Ever been tongue-tied at a networking event?

Somebody asked, “And what do you do?”

And you said, “I’m a freelance writer.”

So far so good.

But then they followed up with… “So, what kind of writing do you do? Who have you written for?”

And everything fell apart.

You didn’t know what to say.

How can you prevent this problem?

You need a “me” speech

I was introduced to this concept by IJ Schecter, author of 102 Ways to Earn Money Writing 1,500 Words or Less.

What’s a “me” speech?

It’s a short script about yourself. It tells what type of writing you do — white papers? blog posts? — and what types of clients you do it for. National magazines? Trade publications? Small businesses? The Fortune 500?

If you have a specialized industry you cover, it talks about that too.

I had developed a “me” speech over the years. I just never thought of it as that. But that’s what it is.

If you don’t have one, you should write one.

Why?

Networking happens everywhere

Even if you think you will never go to an official networking event, you should write a “me” speech.

You never know when an opportunity to find a client will appear — at a family dinner, in an elevator, at a professional conference. Be ready to take advantage of that moment.

Also, writing the speech helps you clarify what you’re doing, and the types of clients you’re looking for.

What are you looking for?

I remember being flummoxed the first time a networker asked me who my ideal client is. The question made me realize they weren’t small businesses anymore. Which is what that particular room was full of.

I needed to find new networking groups where my ideal clients were hanging out.

Once I did, I was able to get much better-paying gigs.

When you crystallize what you’re looking for, that helps people in your network find it for you. It also helps you ask for it with confidence.

What’s my “me” speech?

Right now, I’d say “I’m a freelance writer specializing in business. I write articles for national magazines and websites, blog for Entrepreneur, and write for big companies in Seattle and around the world.”

My “me” speech has changed a lot over the years. Remember to review and update your speech now and then, as your career progresses.

Final tip: Practice saying your “me” speech out loud, to make sure it’s conversational. You don’t want to sound like you’re reading your resume.

What’s your “me” speech? Write one and leave it in the comments below.

Note: The Marketing 101 series is taking a holiday vacation. Coming up in 2012: How to find what you’re looking for.

See the previous installments of Marketing 101 for Freelance Writers starting here. To make sure you don’t miss any upcoming installments in this 21-part marketing series, subscribe now.

It’s a big, wide world of freelance writing out there in our shiny 21st Century. Global, even. I’ve had clients in Australia, the U.K., Canada, and states all over the U.S.

But if you’re just getting started, it can be a good move to start close to home. A local focus will help keep you from getting overwhelmed by all the possibilities out there.

Here are four ways you can connect with local prospective writing clients. The first one involves one of my favorite strategies — helping those clients find you.

1. SEO your website and LinkedIn profile. Hate marketing? Spend a few minutes on these two tasks and then let Google and the LinkedIn search bar send you clients. Stuff your LinkedIn bio with every sort of key word prospects might search on to find you. Add key words to your LinkedIn skills, too.

If your writer site has your name as the URL, add a descriptor to your tagline — mine is “Seattle Freelance Writer.” Fortune 500 companies have called me because of it. Using these descriptive phrases can help kick you to the top of the first page for the sort of thing clients might search. Also consider giving up a location and getting in Google Places — that’ll help, too. Keep updating your site and using your key words to get Google’s attention. Do key word research and target the searches that are right for your niche or location.

2. Meet other local writers. Do a search for “freelance writer yourcity” and see who comes up at the top. Get to know those writers. They’re smart. Where do they hang out? Hang out there, too. I know a writer who got referred a book contract from another local writer who didn’t have time. Knowing other writers is really, really worth it. Too many writers think of other writers as “the competition,” instead of as a vital support network. This is especially important if you’re focused on local publications — who else is going to tell you who’s great, and who pays on the schedule I like to call “half past when the messiah comes”?

3. Go to local networking events. I may have mentioned this before, but meeting live humans rocks for getting gigs. I met both the editor of Costco Connection and the editor for Microsoft Office Live at in-person events…and a few other editors who even hired me, too.

4. Teach a class. I know one blogger who gets all her clients from teaching a free class. Some seem to do better with a cheap but paid class. But either way, get out there and offer something of value. It can be simple — something like 10 tips for better business writing. Anything that shows what you know and how you can help clients. Teaching is a proven way to present yourself as an expert in your niche, and attract good clients.

How do you find local clients? Leave a comment and let us know.

By Tiffany Jansen

I used to write for content mills. I know I should be ashamed of myself, but I’m not.

Working for Demand Studios taught me a lot: sticking to a word count, following guidelines, writing on a deadline, working with editors and, most importantly, that I could earn money writing.

After moving to the Netherlands in 2008, I found myself friendless, jobless and confused.

To pass the time and cope with my newfound expat status, I began actively meeting other expats and discovered that many turn to freelance writing. No work permit necessary and you can do it no matter where you are, how many times or how frequently you relocate.

Building relationships with these expats led me to Demand Studios. Once I realized I could make money writing I started searching for other paying gigs.

I had some clips from DS to get started. Now all I needed were connections.

I discover networking

Enter ACCESS, a non-profit expat organization here in the Netherlands. One of their services is a quarterly magazine which I heard about from a fellow expat writer who had done some writing for them. They liked my clips and introduction letter.

Although they don’t pay, they are an amazing networking source. The clincher was the fact that they produce a very professional-looking publication that would give me more serious clips. Through them, I was able to connect with a staff member at XM Magazine (an expat lifestyle publication in the Netherlands).

Through ACCESS I was able to connect with a staff member at XM Magazine (an expat lifestyle publication in the Netherlands), who asked me to pitch a list of article ideas. They chose two event pieces which I covered for more than $280. Quite a jump from $15 per article Demand Studios pays.

One thing leads to another

Unfortunately XM went out of business. But not before the assistant editor told me about the newspaper The Holland Times. This paper reports Dutch news in English for the international community, and I was eager to try my hand at journalism.

The editor responded to my letter of interest, inviting me to the next editorial meeting. I learned so much from hearing what other writers pitched and what the editor was interested in.

I came to the next meeting armed with story ideas and left with my first assignment. I earn $0.36 per word and have been writing steadily for the publication for over a year.

My editor at The Holland Times introduced me to the Amsterdam City Tours blog. Thanks to her recommendation, I was approached by the blog owners to be a regular contributor at more than $70 a post.

Another connection urged me to contact the editor at expat/travel magazine Transitions Abroad. I got a $100 article assignment, and I now contribute regular expat and travel book reviews to the publication.

As much as I love writing for the expat community, there are simply not enough paid opportunities to make a living. I need to branch out.

I get serious about marketing

With this in mind, I tried cold-calling businesses to offer my services. I quickly learned that businesses here don’t need or want English content, or hire a professional translator to take care of that for them.

U.S. and UK companies prefer to work with someone local, or at least living in the same country. Expat entrepreneurs typically don’t have the funds to hire a writer.

So I’ve turned to pitching magazines. Magazines are often keen to publish work by writers from another country for the unique angle those writers bring. Produce interesting, well-written articles by the deadline, and magazine editors won’t care where you’re based.

I’ve only just started querying, so I’m still waiting to hear if my pitches have been accepted.

Whatever happens, I’ll keep plugging away. I’ve seen that good paying markets do exist and I want to write for more of them.

No more content mills for me. My writing’s worth more than $15 per article.

Tiffany Jansen lives in the Netherlands, where she is a freelance writer and owner of the musical theater company Little Broadway. She is the author of two children’s books and a frequent Twitterer.

One of the questions freelance writers ask me most is, “How can I find better-paying clients?” Another one is “Where are all the good-paying clients hiding?” A third one is, “Why can’t I find any good-paying clients?”

I’m sensing a theme here, that people want to know more about how to connect with great clients.

There are many ways to hunt these elusive good clients, but today I want to talk about two of my favorite in-person techniques for connecting with good-paying clients.

That’s right, these methods involve leaving your writing cave, going out, and meeting live humans.

Don’t be scared!

Once you get the hang of it, networking is actually a lot of fun. Or it should be — so remember to have fun with it.

Since I’m headed out to SOBCon next week, in-person networking is on my mind. Here are two techniques that are pretty fail-proof and simple for maximizing your networking time:

1. Eat lunch for two and a half hours

When I used to work big trade shows, I did this all the time. If you’re at an all-day or weekend networking event, there’ll be lunch. Often, there’s a big food court in an exhibition hall where people will wander in and eat at various times.

Start early — I usually go in around 11:15 and eat my own lunch, so that I could talk when others sat down. I keep a little on my plate so it looks like I’m still eating lunch.

Shortly, new people arrive with their lunch.

“Do you mind if I sit here?” they ask. “Of course not — sit right down!” I reply.

They take a bite or two of food, and then I start shmoozing them up, just like you see those two guys in the photo doing at a business event. “Where are you from? How are you enjoying the conference? What does your company do? Interesting…do you use freelance writers at all at your company? Who’d be the best person at your company to talk to about that?”

Often, I could keep sitting there chatting with new prospects until 2 pm. As people finish lunch, new people arrive, and you begin again.

I love this technique because you’ve got a captive audience — they’re chewing. If you do it pleasantly, they won’t become so annoyed they pick up their plate and leave. Everyone’s in a good mood and on a mental ‘break’ while they eat, so it’s a great time to meet people.

If you’re in a scenario where everyone sits down to lunch in one place at the same time, circulate amongst the tables. When you go back for a second roll or dessert, sit back down at a different table, and begin your shmooze-up over again with the new crowd.

2. Host an event

If you’re going to take the trouble of going out to a networking event, you can put in a tiny bit more effort and ensure you meet every single person who attends the event. How? By being the host or co-host.

My writing bud Michelle Goodman is the co-host of our Seattle MediaBistro networking events, and I’m jealous! It is a great gig.

Why? Here’s how hosting helps you meet the largest number of people and be seen in the best possible light:

First, the host gets to stand by the check-in table and greet everyone as they pick up their name tags. You can chat up a lot of people that way.

Next the host gets to make a little speech somewhere in the proceedings to thank everybody for coming, in which you can say a bit about what you do…so anybody the host didn’t connect with on check-in now knows what you look like, and a little about your freelance writing business.

Finally, it’s my experience that when attendees leave a networking event, nearly all of them do one thing: They go over and thank the host for putting it on.

In other words, the host gets to meet basically every single person who attends the event. Those people all come away with the impression that you are a happening coordinator of events as well as a freelance writer.

Networking doesn’t get more effective than this. It’s a big payoff just for setting up a table, printing out a few nametags, and maybe sending a couple promotional emails. This one is a strategy I recommend to all the writers in my mentoring program, who’re looking to ramp up their earnings and — yes, find those better-paying clients.

How do you make in-person networking effective? Leave a comment and add your tips.

Photo: Stock.xchng – LotusHead

Today, I’m reaching into my freelance-writer mailbag and answering a question I got from a participant in my recent 40 Ways to Market Your Writing webinar. Oscar Halpert emailed me after the session and told me he’d recently plunged into freelance writing after being laid off.

He got referred to a possible writing client by someone he met at an in-person networking event. Oscar’s new contact thought this CEO might need a writer. The client call didn’t go so well, though, Oscar reports:

“We spoke for 90 minutes, during which time I asked a lot of questions about her business and its problems and needs.

I agreed to a followup call in nine days. [Then] looked closely at the company web site and realized:

a. The CEO has no marketing plan and no marketing strategy. They’ve done one press release in four years.

b. She wanted me to devise a strategy to get her company leads. I told her that’s a marketing function, not a writing function. She suggested a win/win: I produce a YouTube video that goes viral and bingo-bango, we both benefit.

c. She had a limited budget.

d. She had me sign a nondisclosure agreement.

So, now I have a CEO who was referred to me by her trusted ally. I backed out.
He looks like an idiot and she still needs her problem solved.
And, I’m still working on finding my first portfolio items.
Did I mess this up?”

To answer that last question first: Maybe. It depends. But I think you bungled it less than you think.

First off, I try to keep initial discussions with prospects to half an hour, or an hour at most, especially if I haven’t had a chance to size them up. Try to get them to move quickly from initial pleasantries and blathering about their company’s greatness to defining the writing project they want to assign.

To your points:

a. Put on the blinders. Ah yes, the company without a plan. There are herds of these ungainly beasts roaming the business world. They often want to hire freelance writers in a desperate stab at doing something about their marketing problem.

In this situation, you’ve got two choices. You can point out the obvious: Writing this one thing will not change the underlying lack-of-marketing problem. Or you can look at this initial writing offer as an opportunity for the company to begin solving their marketing problem — and for you to get an ongoing series of assignments.

They haven’t done a press release in four years? What an opportunity for a freelance writer.

Propose a plan to write 12 in the next year, or even six, to start getting their name out there again. Charge even $300 apiece for them — I shoot for $500 personally — and that’s a sweet $1,800-$3,600 gig that pays you a bit each month. You get in, you write a little, you slay them with your amazing wordcraft wizardry, and make yourself indispensable.

Then, you might help them see the need to create a media kit, new Web content, new product descriptions, a regular weekly blog post, ghosted guest-blogs on industry sites, a Facebook fan page, a monthly e-newsletter, a white-paper series. Soon, they’ve got enough puzzle pieces to do some real marketing.

When you’re starting out freelancing, every writing assignment may not be a big success for the client, because these first-rung sort of clients are often too dysfunctional. But in the meanwhile, you got paid and got a clip. If you need work bad, you just take what they offer and hope to build the relationship from there.

b. Time for a referral. If you don’t feel qualified to advise on marketing strategy, the best option is to refer the CEO to a marketer from your network. That way she gets needed advice, and the grateful marketing strategist keeps you on the team for writing.

If her idea is “make a YouTube video” but you don’t do that sort of thing, you simply say so. Then, refer them to a digital video specialist, where you’d write the script and they’d execute it. (And then there’d also be someone else to point the finger at if her video doesn’t “go viral.”)

c. No budget: Dealbreaker. You don’t really define how limited of a budget you’re talking about, but it’s possible the game ended here. If she doesn’t have the money to hire a freelance writer to do even an initial small project such as a few press releases, then she can keep dreaming about more sales. Some CEOs are dumb this way. Don’t expend energy trying to convince them of your value. They don’t get it.

However, if her “limited budget” is $10,000, or even $1,500, there’s room in there for some writing fees. I say, do what you can with the resources they got.

d. NDAs…a non-issue. Not sure why the nondisclosure agreement matters. I’ve signed NDAs, reviewed proposals, and then passed. Just don’t tell the world their finances or trade secrets, and you’re good.

Planning a graceful dismount. Finally, you seem like you’re covered in shame because you declined to work for this woman. I think you can hold your head up, as long as you conducted yourself professionally.

When you say you “backed out” — did you promise this woman something? Sign a contract? String her along for months?

If not, then you were referred to a possible writing job you investigated, and then declined. I get referred for weird stuff on a regular basis that I pass on. You’re under no obligation to take every gig you get told about.

Also, you had known the person who referred you for 10 minutes. It’s pretty minor collateral damage there. He doesn’t really look like an idiot. He merely suggested you two might be able to meet each others’ needs. Didn’t turn out that way. No biggie. Happens all the time.

Be sure to send your referrer a thank-you note or email for thinking of you. You can let him know she didn’t really have a budget, or it wasn’t a fit for you. And you’re still looking for writing gigs. Be a pro about it, and they’ll refer you again.

Finally, send the CEO a thank-you for considering you. If you do this artfully enough, they might call you back some day when they’ve got more budget and a better idea what they want to do with marketing.

Have you had writing-client referrals that didn’t pan out? If so, leave us some tips on how you handled the situation.

Breaking news: I learned last night this blog is a finalist in Write to Done’s Top 10 Blogs for Writers contest. Special thanks to all the readers who took the time to go over to WTD and nominate Make a Living Writing! I am blown away by the enthusiasm and support from my readers. They’ll announce winners before Christmas, I’m told.

Photo via stock.xchng user juliaf

On this edition of Mailbag, we tackle a question I get a lot: How can a freelance writer kick the content-mill habit and move up to better-paying clients?

On the recent post about Demand Studios’ IPO, reader Mike Biscoe was concerned about the revelation that DS doesn’t make a profit, which puts them at risk for going bust. An excerpt of his comments and questions:

I’ve been working for Demand Studios since 2009. Almost exclusively. I live in Thailand and because the cost of living where I am is cheap, I can pay the bills simply by writing DS articles. My only other income comes from occasionally writing articles for similar content mills that pay half of what DS does. Prior to 2009, I have no experience in writing anything other than regular letters to my grandma.

I am here on a tourist visa and therefore can’t legally work. If the [DS] job goes, I go. Since I am newish to writing I can’t say I know that much about what a logical next step would entail. Though I don’t think DS is going out of business tomorrow, it reminds me that I must look ahead.

I want to begin formulating a plan for more meaningful mid- and long-term goals.

Do I carry a scarlet letter for the rest of my life for writing eHow, Trails and Livestrong articles?

In spite of what good DS might do for me, there have been times when I’ve been so frustrated by the process that I’ve imagined jettisoning my laptop right through the window and listening with satisfaction as it crashes on the rooftop five stories below. In other words, I don’t want to believe that DS is my only hope for employment as a new writer.

Thanks for the information and clear-headed advice.

To get the easy stuff out of the way first: You’ll only be branded a mill writer forever if you put DS on your resume. Leave it off, and no one will know. End of stigma.

Here’s the nut of my answer to your main question about kicking mills and getting paid more: To move up, you’ll need to actively market your writing business. That’s the gist of it. Getting better pay involves getting off your tushy, and looking for better clients.

There are some basic ways to do that — plus one I’ll throw in that’s unique to your being an expat living in an exotic locale. Here are seven ways to break in to better markets:

1. Create a writer Web site and SEO it. If you don’t have a site that promotes your writing, create one as soon as possible. Make sure you use key words about the types of writing you want to do in your header and home-page copy. Put up some clips — yes, for now they’ll be from DS sites, but replace those as soon as you can with others. This will allow some prospective clients to find you. So once you’ve done the active work of creating and properly optimizing your site, you can passively snag clients with it. I’d put in “American expat in Thailand” somewhere, if I were you.
2. Create a personal blog. You can make a strong audition piece — especially if you’d like to blog for pay for others — by starting your own blog on your writer site. Don’t doodle on there — write each entry as if your career depended on it. It does. This technique paid off for me huge, and now some months I make half or more of my income from paid blogging.
3. Direct-mail or email prospects. Identify a type of publication or business where you know something about their subject matter, and then do some online research. Create a list of prospective publications or companies. Contact their editor, marketing manager, communications director or other likely target. Since you’re overseas I’m betting mail or email will be the way to go rather than cold-calling on the phone. Introduce yourself in your mail or email piece and simply ask if they use freelance writers. This has a low response rate, but you will usually get some clients, as Chris Bibey recently testified over on All Freelance Writing.
4. Seek out guest-post opportunities. If you’ve written for DS, there are probably blogs where you could guest post. Subscribe to Blogger Linkup and respond to sites seeking guest bloggers. Yes, it’s usually for free, but it’s a valuable form of marketing for you. Being seen on high-traffic blogs can get you clients — and it gets you clips from places that aren’t from DS sites. Try to spend some time on these guest posts and really make them strong. You’re auditioning for better-paying clients. The bigger-viewership site you can appear on, the better.
5. Network online. I’d ordinarily recommend getting out to some in-person networking events, but since you’re in Thailand, it’s probably hard to drop by a big-American-city Chamber of Commerce networking event. But you can meet and connect with lots of people on LinkedIn groups, and networking sites such as Biznik. The latter is another good place to create strong articles that could serve as example clips.
6. Leverage your locale. OMG,  you’re living in Thailand! I bet you’ve visited plenty of interesting tourist spots there. You could write a query letter to all sorts of travel magazines offering to share those. You could also hit all the simple-living mags and Web sites with your “how to live in Thailand on $1 a day” ideas. You’ll need to learn to write query letters, but it’s not that hard, and well worth it for the money you could make. You can read a book about querying if you need to learn more. You can resell your Thailand-travel story angles umpty-dozen times. You might start with tourism companies that need brochure copy or marketing letters, and work your way up to calling on airlines that fly to Thailand and pitching their in-flight magazines (these are usually top payers). Find editors online or in the Writer’s Market.
7. Apply for jobs you see online. Start diversifying where you write for — even if it’s at DS rates — by answering online job ads. You should be able to gradually increase your rates as you acquire non-mill clients. Problogger often runs ads for bloggers at rates at or a little more than what you’re making, and the work may make for stronger clips for moving up.

There’s more about how to market your writing here and here.

How would you advise Mike to move on beyond content mills? Feel free to add more tips in the comments below.

To earn more, you’ve got to market your writing services. Learn how live next Tuesday at my Webinar, 40 Ways to Market Your Writing, with co-presenter Anne Wayman of About Freelance Writing. Only 150 can participate. Sign up here.

Photo via Flickr user extranoise

How do you market your writing? Some freelance writers might use a few different methods — maybe you’ve sent a query or two, used social media, and hit a networking event. Or maybe you don’t do any active marketing at all.

As the New Year comes into view, if you’re not earning as much as you’d like, it’s time to map out your writing-market strategy for 2011. The luck fairy is not going to bring you an assignment from that national magazine, or a lucrative copywriting gig from a major corporation. You’ll have to actively seek those opportunities, and navigate today’s fast-changing freelance writing market.

How many ways are there to market yourself? I recently pondered this question with another successful freelance writer, About Freelance Writing’s Anne Wayman.

Together we came up with 40 different marketing techniques you can use to spread the word about your freelance writing services. And we’re going to offer you a chance to learn them all in a single fun, fact-filled, one-hour Webinar.

After I did my survey post last month and asked what you would most like to learn, I saw the majority of the questions you have are about marketing. So Anne and I have designed this Webinar to give you a major injection of marketing knowledge one hour flat.

I am so excited about this opportunity to empower freelance writers to sharpen their marketing and earn more from their work! Here are the details:

40 Ways to Market Your Writing takes places Tuesday, Dec. 7 at 9 am PST. NOTE: Only 150 people will be able to participate.

What’ll be happening in the Webinar? Anne and I will discuss the 40 ways in two sections — online marketing techniques and offline, 3-D world strategies. After each set of marketing ideas, we will take live questions from participants.

If you’re already marketing actively, we bet you’ll still find quite a few great ideas here. If you’re new to marketing, this session will be jam-packed with new strategies you can put into use right away.

Besides a chance to learn a lot about marketing your writing in a short time, this teleclass is loaded with freebies and discounts, including a 30% discount on my 200-page eBook, Make a Living Writing: The 21st Century Guide, for all participants. Everyone will also receive a free special report after the Webinar on the 40 Ways, so you don’t even have to take notes!

We’ve got four door prizes we’re going to give away for the best questions sent in on the registration forms:

• 1 FREE copy of Make a Living Writing, The 21st Century Guide
• 1 FREE, 1-hour writing-business mentoring consultation with me
• 1 FREE copy of Anne’s book YOU Can Make Money Writing ebooks
• 1 FREE copy of Anne’s book How to Write a Non-Fiction Book Proposal That $ells

One final discount — get $20% off admission if you register before Thanksgiving Day. Until then, the Webinar is just $19.99. The discount expires at midnight on Nov. 24. (If you’re reading this now, the discount has expired, sorry…but you can fan this blog’s Facebook page for possible new offers.)

If you’ve been looking to learn more about marketing, here’s your chance. I can’t wait to talk with you live and offer you personalized help building your business.

You can purchase the Webinar here. Your receipt email will give you all the details on how to register and participate.

Any questions about the Webinar? Please leave them in the comments below…or come over and discuss them on the discussion tab at Make a Living Writing’s fan page on Facebook. Here’s your chance to shape the content we’ll deliver Dec. 7.

By John White

The freelance writing life, as my colleague Jim Schott points out, is “a hard way to make an easy living.”

I often quote him because freelance writing does seem like a hard way to make a living (easy or not), especially if you’ve never spent time around people who are in business for themselves. But every day, people cross their fingers and decide to make a go of freelance writing.

If you’re a beginning freelance writer, the way you work is changing. Here are five New Realities for you to consider:

1. You are now in business for yourself, so stop handing out résumés. Your new tools are business cards, an elevator speech (figure out what you write and how to explain it to people in 15 seconds) and a portfolio, whether online or printed.

I get nicked around the ears a lot for proclaiming this New Reality — especially in writing communities where the résumé still has some currency. But in the quest to reinforce the perceptions of colleagues and prospects in your network, nothing says, “I’m in business for myself” quite like a business card, and nothing says, “I’m looking for a job” quite like a résumé. Besides, when somebody at the PTA meeting next month says, “So, how can I find you when I need a writer?” what are you going to pull out of your pocket or purse: A business card or a résumé?

2. Speaking of your network, that’s where the jobs are. The sooner you figure out a way to engage the people in your network consistently and successfully — phone, direct mail, meeting for coffee, e-mail, or on social media — the sooner you and work will find each other.

Keep in mind that you must feed the people in your network two things: Content that helps them, and information about what you’re doing. Nobody cares that you’re available for work right away, but they will care about ways you can help them solve their problems. And sending an occasional note to people in your network is a good way to remind them you’re still in business for yourself. Ask them what they’re looking for so you can keep an eye out for it.

3. You are now responsible for sales, marketing, operations and accounting. That does not mean that you have to do all of them yourself, just be conversant in all of them. Eventually, you can delegate some or all of the details to a partner, spouse or virtual assistant — if you’re a maniac like me, you’ll try to hang on to all of them — but don’t forget that it’s your business, not theirs.

“Fie!” you exclaim, “I just want to get paid for writing all day. I don’t want to waste time with all of that other nonsense.” Sorry, Shakespeare, but somebody in your one-person company needs to send invoices, chase money, back up the hard drive, pay bills, find prospects, close business, read contracts, upgrade your computer…in addition to writing all day.

4. Your workday will feel strange. For several months — or maybe a couple of years — especially if you’ve departed a corporate setting. Your ideas about how you spend hours in the workday may change completely.

If you’re outrageously successful, perhaps you’ll find that all of your time is booked and billable and your workday is like Mark Zuckerberg’s. More likely, you may discover downtime that makes your workday more like a Boston terrier’s. Once you’ve started meeting your income needs, you’ll find that the downtime is less unsettling. “Money will come when you are doing the right thing,” wrote Michael Phillips in The Seven Laws of Money – be prepared to wade through some strangeness on the way to that right thing.

5. You will almost certainly have good and bad months. Or good and bad quarters, or good and bad years. This is the way of all living things — We humans fancy ourselves the exception, but the freelancers among us know better. Happiness and security rarely occur together in nature.

Steady paychecks are in your rearview mirror now, so you had better concentrate on cash flow. Aim for six months of buffer in non-retirement savings. Everybody’s mileage varies, but this freelance writer has had to dig uncomfortably deep into his 3- to 6-month buffer only twice in the past 13 years. Sure, it’s a drag not always being able to predict income two or three or six months out, but if you’re flirting with freelance, you’ve probably already worked out that there’s not much more security inside a company than outside of it, right?

And that’s the most compelling New Reality of all.

John White of venTAJA Marketing is a marketing communications writer for technology companies. He posts about technology writing from the perspective of the marketing manager. It’s dirty work, but somebody has to do it. Download his eBook, “10 Questions to Ask When Hiring Your Marketing Communications Writer.”

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photo credit: Meisje van de Sliterij

Last week, I discussed how to identify really great-paying clients. Now that we know the shape of the elephant, let’s discuss how to locate and bag that big game.

Here are some of the techniques I’ve used in the past year to connect with clients that pay $1-$2 a word, $100 an hour, and more:

1. SEO your Web site. If you are not yet aware, let me spell it out: Google is the phone book of the 21st Century. Are you easily findable in it? I got both a Fortune 500 company and a well-funded startup as clients recently through the clients’ Google searches for a writer, simply because I’ve worked hard on my SEO for “Seattle freelance writer” and “Seattle freelance copywriter.” You can find out more about how I got to the top of page-one results for those searches here. I believe SEO for your writer site is only going to get more important from here.

2. Work your LinkedIn profile. If Google is the phone book, LinkedIn is the specialty business-only phone book. Really pay attention to what you’ve got in your profile on LI. Make sure it’s complete and has a nice photo of you.

Is it up to date? Does it link to your writer site? Your blog? Your hottest recent article? Do you belong to relevant groups? Update your status frequently with news of projects you’re working on and sources you need, so it creates a thread of relevant information. Be sure to add new client companies and publications to your status.

Most importantly, look at how you describe yourself, and add every relevant word a prospect might search on to locate you. Play around with your “professional headline” so it includes your keywords. I just updated mine (I just noticed it tends to pick up your most recent freelance gig and make it the headline) to say “freelance writer, blogger, copywriter, and writing mentor.” Those might not be the exact words you want — but think about it and experiment with your descriptors.

I got my second new Fortune 500 client this year from my LinkedIn profile. The editor of their company newsletters went poking around on there, looking for a local pro writer. They needed a couple of executive profiles done in a huge rush. I made a quick $1,200 doing utterly enjoyable articles, and found out they’re looking for a writer to put on contract for 2011. Now I’m in a great position to go after a long-term contract with them. Worth a few minutes of buffing up that LI profile, I think.

3. Network in a better place. When I first started networking, I went to events in my small town. I met many small-business owners there. I got some nibbles and did a little work that way, but found smaller businesses were just as much of a pain as large ones, but paid less.

So I switched to networking at events in downtown Seattle. Presto! Totally different type and size of business trolling over there. I met editors that pay well, from companies both in the Fortune 500 and smaller ones, too. Know the type of client you want, and if you’re not finding them where you’re hanging out now, try some other in-person networking events until you find the pool you want to swim in.

4. Follow the trail. It pays to know who owns a site. Sometimes, a seemingly rinky-dink place can turn out to be the new URL for a major corporation or Web portal that offers really great pay. I just got two $1-a-word article assignments from an insurance Web site that turned out to be owned by one of the biggest finance sites on the Internet. Now, I have several good-paying Web sites that might assign me, all from making this first connection.

5. Read online job ads carefully. It’s weird, but every once in a while, one of these major publications or corporations just puts out a Craislist ad. Which I hate because it means I have to keep scanning job ads now and then…but there you have it.

In the past month, I started with a $1 a word client I connected with by responding to their online ad. They didn’t mention rates in the ad, but it was a fully fleshed-out ad with links to their Web site, and it was in a specialized niche. I have to admit I think of this one as sort of a moonshot…but it does happen.

How do you connect with your most lucrative clients? Feel free to add more strategies in the comments below.

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Photo via Flickr user John-Morgan

Does the idea of going to a live networking event make your stomach queasy and your palms greasy? We’re going to solve that problem right here, with some tips on how you can use in-person networking to grow your writing business, even if you’re petrified of meeting people face-to-face, hate crowds, or have full-on social anxiety.

Breathe into a paper bag if you need to. OK? Here we go.

First, let me just say that in-person networking is a powerful way to meet people who can connect you to new writing clients. Meeting live humans cannot be beat for this (take that, social media!). Even if you aren’t a social butterfly, I highly recommend giving in-person networking a serious try.

I attended one conference-and-networking event last month and met two magazine editors, one of whom pays $1 a word. My experience is far more prospective clients advertising online are looking for writers to work for slave wages, while people who network in person seem to usually offer a fair wage. To sum up: It’s really worth learning how to do in-person networking.

I’ll tell you a little secret about networking — once you get the hang of it, it’s actually fun. No, I’m not joking. You get to leave your cave, have a drink, laugh, and make new friends. It’s a chance to be open to the possibility of making a new connection that could change your whole writing career. And we should all be open to that.

How can you get started in networking, overcome your fears, and make it pay off? Here are my tips:

1. Start slow. Don’t have any goals for your first event except to go, smile at people, walk around, and listen. Don’t feel any pressure to accomplish anything. Just tune your radar in and observe what goes on. Now, that wasn’t too hard, was it?
2. Try different events. I recently took my husband to a Linked:Seattle meetup with more than 200 people. He hated it. “Too overwhelming, too much noise, too crowded, too snobby, too intimidating,” he reported. He later tried a local networking group where just a dozen or two people meet for breakfast on Fridays. He loves it, has made great friends and connections, and goes every week. There are breakfast groups, walk-and-talks, groups that meet in art galleries. There are networking groups that welcome all comers, and the kind where you pay a membership fee and they only admit one person per industry. Keep looking until you find the place where you feel comfortable and get quality leads.
3. Grow your network. It’s called networking because the point is to grow your network — to increase the number of people who know about your business. I think what makes a lot of people nervous about networking is the idea of asking people for work. But good networkers don’t do that. Finding clients grows naturally from the main task of expanding your circle. It’s a lot less intimidating when you think your goal at a networking event is simply to make new friends.
4. Serve others. The most successful networkers help the people in their network by referring them prospective clients. Make your main goal to get acquainted with people you meet at networking events. Rather than worrying about burnishing a pushy, salesy “elevator speech,” just ask everyone you meet what they do. They’ll be thrilled to tell you. If you know anyone who might need their product or service, let them know you’ll refer them. That’s what it’s all about.
5. Know yourself. Many writers have expressed anxiety to me that they “don’t know what to say” when people ask what they do. If this is you, come up with a statement before you arrive at a networking event. You’ll only have a minute or two to convey your essence to each person, so keep it simple and concise. For instance, I usually say I’m a freelance writer and blogger for both publications and corporations, looking for markets that need ongoing writing help. Defining your ideal client in your statement is a great way to help people remember you and what you’re seeking. Practice your spiel with friends to build confidence.
6. Give something away. One icebreaker at networking events is to make some sort of special offer to event attendees. It could be a discount, promotional product handout, or free hour of consulting, but whatever it is will help you stand out from the crowd. Ideally, print up fliers or special business cards to hand out that have the offer. That’ll give you something to say.
7. Follow up. Meeting someone at a networking event is an opportunity to begin a relationship. Take those business cards home and send an email, connect on LinkedIn, send them an interesting article, or set a time to meet for coffee. Create a followup schedule and stay in touch. I’ve had prospects I knew a year or more before they finally gave me a gig.

Have more questions about networking? Leave a comment below and tell us about it.

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Photo via Flickr user Matt from London