Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Freelance Work and the Coming Recession: Urgent Moves to Make Now

Urgent Moves to Recession-Proof Your Freelance Work. Makealivingwriting.com.Did the recent U.S. stock-market dip make you worried about the future of your freelance work? If so, you’re not alone.

I’ve been getting anxious emails from freelance writers ever since stocks suddenly ended their long upward climb earlier this month, and took a big dip.

Good news: Freelancers can thrive during recessions.

I know this because I steadily built my own freelance writing business up during the last recession, hitting six figures in the final year of the downturn, 2011. You can recession-proof your freelance business now, so that you thrive even when the economy falters.

Let me walk you through what’s happening now, and give you concrete steps to take right now to help you sail through a recession with a solid freelance income.

Economics 101 for freelancers

Why do freelance writers need to worry about what the stock market is doing right now?

Short version: The stock market’s overall value recently plunged. Experts think it will probably continue to sink. And that means companies will be worth less, start hoarding cash, be able to borrow less, sales will decline…and some will spend less on hiring writers for freelance work.

Details: After rising steadily from under 11,000 in 2011 to a record-high 26,600, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped under 24,000 in early February before stabilizing lower, as you can see here.

Many economists believe this big dip signals the onset of a coming major recession. Just check out this market sentiment gauge from CNN Money, to take the pulse of investors:

Freelance work: The fear and greed index (CNN Money)

Global instability and terrorism is on the rise. President Trump is looking to tear up longstanding international trade contracts.

It all adds up to uncertainty. People don’t buy when they’re scared. That goes for everything from stocks to designer purses.

Once big stock investors start selling, others panic and also sell. Stock prices spiral down. Retail sales start to shrink, too. Companies start doing big layoffs. Unemployment goes up.

Add it all up, and it means the go-go days for freelance work come to a sudden end.

Our shrinking safety net

Final important thing to know, American writers: Trump is gutting the safety net for unemployed workers.

Where President Obama extended unemployment to a record 99 weeks during the previous downturn, expect few benefits to help you over the hump this time. We’ve got an administration that believes federal aid makes you unmotivated and weak, so it’s all being cut.

In other words, there’s little advantage to staying in a day-job now. There’s never been a better time to get serious about your freelance work, and build a recession-proof business of your own.

Having seen writers end up living in their cars around 2010, I think it’s critical that freelancers understand how to prosper during hard times.

Here are seven steps to take now:

1. Spread your risk

If you’re a freelancer who only has one client, or only works in a single industry, you’re at high risk in a recession.

Companies have a way of suddenly shutting their doors in downturns — and that includes mass online job platforms (remember oDesk?). You want a fairly large, varied client base to spread your risk when the economy gets wobbly.

Imagine being a real-estate writer in 2010, for instance. Poof! Overnight, there was no work.

Branch out now and build your client list. Your top job is to be cranking a lot of marketing out the door, every week.

My story: In the last downturn, I lost every single one of my clients, one at a time, over a period of two years. Publications closed. Content marketing suddenly ceased. Rates were slashed, and I dropped clients.

But it was all OK. Because I was constantly marketing, I was able to quickly replace them all — in some cases, with better-paying gigs.

2. Ask for more

If you have ongoing clients and haven’t asked for a raise in the past 6 months – 1 year, ask now. Make your case about what you’ve learned about the company, the results you’ve seen, and how your value has grown.

Don’t put off raise requests! The stock crash seems to have stabilized as I write this, and raises are still doable. A month or three from now, who knows if they’ll still be viable.

My story: I asked for a raise and got $10 an hour more from a large, ongoing business-consultancy client. Within 60 days, the economy was tanking, and I wouldn’t have had the guts to ask.

The difference added up to thousands of dollars over the next couple of years.

3. Make your pitch

If you’ve been wanting to up-sell a client to do a more sophisticated type of writing, that’s another pitch to make right now.

Get locked in for better projects that improve your samples and command better rates, especially if you’re doing cheap web content or low-paid blog posts right now.

My story: I was doing a lot of business blogging back in 2009. Just before the crash, I pitched one of them a new free product for their subscribers — a special report that paid $2,000. That provided a nice chunk of change, at a time when other clients were scaling back.

4. Improve your looks

Know what really gets you hired? Testimonials. If you’ve slacked off on collecting them, send out those requests now.

If your clients are busy, offer to compose something they can sign off on. Seriously, they won’t mind!

My story: I sprinkled every page of my writer website with testimonials, and kept snagging quality clients in bad times.

5. Get networked

We live in a magical age for networking. Used to be, if your favorite editor or marketing manager suddenly got sacked, you lost touch. Your only contact info for them was at the company they’d just left!

Now, we have LinkedIn. Hop on there now and make sure you’re connected to all your client contacts. That way, if they end up moving on when times get hard, you’ll be able to see where they pop up next. Don’t forget to build relationships with as many people as you can at your existing client companies — that’ll help you preserve this relationship as staffing changes.

My story: When my editors got laid off, I sent them job leads. I don’t know that any of them panned out, but it showed I cared. The result is that I have editors I’ve worked with at three different magazines, over the years.

6. Follow the money

Who pays even better and markets harder during downturns? Profitable, successful companies in highly competitive spaces. These are your target markets, headed into a recession.

  • If your clients are solopreneurs with no employees, they’re not succeeding at marketing. That means they won’t see the value and will cut back on sales copy if they get nervous.
  • By contrast fast-growing or market-leading companies tend to double down on marketing when things get tough, to make sure they keep growing. They know a downturn is an opportunity to steal business from weaker competitors who scale back. These are your prime targets as the economy weakens.
  • The other reason to target great clients that pay pro rates? As more aspiring writers are laid off, they’ll flood into the bottom of the marketplace. Competition for those $25 blog post gigs will get stiffer, while those who’ve targeted better clients won’t see those problems. You can’t acquire the seasoning to deal with top-drawer clients overnight, so the newbies don’t tend to be a problem if you’re writing $5,000 case studies and the like.

My story: I worked for Fortune 500 companies and global private firms during the downturn. One space that paid off well for me is high-priced business consulting. While other writers were scrambling for cheap gigs, I was writing a $13,000 project of two annual reports.

7. Write on target

To keep earning in a downturn, you have to write the things your clients need most. Less essential topics or types of writing may get cut from their schedule.

  • For business clients, that means learning to write persuasive copy. Sales pages will never go out of style, but companies might stop doing tons of, say, soft-sell content marketing — where the payoff in sales growth may be slower and less directly obvious.
  • If you’re writing for publications, figure out what the bread-and-butter stories are that magazine has to deliver. Focus on those, as more tangential topics may get trimmed if pages shrink. Develop hot exclusives the pub simply must publish.

My story: In publications, I focused on having a ton of story ideas and being the go-to writer who made editors’ lives easy. While other writers were scrabbling for their next assignment, I was writing regular weekly columns for Entrepreneur.com, straight through the downturn, and also scored sponsored content assignments at $600 apiece — because I had the article ideas.

Keep calm and find freelance work

I get it — if you’ve launched your freelancing career in the past 6 years or so, you may never have dealt with a recession as a business owner before. And the first time you see the economy hit the skids, it can feel scary.

If you’re freaking out that the economy may crash, I’d say my big message is: Relax. Economies wax and wane in fairly predictable cycles. Sooner or later, what goes up comes down.

Now that you know what to do, you can take action immediately. Lay the groundwork now to make sure you don’t starve if a recession arrives.

What will you do to keep your freelance work growing? Let’s discuss on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Get paid to blog: Get a free e-book (100+ Freelance Writing Questions Answered by Carol Tice) and free updates! Sign me up!

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Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Challenge #281 - Anything Goes

Welcome! Time for a brand new challenge and it's one of your favourites!


Before we start our challenge, let's announce our winners for Challenge #278 - Clean and Simple.






Congratulations everyone!

Ok, onto our challenge -


Here is our Design Team with their incredible inspiration for you -










Wow, they are awesome. Over to you now and have fun :)


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1021 Burnaby Street in Downtown Vancouver

1021 Burnaby Street by Francl Architecture is a new 5-storey concrete building located in the West End at 1021 Burnaby. This project will offer 21 one- and two- bedroom condominiums. The site is near the gateway to Davie Village. Your daily needs are easily met by the neighbourhood’s stores and professional services.  With gyms, the False Creek-Stanley Park Seawall, the Vancouver Aquatic Centre, and English Bay, leisure options are close at hand.

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Monday, February 26, 2018

The Granville by Aoyuan Property on Vancouver’s Westside

The Granville by Aoyuan Property is a new 8-storey mixed-use concrete development located at the corner of Granville and West 7th. This project will offer four retail units and 41 one-, two-, and three-bedroom condominiums. The project is set within a well-developed community and a prosperous commercial environment. It is only a 10-minute walk to Granville Island, a popular hotspot for sightseeing and entertainment with a thriving art scene. The Granville will be 5-minute walk from the extension of the Millennium Line Skytrain upon completion.

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Alma & 10th on Vancouver’s Westside

Alma & 10th by Landa Global is a new four-story mixed-use concrete development located at the corner of Alma & West 10th Ave.  Contemporary form transitions into traditional charm to enhance this upscale neighborhood. This classically-inspired project will offer seven retail units and 32 two and three-bedroom condominiums. The Broadway commercial district, top-rated schools, Almond Park, fitness centre and more are just steps away.

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Sunday, February 25, 2018

Write Faster: 4 Tips from a Fired-Up Young Freelancer

Fired-Up Freelancing Strategies to Write Faster. Makealivingwriting.com.Ever wonder what the Olympic Games would look like for freelancers? If it’s anything like the Super-G in skiing, it comes down to one thing…write faster.

I started freelancing at 17 years old. Young, right?

In case you didn’t know, that’s how old Lindsey Vonn was when she competed in her first Olympic Games. And she was fast.

By 17, I could throw a blazing fast softball. And if I could learn how to do that, I knew I could learn the business and craft of freelance writing.

I was fired up. I hustled. I sent out tons of pitches. I made mistakes. It’s the same kind of learning process every Olympic athlete goes through to get better, and carry the torch to the cauldron.

At first it was hard. Boosting productivity was a big concern. And I needed to learn how to write faster, yet still write well.

So I did what any Olympic writer would do. I took apart my writing process turn by turn, made it better, and learned to write faster. Here’s how:

Write faster, earn more money

If you can learn to write faster, and still write well, you can make more money. It’s that simple.

As a home-school graduate in my first year of college, I went from earning zero dollars to making $1,000 a month freelancing part time. Maybe that’s not a lot of money to some people, but at my age it’s nothing to sneeze at. And I’m just getting started.

How did I do it? These four tips help me write faster:

1. Take breaks to write faster

Here’s how Ernest Hemingway puts it: “When the words are flowing, walk away.”

This may seem counterintuitive, but it actually makes a lot of sense (that is, unless your deadline is tonight). Only stop writing when you know what you’re going to say next.

  • Think about the client project you’re working on. What do you need to add or include to finish the article, white paper, case study, web copy, etc.? Take a break. Then come back and write, and you’ll get the assignment done faster.

After five years of starting many novels but never finishing them—and five years of walking away when I was stuck—the light finally dawned. Maybe I should try this. Big surprise: it worked.

My debut historical fiction novel, Hope Is The Thing With Feathers, was selected out of thousands of entries in the Story Shares contest and published as a paperback in July 2017. Last month, it won the Story Shares Bestseller Contest and came out as a hardback.

2. Research and outline

When I landed a gig to write health and fitness articles about CrossFit, I didn’t know a lot about the sport or CrossFit culture. If you land a gig to write articles in a niche you don’t know a lot about, here’s what I would do to write faster:

  • Do your homework to learn more about the niche
  • Brainstorm ideas
  • Write an article outline
  • Get the content, research, and interviews you need
  • Resist the urge to start writing until these things are complete

That’s how I approached writing for my CrossFit client. Once I had several articles planned out and all the information I needed, sitting down to write was easy. Separating research and writing into different tasks helped me write faster.

3. Track your progress

Lindsey Vonn didn’t win any medals at her first Olympic Games. But it served as a starting point that allowed her to track her progress, improve her training, and dominate ski racing.

  • If you want to write faster, track your progress. Pick a metric that’s meaningful to you like words per hour or pages per day. Then aim to improve each time you write.

I recently landed a client that hired me to write an ebook on yoga. I wasn’t sure I could meet the deadline. But instead of panicking, I did something else. I set a timer to go off every hour, then averaged how many words I wrote in an hour. Once I had that baseline number, the deadline didn’t seem as scary. I was able to write faster, and actually finished the project ahead of time.

4. Keep it simple

When I started writing for a devotional website about a year ago, I made the newbie mistake of using fancy language to talk to readers. Guess what? People are more likely to click away if your words are over their heads, too academic, overwritten, too salesy…you get the idea.

Know your audience and the voice of your client. And keep it simple. Using simple language will save you time, help you write faster, and be more effective at engaging readers and making clients happy.

Fired-up for freelance success

As a young, fired-up freelancer, I’ve learned a lot from trial and error over the past year. And I’ve still got a lot to learn. But if I could go back and give my 17-year-old self a piece of advice, it’s this: Learn to write faster, and you can earn more money.

What strategies do you recommend to write faster? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Hailey Hudson is an 18-year-old author, blogger, and freelance writer from the mountains of north Georgia. She loves Jesus, Harry Potter, and her beagle puppy named Sophie.

Get paid to blog: Get a free e-book (100+ Freelance Writing Questions Answered by Carol Tice) and free updates! Sign me up!

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Friday, February 23, 2018

Continuum at Nature’s Edge in North Vancouver

Continuum at Nature’s Edge by Brody Development is located at 856 Orwell Street in Lynnmour.  This new development will have 23 strata units, approximately three two-bedroom, 19 three-bedroom with double attached garages and one four-bedroom.  All have rooftop decks, A/C, HRV, hot water on demand and elevated interiors and finishings.

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Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Blackberry Walk 3 in Surrey

Introducing Woodbridge and Park Ridge Homes’ newest community of 48 contemporary craftsman townhomes in the ideal family neighbourhood of Panorama/Sullivan.

  • Timeless craftsman exteriors. Including thoughtful touches like covered entryways, fenced yards, flower boxes and lush landscaping.
  • Thoughtfully designed 3 bedroom floorplans. Spacious interiors with two designer colour schemes.
  • ​​​​​​​Gourmet kitchens.  Featuring overheight cabinets, quartz countertops, and stainless steel appliances.
  • Move in ready. Completions as early as April 2018.

Blackberry Walk 3.  VIP Preview this Weekend.

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Want to Get Paid? Nail Down Details in the Freelance Contract

Nail Down Freelance Contract Details to Get Paid. Makealivingwriting.com.Before you write a single word or start a project for a client, you’ve got a freelance contract in place. Right?

If you’re thinking, “Wait, what freelance contract?” you’re making a rookie mistake.

I used to operate this way. Land an assignment. Do the work. Submit the piece. And then find out how much the client pays…Or if the client is going to pay at all.

If you really want to make a living writing, you can’t run a business this way.

Other service professionals like lawyers, plumbers, and accountants require contracts that spell out the details of an agreement. And so should you.

Can you take on projects without a freelance contract? Sure. But you run the risk of never getting paid, getting paid less than pro rates, spending hours chasing unpaid invoices, and sucking up creative energy that could be earning you more money.

You’re smarter than that. If you want to get paid to write, here’s what you need to nail down in every freelance contract:

My freelance contract wake-up call

How much time do you spend trying to find clients? A lot, especially when you’re starting out. At first, I would pick up any freelance work that came my way.

But if you do that, there’s a good chance you’re going to end up in a never-ending battle of writing for second-rate clients, instead of establishing long-term relationships with clients that pay well.

That’s the game I was playing. My wake-up call came when I realized my cleaning lady’s hourly rate was higher than my hourly rate as a freelance writer.

If I wanted to find better clients, I realized I had to to nail down the details of every assignment with a freelance contract. When I finally took this approach, it helped:

  • Clients recognize I’m a pro writer who commands pro rates
  • Weed out clients that were contract-shy, low-payers or both
  • Improve my monthly income with recurring freelance contract work

The nuts and bolts of a freelance contract

So what exactly should a freelance contract include?

If you’ve ever landed an assignment with a major magazine, you’ve probably signed a multi-page contract with a lot of legalese. That’s one way of setting up a freelance contract.

But it doesn’t have to be that complicated, and you typically don’t need to hire an attorney. But you do need to make sure your freelance contract includes specific details, such as:

  • Assignment details. This includes things like what you’re writing (article, blog, case study, website copy, etc.), word count, target audience, required sources, links, or expert interviews. Get it in writing. Then if the scope of work changes, you can renegotiate your rate of pay.
  • Contract length. For something like a magazine assignment, you might have a contract for a single article. But if you’re going to write a series of monthly blogs, or social media posts for a client, spell it out (per assignment, per 90 days, etc.)
  • Rate of pay. Be specific. For example: $200 per blog post. $1,000 per completed case study. $100/hour for writing, consulting, and meeting times. You want to negotiate and agree on this before you start working for a client.
  • Delivery method. You might think email is all you really need to deliver an assignment. But your client may want you to submit your finished piece some other way like Slack, an FTP site, DropBox, or their backend content management system.
  • Deadline. For most writers, a deadline can help you get stuff done. And it helps clients manage marketing and editorial calendars. But if a client wants you to drop everything and turn an assignment around overnight, that should be reflected in your hourly rate.
  • Payment method and timeline. How will you get paid? PayPal, direct deposit, a check in the mail, Bitcoin? And when will you get paid? Upon acceptance, upon publication, in 30 days, 90 days?
  • 50% up front. Last but not least on my list of essential details for a freelance contract, get 50% up front. It might seem scary, if you haven’t done this before. But ask yourself this: If a client refuses to pay your upfront fee, what are the chances you’ll get paid at all when you complete the assignment? Skip over this, and you may end up expending an enormous amount of time and energy trying to track down a client to get paid.
  • And these aren’t the only things that can be included in a freelance contract. Thanks, Carol.

Find better clients with freelance contracts

Working for a client is a two-way street. Creating a partnership with a freelance contract might seem like a formality, but in the long-run it helps build that relationship. And I can tell you from experience, that as soon as you make it a habit to engage prospects with a freelance contract, the sooner you’ll attract better quality clients.

Need advice about freelance writing contracts? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Natalie Rebecca Hechtman is a journalist, blogger, copywriter, and screen writer. She blogs at  If I Knew and runs the site My Content Marketer.

Get paid to blog: Get a free e-book (100+ Freelance Writing Questions Answered by Carol Tice) and free updates! Sign me up!

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Luxia at Yorkson in Langley

Luxia is a collection of 138 spacious, 3-bedroom homes meticulously crafted with life’s little luxuries at the forefront. Side-by-side garages, open-concept living, innovative storage solutions and an abundance of outdoor space – including roof top patios – are just some of the reasons to get excited about calling Luxia at Yorkson, home. Ideally located in the heart of Willoughby, urban conveniences are matched by nearby park and recreation spaces.

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3 Common Bathroom Problems and How to Solve Them

Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com

The relaxing nature of a good warm bath helps us realize things that we don’t normally think about — such as the secrets of the universe or the reason we exist. However, if bathroom problems such as the following exist, they can steal your attention away from your dreamy thoughts. Don’t let these problems ruin your well-deserved alone time:

Photo by Daniel Fazio on Unsplash

Over-splashing tap
Selecting the right design will save you some frustration because the wrong tap with the wrong sink can certainly land you in a watery situation. You certainly don’t want a wet floor each time you turn the tap on! The placement of the sink with the tap defines how much splash it creates. If the sink is too close to the standing tap, the water may spill over the edge when it is initially turned on. The space of the sink also has a part to play as it would guide the water into the sink hole. An overhead tap mounted on the wall would have to be positioned correctly over the sink hole to ensure faster drainage. Also note that some sinks don’t come with overflow holes, so be mindful when you shop. Source: HomeAndDecor

Leaky shower
You may be able to put up with a leaky shower head for a little while, but it’ll cost you on your water bills. On top of that, the excess moisture being leaked to unplanned areas could create mold issues. Fixing your showerhead could be as easy as replacing a gasket, and you can often diagnose it on your own. Source: TheSpruce

Slow drain
Most tub and shower clogs are caused by hair. A simple fix is to remove the drain cover, straighten a wire coat hanger, then bend one end into a small hook. Push the hook down the drain and into the U-shape trap a few inches down. Then twist it around, and carefully pull it back. Chances are good you will have hooked the sizable hairball that was causing your slow drain. Source: BHG

If your leaky fixtures are a recurring problem, replacing them with higher quality ones is the answer! Call us today.

 

Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com

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Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Challenge #280 - Photo Inspiration

Welcome back. Time for a new challenge here at Addicted to Stamps and More. We have a cool photo to help inspire you this week.


Take what you will - the colours, images, textures. Let us know what inspired you.

Before we start, let's announce our winners for Challenge #278 Holiday






Congratulations! Thank you for playing along with our challenges!

Ok, back to our photo -


Here are our designers with their take on this photo -












Wow, such a wide variety from the amazing designers :)

Over to you now, have fun!


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Monday, February 19, 2018

SKY Residences in Downtown Edmonton

Meet Edmonton’s new address for the upwardly mobile.SKY Residences at ICE District offers the ultimate in urban living from the tallest tower in Western Canada. Situated on oors 30 through 66 with forever-views in all directions, SKY Residences at ICE District serves up privileged amenities along with all the buzz of living in the heart of ICE District.

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Sunday, February 18, 2018

The Habit That Will Transform Your Freelance Writing Income

Change THIS to Boost Your Writing Income. Makealivingwriting.com.NOTE: Want to know the secret to boosting your freelance writing income? I learned this a long time ago, and it’s still true. Change this one thing, and you’re on your way. Enjoy! —Carol.

Would you like to create a drastic shift in your freelance writing income?

There’s really only one way.

The good news is, this is something you can do no matter where you live, or how the economy is doing.

I was reminded of this when I ran into a mom I know casually — she’s the mother of one of my son’s longtime friends.

I hadn’t seen her in a while, and I about fell over when I ran into her at a local bike race I did with my family recently.

She has lost probably 80 pounds or more, and looks 15 years younger!

Between slimming down and growing her formerly very short hair out to ponytail length, she looked almost like a teenager. Even the shape of her face had changed.

And you know what? Her approach to losing weight was so smart, it can even help you boost your writing income. Here’s how:

Curious minds want to know

Like me, I knew Jenny has a pretty sedentary line of work, so I was fascinated.

I came over to chat and told her she looked amazing.

What had happened to create this transformation? She was like a new person.

The change

It wasn’t a coincidence that I ran into her at a bike race, it turns out. Jenny had always liked bicycling, and finally decided to get serious about it.

She started biking a lot instead of a little. Gradually, she built up her muscles and her stamina, and tackled longer rides.

Instead of watching TV, she’d bike. Instead of sleeping in, she’d get up early and bike before work.

Even in the rain…which we get a lot of around here.

Until today, she bikes roughly 500 miles a month.

She changed her habit of being sedentary and replaced it with a habit of long-distance bike riding.

Simple as that.

She created one new, positive habit that was the catalyst for changing her whole life.

Getting over the hump

You can imagine how grueling this was in the beginning. It probably didn’t look very graceful at first, being a 200+ pound woman atop a bicycle, huffing up a big hill.

Or — oh the shame! — sometimes having to get off and walk the bike up to the top.

I’ve no doubt she had to deal with a lot of snickering.

But that negative feedback didn’t affect her. She had decided to change a habit, and to become a competitive bicyclist. She stayed focused on what she wanted to achieve.

As she got into cycling, she found she wanted to change how she ate to nourish her body better for bicycling.

She cut the junk food. She ate smaller portions.

More and more weight came off, until today she is a svelte woman glowing with health.

Changing one habit started a cycle of change that moved into other parts of her life.

The payoffs were many — more energy and stamina, greater self-confidence, a better health outlook, and the satisfaction of a goal accomplished.

Change one habit to boost writing income

As writers, one habit can change everything for our careers, too.

  • What is that one habit? It’s the habit of changing what you do until you get the results you want.

When we keep doing the same thing, we tend to get the same result, right?

So to get a new result — to earn more — requires us to change a habit.

The way we spend our time in our writing business needs rethinking.

There are many factors in the writing world we can’t control, but there’s one we can: ourselves.

There are two main ways writers can change:

1. Marketing

Not marketing your business? Here are some ways to change that:

  • Resolve to make 500 cold calls, and see what happens.
  • Send out 300 letters of introduction.
  • Go to a networking event five nights a week.
  • Commit yourself to big marketing numbers, and you know you are going to get clients.

Maybe it’s a bit harder in a tough economy. But work is out there, and if you market, you will find it.

It might be a slog.

You will deal with rejection.

You won’t always do it all perfectly and gracefully — you’ll make mistakes.

But if you are willing to change your habit of not marketing, your writing career will move forward in new directions.

I spoke to one Freelance Writers Den member recently who took her income from zero to $6,000 a month in a year, just by implementing a few new strategies for marketing her business that she picked up in the Den. I was blown away.

We’re talking big differences in writing income that are possible when you resolve to change your habits.

2. Skills

If you feel your writing skills aren’t up to snuff, you can identify where you feel you need to improve. Then, you can:

  • Read a book on freelance writing, marketing, productivity, etc.
  • Take a class from the Freelance Writers Den, or another experienced writer, to acquire new writing skills.
  • Or just commit to doing more writing, on your own. You can learn a lot by doing.

Yes, it’s not always easy admitting you feel ignorant about how to do something.

But if that insecurity is holding you back, the only way forward is to get more knowledge.

You might have to tighten your belt to pay for the training you need. Or it might come free.

Either way, you won’t have to stand out in the rain.

The cumulative effect of habit change for writers

A few months from now, you could be a whole new writer, in terms of writing income. Changing one habit will get the ball rolling, encourage you to cultivate other positive habits, and ultimately bring you new clients and higher earnings.

All from a small beginning. Just changing one habit.

What writing habit would you most like to change? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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The post The Habit That Will Transform Your Freelance Writing Income appeared first on Make A Living Writing.



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