Welcome to THE WELL-FED E-PUB!
Serving up food for thought and tasty tips for the prospering FLCW* writer. Come
on in, sit anywhere and bring your appetite!
*FLCW, peppered throughout the ezine, stands for “Freelance Commercial Writer” – the designation for anyone who freelances for businesses (as opposed to writing magazine articles, short stories, poetry, etc.), and typically earns $50-125+ an hour.
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VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5 – MAY 2008
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The WELL-FED WRITER BLOG is Rockin’! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog
We’re getting anywhere from 20+ to 50+ comments on each subject! Come join the fun, subscribe, and weigh in on topics like “The Adult Conversation About This Business,” “How NOT to Build Customer Loyalty,” “What Do YOU Love Most about the Freelance Life?”, “What Was Your Most Unusual Commercial Writing Project?” and more!
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INPUT WANTED for TWFW2: Academia-to-FLCW OR Journalism-to-FLCW Transition
See details below in Coffee, Mints and Toothpicks!
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“The BODACIOUS Banquet” – Issues 1-52 of The EPUB! Just $10.95!
Details: Below and http://wellfedwriter.com/thebodabanq.shtml.
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MISSED MY TELECLASS? “Thriving as a Freelance Commercial Writer”
38-PAGE instant download just $12! www.wellfedwriter.com/jan07tstranscript.shtml.
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THIS MONTH’S MENU:
I. APPETIZER: DO YOUR CLIENTS KNOW YOUR SPECIAL SKILLS?
Yours Truly Showcases a “Niche” Talent at Right Time, Lands Juicy Ongoing Work!
II. CRISP “FIELD” GREENS: WHEN IT’S TIME TO FIRE A CLIENT
Pittsburgh FLCW Jettisons No-Win Client; Attitude and Opps Improve Overnight!
III. MAIN COURSE: WRITE THE RIGHT REPORT, REAP THE WINDFALL
Canadian FLCW Shares Strategy He Used to Create $64K in New Business!
IV. DESSERT: Sweet Success Stories and Tips
FLCW Shares Rules of Posting Ghostwritten Articles on One’s Own Web Site
TIP: Indy FLCW Finds the “Holy Grail” of Calling Lists – at No Charge!
V. COFFEE, MINTS AND TOOTHPICKS
- INPUT WANTED for TWFW2: Academia-to-FLCW OR Journalism-to-FLCW Transition
- The WELL-FED WRITER BLOG is Rockin’! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog
- NEW! The BODACIOUS Banquet – Issues 1-52 of the EPUB; Just $10.95
- MISSED MY TELECLASS? Full 38-PAGE e-Transcript – Just $12!
- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get 2 Bonuses (no charge!)
- Well-Fed E-Pub Needs All Courses!
- How Can My Mentoring Service Serve You?
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I. APPETIZER: DO YOUR CLIENTS KNOW YOUR SPECIAL SKILLS?
Yours Truly Showcases “Niche” Talent at Right Time, Lands Juicy Ongoing Work!
I’ve been a commercial writing generalist forever, but I recently got a real taste of the financial power of specializing. Over the past four or five years, I’ve picked up more and more work doing taglines, company slogans, product/company naming, and book titling.
About 18 months ago, after realizing how many samples of this work I had, I created a separate portfolio – both a hard-copy binder and a PDF version of the same as part of my online portfolio (www.copywriter.pro) – with an eye toward landing more of it.
Fast forward to this past November, when I’m contacted by the creative director (CD) at a huge specialty marketing firm for an unusual gig. The company had created a pilot program for a big retailer that involved putting 150+ point-of-purchase displays in one of their stores, highlighting various tips, values, recipes, and product bundles. Each sign needed a snappy headline and a one-line snippet of body copy. Right up my alley.
They’d been working with two junior copywriters on earlier rounds of the project (they were into round 5 when I arrived), but the CD was finding that she was spending way too much time overseeing and editing their work – to the detriment of her own. She wanted a senior copywriter to take ownership of the project, so that by the time she looked at it, it was ready for prime time. She was interviewing three or four writers in all.
Knowing a bit about the project, I’d brought both portfolios – my standard one and the new one. She starts going through it, and I can tell it’s working for her. A lot of focused nodding and “Oh, this is good,” and “Nice work,” and “Really good stuff.” I got the job. AND at a most healthy hourly rate. Remember: clients DON’T want to hunt around a long time for what they need. This woman was already overworked and overextended – hence the reason to hire someone in the first place. I come along and show her exactly what she’s looking for, and to her relief, I make it really easy for her to hire me.
Since December, I’ve done two rounds, they loved my work, and I was recently hired by another division of the company for a completely unrelated project. Word travels. Total billings so far? Over $15K. All because I took the time to pull out a specific chunk of my work and showcase it. Any thoughts come to mind? Given how easy web sites are to create, why not even create a separate site for a particular specialty? The more a client believes you’re THE expert in a certain industry or project type, the more likely they are to pick you from the crowd AND pay you well. On that happy note, let’s eat!
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II. CRISP “FIELD” GREENS: WHEN IT’S TIME TO FIRE A CLIENT
Pittsburgh FLCW Jettisons No-Win Client, Attitude and Opps Improve Overnight!
Got this great advice from Pittsburgh FLCW Jeffrey Durosko (jeff@duroskopr.com, www.duroskoPR.com) about an often-difficult task for many FLCWs: firing a client. But, sometimes, it’s JUST the thing to do AND makes your working life FAR more enjoyable.
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One of the best pieces of advice I ever got from the agency business was that it’s okay to “fire” a client. I had a client who, from the outset, didn’t seem to want to take my advice even though they’d hired me as a strategic communications consultant. By consistently doing the complete opposite of what I’d advised, they put me in a position where I simply couldn’t be successful. I found myself grinding through useless exercises trying to extract information from the firm’s constituents to write pieces that had no chance of media placement (our goal) nor any other placement (website content, etc). I tried on many occasions to change the focus to no avail.
Since, at the time, this was my largest client, and a significant part of my income, I had a dilemma. But my new career had started to feel too much like “working for the sake of working” instead of solving problems, creating great copy and having success. After landing enough business to replace this client (and then some), I made one last attempt, once again ran into a brick wall, and so, we agreed to part ways. While I couldn’t have imagined firing a client 18 months earlier when launching my business, it was the right move and it opened up my schedule to take on work both fulfilling and fun.
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III. MAIN COURSE: WRITE THE RIGHT REPORT, REAP THE WINDFALL
Canadian FLCW Shares Strategy He Used to Create $64K in New Business!
Recently got a note from Pete Savage (pete@petesavage.com, www.petesavage.com), a B2B software/technology copywriter in Canada. Seems Pete got tired of dealing with too many small-ticket, time-sucking, tire-kicking clients, and decided to go after the steady, low-hassle, high-dollar ones he really wanted. He put together a no-charge report along with the letter with which to introduce it, crafted using the strategies described in the article below. He sent it to just 77 people, and – you ready for this? – it generated $64,000 in new business in 12 months (a number sure to rise over time). And he’s sharing his secrets. Read on.
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3 TIPS FOR CRAFTING THE MOST EFFECTIVE
LEAD-GENERATING F.R.E.E. REPORT
Have you ever used (or thought about using) direct mail to promote your freelance copywriting business? Many top copywriting pros point to direct mail as the best self-promotion tool out there. Bob Bly recommends it his book, “Secrets of a Freelance Writer,” saying “When other writers ask me, ‘What is the most effective self-promotion for you?’ I answer without hesitation: direct mail.”
But no direct mail package is complete without an offer – something of value for your readers to entice them to respond to your sales letter. For copywriters, a well-targeted complimentary report is a great way to generate interest in your services.
Just over a year ago, I used the no-charge report technique on a mail-out to just 77 targeted names, and I saw some tremendous results.
But what, exactly, should your report be about? Well, think about your target audience. What’s on their minds? What are the biggest challenges they face in their jobs? What are their primary responsibilities? What goals are they likely to want to achieve?
Answering these questions will help you determine the kind of information that the report should contain. And finding answers to these questions can be easier than you think. Here are three things you can do to better understand what your target audience is thinking, so you can create a report they’ll want to read.
TIP #1: VISIT ONLINE FORUMS AND WEB SITES
WHERE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE GATHERS.
Join some online forums, read blogs, and find web sites where your target audience hangs out. Invest some time reading posts and responses. You’ll soon discover the hottest issues, topics and challenges.
TIP #2: READ WHAT THEY READ.
Are there industry publications that your target audience reads in addition to (or instead of) visiting web sites? Read issues from the past few months, and contact the publication to request a media kit and/or an editorial calendar. (Some of this information may even be available via download right from the publication’s web site.)
TIP #3: CONDUCT YOUR OWN SURVEY.
What sort of survey can you conduct on your own? For one of my no-charge reports, I personally visited the web sites of hundreds of companies in my industry, making observations about the home page, then publishing my findings in the report. It took some time investment on my part, but it made my report one-of-a-kind! You might also be able to post a survey in one of the online forums you visit, let it run for a few weeks, and then collect and publish the results.
Only when you know what’s important to your target audience can you create a report they’ll want to read because it speaks to their concerns. When you know what’s keeping your prospects up at night, you’re better equipped to write not only that report, but also the sales letter you use to pitch it to them.
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PB Note: If you’re interested in all the how-to detail of his $64K promotional coup, Pete’s offering up a pretty amazing 60-page report that breaks it all down, line by line. Pete’s a no-BS, no-hype guy, and this is just a really solid blueprint – for a fair price. Sure, he’d love to make a few bucks – and he deserves to – but if you use his plan to create a successful one of your own, the price is really a joke. Check it out at http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=761186.
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IV. DESSERT: Sweet Success Stories and Tips
FLCW Shares Rules of Posting Ghostwritten Articles on One’s Own Web Site
TIP: Indy FLCW Finds the “Holy Grail” of Calling Lists – at No Charge!
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On the topic of “Which samples are okay to show?” (something I’ve been asked many times over the years), some time back, I got an interesting piece from a Northeast-based FLCW who chooses to remain anonymous, referring to a Wall Street Journal article (“At Medical Journals, Writers Paid by Industry Play Big Role”; by Anna Wilde Matthews; 12/13/05) about ghostwriters claiming credit – through samples on their web sites – for articles publicly by-lined by prominent academics.
As the article pointed out, “Many of the articles that appear in scientific journals under the bylines of prominent academics are actually written by ghostwriters in pay of the drug companies. These seemingly objective articles, which doctors around the world use to guide their care of patients, are often part of a marketing campaign by companies to promote a product or play up the condition it treats.”
As the FLCW pointed out, “This situation isn’t just applicable to the pharmaceutical industry, but to all corporate writing. Posting articles on one’s web site ghostwritten for a company is a big no-no with Corporate America (I write for Fortune 500s) and I wouldn't be surprised if [the writer cited in the piece] breached his non-disclosure agreement.
“So, one way for commercial freelancers to differentiate themselves – not necessarily upfront when they're pitching, but definitely worth mentioning – is by not promoting the work of their clients as their own. What I do, in my Letter of Agreement, is I ask for permission to list client names and projects on my publicly distributed credentials. If a prospect presses for a writing sample, I send an excerpt only, black out sensitive info – in essence, a very controlled distribution of sensitive info that I do not own.”
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Megan Tsai (Megan@RedWagonWriting.com, www.RedWagonWriting.com), a FLCW in Indianapolis (and soon, Minneapolis) sent this great no-cost resource for those looking to build a killer contact list for mailings, cold calling, etc. Check it out.
In my endless quest for the perfect list, I found what I believe to be the Holy Grail of all lists: Dun & Bradstreet’s Million Dollar Database. Most libraries give you access to this database at no charge. With my library card number, I can access it at home on the Internet. And this database generates the kinds of lists people pay thousands of dollars for. Better yet, it will export it to a spreadsheet for you. From there, you can import it into your contact management software, do a mail merge for a marketing postcard, etc.
To give you an idea of the power of this sucker, consider this. In five minutes, I built one spreadsheet of all the businesses within five miles of a particular zip code that have a marketing position and between 20 and 250 employees. I built another list of all the advertising agencies with 15 miles of a zip code that have more than $500,000 in sales annually. You can refine searches incredibly precisely – by number of employees, industry, annual sales, if they have a Web site, even by employment trends (you could target rapidly growing companies). In many cases, they even list the name of the folks in the top-level sales and marketing positions. Now, the hours I spent cutting and pasting a cold call list together seem a little silly. Chalk it up to a learning experience, I guess.
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V. COFFEE, MINTS AND TOOTHPICKS
- INPUT WANTED for TWFW2: Academia-to-FLCW OR Journalism-to-FLCW Transition
- The WELL-FED WRITER BLOG is Rockin’! http://www.wellfedwriter.com/blog
- The BODACIOUS Banquet – Issues 1-52 of the EPUB; Just $10.95
- MISSED MY TELECLASS? Full 38-PAGE e-Transcript – Just $12!
- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register Here, Get 2 Bonuses (no charge!)
- Well-Fed E-Pub Needs All Courses!
- How Can My Mentoring Service Serve You?
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INPUT WANTED FOR UPCOMING EDITION OF TWFW:
The updated version of TWFW (due out 4Q08/1Q09) is cranking along nicely AND I’m looking for some input (send to peter@wellfedwriter.com). Can’t guarantee I’ll use all submissions, but I’m on the hunt for good relevant info in several areas:
1) ACADEMIA-TO-FLCW: Hail from academia (preferably University level, but K-12 is OK), but made the transition to working commercial freelancer? I’d love to get your perspectives – especially those who perhaps had a former negative perception of “commercial” freelancing, how you got past it, and how the Academy still views it.
2) JOURNALISM-TO-FLCW: Worked as a journalist/new reporter and then transitioned to commercial writing (CW)? What challenges did you have making the switch? What perceptions – your own or others’ – of the CW field did you have to overcome?
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The BODACIOUS Banquet – ISSUES 1-52 of the EPUB; Just $10.95!!
Every strategy, technique, tip, and success story from 5/02 to 8/06 in one KILLER easy-to-use 280-page ebook resource! http://wellfedwriter.com/thebodabanq.shtml.
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MISSED MY TELECLASS? “Thriving as a Freelance Commercial Writer”
38-PAGE e-Transcript! $12: www.wellfedwriter.com/jan07tstranscript.shtml.
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AWAI COPYWRITING (& OTHER) COURSES: Register Here, Get 2 Extra Bonuses!
Six-Figure Copywriting, Graphic Design, Internet Writing, Fundraising, Health Market and more! TWO Bonus CDS: http://www.wellfedwriter.com/awai.shtml.
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WELL-FED E-PUB Needs ALL COURSES!
“GREENS” (200-300 words), MAIN COURSES (400-500; query first), TIPS (150-200) and SUCCESS STORIES (200-300) to peter@wellfedwriter.com.
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HOW CAN MY MENTORING SERVICE SERVE YOU?
For details and testimonials, visit www.wellfedwriter.com/Mentoring.shtml.
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