I recently met Sarah, a freelance writer struggling to get her business off the ground.

“I’m just kind of stuck,” she admitted. “I’ve landed some clients, but I can’t figure out how to get the high-paying ones. And I really want to do this full time.”

She was on the verge of quitting.

I could hear it in her voice.

But here’s what I also learned about Sarah.

1. Sarah is an amazing writer. No joke. She is better than I am. And that brings me to my next point.

2. Sarah is working an entry-level job that has nothing to do with writing. She isn’t using her talent … and she feels terrible about it.

3. And finally, lack of talent is not Sarah’s problem. The reason she is failing has nothing to do with her writing skills. And once she learns what I’m about to teach her, she will be coming for my lunch. But, hey, that’s okay; there’s enough work for us all, right?

So, what is the problem?

Here are some of the biggest reasons why writers fail.

[Read more…] about Why Writers Fail … And What To Do Instead

Back in January 2013, I had been freelancing for about five years, earning a decent income, but not a great one. I wanted to land better clients, but I knew it would take more effort in the marketing department. So, I went all in.

I sent 1,864 emails that year and learned many valuable lessons through that process. Here are five of those lessons and how implementing them can help drive more revenue to your business.

[Read more…] about What 1,864 Marketing Emails Taught Me About Landing New Clients

Do you want to land high-paying clients but you’re not sure where to find them? If so, you aren’t alone. When I speak with new and established freelance writers, they share the same challenge: finding high-paying clients. Sure, you hear the stories about earning $100+ an hour as a freelancer, but where do you find the clients? Spoiler alert: it’s rarely on a job board — but I’ll get to that shortly.

Albert Einstein famously said that the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” So, if your current strategy isn’t producing high-paying clients, now is the perfect time to try something new — maybe something even a little scary.

I’ve been a freelance writer for 15 years, and my favorite part of the job is marketing. Because of that, I’m constantly testing new strategies. Here are some of the ones that I’ve found to be the most effective.

[Read more…] about How to Land Clients Like a 6-Figure Copywriter

I was flush with projects, head down, working hard, and then it happened. One fatal mistake, and my business started to fall apart. The mistake?

I stopped marketing.

The last thing I wanted to do was market. My schedule was jam-packed, and I was focusing on meeting this week’s deadlines, not even thinking about next month’s pipeline. One more project into my already busy schedule might have been my undoing.

And then it happened. The feast-or-famine cycle struck my little freelance business, and after I realized my bookings had dramatically slowed, fear set in.

[Read more…] about How to Fight Feast or Famine – Dry Spell to Fully Booked in 30 days or Less