Comments on: What Commercial Writing Pearl Would You Share As a Guest Blogger? http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/what-commercial-writing-pearl-would-you-share-as-a-guest-blogger Income-boosting resources for commercial writers Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:48:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: peter http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/what-commercial-writing-pearl-would-you-share-as-a-guest-blogger/comment-page-1#comment-438 peter Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:52:14 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=20#comment-438 Thanks Craig! Off to a MOST promising start, it would appear... ;) Thanks for sharing it, and I love the part about how no one's asked for your portfolio, Just underscores my assertion that clients don't want to hunt around a long time to find a writer and dig too deep when they DO find one. I've heard that a LOT. And thank Kirk for the great insights. The teaming thing is truly th gift that keeps on giving... PB Thanks Craig! Off to a MOST promising start, it would appear… ;) Thanks for sharing it, and I love the part about how no one’s asked for your portfolio, Just underscores my assertion that clients don’t want to hunt around a long time to find a writer and dig too deep when they DO find one. I’ve heard that a LOT.

And thank Kirk for the great insights. The teaming thing is truly th gift that keeps on giving…

PB

]]> By: Kirk Richardson http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/what-commercial-writing-pearl-would-you-share-as-a-guest-blogger/comment-page-1#comment-437 Kirk Richardson Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:31:18 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=20#comment-437 Pete. My advice to budding freelancers is to be prepared when opportunities arrive. Make sure that you have resources available when it knocks at your door. I team with everyone from graphic artists and photographers to flash programmers and competitive intelligence experts. The key is to be plugged in. Ironically, my biggest need/challenge right now is finding commercial freelance writing help, my own bread and butter. It's the one resource that I've neglected to recruit, since it's my own area of expertise (http://www.linkedin.com/in/kirkrichardson). Now, with more opportunities than time, I'm scrambling to find a good, solid industrial/manufacturing copywriter or two to join my ad hoc teams. (Know any?) How do you handle opportunity overload without turning away customers and great prospects? I guess that's a problem a lot of people would love to be burdened with. Keep up the good work. Blogs are all about building a communicative community, and you've done that with TWFW. What a helpful resource! Pete. My advice to budding freelancers is to be prepared when opportunities arrive. Make sure that you have resources available when it knocks at your door. I team with everyone from graphic artists and photographers to flash programmers and competitive intelligence experts. The key is to be plugged in. Ironically, my biggest need/challenge right now is finding commercial freelance writing help, my own bread and butter. It’s the one resource that I’ve neglected to recruit, since it’s my own area of expertise (http://www.linkedin.com/in/kirkrichardson). Now, with more opportunities than time, I’m scrambling to find a good, solid industrial/manufacturing copywriter or two to join my ad hoc teams. (Know any?)

How do you handle opportunity overload without turning away customers and great prospects? I guess that’s a problem a lot of people would love to be burdened with.

Keep up the good work. Blogs are all about building a communicative community, and you’ve done that with TWFW. What a helpful resource!

]]> By: Craig Reaves http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/what-commercial-writing-pearl-would-you-share-as-a-guest-blogger/comment-page-1#comment-435 Craig Reaves Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:14:59 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=20#comment-435 Keep in mind I’m just starting out, but my first three paying jobs have come from just telling people what I’m doing. My best friend is a graphic designer that referred me to another designer. That introduction has resulted in tagline and brochure work for two different projects. I’m producing a newsletter for my sister who’s the Executive Director for an assisted living facility. We were talking one day, and she complained about the hassle of putting together her monthly newsletter. "I can handle that for you sis" and after some negotiation (my sister is tougher than I thought) I’ve scored a monthly gig. Yesterday I got a call from a company that’s looking to build a landing page for mortgage services. He had gotten my name from the company who handles my current employer’s web site. We have the same account manager, and I’d mentioned in passing that I was writing copy as a part time business one day at lunch. He’s seen the pages I've written for our site, and suggested the guy give me a call. The call was very promising, and I’m confident I’ll get the work. I’m a little amazed because this has all come together in the last four weeks. It started about three weeks after I started telling people about my new venture. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me to get where I want to be (full time FLCW), but this has shown me there is work out there. Is it super-high paying, glamorous, Fortune 500 work? Nope. But it’s paying professional rates, and they are great portfolio builders. Speaking of portfolios, mine is very limited, but I haven’t had one person ask for it yet…Hmmm. Keep in mind I’m just starting out, but my first three paying jobs have come from just telling people what I’m doing. My best friend is a graphic designer that referred me to another designer. That introduction has resulted in tagline and brochure work for two different projects.
I’m producing a newsletter for my sister who’s the Executive Director for an assisted living facility. We were talking one day, and she complained about the hassle of putting together her monthly newsletter. “I can handle that for you sis” and after some negotiation (my sister is tougher than I thought) I’ve scored a monthly gig.
Yesterday I got a call from a company that’s looking to build a landing page for mortgage services. He had gotten my name from the company who handles my current employer’s web site. We have the same account manager, and I’d mentioned in passing that I was writing copy as a part time business one day at lunch. He’s seen the pages I’ve written for our site, and suggested the guy give me a call. The call was very promising, and I’m confident I’ll get the work.
I’m a little amazed because this has all come together in the last four weeks. It started about three weeks after I started telling people about my new venture. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me to get where I want to be (full time FLCW), but this has shown me there is work out there. Is it super-high paying, glamorous, Fortune 500 work? Nope. But it’s paying professional rates, and they are great portfolio builders. Speaking of portfolios, mine is very limited, but I haven’t had one person ask for it yet…Hmmm.

]]> By: peter http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/what-commercial-writing-pearl-would-you-share-as-a-guest-blogger/comment-page-1#comment-432 peter Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:08:09 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=20#comment-432 Excellent, Cori! That WOULD be a big confidence-builder... Thanks for sharing it! PB Excellent, Cori! That WOULD be a big confidence-builder… Thanks for sharing it!

PB

]]> By: Cori Smelker http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/what-commercial-writing-pearl-would-you-share-as-a-guest-blogger/comment-page-1#comment-431 Cori Smelker Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:05:00 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=20#comment-431 I would have to say the greatest success story I had was when I was first starting out as a freelancer. I had been writing and editing technical manuals but with 4 kids under the age of 3, I wanted more family time, so I left the company I had been working for. I went to a mutual friend who had been writing from home for a while and asked her for some tips. She went one better, she had a client who needed some stuff written, but she was going to turn them down because she was too busy. She gave the client to me. The client landed up being one of my biggest money makers for the next 4 years, generating $30K alone in one year, for about 10 hours of work a week. It was the confidence builder I needed to get out and market myself as a serious commercial writer. I would have to say the greatest success story I had was when I was first starting out as a freelancer. I had been writing and editing technical manuals but with 4 kids under the age of 3, I wanted more family time, so I left the company I had been working for. I went to a mutual friend who had been writing from home for a while and asked her for some tips. She went one better, she had a client who needed some stuff written, but she was going to turn them down because she was too busy. She gave the client to me. The client landed up being one of my biggest money makers for the next 4 years, generating $30K alone in one year, for about 10 hours of work a week. It was the confidence builder I needed to get out and market myself as a serious commercial writer.

]]> By: peter http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/what-commercial-writing-pearl-would-you-share-as-a-guest-blogger/comment-page-1#comment-429 peter Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:25:44 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=20#comment-429 No worries at all. If someone DID have a product to sell, blog to promote, etc, it's a good opportunity. Just keep weighing in with your wonderful posts on the blog and I'll be perfectly happy... ;) PB No worries at all. If someone DID have a product to sell, blog to promote, etc, it’s a good opportunity. Just keep weighing in with your wonderful posts on the blog and I’ll be perfectly happy… ;)

PB

]]> By: Star http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/what-commercial-writing-pearl-would-you-share-as-a-guest-blogger/comment-page-1#comment-428 Star Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:05:00 +0000 http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog/?p=20#comment-428 So...we would be doing this for the ever-popular "exposure"? I must pass.... So…we would be doing this for the ever-popular “exposure”? I must pass….

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