Gripes about pay are an epidemic within the writing world. However there are nonetheless good-paying assignments on the market. So why don’t writers earn extra money?
In my expertise mentoring writers, there are three primary the explanation why freelance writers don’t earn extra money
Motive 1: You’re not advertising and marketing sufficient
After I communicate with writers who’re caught making $10,000 or $20,000 a 12 months, I often start by asking them about their advertising and marketing. Are they not getting responses to their queries? Really feel they don’t do nicely at in-person networking? Need assistance with their cold-calling expertise?
The solutions are at all times the identical. It isn’t that they need assistance enhancing how they do this stuff—they merely aren’t querying, aren’t networking, and aren’t cold-calling. To sum up, they’re not advertising and marketing their enterprise, except for maybe capturing the occasional resume to a web-based job advert.
You’ve received to consistently be searching for new and higher shoppers to maintain your slate full. That is additionally the way you elevate charges: you discover better-paying shoppers, after which at some point you take a look at your roster and notice you’re so busy you possibly can drop the lowest-paying account.
For those who’re actively prospecting, you get extra new shoppers and may drop low payers sooner, resulting in greater common pay. For those who’re writing for $15 an article, it’s since you’re not taking the time to market your enterprise and discover better-paying markets.
Motive 2: You’re getting assignments as a substitute of constructing relationships
New writers typically get so enthusiastic about having an project that they neglect—each project ought to be, like they are saying on the finish of Casablanca, the start of an attractive friendship. It is best to hyperlink in social media to that editor so that you just by no means lose observe of them, even when they modify jobs.
Whenever you flip in your story, don’t let the connection momentum die. Try to be prepared with two or three extra story concepts. For those who don’t have concepts, not less than ask the editor what their wants are arising. As an alternative of a one-off, attempt to flip every relationship into a gradual gig.
Free obtain that can assist you earn extra money!
Discover your first freelance writing shoppers with these 7 pitch templates.
Motive 3: You’re not reselling
One nice method to maximize your earnings is to take every story concept you’ve gotten and promote it a number of locations. Personally, I’ve recycled story concepts a lot previously I’m dizzy. I’ll write a couple of enterprise matter for a Canadian conglomerate, then a U.S. journal, then a company web site.
Reselling accelerates earnings since you leverage the analysis and knowledgeable interviews you probably did as soon as throughout many paychecks, making you extra environment friendly. You may interview one supply and promote the story to their college journal, a enterprise journal, a neighborhood newspaper…and so forth. You match extra articles into every year extra simply, you invoice extra, you make extra.
What’s all of it boil all the way down to? Be keen to exit and actively search for better-paying shoppers, and do your writing assignments extra effectively. Try this, and your revenue is certain to rise.
This put up initially appeared on the WM Freelance Author’s Connection.