In previous articles on this subject I have talked about how the internet – email and blogs and web sites – have given us a powerful marketing tool that was unavailable a decade ago. And that we would be crazy not to take advantage of them. I also talked about the importance of joining at least two associations – one writing-related so you can share in the wit, wisdom and warmth of your colleagues who are in the same boat as you are. And one association that has nothing to do with writing but everything to do with the niche market you are trying to service.
I suggested that there was futility in sending out unsolicited hard copy marketing materials willy nilly hoping to get a hit. Dumping your junk mail [and that’s exactly how your brochures/resumes/work samples/testimonials will be regarded] on someone else’s desk unasked is a big no-no.
This takes us back to the basics of marketing, the purpose of which is to develop one-on-one relationships with potential clients. Because in the end of course, that is where your business is going to come from. A single individual making the decision to buy from another single individual – specifically and hopefully you.
Fundamental to gaining a meaningful presence in the marketplace is starting and continuing a dialogue over the long term. Like all relationships that are worthwhile you want to be in it for the long haul.
So how do we get to that place of dialogue? It is at once distressingly simple and maddeningly elusive. Whether you make a cold call, send a warm email, go to a networking event, or receive an overture from someone looking for services like yours, the first things that come out of your mouth will dictate whether you encourage an ongoing dialogue.
So choose those words wisely. Are they interesting enough to elicit an enthusiastic response and a question or two. Will they make you seem to be not only an interesting person but an interested person. Are they delivered in a way that shows you not only have a pulse, but a passion for what you do. And more important a passion for what they do.
More on this next time.
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Finding Work Workshop October 8, 2005 in Vancouver
Saturday, August 20, 2005
A Special Article by a Special Friend
The minute I read Don's article, I knew I wanted to run it in this newsletter.
The Don in question is Silver Donald Cameron, a distinguished man of Canadian letters who lives -- and sails, and works -- in Nova Scotia. His wife, Marjorie Simmins, is an award-winning writer from British Columbia. They recently sailed their 31-foot boat from Nova Scotia to Florida and the Bahamas. He writes a weekly column for the Halifax Sunday Herald, and he is now writing a book about the voyage, entitled Sailing Away from Winter.
Silver Donald is a remarkably versatile writer. It is scarely possible to imagine a genre of writing that he hasn't put his heart and pen to.
His imagination has produced novels, plays, short stories and film scripts -- not to mention non-fiction books, magazine articles, and so on. He's also written speeches for cabinet ministers and others, and is a professional speaker himself. The list of work and awards is exhaustive - and exhausting for the rest of us to contemplate.
Silver Donald is clearly a Renaissance man whose life example gives true meaning to Tennyson's phrase about "drinking life to its lees".
So enjoy his superb article. And let loose your imaginations - yes, even in your corporate work - especially in your corporate work.
The Power of Imagination by Silver Donald Cameron ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hair,” said the novelist W.O. Mitchell. “Think about hair.
“Hair on your head grows. Hair under your arms – and other places – doesn’t grow. But what if it did? Imagine! Guys with hair billowing out over their shoes! Lifeguards looking like ourang-outangs! Playboy centre-folds looking like bear rugs!”
I’ve often used Mitchell’s idea in writer-in-classroom appearances. “Suppose that happened to you,” I’d say, pointing at some bright-looking lad. “Yeah, you in the green shirt. You wake up tomorrow morning with long hair growing all over your body. What would that do to your life?”
The kids and I would play with the idea. Would the Fabulous Furry Freak join the circus, or buy a gross of scissors? Hide his condition, or flaunt it? Could he do without clothes for the rest of his life? Would he ever find a wife? Would his children be hairy or smooth?
That’s how the imagination works, I’d explain. The imagination says, “What if – ?” It takes real things, and combines them in new and surprising ways. That’s how stories and paintings and songs begin. That’s what a writer does.
A writer thinks, What if there were a school for wizards? What would it be like to be a student there? What if the student had some ordinary name, like – let’s see – maybe Harry Potter.
Or maybe the writer thinks, what if a young man fell in love with the daughter of his father’s worst enemy? That’s the seed of Romeo and Juliet. Or, what if the gods told a man his destiny – and he tried to avoid it? That’s the kernel of MacBeth and Oedipus Rex.
But it all starts with “What if – ?”
One time, a librarian who had watched me do this classroom routine said to me, “I don’t know how you do that.”
“Do what?” I said.
“Think about things that way,” he said. “If I found myself thinking about hair growing where it shouldn’t, or something like that, I’d get worried. I’d think there was something wrong with me. I’d make myself stop thinking about it.”
Of course you would, I told him. Research shows that well over 90% of pre-school children have vivid creative imaginations. With people of 30, the proportion is 2%. We all start with powerful imaginations – but they are squashed flat by education and convention. We develop a corps of internal thought police which banish irregular thoughts from our minds.
We learn to see “creative people” like artists and inventors as remarkable. They have such brilliant imaginations. No: they have just have undamaged imaginations. But we did too, once, before the thought police took up their stations.
The thought police go off duty at night, however, and our submerged imaginations run rampant as we dream. In dreams we are wildly imaginative, improper, disrespectful of physical and other laws. Lurid images follow rollicking episodes, terrifying and bewildering. We boldly go where no mind has gone before.
And then we wake up. The thought police come back on shift. We remember almost nothing of our adventures.
Nevertheless, our repressed imaginations serve us faithfully every day – and we rarely notice. “Action begins with fantasy,” wrote the libertarian educator John Holt. “We are very unlikely to do something new, difficult, and demanding until after we have spent some time imagining or dreaming ourselves doing it.”
What if I married that alluring person? What if I had an MBA? What if I found a better way to market lobsters, or software, or sewing machines? What if the things I dream about were real? Could they be real? Why not?
That’s how books and films begin – but it’s also how families and businesses and careers and gardens begin. What if? Why not?
The essential partner of imagination is courage. The unfettered imagination takes unpredictable directions, and it does not lie. It tells us what’s going on in our deepest selves, down where desire and memory dance a hot tango with chemistry and instinct. We fear what it may reveal.
My librarian friend was afraid of his own thoughts. That’s pathetic, but it’s absolutely commonplace. We fear that the imagination will tell us things we really don’t want to know about ourselves – which means that in our hearts, we don’t know or accept ourselves.
How can we make the most of ourselves if we don’t even know who we are?
The thought police stand guard against unruly flights of fancy. It takes courage to overrule them. But without the freedom to imagine, we can never discover great solutions, moral insights, profitable ideas, innovative strategies.
“Imagination,” said Albert Einstein, “is more important than knowledge.” Your own imagination won’t turn you into Shakespeare or Einstein – but it can make you a more responsive spouse, a more creative parent, a more effective manager, a more valuable colleague.
Just listen -- bravely and honestly -- to the impish voice within you.
“What if?” it whispers. “Why not?”
Well you see what I mean about SDC?
His weekly newspaper columns can be accessed via: http://groups.yahoo.com/group /silverdonaldcameron/join.
His books are available at www.capebretonbooks.com. You can also check him out at his own website at http://www .islemadame.com/sdc/
He is also in demand and available as a public speaker via http: //www.atlanticspeakersbureau. com
The Don in question is Silver Donald Cameron, a distinguished man of Canadian letters who lives -- and sails, and works -- in Nova Scotia. His wife, Marjorie Simmins, is an award-winning writer from British Columbia. They recently sailed their 31-foot boat from Nova Scotia to Florida and the Bahamas. He writes a weekly column for the Halifax Sunday Herald, and he is now writing a book about the voyage, entitled Sailing Away from Winter.
Silver Donald is a remarkably versatile writer. It is scarely possible to imagine a genre of writing that he hasn't put his heart and pen to.
His imagination has produced novels, plays, short stories and film scripts -- not to mention non-fiction books, magazine articles, and so on. He's also written speeches for cabinet ministers and others, and is a professional speaker himself. The list of work and awards is exhaustive - and exhausting for the rest of us to contemplate.
Silver Donald is clearly a Renaissance man whose life example gives true meaning to Tennyson's phrase about "drinking life to its lees".
So enjoy his superb article. And let loose your imaginations - yes, even in your corporate work - especially in your corporate work.
The Power of Imagination by Silver Donald Cameron ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hair,” said the novelist W.O. Mitchell. “Think about hair.
“Hair on your head grows. Hair under your arms – and other places – doesn’t grow. But what if it did? Imagine! Guys with hair billowing out over their shoes! Lifeguards looking like ourang-outangs! Playboy centre-folds looking like bear rugs!”
I’ve often used Mitchell’s idea in writer-in-classroom appearances. “Suppose that happened to you,” I’d say, pointing at some bright-looking lad. “Yeah, you in the green shirt. You wake up tomorrow morning with long hair growing all over your body. What would that do to your life?”
The kids and I would play with the idea. Would the Fabulous Furry Freak join the circus, or buy a gross of scissors? Hide his condition, or flaunt it? Could he do without clothes for the rest of his life? Would he ever find a wife? Would his children be hairy or smooth?
That’s how the imagination works, I’d explain. The imagination says, “What if – ?” It takes real things, and combines them in new and surprising ways. That’s how stories and paintings and songs begin. That’s what a writer does.
A writer thinks, What if there were a school for wizards? What would it be like to be a student there? What if the student had some ordinary name, like – let’s see – maybe Harry Potter.
Or maybe the writer thinks, what if a young man fell in love with the daughter of his father’s worst enemy? That’s the seed of Romeo and Juliet. Or, what if the gods told a man his destiny – and he tried to avoid it? That’s the kernel of MacBeth and Oedipus Rex.
But it all starts with “What if – ?”
One time, a librarian who had watched me do this classroom routine said to me, “I don’t know how you do that.”
“Do what?” I said.
“Think about things that way,” he said. “If I found myself thinking about hair growing where it shouldn’t, or something like that, I’d get worried. I’d think there was something wrong with me. I’d make myself stop thinking about it.”
Of course you would, I told him. Research shows that well over 90% of pre-school children have vivid creative imaginations. With people of 30, the proportion is 2%. We all start with powerful imaginations – but they are squashed flat by education and convention. We develop a corps of internal thought police which banish irregular thoughts from our minds.
We learn to see “creative people” like artists and inventors as remarkable. They have such brilliant imaginations. No: they have just have undamaged imaginations. But we did too, once, before the thought police took up their stations.
The thought police go off duty at night, however, and our submerged imaginations run rampant as we dream. In dreams we are wildly imaginative, improper, disrespectful of physical and other laws. Lurid images follow rollicking episodes, terrifying and bewildering. We boldly go where no mind has gone before.
And then we wake up. The thought police come back on shift. We remember almost nothing of our adventures.
Nevertheless, our repressed imaginations serve us faithfully every day – and we rarely notice. “Action begins with fantasy,” wrote the libertarian educator John Holt. “We are very unlikely to do something new, difficult, and demanding until after we have spent some time imagining or dreaming ourselves doing it.”
What if I married that alluring person? What if I had an MBA? What if I found a better way to market lobsters, or software, or sewing machines? What if the things I dream about were real? Could they be real? Why not?
That’s how books and films begin – but it’s also how families and businesses and careers and gardens begin. What if? Why not?
The essential partner of imagination is courage. The unfettered imagination takes unpredictable directions, and it does not lie. It tells us what’s going on in our deepest selves, down where desire and memory dance a hot tango with chemistry and instinct. We fear what it may reveal.
My librarian friend was afraid of his own thoughts. That’s pathetic, but it’s absolutely commonplace. We fear that the imagination will tell us things we really don’t want to know about ourselves – which means that in our hearts, we don’t know or accept ourselves.
How can we make the most of ourselves if we don’t even know who we are?
The thought police stand guard against unruly flights of fancy. It takes courage to overrule them. But without the freedom to imagine, we can never discover great solutions, moral insights, profitable ideas, innovative strategies.
“Imagination,” said Albert Einstein, “is more important than knowledge.” Your own imagination won’t turn you into Shakespeare or Einstein – but it can make you a more responsive spouse, a more creative parent, a more effective manager, a more valuable colleague.
Just listen -- bravely and honestly -- to the impish voice within you.
“What if?” it whispers. “Why not?”
Well you see what I mean about SDC?
His weekly newspaper columns can be accessed via: http://groups.yahoo.com/group /silverdonaldcameron/join.
His books are available at www.capebretonbooks.com. You can also check him out at his own website at http://www .islemadame.com/sdc/
He is also in demand and available as a public speaker via http: //www.atlanticspeakersbureau. com
Saturday, July 30, 2005
The Power of Presence - Part II
The Power of Presence Part II
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last issue I suggested that the power of presence via the Internet (email - web sites - blogs) has really changed the face of marketing our services. They all allow us to very easily and fairly passively market our services and information related products.
Certainly there is no excuse not to have customized signature lines in your emails. And if nothing else your blogs can serve as an online repository to some of your writing samples. That way you just direct potential clients to your work with a simple hotlink. As for your signature lines, you might want to consider having more than one, depending on the point and purpose of a particular message to a particular client.
All that said, that is a relatively passive way to market your services. If I were starting my business all over again, I would get my butt out the door and meet people- for no other purpose than to start the process of developing dialogues.
As a starting point I would join two groups. A writing or communications association - such as IABC or STC to name two that have active chapters the world over. If you are keen on freelance journalism - then there are specific writing groups devoted to magazine, science and magazine writing to identify three more. And there are national editing associations also on both sides of the border. You can do the search.
Go to a few meetings to get a feel if there is a comfortable fit for you and your interests.
Then volunteer for any job they've got going. It's the fastest way I know to get to know your writing/communications community, earn brownie points, and meet potential clients. The delicious part of volunteering is that you set in motion a set of events the outcome of which you can never predict. Just do it. It cannot fail to pay off.
But there is a second group I would join. Let's say you are really interested in matters of science and technology. Let's be even more specific - you have a real interest in biotechnology. Dollars to donuts there is a biotech association somewhere near you. I would start with the university closest to you - the chances are pretty good you will track down such a group - made up of all the biotech firms trying to come up with the next cure for aging diseases to meet the demands of the baby boom demographic.
Go to one of their meetings and you will find yourself in a room full of people talking about their passions - their companies and what new discoveries they are working on.
And here's the thing. You will likely be the only writer in the room. Even if you are not a scientist, I bet you could make the case that you could translate what they do into plain English.
Also, see if they have an association newsletter. If they do - ask them if they want help editing. If they don't - suggest they start one - and you would be exactly the person to do the job. They would probably kiss your feet.
Now I am not in favour - at all - of selling yourselves cheap and giving your work away. But I am a big fan of volunteering - in an area that really interests you - as a part of you establishing your presence.
One more thing, don't go into volunteering with the direct expectation that there will be a quid pro quo payoff for you. There will be - if you go into it with enthusiasm and pure of heart - but not so much if your only motive is a financial payoff.
It's sort of like that butterfly thing and happiness. You know the story.
The more you chase after it with an expectation that your are going to catch "it", it always eludes your grasp. Be a little still, and before you know it the butterfly just lands on your shoulder.
Well, ok the analogy doesn't quite work. The point is with volunteering, if you do it with only an end goal in mind - that goal will likely exceed your grasp. But get yourself involved in meeting their needs and you would be amazed at the things that fall right into your lap. Trust me on this. The power of presence - it can't be beaten.
They Need Us More Than We Need Them
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know I have talked about this before. And I know you have read this from other marketing people. I am talking about the mantra that says "in the service sector, people do business with people they like and trust."
Let me give you an example.
A few months ago I got a call from a senior executive who wanted some help with a convocation speech he was to give. It was strictly a word of mouth referral.
Now of course when he called me I wanted his business.
But you know what? He wanted me to be the right person even more. Why? Because if I wasn't, he would have to go through the process all over again and hunt for someone else.
A secret truth here. It is much easier for writers to find good clients than it is for clients to find good freelance writers. And so in a reversal of what freelancers usually think, clients need us more than we need them.
So, did the convocation guy ask to see a whole bunch of work samples? Nope. Wasn't interested. In fact I can tell you, that unless I am bidding on a competitive government job, clients have never asked to see a sample of my work.
I am guessing I had convocation guy landed within the first two minutes because even on the phone there was something he could tell about me that he knew we could work together.
He liked me because he felt I was listening to what he needed rather than me selling him on my virtues.
And that other word you always hear me use - passion. He felt I would be passionate about his passion of the moment - giving the best possible convocation speech he could. And I was.
Sorry to be so repetitious on this matter - but if you bring passion to the table and you perfect the art of listening - guess what - you are likeable. And the deal is done.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last issue I suggested that the power of presence via the Internet (email - web sites - blogs) has really changed the face of marketing our services. They all allow us to very easily and fairly passively market our services and information related products.
Certainly there is no excuse not to have customized signature lines in your emails. And if nothing else your blogs can serve as an online repository to some of your writing samples. That way you just direct potential clients to your work with a simple hotlink. As for your signature lines, you might want to consider having more than one, depending on the point and purpose of a particular message to a particular client.
All that said, that is a relatively passive way to market your services. If I were starting my business all over again, I would get my butt out the door and meet people- for no other purpose than to start the process of developing dialogues.
As a starting point I would join two groups. A writing or communications association - such as IABC or STC to name two that have active chapters the world over. If you are keen on freelance journalism - then there are specific writing groups devoted to magazine, science and magazine writing to identify three more. And there are national editing associations also on both sides of the border. You can do the search.
Go to a few meetings to get a feel if there is a comfortable fit for you and your interests.
Then volunteer for any job they've got going. It's the fastest way I know to get to know your writing/communications community, earn brownie points, and meet potential clients. The delicious part of volunteering is that you set in motion a set of events the outcome of which you can never predict. Just do it. It cannot fail to pay off.
But there is a second group I would join. Let's say you are really interested in matters of science and technology. Let's be even more specific - you have a real interest in biotechnology. Dollars to donuts there is a biotech association somewhere near you. I would start with the university closest to you - the chances are pretty good you will track down such a group - made up of all the biotech firms trying to come up with the next cure for aging diseases to meet the demands of the baby boom demographic.
Go to one of their meetings and you will find yourself in a room full of people talking about their passions - their companies and what new discoveries they are working on.
And here's the thing. You will likely be the only writer in the room. Even if you are not a scientist, I bet you could make the case that you could translate what they do into plain English.
Also, see if they have an association newsletter. If they do - ask them if they want help editing. If they don't - suggest they start one - and you would be exactly the person to do the job. They would probably kiss your feet.
Now I am not in favour - at all - of selling yourselves cheap and giving your work away. But I am a big fan of volunteering - in an area that really interests you - as a part of you establishing your presence.
One more thing, don't go into volunteering with the direct expectation that there will be a quid pro quo payoff for you. There will be - if you go into it with enthusiasm and pure of heart - but not so much if your only motive is a financial payoff.
It's sort of like that butterfly thing and happiness. You know the story.
The more you chase after it with an expectation that your are going to catch "it", it always eludes your grasp. Be a little still, and before you know it the butterfly just lands on your shoulder.
Well, ok the analogy doesn't quite work. The point is with volunteering, if you do it with only an end goal in mind - that goal will likely exceed your grasp. But get yourself involved in meeting their needs and you would be amazed at the things that fall right into your lap. Trust me on this. The power of presence - it can't be beaten.
They Need Us More Than We Need Them
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I know I have talked about this before. And I know you have read this from other marketing people. I am talking about the mantra that says "in the service sector, people do business with people they like and trust."
Let me give you an example.
A few months ago I got a call from a senior executive who wanted some help with a convocation speech he was to give. It was strictly a word of mouth referral.
Now of course when he called me I wanted his business.
But you know what? He wanted me to be the right person even more. Why? Because if I wasn't, he would have to go through the process all over again and hunt for someone else.
A secret truth here. It is much easier for writers to find good clients than it is for clients to find good freelance writers. And so in a reversal of what freelancers usually think, clients need us more than we need them.
So, did the convocation guy ask to see a whole bunch of work samples? Nope. Wasn't interested. In fact I can tell you, that unless I am bidding on a competitive government job, clients have never asked to see a sample of my work.
I am guessing I had convocation guy landed within the first two minutes because even on the phone there was something he could tell about me that he knew we could work together.
He liked me because he felt I was listening to what he needed rather than me selling him on my virtues.
And that other word you always hear me use - passion. He felt I would be passionate about his passion of the moment - giving the best possible convocation speech he could. And I was.
Sorry to be so repetitious on this matter - but if you bring passion to the table and you perfect the art of listening - guess what - you are likeable. And the deal is done.
The Power of Presence
I don't do any marketing anymore. I market all the time. Huh? A little contradictory.
The second statement reveals a basic truth about the freelance life. You are marketing all the time whether you intend to or not. If you choose to answer the phone and talk to a potential client you are marketing. If you let the answering machine pick it up, you are still marketing your message - such as you can in a short annoying machine message. And if unplug your phone entirely, you are still marketing, albeit in a very negative way by your silence.
When I say I don't do any marketing anymore, I mean in the traditional sense. I don't make cold calls (via the phone or email). I don't go to networking events. I don't belong to any associations. Let me very quickly emphasize that if you are starting out in your writing career these techniques remain a very important part of your marketing arsenal. VERY IMPORTANT. Next issue I will review some of those key techniques for getting a foothold in the freelance writing market.
But once you have established a substantial presence in the marketplace you reach a relatively joyful place where clients chase you rather than you chase them. And when they are chasing you, you have incredible leverage when it comes to negotiating price.
So how do you gain presence?
Certainly by the above noted traditional methods. They are tried and true.
But now, the power of the Internet has changed everything. You can have a Blog up and running in five minutes flat and at no financial cost. You can have a web site up almost as quickly and at reasonable cost. You can write your own newsletter and have it automatically distributed by an internet- based distribution company for incredibly inexpensive rates.
You can cross-affiliate with other newsletters. Or you simply contribute to someone else's newsletter.
Now I can hear your skepticism already? In this day and age, where there are more web pages than there are people in the world - how can you joining the electronic fray make any difference anymore?
What can I tell you? I am now getting clients and referrals directly and indirectly through establishing an electronic presence. They are coming to me. With two newsletters and two Blogs of my own, plus making contributions to two other newsletters - this does take a commitment of time and writing. But let's just say that the effort has more than paid for itself.
More on this next issue.
The second statement reveals a basic truth about the freelance life. You are marketing all the time whether you intend to or not. If you choose to answer the phone and talk to a potential client you are marketing. If you let the answering machine pick it up, you are still marketing your message - such as you can in a short annoying machine message. And if unplug your phone entirely, you are still marketing, albeit in a very negative way by your silence.
When I say I don't do any marketing anymore, I mean in the traditional sense. I don't make cold calls (via the phone or email). I don't go to networking events. I don't belong to any associations. Let me very quickly emphasize that if you are starting out in your writing career these techniques remain a very important part of your marketing arsenal. VERY IMPORTANT. Next issue I will review some of those key techniques for getting a foothold in the freelance writing market.
But once you have established a substantial presence in the marketplace you reach a relatively joyful place where clients chase you rather than you chase them. And when they are chasing you, you have incredible leverage when it comes to negotiating price.
So how do you gain presence?
Certainly by the above noted traditional methods. They are tried and true.
But now, the power of the Internet has changed everything. You can have a Blog up and running in five minutes flat and at no financial cost. You can have a web site up almost as quickly and at reasonable cost. You can write your own newsletter and have it automatically distributed by an internet- based distribution company for incredibly inexpensive rates.
You can cross-affiliate with other newsletters. Or you simply contribute to someone else's newsletter.
Now I can hear your skepticism already? In this day and age, where there are more web pages than there are people in the world - how can you joining the electronic fray make any difference anymore?
What can I tell you? I am now getting clients and referrals directly and indirectly through establishing an electronic presence. They are coming to me. With two newsletters and two Blogs of my own, plus making contributions to two other newsletters - this does take a commitment of time and writing. But let's just say that the effort has more than paid for itself.
More on this next issue.
Monday, July 04, 2005
In Praise of Procrastination
Ask any writer how their writing is going and they will usually mumble something non-committal. Most of us sweat blood when it comes getting words from keyboard to monitor, and many love "having written" - but the actual writing part "not so much." For my part I love the re-writes, but hate getting that first draft - the puke draft - up on the computer screen. Until I get to that "aha, I think I've got it", I am in a very bad place. I pace the floor, do some administrative work, go online to see how meagerly my meager stocks are doing- anything to avoid that blasted keyboard.
Like all writers, I am a procrastinator.
The fact is most of us can't physically write for eight hours a day. Our brain cells won't stand for it. Mores the pity. I find I get my best work done if I am working on three or four speeches at the same time. Well not exactly the same time, but having various projects in various stages of completion can help prevent getting hopelessly bogged down on a single project. It's hard to get writer's block when you have multiple projects on the go.
A writing colleague of mine has quite a tranquil view of the matter. She believes that most of the writing goes on during all that stuff you do before you actually put pen to paper so to speak. She says "give yourself permission to procrastinate." So luxuriate in your down time, rejoice in your relaxation knowing that you are in fact "pre-writing". Now if you can just figure out a way to your pre-writing hours billable hours. Or maybe you do?
At what stage does the billing clock turn on for you? And when do you turn it off?
Like all writers, I am a procrastinator.
The fact is most of us can't physically write for eight hours a day. Our brain cells won't stand for it. Mores the pity. I find I get my best work done if I am working on three or four speeches at the same time. Well not exactly the same time, but having various projects in various stages of completion can help prevent getting hopelessly bogged down on a single project. It's hard to get writer's block when you have multiple projects on the go.
A writing colleague of mine has quite a tranquil view of the matter. She believes that most of the writing goes on during all that stuff you do before you actually put pen to paper so to speak. She says "give yourself permission to procrastinate." So luxuriate in your down time, rejoice in your relaxation knowing that you are in fact "pre-writing". Now if you can just figure out a way to your pre-writing hours billable hours. Or maybe you do?
At what stage does the billing clock turn on for you? And when do you turn it off?
Monday, June 20, 2005
Smart Marketing Idea # 3
Participants in my Finding Work workshops always come up with great marketing ideas. Here's another one that comes under the category of creating visibility for yourself. It's what I call avoiding the "blinking in the dark syndrome". If you don't tell people what you do, it is like blinking in the dark - you know you are doing it - but nobody else can see that you are. Excellent idea Jeanne.
Visibility
Once I recovered from my amazement at finding myself on the shelf at Chapters, I asked the manager if they would be interested in a book signing. To my surprise, they were. And so is Borders in Seattle.
Fact is--promote yourself at every opportunity. No, it's not vanity, but smart marketing. No one will know that you exist or what you can do unless you make every effort to be visible. Either you're in the game or you aren't. Courage, determination, and good luck is the formula for success.
Cheers,
Jeanne
www.westcoastediting.com
Visibility
Once I recovered from my amazement at finding myself on the shelf at Chapters, I asked the manager if they would be interested in a book signing. To my surprise, they were. And so is Borders in Seattle.
Fact is--promote yourself at every opportunity. No, it's not vanity, but smart marketing. No one will know that you exist or what you can do unless you make every effort to be visible. Either you're in the game or you aren't. Courage, determination, and good luck is the formula for success.
Cheers,
Jeanne
www.westcoastediting.com
Emergency Work
A few weeks ago - at about 10 pm on a Thursday - I got a semi-frantic email from a semi-frantic consultant who was due to give a speech on Saturday - and "would I be free to give him a hand with editing his draft?" He would have it to me by three or four Friday afternoon.
It was one of those instances where I had to make a fast decision. I was working on another speech for a client that was due fairly soon. Although it was reasonably under control, the client you have must never be sacrificed for the client you might have. A bird in the hand - so to speak.
On the other hand, you never have a second chance to turn down a first time client.
This request and the decision to take it on was somewhat problematic. First, I generally only take on "emergency" speeches for my ongoing clients, not for new ones. Second, I count emergency as being 24 hour turnaround time, not the few hours he had in mind. Third, in this case both the client and I were buying a bit of a "pig in a poke".
I didn't know if I would be editing a disaster that was unfixable. And he didn't know if and how much I could help him. He knew of me because he had heard me give a talk on speech writing, but that was it. It was entirely possible that we would be both committed to an enterprise that might all end in tears.
Even before talking to him on the phone I did do a bit of research - the gods of Google be praised - and got relevant background on him and on the sum and substance of the event.
"What the heck", I thought. The subject matter was interesting and we seemed to talk in the same vocabulary. The process was not without its moments however. The draft I was supposed to get at 3 or 4 didn't show up until 7 in the evening - so it was a pretty frantic 3 or 4 hours after that.
Fortunately my gut didn't let me down because the draft he sent me wasn't a mess. It was actually pretty good. I was able to tighten it up. add a few value-added comments of my own and turn it around by about 10:45 pm.
The job got done. The client was happy. The Saturday event apparently went well.
It's not something I recommend on a regular basis. But sometimes you go with your instinct and you have the makings of a new ongoing relationship. In fact we had coffee the following week, exchanged war stories about things political, and we plan to keep in touch.
Was there a price to be paid? Well yes. Not financial. I was well paid for the work. But you forget how much this sort of last minute on-the-fly work can take out of your system. The output of mental energy can be physically draining. I sort of crashed the rest of the weekend.
Still, the adrenaline rush cannot be denied.
What about you. Do you take on emergency work? Do you make sure to charge a premium for it? Do you demand quick payment? Do you demand payment in advance?
It was one of those instances where I had to make a fast decision. I was working on another speech for a client that was due fairly soon. Although it was reasonably under control, the client you have must never be sacrificed for the client you might have. A bird in the hand - so to speak.
On the other hand, you never have a second chance to turn down a first time client.
This request and the decision to take it on was somewhat problematic. First, I generally only take on "emergency" speeches for my ongoing clients, not for new ones. Second, I count emergency as being 24 hour turnaround time, not the few hours he had in mind. Third, in this case both the client and I were buying a bit of a "pig in a poke".
I didn't know if I would be editing a disaster that was unfixable. And he didn't know if and how much I could help him. He knew of me because he had heard me give a talk on speech writing, but that was it. It was entirely possible that we would be both committed to an enterprise that might all end in tears.
Even before talking to him on the phone I did do a bit of research - the gods of Google be praised - and got relevant background on him and on the sum and substance of the event.
"What the heck", I thought. The subject matter was interesting and we seemed to talk in the same vocabulary. The process was not without its moments however. The draft I was supposed to get at 3 or 4 didn't show up until 7 in the evening - so it was a pretty frantic 3 or 4 hours after that.
Fortunately my gut didn't let me down because the draft he sent me wasn't a mess. It was actually pretty good. I was able to tighten it up. add a few value-added comments of my own and turn it around by about 10:45 pm.
The job got done. The client was happy. The Saturday event apparently went well.
It's not something I recommend on a regular basis. But sometimes you go with your instinct and you have the makings of a new ongoing relationship. In fact we had coffee the following week, exchanged war stories about things political, and we plan to keep in touch.
Was there a price to be paid? Well yes. Not financial. I was well paid for the work. But you forget how much this sort of last minute on-the-fly work can take out of your system. The output of mental energy can be physically draining. I sort of crashed the rest of the weekend.
Still, the adrenaline rush cannot be denied.
What about you. Do you take on emergency work? Do you make sure to charge a premium for it? Do you demand quick payment? Do you demand payment in advance?
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Commodifications
Commodification (n) - the transformation of a non-commodity into a commodity, to assign a monetary value to something that traditionally would not be considered in monetary terms, for example, an idea, identity, gender.
Commoditization (n) - a term from both economics and the social sciences which is used to describe the process by which a good becomes saleable in the market. Commoditization can be considered a positive, in that it makes the good available to a broader audience, or as a negative, implying the cheapening of a class of "goods" in the philosophical sense.
...........Source Wikipedia
I know - words to make your eyes glaze over. But you best pay attention.
For the past few years the Internet has been a boon to us freelance writers. Our clients can now be anywhere in the world. Research is fast. And we can deliver product with the click of a mouse.
But of course in this age of digitized communication so can any freelancer anywhere. Question. Do you think the service you are providing can be outsourced to India? Think not? Take a read of Thomas Friedman's "The World Is Flat :A Brief History of the Twenty First Century", and it might throw a big scare into you. He talks about the flattening of the world where we are all connected by technology - rich countries and poor alike. With the pipeline of high speed service so accessible to the world, we now face great challenges and great opportunities to do business.
There is no reason why writing services can't be commodified and commoditized. If highly trained, highly educated citizens in India can do your taxes and they are, then why can't they do the technical writing that you currently do for your corporate clients? At a fifth the price.
Heck, they are probably sitting beside the person one cubicle over who wrote the code for the software that the technical manual is describing. If technical writing is up for grabs, what about annual reports, newsletters or corporate brochures?
So to the extent that the type of writing that you do can be commoditized and commodified, you better have a plan B.
I would say that the narrower the focus you have, the more you specialize, the more your type of writing needs an intimate knowledge of a particular corporate culture, the safer you are. Choose clients where price is not the issue but time. Where they want not the lowest common denominator on price, but the uniqueness that is you - whose work cannot be replicated because only you can write in their authentic voices.
A big plus in this new world is that you are now in a very good position to do an end run around the big PR firms who can't move as fast and have greater difficulty providing the finely focused work you can.
So make sure your services can't be bought off the rack.
Commoditization (n) - a term from both economics and the social sciences which is used to describe the process by which a good becomes saleable in the market. Commoditization can be considered a positive, in that it makes the good available to a broader audience, or as a negative, implying the cheapening of a class of "goods" in the philosophical sense.
...........Source Wikipedia
I know - words to make your eyes glaze over. But you best pay attention.
For the past few years the Internet has been a boon to us freelance writers. Our clients can now be anywhere in the world. Research is fast. And we can deliver product with the click of a mouse.
But of course in this age of digitized communication so can any freelancer anywhere. Question. Do you think the service you are providing can be outsourced to India? Think not? Take a read of Thomas Friedman's "The World Is Flat :A Brief History of the Twenty First Century", and it might throw a big scare into you. He talks about the flattening of the world where we are all connected by technology - rich countries and poor alike. With the pipeline of high speed service so accessible to the world, we now face great challenges and great opportunities to do business.
There is no reason why writing services can't be commodified and commoditized. If highly trained, highly educated citizens in India can do your taxes and they are, then why can't they do the technical writing that you currently do for your corporate clients? At a fifth the price.
Heck, they are probably sitting beside the person one cubicle over who wrote the code for the software that the technical manual is describing. If technical writing is up for grabs, what about annual reports, newsletters or corporate brochures?
So to the extent that the type of writing that you do can be commoditized and commodified, you better have a plan B.
I would say that the narrower the focus you have, the more you specialize, the more your type of writing needs an intimate knowledge of a particular corporate culture, the safer you are. Choose clients where price is not the issue but time. Where they want not the lowest common denominator on price, but the uniqueness that is you - whose work cannot be replicated because only you can write in their authentic voices.
A big plus in this new world is that you are now in a very good position to do an end run around the big PR firms who can't move as fast and have greater difficulty providing the finely focused work you can.
So make sure your services can't be bought off the rack.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Smart Marketing Idea #2
There is always a need for good writing. Sometimes the challenge is to find out where the markets are. This writer spotted a need and created a niche market for herself with the email below. She received a positive reply and now has a paying client. I think the key word she used was the word "distracted". It pointed out an issue but not in a way that would put the addressee on the defensive. Very smart. What do you think?
February 2005
Dear Mr.
I am a Coquitlam resident who receives your newsletter in the mail every month. I think it’s great that you are providing this service to people in my neighbourhood. While I am impressed that you have taken this initiative, I find myself distracted by some elements of the bulletin.
I am a writer, editor, and designer with a keen eye for detail. I have noticed several typographical errors in the bulletins that may cause problems in the communication of your message. For example, in the most recent one, which I received today, the email address on the back is not the same one listed on the front page [one had a typo]. This could result in clients becoming frustrated trying to contact you about their needs.
If you are interested perhaps we can meet in your office or over coffee to discuss ways that I can help you to communicate your message through your mail-out newsletter. I would like to offer my editing and design services for your newsletter and mail-out bulletin.
I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
Sincerely,
Ashley Mikulik
Writer, Editor, and Communications Consultant
a_mikulik@uniserve.com.
February 2005
Dear Mr.
I am a Coquitlam resident who receives your newsletter in the mail every month. I think it’s great that you are providing this service to people in my neighbourhood. While I am impressed that you have taken this initiative, I find myself distracted by some elements of the bulletin.
I am a writer, editor, and designer with a keen eye for detail. I have noticed several typographical errors in the bulletins that may cause problems in the communication of your message. For example, in the most recent one, which I received today, the email address on the back is not the same one listed on the front page [one had a typo]. This could result in clients becoming frustrated trying to contact you about their needs.
If you are interested perhaps we can meet in your office or over coffee to discuss ways that I can help you to communicate your message through your mail-out newsletter. I would like to offer my editing and design services for your newsletter and mail-out bulletin.
I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
Sincerely,
Ashley Mikulik
Writer, Editor, and Communications Consultant
a_mikulik@uniserve.com.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Smart Marketing Idea #1
A professional colleague of mine sent out the following self-explanatory email to her friends and colleagues. It's a smart marketing idea because her message is so simple - informing her own networking circle what she is up to. It does so in a straight forward no BS style. Soft and subtle. The best kind of marketing.
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 12:55:57 -0800
To:
From: "Carla S. Shore"
Subject: Tooting my own horn...
Cc:
Hello!
As you may already know, I've recently returned to full time freelancing, having finished my part-time contract with the federal government earlier this month. I am beginning now to knuckle down to do "business development", or letting people know I am again available for additional contract work. While it's not my favourite part of being self-employed, I know it's a necessary evil.
So on that note, I thought you might be interested in seeing the article I wrote in the current issue of Vancouver Lifestyles magazine. It's about three high tech companies whose businesses focus on the internet, but who are doing it differently than the dotcom failures of years past. Since the mag is not on-line at this time, I've scanned the article and posted it on my website so you can read it if you choose. Go to http://cshore.ca/article.html and you can download an eight-page PDF of the piece.
I hope 2005 has begun well for you. I'm expecting to be in touch in a more personal way soon as I make my way through the networking rituals, but in the meantime, if anyone asks if you know a good PR consultant, writer or speech writer (I've hung out that shingle now too, by the way), feel free to pass on my name or direct them to my website at http://www.cshore.ca .
Best regards,
Carla Shore
--
C-Shore Communications
www.cshore.ca
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2005 12:55:57 -0800
To:
From: "Carla S. Shore"
Subject: Tooting my own horn...
Cc:
Hello!
As you may already know, I've recently returned to full time freelancing, having finished my part-time contract with the federal government earlier this month. I am beginning now to knuckle down to do "business development", or letting people know I am again available for additional contract work. While it's not my favourite part of being self-employed, I know it's a necessary evil.
So on that note, I thought you might be interested in seeing the article I wrote in the current issue of Vancouver Lifestyles magazine. It's about three high tech companies whose businesses focus on the internet, but who are doing it differently than the dotcom failures of years past. Since the mag is not on-line at this time, I've scanned the article and posted it on my website so you can read it if you choose. Go to http://cshore.ca/article.html and you can download an eight-page PDF of the piece.
I hope 2005 has begun well for you. I'm expecting to be in touch in a more personal way soon as I make my way through the networking rituals, but in the meantime, if anyone asks if you know a good PR consultant, writer or speech writer (I've hung out that shingle now too, by the way), feel free to pass on my name or direct them to my website at http://www.cshore.ca .
Best regards,
Carla Shore
--
C-Shore Communications
www.cshore.ca
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Dear Colin.....
I am new to the world of freelance writing. I have written some short articles, research papers, stories, newsletters and a small series of brochures. Nothing really big yet… but I will get there! I have taken courses on writing and editing and communications and now have my ‘Business Writing, Public Relations and Marketing Communications’ certificate. I like to think that I know what I am in for as I attempt to carve a living out of writing. I am ready to begin.
And this is when I face what I had already suspected might be the difficult part of beginning a freelance writing career: setting fees, getting paid, and actually making money at this crazy writing thing.
I applied for a short-term job writing website content for a small business owner. The man who advertised the position – we will call him Joe – contacted me and we talked on the phone. He asked me how much I would charge. I explained that I need to know more – make that at least something! – about the job before I could quote a fee. Joe told me he needed content for his business website. I asked what his business is, and whether he needs someone to edit or rewrite existing content, or begin from scratch and research, write and edit all of the content. He still just wanted a fee. Again I explained: I need to know more about the job before I could quote a fee!
Joe skipped right to the point. He told me that while he could see that I am a professional and that he would really like for me to do the writing for his website, he can’t afford to pay a writer very much because after all he also has to pay for a web designer, a Flash designer, and a graphic artist. Clearly the actual words were deemed as less important and were on the bottom of the priority and funding list! I knew that this was not a job I was interested in, but for practice, I threw out a fee. I said it would be 500$ for a complete edit and rewrite, including some research, of a website. I didn’t even know how much content is included in the website. Joe reiterated that he couldn’t afford to spend much on the written content. And here I was thinking I was quoting too low!
We acknowledged that we were not ‘right’ for each other for this work and we ended the conversation politely. No big deal.
It’s not that I blame Joe for wanting to be economical and not spend a ton of money on his company website. But this experience – and it is not the first one like this – showed me once again that setting fees and sticking to those fees and actually getting paid those fees is perhaps trickier than the actual writing part! And I am still not sure how I should have assessed this job in order to quote a reasonable fee, or even what a reasonable fee for such a job is.
So at least I know that this is a skill I need to focus on and learn well. Onwards!
And this is when I face what I had already suspected might be the difficult part of beginning a freelance writing career: setting fees, getting paid, and actually making money at this crazy writing thing.
I applied for a short-term job writing website content for a small business owner. The man who advertised the position – we will call him Joe – contacted me and we talked on the phone. He asked me how much I would charge. I explained that I need to know more – make that at least something! – about the job before I could quote a fee. Joe told me he needed content for his business website. I asked what his business is, and whether he needs someone to edit or rewrite existing content, or begin from scratch and research, write and edit all of the content. He still just wanted a fee. Again I explained: I need to know more about the job before I could quote a fee!
Joe skipped right to the point. He told me that while he could see that I am a professional and that he would really like for me to do the writing for his website, he can’t afford to pay a writer very much because after all he also has to pay for a web designer, a Flash designer, and a graphic artist. Clearly the actual words were deemed as less important and were on the bottom of the priority and funding list! I knew that this was not a job I was interested in, but for practice, I threw out a fee. I said it would be 500$ for a complete edit and rewrite, including some research, of a website. I didn’t even know how much content is included in the website. Joe reiterated that he couldn’t afford to spend much on the written content. And here I was thinking I was quoting too low!
We acknowledged that we were not ‘right’ for each other for this work and we ended the conversation politely. No big deal.
It’s not that I blame Joe for wanting to be economical and not spend a ton of money on his company website. But this experience – and it is not the first one like this – showed me once again that setting fees and sticking to those fees and actually getting paid those fees is perhaps trickier than the actual writing part! And I am still not sure how I should have assessed this job in order to quote a reasonable fee, or even what a reasonable fee for such a job is.
So at least I know that this is a skill I need to focus on and learn well. Onwards!
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Six Billion and Counting
Heard an interesting factoid the other day. No idea whether it is true or not. But the news was that there are now more web pages out there in the universe than there are people in the world. No if you are wondering how you might position yourself on the Internet, that's a bit of sobering news.
I guess when the number of web pages exceeds the number of McBurgers sold we might as well all fold up our electronic tents and go home.
I guess when the number of web pages exceeds the number of McBurgers sold we might as well all fold up our electronic tents and go home.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Truly, Madly, Deeply
I did a consult the other day with someone who wanted to be a speech writer. He had the usual questions that ran the gamut of how to find clients, whether you needed to have written a lot of speeches to sell yourself as a speech writer, and about how much you could realistically expect to make. These were not unreasonable questions at first glance, but since he was coming from a corporate 9-5 background, he was putting the cart before the horse. He failed to ask the more pertinent questions. What is the day/week/life in the life of a freelance speech writer like? What personality traits should you have to make it?
There is something else more important. If you are thinking of leaving the dark but comfortable side of the corporate world and planning to jump to the freelance side, then you need to look yourself in the mirror and ask "what can I do that I feel truly, madly, deeply about?". If you can't do that you are in for a very rough time.
Freelancing is not for the faint hearted. You may go days on end with no billable hours. You need an understanding partner who has a life of his/her own since, if you are not working in fact, you are working in your head. Finding balance is difficult because you get hooked on the adrenaline of work.
At times you may be scared. But you will never be bored. That's a pretty good deal.
So remember. Truly, madly, deeply. Accept no substitutes.
There is something else more important. If you are thinking of leaving the dark but comfortable side of the corporate world and planning to jump to the freelance side, then you need to look yourself in the mirror and ask "what can I do that I feel truly, madly, deeply about?". If you can't do that you are in for a very rough time.
Freelancing is not for the faint hearted. You may go days on end with no billable hours. You need an understanding partner who has a life of his/her own since, if you are not working in fact, you are working in your head. Finding balance is difficult because you get hooked on the adrenaline of work.
At times you may be scared. But you will never be bored. That's a pretty good deal.
So remember. Truly, madly, deeply. Accept no substitutes.
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