hasta manana and send up a prayer for me wee ole eyeballs!
Yuwanda (Don't know who she is? She can be a chatty matty; find out more here.)
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Do You Regret Not Starting a Freelance Writing Career?
My 13-year old nephew graduated from middle school today. He's officially a 9th grader! Yeah -- I'm such a proud aunt. :-) So, what does this have to do with the question posed?
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Want to start a profitable career as a freelance writer? Our work-from-home ebooks contain all the information you need to get started right way! Log on to order. It's fast, simple, safe and secure.
***************************************
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
*************************
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, May 23, 2007
How to Become a Freelance Writer: Get Advice in Inkwell's Freelance Writing Newsletter
Sign up to Inkwell Editorial's freelance writing newsletter for advice, tips and strategies on how to become a freelance writer.
Note: We've redesigned Inkwell Editorial. To continue to receive freelance writing help, you can subscribe to the newsletter from any page of the site. Just look for the "Newsletter Signup" box on the right-hand side.
