Thanks for stopping by! And cold-calling can be effective…in two different ways.

First, if you make a lot of calls, you will get a few yes-es. And paying work is the name of the game. However, if you have a decent, effective e-mail capture in place (like the one I outline in “No” Proof , not only will you get that handful of yes-es, but you’ll start building targeted lists of people you can build relationships with over time.

Second, hang out on writers forums or email lists and you’ll invariably hear people talk about what I call “the karma of trying.” That is, when you put the effort out there to drum up new business, new business comes… but not necessarily from the avenues you’ve been pushing. You’ll do nothing for a while and the stream dries up. Then you make 25 or 50 cold calls… and suddenly an old client pops up with a new gig for you. Or a friend of a friend wants to know if you can help with a website.

I can’t explain how it works… but it happens reliably enough to be kind of creepy if oyu let yourself dwell on it.