~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Become a Six-Figure Writer
Tips and Techniques to Build
a Six-Figure Writing Business
October 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now that summer is officially over and everyone is back at work, new projects are filling my schedule, thanks in part to wonderful writers I’ve met in the last few years. Although we often focus on winning assignments from top editors, or catching the attention of a publishing big-wig, the truth is that the writers we know are probably more important to our long-term success than we realize.
Make plans this fall to extend your own personal and professional network and you’ll be surprised at the new opportunities that arrive.
Happy reading,
Marcia
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Your Best Source of Projects – Fellow Writers
Networking with potential clients is an excellent way to position yourself for new business. Getting to know other people – people who are decision-makers themselves or who know decision-makers – is much more fun and more effective than sending out impersonal letters of introduction, blindly pitching new editors, or making cold calls.
Interested in magazine assignments? Introduce yourself to editors and assistant editors at the publications you’d like to write for. Have an idea for a book? Track down acquisition editors at publishing houses that buy that type of book. Or if corporate writing is your goal, you’ll want to mingle with corporations, small businesses, non-profits, government agencies, universities, and other ventures in need of brochures, articles, web copy, and the like.
But just as important as becoming known to your target clientele is networking with colleagues – fellow writers and authors – who are doing what you’d like to do. Through them, you can be introduced to editors, referred to potential clients, and get the inside track on upcoming publishing and editing projects.
Although some writers have a tendency to view fellow writers as competitors, they are actually your ticket to more lucrative work. Thanks to my writer friends and colleagues, in the last two years alone, I’ve written for BusinessWeek, co-authored a real estate book, earned thousands of dollars writing for Black Enterprise, and am currently ghostwriting two books. All because of friendly writers who referred the work my way.
Fellow writers can be an invaluable source of leads and work, once you get to know them, and they you. Some of the best places to connect with other writers include:
Online. Discussion forums at writer websites, such as FreelanceSuccess.com and ASJA.org, allow you to ask questions of others and to share your expertise. Chatting electronically is a great way to dip your toe in the networking waters and introduce yourself.
Professional Associations. Joining local writing groups, such as Florida Writers, the League of Utah Writers, or Alaska Writers, is one way to get to know others like you, with whom you can share information. Or go national and become involved in organizations such as the Editorial Freelancers Association, National Writers Union, or Authors Guild, among others. Author John Kremer has an excellent list of local and national groups at http://www.bookmarket.com/writers.htm.
Events. Nothing beats face-to-face meetings for establishing and solidifying connections with clients and new contacts. The time and money invested in attending a decent-sized conference or industry meeting will be well worth it for the new friends and colleagues you’ll meet.
In print. Writers are also readers, and they notice bylines. Having your work appear in print – whether in a high profile magazine, a national daily, or a professional association newsletter – will catch the eye of your colleagues and start to build familiarity.
Volunteering. Another way to build relationships that can lead to alliances and friendships is to volunteer to assist with a writer organization or conference. Offer your assistance in organizing and holding the event. You’ll boost your visibility and earn the respect and appreciation of your colleagues.
Email. Although many of us shy away from new business cold calling, sending off a friendly introductory email asking for a specific piece of information or advice is rarely fruitless if you are not entirely unknown. That is, if the email recipient knows who you are. We writers are a helpful bunch when we are not on deadline, so simply asking for help may yield some useful tips.
Keep in mind that effective networking is a two-way street and that offering help or assistance before you ask for something in return is likely going to be met with better results. Share information about a new market you just found, a receptive editor you just met, or a great resource you just stumbled on, and when you’re in dire need of the spelling of a new editor’s name, you’ll be much more likely to receive it.
There is plenty of work available, so sharing what you know will help you tap into the larger network of writers who can move your career along and fatten your wallet.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
AUTHOR RESOURCE
If you’re like me, you’re always on the hunt for a product that will help you write more in less time, like a planner or organizing system. I’ve tried a million of them, but I just stumbled onto a site that is all about finding the planning system that is right for you, including designing one yourself. It’s www.diyplanner.com.
There are templates you can print out and use to schedule upcoming due dates or to map out all your commitments for the coming months, as well as discussion forums and tools to organize other parts of your life. Best of all, it’s FREE.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A NAME IS WORTH…
When you send out clips or letters of introduction, are you always 100% certain that you’ve sent it to the correct editor? Or that you’ve spelled his or her name properly?
Getting an editor’s name right the first time is critical if you want to make a good first impression and, more important, to get your packet opened. Many editors won’t bother to open correspondence if the addressee is incorrect.
So where do you turn for up-to-date editor information? Your best approach is to get the latest issue of the magazine, look on the masthead to get the magazine’s direct phone number, and call to find out to whom you should send your pitch. Looking on the masthead will tell you who was the right editor three months ago, but because of the long lead times before magazines hit the newsstand, the right editor may be long gone by the time you’re skimming the pages.
Annual writers guides can offer helpful background information, but be aware that some editors purposely give misinformation as a way to identify writers who don’t bother to read the magazine or double-check information.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Become a Six-Figure Writer - August issue
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Become a Six-Figure Writer
Tips and Techniques to Build
a Six-Figure Writing Business
August 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the summer winds down and the school year starts anew, you have the opportunity to make a fresh start in your writing business. What have you been meaning to do that you haven’t yet begun? Is there a magazine you’ve been planning to pitch? An idea for a book you’ve considered proposing to an agent?
Labor Day signals the start of a new school year, the start of fall, and your chance to wipe the slate clean and jumpstart (or create) your marketing plan for the remainder of the year. What are your big plans?
Happy reading,
Marcia
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Create a Marketing Plan
A marketing plan is a useful tool for defining your writing goals and formulating the steps you need to take to achieve them. You’ll find that reaching your financial goals is much easier when you think through what you really want your writing business to look like. While having a marketing plan document to refer to can be a very helpful tool, the process of preparing it is even more useful.
Your plan need not be lengthy or complex, but the more thought and detail you put into it, the more it will help you. Here are the basic sections you’ll want to have in your marketing plan:
A description of your writing business – your specialty or niche, types of writing projects you enjoy most.
An assessment of the current situation you are facing in the market – competition, opportunities, reprint opportunities, technology demands, etc.
An overview of your target market(s) – magazine markets, corporate projects, teaching, book publishing and/or editing.
An evaluation of your competition – what types of writers are you generally competing with for various assignments.
A summary of your pricing strategy – what is your minimum per-word and hourly rate.
Your goals for growth during the next one year and five-year periods – number of clients, number of projects, and income are the three biggies.
Details of your promotional methods and budget.
In trying to reach your most promising prospects, whether they are acquisition editors at major publishing houses, corporate marketing managers, or magazine editors, to name a few, consider using some of the following marketing methods to reach them:
Advertising. Promote your writing abilities through classified ads in professional organization newsletters, online pay-per-click sites, and writing websites, for example.
Direct mail. Consider sending postcards announcing your latest book, articles or information to your prospects, as well as birthday and holiday cards to clients.
Giveaways. To keep your name in front of people, give away calendars, pens and pencils, or writing-related mementos imprinted with your company's logo.
Public relations. Secure free media exposure by issuing press releases, writing articles, creating your own newsletter, making presentations or doing public speaking.
Conferences. Make contact with editors and fellow writers at writing industry events, where you can come away with assignments and new prospects.
By putting your marketing objectives down on paper, along with strategies for how you will use the marketing tools available to you, you'll be much farther along in reaching your goal of a six-figure income.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
AUTHOR RESOURCE
As I’ve said before, to make more money as a writer, you need to be more productive. To do that, you need to be more efficient. You can win the most coveted, highest paying projects, but if they take you all year to finish, your annual earnings will be abysmal.
However, most writers have no idea how long typical projects truly take them to complete – many underestimate how much time they invest in each assignment. Over time, a few minutes here and there can add up to several hours (I know this because I was shocked to discover how much time I was not accounting for on my own projects).
One of the best tools for tracking your time is TraxTime, which you can download at http://www.spudcity.com/traxtime/traxtime.htm, and which allows you to clock in and clock out on-screen every time you begin or stop work on a particular task. For $39, you can set up projects and then clock in and out every time you devote time to something billable. You can also track unbillable activities, too, such as marketing, accounting, and administrative tasks.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
SAVVY PRICING
Many writers pay close attention to the per-word rates that magazines and corporate clients pay, using that as the one and only metric for deciding whether to accept an assignment or not. However, this is rarely the best approach if you want to maximize your income. A better gauge is your hourly rate.
The most successful writers I know keep close track of how long various types of projects take them, so they can quickly and easily calculate the hourly rate they would earn for each assignment offered. Surprisingly, per-word rates have little to do with how profitable and assignment really is.
For example, national women’s magazines look great on the résumé and sometimes pay as much as $2 and $3 a word. But they are also time-intensive, so much so that in some cases, the per-hour rate writers earn approaches minimum wage. On the other hand, trade magazines paying less than $1/word are frequently very lucrative, especially for speedy writers.
It can be a real eye-opening exercise to keep close track of how long your articles, books, and corporate projects really take you, then divide the total amount you earned by the number of hours it took you to complete to determine your hourly rate. Once you know how much you’re earning each hour you work, you can shift the types of projects you pursue and accept, so you make more money!
Become a Six-Figure Writer
Tips and Techniques to Build
a Six-Figure Writing Business
August 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the summer winds down and the school year starts anew, you have the opportunity to make a fresh start in your writing business. What have you been meaning to do that you haven’t yet begun? Is there a magazine you’ve been planning to pitch? An idea for a book you’ve considered proposing to an agent?
Labor Day signals the start of a new school year, the start of fall, and your chance to wipe the slate clean and jumpstart (or create) your marketing plan for the remainder of the year. What are your big plans?
Happy reading,
Marcia
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Create a Marketing Plan
A marketing plan is a useful tool for defining your writing goals and formulating the steps you need to take to achieve them. You’ll find that reaching your financial goals is much easier when you think through what you really want your writing business to look like. While having a marketing plan document to refer to can be a very helpful tool, the process of preparing it is even more useful.
Your plan need not be lengthy or complex, but the more thought and detail you put into it, the more it will help you. Here are the basic sections you’ll want to have in your marketing plan:
A description of your writing business – your specialty or niche, types of writing projects you enjoy most.
An assessment of the current situation you are facing in the market – competition, opportunities, reprint opportunities, technology demands, etc.
An overview of your target market(s) – magazine markets, corporate projects, teaching, book publishing and/or editing.
An evaluation of your competition – what types of writers are you generally competing with for various assignments.
A summary of your pricing strategy – what is your minimum per-word and hourly rate.
Your goals for growth during the next one year and five-year periods – number of clients, number of projects, and income are the three biggies.
Details of your promotional methods and budget.
In trying to reach your most promising prospects, whether they are acquisition editors at major publishing houses, corporate marketing managers, or magazine editors, to name a few, consider using some of the following marketing methods to reach them:
Advertising. Promote your writing abilities through classified ads in professional organization newsletters, online pay-per-click sites, and writing websites, for example.
Direct mail. Consider sending postcards announcing your latest book, articles or information to your prospects, as well as birthday and holiday cards to clients.
Giveaways. To keep your name in front of people, give away calendars, pens and pencils, or writing-related mementos imprinted with your company's logo.
Public relations. Secure free media exposure by issuing press releases, writing articles, creating your own newsletter, making presentations or doing public speaking.
Conferences. Make contact with editors and fellow writers at writing industry events, where you can come away with assignments and new prospects.
By putting your marketing objectives down on paper, along with strategies for how you will use the marketing tools available to you, you'll be much farther along in reaching your goal of a six-figure income.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
AUTHOR RESOURCE
As I’ve said before, to make more money as a writer, you need to be more productive. To do that, you need to be more efficient. You can win the most coveted, highest paying projects, but if they take you all year to finish, your annual earnings will be abysmal.
However, most writers have no idea how long typical projects truly take them to complete – many underestimate how much time they invest in each assignment. Over time, a few minutes here and there can add up to several hours (I know this because I was shocked to discover how much time I was not accounting for on my own projects).
One of the best tools for tracking your time is TraxTime, which you can download at http://www.spudcity.com/traxtime/traxtime.htm, and which allows you to clock in and clock out on-screen every time you begin or stop work on a particular task. For $39, you can set up projects and then clock in and out every time you devote time to something billable. You can also track unbillable activities, too, such as marketing, accounting, and administrative tasks.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
SAVVY PRICING
Many writers pay close attention to the per-word rates that magazines and corporate clients pay, using that as the one and only metric for deciding whether to accept an assignment or not. However, this is rarely the best approach if you want to maximize your income. A better gauge is your hourly rate.
The most successful writers I know keep close track of how long various types of projects take them, so they can quickly and easily calculate the hourly rate they would earn for each assignment offered. Surprisingly, per-word rates have little to do with how profitable and assignment really is.
For example, national women’s magazines look great on the résumé and sometimes pay as much as $2 and $3 a word. But they are also time-intensive, so much so that in some cases, the per-hour rate writers earn approaches minimum wage. On the other hand, trade magazines paying less than $1/word are frequently very lucrative, especially for speedy writers.
It can be a real eye-opening exercise to keep close track of how long your articles, books, and corporate projects really take you, then divide the total amount you earned by the number of hours it took you to complete to determine your hourly rate. Once you know how much you’re earning each hour you work, you can shift the types of projects you pursue and accept, so you make more money!
Become a Six-Figure Writer - July issue
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Become a Six-Figure Writer
Tips and Techniques to Build
a Six-Figure Writing Business
July 2007 – Part II
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, you did already see a July issue from me a couple of weeks ago, but this is the bonus issue I promised.
Although we usually think of summer as a time to kick back and relax, for many publishers – and writers – the summer months are some of the most hectic. July and August are when magazine editors put the finishing touches on the thick back-to-school issues and when book publishers gear themselves up for the important fall book releases. That can spell plenty of opportunities for writers like you and me.
I hope you’re as busy as you want to be right now!
Happy reading,
Marcia
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Finding Writing Opportunities
Not too long ago I was a writer in search of writing jobs. I had contacts in the book publishing world and a core group of marketing consulting clients, but I wanted to branch out. At the time, all I could do was network and scour job postings for potential freelance and contract opportunities. (If you’ve tried it, you know reading through job postings can be extremely time-consuming.)
Fortunately, there are now a number of freelance job sites that provide a steady stream of writing opportunity announcements. Granted, you’ll see job postings that are downright ridiculous – 5,000-word industry overviews for $25 each – but there are also plenty of lucrative gigs, too. You just have to watch for them.
To save you some time, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite sources of writing projects, in order of my personal preference:
Freelance Daily. http://www.freelancedaily.net/. This is my top source of job leads, which are culled from several job boards and emailed to me every weekday morning. The cost is $29.95 and well worth it. I’ve made thousands of dollars from projects I’ve found here.
Journalism Jobs. http://www.journalismjobs.com/. A free site that lists full-time, part-time, and freelance job opportunities in print, broadcast, and online media. Well worth checking out.
Media Bistro. www.mediabistro.com/joblistings. Although the large majority of jobs posted here are for full-time, on-site positions, I often find publications I hadn’t heard of before that I can add to my list of places to pitch. And once in a while, there is a freelance gig of interest. Mainly, however, this is a great place to see who’s coming and going at various publishers.
Monster. http://www.monster.com/. Although I can’t say I’ve found freelance gigs very often here, from time-to-time I search for writing jobs and have come across possible contract and local opportunities.
Craigslist. http://www.craigslist.org/. Yes, in addition to helping you find a roommate or sell off an old juicer, you can also use Craigslist to scope out writing projects. If you sign up for Freelance Daily, however, you can cross this site off your list of places to visit, since Freelance Daily does that for you.
There are many, many other freelance writing sites, too, and you should check them out for yourself. Places like elance.com, guru.com, writejobs.com, writerclassifieds.com, sunoasis.com – and many others – post writing gigs that may be right up your alley.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CONFERENCE CONNECTIONS
Although you may not think of professional writing conferences as marketing opportunities, they are actually one of the best ways to develop relationships with referral sources. Yes, you’ll meet editors and publishers at these events, but more important, you’ll meet fellow writers – writers who often hear of projects that aren’t right for them, but might be perfect for you.
Consider adding writing conferences to your list of things to do in the coming months. Not only will you learn new writing techniques, hear about potential opportunities, and find out how best to pursue them, but you’ll make friends who can send business your way if you make a good impression.
My favorite writing conferences include:
ASJA Annual Conference. http://www.asja.org/. Held in NYC in April each year. Great for networking and for learning more about the business of writing.
One on One Conference. http://www.magazinewriters.com/. Held in Chicago in July for established magazine writers interested in face-to-face meetings with select editors.
Neiman Conference on Narrative Journalism. http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/events/conferences/narrative2006. Held in Boston in November or December, all the discussions here deal with the craft of writing.
Become a Six-Figure Writer
Tips and Techniques to Build
a Six-Figure Writing Business
July 2007 – Part II
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, you did already see a July issue from me a couple of weeks ago, but this is the bonus issue I promised.
Although we usually think of summer as a time to kick back and relax, for many publishers – and writers – the summer months are some of the most hectic. July and August are when magazine editors put the finishing touches on the thick back-to-school issues and when book publishers gear themselves up for the important fall book releases. That can spell plenty of opportunities for writers like you and me.
I hope you’re as busy as you want to be right now!
Happy reading,
Marcia
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Finding Writing Opportunities
Not too long ago I was a writer in search of writing jobs. I had contacts in the book publishing world and a core group of marketing consulting clients, but I wanted to branch out. At the time, all I could do was network and scour job postings for potential freelance and contract opportunities. (If you’ve tried it, you know reading through job postings can be extremely time-consuming.)
Fortunately, there are now a number of freelance job sites that provide a steady stream of writing opportunity announcements. Granted, you’ll see job postings that are downright ridiculous – 5,000-word industry overviews for $25 each – but there are also plenty of lucrative gigs, too. You just have to watch for them.
To save you some time, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite sources of writing projects, in order of my personal preference:
Freelance Daily. http://www.freelancedaily.net/. This is my top source of job leads, which are culled from several job boards and emailed to me every weekday morning. The cost is $29.95 and well worth it. I’ve made thousands of dollars from projects I’ve found here.
Journalism Jobs. http://www.journalismjobs.com/. A free site that lists full-time, part-time, and freelance job opportunities in print, broadcast, and online media. Well worth checking out.
Media Bistro. www.mediabistro.com/joblistings. Although the large majority of jobs posted here are for full-time, on-site positions, I often find publications I hadn’t heard of before that I can add to my list of places to pitch. And once in a while, there is a freelance gig of interest. Mainly, however, this is a great place to see who’s coming and going at various publishers.
Monster. http://www.monster.com/. Although I can’t say I’ve found freelance gigs very often here, from time-to-time I search for writing jobs and have come across possible contract and local opportunities.
Craigslist. http://www.craigslist.org/. Yes, in addition to helping you find a roommate or sell off an old juicer, you can also use Craigslist to scope out writing projects. If you sign up for Freelance Daily, however, you can cross this site off your list of places to visit, since Freelance Daily does that for you.
There are many, many other freelance writing sites, too, and you should check them out for yourself. Places like elance.com, guru.com, writejobs.com, writerclassifieds.com, sunoasis.com – and many others – post writing gigs that may be right up your alley.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CONFERENCE CONNECTIONS
Although you may not think of professional writing conferences as marketing opportunities, they are actually one of the best ways to develop relationships with referral sources. Yes, you’ll meet editors and publishers at these events, but more important, you’ll meet fellow writers – writers who often hear of projects that aren’t right for them, but might be perfect for you.
Consider adding writing conferences to your list of things to do in the coming months. Not only will you learn new writing techniques, hear about potential opportunities, and find out how best to pursue them, but you’ll make friends who can send business your way if you make a good impression.
My favorite writing conferences include:
ASJA Annual Conference. http://www.asja.org/. Held in NYC in April each year. Great for networking and for learning more about the business of writing.
One on One Conference. http://www.magazinewriters.com/. Held in Chicago in July for established magazine writers interested in face-to-face meetings with select editors.
Neiman Conference on Narrative Journalism. http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/events/conferences/narrative2006. Held in Boston in November or December, all the discussions here deal with the craft of writing.
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