Long-time Freelancer? Then it May be Time to Shake Things Up

I'm thrilled to write a guest post for The Renegade Writer today, on a topic of interest to anyone who's been freelancing longer than a year or two. How do you know if it's time to add something new to your work mix--and how do you do it? Check it out!

Too Depressed to Write? That's no Excuse...

If depression is hurting your productivity, check out The Renegade Writer's interview with Julie Fast, author of Get it Done When You're Depressed. It's a great Q & A and includes tips that are relevant for any writer who wants to boost his/her productivity.

Forget Queries: 8 Other Ways to Get Work

Sure, queries are a great place to start, but they're only one weapon in your freelance arsenal. Check out The Renegade Writer's post on 8 ways to land assignments (without querying) for other ways to market yourself and your business.

Another Way to Make your Editor Lose Your Number

Great minds think alike; to follow up on my post about 10 ways to make your editor to lose your number, check out this post on what pisses editors off from the Renegade Writer.

Renegade Writer Interview on Ghostwriting

Hi, gang!

Linda Formchelli, freelancer extraordinaire, interviewed me for her popular blog, The Renegade Writer. It's up now.

Coming later today (and later this week): more double-dipping techniques.

Big News for Would-Be Ghostwriters, Coauthors and Collaborators

It's time to announce my big news, at last!

What do Hillary Rodham Clinton, David Beckham, Donald Trump, Naomi Campbell, and Clay Aiken have in common? They’re all well-known, and they’re also all book authors—authors who used ghostwriters. In addition to the estimated 80% of celebrity-authored books which are ghostwritten, the market for ghosts and collaborators is broad and growing. Publishers, agents, book packagers, individuals, subject matter experts, and corporations all hire ghostwriters.

Yet often even experienced writers know little about this lucrative area of freelancing—ghostwriting and collaborating on books. Typical book projects start at about $10,000, with many paying in the mid-five-figures, and once you’ve established yourself as a ghost, it’s easy to market yourself to potential clients. (Three out of four of my last projects all came through word-of-mouth referrals.)

Intrigued? Want to know more about this lucrative field? Then you'll want to read my new book, Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks! The Writer's Guide to Making Money Ghostwriting and Coauthoring Books, which will be in print October 15, 2010. Just as Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money shows readers how to suceed as self-employed writers, Goodbye will help you launch a thriving ghostwriting business. You'll learn what skills are essential, what kinds of clients hire ghostwriters, how to find clients, negotiate fees, work efficiently, and address problems that can arise in the ghostwriting/coauthoring process. If you're a book author who wants to make more money, or you want to expand into a lucrative area, you'll want to read this book.

I'll remind readers when the book is available. Can't wait until then, or want one-on-one advice from me? I'm teaching a ghostwriting class starting September 13, 2010, through RenegadeWriter; check out http://www.therenegadewriter.com/new-renegade-writer-classes/#kelly for more info about the class and the other excellent courses RW offers.