Words on the Page

Free Advice Friday: 10 Hard Facts About a Writing Career

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Skinny Love by Birdy Quite the busy week. I’m deep into a sizable project and doing well with it. I’m hoping to deliver it to the client by next Friday, when I suspect we’ll go through a round or two of revisions. After that, I may have another project in the…

Writers and Attribution

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: One by Ed Sheeran It’s been a busy start to the week. Like I expected, the work is flowing in. I’ve already hit my target for this month, and October is looking just as sweet. Today, I’ll be working on a large project, finalizing plans for another large project, and marketing…

Top Tips Writers Series #1: Cathy Miller

Posted on by lwidmer

What’s on the iPod: Daydreaming by Middle Brother Today starts a series that, to me, is just brilliant. I can’t take credit for it. In fact, credit goes to Valorie, who’d suggested an article on the ten best tips from freelancers to newer freelancers. Valorie, we’re doing one better: we’re asking successful freelancers to offer…

Home

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: A Good Hanging by Ian Rankin What’s on the iPod: The Miracle (of Joey Ramone) by U2 (Free album available on iTunes right now) Home. What an absolutely fantastic week away. Southern England is a treat for the senses. The place is all about walking and being outdoors — trails everywhere, and…

What Breaking Bad Has Taught Me About Writing

Posted on by lwidmer

I’ll be back in my chair tomorrow. When I do sit down, I have a full day ahead of me with at least two projects. I don’t like leaving in the middle of things, but that’s the way the projects rolled this time. Some things can’t be helped. As I was once again watching the…

Writing Link Love

Posted on by lwidmer

I should be back at the desk next Wednesday. Meantime, here are some favorite posts by some great writers: The Three-Day Rule by Walt Kania – a great plan for any freelancer to live by. Self-Publishing for Freelancers: Don’t Forget Phase Two – Yo Prinzel shows us how to be brutal with our beloved manuscripts. Want to…

4 Ways to Collect Without a Contract

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: Pigs Will Fly by P. G. Wodehouse Right now, I’m in southern England, hopefully relaxing. I know I’ll be coming home to a number of client projects — I’m just not sure how many. Right now I have two, but there are at least that many more in talks right now. It’s…

6 Ways to Keep Writing Work Coming In

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: Pigs Can Fly by P. G. Wodehouse This time tonight I’ll be boarding a flight to England. Meantime, I have this morning to wrap up projects, get another project in good shape, and yes, market. Always market, right? Because any time away from the career means a hit to the wallet, I’ve…

Riding the Writing Excuse Train

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m listening to: Bloodstream by Ed Sheeran Lots of work at my door right now, and naturally, I’m about to head out of the country for a week. As I’ve always said, if you want work, just plan a vacation. I’m not so busy that I haven’t been able to interact on forums and…

Monthly Assessment: August 2014

Posted on by lwidmer

What I’m reading: Strip Jack by Ian Rankin What I’m listening to: Happy by Pharrell Williams September — she’s here. Time to get serious, right? Time also to see how August went for us writers. Whew. Much more like it. With June being ridiculously slow thanks to so much time off and with July picking…

Cathy Miller

Thankfully, I can also say – Whew. Much more like it.

Thanks to checks finally arriving that had been long overdue, I hit monthly income target. July and August had been filled with family visits, making work challenging.

One long-time client has been filling my coffers with projects. They also referred me to a new project with a new client. Love my long-time clients.

I am working hard to retain another client. I had been doing quarterly newsletter articles when my contact hired someone new and did not tell her about me. She already assigned the articles for the next newsletter. I introduced myself, set up a call, and may end up with better paying articles (ghostwritten). We have had several conversations (1 by phone-the rest email) but nothing so far. We'll see.

An executive from my past connected through LinkedIn. She is at a new company and interested in hiring me. She is supposed to be in touch this week.

I'm working on getting at least one ebook done for the last quarter of the year to get some other income coming in and picking up the marketing for my 60 Miles site.

Hopeful.

KeriLynn Engel

Sounds like everyone had an awesome August! It was a busy month for me, too- I actually made record earnings for the year 😀

Interesting about changing your LOI strategy… I've been thinking about doing the same. I wasn't getting exactly the results I wanted, so (since my calendar was so full for August anyway) I took a break to re-think my strategy. And I came to the same conclusion as you: I'm going to start sending much fewer, more highly targeted and customized LOIs to people I really want to work with and can envision concrete ways I can help them.

John Soares

I also had a slow June and July that allowed me to do a lot of hiking. However, I landed so much work in August that I'm booked through the end of October.

Eileen

Lori, glad to hear the targeted LOIs are performing well for you! August was as bad as July – virtually nothing coming in. I have been rebuilding my list, sending targeted lumpy mail LOIs, following up religiously with phone calls. Lots of possibilities, but nothing concrete yet. I am hoping it's just a summer slump and that the phone starts ringing today!

Paula

I'm glad to say I landed on the Good August side of the equation. When was the last time I had a good month?

For me, summer is never slow – thanks to Emmy season – but this is when it slows back to normal.

I sent several ideas out in four queries. When I realized I didn't have any stories in two back-to-back, regular issues of Favorite Editor's magazine, I asked if I was late getting in my ideas. She called and explained how a couple of my ideas didn't get in due to issues with publicists or sources. She said not to worry, I'll always be part of the family – then assigned me a short second piece for December.

(Gotta say, it was worrisome since writers from two consumer magazines covering the same subject have been let go or quit after new top editors came in, and those writers' bylines keep popping up where I've been writing for 13+ years.)

While I didn't send any new LOIs I followed up on two. Unsuccessfully. However, I replied to seven job listings – but those included some on eByline, where you're competing in a much smaller pool. I landed one of the eByline jobs.

I almost didn't take that one, since it had a quick turnaround time and my existing clients were keeping me really busy. In addition to a massive listing of 60 executives, I turned in four columns, three copywriting jobs and six articles to my existing clients, plus the article I wrote for the new client through eByline.

I keep forgetting to track social media, but I'm sure if I landed work through that I would remember.

As for earnings – I took in about $750 more than my modest monthly goal. But the invoiced total of the work I completed in August was well more than double my monthly goal. (Surprisingly, about 15% of what I invoiced in August was actually paid in August, but that still leaves a pretty rosy October-November.)

Bottom line: I'll try getting ideas to Favorite Editor a little earlier, and I'll keep trying to find ways to improve on what's working right now.

Lori Widmer

Does sound hopeful, Cathy! Fingers crossed for you.

That's great news, KeriLynn! Thank Eileen for the initial nudge on that one. She inspired me when she mentioned she'd gone much more targeted in her approach.

Sounds great, John! And you didn't have to skip the hikes — even better.

Eileen, knowing you, your phone is ringing off the hook right now. It's tough when it isn't though, isn't it?

Paula, that's always music to the ears! She knows not to let go of a good writer. 🙂

Gabriella F.

I, too, had a solid August after a mediocre July. September's also on target to be solid. Yes!

Still struggling to find new clients, and it usually seems to be the money that's not a fit.

However, recently, it was because there's not quite the right skill match.

I just got pinged on LinkedIn by someone looking for a legal writer, and we've talked. But she wants someone with legal book-writing skills (no book skills on my resume) and e-learning writing skills (never done e-learning storyboards, either).

We may work together, but I'd really rather she find someone with all the skills she's looking for. Seems too risky for me to wade into territory where I have absolutely no experience.

(If any of you know of anybody who fits that bill, please do let me know. Happy to refer a talented colleague to a potential client.)

Anyway, long story short: I'd really like to add substantial (more than one-off) new clients. I'm finding that harder these days. Anybody else finding that, too?

Lori Widmer

Gabriella, hooray for a good August and September! About time, right?

I had to compromise a bit on price with one client, but that's in return for ongoing work. They've not signed the agreement yet, but they got pretty much all they wanted, so I can't imagine why not. Then again, my email has been flagged as spam in more than one case lately.

I do know someone. Let me send you a note via Facebook.

Gabriella F.

Agree, Lori. I'll compromise on price for ongoing work, too. Some, but I won't cave, either.

That said, I completely forgot that I didn't accept a new client last month because of that 17-page master service agreement. Remember that? They retained the right to audit me and drug test me. But they were willing to meet my price…

Lori Widmer

Yea, I remember! Definitely NOT worth going through a drug test for. It would be different if you were working onsite or driving their vehicles, but writing copy? Really?

Hemingway would have been unemployable. LOL