What I’m reading: Strip Jack by Ian Rankin
What I’m listening to: Happy by Pharrell Williams
September — she’s here. Time to get serious, right? Time also to see how August went for us writers.
Whew. Much more like it.
With June being ridiculously slow thanks to so much time off and with July picking up quite a bit, I was relieved to see August getting busier yet. Where much of my spring marketing was met with “We’ve hired someone to do that” (and amen for the economic recovery), summer has turned into quite the opposite. This is the Dry Season (my own term for the cycle) — yet here was work coming in.
Most of it is still in talking/contracting stages, but that just means September will be fantastic for earnings. I did have a vacation in the middle of this month, so the earnings will reflect the time away.
Here’s what happened this month:
Queries:
I sent a few. So far, no one has bitten on the one idea, which I’ve tried with three different editors. No more sent.
LOIs:
I restructured my approach and sent out fewer, more targeted notes. That resulted in getting actual responses (people like a conversation much more than a sales pitch). I’m in talks with one of those companies as we speak.
Social Media:
It never hurts to send out a blast about your availability, so I did just that. I sent out two this month (don’t want to be annoying about it). Nothing yet, but a few more people now know I’m there. Also, I contacted someone I’d met at a trade show a few times. He’d been promoted – I congratulated him via LinkedIn. That resulted in ongoing talks about projects.
Job postings:
Despite my allergy to the job posting, I found a few high-level gigs to apply for. One resulted in my phone conversation/hiring this past week.
Existing clients:
A favorite client was in my email this month, and the project made up the bulk of my earnings. I can count on them to call every few months, and I always enjoy the projects. Last week, I contacted 4 existing clients who’d dropped off the radar. The result: 3 sizable projects headed my way.
New clients:
Two so far, but there may be a third (and possibly a fourth) on the way. In one case, it reinforces my belief that people you meet today may buy in years to come — stay in touch.
Earnings:
It’s great seeing checks in the mail, isn’t it? This month was still a bit short of my target, but the work that’s lining up promises to exceed my September goal. Let’s hope so.
Bottom line:
Slow and steady does win the race, but so does mixing it up. I looked for clients who would provide ongoing work at a good rate, and luckily what I wanted was right there in the job listings on Craig’s List. Also, when I saw the LOI wasn’t netting me anything, I knew it was time to make it much more personal. While I’ve changed just one paragraph in that letter, I’ve made sure to make a direct connection. It’s paying off so far. This month, the snail mail letters go out, as well. I’m looking to bolster the income for the holidays.
Your turn.
Writers, how did you do this past month?
What worked? What didn’t?
What will you change going forward?
Thankfully, I can also say – Whew. Much more like it.
Thanks to checks finally arriving that had been long overdue, I hit monthly income target. July and August had been filled with family visits, making work challenging.
One long-time client has been filling my coffers with projects. They also referred me to a new project with a new client. Love my long-time clients.
I am working hard to retain another client. I had been doing quarterly newsletter articles when my contact hired someone new and did not tell her about me. She already assigned the articles for the next newsletter. I introduced myself, set up a call, and may end up with better paying articles (ghostwritten). We have had several conversations (1 by phone-the rest email) but nothing so far. We'll see.
An executive from my past connected through LinkedIn. She is at a new company and interested in hiring me. She is supposed to be in touch this week.
I'm working on getting at least one ebook done for the last quarter of the year to get some other income coming in and picking up the marketing for my 60 Miles site.
Hopeful.
Sounds like everyone had an awesome August! It was a busy month for me, too- I actually made record earnings for the year 😀
Interesting about changing your LOI strategy… I've been thinking about doing the same. I wasn't getting exactly the results I wanted, so (since my calendar was so full for August anyway) I took a break to re-think my strategy. And I came to the same conclusion as you: I'm going to start sending much fewer, more highly targeted and customized LOIs to people I really want to work with and can envision concrete ways I can help them.
I also had a slow June and July that allowed me to do a lot of hiking. However, I landed so much work in August that I'm booked through the end of October.
Lori, glad to hear the targeted LOIs are performing well for you! August was as bad as July – virtually nothing coming in. I have been rebuilding my list, sending targeted lumpy mail LOIs, following up religiously with phone calls. Lots of possibilities, but nothing concrete yet. I am hoping it's just a summer slump and that the phone starts ringing today!
I'm glad to say I landed on the Good August side of the equation. When was the last time I had a good month?
For me, summer is never slow – thanks to Emmy season – but this is when it slows back to normal.
I sent several ideas out in four queries. When I realized I didn't have any stories in two back-to-back, regular issues of Favorite Editor's magazine, I asked if I was late getting in my ideas. She called and explained how a couple of my ideas didn't get in due to issues with publicists or sources. She said not to worry, I'll always be part of the family – then assigned me a short second piece for December.
(Gotta say, it was worrisome since writers from two consumer magazines covering the same subject have been let go or quit after new top editors came in, and those writers' bylines keep popping up where I've been writing for 13+ years.)
While I didn't send any new LOIs I followed up on two. Unsuccessfully. However, I replied to seven job listings – but those included some on eByline, where you're competing in a much smaller pool. I landed one of the eByline jobs.
I almost didn't take that one, since it had a quick turnaround time and my existing clients were keeping me really busy. In addition to a massive listing of 60 executives, I turned in four columns, three copywriting jobs and six articles to my existing clients, plus the article I wrote for the new client through eByline.
I keep forgetting to track social media, but I'm sure if I landed work through that I would remember.
As for earnings – I took in about $750 more than my modest monthly goal. But the invoiced total of the work I completed in August was well more than double my monthly goal. (Surprisingly, about 15% of what I invoiced in August was actually paid in August, but that still leaves a pretty rosy October-November.)
Bottom line: I'll try getting ideas to Favorite Editor a little earlier, and I'll keep trying to find ways to improve on what's working right now.
Does sound hopeful, Cathy! Fingers crossed for you.
That's great news, KeriLynn! Thank Eileen for the initial nudge on that one. She inspired me when she mentioned she'd gone much more targeted in her approach.
Sounds great, John! And you didn't have to skip the hikes — even better.
Eileen, knowing you, your phone is ringing off the hook right now. It's tough when it isn't though, isn't it?
Paula, that's always music to the ears! She knows not to let go of a good writer. 🙂
I, too, had a solid August after a mediocre July. September's also on target to be solid. Yes!
Still struggling to find new clients, and it usually seems to be the money that's not a fit.
However, recently, it was because there's not quite the right skill match.
I just got pinged on LinkedIn by someone looking for a legal writer, and we've talked. But she wants someone with legal book-writing skills (no book skills on my resume) and e-learning writing skills (never done e-learning storyboards, either).
We may work together, but I'd really rather she find someone with all the skills she's looking for. Seems too risky for me to wade into territory where I have absolutely no experience.
(If any of you know of anybody who fits that bill, please do let me know. Happy to refer a talented colleague to a potential client.)
Anyway, long story short: I'd really like to add substantial (more than one-off) new clients. I'm finding that harder these days. Anybody else finding that, too?
Gabriella, hooray for a good August and September! About time, right?
I had to compromise a bit on price with one client, but that's in return for ongoing work. They've not signed the agreement yet, but they got pretty much all they wanted, so I can't imagine why not. Then again, my email has been flagged as spam in more than one case lately.
I do know someone. Let me send you a note via Facebook.
Agree, Lori. I'll compromise on price for ongoing work, too. Some, but I won't cave, either.
That said, I completely forgot that I didn't accept a new client last month because of that 17-page master service agreement. Remember that? They retained the right to audit me and drug test me. But they were willing to meet my price…
Yea, I remember! Definitely NOT worth going through a drug test for. It would be different if you were working onsite or driving their vehicles, but writing copy? Really?
Hemingway would have been unemployable. LOL