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Clients often ask me if it’s possible to earn enough money as a writer. My answer is, “it depends”….
I have earned enough money as a writer for the last 45 years. How have I been able to do this in a notoriously skinflint industry?
Part of it is that I’m not a profligate spender. I don’t take fancy vacations or splurge on expensive clothes, and we were lucky enough to buy our house in 1990, when mortgage rates were high, but before the cost went out of sight. Also, my husband had a well-paying, full-time job before he retired a year ago. And I have never just stuck to writing. I also edit, consult, teach and coach.
But freelance coach Carol Tice also has some other thoughts she’d like to share. She pinpointed them in a recent blog post, breaking them down into three main reasons. Here’s a summary:
Reason #1: You’re not marketing enough. Many writers mistakenly think the main requirement for being a successful writer is to be good at the job of writing. No! It’s so much more complex than that. The most successful writers are almost always the best marketers — the people who are querying, networking and cold calling. Yes, yuck. It’s hard for many writers, who tend to be introverts, to do any of these tasks, but they are what will make you successful.
Reason #2: You’re getting assignments instead of building relationships. If you make a sale with a client, follow up immediately with two to three additional story ideas so you can work that connection while it is still warm (instead of later, when it will be cold.) Clients buy writing from people they know and like. It’s that simple.
Reason #3: You’re not reselling. If you’ve done several hours of research for one story, it only makes sense to try to get the most out of your investment of time. I’m not suggesting reselling exactly the same story. Instead, I’m suggesting repurposing the research. Perhaps the information you collected for Client A would also make a good story for a university magazine, a local newspaper or a business magazine. Don’t overlook opportunities like this.
As Carol Tice says:
“What’s it all boil down to? Be willing to go out and actively look for better-paying clients, and do your writing assignments more efficiently. Do that, and your income is bound to rise.”