Six Figure Writing

Hi from SueC here at Six Figure Writing! As a new reader, be sure to subscribe to my email list, and my RSS feed to get the most out of SFW. Thanks for stopping by!

Yesterday’s interview with C. Hope Clark of Funds For Writers was really great - she definitely has her finger on the pulse of inside information about finding freelance and full time writing jobs, grants, contests and more. I’ll be posting a free link to the full transcript later this week, if you want to make sure you get a copy, sign up for my list on the right, to get notified when it’s released.

While Hope publishes places writers can find work, it was also interesting to hear her stress that writers MUST take advantage of the technology on the Web to market and promote their work! Writers traditionally are not considered the best “sales people” - how many writers just cringe when they even hear that term?

Yet you aren’t very likely to get to six figures unless you learn how to promote and, yes, SELL, both yourself as a writer, and your work, regardless of market or genre. I am going to be pulling out the stops in the next couple weeks and beyond, to bring you some killer tools to help you promote your self and your career. It’s about exposure, and making yourself visible so publishers, agents, and clients can find YOU instead of just the other way around. So let’s just get started with this open ended question: Taking a look over your current online promotion and outreach, do you use any/all of these tools?

• Blog(s)
• Newsletter
• Email Marketing
• Free giveaways/reports/samples
• Social Networking: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn?
• Web site that is content-rich, and cross-linked EVERYWHERE
• Forum memberships/frequent posting to forums, discussion sites
• Any of the zillions of tools, widgets, apps out there to help you build a presence efficiently

… and if you are, are you using them to their fullest potential to get yourself and your stuff out there?

Tags: blogging, freelance writing, Marketing, promotion

written by SueC \\ tags: blogging, freelance writing, Marketing, promotion

I’ve  been asking my list and on the forums, What do you want to know about finding and getting freelance writing gigs? Since Hope Clark of Funds For Writers will be on the BlogTalkRadio show with me this afternoon (3 PM Eastern), post your question here, anything having to do with finding freelance jobs, grants, contests, and agents and publishers.  You can listen in over the Web at http://blogtalkradio.com/SixFigureWriting, or just click the BTR box to the right.

Some of the questions I’ve gotten so far:

• What can you tell us about how to find grants? Finding time to write is important.
• Do you post what publishers are specifically looking for? What they do and don’t want?
• How can new freelancers find work?  What works for new writers when responding to jobs?
• How can we find less competitive markets and grants in our genre?
• Is it easier to find money for any particular genre over another?

Post your questions here, but also be sure to listen in or call in with your questions, take advantage of Hope’s expertise in finding funds!

Tags: Freelance Jobs, freelance writing, funds for writers, make money writing, Writing Links

written by SueC \\ tags: Freelance Jobs, freelance writing, funds for writers, make money writing, Writing Links

I just reviewed a bunch of survey responses from my list members, and the results are pretty striking. It seems that while both new and inexperienced writers are definitely taking advantagew of opportunitites on the Web, there are a whole host of tactics and strategies for increasing income which many writers still seem unfamliar with. (You can take the survey here.)

Some members want to know how to use blogs effectively to market yourself and your writing. (Lots of writers have blogs, but are they effective?) How to incorporate some Web 2.0 features (social networking, video, audio, etc.) into their marketing mix is another. (Yes, writers can still use video to promote themselves!) And a big one, which I had a hard time learning myself, was how to generate your own work, get clients at the rate you set, and not rely so much on finding paying jobs. (There is too damn much competition for the low-rate junk - so don’t compete there.)

I’m working on a report now that will outline, in a business-plan-lite fashion, how to focus your writing efforts on productivity. Productivity doesn’t mean writing output. Instead, it’s figuring out which things of the type I list above will start to increase your bottom line, and directing your effort there. It can mean enhancing your writing skills, adding new marketing and promotion strategies to your toolbox, or expanding the types of work you do so you reach more clients or buyers.

Take a step back and survey your current work efforts. What are you NOT doing now that you think you COULD do better? What are you spending time on now that does NOT result in profit? Comment below and let me know.

By the way, check out this really great tool I ran across, RescueTime. Once it’s installed on your PC, it will tell you where you’re investing - or wasting - your computer time! (Mine is on political news…well heck, I live in PA!)

Tags: freelance writing, freelance writing jobs, writing business, Writing Links

written by SueC \\ tags: freelance writing, freelance writing jobs, writing business, Writing Links

Welcome to SFW

In case it’s not obvious from the title, here’s what Six Figure Writing is all about:

Ideas, resources, networking and community can all make you more money, and SFW brings those together.

There is serious cash being made on the Internet every day, and a critical piece of web success is good, solid writing. Webmasters are hiring writers at (what I believe are ) pretty low wages every day, then turning it right around to make big bucks with the written product. Why can’t the writer make that money? Well, you can!

Six Figure Writing will show EXACTLY how we can do it too – because if “content is king” in the Internet, as it’s so often said, then writers hold the keys to the kingdom – so take steps now to become more productive, increase income, and grow your writing business.

Stay tuned, join the list, subscribe to RSS, and don’t miss a single idea – it could be the one that puts your income over the top!

SueC

Got feedback? Let me know what you think!

Tags: content writing, freelance, freelance promotion, freelance writing, freelance writing business, freelance writing jobs, funds for writers, make money in a down economy, marketing for writers, new marketing, online writing, web 2.0, where to sell your writing, writing for money, writing income, Writing Links, writing online

written by SueC \\ tags: content writing, freelance, freelance promotion, freelance writing, freelance writing business, freelance writing jobs, funds for writers, make money in a down economy, marketing for writers, new marketing, online writing, web 2.0, where to sell your writing, writing for money, writing income, Writing Links, writing online