Angela Booth's Writing Blog

Looking for freelance writing clients? Do this now

Are you new to freelance writing? You may be wondering how much money you “should” be making each year.

Talent.com suggests $58,000 per year. Other sites suggest higher amounts. Please take this to heart: how much you earn depends on you, no one else.

There’s no ceiling on your income. Earnings aren’t related to talent, either. Your earnings depend on how much consistent effort you put in: you need to fight for it.

Let’s look at some tips which will boost your freelance writing income fast.

1. Who are you? Your freelance writing clients want information

• Do it now. Update your bio, your website (you need a website) and your brag-ables.
• Write a short bio. Keep it under 50 words, and focus on your strengths.
• Next, compile your “brag-ables”—your writing samples—into a “book” (portfolio.)

Read the article.

 

If you're a struggling writer, consider nonfiction ghostwriting

IF YOU’RE A FREELANCE WRITER, THERE’S A HUGE, HIDDEN MARKET FOR YOUR WORDS

According to this website, the average freelance writer’s income in the US is around $63,000 per year. 

What if you could make much more money, while writing less? 

You can, starting today, when you write for others, as a ghostwriter. 

Back in the day, ghostwriters focused on books, because the demand is large and ongoing. Celebrities want to “write a book”; many other people do too. Since these people don’t have the experience or the time to write a book, they hire a ghostwriter.

Today, our mass media online culture is hungry for words, so ghostwriters write an immense range of material, going way beyond books… They write everything from tweets and Instagram captions to articles in mass market magazines and blog posts. They script podcasts and YouTube videos.

They do this in secret: someone else puts their name to the ghostwriter’s words.

For hardworking writers with a family and a mortgage, this isn’t a concern—they’re grateful that someone wants their words. 

Could you become a ghostwriter? 

You can, if you can write to order.

More on that in a moment; let me share how I became a ghostwriter. I stumbled into it, as I did into copywriting.

Learn more.

New freelance writer? Get gigs now

A big tip: it takes time to build a freelance writing business; you need to become known for what you do. So, although there are more opportunities than ever, you need to be patient.

When you market your freelance business, focus on education: what you do, why you do it, how it fixes clients’ problems.

Freelance writing: they don’t know they need you

I suggest you focus your marketing activities on educating prospects, because:

• A potential client may not know he has a problem;
• He may not realize that the problem is solvable; or
• That you can fix the problem.

Let’s look at four savvy ideas to get freelance writing gigs—fast.

Read the complete article here.

 

Freelance writing misery: writing and writing (but little income)

Too much work, too little income. This means that your positioning isn’t working.

A student told me: “I’m working 14 hours a day but I’m not making much. I’m too scared to give up my low-paying gigs to look for new clients…”

Low-paying gigs’ solution: charge more and reposition

New freelancers take any and every gig that’s offered and that’s fine, because you need the experience. Sooner or later, you suddenly realize you’re writing 12 hours a day, but your income’s dismal.

You know you should get higher-paying clients, but you don’t have the time to market your services. Nor do you have the confidence. (See promotions, below.)

Read the full article for solutions to freelance writing challenges.

Freelance Writing: Your Clients and Your Writing Career

In this week's issue of Fab Freelance Writing Ezine, we talk about your writing clients.

Here's an excerpt from the Editorial:

Your clients make the difference between a sad writing career, and a wonderful writing career.

It's your choice: what kind of writing career do YOU want? When I'm speaking with new writers, they invariably talk about the projects they're working on. When I speak with professional writers however, they talk about the clients they've got, and the clients they will get. (Professional PLAN…:-))

Professional writers focus on CLIENTS. Once they've got a client, they fasten onto him like a lifeline, because he is. They know it's a thousand times easier to keep a client, than it is to find a new one.

Some of my clients have been with me for ten to 15 years. How much income do you think I've made from each one of them over that time?

Professional clients LOVE their clients. They keep them because they think about them, and help them.

Consider for a moment… Picture this scenario.

You've just completed a press release campaign for a client. He's paid you $3,500 and the money's in your bank account.

Now what? Do you dust off your hands and get to work on the next project in your pipeline?

Yes, you do. But FIRST, before you go on to anything else, you take out your calendar program and enter some tasks into your schedule.

Read the rest in the ezine. It's out tomorrow.

 

Pin Yourself… And Your Writing Clients

I’m sure you’ve heard of Pinterest. If you’re not using the site, this week we’ve got a free tutorial in our writing tips ezine to help you to get started.

Here's an excerpt from the Editorial:

In this week's issue, there's something a little different. I'm sure you've heard of the online pinboard, Pinterest. It's a guilty pleasure for millions of people. And for you, if you like it. :-)

Once you've learn how to use it, Pinterest can be a source of income. Businesses are taking notice of Pinterest, and they're looking for writers to create and maintain their boards. We'll  discuss the potential of Pinterest as an income source for you soon. In preparation for that, let's get you started using the site, and creating your own boards.

I've included a Pinterest tutorial in the issue which helps you to get an account, and set it up, step by step. The tutorial's packed with screen shots, so just follow along.

It's very easy, and you'll be pinning before you know it.

Enjoy the issue; it's out tomorrow. Subscribe now, if you're not a member.

 

Unethical Client Requests: Say No! (And Keep a Record)

You’re a writer. A client asks you to do something unethical.

What do you do?

The short answer is that you say NO. And you put your response into writing.

Let’s say a client you’ve been working with for a while asks you to “reword” an ebook that’s selling well. You’ll find these kinds of writing projects on some of the outsourcing sites. Some writers manage to convince themselves that these projects are OK, because “others are doing it.”

Whatever your own opinions on this, let’s say that you think this is unethical.

If You Think It’s Unethical, It Is

Anybody can make an argument for anything, any time. You set your own standards and policies.

If a client asks you to do something which you consider unethical, give him a written response which says “No.” You don’t need to give reasons. You’re not arguing. You’re just saying NO!

Respond in writing, even if the client has asked you in a meeting, or over the phone. If you’re working with him on other projects, and something happens later, you want a record of who asked what, and what your response was. You’re covering yourself.

Of course, you’ll be professional and pleasant, at all times. Never be afraid to maintain your own standards however.

Should you keep working with a client who’s asked you to do something unethical?

If this is a longterm client, and the request was an aberration, yes. On the other hand, if this is a new client, it’s up to you.

Freelance Writing Jobs Which Are HOT Right Now (ezine)

 

This week in Fab Freelance Writing Ezine our theme is the hottest, newest writing gigs for you in 2012.
   
As I said in a recent message to you, The fashion for "content marketing" -- that is, attracting traffic and sales to a website via content, means that there are more GOOD writing jobs than there are good writers to fill them.

I gave you a little plan which I created for Robert, a student, so that he could get clients willing to pay upwards of $200 per article/ blog post.

Everything you need to know is in the ezine. By the way, if you're not a subscriber, you're missing out. I talk about stuff in the ezine which I never mention on the blog. So join the thousands of other writers who look on Fab Freelance Writing Ezine as their secret weapon. :-)

 

By the way, in conjunction with the ezine, there's a readers'-only offering for you. This will ensure that you're up to speed, and can take advantage of all the opportunities.

 

Make Money Writing and Build a Great Career

Get free weekly writing tips...

Want to make money with your writing? Fab Freelance Writing Ezine is your free weekly resource.

Build your skills, get motivated - it's never been easier to build a great writing career.

Whether you're a brand new writer, or are an established pro, Fab Freelance Writing Ezine is packed with writing tips you can use.

Here's what a new writer said: "I've always wanted to sell my writing - you showed me how. I made three sales on one day, just from my blog."

You and Fab Freelance Writing Ezine are a powerful combination. Subscribe today... it's free.

Writing Challenge: Taking Back Control of Your Writing

Do you want to succeed in your freelance writing career? If you do, you need to take back control of your writing, and act, rather than react.

You'll need to avoid what I call the “Sleeping Beauty” trap. Writers who are Sleeping Beauties spend a lot of time waiting.

For example, perhaps someone has asked you for a quote on a writing job. You send the quote, and wait for a response. Two weeks later, you're still waiting.

Worse, instead of going about your business and writing, you ask all your friends and other writers why you haven't heard from the prospect after you sent the quote. You wonder whether the prospect thinks you're "good enough" to handle the writing job.

You're also caught in the Sleeping Beauty trap if you send out an invoice to a client and then spend the money before you have it in the bank.

Some clients are slow payers, and you need to nudge them along. If you're caught in the Sleeping Beauty trap, instead of sending an invoice, and a reminder a week later, and another reminder a week after that, you wait... and wait.

Grab the Reins: Take Back Control of Your Career

As a freelance writer, you define your own career. You decide for whom you'll work, and how much you'll charge.

The hardest thing to accept as a freelance writer is the need to act, consistently, without waiting to see the results of your actions.

When you work for someone else, and get a paycheck, they tell you what to do. As a freelancer, there's no one to give you orders. You need to be proactive: you decide what you'll do, and then you do it.

Are you wondering where the you're caught in the Sleeping Beauty trap? You're caught in the trap if you look for others to give you permission to do what you want to, if you're afraid to ask for what you want, and if you allow others to define you.

Here's how to take back control:

* Set goals;

* Work on your goals every day;

* Trust yourself.


Stop being a Sleeping Beauty writer. Take control of your writing career. Only then will you become the writer you were meant to be.

 

Discover the world of Web writing - make a great income writing from home, or from anywhere

Sell Your Writing Online NOW

There's great money in Web writing. Some Web writers are making $20,000 a month by blogging for a stable of sites. Others are writing articles or ebooks.

Join the Web writing gold rush with Angela Booth's comprehensive training: "Sell Your Writing Online Now".

 

Hobbyist Writer to Full-Time Income FAST

Want to earn a full-time income as a writer? This week, in Fab Freelance Writing Ezine, we'll look at how you can turn your writing hobby to profit.

It's easier than you think.

It starts with your mindset. 

You build your professional mindset by understanding what sells.

More in the ezine, which is out tomorrow.

Enjoy. :-)

 

Freelance Writing Fees: Amateur to Pro (Ezine)

In Wednesday's issue of Fab Freelance Writing Ezine, we'll be discussing freelance writing fees.

Here's an excerpt from the Editorial:

As you may know, over on the blog, I've been discussing content farms and the huge sums various companies are generating from content.

Scary stuff, especially this post, "Content Farm Master Plan: You Need to Study This".

The devaluation of content into a commodity creates problems for all freelance writers.

New writers think that dismal fees for content are somehow "standard" rates for their writing.
Established writers lower their rates, because they imagine that they can't compete against these "standard" rates.

It's not true, you'll be relieved to learn.

If you're not a subscriber, subscribe now, and watch for Wednesday's issue.

 

Niche Blogging: Your Key to Hands-off Income Every Day

Discover blogging the EASY way with created-for-you niche blogs. Creating niche blogs is fun, and very profitable. In the past, setting up a niche blog took me anywhere from a week to ten days, if I did it part-time. If I really focused, it took me as little as two days. Now I can do it in mere minutes. And you can too, with my brand new guide, Niche Blog Cash Explosion: Build Your Online Empire Today. This complete program builds your income step by step: create your first niche blog today.

What You MUST Know To Succeed As A Writer (Ezine)

This week in Fab Freelance Writing Ezine, we discuss "What You MUST Know To Succeed As A Writer". Here's an excerpt from the Editorial:

... let's look at the ONE essential prerequisite for success as a writer.

Back when I was young and naive, I believed that there was just one essential for success: writing well.

I was right, but I was too innocent to understand that although writing well is essential, it's simply a foundation. I've known dozens of writers with skills which make me weep with envy.

Unfortunately, their wonderful skills aren't enough. They are and will remain hobbyist writers. They'll never be able to make a living as a writer.

They have a problem, which amounts to a flaw, and often they don't even know it exists. This flaw destroys their chances of a successful writing career.

This issue is out tomorrow.

Instant Salable Ideas: Write and Sell

I've just completed the article "Instant Salable Ideas: Thinking Like a Professional Writer" for the upcoming issue of our writing tips ezine, which will be out tomorrow.

Here's an excerpt:

Do you want to sell everything you write? You can. You can get instant salable ideas, if you think like a professional writer.

Let's look at the steps you take.

Markets Come First: Who's Buying?

Markets always come first, and you'll take a giant stride toward  professionalism when you start looking at the world as a collection of markets.

Want to write a book? Find publishers who are buying the kind of book you want to write.

Want to write articles? Ditto. Check out markets. I'm sure you've heard people saying that you must read the publications for which you want to write. Read the publications, and if you feel that you understand the kind of material they're publishing, and can write at that level, then approach them with a letter introducing yourself.

Enjoy this issue -- and remember, you must be subscribed to receive it.

 

Holidays Goodies Package -- increase your writing income FAST in 2011

It's that time of year again, Christmas for writers :-) Check out your holiday writing guides. Get inspired, get motivated, and build the income you want in 2011.

Writing Services: How to Write YouTube Scripts

This week in Fab Freelance Writing Ezine, our primary article is: "Hot Youtube Scripts: How to Write Them and How to Promote Yourself As a Scriptwriter".

Here's an excerpt:

This week, we're going to look at writing YouTube scripts. Once you get comfortable with this, you'll have a new service you can provide to your clients. 

Over the past few months, I've seen many people advertising for YouTube script writers on Craiglist, and on other sites. However few (if any) writers are offering this service. 

If you establish yourself in this field, expect to make a nice income. Script writing for online video will be very hot in the years to come.

Read the rest in the ezine. This issue will be sent to subscribers in a couple of days.

Next week we'll be discussing another hot new writing service you can provide: "Writing Facebook Fan Pages: Promote This New Writing Service and Get Eager Clients".

FYI, the content in the ezine is exclusive; I won't be publishing it elsewhere. Enjoy. :-)

Image credit 

New "Selling Yourself As a Writer" Series Launching on Fab Freelance Writing Blog (PR)

Angela Booth is launching a new "Selling Yourself As a Writer" series on her popular Fab Freelance Writing Blog. The series gives both established and new writers powerful strategies to get a constant flow of writing jobs and take advantage of opportunities.

Top copywriter, writing teacher and author Angela Booth is launching the "Selling Yourself As a Writer" series on the Fab Freelance Writing Blog this week. The series will run over the next few months.

Angela says that she developed the new series because many writers find making sales of their writing services and products a real challenge. Angela says: "Writers readily admit that they lack the knowledge and confidence to sell their services effectively. This is easily fixed, and the new series will help them to develop sales skills as well as confidence."

The series helps writers to look at their writing from the point of view of buyers: businesses, publications, websites, and acquisitions editors at publishing houses.

"It often comes as a horrible shock to writers when they discover they need to market their writing," Angela says. "Writers tend to expect someone else to do that. Once they accept this hard truth, and learn to promote, they fail to see the final step in the process: selling."

Articles in the new series include:

* "Power-Up Your Confidence: It's the Key to Success". This article offers essential confidence-building strategies.

* "Give Them What They Want: You Must Sell What's Selling Today". Writers will discover what's hot right now, and what buyers need.

* "Make It Personal: Sell Yourself With the Personal Touch". In this vital article, Angela reveals a simple pre-sales process which any writer can use with success.

Angela Booth started the popular Fab Freelance Writing Blog in 2006. The blog's primary aim is to help writers to develop a professional writing career, and it's helped many to do just that.

The blog has a companion writing tips ezine, which is delivered via email each week. 

Writers can subscribe to the Fab Freelance Writing Blog to read the series.