Welcome to THE WELL-FED E-PUB! –
SPECIAL “COPING WITH CORONA” ISSUE
The companion monthly ezine to the quadruple-award-winning how-to guide, “The Well-Fed Writer.” Serving up food for thought and tasty tips for the prospering FLCW*. Come on in, sit anywhere and bring your appetite!
*FLCW, peppered throughout the ezine, stands for “Freelance Commercial Writer”—anyone who freelances for businesses (vs. writing magazine articles, short stories, poetry, etc.), typically earns $50-125+ an hour, and is the sole focus of this e-newsletter.
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VOLUME 19, ISSUE 4 – APRIL 2020
Publishing the first Tuesday of every month since May 2002
Read it online HERE.
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THIS MONTH’S MENU:
I. SPECIAL REPORT: COPING WITH CORONA
7 Tips for Preserving Your Emotional, Physical and Financial Well Being!
II. MAIN “MEAT” COURSE: TIME FOR THE RIGHT WEB SITE?
Atlanta Web Designer Shares Her Fave Platform (AND a Sweet Offer!)
III. DESSERT: SUCCESS RESOURCES
· Job Site for “Creatives” Steps Up with Free Membership!
· Copywriting Guru Serves Up “Corona Business Strategies” Ebook
IV. COFFEE, MINTS AND TOOTHPICKS
- MORE WORK WITH LESS EFFORT? Ebook Serves Up "How-To"!
- I NEED ALL COURSES FOR THE WELL-FED E-PUB! PLEASE SHARE!
- The WELL-FED WRITER BLOG is Rockin'!
- AWAI Copywriting (& Other) Courses: Register HERE, Get Bonus CD!
- How Can My Mentoring Service Serve You?
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NOTE: Rather than wait till the first Tuesday in April to publish this month’s special edition of The Well-Fed E-PUB, I’m releasing it early.
This month’s issue of the E-PUB has a different format, reflecting the beyond-strange times in which we now find ourselves. In this issue, I share what I hope you’ll find to be useful information, comforting words, good ideas, some timely resources, and yes, a chuckle or two.
You’ve no doubt heard some of what follows, here and there, but solid basics are worth repeating. AND, I suspect you probably hadn’t thought of #3. Hang in there; we’ll get through this.
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I. SPECIAL REPORT: COPING WITH CORONA
7 Tips for Preserving Your Emotional, Physical and Financial Well Being!
What a difference a month makes. A mere four weeks ago, life was just cranking along. There was some virus in China, but nothing to suggest it would impact our lives like it has.
#1 priority, of course, is staying safe, careful, and yes, socially distant. Beyond that, what do we do now—in all arenas, including copywriting? Here are 7 ideas to consider…
1) Take Care of Yourself: Okay, be honest… In your trips to the grocery store (the highlight of your day?), have you been picking up more guilty-pleasure-type food (cookies, ice cream, etc.) than usual, and telling yourself, “Hey, these are tough times. I deserve it!”?
Go ahead. And yes, I've done it, too (OMG, at Costco, you need to check out Thinsters (coconut cookies) and Coconut Clusters; you’ll thank me… ;)
AND, I'm still making sure I get regular exercise (and plenty of sleep), despite the closing of my local gym, aquatic center, and bike trail.
Get creative. As I write this, I just took a 90-minute bike ride today around my surrounding area (I’d usually hit the bike trail), saw neighborhoods and sites I never even knew existed, and had a ball. And thanks to the distressingly large number of hills in the subdivisions I rode through, it was quite a workout.
It's not just about getting exercise; it's about keeping your mind engaged and stimulated in a time when boredom and tedium can easily take over.
2) Stick to Normal Routines: Keeping to your pre-Corona schedule and routines might just be the best thing you can do for your mind, body and spirit.
When I sold books door-to-door for Southwestern for a few college summers, we worked truly insane hours (M-Sat, 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.). And, if we’d had a really good day—OR, more likely, a really bad day—there was always the temptation to knock off early.
Our sales managers knew we’d have those thoughts, but strongly encouraged us to keep putting one foot in front of the other, straight to 9:30—even if our hearts weren’t in it. They assured us that, if we did quit early, while it’d feel good that night, answering the 6 a.m. alarm the next morning would be SO much harder.
Never being one to take someone’s word for something like that (“Well, of course, they’re going to say that!”), the next time I wasn’t “feelin’ it,” I quit at 5. Well. Suffice to say, the next morning was so rough, I never did that again.
Sure, it’s a free country and all that (yes, a little less so of late, and that’s okay), but I’ve been resisting the urge to sleep in or stay up till the wee hours, instead sticking to a normal schedule. Doing that will make it that much easier to transition back to a normal business flow, when that inevitably happens.
3) Prepare for the Comeback: This thing WILL end, and when it does, all businesses will need to rebuild. And when they do, you want them to think of you. As such, consider regularly checking in via email/phone/LinkedIn with your key clients and promising prospects.
One approach you might consider is a brief, low-key note that isn't trolling for work (and you say as much in the note), but rather, reaching out, connecting, and offering your help. Something like:
Subject Line: Checking in (and with an offer…)
Hey John,
Just wanted to check in and say hello in these very strange times of ours. Hope you and yours are staying safe and healthy. I suspect copywriting projects aren't the first thing on your mind right now, but I wanted to make you an offer…
Should you need some help in crafting any COVID-19-related communications materials to share with prospects, clients or employees, I'd be happy to donate a few hours of time to either help create those materials, or edit/proof ones you've already created. Just reach out to me at (email address) or (phone number).
Stay well, and here's to all this ending sooner rather than later!
This is a win-win. If they do take you up on your offer, I'd wager you'd be happy to donate the time (which most of us have plenty of right about now) in return for the opportunity to build up some serious client goodwill.
If they don't accept your offer, they'll still no doubt be impressed and, perhaps, touched that you made the offer, and now, of course, you’re on their radar.
It's no panacea, but it'll keep you moving in a productive direction that puts you in front of clients and prospects. Approach it from a sincere desire to be of service and to send some positive, constructive energy out into the world. AND, fact is, it may very well reward you down the line.
4) Shore Up Your Business: Been thinking about that info-product you’ve wanted to create? Need to build that new website, or create that email/direct-mail marketing campaign for your business? Does your LinkedIn profile need beefing up? Been thinking of upgrading your copywriting skills?*
These quieter and uncertain times offer perfect opportunities to knock out those projects we've kept pushing to the back burner.
I've been keeping busy on the update of TWFW (and things like this E-PUB issue), which, while I was busier copywriting, could justify putting off. And I know it’ll end up being better than it would’ve been without this respite.
Just like #1, this is all about getting your ducks in a row, so you'll be in a better position, professionally and financially, once things turn around.
Just as importantly, a project like one of the above will keep you focused on useful and productive activities, which, yes, can also pay dividends down the road—in a time when it’s so easy and tempting to become unfocused and unproductive.
Incidentally, if it is a new website you've been putting off, the feature this month (which, for the record, I’d scheduled well before things got crazy), includes an attractive offer in that department.
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*USE YOUR “DOWNTIME” TO BOOST YOUR COPYWRITING SKILLS...AND, FOR LESS...
My popular, self-paced “Well-Fed Craft” course offers step-by-step guidance on writing the most popular copywriting projects. Details/testimonials HERE.
Email me about the unpublicized “Corona” Discount on Well-Fed Craft!
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5) Stay in Touch: In the last week, I and 15 longtime friends had several Zoom calls. Zoom’s free plan allows for 40-minute calls; paid plans give you unlimited call times. It was fun. We're all on the screen, lined up in rows of boxes on the screen, looking like an episode of the old Hollywood Squares (Google that if you're under 40… :-)
No, not quite the same as our usual festive potluck gatherings, but a darn good substitute. Ours can be a lonely profession, which, actually, if we work from home offices (as I do), can make it easier to adapt to social distancing.
Yet, even though I've spent the bulk of my workday hours the last 25 years, on my own, connecting in person with friends after hours has always been crucial. Tools like Zoom can make being alone less lonely.
Obviously, those with families have a different—and possibly opposite—challenge: TOO much “together time.” I have less advice for this crowd, except to suggest that, if the walls feel like they’re closing in, go take a walk—and do it separately! ;)
Also, every day or every few days, consider calling one person you haven’t spoken to in a while, even a LONG while. You won’t lack for a conversation topic, and, as I’ve discovered, it’ll definitely make you feel good (and I promise they’ll appreciate it). Speaking of which...
6) Think of Others, Not Just You: Okay, so this one’s optional, but… Doesn’t have to be anything grandiose. Little stuff is fine. Yesterday, I cooked a pot roast in my crockpot, and brought it over to a friend’s house. We kept six feet apart, (she’s been just as “social-distanced” as me, and we're both very healthy), but it was much appreciated, and we kept the lines of communication open.
And after taking the bike ride noted above, I called a biking friend of mine, who’s just as bummed about the closing of our local bike trails as I am, and suggested she join me for one of my make-it-up-as-we-go rides.
She was thrilled to know about another option, and is looking forward to joining me in a few days. It’s these kinds of things that can keep you grounded and “out of your own head.” Just sayin’…
7) Expect the Best, Prepare for the Worst: I never stop hoping and visualizing this thing ending sooner than expected, but, whenever that is, our businesses will likely take a big hit. Accept that.
But, this too shall pass. We will get beyond it, and while it might very well take time to get back to where we were before, we will.
Remember this—something I’ve been preaching for years, about the impact of The Economy on ONE person’s quest for financial self-sufficiency: As a commercial freelancer, you only need an infinitesimally tiny sliver of the overall copywriting pie, to make a good living.
Focus on THAT fact, and NOT on all the dire news about the dismal economy. I’m not talking about self-delusion, but rather, where to put your attention.
In the meantime, while it’s not easy, take time to appreciate the little things. Those books you now have the time to read. That awesome new chicken dish you finally got around to making. Those digital photo albums you’re finally assembling. No traffic. Cheap gas!
AND the extraordinary fact that most of the world is having the same experience. The Global Staycation. Check out this New York Times photo essay. It’s...perversely comforting to realize that we truly ARE all in this together.
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II. MAIN “MEAT” COURSE: TIME FOR THE RIGHT WEB SITE?
Atlanta Web Designer Shares Her Fave Platform (AND a Sweet Offer!)
As noted above, if your “up-till-now-back-burnered” project has been a new web site, one you now have no excuse to put off any further, read on for a great website-platform review from Atlanta Squarespace designer and musician
Carol Statella. Carol offers free 30-minute phone consults on web design, and, at the end, she offers a sweet deal to Well-Fed E-PUB readers!
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Your website is a 24-hour virtual assistant and the “front door” of your business. It needs to be functional, professional, and attractive. What’s important to consider as you’re making this crucial choice of which platform to choose?
To keep it simple, we’ll narrow it down to three types of platforms that content creators commonly use: WordPress, Squarespace, and The DIYs, and focus on their ability to customize (Bells & Whistles), learning curve, and cost.
OK, full disclosure: I’m a Squarespace designer and have fully embraced its user-friendliness, striking layouts, and simple pricing structure; once I went Squarespace, I never looked back!
WordPress: The grand dame. Some sources estimate that 20% of self-hosted sites use WordPress.
Bells and Whistles: Pretty much unlimited. From bare bones to the highest level of sophistication, WordPress has you covered. Depending on your budget, WordPress can make your website look and function almost any way you want. Quite a few Fortune 500 companies use the platform.
Learning Curve: Medium to steep (if DIY). Though its WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor is improving, it’ll take some effort and education to get up to speed if you’re DIY-ing it — or even making updates. Plug-ins and separate hosting/domain services also add to the equation.
Cost: Low (DIY) to stratospheric (high-end designer). Using WordPress as a platform means you may pay anywhere from <$10 to thousands to get it up and running, plus maintenance (edits, updates, etc.). Unless you’ve got strong design and technical chops, you’ll likely get exactly what you pay for.
Squarespace: The designer’s darling (and yes, THIS designer’s darling). Among all-in-one website platforms, it leads in market share.
Bells and Whistles: Carefully curated, aesthetically pleasing choices. Whether you need a one-page portfolio or something more complex, it’s difficult have a second-rate website on the Squarespace platform.
The templates have a signature clean design that also allows for light customization. Most FLCWs will find it to be an excellent showcase for their writing and image.
Learning Curve: Squarespace has a much easier learning curve than WordPress if you consider yourself low-tech. A Squarespace-focused designer can usually get you going in under a week and teach you how to update the site easily. If you’re doing it yourself, there’s an extensive knowledge base and award-winning customer support.
Cost: Varies (DIY vs. going pro). If you’re a DIY type, it’ll be ~$144-$216/year + tax for their all-in-one package, which provides a lot of style and performance for the money. If you’re going pro, Squarespace designer development fees usually run from under $1000 (more typical), to $2500 for top designers.
The DIYs: (Including Weebly, Wix, and Journo Portfolio)
Bells and Whistles: These types of sites are template-based; you can get basic copy, photos, and uploads online in a few hours. While each platform boasts a few great-looking templates, customization tends to be limited and/or clunky. That said, I still have my musician site on Weebly (it’s a sentimental thing).
Learning Curve: Gentle rise, unless you need to do something artsy, layout-wise. Level of customer support varies for this type of platform, but you can usually find answers to your questions on user forums.
Cost: Free to medium-low. If your outlay starts to approach $150/year, it’s worth it to investigate fuller-featured options — especially if you want a sophisticated design to make you stand out.
If you want to create a web site that effectively and impressively showcases your copywriting practice—AND isn’t a major hassle to build, maintain, and update—the platform matters. Any of the above options can deliver admirably, but for the low-tech out there (even DIY’ers), Squarespace’s success speaks for itself. Good luck!
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PB: I’ve checked out Carol’s work and it’s excellent. AND, she’s offering Well-Fed E-PUB readers a tasty deal on a Squarespace website, through the rest of 2020. The customized 6-page (max) site will typically include Home, About, How We Work, Portfolio (20 samples max), Testimonials, and Contact (no e-commerce).
Cost to design & build the site, PLUS two weeks of post-launch support: $850.
Go HERE to set up a free conversation with Carol to get all the details.
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III. DESSERT: SUCCESS RESOURCES
· Job Site for “Creatives” Steps Up with Free Membership!
· Copywriting Guru Serves Up “Corona Business Strategies” Ebook
Got an email a week or so ago from the founder of the online job site Communo. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, they’d decided to waive the fee to join their site. The email read:
In times like these, there is nothing more important than uniting as one. Together, we can make an impact, helping one another get through these unprecedented times. Over the last 3 weeks our team has worked tirelessly, day and night, to create a free membership to help marketing professionals who’ve been affected by this crisis first hand. We have the work. We have the community. We have the connections.
If you’ve been laid off, recently lost a contract, or are looking for work, Communo is home to hundreds of Jobs that might help, check out Communo’s FREE app HERE.
As most of you know, I’m not enamored of online job sites: too many folks bidding on too few gigs, and driving rates down to nothing. I mentioned my concerns, and he wrote back:
Communo’s average job size last year was 30K. $25,000,000 in total deal flow for 2019. We’re not Fiverr or Upwork.
Encouraging answer, though, in these extraordinary times, I would have shared his message and link regardless, and let people make their own decisions.
FYI, I opened up an account, and checked it out. While they indeed have what appears to be better-paying gigs, actual jobs for writers are limited right now. A LOT more gigs for graphic designers (pass that on to your designer pals).
Still, worth bookmarking and checking back now and then. And FYI, use “writer” as search term, not “copywriter” (which returns no results).
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A few days, ago, in a Facebook post, veteran copywriting pro Bob Bly offered up a free online newsletter, Corona Business Strategies, to help navigate these bizarre times of ours.
He describes it as, “A FREE online newsletter to help you protect and improve your business, your wealth, and your health from the corona virus pandemic.”
Thanks, Bob! Check out it HERE.
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*USE YOUR “DOWNTIME” TO BOOST YOUR COPYWRITING SKILLS...AND, FOR LESS...
My popular, self-paced “Well-Fed Craft” course offers step-by-step guidance on writing the most popular copywriting projects. Details/testimonials HERE.
Email me about the unpublicized “Corona” Discount on Well-Fed Craft!
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GOT A BOOK IN YOU? CHECK OUT “THE WELL-FED SELF-PUBLISHER”!
This TRIPLE award-winner comes in various book AND ebook (multiple formats!) products/bundles HERE!
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PARTNERING WITH DESIGNERS? IF NOT, YOU’RE MI$$ING OUT…
Get the real-world scoop on a low-effort flow of writing jobs HERE! Contact
ME for a 25% OFF promo code (only 5 codes available, & they go fast!)
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1-ON-1 COACHING PROGRAMS: SAMPLE/SITE REVIEW & “SIDECAR”!
Low-cost peace of mind and guidance. Details HERE.
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