Secrets Of A Freelance Writer, Road To $100,000 a Year

“Clever advertising can convince people to try a bad product once. But it can’t convince them to buy a product they’ve already tried and didn’t like.” ― Robert W. Bly.

Photo by Hello I'm Nik on Unsplash

This article is a follow up to our book summary of the book “Guide to Freelance Writing Success: How to Make $100,000 a Year As a Freelance Writer and Have the Time of Your Life Doing It” by Robert W. Bly. It’s a classic book that will explain to you from A to Z how to acquire a comfortable standard of living by carrying out a freelance writing activity!

With over 30 years of experience in the business, Robert W. Bly has a proven track record. As a U.S. copywriter specializing in marketing and business-to-business (B2B), he has had time to build a solid reputation and experience. He has even taught copywriting at New York University.

A. WRITING AND PUBLISHING YOUR OWN E-ZINE

The webzine is the other name of your newsletter, but may be a little longer than the latter. It aims at self-promotion while bringing information and added value to your prospects or customers. Every month, you send them an online magazine full of good deals!

1. AFFILIATE DEALS

The principle is simple: you share an advertisement from another brand on your own website or, as Robert W. Bly suggests here, in your webzine. If one of your prospects or customers clicks on the link and takes action, you receive a portion of the proceeds of the sale (between 15 and 50%, depending on the brand).

The advantage is that it is a passive income (you don’t have to do anything or produce much to earn this money). But be careful not to abuse it. Your subscribers will quickly let you know, either by complaining or by unsubscribing from your list. But that’s not what you want.

2. WRITING AND DESIGNING YOUR E-ZINE

Here are the author’s tips for creating your webzine:

• Use a text format rather than HTML, it is easier to handle;
• Schedule your publication once a month;
• Don’t overdo it, five or six articles of one minute each are enough;
• Go for the formula 80% original content and 20% promotion of products and services;
• Write about things in your specialty (as a writer or in a specific field);
• Solicit feedback from your subscribers, they will gladly help you;
• Choose your email title well;
• Vary your articles and their titles to create interest and diversity;
• Create a brief description of the content of your webzine (one sentence) at the beginning of the text;
• Give your subscribers the possibility to unsubscribe easily and say so;
• Offer your subscribers to share the webzine with their friends or acquaintances;
• Include a short presentation of you and your services.

3. WHAT TO PUT IN YOUR E-ZINE

Let’s say it again: information about your area of expertise. If you’re a web writer, talk SEO and HTML, for example. If you specialize in travel writing, find relevant information that relates to both travel and writing. What else? Here’s a new list, totally indicative, of what you could include in your webzine of :

• Answers/comments from your subscribers;
• Announcements of your upcoming conferences;
• Recent projects you have completed or participated in;
• Stores you recommend and resources you use;
• Websites you like that might be of interest to your subscribers;
• Book reviews relevant to your field of interest; News from your field; and
• News in your field;
• Personal publications (a new book or article recently released) ;
• Inspirational quotes.

B. RUNNING YOUR FREELANCE WRITING BUSINESS

Photo by Mel Poole on Unsplash

Although it is fun, sometimes even exciting and romantic, to be a writer, never forget that you are in business. A freelance writer is a self-employed professional running a small service business specializing in writing, usually but not always from home.

As a business owner, to ensure profitability you must run your business just as any other businesspeople must manage theirs.

1. SCHEDULING AND COMPLETING WORK

The question “how long will it take you?” is probably the second most common question after “how much does it cost?” In fact, it depends a lot on your writing speed, as well as external factors that may come into play (do you need to conduct an interview to complete the project or do you have something else important to do before you get started?).

You can create a roadmap with likely deadlines for each assignment, or announce a fixed time period (e.g., two weeks, regardless of the assignment). But most importantly: don’t miss the deadlines!

2. HANDLING RUSH REQUESTS

It depends on your ability to handle stress. If you can’t handle the anxiety of urgency, refuse this type of proposal; if, on the contrary, it boosts you, then why not! Ideally, always allow yourself a little extra time to finish an assignment quietly.

Don’t start a relationship on the basis of urgency, as this will give the client the impression that they can do this all the time. Do this only for clients you know and only on an exceptional basis.

3. MEETING YOUR DEADLINES

In order to avoid falling behind and to keep your clients happy on this point, here are some tips given by Robert W. Bly.

• Never take on more work than you can handle;
• Never take on more work than you can handle; Never overload your schedule (leave buffer spaces);
• Keep a list of current projects with their dates, visible near your desk;
• Do the same with an electronic or paper calendar;
• Choose your due dates for Monday or Tuesday (this leaves the weekend just in case) ;
• Plan for the unexpected;
• Create arrangements with trusted colleagues, in case a problem arises.

4. REVISIONS

Most often, the client either accepts the text as is or the changes are minor and he prefers to do it himself. But when a disagreement with the text arises, it is necessary to be able to revise the production. Of course, the more important the change, the longer it will take.

“Revising a text requires work on the part of the client, and the client must understand that. The writer cannot produce a satisfactory revision without the client explaining, in detail, what is wrong with the text and what changes he or she wants.” — Robert W. Bly.

You can do this by numbering the lines in your text and asking, for each line, what the problem is. Today, you can also use document-sharing software and make comments directly online. Insist that these comments be specific.

5. BUILDING THE WRITER-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP

“Your goal should be to win clients, not assignments. While it’s always good to get assignments, your income will grow more broadly when you build a stable relationship with repeat customers who come back to you again and again.” — Robert W. Bly.

To do this, here are some tips suggested by Robert W. Bly.

• Look for clients who can bring you a steady stream of orders;
• Do what it takes to keep these customers happy;
• Build a personal relationship with them;
• Send them gifts or thanks if they recommend you to others;
• Get involved in your customers’ activities;
• Send your customers copies of your most relevant articles;
• Cultivate the relationship with as many people in the client’s company as possible;
• Never be discourteous, but remain patient and friendly;
• Remember that customers have the power to continue or end the relationship, no matter what the (good or bad) reason.

6. TIME MANAGEMENT

For a freelancer, every hour counts. So think carefully about your time management. Again, the author has no shortage of good advice.

• Organize your office with everything you need nearby;
• Keep files with your current projects close by;
• Consider getting administrative help if it gets in the way;
• Keep in mind that your money comes from time spent writing and creating your projects (get rid of unnecessary tasks);
• Group errands and things to do outside the office at a specific time of day;
• Use the software and technology devices you need;
• Experiment, test and stop a routine that works for you;
• Avoid accepting too many offers to go out of the office, so you don’t get overwhelmed;
• Set priorities;
• Take breaks when you are tired;
• Use convenient names for your documents and organize your files efficiently;
• Get enough rest and respect your body’s limits;
• Don’t cross personal life off your agenda, your loved ones need you too.

7. OVERCOMING WRITER’S BLOCK

One way to overcome the blank page is to recharge your batteries by working on different projects at the same time. The variety of tasks prevents burnout and invites the flow of ideas.

Often, anxiety comes from the idea that the work is too big or difficult to do. You can also deconstruct it into smaller tasks. In this case, create a weekly schedule (for example) for the project, with a daily time slot dedicated to each small task. Take it one step at a time.

If it’s lack of knowledge that’s holding you back — for example, if you have to write about a subject you know nothing about, or if it’s a new type of text you haven’t mastered yet — take advantage of your colleagues’ advice.