How to Stick to Your Freelance Writing Rates

I blogged about a situation I had with one client recently where I stuck to my pricing guns. It's a scenario all freelace writers will have to deal with at some point. I hope it proves insightful.

Read, Freelance Writing Rates: How to Stick to Your Pricing Guns, at BloggingTips.com.

Wanna appear on this blog? Submit a guest post.Nothing more than that to say today dear readers. Hope y'all (yep, I'm southern) had a good weekend.

Yuwanda (anytime you wanna know what I'm up to, check me out on Twitter)
Contact: info *at* InkwellEditorial.com
P.S.: Where are all the freelance writing jobs? Find out in the 2008-2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report

Hot Stuff Around Here!
Freelance Writing Job: Write 4 Pages for $1,500

$100 for SEO Articles: How to Become a Highly Paid SEO Copywriter

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 the Most Money as a Freelance Writer. 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.

Get Your Blog Exposed to 40,000 Eyeballs!

Yesterday morning, I woke up to a nice surprise. Sitting in my inbox was a comment from a reader of my post on Copyblogger.com. For those who might be unfamiliar with this site, it is one of the leading sites on the web for freelance writers and copywriters. How prestigious? The RSS feed has close to 40,000 subscribers!

Remember a couple of months back when I wrote about guest blogging? In the post entitled, Why Darren Rowse, John Chow and Brian Clark Scare Me: How Guest Blogging Helped Me to Overcome Fear, I wrote, "Even though they weren’t advertising for guest posters, I submitted posts to CopyBlogger and Problogger. To date, I haven’t heard anything. FYI, site owners won’t respond with a yes or no; they’ll just publish the piece if they decide to use it."

Well, that's exactly what happened. I sent the guest post I impetuously wrote to Mr. Clark, the brain behind Copyblogger, around the first week of May. Yesterday, he published it. I wrote him a thank you and he responded that he'd meant to notify me that it was going to be published, but he was traveling and forgot.

And, the post is still live on the front page. A full 36 hours front and center on a site like this . . . and all it cost me was time. Viva la guest posting! Get on it you all. And, fyi, if you really want to know how to improve your copywriting, this site is a must. Subscribe. Read the post, 3 Things to Consider When Deciding How Long Your Blog Posts Should Be, here on the site.
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Why Bloggers are Primed to Make Money Online

Switching gears, do you want to know why bloggers are primed to make money online? Yesterday I wrote about it at BloggingTips.com. It's quite shocking how wide open and easy it is for bloggers to make money online. Read the post to find out why -- and how.
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InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com is an Award-Winning Blog

In May, Profreelancer.com voted InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com as one of the Top 60 Blogs for Freelance Writers (we're #6). . . and this is in addition to the accolade the blog received back in March, when it was voted one of The Top 100 Freelancer Blogs (#13). We're moving up in the world -- yeah!

Thanks for recognizing my hard work Profreelancer.com and BusinessCreditCard.com.

Have a happy 4th of July to my American counterparts. And everyone, I'll see you back here next Wednesday, the 9th. My new website design is almost done, so I'll be unveiling a new look soon for InkwellEditorial.com. Stay tuned!

Declare Your Independence!

In the meantime, declare your independence and get on starting a freelance writing career. You can start at the Inkwell Editorial Bookstore.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
P.S.: Want the liberty of working from home as a freelance writer in your PJs, getting assignments via the internet? Click here for more on How to Make $250+/Day Writing Simple, 500-Word Articles. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to get started.
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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.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Wanna learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? And, are also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on YOU: Questions from Readers. Wanna learn about ghostwriting, how cut to the chase and "get started" as a freelance writer, which instant download ebooks 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: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! 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 Tech Savvy Do You Have to Be To Make Money Blogging?

This is what I posted about over at BloggingTips.com today. I was pondering this as I wrote the almost 2,000-word tutorial that was yesterday's post, ie, How to Make Money Blogging by Selling Your Blog Posts.

Writing that post made me realize two things: (i) I have a lot to learn; and (ii) I know a lot more than I thought I did. According to Technorati's 2006 State of the Blogosphere report, "As of October 2006, about 100,000 new weblogs were created each day." That's 36.5 million new web presences a year! Holy kamolie!

At the time, Technorati was only tracking 56 million blogs. It currently tracks over 112 million, so the numbers are probably even higher today, a full one and a half years later. While many of these blog will die off, they still get in the way of you making money online as a blogger, web entrepreneur and/or internet marketer.

The three tips I outline in today's post was designed to do two things: (i) make you crystallize what you know; and (ii) help you to realize what you may be lacking.

While making money online is fun (I still cant' believe I'm able to do it, which means you can too), it is a lot of work. But, becoming more tech savvy can make it an easier journey. Enjoy the post.

Article Marketing Contest Update: Yesterday, I submitted, A $15/Per Article Writing Gig - It's For Real! to ArticleAlley.com. No posts today -- swamped and on deadline.

INKWELL EDITORIAL NEWS & NOTES

Have a Burning Freelance Writing Question? I'm devoting the next issue of the newsletter (6/25) to questions from readers. So, if you have a question you want to ask me, send it in [info [at] InkwellEditorial.com]. I'll answer as many as I can (in truth, I'll try to get to all of them). If I don't have the answer, I'll tap some of my sources (time permitting).

If you've been wondering about a particular niche on freelance writing, have a marketing question, a how to deal with a client question, a pricing question -- anything on freelance writing (or blogging), just send it in. You can remain anonymous if you want.

Useful Freelance Writing Links
Start a Freelance Writing Career with Our "How to Write from Home" Ebooks

Need to Drive Traffic to Your Website?

Get Affordable Content for Your Website, Ezine, Etc.

Advice, Tips, Case Studies & More on Freelance Writing

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career Newsletter
P.S.: Want the liberty of working from home as a freelance writer in your PJs, getting assignments via the internet? Click here for more on How to Make $250+/Day Writing Simple, 500-Word Articles. All you need is a computer and an internet connection to get started.
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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.”

Previous Issue. Spotlight on How to Make $75,000 to $100,000/Year as an SEO Writer. In this issue, I dispense the 8 keys to my success as an SEO writer. There are some definites that must gel to find success in this field. I outline them all here. And of course, it’s based on my own personal experience. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on Newbie Freelancers. Wanna learn how one freelancer landed enough clients to quit his job in just 12 hours? And, there's also some blog warning tips if you're looking to move your blog from one platform to another -- and more. Subscribe to read this, and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! 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.

Blog Posting Rates: How Much Should You Charge for Blog Posting?

Five years ago, blog posting didn’t even exist as a popular freelance job. Now, it’s one of the new media jobs that’s growing in popularity, and one I added to my list of services as an SEO writer because clients kept asking me for it.

But, how much should you charge for it? That depends. Following are some things to consider when you are trying to decide what to charge for blog posting.

Read the rest here: 4 Guidelines for Setting Blog Posting Rates.

And on a completely unrelated, but fun, note . . . It's snowing here in Atlanta -- it's happended twice in one week -- a rarity in this part of the country (one I'm thoroughly enjoying). I'm off to enjoy the fireplace and watch a movie. Hope you're enjoying your weekend.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com/
http://inkwelleditorial.blogspot.com/
http://seo-article-writer.com/
http://seo-articles-for-sale.com/
http://money-making-videos.blogspot.com/
How to Start a Successful Freelance Career Newsletter
P.S.: Read about my $250/day as a freelance writer -- with less than two weeks of marketing!
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Read 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." Subscribe to read this , and all previous, issues.

Previous Issue: How Much do Freelance Web Writers Really Make? This issue features a roundup of freelance writer income from around the web. Features salaries from a few hundred a month, to a website that earns over $30,000/month -- and the site owner doesn't even sell anything! Subscribe to read this , and all previous, issues.

Current Issue. Spotlight on SEO Content Writing: How to make money at it, effective marketing tips and more. Long-time freelancer Sharon Hurley Hall shares her success tips on this and so much more. Sharon can be found online at http://getpaidtowriteonline.com/ and http://sharonhurleyhall.com/. Subscribe to read this , and all previous, issues.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Get the e-report, How to Make $100/Day as a Freelance Writer -- free! Log on to http://www.freelancewritingwebsite.com/ for details. 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.

Do Bloggers Need To Unionize?

This is an interesting post on WebProNews. Food for thought on a lazy Sunday morning.

Bloggers unionizing -- at least it's starting to be recognized as a true profession. Could respect -- and decent pay -- for online writers be far behind?

What do you think?

FYI, did you catch yesterday's post, How Weekend Blogging Can Increase Your Freelance Writing Success?

Enjoy the rest of the weekend. :-)

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com/
http://inkwelleditorial.blogspot.com/
http://seo-article-writer.com/
http://seo-articles-for-sale.com/
http://money-making-videos.blogspot.com/
How to Start a Successful Freelance Career Newsletter
P.S.: Read about my $250/day as a freelance writer -- with less than two weeks of marketing!
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Read 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." Subscribe to read all previous issues.

Current Issue: How Much do Freelance Web Writers Really Make? This issue features a roundup of freelance writer income from around the web. Features salaries from a few hundred a month, to a website that earns over $30,000/month -- and the site owner doesn't even sell anything! Subscribe to read this inspiring issue.

Previous Issue. Ghostwriting: Want to know what type of work is out there in this genre? How much it pays? Where to find it? How to go about getting it? Ghostwriter Amanda Evans gives us the skinny on this freelance writing niche.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Get the e-report, How to Make $100/Day as a Freelance Writer -- free! Log on to http://www.freelancewritingwebsite.com/ for details. 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 Weekend Blogging Can Increase Your Freelance Writing Success

I've been having an incredible run of success in my freelance writing lately. I targeted a new niche -- SEO writing -- that's taken off amazingly. You can read about that here.

I published my 8th ebook that's been my fastest selling one to date. And, my blog and website rankings are spiking.

Get More Weekend Traffic for Your Website/Blog: How Weekend Blogging Can Increase Your Freelance Writing Success

Why am I telling you all this? Because success inspires success. I'm so excited that I'm inspired to blog on the weekends, something I practically never do. But, as weekend traffic on blogs and websites is usually low, why do it?

A post at DoshDosh.com I read a few weeks ago inspired me to examine this, in spite of the downturn in traffic -- and make it successful. If you're serious about making money online by the way, DoshDosh is a "must favorite" site. It's one of the few I visit on a regular basis.

The one tip I've found to be incredibly true in this post over at DoshDosh is commenting on blogs.

Maki (DoshDosh webmaster) writes: "While many blogs don’t update during the weekend, you can still comment on the ones that do. Focus on those with more traffic and try to be the first few to leave a comment. Make your comment relevant and you’re likely to receive some visitors from others who visit the same blog."

I spent a couple of hours last night posting comments to some blogs and just before I logged off, checked my PayPal account one last time. At 1:20am what did I find -- an ebook order.

Now, can this be attributed to my late-night blogging efforts? Who knows. But, what I do know is that most of my orders are received during daylight hours. A late-night order is unusual. So ...

On Monday, I'll give some specific tips on "late-night blogging" to help you increase your income. I've been doing it for the last few weeks, and have seen some definite results.

Enjoy the weekend everybody.

Sincerely,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com/
http://inkwelleditorial.blogspot.com/
http://seo-article-writer.com/
http://seo-articles-for-sale.com/
http://money-making-videos.blogspot.com/
How to Start a Successful Freelance Career Newsletter
P.S.: Read about my $250/day as a freelance writer -- with less than two weeks of marketing!
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Read 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." Subscribe to read all previous issues.

Current Issue: How Much do Freelance Web Writers Really Make? This issue features a roundup of freelance writer income from around the web. Features salaries from a few hundred a month, to a website that earns over $30,000/month -- and the site owner doesn't even sell anything! Subscribe to read this inspiring issue.

Previous Issue. Ghostwriting: Want to know what type of work is out there in this genre? How much it pays? Where to find it? How to go about getting it? Ghostwriter Amanda Evans gives us the skinny on this freelance writing niche.
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Copyright © 2008 InkwellEditorial.com: Freelance success stories, e-courses, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Get the e-report, How to Make $100/Day as a Freelance Writer -- free! Log on to http://www.freelancewritingwebsite.com/ for details. 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.

Win "My" Blog Profits for One Month!

Well, not mine, exactly. Courtney Tuttle's. Let me explain.

As this is the only post I'll be doing this week due to the holiday, I wanted to leave you with something to think about moving forward -- viral marketing.

Courtney Tuttle created a contest whereby readers could win his blog's profits for an entire month. He did it for two months. Read about it here. Talk about putting your marketing on steroids.

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Freelance Writing Seminar: Learn exactly what to do to earn $100, $150, $200/day or more as a freelance writer, editor and/or copy editor in our upcoming seminar. Details. It's a career anyone who can read and write can start -- with the right information.

$10,000 in one year from one "client" alone; From $0 to $600K in profits in two years: Learn how these successful freelancers carved out profitable careers in our highly popular newsletter, How to Start a Successful Freelance Career. Subscribe today. FYI, you get a FREE ebook on article marketing when you subscribe.

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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You see, viral marketing is all about getting eyeballs to your site/blog. Contests, awards, hot topics (eg, Paula Mooney's blog is great for this), etc. can all be made into great viral marketing campaigns.

Take "The Thinking Blogger's Award," which this blog was tapped for twice (way cool!). Read about that here. Even though the guy who created it no longer has an active site, the award lives on.

Site traffic leads to subscribers (regular readers). This builds trust, which eventually leads to sales. So, start thinking of some viral marketing ideas for your site/blog and watch your sales and subscribers increase.

To my American counterparts, enjoy the upcoming 4th of July holiday. During your festivities, please keep the troops of every nation in mind -- whether you agree with the war or not/ The freedoms we enjoy, especially in this country, are due directly to their incredible sacrifices.

I'm going to take this week and catch up on some "backburnered" projects. I'll join you back here on Monday, the 9th.

Always editorially yours,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
http://inkwelleditorial.com/
http://inkwelleditorial.blogspot.com/
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Upcoming Features in Inkwell Editorial’s Newsletter

July 18: Paula Mooney: Blogger who helps other bloggers “make money, get readers and increase their blog’s ranking.” Paula will reveal how she makes money online, and how she’s built a very popular blog in only a few month’s time.

If you currently have a blog, or are thinking about starting one, you won’t want to miss this interview!

August 15: Meryl K. Evans. I tapped Meryl for an interview because she’s found success in the B2B niche. Meryl has written for some pretty notable clients, eg, PC Today, O’Reilly and Pearson to name a few.

This is where the real money in freelance writing is folks (B2B). I’m as anxious to see what she has to say as I hope you are!

September 12: We ring in the “editorial season” by interviewing Gordon Graham, aka “that white paper guy.” Gordon writes and edits white papers and case studies. He charges $90/hour just to edit a white paper and a minimum of $4,000 to produce a white paper from scratch.

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

NOTE: As editorial is cyclical and slow during the summer, in July and August, the newsletter will be published once. In September, we go back to our twice-monthly publishing schedule. Subscribe today so you don't miss anything!
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Blogging Cash in Your Pocket!

Blogging has brought me many benefits - many which have led directly to cash in my pocket. Following are the things that have led directly to more income from my blogging efforts:

a) Wholistic Body of Work: I recently picked up a client who came across my blog while surfing the web.

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Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.
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Without even asking, he told me that he liked by conversational style of writing and could tell that I "knew my stuff." He was talking about my marketing ability.

No marketing, no persuading, no samples - he handed me a project right off the bat. All because he was able to read through almost two years of blog posts, which gave him an idea of what I could do for him.

b) Better Writing Style: This kind of ties into the aforementioned point, but blogging has made me a better writer. Before I sweated over every word and really didn't have much confidence in my ability as a "saleable" writer.

I thought copywriting was some type of rocket science that I just didn't do well. But, the more I did it and the more clients were pleased with what I turned in, the more confidence I gained.

I've written e-books, postcards, web copy, newsletters and sales letters - and almost everything in between. Blogging has innately given me a "feel for the right words." It's hard to explain. But, I no longer feel intimidated or panicked by a project.

Because I write a lot, I'm confident in my ability to do a project.

2 Tips To Better Writing Skills

Write Headlines: What do I mean? Many times, I will write down just a headline without having any idea of what type of copy I'm going to write. But, 99% of the time, I am able to come up with copy to fit that headline.

I think this comes from working the old brain muscle. Eg, the more you write, the more ideas you will be able to flesh out.

Write Tight: As in, develop the habit of saying what you want to say in as few words as possible. Cut, cut, cut! While this skill may take some time, it will pay off when you have numerous projects on your desk that have to be done, and/or if you work in advertising.

Many commercials (radio and TV) require tight copy. When the client is paying $250,000 for a 30-second spot, they're not going to want Shakespeare.

c) Speed: When I first started blogging, I would spend anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 hours on a post. Now, I knock it out in 30 minutes or less - without sacrificing quality.

This has increased my income because I apply the same rapidity to rote client projects (eg, those projects I consistently handle for clients). Again, without sacrificing quality.

d) More Self-production: Blogging forces you to focus. When I sit down to write a post, I almost always finish it because I have in my head what I want to say and I want to get it out before it disappears.

I apply this same intensity and rapidity to client projects wherever possible. While it's not possible to finish all client projects in one sitting, I do focus more when I am working on them and am able to get more done in one sitting than before I started blogging.

Again, I think it's a matter of working some portion fo the brain. Like any muscle, the more you use it, the better it performs.

e) More Product Sales: This is kind of obvious, but I sell more stuff (my e-books) because I've cultivated a loyal readership who trust my opinion. So, when they need the type of info I offer, they purchase from me instead of the gazillion other freelancers on the web.

Blogging is not an immediate way to make money. And, it's hard work. But it's those who blog consistently, write well and become an authority of sorts, who turn blogging into cash.

Tomorrow's Post: Not exactly regular blog fodder, but equally important: How to Get Out of Debt on a Freelance Salary
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.
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