I’ve been writing press releases as a contractor for a PR company for a number of years and just launched my own business. I’m working on putting together a portfolio on my website and want to include samples of past releases I’ve done for the firm. Do I need to get permission from the companies the releases are about, or just the firm’s permission? They
This post was originally published on NakedPR.com (my now-retired blog featuring commentary on PR and social media issues). While I’m considering reviving my Naked PR brand this year, I’m considering taking it in a slightly different direction — back to its roots. In the meantime, I’m moving most of the original content to other sites I own, saving only a few key posts from the
In a comment on a recent post about successful e-book sales also leading to thousands of dollars in freelance writing gigs, I responded to a comment from Amandah Blackwell. And in my response, I basically said that freelancers should treat their own projects as they would treat a client’s project, and that they should treat clients’ projects as if they were their own. Today I’d
If you’ve ever felt stuck in your freelance writing career, you might have considered working with a coach or mentor. Maybe you’ve already signed on with one. A good coach can be instrumental in helping you build or grow your freelance writing business. But the wrong coach has the potential to hold you back. I’ve seen this far too many times over the years. For
In this seventh episode of the All Freelance Writing Podcast, I’m joined by guest co-host, Lori Widmer of the Words on the Page blog. We cover: The importance of regular or everyday marketing for freelance writers (along with some simple marketing tactics you can use even if you’re short on time — tip: these could work equally well for indie authors and bloggers) Lori’s e-book,
If you’re thinking about launching a new author website or blog on WordPress, a good place to start is choosing an appropriate design. Today I’d like to share a bit of inspiration. Here are some of the best premium WordPress themes for authors that I’ve recently come across. These themes are designed to do more than host your author blog. They’re designed to help you
Where are most of your freelance writing clients located? If you only target local clients, you’re leaving money on the table. While some freelancers can attract more local clients than they can handle, others don’t have the same client supply in their local areas. Fortunately there’s an easy fix. Target clients outside of your town, city, state, region, or even country. Why Pursue Non-local Freelance Writing
I read an article today about how to raise rates and keep your clients. In one suggestion, writers were supposed to sit clients down, explain that the writer’s demand was so great that rates had to go up, but that the writer was letting this client know because “You’re a favorite client.” It felt contrived. I don’t know how you guys raise your rates, but
Is your goal to finally make a living writing? Whether you’re ready to quit your day job to earn a living as a writer full-time or you’re looking to increase your existing writing income, the opportunities are practically endless. If you aren’t sure where to start, or if you’re worried that there aren’t enough potential writing gigs to go around, consider this. Just about everything
Do you consider yourself an ethical article writer or blogger? Whether you write for print publications or the web, professional ethics are an important part of building trust with readers and clients, which is part of what keeps them coming back for more. My ethical standards won’t necessarily look like yours, and vice-versa. For example, I have ethical issues with writing about certain topics that
It’s no secret that I usually have a lot going on as a writer. I run quite a few blogs of my own. I take on freelance writing projects for clients. I write nonfiction e-books. And I’m working on much more fiction this year as well. As a result, one of the biggest questions I get from colleagues in my network is “how do you
Hi all, I’m fairly new to the writing business. I was told to network a lot in order to attract new clients but I’m having a lot of trouble with that since I am introverted by nature and speaking about myself to people I don’t know doesn’t come naturally to me. I’ve tried, but it really is very hard for me to ”sell myself and
Today I released the first podcast episode for 2015 (and sixth overall). In this episode I mostly deal with the topic of revenue streams for writers. First, I run through eleven blog revenue streams you can use to monetize blogs of your own. Then I tackle a question about e-book revenue (and share a story about my own first e-book, which is scheduled to be
The New Year is a great time to tackle a new writing challenge. So why not start with a 30 day marketing challenge? The goal of this challenge is to do something to market your writing every day for 30 days. That could mean promoting your freelance writing services. It could mean book marketing. Or it might involve marketing your blog. Here’s a free tracker
Here’s another simple, yet important, challenge for writers of all types: market your writing every day for 30 days. It’s that simple. Whether you’re promoting freelance writing services, marketing books, or promoting your blog, consistent marketing is vital. That can involve anything from an in-depth marketing campaign to simple efforts like sending a query letter or researching the competition. Use the tracker below to map
As freelance writers it’s not uncommon for us to get information online and even connect with our colleagues that way. And sometimes our circles, or at least the information they expose us to, are more limited than we realize. It’s easy to get caught up in the echo chamber, with the same stale ideas endlessly reinforced. But if you want to stand out and attract
Before the holidays we talked about preparing to take time away from writing or blogging and how you can set yourself up for success on your return to work. Well, today is that day for me — my first work day of 2015. And getting back into the swing of things has been both exciting and challenging I had a rougher start than I’d like