Creating a Stronger Freelance Writing Business

What I’m reading: The Penitent by Isaac Bashevis Singer
What’s on the iPod: Songs About Roses by Owl John

Another month, another new beginning. Do you look at your calendar and think the same thing?

For me, any new month (not just January) is a time to reflect on the last month, the month ahead of me, and how I can best capitalize on it. I’ll be doing a monthly assessment like every month, but I haven’t had time to add it up. I intend to take time today to go over the numbers in detail.

On Friday, we went over a few ways in which writers are digging their own career graves. Everything from inertia to accepting less than their market value keeps all too many writers in the low-paying rut. For every writer working their tail off to get great gigs, there are writers who are thrilled to score low-paying or worse, unpaid gigs in order to get clips.

Not good enough, is it?

Damn right it’s not.

So here are a few ways to create a stronger freelance writing business:

Identify better-paying clients. Look where others aren’t–right at the doorsteps of the companies and people you want to work with (one writer I know vets potential clients by the company’s annual revenue). Suppose you write about organic gardening. What associations cover that industry? Who are the experts? The PR firms? What publications support the growers, suppliers, manufacturers, or organic landscapers? Go to the sources themselves with your pitch. Do your homework, write your introductory letter, and follow up in a few weeks.

Revisit your income target and accountability process. Do you have one? If not, decide how much you want to make annually, then break it down to a monthly figure. You can even track it weekly, but I found that to be too much of a micro-level look. Now that you have a target, get an accountability partner. If you don’t have one, you’re welcome to come here every month and share your results with the rest of us. (See the “monthly assessment” tag over on the right of this blog.)

Revamp your message. If you’re bored with what you’ve been sending to potential clients, think how they feel when they have to read it. Get personal — research them enough to know what their business is, what they focus on, if they have a blog, newsletter, case studies, etc. Shift the focus from “I” this and “I” that to “you.” When you write that letter, try answering this question: “How will customers benefit by hiring me?” Sell the sizzle (the benefits to the customer), not the steak (you and your experience being the steak).

Carefully choose your samples. You’re trying to win over organic gardening suppliers. So why are you sending them links to your health care writing? Where you can, make the sample fit the client you’re wanting to win over. If you’re trying to attract a client whose main business is creating training materials, look at what you’ve written already that might apply — for example, a how-to article or a set of instructions. Or create a sample related to that business.

A note about samples: Maybe you don’t have a ton of experience in the areas in which you’d like to be writing. Maybe you do. If you have clips already, great. If not, don’t make the mistake of thinking you have to take low-paying or, heaven forbid, non-paying work just to get good clips. Instead, write them yourself. Create sample case studies, reports, press releases, etc.

Follow up. All those great pitches you sent out and those letters to new clients — how many did you follow up on? Consistent marketing means you’re not going to do the one-and-done email. You’re going to get back in touch in two weeks to a month and see if there was a need. For anything but a “We don’t ever use freelancers” response, you’re going to continue to follow up. I like to get back in touch every three months. You decide what works for you.

Make good use of news and events. For me, it’s an annual trade show. I use that as both my source of prospects and my reason for getting in touch (The “With the show coming in six months, I wanted to reach out…” type of message). Also, consider how the news can be used as a selling point. If there’s some legislation or emerging trend in organic gardening, that’s a great reason to reach out to your prospects with your own newsletter bringing them up to date on the topic.

Writers, how do you give your freelance writing business a boost?
Have you moved into new focus areas? If so, how hard was it and what methods worked best?