A great way to start the week.
comment now!A few words of wisdom from Roy Williams. Read them. If they don’t move you, put down your pen and go get a job in a teller window at your local bank.
It fits in with the very first post I made on this blog: take action. You can’t insulate your way to success. Read, then turn off the computer, get off your butt and do something a little bit (or a lot) scary.
“Why the Weekend Promts?”
comment now!I’ve had a bunch of new writer’s join up lately (welcome, all!), and several have asked why I have the “StartStrong” and “End with the beginning in mind” coming in on the weekends?
Well, because not everyone’s work is limited to the weekdays. Back when I was keeping the kids out of daycare, I did the majority of my work at night and on weekends. I still dealt with clients during normal working hours, but much of my writing and research was done outside of those hours.
Knowing this, I opted to have the daily prompts hit every day, rather than just weekdays, so that the most people possible would benefit.
Thanks for the great questions, and keep ‘em coming!
A Few Words on Shelter
comment now!Earlier this week, I was in the woods. Yesterday, I spent most of the morning in the coffee shop I mention on the home page of the site (this picture was taken during the lull between breakfast and dinner…I didn’t want to freak people out by just snapping random photos).
So…what does my shelter look like?
Well, there are two answers to that question: the easy answer and the more complicated one. Let’s start with the easy one:
I have several different shelters. You saw one earlier this week, which I dubbed the ULPO, or ultra-light portable office. Here’s a reminder:
This is the most spartan of my shelters, kind of like a lean-to…and also some of the most refreshing to use. There are no distractions. No interruptions. The cell phone and flash drive are for special instances when something comes up that needs to be handled right away.
Which leaves the notebook, the pen, and the grey matter inside my head. Sometimes, when all the information in the world is just a click away, it’s easy to forget how powerful your own mind can be when you squeeze it a little.
A step up from that shelter, is my laptop. My ULPO fits nicely in the various pockets of my laptop case, so the whole thing just sort of scales. Actually, the laptop isn’t my shelter…it’s just the key to the front door. As I mentioned earlier, all of the apps I use to work are online.
Having my entire operation online enables me to live a nomadic sort of existence. It acts like a tent in my backpack. I can get my work done anywhere at any time, as long as I can get to a computer with internet access. This frees me up greatly to live my life without work getting in the way.
And finally, there is my home office. And it is literally my home-office. Yes, I have a designated place with a desk and filing cabinet and a desktop computer and bookshelves and a landline phone all the requisite hardware an office typically has. But as often as not, I’m downstairs in the easy chair with the laptop or the Moleskine. Or out on the patio with a glass of iced tea. It’s my castle, as it were.
That’s the easy answer.
For the more complicated answer, we need to remember one vital distinction: this site is not about survival; it’s about moving past survival mode, and into a place where you can thrive.
Not being in survival mode, I’m not bothered by the usual distinctions of shelter. There is no doubt I will live well working as a freelancer. I don’t need the physical location(s) to serve as an anchor against the fear and the chaos.
I am my shelter. It may sound cheesey to say out loud…but it’s the truth. I don’t fear the elements. I don’t fear the predators. I know what to do when they appear. And THAT is the point of this site.
With knowledge and confidence comes a remarkable sense of calm and flexibility. If a client needs me on-site, I can pick up and go, confident that I can still get all of my other work done. If one of the kids get sick, I can stay in touch over the phone or by checking email on occasion, but my attention is on my child; I’ll get the work done that night after the kids are in bed.
As with all of the elements, the whole reason to master them is so that you don’t panic if you suddenly don’t have it. If you’re in survival mode, then the sudden disappearance of water, fire, shelter or food can be a devastating and potentially life-threatening loss. But as you move past survival, not having water, shelter, food or fire on hand is no big deal, because you know how to find or make more.
If you’re lost in the wilderness as a freelancer, the loss of a client, a computer, a network of contacts or even something as simple as writer’s block can be a killer to morale, and has even been enough to convince some to give up. But if you can move past the fear, if you can master the art of finding work, promoting yourself, making time and a place to work and generating ideas on command, then those events are nothing more than a temporary inconvenience. A hiccup in the long, exciting life of your freelance career.
Have a great weekend. And here’s to your success!
Hungry?
comment now!I haven’t written much about the importance of creativity and ideas (a.k.a Food) in freelancing, yet. But it is one of the four essential elements to true success.
Clear, concise writing is only half of the battle when it comes to writing good copy. I know, I know, there’s a quote going around “if you have to choose between being clear and being clever…choose clarity.” And I agree.
…if.
The problem is, you don’t have to choose. You can be clear AND clever. Clear AND creative. Clear and “grab-’em-by-the-heartstrings(or funny bone)-and-don’t-let-go.” It isn’t an either/or proposition.
You want to impress clients? Get in and out quick, and give ‘em solid copy fast. Want to make money? Take your time, give them solid copy that sings and make them fall in love.
What do I mean?
Well, I had a Realty client that had multiple divisions, one was just your standard real estate sales firm, the other sold new homes build by the company’s residential construction unit. Both had sales that were fairly comparable, since they shared advertising costs.
We decided to split their advertising up. We did a billboard/ad campaign based on sales research for the regular sales unit. The headline was “We sell a home every twelve hours,” which was based on sales statistics compiled form the previous year. It ran for eight months, and the phone rang at consistently high levels for those eight months. Not bad, right?
Problem: the new home division couldn’t use those statistics, as they sold far fewer (but more expensive) homes. So we decided to go for a more emotional approach, based on what a new home means for a buyer’s family. The campaign featured a blurred (fuzzy) background picture of a little girl dressed like a ballerina, dancing in the living room of a home. The headline: “We Have Plans For Your Life.”
That campaign ran for three months. The phone rang at consistently high levels for 12 months…response continued for 8 months AFTER the campaign ended.
People were impressed by the “statistics” ad. But they connected with the “emotional” ad.
Before long, we switched to a more emotional approach for the traditional sales division, too, even though developing a moving concept takes longer than developing a headline based on numbers and logic.
And that’s where you begin to make more money. Increasing not your hourly rate, but the amount of time you’re allowed to spend on a job.
Rates, Continued
comment now!Sorry, I thought I was done with this, but I’m not.
Writer’s I know it can be hard asking for such large sums of money. Believe me, I do. And I talk to plenty of writers who just feel plain guilty when the time comes to talk project fees. And that’s understandable.
I mean, we’re writers. We love to do this. How can we expect someone to pay us so much for something that is so much fun? How can I ask a few questions, then use those answers to to write a ten page website, and then ask them to pay $2500? Will they REALLY pay me $75-$150 per hour for my time???
Know what? They will.
They will because we’re freaks of nature. Normal people don’t like writing. Normal people don’t read anything and everything they can get their hands on, just because it’s there. Normal people don’ play with words. Normal people don’t fill notebook after notebook with their mundane observations about the world around them.
They don’t like to write, and they are too busy running their business to give it the time and effort they know it deserves. And so they pay. And they will pay well to have it done right.
And don’t forget, you’re “hourly rate” is effectively cut in half when you take all the time you spend marking and managing your business into account.
So get out there and be weird. Forget “fair market value.” Charge what it will take to make what you want to make. Play with words on behalf of those who can’t. And enjoy the check when it comes in.
You’ve earned it.
“What do I charge?”
2 commentsThis is probably the single biggest question I hear on a regular basis. It takes many forms.
- What should my hourly rate be?
- What should I charge for a brochure?
- What’s the going rate for a business plan?
- Am I charging enough for this?
- What will a client pay for ________?
My answer is always the same (sometimes to the frustration of the questioner): how much do you want to make? I’m not being glib, I’m 100% serious.
No one ever asks “how much water should I drink?” You drink until you’re not thirsty anymore. So how thirsty are you?
On a project-level: first, what do you want your hourly rate to be? Second, how long do you think the project will take, including research, writing, edits and communication with the client? Multiply the first number by the second, and there you go. It’s that simple. If the number seems too low, bump it up to a number you’re more comfortable with. If is feels too high…well, then we need to work on your self-worth…but I suppose you could go ahead and cut it back a little until you feel comfortable with it.
Thinking longer term—what should my hourly rate be—that’s pretty simple, too. How much do you want to make this year? Divide that by the number of weeks you’d like to work. Then divide that by the number of hours you’d like to work in a week.
If you want to make $100,000 per year, and you only want to work 40 weeks, that’s $2500 per week. If you work 25 hours a week, then you’re looking at $100 an hour. If you want to make $30,000 and are okay working 50 weeks per year, but only want to work 10 hours per week, then you’re looking at $60 per hour.
My point is, I guess, is not to worry so much about looking for external sources for what you should charge. Even in the most well-researched lists, broken down by industry and/or region, you’ll find ranges as wide as $250-$25,000 for the same kind of project…which is absolutely useless when trying to decide what you are going to charge your client.
The other thing I hear is mentors encouraging writers to make sure you’re getting “fair market value” for your work. Which is an admirable sentiment. But to my way of thinking, fair market value has less to do with what other writers are making, and more to do with how much I want to make this year, and what this client will pay me.
Which leads me to my final point. If your “client” doesn’t want to pay you what you want, come down a little on your price, as long as you are still fairly compensated for your time (which is largely a matter of personal preference). If he still says no, guess what: he’s not your client. A client is someone who pays you for your work. If they aren’t willing to pay, then they don’t deserve the benefit of your services.
Because your writing is going to make them money. Good copy is an investment, the same as a well-designed logo or a dependable phone system.
Just for the record, this site isn’t about survival
comment now!Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for survival. And when I go camping, I’m one of those nutjob minimalsists who feels guilty about carrying a tent and a sleeping bag. But it’s not because I have anything against comfort.
Look, when you go into the wilderness with a five-pound pack instead of a 50-pound pack, there are distinct advantages. You can move faster. You can go further before getting tired. You can explore thick, dense sidetrails without some piece of your gear getting hung up every five minutes.
And if you know what you’re doing, you can be every bit as comfortable as the guy with the -40 degree bag and the Coleman camp stove.
I take the same approach to copywriting. I don’t want you to survive as a freelance copywriter. I want you to thrive. I want you to have your fingers in a hundred different kinds of work. I want you to get excited when you wake up about the things you’re going to get to do today, because by God, you’re a freelance copywriter!
But before you can thrive, you have to get past the survival mode. You have to cross the chasm between what you want and what you really believe is possible. Or the chasm between how you think things should work and how they really do.
It takes time, effort and hard work to be a success at this game. However, if you do it right, tomorrow will be easier than today, next week will be easier than this week. Next month easier than this month. Next year easier than this year. You don’t ease your way into resounding success, because you get what you give.
If you put a little bit of work in today, you’ll get a little bit of business tomorrow. If you work hard this month, next month will be a good month. If you bust your ass this year, then next year will be a cakewalk.
This approach comes not only from my experience as a successful freelancer, but from my experience as a former business manager and corporate trainer. The number one influencer in a successful career isn’t education, or experience, or talent. It’s effort. Pure and simple.
And THAT’S what this site is about. Showing you how to apply solid effort efficiently and effectively so that tomorrow is better than today, so that next year is better than this year…and this year looks pretty darn good! I want to see writers quit worrying about how they’re going to pay the bills, and start figuring out where they’re going to spend the money. Not next year, but next month.
I don’t want to teach you how to hang on until the search and rescue team arrives. I want to teach you how to recognize you’re not lost in the wilderness…you’re hanging out the awe and splendor and bounty of the great outdoors. It’s much better to enjoy it than struggle against it.
Want to Succeed? Remember, this is a Service Industry
comment now!Okay, so here is the second biggest tip I can give you (after “get off your butt and do something.”). This one tip can shift your entire attitude from “struggling to keep your head above water” to “sunning yourself on the beach”: under-promise and over-deliver.
*Gasp*
I can hear it now. “But Danny,” you say. “You have to make a great impression! You have to impress the client! To gain their trust! To wow them with your incredible abilities to get the job done!”
You’re right. And the way to do that is to consistently come in under deadline and on budget. And if you don’t leave yourself room to do that when you’re quoting your fee and your timeline, you’re going to be sweating bullets every minute of every day, trying to get every job in on time.
The best way to be consistently on-budget is to quote per-project, rather than per-hour. However long it takes, you know what you’ll be making and they know what they’ll be paying. So there’s no fear on either end. Just don’t forget to factor in time for edits, communication, research, travel time, etc.
The best way to come in under deadline is to give yourself some breathing room. If you think you can complete the job by Wednesday, tell the client they’ll have it by Friday…but still aim for Wednesday. You don’t know what might happen on Tuesday that might prevent you from working on the job. If you think a job should take 25 hours over four weeks to complete, quote 25 hours over six weeks instead.
Promise 12 concepts, then give them 20. Promise a 5-postcard series, and give then 8 cards to choose from.
You can give them more than they expect without killing yourself to do it, because YOU are in charge of setting the expectations to begin with. Under promise and over deliver every time, and you’ll get more repeat business and more referrals. And pretty soon you’ll be beating away business with a stick
Okay…I’ll let you in on a little secret
comment now!…yesterday was not the first time I’ve worked along that trail.
It was the first time I’ve been able to bill for the time hiking into an out of that spot. But the truth is, as a freelancer, you can work from just about anywhere. I’ve worked from the middle of the woods, in parks and restaurants and bars…once, I even did a job from the middle of the Walt Disney World Resort.
I know writers who get way too attached to their desks or their computers. I’ve even been known to spend entire days (I’m talking full 24-hour periods) with the laptop in my lap. Not frequently, but it’s been known to happen.
Being busy and productive are not bad things. But don’t just sit at the computer out of habit. I mean, if you’re just going to sit there typing all the time, you might as well be in a cubicle somewhere, right?
Who’s keeping you chained to your desk? If you’re full-time freelancing, you are the boss. No, not the client. You. (If the client is the boss, you’re approaching your working relationships the wrong way…but that’s fodder for another post).
Now, I know some people want to be ready, just in case a client needs something in a hurry. I’m the same way…but I don’t let that take the FREE out of Freelance.
First off, All of my business management and writing is done online. I used Google Docs to do my writing. I use Basecamp to manage my projects. I use Highrise for my contact management. And I use Creative Pro Office for invoicing and expenses. And I use G-mail to handle all my email accounts. Which means I can access anything I’m working on from any computer in the world.
And for those files that ARE on my hard drive, before I leave the house I back them up onto a 2-Gig flash drive I keep on my keychain. If if did have to make quick edits on the fly, All I have to do is find the nearest computer. And thanks to my cell phone, I’m hardly ever unable to talk to or email clients.
The result? I’m fully connected, but completely untethered at all times. I’m not only not tied to my desk…but I’m not even tied to a single computer. If I want to go do some work at the coffee shop, I grab the laptop and scoot. If I want to take an impromptu vacation with the family, I grab the cell phone and moleskine, and I’m off. There’s a 99% chance the hotel has a business center if something comes up. If not, I can find a public library and use a computer there.
THAT is the “free” in freelance copywriting. Do your work from anywhere. From communications to concepting to research to prospecting new business. You’re never out of reach or out of touch, even if you’re frequently out of the office.
Isn’t this the best job in the world?
2 comments
I mean, look…this was my office today.
Which, I suppose, makes this the water cooler.
I’m working on a job for an outdoor gear store. So, to get inspiration, I took a hike. To prove I was working, here’s a picture of my ULPO (Ultra-light Portable Office).
You’ll see the Moleskine unlined notebook, the e-mail enabled cell phone, the 2-gigabyte flash memory drive, with all of the current documents I’m working on, and of course, my pen of choice, the utilitarian Pilot Precise V5
And, to further prove I was working, I brought my personal assistant along with me.
We hiked into the woods about a mile and a half along a trail that took us around and over lakes, streams and some pretty steep hills. We had a working lunch. He captured the essence of our hike in his own notebook, while I did a little concepting from what has to be the most incredible office space in the entire world.
If you can think of a better job, I’d love to know about it.
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