Dollars and Deadlines is Back! And is Ghostwriting for You?

Hello, readers, and welcome back...after more than a year on hiatus, I've decided to reboot the blog for several reasons. First and foremost, while the majority of my work these days is ghostwriting books for a variety of clients (with some content marketing, articles, and public speaking thrown in), I have several popular books on freelancing that continue to sell well. All are earning royalties! And that's great--so why not jump back into blogging and continue to rev those book sales? 

Just as important, this blog has been one way of giving back to the freelance community. If you're read my blog in the past, you know I opt for transparency. (Hence my honesty about my first reason for rebooting the blog.) I talk about money, share actual freelance rates for different types of work, discuss how to address freelancing issues (like getting paid!), and am always happy to answer readers' questions. I love helping other freelancers--both new and experienced--reach new levels of success in their careers. It just feels good! 

So please comment with any topics you'd like to see me cover, or questions you have, and I'll be happy to help! 

In the meantime, today's post is about how to determine whether ghostwriting is a good fit for you. You may be a stellar writer, but not every freelancer is cut out to ghostwrite. To succeed as a ghostwriter (or even a coauthor), you must have:

• The ability to set your ego aside. I confess that the first time I learned about ghostwriting (at a panel at the awesome ASJA conference), I thought, "I don't want to write someone else's book! I only want to write my own!" If you're addicted to seeing your byline, ghosting may not be for you.  It's all what your client wants, not what you want. If you can’t set your own ego aside, your career will be short-lived.

• Organizational skills. Forget the idea of scatterbrained writer. Writing a book requires focus and organization. It's even more important when you're writing someone else's. You're expected to stay on top of your own research, organize information you receive from your client, track various drafts (in progress or approved), and manage a schedule that may be ever-changing depending on your client’s needs. If your desk typically looks like a bomb went off, ghosting may not be a good fit for you.

• Creativity. Ghostwriting isn’t as simple as filling in an outline or connecting the dots. If you’re writing a memoir, a novel, or “creative nonfiction,” you’ll need a narrative arc and an overall theme or message for the book. Even a relatively straightforward how-to manuscript requires an ability to organize material, structure the overall manuscript (unless your client has determined this already), and to identify and maintain your client’s voice—in addition to writing 50,000 to 75,000 words or more. And that takes creative skills.

• Stress management skills. If you work for what I call a “PIA” client (think Pain In the A…) occasionally, your contact with the person is limited. But when you ghost or collaborate, you’re stuck with that person for months. Some clients will decide on a plan of action, then follow it to the letter. (I love those people!) Others will second-guess their decisions, change the scope of the book as you’re nearly completion, or need continual handholding. And that takes patience, deep breathing, goblets of sauvignon blanc, you name it.

• Knowledge of the publishing industry. Have you published your own books? Written and sold book proposals? Worked with an agent? Do you know the difference between traditional publishing, self-publishing, and print-on-demand ("POD"), and what the advantages and drawbacks are? The more experience you have with books, the more valuable you are to a client, and the more potential you have as a ghostwriter.

**Have questions about ghosting? Comment below and I'll be sure to answer them! And thanks for reading. 

New to freelancing and have questions? If you want the "big picture" about freelancing and are serious about making your freelance writing business a money-maker, I suggest my freelance classic, Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, Second Edition. 

**If you're more interested in getting into ghostwriting and content marketing, I suggest Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: Make Money Ghostwriting Books, Articles, Blogs and More, Second Edition. 

**If you're brand-new to freelancing, Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets walks you through the process of launching your freelance career. 

**Finally, if you like your books full of shorter pieces, check out a different format--Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success is divided into five broad sections to help you make more money regardless of what kind of nonfiction writing you do. 

Search the Blog for Freelance Answers

It's time. 

More than 4 years and 500+ posts (and more than 200,000 page views) later, Dollars and Deadlines is going to be on indefinite hiatus. But I'm glad you stopped by! I suggest you search the blog for advice about querying, marketing, ghostwriting, interviewing, content marketing  working efficiently, you name it. You'll find much more advice in one of my many print and ebooks on freelancing:  

**If you want the "big picture" about freelancing and are serious about making your freelance writing business a money-maker, I suggest my freelance classic, Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, Second Edition. 

**If you're more interested in getting into ghostwriting and content marketing, I suggest Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: Make Money Ghostwriting Books, Articles, Blogs and More, Second Edition. 

**If you're brand-new to freelancing, Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets walks you through the process of launching your freelance career. 

**Finally, if you like your books full of shorter pieces, check out a different format--Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success is divided into five broad sections to help you make more money regardless of what kind of nonfiction writing you do. 

And if you can't find the answer in one of those hundreds of posts, or in one of my books, shoot me a brief email at kelly at becomebodywise dot com, and I'll be happy to help. 

Thanks for being a reader, and I wish you all freelance success! 

Tips from ASJA ConCon 2014

First off, thanks to my readers who participated in the one-day only $0.99 sale last Wednesday, November 19! I sold 177 copes of Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets, Second Edition and 40 copies of other ebooks. 

Here's what happened on Amazon:  

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,226 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

#2 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Reference > Writing, Research & Publishing Guides > Writing Skills
#2 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Business & Money > Entrepreneurship & Small Business > Small Business
#6 in Books > Reference > Writing, Research & Publishing Guides > Writing > Writing Skills

So that was very cool, and I hope I've gained a few more readers! Thanks again! 

***
Were you at ASJA's Con Con earlier this month in Chicago? If not, you missed out on a great conference that was loaded with smart, insightful speakers geared toward writers who produce content for clients. 

Here's a roundup of some of the take-aways from keynoter Jay Heinrichs, author of Thank You for Arguing (who was a great speaker--engaging, funny, and prepared) made the point that in 1865, writer Henry James was getting paid $1/word. Today that's the standard for many publications, today too, but the cost of living has increased by a factor of 21since then. Yikes! 

You only want to write? Change your thinking. "In the past, publishers would have audiences for us...today we're all expected to be marketers," said Heinrich. 

Content is king, and going to continue to be. "Eighty-one percent of companies plan to shift their budges to spend more on content and new member experiences," he said. [And if you're not pursuing this kind of work, why not?]

Heinrich talked about the "decision journey" of engagement customers take--ideally, they travel from awareness to consideration to preference to purchase to loyalty. As a content writer, you want to help move them along that journey and help them become loyal to the brand you're representing. 

KPIs, or "key performance indicators" or metrics, are how the success of content is measured. Knowing what KPIs your client is tracking--and what their goals are--will help you succeed as a content writer. 

Heinrichs had 15 specific ideas that freelancers could try to succeed in today's market:  

1. Become an influencer. An influencer brings something--market reach, expertise, persuasiveness--that a client values. And companies pay $200 to $200,000 to have an influencer write about or represent a product or service. 
2. Find a "tiny niche," which Heinrichs describes as including 100,000 to 400,000 people. 
3. Gain legitimacy with a book. 
4. Collaborate. 
5. Start a publishing company. 
6. Network. 
7. Become a remora. (In other words, hook on to someone successful and go along for the ride.) 
8. Pursue an issue. 
9. Become a speaker. 
10. Pursue your passion--and work a real job in the meantime. 
11. Teach. 
12. Gather a video audience. And writers who can write for and edit video are going to be so in demand, in fact, that Heinrichs suggested writers that every writer learn FinalCut, a video editing program. (It's on my to-do list.) 
13. Diversify. 
14. Work for karma. 
15. Find your own great story. 

I gleaned some other tips from ConCon which I'll share in another post. In the meantime, if you're thinking about doing ghostwriting or content marketing, check out Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: Make Money Ghostwriting Books, Articles, Blogs, and More, Second Edition.

Don't Shortchange Yourself: Another Smart Marketing Tip

Who's attending ASJA's ConCon in Chicago November 13 and 14 this year? If you do content marketing, or you're a freelancer who wants to break into this field, consider this Chicago event. I went last year (and was on the ASJA committee behind it) and will be there this year as well, speaking on a panel about setting and negotiating rates as a freelancer.

But as of last summer, I didn't even know what "content marketing" really meant--and yet I agreed to help run a conference about it! What the hell, I thought--I'll go and figure it out once I'm there. But a few weeks later, when I was talking to another freelancer who does it, I realized I did know what it was. I'd actually done quite a bit of it already. 

"Content marketing" what used to be called "branded content" or "custom content." If you've been freelancing for a while, you've probably heard of custom magazines (think, Home and Away put out by AAA or WellBella, published by GNC) and may have even written for them. Expand your definition of "content" beyond articles to anything a company creates for consumers with a specific marketing purpose--web copy, white papers, videos, audios--and you've got "content marketing." 

My point? As a freelancer, I've been doing content marketing for years, writing articles for a variety of custom publishers. Not recognizing that that's what it was called hamstrung me from promoting that work to potential clients. Now I'm positioning myself as a content marketing writer, and getting work from companies to do more of it as a result. 

Take a look at your experience and consider how you're marketing yourself to clients. If you have experience that's valuable to potential clients, make sure they know about it! Don't shortchange yourself because you haven't labeled your skills in the most appealing way. 

**My latest book,Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: Make Money Ghostwriting Books, Articles, Blogs and More, Second Edition, shows writers how to break into the ghostwriting/content marketing field. Want more advice about making more money as a freelancer in less time? Check out Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, Second Edition, a freelancing classic that helps both new and experienced writers boost their bottom line. And if you're brand-new to freelancing, I recommend Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets. 

Goodbye, Byline is Now in Print--Get Your Copy Now!

Want to learn how to add ghostwriting to your freelance repertoire? Wondering why content marketing is so hot (and how you can do it, too)? Do you want to make more money as a freelancer (and hey, who doesn't)? I first published Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks in 2010 because I couldn't find a book on ghostwriting that told writers what to expect; how to find clients; how to market themselves; how to work efficiently with clients; and how to address (or avoid entirely) common ghostwriting mistakes. So I wrote it! (Here's the story behind the book and how I wound up going POD, or print-on-demand, for the first time.)

Well, last year I updated and expanded the book, including new templates, new rate information, and new advice and strategies from successful ghostwriters, content marketing writers, and other successful freelancers. It's been selling steadily on Kindle (don't have a Kindle? Get it on Smashwords here) but I know there are are readers like me who prefer the "real" thing--the print version. It will be available on Amazon shortly, but if you can't wait for your copy, buy it here. 

And stay tuned for more posts on marketing yourself as a writer, regardless of what types of nonfiction you write. 

Best Tips From 2014 ASJA Conference

I'm back from the 2014 ASJA Annual Writers' Conference. After five days in Manhattan, I'm exhausted but also energized, with plenty of great ideas, new contacts (and friends!), and new pitches to send.  

I attended about a half-dozen panels, and picked up tips from a number of editors, agents, and fellow freelancers. Some of the tips I gleaned included: 

• Focus on your strengths in your pitch to a content marketing agency. Dan Davenport of Meredith Xcererated Marketing (formerly Meredith Custom Publishing) doesn't like it when writers list nine different things they can do. He prefers that you limit yourself to one or two things you do well. (After meeting him in a client connection appointment, and hearing this advice, I completely rewrote my follow-up letter to him, focusing on what I do the best--service-oriented fitness writing.) 

• "There's never been a better time to be a freelancer," says content marketing writer Jennifer Goforth Gregory.  "It used to be that when corporate bigwigs wanted to promote products they did it with advertising. Now they create more effective content which saves them money--and that advertising money is now in their content marketing budget so it's available to us." She defines content as "anything produced by a company that provides information with the purpose of increasing trust for the customers to have in the brand." 

• 
  
  If you're self-publishing a book, have 10 online reviews up before you start sending it out for publicity, suggested Miral Sattar of BiblioCrunch. You get those reviews ahead of time by sending your e-galleys out to readers will who will review it on Amazon. (Great advice and a tip I'm going to use from now on with Improvise Press!)
  
  
• Don't ever say, "I don't think you know how good I really am." This was advice from keynoter Daniel Jones, who talked about his dreams of his writing career (making a living as a writer of short fiction) and the reality (he's the editor of the Times' Modern Love column). I missed the last half of his speech (I had to run to the Apple store at Grand Central Station to replace my iPhone which went for an unplanned swim in the toilet the day before), but my takeaway was to focus on your work, not on bragging about it. He also shared some hilarious emails from writers responding to his rejections, which were a big hit.  

• If you're a new writer, or new to the market, pitch something you have personal experience with, says Lynya Floyd of Family Circle. (Gee, I've been saying this for years!) The question she asks of pitches is "what is the service here?" and says each story has to have national, not regional appeal. 

• Amy Rushlow, of Prevention.com, suggests that writers come up with an attention-grabbing headline, and then write the story. "Click-bait" headlines do grab readers. (In your pitch, make sure to include the headline or working title." 

• Think ahead, says Marissa Stephenson of Men's Journal. "We work about six months out, so we're already looking at October/November pitches, and thinking about our January fitness package." She said Men's Journal pays $2/word and $150-300 for quick online posts; $500-600 for slide shows. 

• There are three places to find content work, says Jennifer Goforth Gregory: agencies; brands; and content services company like Ebyline and Contently. To get your foot in the door, "write a killer LOI that packages your experience and shows how you can help your clients. Include publications you've written for that are relevant to them. Make it really easy for them to say yes." 

** Want more advice about successful freelancing? Check out my books on freelancing, like Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, Second Edition and Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets.  

How to Write a Content Marketing Proposal

Not sure about how to write a content marketing proposal? That's the topic I just covered for Jennifer Goforth Gregory over at her extremely helpful blog, the Content Marketing Writer. Check it out for tips on how to help you write a proposal that gets you the content marketing gig!

Guest Post from Susan Johnston: 5 Trends for Freelancers to Watch in 2014

Thanks to freelancer extraordinaire Susan Johnston for today's guest post on freelance trends. I think you'll find it illuminating: 

Happy New Year, writers! Last year ushered in rapid changes and new developments in the media industry and 2014 promises to be no different. Not only are the markets and opportunities for freelancers evolving, but changes are also afoot to the way we get paid and insure our freelancer selves against potential health issues. Here's a look at five trends to consider as 2014 unfolds.

1.     More opportunities in content marketing.
Many of the freelancers I know have shifted their focus from magazine articles to content marketing (also sometimes called brand journalism or custom content). I even spoke on a panel about content marketing last year. Good content marketing places the needs of its readers before the desire to sell, sell, sell, which should alleviate some of the fears of sales-wary freelancers.

Big brands in industries including healthcare, finance, and consumer products now invest heavily in content marketing, and many of them use freelance journalists to produce that content, a need that I only see increasing in the coming year. Several industry insiders predict how content marketing may mature in the coming year. To read case studies and learn more about this growing field, I recommend reading the posts at the Content Marketing Institute and Content Strategist.

2.     Innovative uses of social media.
Freelancers use social media to crowdsource ideas and sources, promote their work, interact with readers, and in some cases even publish the work itself. I predict that writers' use of social media will continue to mature and evolve in 2014, so if you aren't signed up already, now's the time to claim your book title or name on social media before someone else does. I've even had prospective clients ask how many followers I have on Twitter or Facebook, so a strong following could be used as a selling point for savvy freelancers.

3.     Writers going indie.
Freelance pay rates for magazines have largely stagnated, and online and newspaper rates are generally even lower. Given these conditions, it's not surprising that journalists are becoming entrepreneurs by launching startups or writer communities, crowdfunding articles instead of selling to a publisher, monetizing a blog by charging readers, or self-publishing as Kelly has done with Improvise Press.

All of these smaller trends point to the broader movement of writers relying more on their own ingenuity and less on traditional publishers, a shift that I find encouraging and expect to see more of in 2014. However, these ventures aren't any easier than landing a magazine assignment or a book contract. In many cases, it's a lot more work to build your own media empire. It's also more rewarding because you pocket more of the profit and the glory if the project succeeds.

4.     Growing payment options.
Instead of mailing checks to freelancers, a growing number of companies now pay contributors through PayPal, direct deposit, or other electronic means. This is often faster and more secure than mailing a paper check, taking it to the bank, waiting for it to clear, and so on.

Sometimes clients gross up payments to cover PayPal fees, but many expect freelancers to absorb that cost (it's usually tax-deductible as a business expense but check with your accountant to be sure). Hopefully you're pricing your writing high enough that a small convenience fee from PayPal won't break the bank. However, my favorite workaround is Fresh books' $.50 flat Paypal fee on transactions. Invoice using Freshbooks and you'll only pay $.50 per PayPal transaction regardless of the invoice's size. 

If your clients still pay by check, don't despair. Mobile check deposit, which I covered for US News & World Report, has made it easier for me to deposit checks without a trip to the bank. A growing number of large and small banks have added this functionality to their mobile apps. Still, don't be surprised if more clients switch to PayPal or direct deposit in the new year, which is easier for both parties.

5.     The Affordable Care Act.
The Affordable Care Act has had its share of hiccups and controversy. Politics aside, many aspiring freelancers in the United States hesitate because the idea of going without employer-sponsored healthcare and buying their own just seems too daunting. I'm sure there are other freelancers who stay in marriages or domestic partnerships to avoid losing a spouse's employer-sponsored healthcare.

It may take some time to iron out the state healthcare exchanges, but their implementation could help those who previously felt tethered to an employer for the benefits. Massachusetts implemented its own health insurance exchange a year or two before I quit my job to freelance full-time and it's one of the things that even made that transition possible.

Freelancers, what trends are you seeing play out as the new year begins? Leave a comment and let us know!

**Susan Johnston has contributed to print and online publications including The Boston Globe, Self Magazine, and US News & World Report. Her ebook, The Urban Muse Guide to Online Writing Markets, will soon be updated for 2014, and if you buy it now, you'll get a copy of the current edition and the updated version once it's available.

Time to Disappear? 8 Great Ghostwriting Posts

Do you ghostwrite? You should. Sure, you write without a byline or recognition. But I've found that I can make more money ghostwriting books for clients (including Pros with Platforms) than I can writing my own books. 

The reason is simple. When I ghostwrite, that's all I do. I don't have to market and promote the book (the most time-consuming part of authorship). That's my client's job. I get paid to write the book and then I move on to the next project. And remember, too, I don't run the risk of wasting my time writing a book proposal that may not sell the way I would with my own books. My client pays me upfront to write the proposal. 

But writers don't just ghostwrite books. They ghostwrite articles, blog posts, and content marketing pieces. Rates for this kind of work vary, but in general, you're looking at rates of $0.50/word to $1-2/word. 

Want to know more about ghostwriting? Check out these posts: 

• Why add ghostwriting to your freelance repertoire? (And fees for some recent projects.)
• Five more reasons to ghostwrite--including bigger advances.
• Sure, we think of celebs and "big names" as hiring ghosts, but your clients are more likely to be average folks who want to write books or professionals who want to become book authors; here's how to work with the latter.
• What attributes do you need to successfully ghost?
• Not all potential clients are worth your while. Here are ten red flags to run away, fast.
• Here are five simple ways to find ghosting clients.
• Book packagers often hire ghosts; here's what you should know about them.

What's that? You want to know even more about ghostwriting and how to succeed in this lucrative niche? Then you'll want to read the updated, expanded edition of Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: The Writer's Guide to Making Money Ghostwriting and Coauthoring Books (Kindle version). From sample contracts to marketing advice to tips on setting fees and working with clients, you'll find everything you need to know to get started and make ghostwriting a lucrative part of your freelance career.

Market Constantly: The Key to Freelance Success

Occasionally I return to popular, evergreen posts. Marketing is on my mind as I'm going to start a big marketing push in a week or so, as I close in on the deadline for my current ghostwriting project. 

            

Here's the thing. This project is a full-time endeavor right now, but I know if I don't reach out to new markets soon, sending LOIs, and touch base with former clients, I will be looking at a big gap in work early in 2014. I don't want that. I like to start the year off busy, with plenty of work "on my desk," or new assignments. Talking to freelancers a few weeks ago at ASJA Con Con, I was reminded that even the busiest market constantly. 

            

The way you market will depend on the type of work you do, which means that the strategies that work for a freelancer who writes for magazines won’t work for a copywriter whose biggest clients are corporations. You should create your own marketing plan, selecting different techniques that will vary depending on the type of work you do. In addition to those dreaded cold calls, here are ten effective techniques to use:

• Query letters. If you write for magazines, whether print or online, a powerful query is your first line of attack. Every query should open with a compelling lead, make the case for the story, show the editor how you plan to approach the topic, and describe why you’re uniquely qualified to write it. 
• LOIs. Second only to query letters in the freelancer’s arsenal is the LOI, or letter of introduction. You should have a template on hand that you can customize for potential clients, whether you’re contacting a custom publisher, a business, or a potential ghostwriting client. A template you can tweak lets you strike fast if you see a freelancing post or find out about a possible gig. The client will usually hire one of the first qualified responders, so you want to be as close to the head of the line as you can.
• Your website. You need one. Period. Your website should be designed to attract your primary target clients. If you’re writing for businesses, play up that aspect. If you freelance for magazines, include clips on your site and a list of publications you’ve worked for. At the least, your website should include: a description of the kind of work you do; a brief biography; and contact information. You may also want to list of prior projects or publications or client testimonials as well.
• Your email signature. One of the easiest yet overlooked ways to market yourself is to create an email signature that describes the work you do. Change it occasionally to highlight different aspects of your business.
• Satisfied clients. Clients who are happy with your work are one of the best ways to market yourself. Once you’ve proven yourself, ask your editor if she knows of other editors looking for freelancers. If you feel that’s too pushy, at least ask her to pass your name along to colleagues who might hire you in the future. 
• Article and book sources. I’ve interviewed hundreds of sources over the years, most of who are professionals in the health and fitness fields. I let them know that I ghostwrite and coauthor books, and have had work come through recommendations because of the way I treated a source. 
• Online job posts. Believe it or not, I’ve found good-paying work through online jobsites like craigslist. Check outhttp://craigslist.org, www.elance.com, www.online-writing-jobs.com, and www.guru.com for freelance job postings. Yes, most of the work is low-paying but there are legitimate gigs to be found if you don’t mind trawling through the dreck.
• Networking. Hate the word? Put a different spin on it. Don’t call it networking. Don’t call it anything. Just make an effort to create relationships with other humans, help them when you can, and connect. The person you connect with may not be a potential client, but he may know someone who is. The more people who know what you do, the better.
• One-on-one meetings. ASJA Con Con offered “Personal Pitch” sessions to meet potential content marketing clients this year. If you do a lot of work for businesses, it’s worth it to join your local chamber of commerce or attend other local networking events to introduce yourself to business owners.
• Social media. Unlike a website, a blog isn’t essential, but it can help you market yourself and your business. Same goes for your Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts. Each should contain a brief blurb about the kind of work you do, again targeting potential clients. 

Bottom line is to avoid a common marketing mistake, and one I’ve made in the past. You get busy with work and you don’t market for a while. Then after you crawl out from under your deadlines, you discover that you have to scramble to line up assignments.

That’s why you should set aside time, even if it’s just a few hours a week, to market. That may mean sending out a query or two, touching base with your regular clients, connecting with someone on LinkedIn, or checking online sites for possible gigs. Consistent marketing will make for more consistent work, and consistent money. 

Want more advice? My latest book, Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: Make Money Ghostwriting Books, Articles, Blogs, and More, Second Edition (Kindle), includes templates of LOIs that content marketing writers and ghostwriters use, along with sample contracts, nondisclosure agreements, and bids. Don't have a Kindle? Download it here.

***The $0.99 ebook promotion returns! My three most popular short ebooks for writers will be priced at $0.99 for a limited time, including:

Dollars and Deadlines' 10 Most Popular, Proven Ways to Make Money as a Freelance Writer

Dollars and Deadlines' Guide to Selling Your First Article

Dollars and Deadlines' 10 Essential Freelance Templates 

If you're new to freelancing, this will be the best dollar you've ever spent! 

Pump up your Content Marketing Pitches

My last few posts, I've been sharing some of the great tips I heard at ASJA Con Con. Today's focuses on the critical subject of how to make your pitch to a contenting marketing client stand out--and boost your chances of getting work from it.

1. Reach the right person. You may not be able to tell, at first glance, who the proper person to pitch at a company is. Check the company's website, and LinkedIn, looking for job titles like "marketing director" or "content strategist" to determine who that contact person is, says Jennifer Goforth Gregory.

2. Emphasize your relevant experience. Instead of describing yourself as a writer who covers business, highlight specific topics you've covered already. Companies want and need writers who already have a background in the subjects they want you to write about. Omitting those specialities may mean your letter is ignored.

3. Show that you "get" content marketing. Include a sentence that demonstrates that you understand the company's mission and brand. This sets you apart from writers who forget (or don't even realize)  that content marketing is all about building customer loyalty.

4. Always follow up. Be a "friendly stalker," says Gregory. Follow up in two to three weeks, and touch base every few months after that to stay on their radar. Too many writers send one LOI to a potential client and then drop the ball.

5. Consider internal communications. Freelancer and content marketing writer Wendy Helfenbaum says that big companies have internal communications departments that need writers to research and write profiles, human interest stories, and other pieces targeted at employees. "It's about the companies engaging their employees," she says. "You may be writing for employee newsletters, and they want stories that have nothing to do with work." The people that hire writers are sometimes hard to identify--they're like ghosts, says Helfenbaum. Look for job titles like "communications manager" or "director of communications" to locate these opportunities.

6. Use a template. My latest book, Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: Make Money Ghostwriting Books, Articles, Blogs, and More, Second Edition (Kindle), includes templates of LOIs that Gregory and other content marketing writers and ghostwriters use, along with sample contracts, nondisclosure agreements, and bids. Don't have a Kindle? Download it here.

***The $0.99 ebook promotion returns! My three most popular short ebooks for writers will be priced at $0.99 for a limited time, including:

Dollars and Deadlines' 10 Most Popular, Proven Ways to Make Money as a Freelance Writer

Dollars and Deadlines' Guide to Selling Your First Article

Dollars and Deadlines' 10 Essential Freelance Templates 

If you're new to freelancing, this will be the best dollar you've ever spent!