High-Income Business Writing Podcast

There's plenty of advice about what you should do when starting and growing a freelance writing business. But not too many people are openly talking about things you should avoid at this critical early stage. My guest this week is Diana Scheidman, a freelance writer and researcher specializing in the insurance and asset management industries. Diana has developed a reputation for helping people who...

One of the things that I've tried to be very mindful of is painting a very realistic picture of what it's like to launch and grow a freelance writing and copywriting business today. In fact, I take great pride in being transparent about the hard work required. You'll hear that in most of my interviews, as well as in shows such as: The Rock Star Myth Am I a Credible Source of Freelancing Advice? Sh...

Just last week I received a call from a friend who owns a small marketing agency. She had recently lost three solid opportunities—deals she should have won. She couldn't figure out what went wrong. So she did what most of us do: assume it was her own fault. Maybe she said the wrong thing. Or her pricing was way off. Or she didn't have the experience the prospect wanted. But I've lost enough deals...

Over the past seven years, I've had hundreds of conversations with new and aspiring freelancers who are 55+. Perhaps the most common concern I hear from this group is, "I'm afraid that my age will prevent me from getting clients." I can understand this fear. Especially if you've experienced age discrimination in the workplace ... or been laid off or downsized because of your age (something an empl...

Today's show is about two topics that didn't warrant their own episodes: Why you must be careful when emulating the "rock stars" in our business Why you should NOT diversify too much in terms of the services you offer I'm also going to introduce a somewhat "silent" co-host of this show (someone you might have heard a few times before). I'll tell you about two upcoming industry events you may want...

Yes, I really believe freelancing or contingency work is the way of the future. But if you're fresh out of school and have no contacts and no relevant experience, how can you possibly get started as a freelancer? In this episode, I interview two young freelancers who faced the same dilemma just a few years ago.

Today we're talking about SEO copywriting. And to get the full scoop on what's happening with SEO these days, I've brought in one of the world's top authorities on the subject: Heather Lloyd Martin. Heather has been writing, studying and teaching SEO copywriting for years. In fact, she got started way before SEO copywriting went mainstream. In this interview, Heather is going to give us an overvie...

Fully 90% of my income these days comes from teaching, training and coaching freelancers to earn more in less time, doing work they love for better clients. But what does that say about me, when so little of my income comes from working directly with freelance writing clients? It's a great question. And in this week's episode, I address the issue head on.

It's hard NOT to be somewhat spiritual when you're self-employed. That's because so much of what we do as a freelancers is based on faith — faith that things will work out ... that another good client will come along ... that you're doing the right thing by raising your fees... In fact, I've learned to understand that thoughts DO become things. (Of course, you also have to take steady and delibera...

Article writing is one of the most fun and lucrative ways to make a living as a freelance writer. The variety of work is significant. For instance, ytou can write blog posts for a client. Or you can focus on the growing trend of brand journalism. Or maybe specialize in writing placed articles. In this episode, veteran freelance writer and founder of makealivingwriting.com, Carol Tice, details five...

This week we're going to talk about yet another little-known opportunity for writers and copywriters—scripting and producing what are typically called "explainer videos" for clients. Explainer videos are nothing more than 1- to 2-minute simple and engaging explanations of what a product does and how it solves a key problem. They're not "demo" videos. Rather they're high-level presentations, usuall...

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:...

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 a...

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 m...

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 e...

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...

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....

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 p...

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 mi...

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 relationsh...

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 bene...

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...

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 re...

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 understan...

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 qu...