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Thursday, July 11, 2013

A Surprising Thing about the Super Awesome Bonus

When I started freelancing full-time more than 16 years ago, I not only lacked clips (well, I did have two) and experience. I also had no mentors. No freelancing friends. I didn't even know of someone who freelanced full-time, so I had to rely on books (and I did read a lot on freelancing, writing, self-employment, you name it) and figure out my own path.  

Let me tell you, I wrote some horrible queries. But in all fairness, I had no one to help me get better. I didn't have someone I could reach out to and ask for an honest query critique. I just wrote the best queries I could and hoped. It took me months and dozens and dozens of queries to eventually refine them to more compelling pitches. 

That's one of the reasons I made my "super awesome bonus" offer in Dollars and Deadlines. The book is aimed at brand-new freelancers--those who have never written for publication before but who want to. I walk readers through the process and give them tons of templates and samples, but something was missing. 

I didn't want to only give readers all the information they needed. I wanted to give them a chance for feedback. So I created the bonus. I offered readers a FREE query critique if they followed the directions provided. That way readers would have immediate, specific feedback from a professional writer (um, me) and be able to submit a stronger, more saleable query--and possibly have their first pitch result in an assignment! 

A critique like this is valuable. In fact, I charge $100/hour for this kind of consulting work (and believe me, it's worth it). And yet not one reader has taken me up on this offer! If you're a reader of Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets, send me your query! 

Hey, I've never seen a book author make this kind of offer, I wouldn't have done it if I wasn't serious about it. I want you to succeed as a freelancer. So let me help!  


***My latest special offer for readers continues. I sell more books on Kindle than on any other e-platform, so I'm offering this $0.99 special offer comes in. For a limited time, three of my most popular ebooks on Kindle are priced at only $0.99! 

And if you're serious about making money from your words, check out my full-length books, Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets and Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, second edition. If you prefer print (like I do), order directly from ImprovisePress.comUse the discount code, IMPROVISEPRESS (all caps/no breaks) for 20 percent off of your order!



4 comments:

  1. Hi Kelly, I did buy your book Dollars and Deadlines in its entirety on t kindle (I had missed out on the 50 per cent offer on Improvise press) and thank you, thank you for your information! I would certainly love to take you up on the offer for a free query-- I could use it, no doubt the feedback from someone as experienced as yourself! Thanks, I will have to send you my amazon receipt somehow? Again, I first was introduced to you when I picked up Freelance Writer for Hire 101 ways... and have been working p/t as a freelance writer so far. We may not all respond, but so many of us appreciate your being here and doing what you do, thanks! Vanessa :)

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    1. Great! No need for the Amazon receipt; just follow the directions in the book and I'll get back to you in a few days with a detailed critique. :) And thanks for the lovely post--I appreciate it.

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  2. Hi Kelly, You've already done one of my queries in the past. Very helpful, too. But I did just download your template ebook. Now I don't have to riffle through the Six Figure Freelancer to find one each time I want it.

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    1. Thank you, Carol! And smart idea re: the ebook--that's bound to make your life easier. :)

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