How to Make the Terrifying Leap to Charge Higher Freelance Rates

Terrified of charging higher freelance rates, even though you know you’re worth it?

If quoting big is outside your comfort zone, I get it. It seems too risky.

What if you lose the gig?

In my family, income from my freelancing is pretty important. We depend on it being there every month, so I’m not in a position to take huge unnecessary risks. A lost gig equals lost income (and lost income doesn’t pay the mortgage).

But at some point, you’re bound to reach a tipping point. You might be terrified of the outcome, but you’re finally willing to take the risk to find out if you can command higher freelance rates.

I reached a tipping point like that earlier this year, and something pretty crazy happened.

Want to learn how to punch fear in the face, and take the leap to raise your freelance rates? Here’s how it’s done:

Try the ‘raise your freelance rates’ experiment

Not long ago, I had an interested prospect I was negotiating with to work out the details of a project. And I decided to try a little experiment. When it was time to bid on the gig, instead of quoting my usual $100 per post (like I did for at least a year), I tripled my usual rate and quoted $300 per blog post.

Before this, asking for $100 seemed comfortable. $200 was edgy. This was a cavernous leap. Imagine my surprise when the first client said: “Yes!”

Make a mindset shift

If you want to get out of the rat-race of working for lower freelance rates and bidding low so you don’t lose a gig, you have to make a mindset shift.

Do you want to be a pro freelance writer? The kind of in-demand writer clients are willing to pay top dollar for? I had to make a mindset shift to start thinking like this.

Your writing skills can help a client:

• Connect with readers
• Generate leads
• Sell widgets
• Build brand awareness
• And so much more

And you should be compensated accordingly. That can be hard to believe, if you’re used to working for low-paying clients. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

My mindset shift came about by spending more time around high-earning writers in the Freelance Writers’ Den and in Den 2X—where charging $300 for a blog post (and often even more than that) is actually common.

So how do you get from where you are to where you want to be?

Steps to raising your freelance rates

These tips are all great for jumping-in and raising your freelancing rates. Don’t be afraid to implement them as a process or just take one or two and apply it to your own business. Take the leap to raise your freelance rates. It might be a little scary, but it’s worth it.

1. Get in touch with your new mindset

If you don’t really believe you deserve to earn more, then you probably aren’t ready to make a convincing case to your clients. This is why your “mindset reset” is so important. Pay attention to your self-talk and beliefs about freelance rates.

Need to make a mindset shift? Here are some strategies to help you:

• Hang out with like-minded freelancers. Whether that’s in a writer’s group meeting at your local library or online in a writing forum like the Freelance Writers Den. Surround yourself with other people who can help motivate and encourage you to grow your rates. Other writers can also help you decide if a possible gig is worth it or not.
• Promote positivity in your life and work. You are what you eat. Think positive and spend time doing positive activities, hanging out with positive people, etc.
• Challenge yourself. Raising your freelance rates isn’t a one-time activity. Plan to revisit your rates regularly. Try asking for just 20 percent more and see what happens.

2. Decide how you’ll raise your rates

Maybe you’ll raise your rates on every client at once, but it may be better for you to ask for higher rates from new clients and gradually drop your lowest payers. Quitting cheap work all-at-once isn’t absolutely required.

Personally, I’m gradually cutting out low-payers as I go, replacing them with higher-priced gigs.

3. Commit

It’s tough sometimes, but you’ll need to hold tight to your new rates. Quote these higher numbers and be willing to walk away from the gig if the client balks. I’ve had a few that did gripe about a high quote before, only to return a couple weeks later when a cheaper writer didn’t work out.

To make this work, consider:

• Communicating confidence with your quotes. I’ve waited uncomfortably long before getting a “yes”—let the prospect blink. Emailing or calling your prospect frequently after sending a quote looks desperate. Don’t do anything desperate.
• Building flexibility in your finances. If necessary, cut expenses temporarily so you can afford to give up a bad gig or avoid bidding cheaply. Then push for better work.
• Track your income. The act of making a simple spreadsheet and tracking your wins can be motivating enough to encourage even more high quotes in the future. Once you see the numbers, you’ll love your progress and keep yourself accountable.

4. Change your prospecting habits

You may need to take a long, hard look at your marketing habits and say goodbye to the strategies that aren’t working out. Or, you may need to try pitching a different industry/niche, learn a new writing skill, or look for clients somewhere else, where the high-payers hang out.

Change something about your marketing and be willing to experiment so you can keep charging more.

Take the leap to raise your freelance rates

If you’re willing to make changes, take a little risk, and keep learning, you can charge higher rates and earn more. Don’t let fear keep you from making a living as a freelancer. Take the leap.

What strategies have you used to raise your rates? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Kaitlin Morrison is a freelance healthcare and finance writer in Moses Lake, Wash. You can find her online at www.kaitlinmorrison.com.

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3 Spring Cleaning Tips for the Beginners

Deep cleaning your entire home sounds like a task that’s so tiring and time consuming, that it’s probably the reason why you’ve never done it before. It’s never too late to start making spring cleaning a yearly tradition. Do the following tips for sure-fire success on your first try:

Photo by Volha Flaxeco on Unsplash

Create a plan

Whether your place is tiny or massive, spring cleaning can be a challenge. Spring cleaning is about going beyond your usual dusting, mopping, vacuuming and scrubbing routine. And if you’ve never done it, how do you even know where to start? Like all big undertakings, it’s a good idea to make a plan. Yes, that means committing pen to paper. Or creating a spreadsheet, if that’s more your style.

Start by listing out every room of your house, without forgetting places like the utility room, laundry room, garage and closets. Think about tasks like cleaning the baseboards, the walls, the windows and window treatments, as well as moving and cleaning behind and under furniture (and the furniture itself). Basically, things that you probably don’t clean on a regular basis. If it helps you, walk through your house or apartment while making the list. Source: Home.HowStuffWorks

Gather all cleaning materials

The first step to starting and keeping a home or apartment clean is buying the right supplies. Basic checklist: an all-purpose cleaner, disinfecting wipes, rubber gloves, glass cleaner for showers and windows, carpet spot cleaner, microfiber cloths, a sponge, and a small duster. Then store all of your most-used supplies together in a container like a shower caddy or basket, so it’s easy to carry them around with you to any room in the house. Source: Vogue

Work smarter, not harder

Don’t scrub any more than necessary. Simple steps like soaking pots and pans before you scrub them, waiting for cleaning products to sit before you wipe down surfaces, and using the self-cleaning setting on your oven can save you tons of time. Source: Zillow

Do you have dirty or damaged carpet at home? Leave the task to us and we’ll make your carpet look as good as new in no time. Call us today!

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Overcoming Procrastination: 7 Useless Activities Writers Can Skip

Want to know the solution to overcoming procrastination?

If you’re feeling unproductive, as a freelance writer, you’re not alone. Writers all seem to suspect other writers are super-productive, while they struggle to write a single paragraph.

We’re all, ‘Stop wasting time, lady! Write more!’

Overcoming procrastination is easily the most popular podcast topic in the 7-year history of Freelance Writers Den.

While I don’t think it’s healthy to constantly compare yourself to other writers…it’s true that many writers have an elaborate set of time-wasting activities that suck up their day.

These are things you do instead of writing or marketing. These could all be cut back or eliminated altogether, in favor of more writing and marketing time.

What should writers stop wasting time doing? Here’s my list:

1. Got tools?

Here’s a question I get daily:

Can you tell me the best time-tracking/proposal/grammar/query-tracking/customer followup software?

No, I can’t. Because everyone has different preferences.

But when you’re sitting around worrying about whether you’ve got the ideal tech tools, instead of focused on questions like ‘How can I get better clients in my niche with less effort?’ it tells me you’re procrastinating. Because which time-tracking app you install isn’t going to meaningfully impact what you earn. Find a list of the top 10 and pick one. Boom. Done.

Tools, shmools — go out and get some clients. Worry about whether you’ve got the absolute best CRM system later, when you’re swamped with great leads.

2. You’re too social

There are a million forms of social media, and new ones are born every week. If you want to make it as a freelance writer, you’re going to want to ignore 99% of this action. Stop wondering if you should join Twoo or Weibo or whatever, or if there are good leads for freelance writers on Thumbtack, Angie’s List, and the like. The answer is no.

Why? Well, the thing is that most of these startup social-media places go bust, after you invest hours building your profile and connections. And the local-job boards are a kingdom of cheapskates.

If you’re using social media, stick with proven platforms with huge memberships, primarily LinkedIn. You don’t need to be the first adopter on some experiment here!

And with the established, popular platform of your choice? Set some time limits, for heaven’s sake. If you’ve got a robust LinkedIn profile and use that platform, you’re really good.

3. Expertise addiction

Recently, I’ve heard from multiple writers whose careers were at a standstill because they were busy learning to be an expert in a major new piece of software, from WordPress to InDesign. Why? “In case clients ask me for this knowledge.”

Bulletin: Being a freelance writer does not mean you need to be an expert in every piece of software out there! I turned in blog posts as Word docs for years. Most clients are not shopping for a writer-designer-photographer-webmaster.

If you’re not a tech type, there are plenty of gigs out there that don’t call for anything but your writing skill. You don’t need more certifications in things ancillary to writing — you need to go out and get hired.

4. Business blunderville

Do you start work for new clients without a signed contract (or in the case of business clients, without an up-front deposit and a signed contract)?

If so, you could be wasting your time writing for a client who’s never going to pay you. I hear heartbreaking stories every week from writers who ripped out 30 blog posts and then the company mysteriously vanished. What a time suck!

Run your business right, and you won’t be chasing unpaid invoices — yet another time-waster.

5. Freebie creation

Are you still creating free samples for prospective clients, written to their specs? That deal is a scam, honey.

Most online ads you respond to like that, the company has no intention of hiring any writers. They’re just going to rip off all the free-sample content and use it.

If you have even a handful of portfolio samples, you are done writing free samples. That is, unless you offer pro bono work to a targeted, high-quality prospect under contract. See how that frees up your time?

6. Not qualifying prospects

If you get an email from a prospect, do you get all excited and take a meeting? After that meeting goes nowhere, do you take another one?

Welcome to the world of wasting your time on loser prospects. It shouldn’t take multiple meetings to figure out if you want me to write a case study for you, or an article.

When you get an inbound lead, or see a job ad you’re thinking about hitting, do a quick exercise: Go to LinkedIn and look up their company page. Do they have any employees? Have they been around longer than 5 minutes? Do they have a street address?

If not, move on — this isn’t a good lead for you.

7. Don’t be a joiner

Along with new social-media platforms, a new website that promises writers job opportunities is born at least every week. Writers want to know what I think of whatever new place they’ve found. Hope springs eternal that it will somehow magically be different than every other content mill or bid site out there.

Here’s the universal answer: They all suck.

There is no mass platform with hundreds of writers on it that’s good for freelance writers. And each requires you to spend time setting up a profile and applying (and applying and applying, mostly in vain) for gigs.

If you ever get a gig, they take a cut of your already tiny pay — and you spend dozens of hours a week applying to jobs you’ll never get. Timewasting doesn’t get any worse.

Overcoming procrastination: You can do this

I think a lot of time-wasting problems arise when we writers say, “Oh, just a little time on Facebook, I promise…” to ourselves. Next thing you know, you’ve gone down a 4-hour sinkhole.

If you eliminate unproductive tasks during your work day, you can free up a ton more time for the only two tasks that really matter in freelance writing: marketing and writing.

Try not to get a complex about how fast you write. Just clear the decks of useless time-wasting activities, and you’ll have plenty of writing time.

What are your top time-wasters? Let’s discuss on Facebook or LinkedIn.

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Get More Leads With This Unconventional Marketing Method for Freelance Writers

You want to get more leads to grow your freelance writing business.

So you set a goal to churn out more queries and letters of introduction. That’s how you market yourself as a freelance writer, isn’t it?

Those are two traditional marketing methods freelance writers use to get more leads and clients. And you should be sending out plenty of both if you want to get fully booked.

But who says you have to play by old-school rules?

There’s a million different ways to market your services, connect with people in your niche, and land more freelance writing assignments.

And there’s at least one unconventional marketing method you should consider. Barrier to entry is low. Tech tools make it easy.

One writer has even used this approach to get more leads, land multiple ghostwriting gigs, build authority, and ultimately make more money. And so can you.

Ready to give this unconventional marketing method a try?

Get more leads with a podcast

Looking for a marketing strategy that’s different, creative and fun? Consider a podcast.

Besides giving you inside access to thought leaders in your niche, it’s a great way to build your own brand and create fresh, useful content that will drive traffic to your site.

Podcasting isn’t nearly as scary as you think. It doesn’t require fancy equipment, a fat bank account, or techno-geek skills. If you can conduct a phone interview, you can create a podcast. It’s that easy.

Meet freelance writer and podcaster Derek Lewis

In a recent Freelance Writers Den podcast, we talked with podcaster and ghostwriter Derek Lewis. He spelled out all the steps for getting started with a podcast, including:

• Cost to start a podcast
• Necessary recording equipment and software
• Finding guests
• Pushing through fear

Ready to get your own podcast up and running? Find out how in this Q&A:

Q: Where did you get the idea to use a podcast to market your writing services?

A: I took a class on marketing and branding, and the teacher challenged us to come up with an idea nobody else was using. He said that as a ghostwriter, my marketing approach needed to be like the show Inside the Actors Studio, where I talked to people about what it’s really like on the inside of creating a business book. So that show became my model.

Q: What made you choose podcasting over a blog?

A: I hate short turnaround times and short-form writing. Trying to even do one blog post a month is like pulling teeth. But I love talking to people.

I wanted a marketing strategy that allowed me to create a lot of volume and content. And I wanted to do something that wasn’t just self-promotion. As freelancers, it doesn’t help us to have a lot of content that says, “Hey, look at me!” We need content that gives people education and help.

Q: What kinds of equipment and software did you need to get your podcast going?

A: The only thing I got was a really good Yeti microphone. It connects to my computer, and it’s crystal clear.

Besides that, I didn’t have anything special. At first I used GarageBand to actually do the recording. Then I switched to UberConference, and I’m looking into Skype.

Q: How much does it cost to get set up for podcasts?

A: It’s nothing substantial. I think my microphone was $100. Recording software is fairly inexpensive or free. If you want to pay for a service that gets your podcast out on iTunes and other platforms, it will cost you a little extra, but that’s not essential. We’re not talking hundreds of dollars here.

Q: How do you find guests to interview?

A: I had been in the publishing business for several years before I started the podcast. So I invited people I already had connections with.

Even if I think contacts are out of reach, I’ve found that people are generous with their time. They’re quite receptive to being interviewed. I haven’t had anybody make me feel like an idiot for asking. They don’t say, “Why would I come and be on a podcast for a little peon like you?” People are really nice.

Q: How do you get the word out about your podcast and make sure people find it?

A: I have a virtual assistant who loads it onto a couple of different platforms to actually get the podcast out there. You can also use a service like SoundCloud to push it to platforms like iTunes. If you really want results, make it as convenient and as discoverable as possible.

Q: Have you gotten any clients directly from your podcast efforts?

A: Yes, I’ve gotten a five-figure book coaching client, and I have a couple of ghostwriting students who found me via a podcast.

Indirectly, my podcast legitimizes my credibility as a ghostwriter. Clients want to know I’m not some slide-by guy who’s going to take their money and abscond to Patagonia. The fact that I took time to create this podcast helps them feel like I’m a professional, and they’re going to be safe trusting me with their book.

Q: How can other freelancers know if podcasting is a good fit for them?

A: Whenever you do marketing, you need to define what’s fun, easy, and energizing for you. Avoid marketing strategies that make you say, “Oh my god, I hate doing this.” If I were somebody who absolutely hated talking to people, podcasts would be torture.

Q: How does a brand-new beginner get started with podcasting?

To get going, it can be as simple as recording it over your computer or even over your phone, and then having the audio available on your website. That little win can help you realize, “You know what? This podcast stuff, it’s really not that hard.” Then the next step is to figure out, “How can I get it out on the bigger platforms, polish it up, and make it more professional?”

I’m a proponent of getting a series of small successes and a little bit of momentum. Get a couple of small wins so you’ve got confidence in your pocket.

Q: What tips do you have for those who want to try podcasting but are intimidated about putting their voice out there?

A: Don’t worry about being perfect right out of the gate.

You can easily edit an audio podcast. You can take out all the ahs, the ums, and the awful questions. There’s free editing software, and it’s easy to use. You don’t have to be a sound engineer to make a podcast sound good.

Your early episodes may be awful, but you’ll get better. Find somebody who has a few thousand episodes and a million followers, and go back to their earliest episodes. They did not know what they were doing! They just put something out there. You have to be awful before you can get great.

We’re afraid of people’s perceptions of us, and we’re afraid of feeling like an impostor or a fraud. But the truth is, nobody cares about our earliest efforts. They only care about our latest efforts. And so, if you do something, and then you get better and better, that’s all that matters.

The sound of freelance success

Podcasts are a hot marketing trend, even for freelance writers. If you’ve been wondering whether to jump in, now is always the best time to get started.

What unconventional marketing methods do you recommend? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Maria Veres is a freelance writer based in the Oklahoma City area. She contributes regular Q&A blog posts to Make A Living Writing.

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The Lucrative Business of Dumpster Diving for Discarded Freelance Ideas

Have you ever come up with a bunch of good freelance ideas and then tossed them in the virtual trash?

You brainstorm some freelance ideas for a query or letter of introduction to land an assignment. You even write up a partial pitch.

And then for whatever reason (fear, procrastination, shiny-object syndrome, or too many open windows on your computer), those freelance ideas never make it to the Great Beyond.

Been there, done that?

If your hard drive looks like the inside of a hoarder’s house stacked with unfinished freelance ideas in every corner, it’s time to put on some rubber gloves, and start digging through the trash.

Why? Some of your discarded freelance ideas are worth money, an assignment, your next best client.

Having a little hoarder freakout about now? Here’s what you need to do:

Don’t be afraid of digging through the trash

Do you have any unfinished query letters or article ideas?

I started digging through my drafts folder recently and found more than one query letter I started working on months earlier, but never sent.

Go ahead. Start digging through your unfinished pitches. Anything good?

When I went dumpster diving for old freelance ideas, it made me think of where I’ve come from. 

I owned a tattoo shop for 10 years. I learned how to tattoo in prison, even though I never actually did it with prison-made tools. I’ve had many careers. There are better writers, tattoo artists, contractors, and drug counselors than me, but I never lacked the confidence doing my job.

Being a freelance writer is the first time I started a career and felt like a fraud.

Can you relate to this feeling?

In the Jeff Goins book, You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One), he writes: 

Many writers fall into a trend with or without realizing it. The trend is that we all have many pieces of work that have been left unfinished and half-written…fear of finishing.”

Negative self-talk, self-limiting beliefs or doubt are usually the reason you give up on finishing a query or letter of introduction. 

That’s what usually stops you from polishing those pitches and sending them out. Here’s what you can do about it:

Be helpful

Here’s one way to determine if one of your freelance ideas is worth saving. Will it help someone else?

If the answer is yes, take a few minutes to clean up that query or letter of introduction and send it off.

Here’s one discarded idea I found in my drafts folder:

My husband and I had just finished his green card application. It was a stressful process. But he got through it with a little help and support. I started writing a pitch about how couples can navigate the green card application process, and avoid the stress we experienced.

Would this information help someone else? I think it would.

• Dig through your unfinished collection of queries or LOIs. Will your story idea or pitch help someone else? Finish it and send it off.

Get ‘just enough’ research

Ever heard that voice inside your head that says, “You’re not an expert. You don’t know enough about this topic. You shouldn’t even be writing about this.”

These are lies that can stop you from completing a pitch, and land you back in the market for a J-O-B, quick.

It’s easily fixed with a little research or an interview with an expert.

If you find yourself mulling over an unfinished query, thinking, “It’s not good enough,” do this:

• Take a few minutes and educate yourself. Researching a topic, the audience, the publication, is quite easy.
• Spend 5 or 10 minutes on a few websites to get the background info you need to improve your pitch.
• Pick up the phone and call a source if you need to. Or send an email to set up an interview.
• Limit your research time. If you endlessly study a topic, you’ll never write that query or LOI.

Here’s an article idea I salvaged with a little research:

I found another unfinished query I started about the trend of people getting tattoos of Chinese characters. Any idea what those characters actually mean? If you don’t speak or read Chinese, it could mean anything.

A friend thought she had the Chinese character for “butterfly” tattooed on her. But after finding a reliable way to verify the meaning of a Chinese character, she discovered her tattoo actually meant “easy.”

I didn’t finish this query the first time around, because I felt like I needed to be an expert in Chinese characters.

When I came back to this idea, a little research helped me realized my pitch was really about choosing a tattoo. Good enough to send it to an editor for consideration.

Focus on process goals

Have you ever had an article idea that you can’t stop thinking about?

You know, the first editor to lay eyes on your pitch will salivate over every word and commission you to write the piece.

Day and night you think of the success this article will bring. Until it consumes you. But you just can’t get it perfect.

So you work, and work, and work, on tweaking it for days. Carol calls this The one-idea trap.

It’s one of the most common reasons great freelance ideas end up in the virtual trash bin.

But if you want to move up and earn more, you need to let go of perfectionism. You need to put more queries and LOIs out there for that to happen, and it just won’t if you’re fixated on perfection.

• Set process goals to help you avoid the one-idea trap. Instead of spending days, weeks, or even months on writing a single query, set a goal to send out X number per day, per month. Your pitch might not be perfect, but it’s the only way to start landing more assignments.

Cash in on discarded freelance ideas

Dig through your trash. Take a peek at what’s in your drafts folder. Sift through your unfinished queries and LOIs. There’s a good chance you can cash in on some of your discarded freelance ideas if you’ll just clean it up and send it off. 

Have you turned discarded freelance ideas into paid assignments? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn.

John Makohen writes for B2B and wellness clients. He’s fueled by long runs, too much coffee, and likes blogging about productivity, self-confidence, and success management

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What to Write in the Downturn: 10 Niches That Stay Hot

Are you nervous that the economy may be about to go kerblooie? I’m hearing from many writers who’re worried about the future of freelance writing. If you’re wondering what to write that will pay well and keep cranking in hard times, I’ve got a list for you.

You see, those of us who’ve been freelance writers longer than a decade have already been through this, in the big, bad recession of 2009-2010. That’s the timeframe when I actually doubled my freelance income and hit six figures for the first time.

So first thing to know: A downturn does not mean freelance work goes away. Far from it! Tough times create loads of freelance opportunity — if you know where to look.

Remember, when companies do mass layoffs, they often use more freelancers to get the work done.

Key thing to know, though: there are definitely some sectors and types of writing that are more reliable and lucrative in hard times than others. I’ve got a list of 10 niches to write in that are recession-proof:

1. Stay healthy

Whether the economy is hitting on all cylinders or it’s hit a bad patch, Americans keep smoking, drinking, and not exercising. And that means the healthcare industrial complex stays busy. Healthcare is nearly 20 percent of the U.S. economy, and it’s only projected to grow over time, due to rising costs.

There are so many niches within healthcare that can pay great: writing for hospitals or about medical devices, healthcare info-tech, and biotech companies that are creating new drugs.

Think about where healthcare spending goes, and find a big-money area where you can specialize.

2. Be a contractor

Have you noticed that every politician pledges to shrink government, but it never seems to happen? One of the biggest opportunities in all of freelance writing is being a government-contracted communications or marketing writer — and it’s an opportunity few writers check into. If you’re looking for a lower-competition environment, this could be it!

Hard times often mean new government programs aimed at helping, such as the mortgage-forgiveness program we saw last time around.

This year, the Feds are committed to spend $1.2 trillion so far. I say, let them spend some of it on your writing services! Yes, there’s paperwork to qualify as a government contractor, but it’s worth it. (You can also skip the paperwork by find past winning bidders in public records of contract bids, and target them for subcontracting work.)

In the U.S., you may have heard about all the unfilled positions in federal government today. That means there’s likely more contracting going on than ever. Don’t forget state, county, and city opportunities, too. Businesses may close their doors in a downturn, but governments generally don’t.

3. Focus on the arcane

There’s a basic rule in freelance writing: Pay is low where there are lots of writers who can do the work, and high where there are few.

An economic downturn doesn’t change this basic law of supply and demand. Your job is to find sophisticated niches where price is not the primary concern — they’d kill to find anybody who can write interestingly on their topic. Hard times won’t change how desperate these industries are for good writers, so pay tends to remain high.

I’ve personally been well-paid to write about advanced washing-machine technology, and recently, about chemical-ingredient purchasing methods. I’ve also had coaching students who’ve done well who wrote about metal-smithing, marina management, oil and gas resource development, and other oddball industries.

If  you like writing for publications, think about targeting custom publications that companies create (hospital, airline, and grocery-store magazines are examples), and trade publications. They tend to be less affected by hard times than consumer pubs.

4. Think counter-cyclical

A recession doesn’t mean everybody loses — huh-uh. There are losers and winners when the economy reverses course.

Keep your freelance writing business stable by targeting the winners. Think about who sees business grow during a downturn, and target those counter-cyclical industries. Classic winners include:

• Outsourcing/outplacement agencies
• Crisis PR firms
• Relocation and refinancing firms
• Business consultants and business brokers
• Auction/liquidator houses
• Resale/bargain retail chains, and
• Companies that buy real-estate foreclosures

5. Follow the money

Where many people see gloom and doom in a downturn, big-money investors often see opportunity to start or grow new and emerging businesses. Venture capital and angel-investor money will keep flowing to promising startups.

Follow that money, because those companies will be spending much of it on marketing. And that means opportunity for writers.

6. Target ‘gotta-haves’

When money gets tight, consumers cut back on discretionary spending. But some items are considered essential.

Think about whether the goods or services you write about are ones consumers might forgo in hard times — say, buying pre-made meals, or hiring a house cleaner or dog groomer.

Make sure your stable of clients includes ones that are square in the ‘gotta have’ category, as ‘wanna have’ items may see cutbacks.

7. Sell the 1%

Know what happens to the very wealthy in a down economy? Usually, nothing. They’re so rich, it never touches them. So they’re worth $800 million now, instead of a billion? That’s not going to affect their lifestyle much.

The super-rich just keep sailing around on their mega-yachts, buying $1500 handbags, couture clothing, and luxury spa vacations. Focus on writing for and about high-end luxury goods and services companies, and you’ll be in a niche hard times will never touch.

8. Go big

While bigger clients are always better for freelance writers, that’s especially true during a downturn. Big companies will often increase their marketing when the economy wobbles, hoping to drive weaker competitors out of business and pick up their customers.

Even in spaces with many mid-sized competitors, you’ll see top brands double down on marketing, hoping to emerge from hard times more dominant. Look for companies with sharp marketing campaigns — they’ll be the ones looking to up their game and grow, while their competitors scale back.

9. Tell the story

If you’re a journalist, downturns can be a goldmine. I spent one of them writing reams about major corporate bankruptcies. Those suckers drag on for years, kicking out a steady stream of public documents you can use as starting points for stories.

Economic fluctuations mean change, and that means people turn to the media to try to make sense of what’s happening, and to learn what it will mean for their lives. From local publications to national networks, there will be a ton of angles to work on the impact of economic hardship on various populations, from consumers to business owners. Start tracking trends and build your idea bank!

10. Make sales

If companies cut back on their marketing budgets, know what they always keep? Persuasive copywriting — the writing that overtly sells their products or services.

They may be a little fuzzy on how their blog possibly makes them sales eventually…but they know that sales pages, product descriptions, services pages, email marketing campaigns and such need to continue. There’s a direct correlation between a strong sales page or ad campaign and sales growth, that companies can easily measure.

Cutting back on commissioning persuasive copy would be like cutting off their nose to spite their face. So when you’re wondering what to write in a downturn, learn to master persuasive copywriting. If you have the ability to make more sales for corporate customers, it’ll keep you in demand.

What to write? You decide

As you can see, there are plenty of solid directions to take your freelance writing business in a recession. Look at who your clients are now, and consider pitching some new types, if you need to shift gears to be better positioned to survive a downturn.

What’s your recession-beating strategy, writers? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn.

 

The post What to Write in the Downturn: 10 Niches That Stay Hot appeared first on Make A Living Writing.

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Amazing Health Benefits of Steam

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

Who knew that you can benefit so much from just sitting in your steam shower? If you don’t have one yet, then the following reasons will surely have you placing an order in no time:

Photo by Tom Grimbert on Unsplash

Reduced blood pressure
Research shows that in a steam room, some people’s bodies release hormones that change their heart rate. One of these hormones, called aldosterone, regulates your blood pressure. When aldosterone is released from sitting in the steam room, it can help lower high blood pressure. This is part of the reason that the steam room makes you feel relaxed.

Stress relief
Being in the steam room can also decrease your body’s production of cortisol. Cortisol is the hormone that regulates the level of stress that you feel. When your cortisol levels drop, you feel more in control and relaxed. Spending a few minutes in a relaxed state not only improves your health, but also helps heal your mind and improve your focus. Source: HealthLine

Solution for problem skin
If you suffer from dry skin or conditions that get easily irritated by extremely drying weather or sweating (hello eczema and dermatitis), then a steam room could be a far better friend to you than a sauna. Hart notes that the warm, damp air will work to drench the skin in moisture, hydrating rather than stripping it. Oily, acne-prone skin could benefit too, as the moisture can help to rebalance overactive sebum glands while the heat and humidity work to simultaneously unclog and cleanse. Source: Byrdie

Faster recovery from a workout
During exercise, metabolic waste is built up in muscles, which causes soreness and fatigue. Combining a steam shower with a cold bath or shower can help flush out this waste. Alternating between the heat of the steam and the cold bath causes a pumping action in the capillaries and rids muscles of the waste. Alternate between one minute of steam and one minute of cold water to initiate the pumping action. Source: LiveStrong

If you think the best thing you could ever fit in your bathroom is a steam shower, then wait till you see a steam shower combined with a whirlpool tub. Imagine all the health benefits you can get! It’s like having your own spa at home. Call us to find out more!

 

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

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Earn 900% More With This Experimental Formula for Freelance Writing Rates

Ever wonder what the formula is for earning higher freelance writing rates?

It’s easy to think it’s some secret list of ingredients you can only get with years of experience, fancy degrees, or an incredible network of connections.

But if you’re just starting out, that’s seems about as realistic as finding a pot of gold or a magic potion to turn back the clock so you can start over.

It can get frustrating. Spend too much time simmering like that, and it creates a chemical reaction of self-doubt and negative thinking that can taint your freelance writing efforts.

Fortunately, there’s a simple formula you can follow to boost your freelance writing rates (mine jumped by 900 percent).

Want the formula to grow your freelance writing business?

Observation: Freelance writing rates

When I came across the world of freelance writing in 2014, it seemed like the perfect line of work for me: a math teacher with writing skills.

I formulated a hypothesis that I could find clients willing to pay decent freelance writing rates. Then I started experimenting. But that didn’t exactly turn out as expected, because I didn’t know the formula.

Have you tried a long list of experiments to find freelance clients and make a living writing?

I spent the first few months in content-mill-land. At first it seemed like a good place to start. Research and submit an article. Get paid. Have money in my Paypal account within a few hours.

Sounds pretty good, right? There was just one problem with this observation.

The freelance writing rates I was charging were hardly a life-changing sum. Twenty-bucks for another article on roofing in Geronimo, Texas? It didn’t take long to realize I needed a better formula to earn higher freelance writing rates.

What about you? Are you working for content-mill wages and struggling to find decent gigs?

I started asking a lot more questions about freelance writing rates, and found the Step by Step Guide to Freelance Writing Success and the Freelance Writers Den. That was kind of my “eureka” moment that gave me a new formula to follow.

Follow this freelance writing formula

I began to systematically follow the formula Carol recommends. And you know what? It wasn’t long before I started getting repeat clients and making $100 to $200 per article. Then I scored my highest paid article to date, $500 for a 1,000-word piece in a national trade publication.

Evidence that when you follow the right formula, you can earn pro freelance writing rates. Here are the five ingredients you’ll need:

1. Niche focus

Forget about writing about everything for everyone. Find your niche.

• What type of businesses and industries are you interested in?
• Do you have experience, education, or training in a specific industry?

Those are two questions that can help you narrow your focus and find your niche. Once you do that, you’ll find a whole new world of professional clients willing to pay pro freelance writing rates for a variety of communications materials like:

• Blog posts
• Articles
• Case studies
• White papers
• Sales page content
• Internal communications
• Landing page content, and more.

Observation: Match your knowledge and experience with the needs of clients in your niche, and your freelance writing skills will be valuable to them.

2. Marketing strategy

I didn’t have a marketing plan when I started my first freelance experiment. I just signed up for work on a content mill and started churning out content for anyone willing to pay me, even if it was in pennies.

And that’s not a formula for freelance success.

Skip the mass job sites and go directly to the clients themselves. Connect with potential clients with a a well-crafted letter of introduction or multi-query pitch.

Observation: An effective letter of introduction or query requires upfront research to customize your initial contact, but results in much higher response rates and conversions than a template approach. And these aren’t the only marketing strategies you can use to find great clients.

3. Curiosity of a journalist

You don’t have to be an expert in the subjects you write about. But you do need to know how to find experts, conduct interviews, and get original information and perspective, that you’ll never find spinning articles for a content mill.

Observation: As a good interviewer, you’ll have an edge over writers that only use online research. It’s also fun to connect with people at the top of their field and learn what’s happening in your niche.

4. Writing chops

If you’re stepping into freelance writing from another industry or career (I was a math teacher), you may need to polish your writing skills a bit to move up and earn more.

No, you probably don’t  need to go back to school, take course after course, or buy every book about freelance writing. (That’s actually the formula for procrastination).

But you do need to learn how to write, edit, and polish a professional piece. Here’s how:

• Study your client’s website, blog, or marketing materials
• Get to know your client’s audience or target market
• Know the niche, and your client’s voice and style
• Read niche-focused blogs, articles, and content

Observation: When you can show a client you know their niche, understand their business, and have the writing chops to connect with their customers or readers, they’ll happily pay you for it.

5. Consistent action

After a ton of failed experiments trying to figure out how to find clients willing to pay higher freelance writing rates, taking consistent action may be the most important part of the formula for freelance success.

Instead of focusing exclusively on income goals, set process goals and get to work. For example:

• Send 50-100 letters of introduction per month
• Write 5 query letters a week
• Connect with 10 new people a day on LinkedIn
• Make a regular appointment to meet with a mentor or accountability partner to discuss your progress

I’ve devoted hundreds of hours to writing letters of introduction to contacts in my niche. And not every pitch got a response or landed me an assignment. I’ve also learned a lot from mentors and other more experienced writers. Consistent effort helped me land higher paying freelance writing gigs, including clients I never expected to work with outside my niche.

Observation: If you don’t start testing, experimenting, and taking action to grow your freelance writing business, you may create a toxic combination of self-doubt and negative thinking that can blow up in your face.

Replicate freelance success

If you’re trying to figure out the right mix of ingredients to raise your freelance writing rates, use this formula to move up and earn more. Or create your own by getting started, making observations, and improving your process.

Need help developing your own formula for freelance clients? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Scott McKinney is a South Carolina-based freelance business writer who specializes in the technology and training industries.

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Shift by Aragon on Vancouver’s Westside

Shift by Aragon Properties is a new 6 storey condo development located on Quebec street and 35th Avenue on Vancouver’s Westside. This project will offer 43 1-3 bedroom condominiums. Bordered by Queen Elizabeth Park one block West, and Main Street one block East, Shift will join an already thriving neighborhood.

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Lily Terrace by Lanstone in Langley

Lily Terrace by Lanstone Homes is a new 3-storey condo development located in the heart of Fort Langley. This project will have an exclusive collection of 24 modern signature residences. These exclusive residences marry the best of both worlds—a contemporary vision is thoughtfully executed with the care and attention of traditional craftsmanship. Pitched rooflines and paned windows evoke the grace of an earlier era. The cornerstone of a thriving heritage conservation area.

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Hudson Place One in downtown Victoria

Hudson Place One by Townline is a new modern 25-storey development located at 777 Herald Street in downtown Victoria. This project will offer 176 luxury intelligently-designed 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom condominiums.The Hudson District is a vibrant, amenity-rich, pedestrian-friendly village with doorstep access to a unique mix of artisan shops, daily conveniences, services, and leisure and wellness activities that are the heart and soul of the community. Its central location in beautiful downtown Victoria provides easy access to transit.

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Freelance Copywriter Mistakes: 3 Reasons You’re Not Landing High-Paying Clients

If you’re a new freelance copywriter, sending a quote can be fraught with anxiety:

• Will they think you’re professional?
• They know you’re not a content mill writer, don’t they?
• Did you cover everything they mentioned?
• Are they going to accept your price or try and haggle over freelance copywriter rates?
• Did you include an upsell?
• Are they going to say no?

It’s enough to distract you from your paying clients, get frustrated, and start second guessing your career as a freelance copywriter.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

If any of these post-send fears sound familiar, you might be making some common, but easily fixable, freelance copywriter mistakes.

Here’s how to find out, fix the problem, and earn more:

Mistake #1: You don’t think you’re worth it

This is the biggest mistake you can make with your presentation to potential clients as a freelance copywriter.

You don’t think you’re worth the price you’re asking, let alone more. You clamber to justify the costs, reiterating all your inclusions and throwing in so many extras that your profit margins disappear altogether. You’re uncertain. And clients know it.

Remember, if you don’t believe it, they aren’t going to buy it – or you.

The fix

Confidence is contagious so before you start talking to new clients, give yourself a pep talk.

Remind yourself of the value you bring to each project.

You offer more than the words you write. This client came to you needing help and you’re bringing all your life experience, your copywriting know-how and your perspective on your clients’ challenges.

When you think about it, you’re probably under-charging.

Mistake #2: You’re undercharging

Speaking of under-charging for your copywriting services, you probably are. We all do. Especially when we’re starting out. Our price and our sense of value are so tightly linked, it can be difficult to separate them.

Sending out a high quote (regardless of how big the project is) can induce feelings of nausea and uncertainty so terrible that we can’t focus on anything else. We start googling “how to unsend emails” or planning how we’re going to lower our price when they say no.

We end up selling ourselves out before our client has had a chance to accept.

The fix

Put your prices up for your next client. Don’t discuss it. Don’t explain it. Just do it.

Very early in my career as a freelance copywriter, a more experienced copywriter told me that I should put my project price together then add 25 percent, as I will naturally under-price myself.

That bump in your project price will also cover the little time-sucking extras that you haven’t factored in. Like, the extra phone calls and emails you get from a client who decides to micro-manage you. Or the copywriting brief that ends up taking twice as long because your client is uncertain about what they actually offer. Or the proofreading you under-estimated.

A good rule of thumb is that if every client accepts your quote, your prices are too low. A healthy conversion rate is about 50 percent.

The strange reality of pricing is that quite often, putting your prices up makes you more appealing and more exclusive as your premium price hints at your premium value.

Mistake #3: You send a quote

Wait, what? Isn’t that what you do when a client asks about your copywriting services? You send them a quote. Well, yes. And no.

A quote is often a short document with a focus on price. If you don’t want potential clients to reduce your amazing value to a cost (rather than a benefit), thereby turning you into an easily replaceable commodity, then you need to change the way they understand your service.

The fix

To do this, you need to turn your cost-centric quote into a proposal for investment.
This is a document of persuasion that needs elements like:

• A summary of the project objectives to show that you understand what brought them to you.
• A profile of you and your business, focusing on how you help your clients.
• An overview of how you work to help clients trust your process.
• A benefit-laden description of your service so clients understand how important your work is.
• Your terms of service, clear and comprehensive.
• Testimonials of happy clients. As many as you can fit.
• A call to action telling clients how to take the next step.

Each part of your document works to boost your credibility and show off the potential of your collaboration. Your project total will be the least interesting part of the document.

Simple fixes lead to freelance copywriter success

When you make these changes, clients will be excited to be on your project books and get started. Your next problem will be telling them that you’re booked solid for the next month. But that’s a nice problem to have.

Have questions about landing copywriting clients? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Belinda Weaver is an experienced freelance copywriter, marketing expert, and writing mentor who runs the site Copywrite Matters.

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