This morning as I logged on super early (for me), because I have a day trip planned and am rushing to get ready. I opened up my email to check, and had and update from an SEO writer I dubbed “Cold Calling Carol.” If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that she’s the freelance writer who emailed me last June wanting to try something different to drum up SEO writing jobs.

She took my advice and has been able to grow her business to the point where she now employs three people. Following is her latest email – the best one yet.

FYI, here are all the links in this SEO writing series.   Here’s Cold Calling Carol’s latest update (all bold emphasis are mine).

Hey Yuwanda! 

Happy NEW YEAR!  I hope all is well in your world. I figured I would give you a cold calling carol update.  It’s only 1/20 and I already made $3,000 in revenue for my business!  

In fact, I had my 1st 1,000 day!  

The [client] I cold called in the summer is keeping me very busy, he has been hit hard by Google Panda, and he is paying me well to clean it up. He just gave me a $2,000 project, and after this is complete, he has an $8,000 project for me to complete with some smaller ones in between. He even told me he had another writer to help, but he prefers me. He really likes my work!  

I know I can’t rely on him for all of my income, but he has given me confidence to approach other [professionals in his niche].  The rest of my income is coming from social media management, and I just signed a contract with an up and coming yelp like directory to write 20 blogs for them at $500 bucks a month for 6 months! 

I have 2 writers I outsource to, and [my mate] helps me with social media management.  I hope this post inspires your readers. Mind you this is marketing I did in August that is now paying off today!    I am on my phone so it is hard to type. I will keep you updated.

Thanks

My Response

Following are a few things I want to point out about this update from this SEO writer.

1. There is a lot of work in SEO writing: This underscores that there is tons – tons – of SEO writing work out there if you’re willing to be proactive in going after it.

2. Do something different: While SEO writing (freelance writing in general really) is a cyclical profession, when the going gets tough (or slow), you may have to try different marketing methods to bring in the business. Or, up your marketing efforts. For example, if you’re used to sending out 50 emails and landing at least  a couple of jobs, you may have to send out 150 to land the same number when times are slow.

This freelancer decided to try something different; she started cold calling — something she really didn’t want to do – in July/August. These are traditionally two of the slowest months in editorial. And, look at how it’s paid off for her, which brings me to my next point . . . 

3. Be patient; marketing takes times sometimes to work. As she pointed out in her email, “Mind you this is marketing I did in August that is now paying off today!” So be patient.

Just because you send out 50 emails or call 20 firms, don’t expect to get work now (although most often you will). But if said it until I’m blue in the face, the success in marketing comes from being CONSISTENT with it. You keep doing it and I practically guarantee that you will get work.

4. Hire help, ie – outsource work to other writers — when you get busy. This allows you to grow your business.

5. Don’t rely on one client for all of your business. While it’s nice to have one client to keep you busy, don’t stop marketing for work. Again, hire others. This is where real growth – and making REAL money – comes in. When you don’t have to do every project that comes in, but you STILL make money from it, well . . . that’s business ownership at its best.

Any advice you’d want to add/questions you have? Please feel free to relay them in the comments section below.

Hope this inspires you – and a big thanks to Cold Calling Carol for her update – and success! She’s earned it.

Have a great one!

Start your SEO writing career today!

Yuwanda
P.S.: In One Week, Train for a Career That Allows You to Earn Enough to REALLY Quit Your Day Job: Get SEO Copywriting Training Today.

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Following is a question I received from a new SEO writer (actually a couple of questions) about a week ago. Although it’s couched in marekting terms, the underlying question is a perennial one, ie “How do I ensure success as a freelance SEO writer?” My answer follows.

Hi Yuwanda,
 
I wanted to ask you a question regarding the response rate for reaching out to … companies. I am using a slightly modified version of your template. I have reached out to about 150 companies over the past 3 weeks, but I’ve only had 2 interested responses (and I’m working on converting these guys into clients).
 
I’ve changed up my strategy a little, in the past week, and began e-mailing [other] sites that specialize in my niches. Hopefully this will produce better results.
 
Now, I know that not everyone is going to have the same results, but I am stumped as to why I am having such atypical results. I know that my writing samples are quality, and that my prices are not outrageous.
 
Do you have any additional tips for hooking people on the initial e-mail?
 
I’ve also created a free report to provide value to potential clients (and to justify my prices, lol). Do you think I should send this report with my initial e-mail, or do you think it best to wait until the company / person has responded?
 
Thank you and I appreciate any guidance / insight that you can provide.
 
Have a wonderful day.
 
Sincerely,
TB

My Answer

Thanks T for writing in. I can never reiterate just how much readers like you make this blog so helpful by continuing to ask such insightful questions.

I’m going to answer your last question first, then circle back to the first one.

In answer to “I’ve also created a free report to provide value to potential clients (and to justify my prices, lol). Do you think I should send this report with my initial e-mail, or do you think it best to wait until the company / person has responded?”

My rule of thumb in email marketing is not to overwhelm prospects by sending too much info in the initial email. Your goal with the first touch is to get a response from them. So, stick with just trying to get them to reach out to you for SEO writing work.

What I advise is waiting until your second touch – even if they don’t respond to the first one – to send the report. That way, it’s a follow-up, but a follow-up with helpful, free information.

Also, put the report on your site as a free download. That way, if prospects do click through, they’ll see it.

In answer to “Do you have any additional tips for hooking people on the initial e-mail?”

The one I outline in the SEO writing ebook worked well for me. The only other thing I’d advise is to target niche markets (as you’ve already started to do), and to continue marketing.

As I’ve stated many times, there’s a lot that goes into deciphering why one person can get 5 responses from 50 emails, while another receives 2 from 150, eg, rates, writing samples, what was said in the initial email, services offered, etc.

But more often than not, it’s not YOU; it could be that the people you touched don’t need your services, or they already have a copywriter, or they’re in a bad mood when they open your email, or . . . a hundred and one other reasons.

Another thing I want to say about this to all new SEO writers is, if you’re new to business, you may not realize how easy starting an SEO writing business is – and how fortunate you are to be able to send out emails and get a response – and start getting jobs. Sometimes it’s days; other times it’s a few weeks.

BUT this is incredible. Even the two responses this new SEO writer got – considering that it probably only took her a few hours to send these emails out  and she’s already got two candidates on the hook and could ostensibly make money within the next couple of weeks – THAT’S INCREDIBLE.

I’ve started many businesses and let me tell you, I’m still amazed at how easy this one was to start – and grow.

So my overall message is, don’t get spoiled. Don’t think, “Oh, I sent out 100 emails and only got one response. That’s a 1% response rate. FYI, the average response rate for direct mail is 1-2%. For email, it’s significantly higher, ie:

Average Open Rate: 23.3%
Average Click-Through Rate: 5.9%
Average Delivery Rate: 96.0%
Source: EmailStatCenter.com (June 2011)

Want SEO Article Writing Jobs: Practice “Marketing Success by the Numbers”

Success is always in the numbers. Even though you may “only” be getting two responses from 150 emails, then just say to yourself, “Ok, I have to send out 300 to get 4; 450 to get 6; 600 to get 8; etc.”

Is Hard Work Necessary?

This is doing what it takes to build your business, which brings me to my last piece of advice, which is . . . when you’re doing everything “right” and things still  aren’t happening the way you want/expect them to, then there’s only one way to make sure that it will – and that is to work harder.

Don’t get discouraged, don’t compare your successes and (perceived) failures to anyone else’s. Dig in and work harder.

I subscribe to Bob Bly’s newsletter. He’s a millionaire copywriter by the way. A newsletter he recently sent out had the title, “Is Hard Work Necessary?” In it he wrote:

When your business or job isn’t going the way you want it to, buckle down and redouble your efforts.

You’ll be more productive, and at least some of your extra efforts will be rewarded – and hard work will have saved the day.

Goethe wrote, “Whoever strenuously endeavors, him we can rescue.”

Combine hard work with persistence – never giving up – and the odds of you getting the result you want increase geometrically.

I’ve always believed this, and it’s the best advice I can give to anyone who may be frustrated, impatient, discouraged, etc. with their SEO writing career (or any career).

Until next week!

Yuwanda
P.S.: In One Week, Train for a Career That Allows You to Earn Enough to REALLY Quit Your Day Job: Get SEO Copywriting Training Today.

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When I first started out as an SEO writer in 2007, clients would basically give you a set of keywords and give you free reign to write what you want – that was beneficial to their company, of course.

Back then, it was all about getting as much content on their site with their keywords in it as possible to drive traffic (and sales). The change I see with clients now though is that they’re becoming more involved in the process. Many are developing “content strategies.” 

What Is a Content Strategy?

As Wikipedia defines it, a content strategy is “the practice of planning for content creation, delivery, and governance” and “a repeatable system that defines the entire editorial content development process for a website development project.”  

Learn more about what’s involved in creating a content strategy. 

4 Ways a Client’s Content Strategy Affects SEO Writers

What does this mean for you as an SEO content provider? Four things, in my opinion, ie: (i) you’ll get more work; (ii) it’ll require more research; (iii) you’ll have to learn how to write themed SEO Content; and (iv) you’re probably going to want to raise your SEO writing rates.

More SEO Writing Work: This is because clients may plan their content out (eg, create an editorial calendar) for a quarter, 6 months or a year at a time. Instead of one-off articles, you’re likely to see more “content campaigns.” So this not only leads to more work, it means longer term clients as well.

More Research: Clients will be seeking more in-depth, specific content. No more fluff articles with keywords inserted to reach a certain density.

Providing Themed SEO Content: If you don’t know what themed SEO content is, then it’s time to learn because this is what search engines like Google are rewarding more now. If you read through Google’s guidelines for web content creation, you’ll see that they’re practically telling you that this is the kind of copy they want to see on sites.

Raising Rates: Overall, you’re going to be spending more time on client projects. This means you should probably start looking at raising your SEO writing rates, especially if you’re at the lower end of the spectrum. 

Your Thoughts?

Take note in your business. Does any of the above ring true for you? Have you started to see changes like these in your SEO writing business? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Best,
Yuwanda
P.S.: In One Week, Train for a Career That Allows You to Earn Enough to REALLY Quit Your Day Job: Get SEO Copywriting Training Today.

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Copyright © 2012: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the publisher’s written consent (linking to is fine).

A student in the SEO course asked me the following question recently. It’s a question I’ve been asked quite a few times over the last year or so. We’ve covered this before here on this blog in the post, SEO Copywriting Question: An SEO Writer Asks, “Do Clients Tell You the Kind of Content They Want?” But, as info gets buried and it’s the new year and a lot of newbies are just starting out, I thought it a good idea to go over it again.

Following is this student’s exact question – and my answers.

First Question from Student in the SEO Course

Hi Yuwanda

I really like the [SEO] course and I’m learning a lot. I’m getting ready to write the two articles to send to you for review and I have one question: 

Although I understand the keyword research, how do you actually research for what to include in the article’s body itself. In particular, for subjects you might not know about (such as mortgages, weddings, or whatever). Would you just go online and look for information on the topics and then decide what to include?

For example, if you saw something interesting about exotic weddings such room decorations or going to a particular island to get married, would you just include it because it seems interesting? Or places that have great low rate mortgages because that seems it would appeal to people? Or, would it all be based on what comes up on the keyword list?

This is all I don’t understand so far.

Thanks, 
MK
##

My Answer

Good question.
 
To answer — usually, the client will provide you with a primary keyword phrase. So, type that into Google’s keyword research tool to find other (secondary) keyword phrases. Depending on the keyword phrase, you’ll find a few or many more phrases you can use to round out an article.
 
Have a good weekend, and good luck finishing up the remainder of the [SEO] course.
##

After I sent this email to him, he sent in a follow-up question. 

Second Question from Student in the SEO Course

[RE] “…you’ll find a few or many more phrases you can use to round out an article.”

I’m a little confused, because I’m understanding “round out” as putting the finishing touches on an article after just about all of it has already been written. Do you mean you can use the few or many more phrases to start and build the article from scratch? Wouldn’t more research be required, especially if the writer isn’t familiar with the subject? 

I’m perplexed about how to start articles, make them interesting and get them to the point where they can be rounded out according to what I think rounding out means. How does it work?
##

My Answer: 3 Ways to Find Ideas for What to Write When Clients Give You Keywords

M-:
 
Sometimes clients will give you ideas on what to write about; other times they’ll give you free reign to write on what you want when they forward keywords to you. So, write content that is helpful to their readers. If you don’t have any ideas, ask clients to give you some, eg, “Are there frequently asked questions that your customers have that I can address in the articles you want me to write?”
 
You can also do research on competitor sites to see what kind of content they have to get ideas for your client articles. Or, you can look at answer sites like Answers.yahoo.com or answerbag.com to see what types of questions users of a particular product/service are asking to get ideas for articles.

In short, there are tons of ways to get ideas about what to write on when client gives you a set of keywords.
 
As for when I say “round out an article,” I mean use secondary keyword phrases to keep from having to repeat the primary keyword phrase a jazillion times, that’s all — nothing more, nothing less.
 
Hope this insight helps.
## 

Related Posts

SEO Writing Tip: Why I Write with Google’s Keyword AdWord Tool Open at All Times

SEO Writers: Find it Hard to Incorporate Keywords? Struggle with Density? Why You No Longer Need to – Write Copy Clients & SEs Will Love

SEO Services: How SEO Copywriters Should Handle Optimizing for More than One Keyword Phrase

Search Engine Optimization Copywriting: What Is Themed SEO Content, How It’s Different from ‘Ordinary’ Content & Why SEO Writers Need to Know About It

Your Freelance Writing Goals: How’s It Going?

I’m off track so far this year as I haven’t been able to adhere much to my daily, time-blocked schedule.  It’s driving me crazy because I don’t function well without a regimented schedule. I still have some non-work stuff to get off my plate, so I decided to just go with the flow this week and next week and will get back on track the week of the 23^rd.

If you’re off track with your freelance writing goals, how do you plan to get back on track this year? Please share in the comments section below.

Best,
Yuwanda
P.S.: In One Week, Train for a Career That Allows You to Earn Enough to REALLY Quit Your Day Job: Get SEO Copywriting Training Today.

Find this post informative? Follow Us on Twitter.

Submit a Guest Post: This site and its parent site, InkwellEditorial.com, now accept guest posts. Get the guest post submission guidelines.

Want to avoid freelance writing dry spells by making extra money as an affiliate marketer? Learn how to earn $50-$150/day online pretty seamlessly in the best-selling ebook, How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites.

Copyright © 2012: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the publisher’s written consent (linking to is fine).

Back in early December, I received the following rather long email from a new SEO copywriter. He’d just started marketing for content writing jobs and had received a couple of “whacko” responses that he was unsure how to handle. To paraphrase Sally Field’s character in the movie Forrest Gump:

“Marketing is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.”

Following is the email and my response. Of course, identifying details have been changed/omitted to protect the writer. FYI, below there is some very detailed feedback on how this freelancer can improve the marketing email he’s sending out. Maybe this insight can help you, especially if marketing for SEO writing jobs is new for you.

************************************
Editor Note:  FYI, the price of the SEO writing ebook will be increased this coming Monday, the 9th.
************************************ 

I am sending out 200 emails and then I get this one back:

“J- 

We have a staff of over 100 writing articles for our clients. We also have a programming staff as well as a link building staff. [Our company] is a big company that provides SEO services to many clients as well as other SEO resellers through out the nation as well as in Canada.

On that note we are always looking for content writers for our company and clients. My only concern is some of the verbiage you use in your emails as well as on your site. An SEO Article is an article that discusses SEO an article used for SEO is just an article with links coded into the content. 

I have also been in the SEO industry since 2007, my background was in web development and computer programming. I have always had an interest in SEO and learned a lot since then and now handle campaigns for many big firms for nationwide placement. If you are still interested in working with our company please provide me with your cost on a 1000 word article if any industry you are capable.”

This is my email I send out: 

I’m interested in writing SEO articles/content for your company. I have three writing sites and currently post my SEO articles and rates on my white paper blog [he listed his blog’s URL].  

I’ve been a freelance copywriter since 2007. My first copywriting course was with AWAI and I’ve continued to upgrade my skills. I provide professional services and always meet deadlines.

Prior to becoming a freelancer, I worked for 15 years with [a major hotel] in security and security management. I also have experience in the life insurance and retail industry. I feel very confident that I could provide excellent SEO articles for any of those business types. 

In addition, I have many interests, including health and fitness, martial arts and small business. I have four blogs which I try my best to keep updated, however it’s not always easy. 

To contact me: [he listed all of his contact information].

I look forward to discussing any writing needs you may have and look forward to a long business relationship. You can also click on the links below to learn more about [me].

I just need to know, am I doing something wrong. This guy is the 2nd one that replied today and I cannot quite figure out what he is talking about. The other guy who responded is a whacko, who emailed me and said he couldn’t work with me cause I didn’t call him back, when I actually called him an hour after he emailed me???

I know I am asking a lot so if you want me to Paypal some money for reading this and telling me what’s wrong, just let me know.

My Response 

First, let me say that I don’t charge to answer emails – for two reasons:

Why I Don’t Accept Money to Answer Questions Freelancers Send In 

(i) the emails that readers send in make great, informative content for this site, so when you send in a question that I answer, you’re really doing me a favor because I don’t have to worry about coming up with ideas for posts here; and 

(ii) if a fee is exchanged, that amounts to a consultation. This means I’d have to adhere to a schedule of when I got back to you, how the content is structured, could I use it on this blog, etc. I don’t want that. 

I like to answer questions at my leisure and I pick and choose the ones I answer – selecting those that have broad appeal that I feel will help many who come to this blog looking for answers to specific questions. 

With that being said, following is my answer to this freelancer’s questions.

SEO Copywriters: Red Flags to Be Aware of From Prospective Clients

In answer to the prospective client who rambled on about having a programming staff as well as a link building staff, and providing SEO services to  SEO resellers throughout the nation and Canada, it sounds to me like this guy is much ado about nothing.

Why do I say this?

I think he’s trying to build up his company to make it look like a large one that can give you a lot of work – all so that you’ll agree to work for pennies. Firms like this want to appear large because they’ll promise you “lots of ongoing work” if you lower your rates. Many new SEO writers fall for the ”we’ll throw lots of work your way if you’ll just do it for $X.”

Don’t!

As an aside, when a firm says that they offer “link building” services, that’s a red flag for me. Not that there’s anything wrong with link building, but it’s how they pitch that service and what their link building strategies are.

Many of the skeezy firms that offer this service engage in blackhat tactics like spamming blogs, forums and websites with inane comments. And, they hire freelancers to do so, paying them basically nothing.

Following is how I’d respond to this guy. It’s basically a brush-off email, but is professional and leaves the door open in case they do want to use you (always, always, always get at least half payment up front from new clients – especially ones you may be unsure about to begin with).

SEO Copywriters: The Perfect Brush-Off Email that Leaves the Door Open for Future Work

Thank you for responding. I can certainly help you with any SEO content writing needs you may have. Following is a link to all of the services I offer, as well as my rates. Feel free to get in touch if I can be of any assistance.

Our service offerings can be found at:  [link to your website’s Services page]

Our rates can be found at:  [link to your website’s Rate page]

I look forward to the possibility of working with your firm.

Sincerely,

As for the second response – the prospect who said he couldn’t work with this freelancer because he didn’t call him back, when in fact he’d called back in an hour – I wouldn’t bother to respond to him. If he’s that unreasonable, he’d be a nightmare to work with.

SEO Copywriting Advice: Answer to “What Am I Doing Wrong”

Actually, there are a few changes I’d make to this freelancer’s website and his marketing email. As I won’t list his website here, following are the changes I’d make to his marketing email (see my feedback in red).

I’m interested in writing SEO articles/content for your company. I have three writing sites and currently post my SEO articles and rates on my white paper blog [he listed his blog’s URL].  

[There is no need to tell clients that you have three writing websites. They don’t care. All they need to know about is the one that’s going to help them with their business.]

I’ve been a freelance copywriter since 2007. My first copywriting course was with AWAI and I’ve continued to upgrade my skills. I provide professional services and always meet deadlines.

[Prospective clients don’t need to know about how you’re “improving/upgrading” your skills. Saying this pegs you as not only inexperienced, but unprofessional as well. Let your writing samples do the talking for you – and leave it at that.

In the Education/Training section of your professional profile, you can list any training you’ve had, but the way it’s listed here is a "Please, please hire me; I’ll do a good job for you because I’ve had all this training."

As an aside, I think this maybe why this freelancer is getting some “whacko” responses. He’s telling prospects how green he is; so he’s attracting the type of clients who’ll take advantage of that.]

Prior to becoming a freelancer, I worked for 15 years with [a major hotel] in security and security management. I also have experience in the life insurance and retail industry. I feel very confident that I could provide excellent SEO articles for any of those business types.

[Again, this should be listed in your professional profile under “Experience.” And really, unless you’re targeting the hotel/hospitality industry as a freelance SEO writer, there’s no need for this to go in your email query.

Also, stating “I feel very confident,” actually says the opposite, eg, you’re new and not very confident. Again, let your SEO writing samples speak for you. Don’t “beg” clients to give you a shot. If your samples are good and your SEO writing rates meet their budget, there’s a good chance they’ll be in touch.]

In addition, I have many interests, including health and fitness, martial arts and small business. I have four blogs which I try my best to keep updated, however it’s not always easy.

[This should go in the Hobbies/Interest section of this freelancer’s professional profile. And to repeat, there’s no need to tell clients about all of your blogs/websites. By doing this, you may be planting a seed that you don’t’ have time for any writing they may send your way.

I have several blogs/websites, but the only one I refer to when marketing is NewMediaWords.biz, my SEO writing company’s site. The exception to this rule is if I’m targeting a client who’s business is in the same niche as one of my blogs. I might refer to it if I think it’ll help my firm land a gig, but this is the ONLY time to do this. ]

To contact me: [he listed all of his contact information].

I look forward to discussing any writing needs you may have and look forward to a long business relationship. You can also click on the links below to learn more about [me].

Conclusion

I hope you had a joyous holiday season and are ready to get back in the swing of things. I didn’t get a break, literally working right up to – and on – New Year’s Day. I’m trying to make this a lite work week because to be honest, I’m exhausted.

But, I’m thrilled with the progress I made last year and am excited to get going on the freelance writing goals I made for this year.

Did you make any goals for your freelance / SEO writing business this year? Have any additional marketing insight for the freelancer featured in this newsletter? Please share in the comments section below.

Yuwanda
P.S.: In One Week, Train for a Career That Allows You to Earn Enough to REALLY Quit Your Day Job: Get SEO Copywriting Training Today.

Find this post informative? Follow Us on Twitter.

Submit a Guest Post: This site and its parent site, InkwellEditorial.com, now accept guest posts. Get the guest post submission guidelines.

Want to avoid freelance writing dry spells by making extra money as an affiliate marketer? Learn how to earn $50-$150/day online pretty seamlessly in the best-selling ebook, How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites.

Copyright © 2012: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the publisher’s written consent (linking to is fine).

Editor Note: The SEO Copywriter Training Class is Discounted Thru the End of the Year. Tired of the cubicle grind? Ready to change your life and start a truly doable, work-from-home business earning $50-$75K/yr? This training will get you there in 2012. It’s a great holiday gift — to yourself!

How to Freelance: An SEO Writing “Payroll” Question

Recently, I received the following question from Cold Calling Carol, the freelancer whose SEO writing business took of this past summer. She got so busy that she outsourced some of her article writing, and had run into the following snag. She wrote:

. . . I was wondering how do you go about paying your writers when a client doesn’t pay your invoice in time or at all? I am still waiting on another client to pay me so i can pay my writer.

This happened to me when I owned my editorial staffing agency in New York (1996-2004). Remember, Inkwell Editorial started out as just an editorial outsource agency. We took on all types of editing, proofreading, coding and word processing jobs from large companies like Pearson Publishing, as well as individuals, eg, screenwriters and web designers.

We (my sister and partner at the time) outsourced the work to a team of freelancers we had.

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Inkwell Editorial Holiday Deals and Discounts: We’ve got some good ones, eg, 1/2 off!
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Freelance Business: How I Got Into – and Out of – a Financial Pickle

When we started the staffing division of the company in 1997, we were sending temps on site and paid them every week. But, clients sometimes took 30, 60 and even 90 days to pay us. Talk about being in a financial pickle week in and week out! 

Many times, we had to beg, borrow and grovel to make payroll. Just as an aside, this is one of the main reasons many small businesses fail – cash flow problems. While it’s great to have jobs flowing in, it doesn’t mean a hill of beans if can’t make your monthly financial obligations.

We finally got a factor, which solved our cash flow problems. 

Following is how I took the lessons I learned from those days into my SEO / freelance writing business.

Freelance (SEO) Writing Business Question: How & When to Pay Writers You Outsource Work To

In the beginning of my SEO writing career when finances were limited, I told freelancers that I’d pay them when the client paid me. I let them know that this could be as much as 30 days, but that it would usually be less than that, as most of my clients paid within days.

As I have a history on the web and freelancers could see that I was legit, I never had a problem finding SEO writers who accepted this arrangement. 

Usually I’d pay invoices as soon as I had enough money in my PayPal account – whether it came from ebook sales or projects from other clients, etc. Paying freelancers this way got to be a pain though because of the recordkeeping, eg, tracking who worked on which project when, and when that freelancer should be paid, etc. 

So as soon as I was able to, I moved to a weekly payment system – one I still pretty much use – which is, I pay everybody on Fridays. In order to be able to do this though, you have to have a “Payroll Fund.”

How to Create a Payroll Fund to Pay Your SEO Writers on a Regular Basis – No Matter When Your Clients Pay 

Go back through invoices over a defined period of time, eg, one quarter, 6 months, etc. Add up how much you’ve paid freelancers “in total.” Then, compute how much that works out to be on a weekly basis. Stick at least double that amount in a “Payroll Fund” (triple if you can).

This way, you’ll always be able to hire and pay your freelance writers – no matter when your clients pay you.

Now, something can always throw this out of whack, eg, you get a large job and have to hire twice as many writers as you usually do. But, this is why it’s important to get at least half of a project up front (in my opinion).

If you have a payroll fund, you can add this deposit to that and still usually be able to meet your weekly payout obligations to your freelancers.

Back Home 

On a personal note, I’m back home in the states. I love travelling with all of my heart and I’d been in Jamaica since June. It’s the longest I’ve ever been out of the states at one stretch. And boy, let me tell you, for all of the problems this country has – I love it to death.

It is so good to be back home. There truly is no place like it (wherever it is for you), right?

Hope you’re enjoying the holidays. Now mine officially begin. I tend to go all out with decorating. One of my sisters is like, “Please, no more Christmas stockings!” I buy a few every year and have probably going on 50 so far. Tonight I’m going to pick up a few more and decorate my fireplace mantle. The rest of the decorations will go up this weekend. Can’t wait!

P.S.: Learn more about how to work on your freelance business – instead of “in” it – in How to Build a Six-Figure Freelance Business by Outsourcing (The Freelance Writer’s Outsource Package). Paying freelancers / outsourcers is covered — and a host of other “how to freelance” business questions.

P.P.S.: Ditch Your Job and Start a Successful Career as an SEO Copywriter? Get SEO Copywriting Training Today. Discount offered until end of year (12/31/2011).

Find this post informative? Follow Us on Twitter.

Submit a Guest Post: This site and its parent site, InkwellEditorial.com, now accept guest posts. Get the guest post submission guidelines.

Want to avoid freelance writing dry spells by making extra money as an affiliate marketer? Learn how to earn $50-$150/day online pretty seamlessly in the best-selling ebook, How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites. Updated with 2011 PayPal screen shot of earnings!

Copyright © 2011: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the publisher’s written consent (linking to is fine).

Editor Note: The SEO Copywriter Training Class is Discounted Thru the End of the Year. Ready to change your life and start a truly doable, work-from-home business earning $50-$75K/year? This training will get you there. It’s the ideal holiday gift — to yourself!

Boy, I can’t tell you how many “success stories” pour in from new SEO writers every day. And of course, this means more questions, which I’m happy to answer. A couple of weeks ago, I received the following email from a freelance writer who was just getting started in SEO. On 11/23, she wrote:

Hi Yuwanda,

After a long absence, I’m getting back into freelance writing. I bit the bullet and sent out about 5 emails to seo companies to test the waters. I received my first response (so excited and nervous) from a potential client who has a few questions which don’t seem too difficult, but when push comes to shove, I start to doubt myself. I just want to appear like I know what I’m doing. Here is what the client asked:

1.       Web Copy (per page up to 550 words) SEO optimised

2.       Web Copy SEO re-writes (per page up to 550 words)

3.       Blog Posts (researched and written 350 words +)

4.       Press Releases (researched and written 350 words +)

5.       Articles (researched and written 550 words +) 

* Could you tell me the main difference between a Web Copy and an article? * Do I charge more for a Web Copy than an article?

* Also, re Web Copy SEO rewrites, does this mean the article is already written but just needs improvement, perhaps with added keywords? I know you discuss rates often but not sure how to price rewrites.

Also, I’ve only written 1 blog post – I’ve never written a press releases although I know how to do them. I have sample press releases that I created for my own portfolio. Should I admit to the client that I haven’t written a lot of blog posts and press releases, or should I just be confident that I can write them and go ahead and provide my rates for these?

I sincerely appreciate everything you share with your subscribers. You have been more than good to us.

take good care,
~M

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Inkwell Editorial Holiday Deals and Discounts: We’ve got some good ones, eg, 1/2 off!
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 My Answers

Following are my answers to all of the above.

1. Could you tell me the main difference between a Web Copy and an article?

The terms are used interchangeably. Web copy is just an article. Usually, when clients use the term “web copy,” they are referring to existing content on their site and/or content that they want you to write for their site. 

For example, if it’s a legal site, they may have several niches. So, they may want you to write the “Services” pages, eg, Criminal Law Services We Offer; Civil Law Services We Offer; Family Law Services We Offer; etc. 

2. Do I charge more for a Web Copy than an article?

RE SEO writing rates, web copy usually costs more than an article, because it may require some research – specific to a client’s niche and their business (eg, providing professional profiles of the attorneys). And, these pages tend to be longer (eg, 600-1,000 words).

An (SEO) article, on the other hand, is usually a defined piece of content, eg, give us a 400-word article on this keyword (criminal law Baltimore). Usually, clients will leave the subject matter up to you.

At New Media Words, for web copy, we work by the hour ($45/hour). BUT, we usually work out a project rate for clients so they know exactly what they’re getting. We also ask them to forward as much research material as they can, which cuts down on the amount of research we have to do.

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3. Re Web Copy SEO rewrites, does this mean the article is already written but just needs improvement, perhaps with added keywords?

I did an assignment like this the week before Thanksgiving (rewrote copy for a client to avoid the duplicate content penalty).  The reasons clients request rewrites are usually because of one of the following:

i) It is existing content that the client wants rewritten to avoid the duplicate content penalty; 

ii) It is existing content that the client wants to repurpose (eg, for another site, another division, update with stats); and/or to

iii) It is content that — ass you point out — a client wants to “SEO up/down/right.” To explain, many sites have been hit hard by search engine algorithmic updates (eg, the Google Panda Update). Remember when I wrote about these updates meaning more work for SEO writers back in the spring? Well, this linked-to post explains why re-writes are becoming such a popular request.

4. I know you discuss [SEO writing] rates often but [I'm] not sure how to price rewrites:

See answer in number #2 above.

Remember, clients like “project rates” because they know exactly what they’re going to be paying. For the rewrites I did, for example, it was based on my SEO writing company’s hourly rate of $45, but with a discount because it was 5 pages and once I saw it, I knew I could knock it out fairly quickly.

When pricing rewrites, always keep in mind how long it’s going to take you to do it, and how many pages there are. FYI, rewriting pages can take just as long – or longer – than writing them from scratch ESPECIALLY if the client wants you to keep “basically the same wording” but make it unique. 

So just know that going in.

Hmmmm, might knock out a pamphlet about this – because rewrites are becoming a common request and there’s quite a bit more I could say about this.

5. Should I admit to the client that I haven’t written a lot of blog posts and [SEo] press releases, or should I just be confident that I can write them and go ahead and provide my rates for these?

Never, ever admit what you don’t know to a client if you can do the job – UNLESS they specifically ask. If you can handle the assignment, proceed.

We all have to start somewhere – and all they care about are results. And not for nothing, when you start telling clients what you “can’t do/have never done,” it plants seeds of doubt in their minds. And, they may just move on to the next writer; and/or be extra-hard on you because you’re a newbie.

FYI, if you’ve blogged for yourself – then you’ve “written” blog posts. If you know how to write press releases and have created some for your portfolio, then you “know” how to write press releases.

Period.

Stop thinking like a beginner and proceed like a professional; ok? You’ve obviously done a lot right – they responded to your query. Don’t doubt yourself now. 

Good luck – and congrats!
Yuwanda

Related Posts 

SEO Copywriting Tip: How Much of a Page Should Be Unique Content before Google Will Count It as a “Quality Page?”

Freelance Writers: 10 Reasons the Google Panda Update Makes (SEO) Article Marketing Even More Effective & Means More Work for You

P.S.: Learn how to create multiple freelance income streams. Get Living the Freelance Life! How I Live Internationally and Have Earned a Living Completely Online Since 2007 & You Can Too, a free ebook. SeoWritingJobs.com is an InkwellEditorial.com property.

P.P.S.: Ditch Your Job and Start a Successful Career as an SEO Copywriter? Get SEO Copywriting Training Today. Discount offered until end of year (12/31/2011).

Find this post informative? Follow Us on Twitter.

Submit a Guest Post: This site and its parent site, InkwellEditorial.com, now accept guest posts. Get the guest post submission guidelines.

Want to avoid freelance writing dry spells by making extra money as an affiliate marketer? Learn how to earn $50-$150/day online pretty seamlessly in the best-selling ebook, How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites. Updated with 2011 PayPal screen shot of earnings!

Copyright © 2011: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the publisher’s written consent (linking to is fine).

Editor Note: The SEO Copywriter Training Class is Discounted Thru the End of the Year. Ready to change your life and start a truly doable, work-from-home business earning $50-$75K/year? This training will get you there. It’s the ideal holiday gift — to yourself!

TODAY’S POST

In the 11/16 post (which gave some in-depth advice on how not to get stiffed by your SEO writing cliens), I promised to do a post on how to drum up more freelance writing work during the holidays – and beyond. Well, here it is.

Around this time of year, one of the things I like to do is put together a few special reports that I can distribute to clients – during the season – and into the spring. I’ve talked about writing special reports before to land freelance writing jobs. The link details why this method of marketing is so effective. And, when it comes to SEO writing, there’s so much timely info out there to keep clients abreast of that you’ll never struggle on what to write about.

For example, one report that I’m going to pull together details some of the algorithm changes that Google made this year. I’m going to focus specifically on those that affect SEO CONTENT WRITING, not all the changes (that’s just too much info).

The aim is to make clients aware of how much they need the services of a professional SEO writing company more than ever. 

Land High-Paying SEO Writing Jobs by Writing and Distributing Free Reports

As an aside, in yesterday’s post on InkwellEditorial.com, the issue we addressed was how to land higher-paying freelance writing jobs. One of the things I advise freelancers to do is content marketing (which is just writing and distributing in-depth, informative, free content. See Tip II in that post.

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Inkwell Editorial Holiday Deals and Discounts: We’ve got some good ones, eg, 1/2 off!
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Creating Special Reports Tips

How Long Should Your Report Be: They don’t have to be that long – 2-5 pages is plenty. Make sure you address a specific issue; ie, a particular pain point that your clients have. It must, must, must be benefits-oriented.

This report is not about you and your business. It’s about clients and the problems they’re having and how your firm just happens to be able to them solve it.

Where to Get Ideas: Questions you may have received from clients; industry specific news articles; and Q&A sites like Yahoo! Answers are three great places to start.

Who to Distribute Them To: Existing clients – to keep them in the know; and prospects to introduce them to your services. 

Note: Instead of sending an email pitching your services, send your free report as a “FYI, did you know this?” It can be more effective than a direct “hire us” pitch, putting you on the radar of a firm who may just delete unsolicited “hire us” emails.

3 More Ways to Drum Up Business during the Holiday Season – But Ya Gotta Act Fast! 

If you haven’t started your holiday marketing efforts, there’s still time, but you must get busy like – now! Here are three more excellent ways to land more freelance writing jobs this holiday season.

I’ve had really good success with idea number two discussed here, ie, offering “campaigns” instead of one-hit wonders.

Slowdown Coming?

One final thing – editorial is cyclical, so you may notice a slowdown in the coming weeks. Usually, it happens about the week before Christmas, for obvious reasons. Remember, more than just Christmas is celebrated, ie, Kwanzaa, Chanukah are also coming up.

But market right through. When businesses turn their attention to commerce again around the second/third week of January, you’ll be ahead of the marketing push. Something you send that lands in a  marketing director’s inbox the week before Christmas may be something they file away to get back to after the holidays – especially if it’s beyond the standard “Hire Me” email (eg, a special report).

Good luck landing more SEO writing work this holiday season. Hope these ideas help.

Yuwanda
P.S.: Learn how to create multiple freelance income streams. Get Living the Freelance Life! How I Live Internationally and Have Earned a Living Completely Online Since 2007 & You Can Too, a free ebook. SeoWritingJobs.com is an InkwellEditorial.com property.

P.P.S.: Ditch Your Job and Start a Successful Career as an SEO Copywriter? Get SEO Copywriting Training Today. Discount offered until end of year (12/31/2011).

Find this post informative? Follow Us on Twitter.

Submit a Guest Post: This site and its parent site, InkwellEditorial.com, now accept guest posts. Get the guest post submission guidelines.

Want to avoid freelance writing dry spells by making extra money as an affiliate marketer? Learn how to earn $50-$150/day online pretty seamlessly in the best-selling ebook, How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites. Updated with 2011 PayPal screen shot of earnings!

Copyright © 2011: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the publisher’s written consent (linking to is fine).

Editor Note: The SEO Copywriter Training Class is Discounted Thru the End of the Year. Ready to change your life and start a truly doable, work-from-home business earning $50-$75K/year? This training will get you there. It’s the ideal holiday gift — to yourself!

Want to Freelance Fulltime?

In last week’s post (which was chock full of some good advice on how to get paid), I promised to write about how to land more writing jobs this holiday season. But, I’m gonna save that post for next week. This week, I’m gonna let you in on a little success secret of mine.

I love holidays, but not for the reason you may think. I like holidays because I get to work. If you’re shaking your head thinking, “Ok, she’s lost it,” let me explain.

Working Fulltime and Miserable

As I detail in the free ebook, Living the Freelance Life! Learn How I Live Internationally and Have Made My Living Completely Online (Since 2007) & You Can Too*, the last job I held was in 2007. And it was a good one – company car; credit card; I got to travel; salary + commissions; my bosses were out of state, which meant no one looking over my shoulder on a daily basis; etc.

*To get the free ebook, simply subscribe to Inkwell Editorial’s newsletter from any page on the site. Inkwell Editorial is this site’s parent site.

But, I wasn’t happy. You see, I’m an entrepreneur at heart. And, before I took that job I had been self-employed for almost 10 years. 

So, what does all this have to do with working and holidays? 

Well, I was still doing freelance writing on the side, even when I was employed full-time. And, I could have made my transition back into full-time self-employment so much easier if I’d worked even harder while I was employed to, primarily: 

(i) Get more savings in the bank; and

(ii) Get fully set up to be a full-time freelancer (eg, website, prepare marketing materials, etc.); and

(iii) Researched some niches to market for higher-paying clients so I didn’t have to take almost any writing job that came along (which I did).

Why Having a Job Makes You Lazy and Can Impede Your Freelance Writing Success

Even though I was still freelancing on the side, I wasn’t nearly as focused as I should have been. To be honest, I was lazy because I knew I had a paycheck coming every week. But, once I was downsized out of that job, I vowed never to work for anyone else again. 

And knock wood, I haven’t.

But let me tell ya, it hasn’t been without its perils. I’ve had to borrow to pay my mortgage a few times; write articles for pay for sites like AssociatedContent.com to pay bills (where the pay can literally be $3/article); and forget  getting nails and hair done and other stuff like that.

Luckily, I discovered SEO writing in the fall of 2007, and my income increased dramatically. This led to my eventual success today because it:

Taught me about SEO;

Which taught me how to market on line;

Which meant I made more money from selling my ebooks and affiliate products;

Which freed up more time to work on writing more ebooks;

Which led to having to take on fewer freelance writing projects;

Which led to making even more money from my own products . . .

Which will eventually lead to total financial freedom (I see this light at the end of the tunnel).

But I worked my tail off – nights, weekends and HOLIDAYS.

Why, as a Freelancer, Holidays are One of My Favorite Times to Work 

Holidays are one of my favorite times to work because there’s no pressure to answer email, interact on social media and meet deadlines. This year, I’m working on – what else – my ebook goal (working now on one entitled how to create an online writing profile — one that lands writing jobs — fast!).

This brings me to the title of this post, ie, one of my “success secrets” for becoming a full-time freelancer – which is, have fun with friends and family during the holidays. But, particularly if you’re working and want to one day become a full-time freelancer, carve out some “freelance business” time. 

How to Use the Holidays to Advance Your Freelance Business Dreams

Work on  getting those writing samples done; design (or hire someone to) get your freelance writing website done; peruse sites of established freelancers to learn what to charge and which services to offer; create a special marketing report you can send to prospects; start compiling an email marketing database; etc. 

This is all stuff that you’re likely too busy to do working fulltime. But, it must get done. And, holidays are an excellent time to get a lot of it done in one fell swoop.

Learn from My Mistakes as a Freelance Business Owner

When I was downsized out of my job, I had very little money in the bank and a few long-time clients who weren’t giving me a lot of work. But, I was determined to NOT look for a job again. The very thought of it made me ill because I thought to myself:

“If I’m unhappy in this job – with all of these perks and great bosses – I’m not going to be happy in ANY job.”

So I knew I HAD to find a way to make freelancing work for me. And, if I’d been more diligent about how I used my time while I was employed full-time, my journey would have been a lot smoother. 

Create Real Job Security

So that’s why I’m telling you all this. Use your job for the safety net it is, and work your tail off to get your freelance business up and going because you never know when a pink slip will come your way.

In my opinion, there is no such thing as job security anymore – except the kind you give yourself.

Here’s wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving (with a little work thrown in ).

AND . . . Next Week’s Post Really Will Be: How to Drum Up More Business This Holiday Season – and Beyond

Yuwanda
P.S.: Learn how to create multiple freelance income streams. Get Living the Freelance Life! How I Live Internationally and Have Earned a Living Completely Online Since 2007 & You Can Too, a free ebook. SeoWritingJobs.com is an InkwellEditorial.com property.

P.P.S.: Ditch Your Job and Start a Successful Career as an SEO Copywriter? Get SEO Copywriting Training Today. Discount offered until end of year (12/31/2011).

Find this post informative? Follow Us on Twitter.

Submit a Guest Post: This site and its parent site, InkwellEditorial.com, now accept guest posts. Get the guest post submission guidelines.

Want to avoid freelance writing dry spells by making extra money as an affiliate marketer? Learn how to earn $50-$150/day online pretty seamlessly in the best-selling ebook, How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites. Updated with 2011 PayPal screen shot of earnings!

Copyright © 2011: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the publisher’s written consent (linking to is fine).

Editor Note: The SEO Copywriter Training Class is Discounted Thru the End of the Year. Ready to change your life and start a truly doable, work-from-home business earning $50-$75K/year? This training will get you there. It’s the ideal holiday gift — to yourself!

Today’s Post

Sometimes all it takes to get paid is to be tenacious. That’s what freelance SEO writer Cold Calling Carol found out.

To recap in case you haven’t been following this series (this is the 9^th installment), this freelancer had problems getting paid from a client she’d done a big job for – writing almost 70 SEO articles. He’d paid half, but had left her hanging on paying the other half due to a host of problems, as outlined in this post on what to do when a freelance writing client doesn’t pay.

So, I gave her some advice in that post on how to get this client to pay up – and apparently, it’s working. Whew! She recently wrote to me saying, in part:

Hello Yuwanda,

Thank you! I think I make things more difficult than they have to be. . . . the [client] paid me 1/2 of my money, and I am going to work on some . . . edits, and then he will pay the other half. On top of that, he says he has about 150-200 more pages he wants me to write after we get the first project squared away. (emphasis added) I sincerely think he just had a few rough months with all his personal stuff going on.

Note: See the exciting update that came in from Cold Calling Carol about an hour after I published this post. It’s pasted below.

Freelance Business Advice: How to Tell If a Client Is Lying to You About When/If They’re Going to Pay – 3 Specifics to Look For

This freelancer wasn’t sure if the client was giving her the runaround, or if he really was just hit with a barrage of problems out of his control. Sometimes, it’ll be like that. But, following are a few signs to look out for to see if they’re playing it straight, or giving you a load of bull.

I. Contact: As in, do they stay in touch – either contacting you first, or getting back to you in a reasonable timeframe if/when you contact them.

If they do, then most likely, they intend to pay you. If not, be wary.

II. Attitude: What I mean by this is, I advised this freelancer to cease doing work for the client until this situation was handled (which you should always do immediately (IMO) when there’s a problem getting paid.

If the client accepts this in stride (ie, they’re understanding), then they most likely intend to pay you. If they ask if you could “just finish up this one project,” or in any way act unprofessional, be leery.

III. Agree to Specifics: If you can’t pin your client down on specifics, eg, “I will pay you $350 on the 1^st, and the remainder of the invoice by the 7^th,” then be nervous. Crooks, thieves and shysters hate specifics because they can’t weasel out of them.

As I told this freelancer, I’ve never been burned on an invoice by an SEO writing client – ever. Most clients are ethical. But, particularly when it comes to large orders, that’s why it’s extremely important to get up front payment.

At New Media Words, my SEO writing company, we get 50% up front from new clients. And, we do this for the first few projects – no matter how large or small – until a company has proven themselves to be trustworthy. After that, I put them on a billed schedule (weekly).

Glad it’s working out for Cold Calling Carol.

Have any more tips to add that can tell you if a client intends to pay you, or not? Ever been screwed on an invoice? Share in the comments section below.

UPDATE: This came in from Cold Calling Carol about an hour after I published this post. So, rather than make you wait for another update, I’m sharing here. She wrote:

I just read your newsletter [that linked to this post]. And, I am proud to annonce that the [client] paid me for the remaing balances of all invoices due! I think he was being honest on the rough patches he was having. In fact, after a few edits, and getting the copy up to his standards . . . he just asked me to write about 100-200 more pages. . .

Of course, we are going to break these up into projects, but he’s going to keep me busy until the end of the year. So, I am waiting from some clarification of which one he wants to get started with first, and then I will be ready to rock and roll. I think this time around will be easier since I already wrote over 60 pages for him, along with his edits and feedback I now know what he’s looking for and the proper wording to use.

I stopped cold calling for a while, because surpringsly my phone has been ringing off the hook because of an advertorial I put in a local magazine about social media [another service this freelancer offers]. . . . I think after I get settled in after my move, I can get adjusted to the new place and created a detailed marketing schedule and plan for the rest of the year and 2012.

Next Week’s Post: How to Drum Up More Business This Holiday Season – and Beyond

Hope you’re having a productive week!

Yuwanda
P.S.: Learn how to create multiple freelance income streams. Get Living the Freelance Life! How I Live Internationally and Have Earned a Living Completely Online Since 2007 & You Can Too, a free ebook. SeoWritingJobs.com is an InkwellEditorial.com property.

P.P.S.: Ditch Your Job and Start a Successful Career as an SEO Copywriter? Get SEO Copywriting Training Today. Discount offered until end of year (12/31/2011).

Find this post informative? Follow Us on Twitter.

Submit a Guest Post: This site and its parent site, InkwellEditorial.com, now accept guest posts. Get the guest post submission guidelines.

Want to avoid freelance writing dry spells by making extra money as an affiliate marketer? Learn how to earn $50-$150/day online pretty seamlessly in the best-selling ebook, How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites. Updated with 2011 PayPal screen shot of earnings!

Copyright © 2011: All material on this site is copyright protected and cannot be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the publisher’s written consent (linking to is fine).