Words on the Page

Marketing and Your Image

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Hypnotize by The White Stripes There’s still time to join the 8 Steps to Conference Marketing Success self-study course! Broken out into easy-to-follow sections, the course shows you every step in the process of marketing at conferences. You’ll learn how to choose a conference, when and what to communicate with potential clients, and…

6 Ways to Get More from Your Marketing

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Cruel and Beautiful World by Grouplove Want the highest return on your marketing investment? A recent survey of Chief Marketing Officers at Fortune 1000 companies showed that in-person meetings and events delivered the highest return on investment than any other marketing effort. One place to find a concentration of potential clients is the conference.That’s the…

Oh, My Aching…

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Nothing again — getting the car back today Want the highest return on your marketing investment? A recent survey of Chief Marketing Officers at Fortune 1000 companies showed that in-person meetings and events delivered the highest return on investment than any other marketing effort. One place to find a concentration of potential clients is…

All Things Green and Otherwise

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Nothing. Car is in the shop. 🙂 Slieve League, County Donegal What a nice week it’s been! I connected with not one, but three new clients, and I completed a draft and provided another client with an outline. I have yet to actually speak with the third client, but given the…

4 Places to Spend Your Marketing Budget

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Today’s Cross by Frightened Rabbit New Self-Study Course: Learn how to market and gain clients by attending conferences! Limited-time offer on the 8 Steps to Conference Marketing Success e-course — plus a one-month membership to the 5 Buck Forum! Click here to get started now. I don’t know about you, but it usually takes me…

Marketing Down a One-way Street Going Up

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Almost Famous by Eminem Special Announcement: Learn how to market and gain clients by attending conferences! Limited-time offer on the 8 Steps to Conference Marketing Success e-course — plus a one-month membership to the 5 Buck Forum! Click here to get started now. I need a few fewer weekends that leave me feeling more spent…

How to Totally Suck at Marketing

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Eyes Wide Open by Gotye Special Announcement: Learn how to market and gain clients by attending conferences! Limited-time offer on the 8 Steps to Conference Marketing Success e-course — plus a one-month membership to the 5 Buck Forum! Click here to get started now. Interesting day yesterday — interesting in that train-wreck…

Marketing Rule of Seven: Revisited

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Blue Eyes by Middle Brother It’s been a slow start to the week. I’ve had plenty of time to focus on some marketing, and so far this week I’ve had more responses from potential clients than I had in all of February, what with those 51 LOIs. Pretty cool when their…

5 Marketing Myths That Are Killing Your Writing Business

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: Setting Free the Bears by John Irving What’s on the iPod: Life by The Avett Brothers March has come in like a lamb. Okay, here it’s more like a cold lamb looking for a scarf, but it’s been mild. Hopefully that will change come Wednesday when we’re expecting what could be a…

Monthly Assessment: February 2013

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Beg, Steal or Borrow by Ray LaMontagne & the Pariah Dogs Rabbit! Happy March. May it be coming in like a lamb for you wherever you are. For those of you new to the blog (welcome!), it’s that time once again to put a little accountability into our actions or lack…

Devon Ellington

TErrible earnings, late payers, obstacles all the way around, especially because casting hell cut into my earning time. Bad month.

Cathy Miller

LOIs I've been busy with LOIs in the 1st 2 months of this year. I've had decent returns in terms of replies, but no confirmed projects yet. Two probably won't work out because they can't (or won't) meet my fees.

Existing clients I took a major hit at the end of last year that trickled into 2013 when 1 of my largest contributors to my income was downsized, another was acquired, and a 3rd is struggling with no new sales.

Another existing client is going steady and has one of those "promised" projects from another department within the company. And another existing client has had a project for me each month that keeps me hanging on.

New clients I have one old/new client who has several "promised" projects. It's a public entity and the process is between slow & slower. No, make that slooooowest. It's just the way they work. I've been waiting for the contract since Jan.

I have other "promised" projects from two new clients.

Earnings I would exceed targeted earnings for the month if I had payment on all my invoices. I don't count the $ until it is in my hot, little hand. Especially since the latest fad is slow payments. I feel your pain, Devon.

Like you, Lori, March will be very busy IF all the talked-about projects get under way.

Lori

Thanks, ladies. Devon, sorry it was a lousy month. I suspect with your plays about to be underway, March and April should improve.

Cathy, like you I saw a large retainer evaporate in December (it was contracted for five months and that was the last month). Replacing that in December is NOT easy.

What have you in the pipeline? Are you finding things a bit slower these days?

Cathy Miller

I have a 12-14 page marketing brochure, web copy pages for 2 different clients, a ghostwritten article, and 3 ghostwritten blog posts in the pipeline.

It's definitely slower and one new targeted market has totally surprised me with the lack of activity.

Paula

Retainers? Lori, I think you just came up with a new monthly topic: How to land clients who pay by retainer.

Okay, here we go again….

Queries: Sent a big batch to Favorite Editor who is busy assigning the biggest issue of the year. A couple of my ideas were assigned along with some of their own.

LOIs: Only sent one LOI, but got a positive response. Fingers crossed.

Job Listings: I saw three that were great fits. No word as yet.

Existing Clients: They're keeping me busy! Turned in three of six pieces to Favorite Editor, wrote two columns, and accepted new assignments from two long-time clients. Turned in four articles to a new client (already published, already paid!) A former résumé client also hired me to write a cover letter.

New Clients: A custom publisher I started courting last summer finally offered up two short assignments. I'm writing copy for their client's website. If all goes well, they might have ongoing assignments.

Earnings: Like Cathy, I don't count earnings until I have cash in hand. That said, I was about $400 under my new monthly goal, but this week alone I've already sent an invoice totaling more than half my monthly goal and am currently working on projects totaling way more than that.

Bottom line: Persistence pays off!

Lori

Interesting, isn't it Cathy? I'm not seeing a lot of activity now, either. Not in my regular market anyway. It could be due to the sequester, but I think it's more that companies are re-evaluating their workloads and budgets.

Paula, that's hardly "under" your goal! Good job! Feels pretty good, doesn't it? 🙂

Kimberly Ben

February was SO much better for me than January. I started working with two new clients – the result of marketing toward the end of 2012. I also received extra money from a client that I didn't know I was due thanks to my own miscalculation. Kind of scary, so I've changed my invoicing process to help me better track payments due.