business of writing

Should You Hire a Writing Coach or Mentor?

Some of the comments on my post about picking a freelancer’s brain triggered a related question: when should you hit up someone for free advice vs. paying for it? Full disclosure: I’m a bit of a cheapskate so I tend to take the DIY approach to learning. There are tons of great blogs, books, podcasts, and other resources out there for free or almost free!

However, I also believe in investing in myself and my business, so when freelance rock star Linda Formichelli ran a special on her phone mentoring for writers a few years ago, I eagerly signed up so I could get Linda’s advice on moving from FOBs to features. I don’t remember how much I paid, but it was worth every cent. In a mentoring or coaching session, you get so much more personalized attention than a class instructor can give and it’s tailored to your needs rather than a set curriculum. But how do you know when to shell out for coaching or mentoring? And how do you choose the right person?

I asked Linda and three other pros for their take on this topic.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: business of writing

3 Inexpensive Options for Online Calling

By Susan Johnston 12 Comments

Michelle Rafter’s recent post about cutting costs from your freelance business got me thinking about the whole landline vs. cell phone vs. voice over IP debate. I’ve been freelancing full-time since 2008 and in that time, I’ve never used a landline for business. I suspect that in the near future, except in areas with really spotty internet and cell service, landlines could go the way of the 8track and the dodo bird.

It’s crazy how fast things change nowadays because I grew up in a house with a rotary dial phone, and my mother didn’t even think to update it until one of my classmates said, “umm … Mrs. Johnston, how does this thing work?” when she tried to dial out. That’s my thoroughly modern mother for you. (She has a cordless phone and a cell phone now.)

If, like Michelle, you’re thinking about cutting the cord on your landline phone, I say go for it as long as you have a reliable internet connection and decent cell phone reception in the place(s) that you usually work. That’s the beauty of dropping the landline: you’re much more mobile because you can take calls almost anywhere (and with headsets or speakers, you don’t have to awkwardly cradle the phone against your neck).

I rarely make outgoing calls on my iPhone, because all those interviews and client chats would eat up about a zillion cell phone minutes. Instead, I use a combination of these three services:

Skype
When I first went full-time freelance, Skype was my preferred method of calling sources and clients. It’s free to skype other users or you can get an inexpensive monthly subscription ($2.99 per month for unlimited calls to the US and Canada, for instance) to call any cell or landline. You can also get an online number to accept incoming calls, but that’s a little pricier. I found that the sound quality can be spotty and without a designated online number, sources are sometimes weirded out by the seemingly random assortment of numbers that shows up on their caller ID (more than one source thought I was a telemarketer and screened my call – oops!). I still use skype for video chatting with certain clients or communicating with sources in other parts of the world, but I’ve mostly transitioned to Google Voice.
Google Voice
Discovering Google Voice was like a revelation. The sound is usually clearer than skype, I can call the US and Canada for free, and I even snagged a phone number with my local area code (no more mistaking me for a telemarketer!). Google Voice also transcribes voice messages, and while the accuracy isn’t quite there yet, but I can usually get the gist of what the caller wants without listening to the message. Other cool features include the ability to send and receive text messages via Google Voice and forward to a landline or cell phone so you can answer even if you aren’t at your computer. The one downside is that there are a few numbers that just don’t seem to work on Google Voice; usually it’s those webinar call-in numbers, so in those rare cases, I use my iPhone. Occasionally Google Voice drops calls but that’s only happened to me once or twice, and it’s never been a big deal. (Most of my sources are talking on cell phones, so it’s not unheard of for their call to drop.)
FreeConferenceCall.com
When I interview multiple sources at once (for instance, cofounders of a startup or when a publicist asks to listen in on an interview) and they aren’t in the same physical space, I give them my FCC # so we can all jump on a call together. There’s an easy recording feature if you need to record interviews, but be sure to ask your sources first. As it turns out, my FCC does work on Google Voice, so I can call in that way.

Freelancers, do you use any of these services? Or do you still use a landline? Leave a comment and let us know!

Filed Under: business of writing Tagged With: Google Voice, Skype, VOIP

Guest Post: Content Marketing Planning that Really Works

By Susan Johnston 2 Comments

By Katie Saxon

Since the Google Panda update slapped down sites with dubious (and often duplicate) content, SEOs have been clamoring to get a content marketing strategy in place.

While this is great news for copywriters, freelancers need to ensure they are ahead of the game to stay in a job. And one way to do that is to understand the value of planning and strategy for content marketing.

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing is a promotional strategy focused on creating unique, high-quality content. Well-written blog posts, white papers and case studies are now the name of the game.

So, as a professional copywriter, you should already have the edge over the competition – quality isn’t something that can be churned out on mass. And, to give yourself a really unfair advantage over your competition, get to grips with content marketing planning and strategies.

Content Marketing Planning

For years the oft-chanted mantra in internet marketing has been “content is king.” And yet, if this had been true all along arguably there would be no need for Panda. Simply producing great content isn’t enough – people have got to find it, love it and above all, link to it.

So what can you do to help your clients create a successful content-led internet marketing strategy?

Remind them of the value of planning.

Questions that you can ask a client to help them to get more from their content.

Basic targeting questions:Who is this for? What is your target market? What is the purpose of this? What will your reader get out of this? Why should they care?You probably already ask these, but it can help your client to really think about whether what they are suggesting is genuinely something that people would want to link to.
Promotional questions:How will you promote your content? Have you got a list of appropriate bloggers, journalists and webmasters to promote the content to? Do you plan to use several different promotional techniques, e.g. press releases, Twitter, PPC adverts?Help your client to decide how the great content you produce for them will get in front of the right people – and remind them that social media alone isn’t magic; unless they already have a massive following it will take more to attract attention and links.
Technical questions:Where will your content be hosted? What format(s) will it be available in? How will users share it? Have you made it easy to use?You need your client to think carefully about this – unless there is a very good reason not to, hosting on site should always be the preferred option. They can make it easy to promote with sharing buttons, embed codes and more, but self-hosting gives them control of their content in a way that social media doesn’t.
Timelines: When will the content be released? Will they run a teaser campaign? Will they tie in the launch with another large scale event?
Another essential question to help you do your job effectively, but it also includes more sophisticated questions that should help them to develop effective plans.
Competition:Is anyone else in their niche doing anything similar? Can they build on what’s worked before – or learn from competitor mistakes? Will their plans clash with another big launch?This potentially provides you with research material, but also ensures that your client understands the role of their activities within the wider marketplace.

Your role is to try to help your client get the most from their content marketing. They can use their answers to your questions to build a content marketing plan.

Doing this is a win-win scenario – it helps to ensure that your beautiful content doesn’t get lost in cyberspace. And by encouraging your client to approach digital marketing using traditional offline techniques they are likely to get a better return on their investment and want to use you again.

Content marketing isn’t ground-breaking, but to do it well businesses will need to go back to marketing basics. Help clients on their way to cement your role as their freelancer of choice.

Katie Saxon is a digital marketing executive working for the UK-based SEO agency Boom Online Marketing. She works on both SEO and PPC campaigns, and you can follow her on Twitter @ksaxoninternet for more internet marketing tips.

Interested in contributing a guest blog post of your own? Check out the guest blogger guidelines.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Filed Under: business of writing

Guest Post: Top 5 Ways I’ve Found Freelance Writing Gigs

By Susan Johnston 8 Comments

By Denene Brox

I’ve been a freelance writer for six years and in that time I’ve tried a lot of marketing tactics. Some have been successful and some haven’t worked so well.

One thing that trips up many new writers is looking for that one perfect way of marketing their writing. Another bad move is to focus all of your efforts bidding for low-paying jobs on freelance bidding sites and/or writing for content mills. You’ll be so wrapped up in low-paying work that you won’t have time to go after higher-paying jobs.

I’m going to share some of the top (and sometimes surprising) ways that I’ve found freelance writing gigs (hint: no freelance bidding sites!). Some of these methods are definitely tried and true while others are random things I’ve tried that paid off.

Letters of Introduction (LOIs)
I’ll start with the tried and true because LOIs are really one of the best marketing methods if you want to write for trade magazines. Most of my clients have come from sending out simple letters of introduction to editors. I write a lot for trade magazines and LOIs launched my magazine writing career. It really is the easiest way to find trade magazine clients. My trade assignments bring in between $.40 and $1 per word and all it took was an introduction.
Take Away: Be sure to combine both LOIs and query letters into your marketing mix. Also try mentioning in your LOIs that you’d be happy to send story ideas too to let editors know you’re willing to brainstorm article ideas.
Cold Calling
I’m not a phone person. So cold calling isn’t my favorite way to market my business. But on some occasions, it’s necessary. I picked up the phone when I couldn’t find any contact information for a career website I wanted to write for. I got in touch with the editor and to my surprise he was looking for a writer with experience writing about minority career issues — experience I had. I went on to write many articles for him over the next few years netting me $300 per 500-word article (much higher than the content mills).
Take Away: Pick up the phone to connect with editors.
LinkedIn
I randomly decided to update my LinkedIn status one day to announce that I was now providing blogging and tweeting services. One of my contacts sent me a message requesting more information. A few emails and an in-person meeting later and I had a regular blogging and tweeting gig for a local college. This job lasted for six months and resulted from an innocent LinkedIn status update.These types of copywriting gigs allow you to name your price (versus accepting whatever a magazine pays per word). You can quote an hourly rate (like I did) or use a flat rate.
Take Away: Be sure to keep your social networks informed about your current projects and services.
Craigslist
Craigslist has a bad rap when it comes to freelance jobs. So I decided to post my own ad. I was shocked when an Internet marketing agency in New York responded with an offer to blog two times per week for one of their clients. I got $30 per hour to blog. Not bad from a free ad.
Take Away: While all the other writers are replying to ads, try posting your own. My ad included a short bio, a list of writing credits/specialties, and a link to my website. You will no doubt get some spam and/or job offers that sound less than appealing. But you never know unless you try.
Regular Job Ads
Even though you’re a freelancer, periodically keep your eye on “regular” job boards for freelance opportunities. I landed a major freelance copywriting gig with a non-profit by applying to an ad on a local employment website. Again, with copywriting gigs the great thing is that I was able to name my price. So whatever your current copywriting rates are, you can use those when quoting the project.
Take Away: Don’t dismiss regular job boards. You may just find a great freelance job.

Denene Brox is a freelance writer based in Kansas City and specializes in career development and health topics. She is also the webmaster of Freelance-Write-Now.com, a site that teaches beginners how to get started in freelance writing. Read more of her tips for finding freelance writing gigs. She blogs about career and personal development at www.my-year-to.com.