High-income Business Writing: Freelance Writing | Copywriting | Content Writing | How To Freelance

There's plenty of advice about what you should do when starting and growing a freelance writing business. But not too many people are openly talking about things you should avoid at this critical early stage. My guest this week is Diana Scheidman, a freelance writer and researcher specializing in the insurance and asset management industries. Diana has developed a reputation for helping people who want to land well-paid freelance and consulting work quickly. And she recently wrote a book on the subject titled . In this episode, Diana shares 10 things new freelance business writers must avoid if they want to get their freelance business off the ground faster.

One of the things that I've tried to be very mindful of is painting a very realistic picture of what it's like to launch and grow a freelance writing and copywriting business today. In fact, I take great pride in being transparent about the hard work required. You'll hear that in most of my interviews, as well as in shows such as: ? ? Today is no exception. My guest is Mark Stone, a freelance writer from British Columbia, Canada. Mark is still in the early stages of growing his business, and he has an interesting story to tell about finding his way through this business. You're not going to hear a talk about rainbows and sunshine. Instead, you'll get more of a status report from Mark. You'll hear how Mark is landing progressively better and higher-paying clients. And how he's pushing past fears and insecurities to improve his business and his income. If you're just starting out or are in the first two or three years of your freelance venture, I think you'll get a lot out of this interview.  

Just last week I received a call from a friend who owns a small marketing agency. She had recently lost three solid opportunities—deals she should have won. She couldn't figure out what went wrong. So she did what most of us do: assume it was her own fault. Maybe she said the wrong thing. Or her pricing was way off. Or she didn't have the experience the prospect wanted. But I've lost enough deals to know the truth. She was basing her conclusions on the wrong assumption. More specifically, she was assuming that every opportunity has the same chance of success. More than likely, it wasn't something she did or didn't do. It was simply that these opportunities weren't really "winnable." In this episode, I'll tell you what I shared with her ... and how that shift in thinking made an immediate impact on her business.

Over the past seven years, I've had hundreds of conversations with new and aspiring freelancers who are 55+. Perhaps the most common concern I hear from this group is, "I'm afraid that my age will prevent me from getting clients." I can understand this fear. Especially if you've experienced age discrimination in the workplace ... or been laid off or downsized because of your age (something an employer would never admit). Here's the good news—you have more to offer your clients than you realize. In fact, you have a serious competitive edge over younger freelancers — experience, wisdom and perspective.   And that's not just me saying that. I've heard this from several freelancers who launched their solo business later in life. In fact, you'll hear from one of them in this week's episode. Her name is , a California–based web content developer and SEO writer who went solo 12 years ago at the age of 54.

Today's show is about two topics that didn't warrant their own episodes: Why you must be careful when emulating the "rock stars" in our business Why you should NOT diversify too much in terms of the services you offer I'm also going to introduce a somewhat "silent" co-host of this show (someone you might have heard a few times before). I'll tell you about two upcoming industry events you may want to check out. And I'll explain how you can be a part of a future episode of this podcast.

Yes, I really believe freelancing or contingency work is the way of the future. But if you're fresh out of school and have no contacts and no relevant experience, how can you possibly get started as a freelancer? In this episode, I interview two young freelancers who faced the same dilemma just a few years ago.

  Today we're talking about SEO copywriting. And to get the full scoop on what's happening with SEO these days, I've brought in one of the world's top authorities on the subject: Heather Lloyd Martin. Heather has been writing, studying and teaching SEO copywriting for years. In fact, she got started way before SEO copywriting went mainstream.   In this interview, Heather is going to give us an overview of this opportunity, including:   What SEO copywriting entails How it has changed over the past 10 years How Google's big changes have impacted our ability to optimize web page How you can manage clients' expectations in an environment of unscrupulous SEO practitioners? The best sources of information for SEO copywriters The best opportunities for SEO copywriters today   And much more!  

Fully 90% of my income these days comes from teaching, training and coaching freelancers to earn more in less time, doing work they love for better clients. But what does that say about me, when so little of my income comes from working directly with freelance writing clients? It's a great question. And in this week's episode, I address the issue head on.

It's hard NOT to be somewhat spiritual when you're self-employed. That's because so much of what we do as a freelancers is based on faith — faith that things will work out ... that another good client will come along ... that you're doing the right thing by raising your fees... In fact, I've learned to understand that thoughts DO become things. (Of course, you also have to take steady and deliberate action. That's the part many people conveniently forget about. ;-) But is this there science behind this idea? Can we really manifest a new client on command? Can we turn things around by "creating" them in our minds first and asking for them? The answer is "Yes!" And in this episode, international bestselling author Pam Grout explains why that's the case ... and how you can prove it to yourself, even if you're a skeptic.

Article writing is one of the most fun and lucrative ways to make a living as a freelance writer. The variety of work is significant. For instance, ytou can write blog posts for a client. Or you can focus on the growing trend of brand journalism. Or maybe specialize in writing placed articles. In this episode, veteran freelance writer and founder of , Carol Tice, details five ways to earn a great income writing articles for clients. She describes each opportunity in detail. She explains who's hiring writers in each category. And she discusses the earning potential for these projects.

This week we're going to talk about yet another little-known opportunity for writers and copywriters—scripting and producing what are typically called "explainer videos" for clients. Explainer videos are nothing more than 1- to 2-minute simple and engaging explanations of what a product does and how it solves a key problem. They're not "demo" videos. Rather they're high-level presentations, usually involving some sort of computer animation or live action. And they've become incredibly popular! To discuss this opportunity in great detail, I've brought in Kathy Cabrera from Red Clip Video. As you'll hear, Kathy has a unique background that has enabled her to build a growing business around explainer videos. She'll explain what this type of work is all about. What it involves. The different opportunities for writers. And what you can charge, depending on what you choose to offer your clients.

It's not every day that I come across an idea in the freelancing world that gets me super excited. But when I recently sat down with freelance ghostwriter Derek Lewis, I found myself taking a ton of notes ... and thinking of ways I could shift my writing business to do what HE does!Derek is a very successful business-book ghostwriter. He's also the author of the new book The Business Book Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Write a Good Business Book. And in this interview, he gives us a detailed and very exciting look into the world of book ghostwriting. What it isWhat it involvesThe best target markets for this workWhat you can chargeHow to find clientsAnd who's best suited for this type of writingThis is a realistic six-figure opportunity for strong writers who enjoy longer-format projects and working closely with a client for an extended period of time. And as you'll see, the rewards go way beyond the financial.

Michelle Hiskey doesn't have a traditional freelance writing business. For one, she has a full-time job. So she works her freelance work on the side. Also, her clients are NOT the traditional businesses and nonprofits many of us work with. Instead, they're high school students who need help writing their college application essay. In this interview, Michelle explains what this type of writing is all about. What's involved. What she charges. How she approaches the work. And what type of writer this specialty is well suited for. She also talks about how she's giving back to her community in a creative and meaningful way. This is an inspiring and fascinating discussion — perfect if you're exploring different ideas or business models.

One of the biggest reasons freelancers love being on their own is the flexibility it affords.When you're your own boss, you set the schedule. You pick whom you work with and what projects you take on.And, ideally, you pick where you work.Unfortunately, most of us don't take full advantage of our business portability. Some people have young kids. Others have aging parents to take care of. Or a medical condition that limits travel.Recently, after talking with my colleague Steve Roller from , I realized that (for me, at least), it's mostly an issue of both commitment AND fear.I haven't made this a priority. And I'm a bit fearful of the unknown.There's a third reason that stops many solos...The belief that you have to go to an exotic location — and that you have to do it for an extended period of time.If you're even remotely interested in travel, I urge you to listen to this episode. Steve talks about his motivation for getting out of his daily environment and seeing more of the world. He explains how he's able t

If you enjoy learning new and clever strategies for landing more work from better clients, you definitely need to check out this episode. Freelance writer Amy Dunn Moscoso has been using a unique and very effective strategy for landing work from trade shows. Not just a project or two. In many cases, we're talking about a TON of work. Enough to keep her busy for months. The best part? She doesn't even have to attend the show! In this episode, Amy explains what this strategy is all about, why it works so well, and how she's implemented it so effectively. Get ready to take some notes!

Think podcasting is for celebrities, authors and speakers?Think again!Podcasting is rapidly becoming one of the most effective and popular mediums for self-employed pros to attract high-quality leads, build trust and create rock-solid client loyalty.I know that sounds like hype. I didn't believe it myself — until about 18 months ago, when I reluctantly started my own show and saw the immediate impact it had in my own business.In this interview, you'll hear from my friend and colleague Cliff Ravenscraft, the "Podcast Answerman." Cliff eats, breathes and lives podcasting. He's probably helped more people start and grow a podcast than anyone else. And he explains why every service professional—including freelancers in all disciplines—should start their own show.If you're very selective about the shows you upload to your phone or mobile device, I can assure you that this one is a MUST-LISTEN!

I recently had the opportunity to interview legendary copywriter Bob Bly.We talked for almost an hour. What a fascinating guy!Among other things, I asked him:What his typical day looks likeWhere his income comes fromHis thoughts on social mediaHow to get lead-gen copywriting work in B2BHow to get your income to the $200,000 level and beyond I even threw him a surprising question towards the end. And he replied with an equally surprising answer.

Do you have a healthcare background or an active interest in the medical industry? And do you have a knack for explaining complex topics in simple language?If so, you'll love today's episode. My guest is medical device copywriting veteran Casey Demchack. In this interview, Casey spills the beans about this fascinating field of commercial writing. He explains:What's involvedWhat types of writing projects are in demandWho the best clients areWhat they look for in a writerAnd how you can break into this market, even if you have limited (or zero) industry experienceCasey also shares his thoughts on having multiple specialties or target markets and how he juggles seemingly unrelated niches.

Successful freelance business writers often get to a point where they have to make a difficult decision: Should they keep operating as a one-person shop? Or should they scale and build something bigger?If you know you're not cut out to be an entrepreneur, you're probably better off as a solo business. Nothing wrong with that!But if you think you'd love the challenges and rewards of building a mini content-development agency, it might be worth exploring.In this episode, I interview Paul McKeon, founder of The Content Factor. Paul is a B2B tech-marketing veteran who has built one of the most respected and successful marketing content agencies in the Southeastern U.S.In our talk he shares how he built his agency, how he works with writers, what challenges he's faced over the years, and how to determine if this business model is for you.

  The biggest reason I became self-employed was to have more control. I wanted to have more control over the kind of work I did, when I did it and how I went about it. And I especially wanted to have more control over the people I worked with. I wanted to choose my clients more carefully. Because as a freelance writer I was, essentially, selling a relationship. And I didn't want to have a relationship with people who didn't appreciate me or my work. Or who weren't fun work with. If we were going to work together closely, I wanted to do that only with people I enjoyed, doing meaningful and engaging work. That's what we're discussing in today's episode. And to do that, I've brought in one of the leading authorities on getting clients in the professional services arena: C.J. Hayden. C.J. is the author of the classic book , a book I read, studied and applied in my early years as a freelancer. It has served me very well over the years. So I feel honored to finally have her on the show to talk about finding and