Search Results for: get clients

How to Develop Your Relationship with Your Editor

Aaaaand, Submit. Time to break open your favourite treat after you’ve sent your last piece of work to your editor.

A smile on your face, you cross the item off your to-do list and then input the figures onto your budget spreadsheet.

But five minutes later you get that email back: “This isn’t what I’m looking for, can you rewrite it?”

Nothing more, nothing less.

Now the red heat grows in your heart and head. You undo the change in your records and get ready to start over from the beginning. You’re writing the whole post again and you don’t even know if this offering will be more acceptable than the last.

You wish you understood your editor more and could get more out of your relationship, but at the moment all they want is for you to do something “right”, whatever that is. Your editor feels like a distant God, setting commandments but then not accepting the sacrifices of blog posts that you bring to their altar.

Luckily, even if you have a terrible relationship with your editor you can learn to get more out of it.

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By Sophie Lizard

All Killer, No Filler: 6 Simple Tips for Concise Writing

Brevity is the whatsit of thing.

You know the one I mean. Wit. Source. Other way around.

And conciseness, well, it’s similar only more important.

Conciseness is a skill that not enough bloggers take the time to develop. One that, if you demonstrate you’ve mastered it, will win you plenty of work even when other bloggers struggle to get hired.

It isn’t mere brevity. It isn’t only clarity. It’s a special, sparkling combination of the two that gives exactly the amount of information the reader needs, as briefly as possible without sacrificing any important details.

Say you have 500 words to write. You could write 500 smart, well-chosen words and make everyone (your readers, your clients, your editors, your bank) very happy. Or you could dish up 150 of the good stuff surrounded by 350 of fluff and redundancy.

A 3000-word epic blog post is still concise if every one of those words serves a purpose. Length is not the measure of conciseness. Value is.

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By Sarah Li Cain

How a Zombie Apocalypse Can Help You in Your Blogging Career

You’re all alone.

You haven’t showered in weeks.

You’re eating moldy bread.

You sleep with one eye open and carry a dagger with you.

Congrats! You’re in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

Wait a minute. This is a blog about freelance blogging! What do zombies have to do with dreams of freelancing success?

Think about it. Both require a special set of skills in order to survive. Whether you’re fending off zombies or trying to rise above other bloggers competing for jobs, it’s important to be prepared.

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By Patrick Icasas

How Becoming a Parent Made Me a Better Freelancer

Parenthood changes a lot of things, especially your career.

Your child becomes the focus of your life. That’s the way it should be, but it can be hard to keep your freelance business running while looking after your child’s daily (and hourly) needs.

Your work hours shrink from double digits to singles. You’re exhausted all the time, but you’re not earning any extra. Less, in fact — much less.

This is the same dilemma I faced when my daughter was born. She’s adorable and I love her to bits, but in between tantrums, feedings, chores, and the constant fear that she’d hurt herself right that very second if I didn’t pay attention, there wasn’t much time left for anything else.

I started falling behind with work, and my balance sheets were suffering. If something didn’t change, I was going to have to start choosing which bills to pay and which to leave “for later”.

Once my initial panic settled (it took a while for that to happen, to be honest), I took stock of my situation and realized I had to make some serious changes to the business. Here’s how I made parenting work for me as a freelance blogger.

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Client Hunting Masterclass: Week Zero

Welcome to the Masterclass!

Over the next couple of months, you’re going to learn exactly how I find my freelance blogging clients, and what I say to them to win the gig.

Each week’s lessons and resources are presented on a page just like this one, with a comments section at the bottom. If you have a question while you’re working through a lesson, feel free to ask it right there in the comments. You can also chat with me, your fellow students and other freelance bloggers in the BAFB student group on Facebook any time.

Check here to go to the group now and request to join. (It will ask you to tell me your student email address and which course you’re taking.) If you can’t find the group or have problems getting access, email sophie@beafreelanceblogger.com so I can set it up for you.

Here’s what you’re doing for the next 8 weeks:

Week 1: Get Your Freelance “Tent” Up
Get your website or online portfolio ready for business with simple checklists for what to include and how to show it off. We’ll look at examples of good freelance blogger websites and discuss what to do if your portfolio’s empty.
Guest expert: Francesca Nicasio explains how she built her impressive website and portfolio using free software.
Kick-ass bonus: Students on the kick-ass package get their website or online portfolio reviewed this week.
Week 2: Know Where to Find Job Ads
Find out which industry job boards and freelance broker sites are worth checking out and how to spot a loser, with advice, examples and ready-written templates to help you send the right message in your application.
Guest experts: Tom Ewer and Sarah Russell share their job board success tips.
Week 3: Make the Most of Social Media
Hunt down job ads and potential clients through social networks, including LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Plus, find out how to set up strong social media profiles that attract clients to hire you.
Guest expert: Twitter tips from top blogger and social media coach Alexis Grant.
Week 4: Know What to Say
Get expert tips and real-life examples for creating successful freelance blogging queries, pitches and letters of introduction. You can’t sell something you can’t explain! We’ll get you pitching like a pro.
Bonus resource: Message templates you can copy and adapt to make your queries, LOIs and proposals awesome.
Guest expert: Gary Korisko explains how to make selling your services simple and painless.
Week 5: Get On With It
At this point, you’ve got everything you need for a successful and lucrative client hunt. This week you’ll act on what you’ve learned and start firing off some messages to the potential clients you’ve discovered so far.
Kick-ass bonus: Students on the kick-ass package get their one-to-one mentoring session this week.
Week 6: Hunt Down Hidden Gigs
Don’t wait for your dream client to advertise; go out and hunt down blogs that need your services! Learn how to identify your ideal clients, search for them and assess whether, what and how to query.
Bonus resource: A step-by-step blueprint for turning a one-off post into regular assignments for the same client.
Week 7: Know What You’re Worth
Understand your value to figure out exactly how much to charge for your freelance blogging services, and find out how to calculate your rates for different types of project.
Bonus resource: The Be a Freelance Blogger Rate Guide, an exclusive report on market rates for blogging services.
Week 8: Be the Bait
Grow your network of people who can refer clients to you, and build a solid reputation that brings clients to your door. We’ll discuss whether or not you need a blog of your own, and how to use your blog or website to attract clients.
Guest expert: Tom Ewer explains how he makes a living from freelance blogging without any traditional marketing.

Wondering what to do next? Use the comments section below to say hello, or go check out the Client Hunters forum. Let me know you’re here. 🙂

Then go to your email and click the link for Lesson 1!