The Ghostbusters Guide to Freelance Success

Posted on February 20, 2012 by james | Permalink 0

Ready, Fire, Aim

When the Ghostbusters team got their first big assignment, catching a ghost at a fancy hotel, they had close to no idea what they were doing. They caught the ghost, but only after incinerating a cleaning lady’s cart and nearly destroying a ballroom. It was only at the end of the job that they finally developed a strategy for trapping that disgusting slimer.

I’m not suggesting that it’s OK to destroy your client’s business while in the process of helping them, but the ready, fire, aim approach isn’t without merit. Here you take aim on the situation or problem, give it your best shot, and then refine your methods.

If Someone Asks if You’re a God, Say Yes

In other words, fake it till you make it. If a prospect asks if you are an expert in SEO, or wants to know if you can write online sales letters, tell them yes, even if you aren’t and can’t. Get the assignment, and then figure out how to do the work. It sounds dishonest, but trust me, it works. You’ll not only learn while you earn, you’ll build a reputation as a writer who can get things done.

That’s it. Now when a client asks who they’re going to call, they’ll automatically think of you every time.

copywriting, making more money, marketing, the business of freelancing, Uncategorized

Best Writing Articles of the Week

Posted on February 17, 2012 by james | Permalink 0

Here’s another roundup of the best writing-related articles I’ve read this week.

Write to Done lists 7 writing habits of famous writers.

Ghostwriter Dad gives us the 7 warning signs you’re working too much and earning too little.

From About Freelance Writing comes 8 ways you can earn more by setting your sights higher.

And last but certainly not least, Carol Tice tells you how to get free, targeted ads for your freelance writing business.

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Best Links of the Week

Posted on January 20, 2012 by james | Permalink 0

Here’s a semi-weekly roundup of great freelance writing links from around the blogosphere:

The Next Gen Writer shares Five Surprising Reasons for Writers to be on Twitter.

Carol Tice shares Why You’re a Better Writer Than I Am–But I Still Earn More.

Remarkablogger gives us 5 Profitable Business Blogging Predictions for 2012.

blogs, links, making more money, the business of freelancing

My Guest Post on Make A Living Writing

Posted on January 17, 2012 by james | Permalink 0

This is been up a while already, but I forgot to mention it. Carol Tice of Make a Living Writing has a guest post by me: 8 Steps to Making Your Freelance Writing Dreams Come True in 2012.

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The Power of Saying “No”

Posted on January 16, 2012 by james | Permalink 0

Image: Jeroen van Oostrom / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When you’re first starting out as a freelancer, you will probably feel pressure to say “yes” to every assignment, no matter how small or low paying. You might need the clips, could really use the money, or you’re just afraid that if you say no you’ll lose the client forever. But here are a few reasons why saying “no” is actually a good thing, and just might save your business.

Reason #1: It can free you up for better-paying work. You don’t have to accept every assignment or project that comes along. Only accept an assignment if it is in line with your business goals. Is it the kind of work you want to be known for? Is it for a good, prestigious client? Try to think of every potential client in those terms rather than saying yes to everyone who comes along just because you need the money.

Reason #2: It helps remind you what is really important. There’s only so much time in a day, and unlike money, you can’t make more of it. If saying yes too often is taking time away from the things that really matter to you, maybe it’s time to dial it back a bit.

Has there been a time when sayin g”no” helped you an dyour business? Let us know in the comments.

making more money, the business of freelancing, Uncategorized

Info Products 101

Posted on November 21, 2011 by james | Permalink 0

Every freelancer should start creating and selling their own information products. Here’s why:

-They help establish you as an expert in your field, and experts have more credibility and get paid more than generalists.

-They allow you to help more clients than you can one-on-one or even in large groups at trainings or workshops.

-They let you profitably help and serve those clients who can’t or won’t hire you for one-on-one writing or consulting.

-Information products generate recurring, passive income for you. With a good info product, you create it once and then sell it over and over and over again.

-Creating info products improves your thinking and forces you to organize your information more logically, helping you become a better consultant.

Today, thanks to the Internet, it’s easier and less expensive to produce and sell info products than ever before.

Before we get into the step-by-step how-to of creating your own information products, let’s first look at the most popular types of information products.

Tip Sheets

Tip sheets are short fact sheets on a particular subject. They are usually printed on two sides of an 8 ½ X 11 inch sheet of paper, or turned into a PDF and delivered electronically. The information is usually presented as a series of short, numbered tips or a checklist. Many consultants charge between $1 and $2 for a tip sheet, while others give them away in exchange for a person’s name and email address. A checklist with information your prospect will use often that includes your company logo and contact info can be a great way to stay in front of people who don’t need your services now, but might later on.

Books

Many freelancers write books. Not only are books great for promoting your business, but they can also generate additional revenue for you. If you can’t find a traditional publisher for your book, you can always publish it yourself. Today there are more self-publishing options available to authors than ever before. A 200 page book will sell for $10 to $30 or more, and the more specialized the subject matter of the book, the higher the price.

E-Books

Since the advent of the Internet, e-books have become an extremely popular and lucrative format for sharing information. Whatever your business or hobby, there’s probably an e-book or two that tells all about it. E-books are typically between 80 and 150 pages and are laid out much like regular books, including a cover. Then they are converted into PDF format and distributed to readers. Most e-books are priced as low as $29 to $39, while some are even several hundred dollars.

Audio

In the good old days, you had to produce and sell audiotapes on various topics. Now you can create CDs and even downloadable mp3 files at a small fraction of the cost of duplicating audio cassettes. One you have done several audios on related topics, you can put them on CDs and package them in a vinyl album and sell them for $49 to $97.

Power Packs

A power pack is just a fancy name for a multimedia information product. Usually it’s a combination of CDs, reports or transcripts of the CDs, a book or videos, all in a nice package. Power packs can sell for $50 to $150 or more. These, along with a vinyl album, are great for back-of-the-room sales at your workshops and speaking engagements.

Selling Your Information Products

The “Bounce-Back Catalog”

If you are selling physical products like books, CDs and binders, one of the most effective ways to market and sell your information products is through the use of a bounce-back catalog. This is simply a mini-catalog of all your information products. It doesn’t have to be fancy; just black ink on white or colored paper. Put them in every outgoing order you ship to your customers. The great thing about bounce-back catalogs is that they promote your whole product line at practically no cost. There is no postage or envelope because it gets mailed with the product shipment. If you are going to self publish a book, you could include a bounce-back catalog and even an order form in the back of your book.

According to copywriter and consultant Bob Bly, including bounce-back catalogs in all your product orders can double your annual gross sales or better, with no added marketing costs.

Offer Your Products to Your Clients and Prospects.

You can make a significant income without any added marketing costs by offering your information products to your current clients and prospects.

Include your bounce-back catalog on your website and in the information you send your potential clients. Even if they don’t hire you, many clients will place an order for one or more of your info products. These people will become educated about your expertise and will be more likely to hire you down the line.

Direct Marketing

Advertising your information products directly to the people they are designed to benefit is the tried-and-true way of making more money by selling your expertise. You can reach a much wider audience beyond those who are interested in your consulting services, but it is more difficult in this information age with its many low-cost or no cost alternatives to what you are offering. Still, it can be done quite successfully. Here’s how.

Narrow Your Focus. Just as you must do with your consulting services, the name of the game in direct marketing is to find a narrow niche of people, not offer products with wide appeal to almost everybody. This seems counterintuitive to a lot of people. After all, can’t you go too small?

Maybe. But you’d have to do it deliberately, and no one who wants to actually make money in the consulting business is going to do that. When looking for a profitable niche, just follow what we call the Magazine Rule.

The Magazine Rule states that if a niche is large enough that some publisher has published a magazine about them or for them, it’s a large enough group of people that money can be made.

Stick to One Subject. Just as you must stick to one particular niche, you must also focus on only one subject within that niche. This not only gives you plenty of info products to sell, it also makes you the recognizable expert in your field.

Plan Your “Back End” Products First. One e-book, report, book or CD is not enough. These one-shot, first sale products can make money for you, but the real money is in the back-end products, the things your repeat customers buy from you. You should plan a back end of related products before you start marketing your signature product. If you don’t, you’ll be leaving a lot of money on the table from buyers who purchase the one thing they need from you and then go off somewhere else, never to return. Give them a reason to keep coming back by offering other related info products that they can buy.

Test Your Ideas Using Ads. You might think you have the greatest idea for an info product, but the market may disagree with you. That’s why you should always test the idea before rolling out your product. For less than $200, you can determine if your info product has appeal with your audience or not. Here are a few tips for successful ads:

Seek inquiries, not orders. Ads that ask for an order up front will get far lower response than those that simply invite the reader to learn more. Below are a few examples:

IS THERE A BOOK INSIDE YOU? Write your novel in 30 days. Free details…

NEED CASH? 10 ways to make money from home. FREE 1 hour CD…

Give them something for free. The ad should offer free information, tips, a report, e-book or CD that tells more about your offer and sells them on purchasing it.

Track your response. If you are using print ads, code all your promotions so you can track which ad each inquiry or order comes from. You can do this easily by putting in small type somewhere on the ad or order form the abbreviated title of the magazine.

Make them short and sweet. For print ads, the less words you use the cheaper the ad. But shorter ads are just as important with pay-per-click advertising or other online methods, because you will only be allowed to use a certain number of characters.

Two More Secrets to Info Product Success

Create Low, Medium, and High Priced Products

Different buyers will have different ideas about what your information is worth and what they are willing to pay. Test a variety of prices for your lead item and offer several different products at a broad range of prices. You’ll get more sales that way. As a consultant, you can make a consulting package with you your higher priced product, while offering less expensive alternatives as your info products.

Let Your Customers Tell You What Products They Want You to Create

Sometimes it’s hard coming up with a good idea for in info product you are confident will sell. Often things sound like a great idea to you, but there is just no market for it. One way to get around this is to let your customers tell you what they want to buy. Here’s how.

Always put your name, address, phone number and website URL in every information product you create, and encourage feedback from your customers. Many will become your advocates and even fans, calling, writing and creating a continuing dialogue with you.

Conduct a survey. Survey your email list to see what kind of products they are interested in. You can create an easy, free online survey in minutes using a service like Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com), and send it to your list. Offer a free report to increase response, and ask them things like what subjects they are interested in learning more about, what form of information products they like (audio, video, or e-book), and how much they would be willing to pay for this information.

Look at your frequently asked questions. Things that people are always asking you about via email or on your blog make great info products. They save time for you as well as generate additional revenue.

Repurpose. I’m a big believer in repurposing content. A recorded teleseminar you did can be turned into an audio product or transcribed and turned into a pdf report. A PowerPoint presentation can be recorded onto video and turned into a video product. Articles or blog posts on a related topic can be gathered together into an e-book or print book. You get the idea.

Have you created and launched your own info product? Got any additional tips? Share them here.

copywriting, making more money, marketing, the business of freelancing

5 Steps to Writing for Magazines

Posted on August 8, 2011 by james | Permalink 2

One of the best ways to make more money as a freelance writer is to write for magazines paying a dollar per word. Since most of the higher-paying magazines want to see a query rather than a finished piece, this means learning to write query letters.

So lets discuss the ins and outs of writing for magazines, from finding publications to crafting the perfect query.

Writing an article and getting it published is much easier than you might think. With more than 6,000 magazines and trade journals desperately in need of content, you can be sure that at least one publication out there will be interested in an article written by you.

Before we get started with the ins and outs of article writing, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

Start Small. Most of the magazines paying a dollar per word expect you to have some articles under your belt Magazine editors are not interested in puff pieces or articles that are just thinly disguised advertisements. They want good, solid information that helps their readers solve problems.

Don’t give up. Your article could be rejected dozens of times before it gets accepted. Keep sending those queries until you get a yes.

Now let’s talk about how to actually plan and write your article, then we’ll walk you through the steps it takes to get it into print.

Getting Your Articles Published

Find a Magazine. Before you try to place an article you need to know which magazines publish that type of article. Here are a few places to look:

Bacon’s Publicity Checker (Now Cision).
Writer’s Market. Published annually by Writer’s Digest Books, this directory lists over 4,000 consumer, business, general, and trade magazines that accept articles from outside sources. The listings include descriptions of what editors are looking for as well as complete contact information.
TradePub.com. You don’t have to stick to just the consumer magazines. There are also hundreds of trade magazines to choose from, and Tradepub is by far one of the most comprehensive online sources of trade magazines available, far more than you’ll find in Writer’s Market. TradePub lists trade publications by subject, and you can visit the publication’s website and subscribe. Many of the subscriptions are free to people who work in that magazine’s industry, too, so if wireless networking whiz or was a professional pipe fitter in another life, you might be able to sample some of these magazines for free.

Learn What the Editor Wants. Now that you’ve found a magazine or two that caters to your target market and accepts freelance articles, it’s time to dig deep to find out what kind of articles they are looking for. Read a few issues of the magazine to get a feel for the articles. Are they long? Short? Wordy and technical? Light and easy for laymen to understand? What topics are covered? Can you put a new slant on an old topic?

Visit the magazine’s website and download their editorial calendar, which is usually available in PDF format so potential advertisers can check out the magazine to see if they want to buy an ad. This will give you their yearly publication schedule.

Query the Editor. Once you have a pretty good idea of what the editor wants, as well as an idea for an article, it’s time to query the editor. This means writing a query letter.

A query letter is just a one to two page letter proposing to write an article for a particular magazine and editor. The letter should state your idea for the article, why the article is best suited for this particular magazine, and why you are the perfect person to write the article.
The query letter not only helps the editor determine if your article idea has merit, it also gives her a sense of your writing style and tells her whether or not you are familiar with her magazine. When possible, begin your query letter using the lead sentence or paragraph in your article. You should also address the specific editor by name, not “Dear Editor”. You should also mention something that shows you are familiar with the publication, such as “this article would be a perfect fit for your magazine’s Fun in the Sun section.” A sample query letter that I wrote for a trade magazine appears at the bottom of this article.
Follow Up. It may sometimes be necessary to follow up with the editor regarding your query. The editor may not have gotten around to reading your query, or it may have been lost. If this happens, send a polite note asking whether your article proposal was received and if they have looked at it.
If you don’t get a reply within four weeks, send a follow-up letter or email that includes a copy of the original query. If you don’t get a reply to that, make a phone call. If you don’t get through after a few phone calls, submit your idea somewhere else.
Write Your Article
Congratulations! You’ve gotten the go-ahead to write your article. After you finish jumping up and down, you must now write your article. Here are a few tips:

Before you start writing, find out the length and deadline from the editor. You’ll either be given a precise word count or a range to stick to. Don’t worry about going a little long if you need to. It’s better to be thorough with your information. The editor will gladly cut it if it’s too long, and they’re not going to complain if they ask for 250 words and you turn in an article that is 245 or 253 words long. Just don’t send them a thousand words when they wanted five hundred!
Always stick to your deadlines. Nothing irritates an editor more than a missed deadline.

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“How Much Should I Charge?”

Posted on July 19, 2011 by james | Permalink 3

How many times have you been in this situation?
You’re on the phone with a hot prospect in dire need of your services, and you can tell she’s ready to buy.
Then she pops the dreaded question: “How much do you charge?”

“Uh,” you mumble, fumbling for your price list. Desperate to end the silence, you blurt out a figure based on your hourly rate. You get the job, but you resent having to do it for such a low figure.
For many of us in service-based businesses, this question can be the kiss of death, especially if you’re just starting out. So what do you do?

Next time, you use a method called “value-based pricing.” It’s very simple, and goes a little something like this:

Client: “How much do you charge for a 5-page website?”
You: “Before I answer that, let me ask you a few questions. How much does your product sell for?”
Client: “$500″
You: “So, if your website gets a thousand visitors, and each one buys your product for $500, that’s $500,000.”
Client: “That’s right.”
You: “For a 5-page website, I charge $1,250″
Client: “Gee. I don’t know. That’s an awful lot.”
You: “Not when compared to how much your website will net you in new business. Wouldn’t you pay $1,250 to make $500,000?”
Client: “Well, since you put it that way, sure! When can you start?”

Perhaps that’s a bit overly simplistic, but you get the picture. Value-based pricing takes the emphasis off what your product or service is–a report, brochure, website or whatever–and putting it on what your product or service does for your customer, i.e., makes them money, saves time, relieves stress, etc.
Note: This is easier if you stick with providing products or services that have a measurable return on investment (ROI) for your client, something that will have a measurable impact in terms of more money, more clients, more whatever for your prospect.

Extra Tip

When quoting a fee, it also helps to have a set fee, or range of fees, in mind. This is how I quickly came up with my $1,250 website estimate (5 pages at $250 per page). You can do this by checking what your competitors charge and by finding out what is acceptable in your industry. If your fees are too low, people will think you are an amateur and won’t respect you. Too high, and you’ll price yourself right out of a job!

So, the next time you’re asked “How much do you charge?” just focus on what your service will do for your client, and you’ll stamp out your pricing fears forever.

What pricing strategies have worked for you? Have you come up with your own method of setting better fees? If so, post it in the comments.

copywriting, marketing, the business of freelancing

My Guest Post on WriteSuccess

Posted on May 22, 2011 by james | Permalink 0

Mary Anne Hahn of WriteSuccess just posted the first of what will hopefully be many articles by yours truly. This first one is on freelance copywriting. You can check it out here.

And be sure to check out the many other articles she has there. This is a must-have resource for any freelance writer.

Tell her James sent you!

copywriting, marketing, the business of freelancing

6 Great Newsletter Article Ideas–When You’re Out of Ideas!

Posted on December 24, 2010 by james | Permalink 0

For marketers, publishing your own electronic newsletter can be challenging. Between project deadlines and other things, you’ve already got a lot on your plate. Then you also have a newsletter to get out every week, month, or quarter. Then it happens . . .

You’ve run completely out of ideas.

What do you do?

Well, first of all, don’t panic. Panicking will just make it worse. Secondly, follow these five guidelines and you’ll find yourself coming up with more fresh ideas than you can fit into a dozen newsletters.

1. Think Timely

Is there something going on the world that you can tie back in to your business? Keep an eye on the local and national news, especially business trends. Is there something there you can use as a springboard for an article about your business?

2. Relate Your Subject to Something Else

Even a subject that has nothing to do with the focus of your newsletter can be fodder for an article. In a recent issue of DM News, copywriter Bob Bly wrote a copywriting article entitled: “Harry Potter and the Irresistible Offer”, in which he talks about an interview that J.K. Rowling did recently where she mentioned having written the final chapter of the last Harry Potter book over 15 years ago. That way, she would know how the series ends and be able to tie everything that came before into that final chapter.

Bob deftly tied this into direct mail copywriting, stating how you can follow Rowling’s advice by creating the offer first and then writing the other direct mail elements. Genius! Not only is it a great idea, but Bob was able to connect to something from popular culture–and what’s more popular right now than Harry Potter?–into an informative, helpful article about direct mail. Now you try!

3. Answer Reader Questions

If you get a lot of questions from your readers, this can make for great articles.

4. “Invite” a “Guest” Author

I did this a couple months back in my own newsletter, when I posted an article by Ezine Queen Alexandria K. Brown. Many ezine writers put permission to reprint at the end of their articles. All you have to do is include their fully intact bio and contact information at the end. It’s free, viral marketing for them, and a free article for you. So if you’re stumped one month, just look back at the other newsletters you’ve received. Is there an article that you particularly enjoyed or identified with? Something that would be a good fit for your readers? Grab it and send it out. Just make sure you’ve gotten permission, or done whatever is required by the author for you to use their work legally.

5. “Classic” Reprints

If your newsletter has been around a while, try reprinting a “classic” article from your archives. New subscribers probably haven’t seen it, and your longtime readers would likely enjoy a refresher course. Just don’t make a habit of it.

6. Interview an Expert

In your business, you’ve doubtless made contact with other business people in fields complementary to yours. Why not interview them for your next newsletter article? People love talking about themselves and their businesses, especially if it means free advertising for them! Include their bio and website link at the end. You never know, it could lead to some joint venture opportunities!

I know it may not seem likely, but as any writer will tell you, coming up with ideas is easy, it’s the writing that’s hard! Ideas are all around us, but sometimes you just have to do a little digging to dredge them up. For example, my lack of ideas gave me the idea for this article! So just look around and take what you need from the world around you. Your next newsletter will go out on time, and will be a killer success!

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