Six-Figure Freelancer Blog

Seven Book Agreement reached with Five Rivers

This morning I reached an agreement with Five Rivers to publish seven of my business and promotional writing and business of freelance writing books.

In January 2009, Five Rivers released my How to Write a Non-fiction Book in 60 Days. To date it has gone on to sell almost 700 copies in Canada, the US and UK, and has constitently held the top 100 spot in its category on both UK and Canadian Amazon sites. It is available through online booksellers in both print and eBook format globally, direct from Five Rivers, and in select Indigo chain stores.

Five Rivers uses print on demand to effectively, efficiently and affordably distribute books and I am no stranger to the POD and self-publishing phenomenon. I have published several books and e-reports through Lulu. In 2009, encouraged by Lorina Stephens at Five Rivers, I released under my own imprint Harness the Business Writing Process and (re)Discover the Joy of Creative Writing, with global distribution through Ingram. The former is a textbook used in a business writing course at the University of Toronto.

It had been my intention to eventually revise and reissue his Lulu titles using Lightning Source Inc., and have all his work available through Ingram Distribution. My work as a freelance writer and corporate trainer, however, capitalized most of my time. Given the long-standing relationship between Stephens and me, the agreement today to have Five Rivers publish my revised titles should come as no surprise. We have been associates for over 20 years;; however, up until May 2009 we had never met face to face.

The publishing agreement will see updated and revised releases of the following titles:

• Harness the Business Writing Process
• (re)Discover the Joy of Creative Writing
• Everything You Wanted to Know about Freelance Writing
• Copywriting that Works: Bright Ideas to Help You Inform, Persuade, Motivate and Sell
• How to Write Media Releases and Promote Your Business, Organization or Event
• Do You Know Where Your Website Ranks? How to Optimize Your Website for the Best Possible Search Engine Results
• Build a Better Business Foundation: Create a Business Vision, Write a Business Plan, Produce a Marketing Plan

The Everything and Copywriting books are both texts in University of Toronto continuing education courses.

Five Rivers will start releasing revised titles later this year.

For more information about Five Rivers, visit www.5rivers.org. For more information about Paul Lima, visit www.paullima.com.

Posted in My Books | 3 Comments »

Hire a Cheap, Fast Writer — and Repent in Leisure

You’ve been writing all day. You are on your fifth draft of a one-page promotional flyer. You are not sure if the headline will hook your target market. You used “affect” and spellchecker suggested “effect” but when you used “effect” spell checker suggested “affect.” Email is piling up in your in-box. The call answer light on your phone is blinking furiously. And weren’t you supposed to set up interviews for the receptionist vacancy?

It’s time to find a freelance writer. You have two options:

• You can hire a cheap, fast writer and repent in leisure
• You can hire a writer with proven credentials, one who has demonstrated the ability to deliver the right words on time and on budget, and feel confident that the job will be done right

Many companies outsource certain business functions, and for good reason. Why spend time doing things that you do not specialize in, such as writing important promotional copy, web content, media releases, reports or proposals, when you could hire a freelance writer and spend your time closing sales or doing something more germane to your core business?

Just as you do before you contract out any other work, you need to discuss your business requirements and agree on a price for writing work. To help you get the job done right, here are five items you should discuss before with the writer:

1. Deliverables: Are you looking for a media release, a one-page flyer, a 20-minute speech, a 10-minute product promotional video, website copy, promotional email? Define the deliverable to ensure you get what you want.

2. Target Market: Who are you targeting? Mass-market consumers? Small business owners? Companies in particular sectors? CEOs and presidents? Purchasing managers? Let the writer know who you are targeting so the write can produce words that resonate with your particular target market.

3. Business Image: Are you a fun and funky company, or are you blue chip? Do you want breezy or solemn copy? Ensure the write knows the image you want to project so he or she can strike the right tone.

4. Objective: What is the purpose of the work? What are you trying to achieve, and why? Are you trying to inform, educate, entertain or persuade? Do you want a direct response or an eventual response? And what is the response you want? The writer need to know what you want so he or she can write words that will fulfil your objective.

5. Call to Action: What action do you want the reader to take? For instance, do you want the person reading your brochure to visit your Web site, call for an appointment, or buy something (and if so, how)? The writer needs to know so he or she can create a clear, concise call to action.

Before the project begins, you should also provide the writer with pertinent background reading material or spend some time discussing your business. If you don’t have time to bring the writer up to speed, hire a writer who has written the type of material you need and who understands the nature of your business and the sector in which you operate and/or the sector you are targeting.

How do you know you are getting a professional writer? Read samples on the writer’s website or review the writer’s portfolio. Also ask for and check references.

Now… Stop writing. Hire a professional writer. And get on with your business!

Posted in Business Writing | No Comments »

Principles of self-publishing (or why January was my best book sale month ever)

January was my best month ever for book sales, I’m pleased to say.

Okay, compared to Harry Potter, I have a long, long, long (long, long…) way to go when it comes to book sales; however, January was my best month ever for sales of my books on business, promotional and non-fiction writing and the business of freelance writing.

On average, I sell a book or two per day. In January, I sold 94 books or just over 3 books per day, so sales are trending up, which is gratifying.

As readers of this blog know, I self-publish all but one of my books using print on demand (POD). I have a publisher (Five Rivers) for one book, How to Write a Non-fiction Book in 60 Days, who also uses POD to distribute the books it publishes.

People ask me why my books sell as well as they do. I say that “well” is relative. I know self-published authors who sell more books per month than I do; I know self-published authors who don’t sell as many. However, I think there are five principles at play when it comes to sales of non-fiction self-published books. And quite frankly, I believe these principles apply to the sales of books published by traditional publishers too.

The five principles of book selling include the following:

• Your books should be well written and properly edited and designed for ease of reading
• Your book content should be aimed at a distinct target market or niche market (each of my books is aimed at a distinct target audience–business writers, promotional writers, periodical freelance writers, corporate freelance writers, non-fiction book writers)
• Your books should be easily accessible, as print and e-books, from a variety of legitimate sources (all my books are available as print and e-books; I am slowly porting my books over to LSI so they will be available from more sources)
• Your books should be priced to reflect their value to the buyer (one price fits does not fit all; however, price a book to low and people question its value; price it too high and people will look for alternatives)
• You should promote your books using a blog, social networking and other online means, but you should also investigate and invest in reasonable, cost-effective off-line promotions that reach your target audience

I must be honest here. Following the five principles does not guarantee you success when it comes to book sales. (Also, success if relative. You might think my crowing over the sale of 94 books is ridiculous; you might be a tad impressed with my sales.) At the same time, not following the five principles all but guarantees failure when it comes to sales of your books.

Interested in more information?

• Read more blog posts on POD and self-publishing here.
• Read a Print on demand: Self-publishing getting started primer here.
• Take a look at my book portal page here–the page that links to information on all my books and links to various means of buying my books

Posted in My Books, Self-Publishing & Print On Demand | 7 Comments »

Fix Your Own Wiring? Five Reasons Why It’s Safer to Call a Licensed Electrician

I feel as if I may have lured you into this blog post under false pretenses because this post is about editing, not wiring, as you will see.

If you are like me, a person who knows absolutely nothing about wiring (I once stuck a screwdriver into a live socket to remove a broken light bulb, but fortunately lived to tell the tale), you would call a licensed electrician the moment you were faced with a wiring issue. Why is it then that many people, people who may know little or nothing about editing documents, do not call professional editors when faced with writing issues?

Let’s make two changes to the headline of this blog post and you will see what I mean when I say this post is about editing:

Fix Your Own Writing? Five Reasons Why It’s Safer to Call a Professional Editor

Here are five reasons why you should call an editor to review and fix your writing before you send it to your intended audience.

A professional editor can ensure

• your opening captures the attention of your audience
• the body holds the interest of your audience
• your call to action or conclusion is clear
• your writing is concise and focused
• your writing is technically sound

An editor can do all of the above more effectively and efficiently than you can probably do it. An editor will save you time and make you look more professional in the eyes of your audience.

You wouldn’t try to fix your wiring if you knew little or nothing about electricity, would you? Or, like me, you might try it once, almost kill yourself, and not try it again. So why try to fix your writing?

If you want the right words to reach your audience, call an editor. That way, when you are running your ad, issuing your report, sending out your proposal, replying to a request for quote, submitting your thesis, or publishing your book, you will feel confident that your writing is saying what you want it to say, and saying it well. And when it comes to communicating, that is a darn good feeling.

Paul Lima is a freelance writer and editor. You can read more about him at www.paullima.com or contact him at info@paullima.com.

Posted in Business Writing | No Comments »

The Halo Effect: one good deed a day…

On Monday February 1st Infinity PR launch the Halo Effect. The goal of the movement is to create good feelings one person at a time.

Check out the web site and listen to the video. If you like what you see, tell your friends and forward the link. Infinity says, “It is our sincere hope that we can spread some joy and in turn make YOU feel great.”

Read more and watch the video here:
- http://www.halo.infinity-pr.com

Posted in Freelance Writing - General | No Comments »

Networking your way to freelance writing success

From Chapter 14 of The Six-Figure Freelancer

Networking Your Way to Success: Allow me to introduce you to a concept with which you are probably familiar. If you are like most freelance writers, it is one you probably ignore or engage in only informally. The concept is called networking, which is a fancy word for talking to people about what you do.

Asking for referrals is a form of networking. You are networking with previous customers. But what about all the people you know who are not customers? Why wouldn’t you network with family members, friends, other writers, associates and other people you know, or join associations that represent your target sectors and go to events where you can network?

Let Me Tell You a Story: I conduct a workshop based on this book, called the Six-Figure Freelancer. At the beginning of the workshop, I ask people what they hope to accomplish during the day. One time, in response to the question, a woman said she was working steadily but felt she had not begun to tap into the full potential of the corporate market.

I asked her how many billable hours per week she was working. She said 15 to 25. I asked her if she felt she was earning a fair hourly rate. She said yes. I asked her whether she enjoyed the work she was doing. She said she had a good mix of writing – reports, media releases and articles for newsletters. “Hmmm,” I said. “It sounds as though you have what everybody here aspires to. Enlighten me. What exactly is the problem?”

She explained that she had mentioned to her brother that she was going to set up shop as a freelance writer. He said his employer was looking for a writer and suggested she call his boss. She made the call and landed a steady gig, working from home with the company. One day, her client asked if she could take on additional work. He had a customer who needed some writing. She said she could. Between the two steady clients, she was earning a decent living.

She paused.

“And?” I said. “And?”

“It’s been too easy!” she sputtered.

She had achieved what every freelancer aspires to but was beating herself up because it was too easy. Because she had not starved and suffered!

Why do writers do this to themselves? Don’t answer. The question is rhetorical. I’ve been guilty of it, in my way, too.

The Point of This Story? Becoming a successful freelancer may not be that easy for you, but if you eschew proven marketing methods – networking, in this instance – that can lead to work, success will be that much more difficult to achieve.

I know freelancers who will not tell friends and relatives what they do. They feel it is cheating or asking for favours! Poppycock. Networking is a perfectly legitimate business practice. When you network, you are not necessarily asking friends, family members, associates, colleagues and other contacts for work. Heck, unless they are senior executives, most are probably not in a position to hire you. So, what are you doing? You are asking whether they can give your business card (you have a business card, don’t you?) to someone who might need a writer, or give you contact information for anyone who might need a writer.

Three Types of Networking

• Networking with previous clients to ask for referrals, which we covered in the last chapter
• Networking with people you know: friends, relatives, associates and so on
• Networking with people you meet at events for writers, industry events (“industry” being the sectors you are targeting) or formal networking events

To become a successful freelance writer, you need to engage actively in all three types of networking. In short, before you can generate repeat business, you have to generate new business. Networking is one of the important marketing means of doing that.

____________________
Paul Lima is a freelance writer, copywriter, and business writing instructor. He is also the author of several books on business writing and the business of freelance writing, including The Six-Figure Freelancer.

Posted in Marketing Your Services | 1 Comment »

Freelance student successfully pitches great story idea

Jennifer Moore, a freelance writing student who took my online course, Freelance Writing Business, last spring (through the University of Toronto) emailed me to say that she was able to place an article about three Ecuadorian villagers suing the Toronto Stock Exchange in the November/December issue of THIS Magazine.

If you are at all interested in global economic connections, it is a story well worth reading. However, if you simply want to read a concise, focused, well structured story, it is also well worth reading.

A note on timing: If you have a hot pitch, you should get it out to appropriate publications as soon as you can. You want to make sure you include the details you will need to sell the story, but you should also be aware that others may be pitching similar stories. As Jennifer told me, “Walrus looked at my pitch, but turned it down saying that they had already lined up a similar article.”

Congratulations on you sale, Jennifer. I suspect this will be the first of many stories you sell to magazines and newspapers.
____________________________

To read other blog posts about the business of freelance writing for newspapers and magazines, click here. To read about e-course on freelance writing, click here. And to read about books on freelance writing, click here.

Posted in Freelance Writing - General, Freelance Writing - Newspaper/Magazine | 1 Comment »

Seminar: Killer Query Letters That Editors will Read (Toronto)

Write Killer Query Letters That Editors will Read
This workshop for writers who focus on the print market will help you develop article ideas and write effective query letters that busy magazine and newspaper editors will pay attention to. This one-day workshop will:

• help you fully develop article ideas
• take you through the process of finding the right editors at appropriate publications
• show you how to write stellar query letters that sell you as the best person to write the article

You will also learn what items you need to discuss when the editor says ‘yes’ to your idea.

Who should attend: If you are a beginning freelance writer or an experienced journalist trying to get more of your story ideas accepted and published, you will find this workshop valuable. Write Killer Query Letters that Editors Will Read is based on Paul Lima’s bestselling book, The Business of Freelance Writing: How to Develop Article Ideas and Sell Them to Newspapers and Magazines.

Instructor: Paul Lima has been a professional writer and writing instructor for more than 25 years. His extensive experience as a freelance writer includes articles published in National Post, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Time Canada as well
as a range of trade publications. (See article sample here.) Paul is also the author of The Six-Figure Freelancer, The Business of Freelance Writing, and his most recently published book, How to Write a Non-fiction Book in 60 Days.

Workshop Details
Where: St. Luke’s Anglican Church,1513 Dixie Rd., Mississauga, ON (Map)
When: Sat., Mar. 13, 2010, 9:30a.m. – 4:30p.m.
Cost (includes GST): $79 (general public); $65 for members of any of the following associations: WEN, PWAC, HHWEN, WCDR

Pay online: www.writeware.ca. Go to the workshops page and choose Write Killer Query Letters that Editors Will Read.

More information: workshops@writeware.ca

Posted in Workshops, Seminars & Online Courses | No Comments »

2009 – a banner year for author’s book sales

The numbers are in. 2009 was been a banner year for book sales, at least for me. I sold 1,048 books. The book How to Write a Non-fiction Book in 60 Days accounted for 712 books sold. Do that math and that leaves 336 other books on copywriting and the business of freelance writing sold.

Last year, the year that I launched 60 Days, I sold 361 books, including 51 copies of 60 Days (which was available 3/4 of the year).

To what do I attribute the exponential sales growth of 60 Days? Five factors:

• Porting the book from Lulu to LSI, through Five Rivers, which put it in Amazon
• Media releases and web promo by my publisher, Five Rivers
• My web promos (blog, social, links to online reviews)
• Book trailer created by my daughter (viewed almost 3,000 times; see it here)
• Many mysteries (such as Why the heck did UK sales spike?)

The books were fun to write and I like the revenue they generate (I am primarily a freelance writer and writing trainer). Having said that, the books help boost my profile as a writer/trainer and contribute to my teaching, training and corporate writing, so they contribute indirectly to my other income too.

I am always open to book promotional ideas that don’t require excessive expenditures of cash or time (call me a lazy book seller!). If others want to share what they do to market their books, I’m all ears. Feel free to leave a comment.

Posted in My Books, Self-Publishing & Print On Demand | 5 Comments »

Seminar: Successful independent practitioners – how they got to where they are now

The seminar is over, but you can read a blog post wrap up here:
- http://trafcom.typepad.com/blog/2010/01/learning-from-the-independent-pros.htm
**********
AIP Presents: Successful independent practitioners – how they got to where they are now

Start the New Year with AIP panelists as they share insights and tips on how they achieved their financial goals. You will learn:

• How to market yourself to attract the clients you want
• How to grow your business to achieve your financial goals
• How to avoid pitfalls standing in the way of your success

Panel

• Paul Lima, Freelance writer and author of Six-Figure Freelancer: How to Find, Price and Manage Corporate Writing Assignments.
• Diana Degan Robinson, President of Diana Robinson & Associates and winner of IABC/Toronto’s 2009 Award of Distinction for Independent and Small Agency of the Year
• Ken Cherney, ABC, APR, MC. Award winning, senior communications practitioner at Ken Cherney and Associates Inc.
• Annette Martell, ABC, MC. Award winning, Independent Consulting Associate, TWI Surveys Inc. Guest speaker at IABC International conferences.

Event schedule
Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Registration and networking: 6 p.m.
Presentation/Workshop and Q&A: 6:30 to 8:15 p.m.
Networking: 8:15 to 8:55 p.m.

Location: The Assembly Hall, 1 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Drive (Kipling Avenue & Lakeshore Boulevard West) Toronto, ON – MAP to venue
TTC instructions: From the Queen Subway Station, take the Long Branch 501 Street Car (westbound); from the Kipling Station, take the 44 Kipling South bus
Parking instructions: Limited free parking in Green P lot south of building; metered parking on Lakeshore Boulevard

Registration Fee:
Regular member fee: $25.00
Student member fee: $25.00
Non-member fee: $35.00
Included in registration fee: Access to event and light refreshments (sandwiches, coffee, tea, pop and juice)

Sponsor: Alliance of Independent Practitioners (AIP)

Posted in Business Vision, Marketing Your Services, Workshops, Seminars & Online Courses | 1 Comment »