Notes from Minnesota
It's warm!
Rudie (the Doxie Cross) begs to go for her daily walks while Jake the Min Pin enjoys snoozing in sun beams.
Ah, a dog's life, eh?
I'm hard at work polishing my next book, preparing it for publication. It's pretty exciting... all about unleashing your creativity. I can't wait.
Enjoy spring! If you get a chance, write outside for a while. It's an incredible experience.
Best,
Beth
P.S. Be sure to check out our best sellers. Just click here
A Mindset Moment
If you could comprehend the incredible power you release whenever you place pen to paper, when you type onto a shiny computer screen, when you submit your work to others... you would race to your computer, rush to put pen to paper, you'd treat your writing as the true calling it really is.
For when you write what it truly on your heart, you release angels. You harness the power of the universe. You hold the potential to touch innumerable numbers of readers.
So, what are you waiting for. Go forward and change the world.
You hold the power. Release it.
(Mindset Moment #1)
Beth's Hot Pick of the Week
Purchase any of my books direct from Filbert Publishing and I'll toss in the 30 minute CD of “10 Steps to Freelancing Freedom.” Just...
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Choose the valuable resource you'd like to add to your library: Jumpstart Your Writing Career; 101 No Cost and Low Cost Techniques to Turbo Charge Your Writing Career; Filbert's Fast Guide to Getting Published
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Every one of these paperback books that leaves my office will contain the bonus CD.
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You're good to go!
Have fun!
April Events for the Creative Mindset Community
I'm closing entry to this community soon. We've got 25 savvy freelancers in this community and I'm shutting the doors at number 30.
After that, you'll have to go on a waiting list.
Every single member receives my regular audio CDs, books, Yahoo group, Round Table discussions and much more.
If you're looking for a small, tight knit writing community... a place where you'll receive free resources, a private chat area, a monthly subscription to the Creative Mindset Newsletter, and a monthly Round Table discussion where you can hang out with other freelancers, ask questions, and simply be yourself... you need to check out the Creative Mindset Community.
If you're not a member yet, and if you want the free monthly discussions, a fab newsletter, regular CDs, a private Yahoo group, and much more. You can get all the info you need at the following link.
http://filbertpublishing.com/creative.html
Your Questions Answered
Beth's note: I occasionally receive questions from freelancers. These are just a few:
Question: How do we get publishers to pay us more for articles? Last year I said goodbye to a client to whom I'd delivered quality articles for over two years when the publisher refused to increase the 12 cents per word he was paying AND asked me to sign a "writer's agreement" that would have, in essence, turned over control of my business to him. It amounted to an employment agreement with no offer of compensation and implied that writers don't have any professional ethics. The whole matter indicated a lack of respect for the people who deliver the content of his publication that keeps readers interested in it; all he seems to value are the salespeople who generate the ads (they make up to $150k a year from the same company). I understand that those ads pay the bills, but the editorial content is what generates circulation that enables those sales reps to sell ads. Is there a solution, or should I just consider that client an idiot as I move altogether away from writing articles because of the low pay?
Beth says:
Hey Lynn… welcome to the world of freelancing.
Reality check: publishers and editors can pay you pretty much anything they want to. It’s a fact. They post a random rate and boom… that’s how much you’re paid.
It’s like the rungs of a ladder, you’ll find low paying markets, hike up to medium rates, then eventually find yourself commanding higher pay.
But to ask a low paying market to boost you up to a higher rate can be very difficult.
You can produce top rate work, beg and plead for higher pay, but you most likely won’t change the fact that there are a ton of writers willing to work for little or no money.
And to gun after an assignment expecting decent pay when there are a thousand newbies screaming for the opportunity to write for free is simply a waste of time.
If you’ve written for any period of time and still consider these folks your competition, you’re doomed when comes to aspiring to earn a decent wage as a writer.
On the other hand, there are plenty of publications willing to pay top dollar for quality work. These are the markets that newbies (or writers with a newbie mindset) wouldn’t dare approach.
This includes the higher end consumer magazines, some trade mags, and business writing.
It’s when you hit these markets that your income will rise.
And so, you’ve been writing for a publication that won’t raise their pay rates? That’s fabulous news. Congratulations. I applaud your ambition.
And you got fired? That’s even better. Because now you’ve got a little extra time to pursue higher paying markets.
Grab a few books and study a few copywriting techniques. I personally know a writer who just got paid 15 grand for one web page. And her wages are not a fluke… they’re the norm.
So to arguing over a per word rate isn’t worth your time.
Count your lucky stars, move on and start enjoying your job. After all, your job is to write, not haggle over a few cents here, a few cents there.
Two related questions:
Harry asks: How much do I charge to write a 500 word article?
Susan asks: The age old question -- how much should I charge?
Answer:
It depends on the project.
Without knowing anything about where you’re about to place the article, the company who will purchase rights to it, what they stand to gain from the article, what their budget is, who the clientèle/readership are, what kind of research is involved… it’s impossible to come up with a pay scale. Sorry.
I wish I could tell you, “I’d charge (insert dollar figure here) for this 500 word article.” If I could do this, I would.
If you’re writing for a corporate client, you need to find out what they expect to earn from that little piece of free advertising. If they expect an avalanche of orders, price accordingly.
I know a copywriter who earned 8 grand from a web page. He was thrilled until he found out that the client earned 1 million sales. Suddenly 8g didn't sound like so much.
It all depends on what's at stake.
Asking how much you should charge is almost like calling a contractor and asking them how much they’d charge to build a house.
It’s impossible to answer without details about the project.
However I can help you out a bit: don't charge by the hour. That would limit your income too much. After all, you can only work so many hours per day.
Find out what your market will bear. If you need the cash right now, take a lower rate while trying to poop up the price as much as possible. Otherwise hold out for clients who aren't so cheap.
Jerry asks:
What is the best way to approach an editor, who accepted an article, but is really slow paying. Some magazines pay upon publication. I have found a few editors that hold articles for up to a year prior to publishing. Is there a way to send a wake up call?
Beth answers:
If a publisher pays on publication, you’ll probably have to wait. In fact, some publications pay 90 days after publication.
Yeah. It sucks.
But if they’re up front telling you they pay on publication, so be it. You’ll wait.
If 90 days have passed after publication and you still haven’t been paid, something wonky is going on.
Here’s what I do:
I congratulate the editor when I see the article has run. I politely ask when they’ll cut a check. If I don’t receive payment when they say it’ll arrive, I contact them again. This time I use a “puzzled” type e-mail saying something like, “I hope it didn’t get lost in the mail….”
If this doesn’t shake some cash out of them, I keep e-mailing weekly, always giving the check time to arrive.
I’ve never had to move beyond this point. However if I had to, I could always threaten legal action… although I’m very reluctant to do so. Considering the amount of money in play, I’d rather spend my time on profitable projects.
Writing articles for business clients is quite low risk, pays well, and exceedingly easy.
It’s low-risk because 99 times out of 100, I get paid up front. Check comes, I write.
It pays well because these clients are not hiring you for an article, they’re paying for publicity.
Big difference.
When you become a publicity/marketing provider, you can raise your rates accordingly. We’ll talk about this more later. Today we’re talking about articles so that’s where I’ll stay.
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Beth Ann Erickson is the “Queen Bee” of Filbert Publishing. She’s also the author of numerous titles including “101 No Cost and Low Cost Secrets To Turbo Charge Your Freelance Income.” Pick up your copy today at http://filbertpublishing.com/101.html She’s also a busy copywriter, speaker, and publisher of Writing Etc., the free e-mag for writers.
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