High-income Business Writing: Freelance Writing | Copywriting | Content Writing | How To Freelance

It's not every day that I come across an idea in the freelancing world that gets me super excited. But when I recently sat down with freelance ghostwriter Derek Lewis, I found myself taking a ton of notes ... and thinking of ways I could shift my writing business to do what HE does!Derek is a very successful business-book ghostwriter. He's also the author of the new book The Business Book Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Write a Good Business Book. And in this interview, he gives us a detailed and very exciting look into the world of book ghostwriting. What it isWhat it involvesThe best target markets for this workWhat you can chargeHow to find clientsAnd who's best suited for this type of writingThis is a realistic six-figure opportunity for strong writers who enjoy longer-format projects and working closely with a client for an extended period of time. And as you'll see, the rewards go way beyond the financial.

Michelle Hiskey doesn't have a traditional freelance writing business. For one, she has a full-time job. So she works her freelance work on the side. Also, her clients are NOT the traditional businesses and nonprofits many of us work with. Instead, they're high school students who need help writing their college application essay. In this interview, Michelle explains what this type of writing is all about. What's involved. What she charges. How she approaches the work. And what type of writer this specialty is well suited for. She also talks about how she's giving back to her community in a creative and meaningful way. This is an inspiring and fascinating discussion — perfect if you're exploring different ideas or business models.

One of the biggest reasons freelancers love being on their own is the flexibility it affords.When you're your own boss, you set the schedule. You pick whom you work with and what projects you take on.And, ideally, you pick where you work.Unfortunately, most of us don't take full advantage of our business portability. Some people have young kids. Others have aging parents to take care of. Or a medical condition that limits travel.Recently, after talking with my colleague Steve Roller from , I realized that (for me, at least), it's mostly an issue of both commitment AND fear.I haven't made this a priority. And I'm a bit fearful of the unknown.There's a third reason that stops many solos...The belief that you have to go to an exotic location — and that you have to do it for an extended period of time.If you're even remotely interested in travel, I urge you to listen to this episode. Steve talks about his motivation for getting out of his daily environment and seeing more of the world. He explains how he's able t

If you enjoy learning new and clever strategies for landing more work from better clients, you definitely need to check out this episode. Freelance writer Amy Dunn Moscoso has been using a unique and very effective strategy for landing work from trade shows. Not just a project or two. In many cases, we're talking about a TON of work. Enough to keep her busy for months. The best part? She doesn't even have to attend the show! In this episode, Amy explains what this strategy is all about, why it works so well, and how she's implemented it so effectively. Get ready to take some notes!

Think podcasting is for celebrities, authors and speakers?Think again!Podcasting is rapidly becoming one of the most effective and popular mediums for self-employed pros to attract high-quality leads, build trust and create rock-solid client loyalty.I know that sounds like hype. I didn't believe it myself — until about 18 months ago, when I reluctantly started my own show and saw the immediate impact it had in my own business.In this interview, you'll hear from my friend and colleague Cliff Ravenscraft, the "Podcast Answerman." Cliff eats, breathes and lives podcasting. He's probably helped more people start and grow a podcast than anyone else. And he explains why every service professional—including freelancers in all disciplines—should start their own show.If you're very selective about the shows you upload to your phone or mobile device, I can assure you that this one is a MUST-LISTEN!

I recently had the opportunity to interview legendary copywriter Bob Bly.We talked for almost an hour. What a fascinating guy!Among other things, I asked him:What his typical day looks likeWhere his income comes fromHis thoughts on social mediaHow to get lead-gen copywriting work in B2BHow to get your income to the $200,000 level and beyond I even threw him a surprising question towards the end. And he replied with an equally surprising answer.

Do you have a healthcare background or an active interest in the medical industry? And do you have a knack for explaining complex topics in simple language?If so, you'll love today's episode. My guest is medical device copywriting veteran Casey Demchack. In this interview, Casey spills the beans about this fascinating field of commercial writing. He explains:What's involvedWhat types of writing projects are in demandWho the best clients areWhat they look for in a writerAnd how you can break into this market, even if you have limited (or zero) industry experienceCasey also shares his thoughts on having multiple specialties or target markets and how he juggles seemingly unrelated niches.

Successful freelance business writers often get to a point where they have to make a difficult decision: Should they keep operating as a one-person shop? Or should they scale and build something bigger?If you know you're not cut out to be an entrepreneur, you're probably better off as a solo business. Nothing wrong with that!But if you think you'd love the challenges and rewards of building a mini content-development agency, it might be worth exploring.In this episode, I interview Paul McKeon, founder of The Content Factor. Paul is a B2B tech-marketing veteran who has built one of the most respected and successful marketing content agencies in the Southeastern U.S.In our talk he shares how he built his agency, how he works with writers, what challenges he's faced over the years, and how to determine if this business model is for you.

  The biggest reason I became self-employed was to have more control. I wanted to have more control over the kind of work I did, when I did it and how I went about it. And I especially wanted to have more control over the people I worked with. I wanted to choose my clients more carefully. Because as a freelance writer I was, essentially, selling a relationship. And I didn't want to have a relationship with people who didn't appreciate me or my work. Or who weren't fun work with. If we were going to work together closely, I wanted to do that only with people I enjoyed, doing meaningful and engaging work. That's what we're discussing in today's episode. And to do that, I've brought in one of the leading authorities on getting clients in the professional services arena: C.J. Hayden. C.J. is the author of the classic book , a book I read, studied and applied in my early years as a freelancer. It has served me very well over the years. So I feel honored to finally have her on the show to talk about finding and

Getting some of your articles published in an industry newsletter, blog or publication has a number of benefits. For one, it helps position you as a thought leader—as an expert in your industry, niche or domain. It also helps expose you to prospects who may not have heard about you otherwise. Yet I find that most freelance business writer shy away from this strategy. Some don't understand the benefits of writing these pieces without direct compensation. Others think they're not qualified. And many of those who try give up way too early. In this week's podcast I interview Julia Borgini, a freelance writer and web content specialist who writes for technology companies. Julia recently landed a huge publicity win which has given her great exposure. And in this discussion, she explains how she went about it, what it took to get her article accepted, and what she's learned from the experience.

If you want to generate a high income as a freelance writer, you won't get there by doing lots of $500 projects for small clients. Sure, you can work long hours and bring in some big numbers. But it won't be long before you burn out. To earn a comfortable six-figure income AND have the freedom and flexibility to enjoy the fruits of your labor you HAVE to start working with bigger clients. One big client can easily replace two, three or even four smaller clients. Plus, they're often easier to work with. They have more work. And they're not as price-sensitive as smaller clients. So why do so many freelance writers avoid them? One word: FEAR! We might tell ourselves that it's other things. But at the core, the biggest reason we don't go after bigger fish is just plain, old-fashioned fear. In this episode you'll hear from Mary Rose Maguire, an Ohio-based freelance writer who recently broke through these fears and insecurities to go after (and land!) her largest client ever. She explains how she did it, how the ov

The premise of this show is that earning more in less time should be one of your key drivers. That kind of approach to your business (when done in a spirit of balance) enables you to have more time, more freedom and live a richer life ... without sacrificing your income. Freelance writer Kathleen Fink recently contacted me with a different twist on this idea — one that's particularly suited for retiring boomers who don't need to make "income" their primary goal. And in this episode she shares some great insights that may change the way you think about writing during retirement.

When it comes to prospecting and selling, most of us want the easy way out. The gimmick that will put our prospecting on autopilot. But at the end of the day, if the trick, gimmick or technique is not based on strong fundamentals, it will have a VERY short shelf life. One of the many things I love about my colleague Jill Konrath is that all her advice is based on strong fundamentals. She understands human nature. She understands what decision makers want—what keeps them up at night. And how to continue the conversation already going on in their heads. In this episode, she explains: Why selling has changed drastically in the past 10 years Why you need to adopt a different approach to your own marketing and selling And how simple shifts in the way you approach prospects can have a dramatic impact on your income.

What are the biggest pros and cons of working with agencies? What types of writers (and personalities) are best suited for working with agencies? What do agencies look for when hiring a freelance writer? What would you say are the best ways to attract and land agency clients? How can you avoid payment nightmares and other typical agency/freelancer challenges? You'll get the answers to all these questions in this week's podcast! My guests are Caryn Starr-Gates and Shanna Kurpe — two seasoned freelance writers who built their businesses through agencies and marketing firms.

What makes some freelance business writers more successful than others? And why are some of them continually successful while others struggle in the feast-or-famine cycle for years? In this episode I share some of the most important things successful B2B/commercial writers have in common. What else would you add to this list? Please let me know in the comments area below.

If you've ever been laid off or downsized, you already know what a crappy experience that can be. Especially when it's unexpected and it catches you off guard. But for Don Sadler, getting laid off from his job in 2009 was one of the best things that could have happened to him. Don was able to turn this "misfortune" into a six-figure freelance business. And in this interview, he shares how he did this and what he's learned along the way. Lots of great ideas and insights in this episode -- even for those of you who've been freelancing for a while The notes that follow are a very basic, unedited summary of the show. There’s a lot more detail in the audio version. You can listen to the show using the audio player below. Or you can subscribe to this podcast series in . 


Creating a smart prospecting strategy is very much like assembling a solid, diversified investment portfolio. And just like the world of investments has countless options, there are many prospecting and self-promotional tactics available to today's freelance writer. Too many, in fact! But one tactic that we don't talk about enough is public speaking. And more specifically, delivering talks to groups and organizations. In this show, I interview someone who's landed a great deal of freelance work with this idea: my colleague Steve Slaunwhite. Steve shares what he likes best about this particular type of self-promotion, whom this strategy is best-suited for, the steps to take to make this work, and how you can get started today.

In this week's show, I'll share 3 smart ways to boost your freelance income by outsourcing tasks that others can do better, faster and more cheaply. It may not make sense to do them all at once. It depends on where you are in your business and what kind of work you're doing. But at some point, you should seriously consider delegating some of these functions. I'll explain what these tasks are, how I outsource this work, what companies I use and what my experience has been.

Today's show covers a topic many of you have asked me about... Contracts. Should you use a contract when working with a client? What should it include? And should you write it up yourself, or is it best to hire an attorney? I'm not an attorney. And I don't even play one on TV. So I decided to bring in a lawyer to the show — someone who works with freelancers and entrepreneurs. In this interview, attorney Mark Mauriello explains: The benefits of using a contract What your contract should include When to use it When to hire an attorney And much more.

I occasionally hear from writers who are on the verge of giving up their freelance dream. They've tried for months (or even years!) to make a go of it. But they haven't been able to achieve the level of success they expected. So they come to me for advice. In this episode, I share some of my thoughts on this issue. And, no—it's not all "rainbows and sunshine" advice. In fact, some of these ideas may surprise you.