Even though some months are painful to review, I’m glad I do monthly assessments. It’s so much easier to pull myself back on track monthly rather than trying to recoup tons of lost dollars and clients 8 months or so out.
So now to the recouping part. My usual methods have fallen flat with just a little success here and there. Obviously, we have that “R” word hanging over the world. I don’t acknowledge it as I think it’s poisonous to one’s psyche and career, but the clients do. So I must adjust. After a private pep talk from Devon (thank you, hon), I decided to refocus on the fiction side. I’ve got the story written in my head and about 14K of it on paper. Time to go back to it. I still have three regular gigs – one that pays the majority of my current income, though it’s about to become our slow season. I won’t starve entirely. But this belt’s pretty tight right now.
Devon said it; the minute I start focusing on my fiction, work will come. I opened the file yesterday to start writing and an email came in before I could put one thought down. One of the regulars wanted some more work done. Also, I’ll be putting a sales letter together today offering a discounted rate to my regular clients. I know which clients need bigger discounts, so I’ll try to accommodate where I can.
I know this slump is part of the cycle. It’s also a reminder that nothing is guaranteed, that even the most aggressive marketing can net very little in the tough times, and that patience and perspective can get you through it.
Have you noticed work coming when you busy yourself elsewhere? Also, what is your most successful marketing approach?
10 responses to “Branching Out”
Not just busy, but busy doing something that excites and invigorates you. It sends out positive vibes that potential new clients pick up on, and long-term clients pick up on, and the work starts coming back in.
The great thing about what we do is that we can be as productive in "slumps" as we are during business times — it's just the timing of the payments that's different. Eventually, it pays — just not within 30 days.
I made the decision a while back to also stop obsessing when work is slow and focus on my personal writing instead. That's not to say I won't continue marketing, but I'm not going to let it consume me. I'm always lamenting the lack of time I have to dedicate to my own writing, and slow periods provide the perfect opportunity for that. Plus, there's always the potential that the finished product will lead to good money. Think long-term royalties that will continue to come in years down the road when this slump is finally over.
Now to answer your questions, yes, it's precisely when I decide to go to a writing conference or partake in a month-long writing challenge that work starts flooding in. It's almost like they sense I won't be available so they better catch me while they can. As for my most successful marketing approach, it's getting in touch with former clients I haven't worked with in a while. Even when they don't have any immediate projects themselves, that strategy puts me in the forefront of their minds. I recently gained a referral to a new client that way.
I tend to do exactly what the Irreverent One said – contact clients. I did that Monday and one editor replied immediately that he'll be in touch in the next few weeks with more work.
For now, I'm down to one article. I've got several queries out, have replied to some leads for editing job, just entered a short film script into a contest, and am about to compile some story ideas for the next issue of one of my regular markets. Perhaps it's time for me to take Devon's approach and focus on another script or some of my textile projects (one goal is to establish an Etsy.com "store" this fall, and I'll need some inventory).
Something I've noticed through the years is that immediately after I pay bills or am forced to purchase or repair a major appliance, more assignments seem to come my way.
Ooops. I meant: editing jobs.
So far, this has only happened to me once. But, it didn't turn out as good. I took some time off from writing when my brother had passed and that's when 2 people decided to contact me for projects that would've brought me some decent dough. ( I only had a couple regular clients at that time)
Since I wasn't in the right frame of mind I had to decline them. There's no way I could get into the mindset I needed to write for them then. I explained it to them and they moved on to someone else to finish their projects.
The positive part that came out of it is that someone who was at the funeral heard me give my speech and contacted me later on for a speech writing project. So, it does seem that when your mind is elsewhere, they take that moment to come to you.
I find I get busy when I'm busy, and when I'm not busy you couldn't sell me with a balloon tied to my winkie. What always fascinates me is the finite-ness of creative energy … there's only so much to go around. So you write "money", or you write the other stuff, hard to do both.
Meanwhie, as your friend said, you switch hats (I actually do have different hats. Good thing there isn't a webcam here.) I got a reasonably large grant in March to finish a play and mount two public readings — and that's when the jobs starting rolling in. Haven't written a &%^* word!
It's funny, I never could get up the nerve to seek out clients. As a result, I've only freelanced for content sites, and one freelance agency type site. When I discovered MMO, I decided to bypass the whole freelance writing thing and do that.
The second I started actually making money off of my sites is when people started contacting me to ask me to write for them! *lol* Since they're friends, I'll occasionally do jobs for them, but I haven't hung my shingle back out yet. We'll see…
Meantime, I really should work on my novel, too. It seems so much easier to write when it's broken down into little sections like on HubPages and Squidoo.
Huh, maybe that explains it — I haven't stressed out about work in ages, and with the exception of the beginning of the year (which is always slow for me), I've had plenty.
Of course, maybe I haven't been stressing out about work because I've got plenty of it. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
I actually would be quite happy for your problem. I'd love to be able to focus more on fiction — though I usually spend most of my free time with my horse. :o)
Devon, see my latest post. It worked like magic.
Kathy, they know I'm thinking of going on vacation – I've been inundated since deciding to take the time to relax! And once you're in that relaxation mindset, boy, is it tough to drop it to go back to work!
Paula, I like contacting regular clients, too. I contacted a client this week. She's been on my mind and I do miss working with her. Since her one client dried up a few years back, we haven't worked together directly, but through one of her counterparts. I asked how she was because I really wanted to know. If work comes of it, fine. If not, fine. I didn't seek her out for that reason. Odd, but you develop a rapport with someone and often that will extend beyond the work.
Wendy, I'm really sorry about your brother. Under the circumstances, how could you take work? I'm sure people understand. If not, who would work for those kinds of people? I had a client disappear when they pulled a hard line as my father-in-law was dying. If they can't understand my priorities are with people and NOT with workers comp articles, they can take their business elsewhere. I bust my hump under normal conditions. When I can't, they should understand why.
I hate that, Joseph! The minute you commit to a huge project, here comes another and another and…. yes, it's great to be popular. Not so great when it's all at once!
WordVixen, pretend your novel is being posted on Squidoo. 🙂 Seriously. Write it in a doggone window if you have to. Then paste it into Word. 😉
Katharine, it's our eternal struggle, isn't it? We want the work so badly. We get it, then we want the time to write what WE want to write. That time comes, then we're too broke to do it! LOL I'm glad you're doing so well. It does my heart good to hear it!
I'm a big fan of CJ Hayden's "Get Clients Now!" The book forces you to take a structured approach to marketing by making you set yourself regular daily tasks. It's supposed to be a 28-day programme that can be done at any time, but I've never yet got to the end of the 28 days, as I always seem to find myself too busy. It seems to work some weird magic – I started doing it again yesterday, and have already had two completely out-of-the-blue enquiries.
I love your blog, by the way – it's one of the few writing blogs in my RSS feed that I read for the pleasure of it, rather than because I feel I should for professional reasons. Your brave, heart-on-sleeve discussions of terrible clients and the trials and tribulations of finding work in the current climate really strike a chord.