Thanks to the generosity of fellow freelance writer Julie Fletcher, I received a free coaching session from Stacey Mayo. Since I wrote about coaching for DASH magazine several years ago, I had always wanted to have a session. But I wasn't sure what to expect.
Speaking with Stacey for 40 minutes was like having a brainstorming session with a non-judgemental, understanding, creative and highly intelligent friends. She was completely transparent, and I felt like she had no other motives other than the desire to help me succeed.
Why did I feel like I needed a life coach? Honestly, I don't. I have a wonderful husband, a beautiful daughter, the opportunity to work from home while raising my daughter, and I'm doing a job I love. I am earning an honest living in one of the most expensive regions of the country. But I wanted to take my business to the next level, while still managing the new demands of parenthood.
One of the first things Stacey mentioned (ah, here it is AGAIN) was the wisdom of bringing in someone to help me with the baby, even just a mother's helper for a few hours a day. It is increasingly difficult to run a business during naptime, and I try to resist the urge to plop Ashley in front of Baby Einstein DVDs. While breastfeeding, though, it doesn't make sense. I might wind up paying someone to take care of Ashley, but if it's her mealtime, I'll still be sitting there feeding her. (Please don't ask me about pumping.) Nonetheless, I have the luxury to choose.
Summer will be easier, with TJ working less hours. So after Ashley is weaned in the fall, I will bring in a mother's helper. Issue one, crossed off my concern list.
I spoke with Stacey about earning "passive income," through affiliate programs and the like. As I described my plan to earn passive income, she showed me the truth. "Now, none of that is very passive at all, is it?" I laughed at the truth of her statement.
We considered the possibility of my selling articles PLR (Private Label Rights). Again, not very passive to get it launched.
Then Stacey asked me about my various writing niches, and I rattled off my lengthy list. "Wow," she said.
"Well, I believe in diversification."
"But what's your passion?" she asked.
I thought for a second. "The writing." I explained where the title for this blog came from, and how my passion is in the craft and art of the writing, regardless of the topic.
That's when she reminded me of an idea I'd had about a year ago: to launch a course for beginning writers, to share my passion with them and hopefully help them to achieve a full-time income.
In between my various assignments for this month from multiple magazines and Web sites, I'm putting together the marketing material for my e-course, which I hope to launch come May.
Meanwhile, I'm still looking for other ways to achieve multiple streams of income on the Web. I found a site where I can get paid (about a dollar a minute!) for taking surveys. Check it out here: http://tryvindale.com/VJHjyXNP2
I'll also continue to add affiliate buttons if I feel they fit this blog and would help serve my readers. But I won't lose site of my passion: writing "anything that pays."
Thank you, Stacey for a wonderful coaching session. (Psstt... If you would like to learn more about Stacey's coaching, click here.)
Showing posts with label freelancing writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freelancing writing. Show all posts
Get Writing Assignments Without Querying
In a previous post, I mentioned that I have built a full-time career as a freelance writer without querying. How do I do this?
1. Word-of-mouth – Anybody whose ever read a book about marketing knows the importance of word-of-mouth. Its significance is enhanced in Web 2.0, where WOM extends to social networking. I’ve landed several assignments through my social networks on Twitter, Facebook, and various forums. But my favorite story about word-of-mouth relates to a long-term client I began working with about 5 years ago. While shopping for paintball gear, I revealed to the marketing director at one of the top paintball distributors in the country that I was a freelance writer. He immediately hired me to write press releases. That job turned into a position as Editor-in-Chief at a leading paintball magazine. I share the story here, on one of my favorite sites for writers.
2. Assignments - My cash cows as a freelancer are regular clients who give me assignments every month. They generate the ideas in-house and, in most cases, provide sources. Since coming up with unique ideas and finding sources are two of the biggest challenges in freelancing, this makes my life a lot easier and my business more lucrative.
3. Ads – Sure, responding to ads takes time, and you’re up against intense and copious competition. But if you craft a basic letter that you can tailor to each specific ad, you’ll save a lot of time. The site Freelance Writing Jobs (www.freelancewritinggigs.com) is a great place to start, but you can have even more success by mining sites that aren’t regularly visited by every other aspiring freelancer on the Web. One caveat—there’s never any need to pay for job listings.
4. Letters of Interest – Want to write for a specific publication but don’t have an idea on tap? You can save time and capture the interest of an editor with a Letter of Introduction. LOIs, as they are known, work best if you have some credentials and quality clips. In this letter, rather than presenting an idea (as you would in a query letter) you sell YOURSELF as a writer. Start with a strong lead, emphasize why you would make a positive addition to the magazine’s team, and end with a call to action, asking for an assignment. Include clips and possibly your resume in the body of the e-mail (never send attachments).
I’m not saying you can easily break into a national magazine without a query (although it could happen) but you can build a successful freelancing career without spending hours on query letters!
1. Word-of-mouth – Anybody whose ever read a book about marketing knows the importance of word-of-mouth. Its significance is enhanced in Web 2.0, where WOM extends to social networking. I’ve landed several assignments through my social networks on Twitter, Facebook, and various forums. But my favorite story about word-of-mouth relates to a long-term client I began working with about 5 years ago. While shopping for paintball gear, I revealed to the marketing director at one of the top paintball distributors in the country that I was a freelance writer. He immediately hired me to write press releases. That job turned into a position as Editor-in-Chief at a leading paintball magazine. I share the story here, on one of my favorite sites for writers.
2. Assignments - My cash cows as a freelancer are regular clients who give me assignments every month. They generate the ideas in-house and, in most cases, provide sources. Since coming up with unique ideas and finding sources are two of the biggest challenges in freelancing, this makes my life a lot easier and my business more lucrative.
3. Ads – Sure, responding to ads takes time, and you’re up against intense and copious competition. But if you craft a basic letter that you can tailor to each specific ad, you’ll save a lot of time. The site Freelance Writing Jobs (www.freelancewritinggigs.com) is a great place to start, but you can have even more success by mining sites that aren’t regularly visited by every other aspiring freelancer on the Web. One caveat—there’s never any need to pay for job listings.
4. Letters of Interest – Want to write for a specific publication but don’t have an idea on tap? You can save time and capture the interest of an editor with a Letter of Introduction. LOIs, as they are known, work best if you have some credentials and quality clips. In this letter, rather than presenting an idea (as you would in a query letter) you sell YOURSELF as a writer. Start with a strong lead, emphasize why you would make a positive addition to the magazine’s team, and end with a call to action, asking for an assignment. Include clips and possibly your resume in the body of the e-mail (never send attachments).
I’m not saying you can easily break into a national magazine without a query (although it could happen) but you can build a successful freelancing career without spending hours on query letters!
When It's Okay to Write for Minimum Wage--or Less!
I don’t believe in churning out an article in seven minutes to make minimum wage rates. Most of my clients, whether they pay per word, per project, or hourly, pay me approximately $25 - $30 an hour.
But I also believe it’s okay to write for extremely low rates, or free, sometimes. I mean, I’m not going to pass judgment on anyone who accepts $1 per article. Personally, I won’t go that low. (In fact, I’d rather just do the work pro bono than accept that rate—it’s a pride thing).
But when will I write for low rates?
1. When I’m starving. Well, okay, my freelance career has never reduced me to eating Ramen (at least, not when it’s not by choice… I have a great recipe for noodles with peanut sauce, though!) There are times, however, when a quick $10, payable upon acceptance through Paypal, may be just enough money going into my account to pay my electric bill a few days before it’s due. So if the pay is fast and the work isn’t hard, I’ll do it.
2. If it’s a topic I love so much, I’d write about it for free. Some topics, like freelance writing, parenting and paintball, I just love writing about. Why else would I run this blog? In the niche market of paintball journalism, after you add up the time actually covering an event (and getting shot at!), selecting photos and writing the story, the hourly rate is in the pennies. But it’s a passion.
3. When the perks rock. Even though the pay stinks in paintball writing, fields typically comp you entry to the event, encourage you to play, and often toss in a case of paint. Paintball costs a lot of money, so the comps make up for the pay rates. Oh, and I’m a total you-know-what for free concert tickets, DVDs and books, too!
4. When it's a cause I believe in. I will write pro bono for certain charities or causes, but I've also been known to devote time to paintball teams who I believe are dedicated to improving the sport. (Please don't contact me to see if I will write for your team for free!) These are hand-picked teams, mostly in situations where I'm good friends with the owner/captain. These guys have my back on the field, so I do what I can off the field!
5. When the work isn’t hard. There’s $40+ an hour of interviews, transcriptions, and pages and pages of notes to put together a cohesive, captivating feature article for a print publication. Then there’s $10 an hour to write a blog post on a topic you know well, that you can write one-handed on your iPod Touch while you’re nursing the baby. (And now my biggest productivity secret is out!)
But I also believe it’s okay to write for extremely low rates, or free, sometimes. I mean, I’m not going to pass judgment on anyone who accepts $1 per article. Personally, I won’t go that low. (In fact, I’d rather just do the work pro bono than accept that rate—it’s a pride thing).
But when will I write for low rates?
1. When I’m starving. Well, okay, my freelance career has never reduced me to eating Ramen (at least, not when it’s not by choice… I have a great recipe for noodles with peanut sauce, though!) There are times, however, when a quick $10, payable upon acceptance through Paypal, may be just enough money going into my account to pay my electric bill a few days before it’s due. So if the pay is fast and the work isn’t hard, I’ll do it.
2. If it’s a topic I love so much, I’d write about it for free. Some topics, like freelance writing, parenting and paintball, I just love writing about. Why else would I run this blog? In the niche market of paintball journalism, after you add up the time actually covering an event (and getting shot at!), selecting photos and writing the story, the hourly rate is in the pennies. But it’s a passion.
3. When the perks rock. Even though the pay stinks in paintball writing, fields typically comp you entry to the event, encourage you to play, and often toss in a case of paint. Paintball costs a lot of money, so the comps make up for the pay rates. Oh, and I’m a total you-know-what for free concert tickets, DVDs and books, too!
4. When it's a cause I believe in. I will write pro bono for certain charities or causes, but I've also been known to devote time to paintball teams who I believe are dedicated to improving the sport. (Please don't contact me to see if I will write for your team for free!) These are hand-picked teams, mostly in situations where I'm good friends with the owner/captain. These guys have my back on the field, so I do what I can off the field!
5. When the work isn’t hard. There’s $40+ an hour of interviews, transcriptions, and pages and pages of notes to put together a cohesive, captivating feature article for a print publication. Then there’s $10 an hour to write a blog post on a topic you know well, that you can write one-handed on your iPod Touch while you’re nursing the baby. (And now my biggest productivity secret is out!)
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