Welcome to THE WELL-FED E-PUB!
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 $50-125+ an hour, and is the sole focus of this e-newsletter.
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VOLUME 19, ISSUE 2 – FEBRUARY 2020
Publishing the first Tuesday of every month since May 2002
Read it online HERE.
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READY TO MOVE BEYOND LOW-$ ARTICLES/BLOG POSTS?
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1-ON-1 COACHING PROGRAMS: SAMPLE/SITE REVIEW & “SIDECAR”!
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THE WELL-FED WRITER BLOG! Weigh in on, “I Want Your Stories of Social Contacts Leading to Paying Work"; Good Clients Will Pay Handsomely for This (Often-Elusive) Outcome”; “Four Client-Repelling Mistakes, & What I Learned to Do Instead" (Guest Post); and more!
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THIS MONTH’S MENU:
I. APPETIZER: WRITING CHOPS NOT TOP-SHELF? GOOD NEWS…
One (Funny) Reason Our Field Is Kind to Lesser-Gifted Writers
II. “FIELD” GREENS: IN THE MIDST OF A “BUSYNESS” DELUSION?
Yours Truly & Small-Biz Coach: Until the Deal’s Sealed, It’s Not Real!
III. MAIN “MEAT” COURSE: Q&A WITH A BOOK GHOSTWRITER
Like the Idea of Being the “Pen” Behind the Scenes? Read on…
IV. DESSERT: SWEET SUCCESS STORIES & TIPS
FLCW Lands Job from 3-Year-Old Lead He Stopped Calling; Vows Better Follow-up!
TIP: Creativity Pro: It’s NOT Obstacles that Keep Us from Our Goals, But this…
V. 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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I. APPETIZER: WRITING CHOPS NOT TOP-SHELF? GOOD NEWS…
One (Funny) Reason Our Field Is Kind to Lesser-Gifted Writers
Okay, you guys’ll get a kick out this perverse little epiphany I had recently, in the wake of a conversation with a new client, a design/marketing firm.
We were having a phone meeting at the beginning of my first project with them (three members of the marketing team)—a project for one of their clients. Given that it was the first time I’d spoken with them (all email to that point), we were also using the call as a way of getting to know each other.
We got to talking about “Clients We’ve Known,” and we all got a good laugh about how so many clients SAY they want creativity in the writing you do for them (“Let’s push the envelope a little!”), but, then when they see your “edgy” efforts, they usually lose their nerve and scale back to something…safer.
I’ve been hearing this same lament (and voicing it myself) my entire career. It’s practically a meme in our field. Not surprisingly, it’s larger companies that are usually the scaredy-cats.
Stands to reason: In big firms, there are big legal departments, and things are far more political; no one wants to take risks that could come back to bite them, when sticking with vanilla will never get you in trouble.
(Sidebar: Reminds me of my first job, selling computer equipment with Burroughs a million years ago. We competed directly with IBM in the financial-services market, and despite the fact that our products were superior to Big Blue’s in that arena—a fact prospects readily conceded—we’d often lose out to IBM. Why? Because, the prospect would apologetically explain, “No one ever got fired for buying IBM.”)
By the same token, it’s the smaller firms (both creative agencies and actual companies) that are more likely to take creative risks and push things a bit.
So, what’s the upshot of there being a WHOLE lot of clients who just want to play things safe in the messaging they put out to the world? Well, if you think you have to be a brilliant writer to make it in this field, fret not.
There are enough weenie…er…conservative clients out there who don’t want to take tooooo many creative risks, and will be happier with safer stuff. And “safer” is easier to write, takes less creativity and innovative thinking, and will be easier to get green-lighted.
If you know you’re an unusually creative scribe, your style will get a better reception with smaller entities who want to take risks (or whose clients actually do). If you’re a solid, unflashy writer, you’ll be better off with larger companies or more traditional industries (i.e., healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and much of the high-tech world).
So, in a perverse sort of way, it’s risk-averse clients that actually make the field more promising for average writers. Though, I wouldn’t count on skating on average writing skills forever. Just know that if yours aren’t stellar, it’s absolutely not “game over.”
And check out this month’s tip for a quote that nicely complements this discussion. On that synchronous note, let’s eat!
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II. “FIELD” GREENS: IN THE MIDST OF A “BUSYNESS” DELUSION?
Yours Truly & Small-Biz Coach: Until the Deal’s Sealed, It’s Not Real!
So, a few months back, I experienced a mirage. And, for a short while, I convinced myself that it was real (and I know better). I’d received calls or emails from a half-dozen clients within a week or so, all checking on my availability and/or asking for quotes on a nice juicy variety of projects.
I was mentally tabulating my future earnings, and feeling awfully good about things. Then, I thankfully came out my dollar-sign coma, and realized the obvious:
You’re not a dime richer than you were 10 days ago.
And sure enough, in the days that followed…crickets. Nada. Zilch. Zip. Shortly after that, I saw the following piece, in the same vein, from Atlanta-based small-business coach, friend and colleague, Ed Gandia.
One of the things I love most about Ed is that he dispenses with the B.S., and gets real about the business. As wonderful a gig as commercial writing is, it has its unglamorous sides (Hello? Like ANY job?), and this is one of ours.
But, better to know this is how things often go, and deal with it, than to freak out when it happens “unexpectedly.”
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When you’ve been working hard to land new clients, it can feel like a major breakthrough when a prospect finally says “Yes!” And you should feel good about that!
But you should also assume the worst. Assume that the deal will fall through…or get delayed…or decrease in scope. Otherwise, you’ll start thinking that this verbal agreement is set in stone. And you’ll be tempted to stop prospecting.
I get it. It’s a natural response to stop doing what you don’t want to do — when you don’t absolutely have to do it! But the reality is that things can fall through. And if you stop all your prospecting, you could end up in a jam. Because now you’ve wasted several days (or weeks!) thinking this was a done deal.
So, keep pushing forward. Keep doing what you’re doing until you have the signed agreement and/or deposit from the client. Better yet, keep on going after that point. You can shift your focus from prospecting to nurturing not-yet-ready prospects if your pipeline is full. But don’t stop.
And use that verbal “Yes, we want to hire you for this project!” as rocket fuel to keep going. Because few things will boost your motivation and self-confidence like getting a verbal “Yes!” from a client.
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III. MAIN “MEAT” COURSE: Q&A with a Book Ghostwriter
Like the Idea of Being the “Pen” Behind the Scenes? Read on…
Ghostwriter and editor Alice Lesch Kelly has written and edited The Doctor’s Diet by Dr. Travis Stork; Uncovering Happiness by Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D.; Clean Design with eco-designer Robin Wilson; Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby with the March of Dimes; and many others.
Here, she shares a solid top-line Q&A primer on book-ghostwriting below (with a few editorial asides from moi!). Thanks, Alice!
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Q: What is a ghostwriter?
A: A ghostwriter is a professional writer who helps authors write, edit, and package their content into successful books, book proposals, and e-books. Ghostwriters may also work with authors to find an agent, explore publishing options, market a book, build a publicity platform, extend their branding, and write articles and blogs.
(PB Note: Ghostwriting articles and blog posts can be a far more likely avenue for folks like us, given the exponentially greater potential volume of those (vs. full-length books).
Plenty of professionals—executives, attorneys, physicians—need to maintain a high profile in their industries, but have neither the time nor writing chops to do it themselves. And if you’re an expert in their field, you stand to earn handsome fees (vs. articles/blog posts on general topics).
Q: Why would an author hire a ghostwriter?
A: Authors may lack the time, know-how, or writing skills needed to craft book proposals and books that will succeed in today’s publishing market. Working with a ghostwriter allows experts to stay focused on their “wheelhouse.” Experienced ghostwriters can help an author create a book that resonates with readers, extends the author’s platform, and sells well.
Q: When is a ghostwriter hired?
A: At any point during the process. Some authors come to me with nothing but an idea. I’ll help them define their message, create a program, construct a compelling narrative, write a proposal, and design a strategy to connect with agents and publishers. Or I might just be hired to do the writing.
Some authors are already working with an agent and/or publisher but need help fine-tuning their message or creating a successful proposal or manuscript. Others have a fully written proposal or manuscript that needs to be improved, revised, or completely reimagined and rewritten.
Q: What does the ghostwriting process look like?
A: Typically, an author shares existing content, we brainstorm the project in detail and create a table of contents. Once I start writing, we spend 1-2 hours a week on the phone discussing content, chapter by chapter. When a chapter is written, the author reviews it, and I incorporate their feedback into the working manuscript. We continue in this way until the manuscript is finished.
Q: What do ghostwriters charge?
A: A ghostwriter’s fee depends on many factors, including the size of the project, the deadline, how much content is available (blog, notes, etc.), research needed, the ghostwriter’s background, whether there’s an agent/publisher involved already, etc.
My fee range is $50K to $100K for a 60K-word book. If the book requires a proposal, that’s a separate fee of $7,500 to $15K. Some ask if I’ll forego my fee and take royalties on the back end instead, but I never do this.
(PB Note: The world's full of people who'd love to have you write their book for free, and "split the profits," but given how precious few ever succeed, it's a chump's deal.)
Intrigued? Want to get the lay of the (ghostwriting) land from a seasoned pro? Alice is available for 30- or 60-minute consulting sessions—and at a special rate for E-PUB readers. Email her for more details.
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PB Note: Given the difficulty of estimating an entire book-length project in advance (How will the process go? Will the client be a pain? What if the first chapter takes twice as long as expected?). With all that in mind, consider suggesting to the client that you quote one or two chapters, execute those, see how the process goes, and re-negotiate fees if necessary. Alice reports that she’s done this on several occasions.
Clients will like this idea, too: “It’ll give you a chance to see what it’s like to work with me, and the quality of my work, before committing to the whole book, and vice versa.”
Incidentally, this is a smart strategy to suggest for ANY large-scale project: book, huge website project, multiple-module program, etc.
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IV. DESSERT: SWEET SUCCESS STORIES & TIPS
FLCW Lands Job from 3-Year-Old Lead He Stopped Calling; Vows Better Follow-up!
TIP: Creativity Pro: It’s NOT Obstacles that Keep Us from Our Goals, But this…
Got the great success story/word to the wise below from DC-area financial-services FLCW, David Rodeck. This is a lesson worth repeating over and over again: Follow-up is crucial, and WILL land work.
Not often, or even in most cases, but, enough that—given the minimal time it takes to stay in touch with folks who once expressed interest (i.e., they’re bona fide prospects)—there’s no excuse to not do it.
After that, a gem from Sam Harrison, Atlanta-based creative communications veteran. Brault was onto something when he reframed less-than-stellar outcomes as being due, NOT to actual external obstacles, but rather, internal habits of thinking.
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“We don’t have any work now, but maybe in the future (we’re serious!)”
Back in 2017, I ran an extensive cold-call campaign, with the mentoring of the expert himself, Peter, and his Sidecar coaching. While working through my list, I had about 30 prospects tell me some version of the line above.
I followed up with that group for about a year but then gave up. I figured if someone hadn’t hired me after a year of emails, they probably would never be interested and were just too shy to say no outright.
Well, I was dead wrong.
Last week, one of those 30 emailed to see if I was available in February for a $4,000 project. The marketing executive I had cold-called/emailed years ago had held onto my contact information all this time, so when something came up, they knew who to call.
I’m thrilled about the project but also a little annoyed with myself. How many clients have I let slip through my fingers because I didn’t stay in touch? Next time a prospect tells you “not now, but maybe later,” believe them!
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"We are kept from our goals not by obstacles but by a clear path to a lesser goal.”
Robert Brault
We are kept from abundant creativity not by obstacles but by a clear path to doing the same old things in the same old ways.
We are kept from fresh ideas not by obstacles but by a clear path to playing it safe and not rocking the boat.
We are kept from powerful presentations of our ideas and opinions not by obstacles but by a clear path to “winging it” and not preparing and practicing.
What paths can we pick for 2020?
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V. 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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MORE WORK WITH LESS EFFORT? Ebook Serves Up "How-To"!!
That's not hype. It's how my business has worked for the better part of 18 years, thanks to some juicy partnerships with graphic designers.
The result? 1-2 jobs nearly every month with little or no effort on my part. And all the how-to details are in my "Profitable - By Design!" ebook. Details HERE. Contact ME for a 25% OFF promo code (only 5 codes available, & they go fast!)
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I'M STILL SERIOUSLY LOW ON ALL WELL-FED E-PUB COURSES!
Got a great strategy, approach or specific expertise you're willing to share? Turn it into a Feature (MAIN COURSE; 500-600 words; query first). ALSO, send your GREENS (300-400 words), TIPS (100-300) and SUCCESS STORIES (200-400) to ME. Archived issues HERE.
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Register HERE, Get Your Choice of Bonus CD! Six-Figure Copywriting, Graphic Design, Internet Writing, Fundraising, Health Market and more!
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HOW CAN MY MENTORING PROGRAMS SERVE YOU?
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