Testimonials Table of Contents Sample Chapter

Introduction…………………………………………… 1

• The Joy of Doing What You Love
  
• Sharing My New Career Excitement (and Success!)
  
• No Contacts, No Experience, No Writing Background (My Story) -- No Problem!
• A 20-year Veteran Says: "I know of no other area of writing so lucrative, yet so easy to get started in."
• Leverage What You Do Know
  

Chapter One
An Enviable Lifestyle…………………………………. 7

• A Comfortable, Not-Unusual Week Nets $2000
  
• Lifestyle Benefits Most Would Kill For
  
• Creative Work, Good Money, Your Schedule
  
• How's Your Quality of Life These Days?
  
• Imagining It -- The First Step!
  
• Type A Not Required
  
• Self-Sufficiency In Four Months

Chapter Two
Why Be a Freelance Commercial Writer (FLCW)?……13

• Eternal Demand for Your Talents
• "Downsizing" and "Outsourcing" -- Key Trends
• Scarcity of Good Writers
  • Quotes From Clients Say It All!
• Minimal Investment/Negligible Overhead
• A Huge Variety of Work -- ADD'ers Rejoice!
• Not Enough Good Writers -- You Are Needed
• Very Healthy Income
• A Hit at Cocktail Parties (Only Half-Joking…)
• What's Your Story?
• Downsides (True for Any Writer, Actually…)
  

Chapter Three
So, What Does it Take to Be Successful?.………………31

• Writing Ability -- But Not As Much As You Think
• Ability to Market Oneself
• Discipline -- I'm Lazy, Believe It Or Not
• Technical Expertise -- If I Can Do It…
• Flexibility, Curiosity, A Non-Conformist Nature
• Easy to Get Along With -- Your Secret Weapon
• Assertiveness -- Take a Stand for Quality
• Ability to Ask Lots of Dumb Questions
• Humility, A Quick Study, Discretion
  

Chapter Four
Ready For Self-Employment?…………………………39

• Attitude is Everything - Original, Eh?
• Get Mental, Make Money
• You Give The Raises Around Here
• Getting Your Finances In Order
• Creating a Portfolio From Thin Air
• Pro Bono, the Team Concept, Start-Ups
  

Chapter Five
Where's The Business?…………………………………49

• End Users and Middlemen -- Pros and Cons of Both
• Corporate America -- Learning to Love Them
• Graphic Design Firms -- A Primer
• Don't Ignore the "Lone Ranger"
• Ad Agencies, Marketing Firms, PR Firms
• Event Production Companies -- They Need You
• Writers Agents and Brokers: Your Pals
• Where to Find These Lovely Bill-Payers
• Use What You Have -- And You've Got Plenty
• "Spec" Work -- Your Game, Your Call
  

Chapter Six
Let's Get Started!……………………………….………61

• It's All About Getting Noticed
• Prospecting from A to Z
• Reality Checks, and Surefire Success Strategies
• Your Calling List: The Librarian is Your Friend
• Your Calling Script: Focus, Don't Freak!
• Building a Shrine to "The Law of Averages"
• Get Out and Meet Your Market
• Creating A Company Brochure: The Nitty-Gritty
• The Writer's Bookshelf
  

Chapter Seven
Technically Speaking…………………………..……….77

• I Repeat: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It
• Life in "Cyberia" - Fun With Computers
• PC, Printer, Phone, Fax, and Internet. Period.
• PC or Mac? -- How To Choose
• Good Fax and Contact Management Programs
• The 'Net -- An Awesome Tool
• Working Smarter and Less -- Interested?
• Back-Up Everything, Always, Constantly
• Handy Phone Features As Sales Tools
• Major Technical Prowess Not Required, But…
• Great Gadgets and Gizmos!
  

Chapter Eight
The System Is the Solution……………………..………91

• The Beauty of Systems: A Unique Approach
• Make It Easy Or It Won't Get Done
• Be Open To Receive, Grasshopper…
• Easy Resumes and Letters
• Sample Letters/Resumes (I'm So Good To You…)
• Getting and Copying Samples of Your Work
• Your Fax: A Huge Time-Saver and Money-Maker
• Targeted Direct Mail Campaigns For Under $60?!
• Direct Mail: Step-By-Step From Mind to Mailbox
• Tips For Maximum Efficiency
• Client Meetings: Procedures and Protocol
• Conducting Phone Interviews: A Crash Course
  

Chapter Nine
How Much Do I Charge?…….…………………….……115

• In the Beginning, It's Paid On-The-Job-Training
• By the Hour vs. By The Project: Pros and Cons
• Your Hourly Rate (At Least $50 to Start…)
• Avoid Premature Estimation (Or You'll Be Sorry…)
• Find A Mentor for Pricing and Other Mysteries
• Get Them To Talk First and Make More Money!
• Discounted Meeting/Research Time? NO!
• Be a Pro, Not a Doormat
• How Important Are Contracts? Opinions Vary
• The "Bid Letter" Might Be All You Need
• Sample Contract, But Get Your Own Attorney
  

Chapter Ten
Happy Paydays!…………………………………….…….133

• First Rule: Stay Current · Invoice in Stages -- Sometimes, It's Only Fair
• Trust is Nice, But Still Cover Your Butt
• Tracking Deadbeats: Get Your Money the Nice Way
  

Chapter Eleven
The Ebb and Flow of Work………………………….…..139

• Feast or Famine -- Surely A Communist Plot
• Figuring Out Your Personal "Work Style"
• You Can Handle More Work Than You Think, But…
• The Big Kahuna -- Long-Term Deals: Ins and Outs
• When The Wave Hits, Ride It!
• A "Typical" Day is Anything But Typical
  

Chapter Twelve
Clients and Other Fascinating Species…………………..145

• The Dream Client -- Oh, Wouldn't It Be Nice?
• Clients Looking for a "Massage"
• Clients With Limited Budgets -- Keep the Radar Up
• Winning Over "I Don't Need A Writer" Clients
• Clients Who Want You to Take Dictation
• When They Say They Want Creativity…Be Prepared
• Handling Clients Who Think They're Writers
• Multiple Decision Makers: Keeping Control
• Ignorant Clients: Different Strains
  

Chapter Thirteen
Dos, Don'ts, and Don't Forget's…………………………153

• Never Miss A Deadline
• Remember: The Client Is The Boss
• Use Every Advantage You Have
• Pick A Specialty…Maybe
• Sow The Seeds, Get Referrals
• Remember: Nothing Is Forever
• Luck (and the Lazy Client) Favors the Visible
• Go Out and Meet Your Market
• Don't Go "Direct"
• Follow Up After Meetings and Phone Calls
• Listen More, Work Less
• Send Note Cards
• Save Your Junk E-mail
• Keep Your Word, Earn Your Money
• Partner with a Designer and Other Writers
  

Chapter Fourteen
What Will You Be Writing?………………………………..173

• A Crash Course, But You Can Write, Right?
• "Who's The Audience?" -- The Eternal Question
• The Sad Truth: Cry All The Way To The Bank
• Business Letters, Ad Copy, Marketing Brochures
• Hi-Level Proposals, Corporate Identity Pieces
• Event Scripting
• Scripting: Video, CD-ROM, CDi, Radio Spots
• Speeches
• Questions That'll Make You Look Brilliant
• Trade Articles, Newsletters, Direct Mail
• Writing for the Web
• Technical Writing
  

Chapter Fifteen
The Home Stretch………………………………………..203

• Where Are You Right Now?
• One of Two Groups
• Bad Days At The Beach
• Getting To Someplace You Want To Be
• Once You're Committed…Miracles
  

Appendix A………………………………………………..207

• Sales Letters
• Sample Contract
• Sample Brochure
• Sample Direct Mail Piece
  

Appendix B………………………………………………...221

• Writing Samples
  

Appendix C…INTERVIEWS……………………………..251

• For Women Only!
• At-home Moms/Writers Speak Up!

Index……………………………………………………….271