Post: #326

Freelance Writers Den has really played a big part in my writing, along with this post. Top share from whoever it was.

So where are we all at? Websites up? etc.

Post: #327

So, I went ahead and turned our spreadsheet group into a full-blown private forum. If some of the more-established members want to hop on board, hit me up.

As for guys who only have a couple rep points, not much posting participation, and have never met anyone here, etc, I unfortunately cannot accommodate you at the moment. If I decide to expand the forum later on and take on people from other corners of the web, I'll hit you up with an invite after the membership grows, as a bigger audience would mask who was from here and who wasn't.

For now, though, it's only open to guys who have been around for a while and earned some trust.

I foresee this being a mastermind group where a small handful of freelancers can bounce ideas off of each other and figure out ways to head straight for the top industry rates. At the moment, everyone who registers needs to have their account manually activated by me, and the forums are completely private so random visitors can't see inside.

On another note, if guys who are doing SEO, freelance web design, and programming, etc, want to hop in (Rio and Speakeasy come to mind), bring it. I think a lot of the marketing tactics are transferable, to be honest, and I'm not opposed to making the group a mastermind for freelancers rather than just freelance writers. I, for one, offer design and marketing services on the side, so a lot of it goes together too.

Hit me up with a pm if you want to hop in with us.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #328

(11-16-2013 03:11 PM)PompeyChris Wrote:  Freelance Writers Den has really played a big part in my writing, along with this post. Top share from whoever it was.

Yep, the Den is solid if you use the information. And great value for the price, in my opinion. I pretty much recommend it to every writer I talk to.

Try the warm-emailing tactics. They work. Also, check out the video interview of Jon Morrow. I haven't watched it, as I'm not a member of the Den at the moment, but I recently joined his guest blogging training program and his advice is solid. He's the Associate Editor at Copyblogger (which says a lot in itself) and built his reputation on guest blogging, so I can't see a better person to learn from.

His newer site, BoostBlogTraffic.com, pulled in $500K in the first year.

The GB program is closed now (unless he's given Den members a back door or something) but I think it opens up every 3-6 months or so.

Anyways, have you tried any of the tactics from the Den out yet? Look up a post by a travel writer named Gabi something about emailing travel companies. I tried that a while back and got a good response on the first set of queries.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #329

(11-18-2013 02:56 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  As for guys who only have a couple rep points, not much posting participation, and have never met anyone here, etc, I unfortunately cannot accommodate you at the moment.

What is the entry barrier in to the private forum? It is something I really want to be on. I feel there should be a target level of high quality posts and/or rep points to aim for.

I also feel I haven't really used the den to my full advantage yet, I need to check out some more of the videos. It's hard finding the perfect learn/do ratio.

Post: #330

(11-18-2013 05:47 AM)PompeyChris Wrote:  

(11-18-2013 02:56 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  As for guys who only have a couple rep points, not much posting participation, and have never met anyone here, etc, I unfortunately cannot accommodate you at the moment.

What is the entry barrier in to the private forum? It is something I really want to be on. I feel there should be a target level of high quality posts and/or rep points to aim for.

I also feel I haven't really used the den to my full advantage yet, I need to check out some more of the videos. It's hard finding the perfect learn/do ratio.

Hey Man, don't worry too much as my private group is pretty bare at the moment. lol You're not missing much, and you'll find a ton more in Carol's forum to suit your needs right now. If I were you I'd just maximize that.

There's no specific post count, etc. If I think it's iffy I just run it by the other guys. Like I said, though, if I take on some peeps from somewhere else to where it isn't clear who came from where, then I'll probably make it a bit more lax. If you meet a well-respected forum member or two and he gives a pass, that might do it, but I'm not ready to make any promises at the moment.

Sorry that I have to do it this way. I don't mean to be a snob about it or anything, but this is linked to our professions, essentially, so some caution is required. Most professionals on this forum are pretty guarded about mixing work and game.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #331

While currently working as a freelancer I ran into this site. I am going down the list to filter out the quality ones. Hopefully one will require native-English speakers that won't haggle for cheap wages.
http://freelanceswitch.com/finding/the-m...job-sites/

I'm also using more tools to manage my projects so I thought to share this: http://administrativeconsultantsassoc.com/freesoftware

I'm not affiliated with either of these sites. Let me know if you tried any of the services besides eLance and Odesk.

Post: #332

Just hired my first freelancer on elance… fuck, did I get bombarded by a ton of bogus bids. I guess you guys on here probably complain when unqualified douches bid super-low on writing assignments that you want, but it's also shitty from the client side to have to weed through all that garbage. In the end, you've got to be the best, and when hiring you've got to choose the best (not so easy to know.) I guess it's a necessary evil, online collaboration, on those projects that you just don't have the logistics/contacts to get done face-to-face. Or shit you just want to get done cheap. Of course, you get what you pay for, right?

Post: #333

(11-18-2013 07:33 PM)Freedom Wrote:  Let me know if you tried any of the services besides eLance and Odesk.

Doesn't appear to be on the list, but I have had good results from Guru.

(11-19-2013 12:01 AM)thirty-six Wrote:  Just hired my first freelancer on elance… fuck, did I get bombarded by a ton of bogus bids. I guess you guys on here probably complain when unqualified douches bid super-low on writing assignments that you want, but it's also shitty from the client side to have to weed through all that garbage.

Yeah, I've done my share of hiring too and it can be a headache.

That's the real ticket to getting hired. Standing out amid the garbage as someone who actually "gets it."

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #334

(11-19-2013 12:01 AM)thirty-six Wrote:  Just hired my first freelancer on elance… fuck, did I get bombarded by a ton of bogus bids. I guess you guys on here probably complain when unqualified douches bid super-low on writing assignments that you want, but it's also shitty from the client side to have to weed through all that garbage. In the end, you've got to be the best, and when hiring you've got to choose the best (not so easy to know.) I guess it's a necessary evil, online collaboration, on those projects that you just don't have the logistics/contacts to get done face-to-face. Or shit you just want to get done cheap. Of course, you get what you pay for, right?

I've used freelancers before thinking I'd be in for a steal. Asked for keywords for a psychology consultancy. The words I got back were awful.

Post: #335

I'm currently working on a project for a man in Pakistan. He wants his website content written to read very traditionally and instil a sense of pride in his readers. It has been a fantastic learning process, having to adapt to a form of writing completely outside my skill set.

I am also currently reading one of Joseph Sugarman's books. I've just recently finished a chapter of the emotions behind every word. I believe this is what separates good writing, from great writing. Making people feel through what they are reading.

The two points above are related. I am going through a piece I wrote which is "not good enough", and I am challenging every word in there. Can I feel more from it? It's the little things, changing the word 'buy' to 'acquire'. It has an astounding affect on the copy.

I would recommend looking at the words you are using, after all, the higher quality work you produce, the more money you can rake in.

It is also worth noting, that I have learnt SO much from this client. Perhaps we all need a difficult client to take us up a notch or two.

Chris

Post: #336

Found this interesting pricing list for the various types of writing that this guy, Ed Gandia charges. Anyone familiar with this guy? I've been on his list for a while and he's got some good stuff.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/b2blauncher/EdG...gGuide.pdf

Anyone in here charging and getting close to these rates? How long would it take to get to these rates from the time you start? These are some great rates indeed!

Post: #337

(11-19-2013 05:32 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  Found this interesting pricing list for the various types of writing that this guy, Ed Gandia charges. Anyone familiar with this guy? I've been on his list for a while and he's got some good stuff.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/b2blauncher/EdG...gGuide.pdf

Anyone in here charging and getting close to these rates? How long would it take to get to these rates from the time you start? These are some great rates indeed!

I know he's done some of the videos over at the Freelance Writer's Den. This is what that forum's about - getting to rates like this. When I first joined and mentioned I was getting paid $105 per blog post, Carol essentially congratulated me on reaching the bottom of the ladder.

The baseline to aim for, she says, is $100 an hour. I've made about $150 to $200 an hour a couple times and stayed at $100 an hour for quite a while with a big client, but I haven't ever made a full-time schedule out of it. And when a client like that disappears, you feel it.

Ed is well-established. Good writers who have branded themselves are getting paid bank; no doubt about it - the top guys make six figures, even $200K and up here and there.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #338

Fucking pissed off. That job I did for $100 for the 500 word article went really well and they were super happy with the work, how quick I did it etc. She gave me a really good review...but 4.6 out of 5 stars. What's the point?!

Post: #339

(11-27-2013 07:34 PM)MattC Wrote:  Fucking pissed off. That job I did for $100 for the 500 word article went really well and they were super happy with the work, how quick I did it etc. She gave me a really good review...but 4.6 out of 5 stars. What's the point?!

I wouldn't worry, after a certain number of jobs the stars become irrelevant (unless your total is below 4). Keep bidding on jobs. If a client likes your bid he will check out your reviews and see that you've done a $100, 500 word article. That speaks more than the stars.

Post: #340

(11-28-2013 02:44 AM)PompeyChris Wrote:  

(11-27-2013 07:34 PM)MattC Wrote:  Fucking pissed off. That job I did for $100 for the 500 word article went really well and they were super happy with the work, how quick I did it etc. She gave me a really good review...but 4.6 out of 5 stars. What's the point?!

I wouldn't worry, after a certain number of jobs the stars become irrelevant (unless your total is below 4). Keep bidding on jobs. If a client likes your bid he will check out your reviews and see that you've done a $100, 500 word article. That speaks more than the stars.

I'm currently leaving feedback for a freelancer. It has the star options. It doesn't seem to be the person's opinion, more meeting specific criteria. Might be worth checking out.

Post: #341

My feedback is decent and every one of my clients has said something good. I just think that people look at the stars and decide to judge on that. Ah well, I don't think it should matter too much. I just like perfection!

What's that you're on about regarding the star options? It's judged on professionalism, quality, etc isn't it?

Post: #342

I have a question regarding these articles. Is one generally limited to those topics in which one has expertise? Someone early on mentioned targeting specific niches, but what if you're not an expert in these?

Also, I'm kind of unclear on what kind of writing clients want. Can someone give me a few examples? Is it like, "Write a blog post explaining why our product is the best," then you research their product and write about it? Howzzat work?

Post: #343

Writer's Den, anyone have any experience with these?

Post: #344

Seriously, hats off to the guys who've cracked Elance. I've been freelancing for quite a while now, but just never seemed to get the Elance gig running. I'm guilty of quitting after a few bids of mine don't result in anything. The act of writing proposal after proposal always puts me off. Though I will try again, that's for sure.

I've recently created my website, and I'm planning on continuing to take the 'hunting client' route. Old school, but somehow feels more natural to me. Maybe I'm just lazy. But I collect e-mails of my clients for repeat business. It's slower but works.

Post: #345

(12-01-2013 02:33 AM)Fathom Wrote:  I have a question regarding these articles. Is one generally limited to those topics in which one has expertise? Someone early on mentioned targeting specific niches, but what if you're not an expert in these?

Also, I'm kind of unclear on what kind of writing clients want. Can someone give me a few examples? Is it like, "Write a blog post explaining why our product is the best," then you research their product and write about it? Howzzat work?

Niches are a good way to get your shot going. You don't really need to be an expert, as long as you are willing to research. For example, I've recently had to write a lot about manufacturing dress shoes. Dullest thing ever, but it was interesting and worth it for the money.

Clients want all sorts of things. I'll list:

• Blog Posts - Could be about a topic, such as a market that the person is in. Such as 'tips on how to lose weight', etc. (Could also include SEO articles)
• Website Content - People are crappy writers and need a professional writer to make everything look credible and attractive.
• Booklets - Perhaps for marketing, or whatever.
• App Content - Wording for the apps, could be creative writing.
  

That is the general gist to it. You can move on to business plans and copywriting as well if you want.

If a client wants you to write about his business/product/service then he/she will provide everything, or at least should.

C

Post: #346

(12-05-2013 04:07 AM)PompeyChris Wrote:  [*]Blog Posts - Could be about a topic, such as a market that the person is in. Such as 'tips on how to lose weight', etc. (Could also include SEO articles)

The way Google's algorithms works now, I thought the difference between quality content ('themed') and SEO specific was minimal?

Post: #347

anyone got a link to that nigerian copywriter?

Post: #348

(12-18-2013 12:22 PM)bojangles Wrote:  anyone got a link to that nigerian copywriter?

http://www.writersincharge.com/blogging-challenge/

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #349

Back in August, I joined the Location Rebel community but havent done much with it to date as I was busy with other things. But now that Im back at home with some time, I'm going to give this freelancing thing a real and serious go. Is anyone else in the Location Rebel community?

Over there, the craze is all about outsourcing your writing asap so you can scale your biz up. One guy who started from 0 there in late July has been making bank: 20K in biz last month with 9K profits with 100% of the work outsourced!!! Needless to say that really got my attention.

Is anyone of you fellow freelancers outsourcing your writings? If yes, how soon did you feel comfortable going that route?

Cheers!

Post: #350

I ran a small team for a while, VP. It is a headache but I'd say the potential is HUGE.

Put a lot of time and energy into your hiring and training process until you get it down pat. Because hiring wrong will really fuck you up.

And make sure to set employee deadlines early so if they leave you hanging you can still meet the promise you made to the client.

At the end of the day, it really depends on what type of business you want to build though. I've thought about going this route again, but personally try to slow myself down every time I start thinking of a business model that is going to complicate my life more (i.e. employees or partners). Homeboy is making 9K per month profit, but he has to deal with all those people. He could also make 9K a month working for himself and work a few hours a day if he set up his business right. People are doing it and all they have to deal with is clients.

I'm not pulling these numbers so I'm largely talking out of my ass on this, but the numbers are there.

That said, I'm sure he's aiming even higher, and if you want to run a team there's definitely cash out there to be had with the right system. There's one lady who was part of the freelance mastermind group I was originally in when i started out, and a couple years later I was no longer part of the group but heard she had cleared her first $1,000,000 year in revenue. She was running a team producing sales pages for about $5K a page and paying her writers $1K to write them based on a basic format she and her husband came up with.

Now this isn't firsthand info from her as a mutual acquaintance told me this, but her work ethic and business skills were pretty impressive - based on that and what I know about what's possible in writing, I believe it.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling