What are you waiting for??
Stop “getting ready to get ready” and get the real action steps that booked-out freelance writers take every day...
The steps that will help you find, reach, and impress ideal clients so you can finally have the writing career of your dreams
To: You
From: Your Reality Check
Here’s some spiffy anecdotal research for you:
The average would-be freelance writer spends more months than they care to admit in the “getting ready to get ready” phase before they ever land a single client.
#relatable
Nothing gives me the sads more than seeing yet another writer pop up in my inbox or Facebook post...
talking about how they’ve spent months doing… well, basically a whole lotta nothin’ toward building their writing career.
It’s a common story:
the story of the freelance writer who theoretically could,
but never actually did.
"The value packed into her courses is worth any investment you make."
Alaina, freelance writer
MAYBE YOU'RE STUCK IN ONE OF THESE RUTS:
- Reading blog posts about freelance writing (without actually taking any action)
- Typing "how to be a freelance writer" into Google and taking in all the bad, conflicting advice
- Spending hours on Pinterest collecting writing tips that you'll never go back to again
- Bidding for crummy writing jobs on Upwork for clients who treat you like dirt... if they even bother to notice you at all
- Sending a few applications to writing jobs you find on ProBlogger or Indeed and never hearing back, ever
- Building "the perfect writer website" (that no one ever sees)
Sadsville, anyone?
But it gets worse...
The more you learn about becoming a freelance writer, the more real and scary and intimidating it all seems.
It’s practically a checklist of all the things people spend their lives trying to avoid:
- Tons of rejection? Check.
- People judging everything you do? Check.
- Chasing people down for money they owe you? Check.
- Spending time writing about things that are boring? Check.
- Phone calls, emails, and messages around the clock? Check, check, and check.
Not to mention that huge, gaping chasm between the starting line (where you are) and the big wins that the more successful writers are sharing.
Yeah. Right in the ugly feels.
No wonder it's so hard to get started.
I felt that same struggle for the first few years of my freelance writing career.
(Yes, years. It took me a long time to get sorted!)
I went all-in on freelancing when I became a single mom so I could be home with my kiddo, but it took me a while to get off the ground.
The switch finally flipped for me on one of the hardest days of my life...
I had one ongoing client who had offered me a pile of work, and I’d quoted a rate that felt like a lot of money to me at the time.
But as the deadline approached, I realized that it was taking forever to get it all done. I was about to miss a deadline for the first time ever.
With one day left, I sent my toddler over to my mom’s house so I could have the whole day to write.
I worked the entire day, met the deadline, and tried not to think about the fact that I'd sent my kid away and spent 11 miserable hours to earn less than $100.
This was the exact opposite of my vision when I first started freelancing.
And when all was said and done, I was earning about 2 cents per word.
I was gutted. That night, I stared at my sleeping boy and cried tears of guilt and frustration.
That’s when I knew I had to find a better way.
I knew there were people out there making great money with freelance writing (I kept seeing their blog posts), so I decided to figure out what they were doing differently and find my own success.
So I started connecting with other freelancers online.
I read other people’s shares. I scrolled every comment section I could find, digging for clues and insights. And when I was confused, I forced myself out of shyness and asked questions.
Almost as if by accident, I found myself part of a community of freelancers that I didn’t even know had existed. I even managed to find a mentor who was willing to answer my questions, offer insights, and kick my rear when necessary.
I was working as hard as I could… trying new client-finding strategies, learning about digital marketing, and practicing my writing.
Head down, doing the work. As it should be.
And then something amazing happened...
My new “online friends” started sending me work.
Whether they had too much on their plate or a project that just wasn’t the right fit, my freelancer friends started to recommend my services to clients who were ready to hire.
My mentor started sending me work, too. She even hired me to write for her a few times!
Between everything I was doing to find clients on my own… and the additional work that was coming my way via other sources…
My portfolio improved; my reputation grew, and my pitching became more effective.
Soon, I was officially booked out and making 5x the per-word rate I’d started with just a few months prior.
The biggest game-changer?
People knowing who I was.
The biggest game-changer?
People knowing who I was.
Because... getting people to know who you are is just another way of saying marketing.
(Oh, yeah. I’m busting out the M-word.)
For years I’d thought that marketing myself meant things like putting up fliers in local coffee shops, handing out business cards at boring networking events, and, of course, sending cold emails and applying for job board gigs until my fingernails had dug holes in my keyboard.
What I didn’t realize was that marketing doesn’t have to feel pushy, or “salesy,” or shrouded in mystery.
Marketing just meant connecting with people so they would know who I am and what I could do for them.
booked out status =
writing skills + connections
If you can understand this one principle, you’ll never have to wonder how to find clients again.
Your ideal clients are out there, waiting to connect with you.
Whether you’re initiating these connections with a pitch, chatting with someone you just met, or simply being your helpful self on social media…
These connections will lead you to all kinds of things that are good for business:
- Confidence and experience
- Camaraderie and support
- Guidance when you're lost or stuck
- Valuable feedback and advice
- and, of course, GREAT CLIENTS
Eventually other struggling writers began to notice that I was working very-part-time hours while raising a small family, and they had questions.
So I began to teach my methods.
Since those early days, I’ve helped thousands of students take their first steps into freelance writing, and many of them have gone on to have successful careers for themselves.
Now I want to show YOU how to get the same results.
I FREAKING LOVE WORKING WITH YOU!
STEVE LARSEN
Ashley Gainer is a d*mn good writer.
JULIE STOIAN