Freelance Writer and Social Worker

10 Creative and Cheap Ways to Market Your Freelance Writing Business

You've heard the old marketing slogan, "You've got to spend money to make money." There's even some truth to that. At the bare minimum, you should have a website and a stack of business cards, and yeah, you'll have to pay for those.

When it comes to calling people's attention to your wonderful freelance writing business, however, you don't have to have a marketing budget like a Fortune 500 company. All you need is a little creativity and a lot of nerve.

Here are some ideas that have helped me.

1. Leave Business Cards Everywhere

Since business cards are pretty cheap, I've gotten into the habit of leaving a few wherever I go. I even stick one into the envelope when I pay a bill.

My best business card strategy, however, was diabolically simple. I went to the business section of the library and slipped one of my cards into every book. I especially focused on topics like "how to write a resume" or "how to write a business letter." Believe it or not, I've netted some business this way.

2. Take Advantage of Social Media

No, I'm not your mom. I'm not going to lecture you on why you should cozy up with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. My only two comments are that 1) They're free; and 2) Thousands of people use them. 'Nuff said.

7 Secrets of Stellar Customer Service

Winning new clients can be expensive, exhausting, and time-consuming. While writers should never stop their marketing efforts--doing so is a one-way ticket to eating cat food if your regular streams of income run dry--it's always nice to have as many repeat customers as possible.

The best way I know to earn repeat business is to provide five-star customer service. After all, most people won't go through the hassle of finding another provider if they believe they're already getting the best.

What does stellar customer service look like? Here are some ideas.

1. Respond promptly to inquiries. In the electronic age, the old cliche, "You snooze, you lose," has never been more accurate. I've found that if I don't respond within a few hours of receiving an inquiry, my would-be customer has usually already tracked down another provider.

2. Get the facts. Ask your prospect lots of questions to make sure you fully understand the scope of the project as well as your client's expectations. If something seems unclear, don't be embarrassed to keep asking in different ways until you get an answer that makes sense. Most clients won't be in the least annoyed by your questions. They would rather give you a lot of information at the beginning of the project than have to request extensive revisions on down the road.

Don't Waste Time When Work Is Slow

Have you ever noticed that the freelance life is either feast or famine? Sometimes, you're trying frantically to balance 20 clients at once as that vaguely-remembered state of consciousness called sleep becomes a distant memory. Other days, you can't pay someone to give you a gig.

When the slow times come--and they will--don't declare a vacation and party until the work starts trickling in again. Instead, use the time to strengthen and build your business to minimize the financial impact of dry spells in the future.

Here are five ideas to get you started.

1. Market, market, market.

Try cold-calling, warm-calling, email campaigns, direct mail campaigns, and tapping into social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Take out a paid ad through Google or Facebook. Go back to your client list and touch base with the people you haven't heard from in a while--nothing high-pressured, just a short email that asks how they're doing and lets them know that you're still available to take on projects. I've even been reduced to going around town and leaving my business cards and brochures at any business with a community bulletin board.

2. Catch up on the business end of things.

If you've been letting the business end of your freelance career slip, now is a great time to get caught up. Send all those invoices you've been putting off, and follow up with non-paying clients. Now is also a good time to get a simple accounting program and enter your business's expenses and income. Granted, it doesn't really make for a good time, but think how pleased your accountant will be with you.

A Glamorous Day in the Life of a Freelance Writer

Several of my friends have been asking me what my days are like now that I'm self-employed. Except, that's not quite how they put it. They usually ask me how things are now that I no longer have to work. Many are convinced that I'm living a life of luxury and leisure. For anyone who is curious, the following timeline represents a fairly typical day in my life.

Five Items That Belong on Your Daily To-Do List

Last week, I wrote about my fondness for lists. Usually, the material on my lists is ever-changing, depending on which assignments are coming due and which clients have hired me.

There are five items, however, that remain on my list every single day. They should probably be on your list, too.

1. Marketing

Even if you have more work than you can possibly handle, make time every day to market yourself and to market your products. Market in multiple different ways: Networking, cold calling, direct mail, email, participating in forums and, if you can afford it, running advertisements.

Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, Michael Larsen, and David Hancock wrote in their book, Guerilla Marketing for Writers: 100 No-Cost and Low-Cost Weapons for Selling Your Work, that writers should market

Marketing Yourself - Learning How to Blow Your Own Horn!

I was raised to be modest and retiring. If something good happened to me, I waited until someone else brought it up before I talked about it. If someone offered me a compliment, my instinct was to downplay it: "Oh, that old essay? I'm glad the editor liked it, but I probably should have shredded it long ago."

I floated along that way through the early years of my writing career, taking whatever the content mills would pay me and occasionally surprising myself by placing pieces with other publications as well.

Then reality, which has a nasty way of hitting people in the face, flew up and bitch-slapped me silly. I realized that I didn't want writing to be my hobby. I wanted it to be my career.

All of a sudden, quiet and modest was out. Marketing myself was in, and boy, did I flounder.

My first efforts at a query letter read something like this: "Dear Editor, I realize I don't have much experience and that this is probably a silly idea, anyway, but would you be the least bit interested in...?" Not surprisingly, the editors I contacted were not the least bit interested.

When Did You Last Update Your Profiles?

Carol Tice recently became my writing mentor. My goal is to work closely with her over the next year and become a fulltime freelancer by the spring. (Just in time for the so-called end of the world. Timing is everything, I guess.)

Anyway, Carol spoke to me on the phone for a two-hour initial session and gave me vast amounts of writing and marketing advice. One question she seemingly just tossed off the cuff really resonated with me: "How long since you've updated your web page and networking profiles?"

I checked. I won't embarrass myself by giving exact dates. Let's just say that for more than a few of them, the second Bush was in office and 9/11 was just a nasty gleam in Osama bin Laden's eye. A lot has changed in my writing career since those days. I have all kinds of new clients and credits, and the work that I listed back then is so dated you can't even find it online anymore.

What to Do When the Clients Aren't Calling

Every freelancer goes through dry spells, and if you're counting on freelancing to make up most or all of your income, those days when clients don't call or email are scarier than the original Halloween movie.

When I hit dry spells, I find that the following techniques can sometimes get the business trickling in again.

Defying Gravity...My Countdown Begins

About two years ago, I went to see the musical Wicked in Chicago with my niece, Bethany. The last song in the first act, "Defying Gravity" is about a woman deciding to take a completely new direction in her life. The lyrics have remained in my head ever since I saw the show: "Too late for second guessing / Too late to go back to sleep. / It's time to trust my instincts / close my eyes and leap."  

Today, I decided to embark on a major life change of my own. I want to support myself as a full time writer. I've wanted that ever since I've been a kid. I decided to give myself a gift today and honor my dream.

My goal: To be able to leave my day job and start writing full time on May 1, 2012.

Of course, I realize a self-sustaining business isn't just going to happen. I'm going to have to work my tail off this year and from then on, but I'm willing to do it. I spent most of last night drawing up a business plan that should wean me away from my day job within the next twelve months. For anyone interested in making a similar leap, here it is.

1. Get Help

I'm thrilled to announce that I've hired a writing mentor to help me with this goal. She has a very practical, results-oriented way of looking at the world, and I she holds her mentees accountable for setting and reaching goals. I feel like she and I will be a good match as I take my first uncertain steps into the world of fulltime freelancing.

2. Get Educated

During the next year, I'm going to read everything I can get my hands on about writing, both about the business of writing and the craft. I think I'm pretty good now, but if I want to succeed with this, I'll have to be better than pretty good. I'll have to be f---ing awesome.

3. Examine My Priorities

I spent an hour writing two articles tonight and made twelve dollars. That's less than I made at my first high school job. It's time to take a long, hard look at where I'm spending my energy and reserve precious writing hours for the best paying jobs.

4. Come Up with a Firm Marketing Plan

Marketing is probably one of my least favorite activities in the world, but all successful businesses do it. It's time to overcome the willies and go after the business I know I deserve.

5. Learn to Take Fantastic Care of Myself

I'm probably the meanest boss I've ever had. I don't always eat the right foods or get enough sleep, and when I'm working on an article, there is no such thing as a lunch break or a bathroom break. I also tend to isolate myself horribly when I'm in the writing mode. I have one year to unlearn those behaviors before they tear me apart, and I'm ready to start the process...now.

Have you made the switch to fulltime freelancing? What about that was hardest for you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g4ekwTd6Ig

Speedy Follow Up Turns Leads Into Clients

Several years ago, I decided I wanted a few coaching sessions to help me bring my writing business to the next level. I saved a little money, called a local writing coach with a good reputation, and asked if she would be willing to take me on.

"Well...uh...sure," she said.

I asked about her availability and rate structure

"It's...well...I'm sorry, I'm with friends, so it's not a good time to talk business. Give me your number, and I'll call you back tomorrow."

I gave her my number and spent the next day sitting by the phone like a jilted prom queen. She didn't call. When a week went by, and I still hadn't heard from her, I called her again. This time I reached her voice mail and left a message.