Jump Start Your Writing Career - Week 4 | Searching For The Happiness

Article by Wendy McCance

If you have made it through the last three weeks and are now working through the final phase of this program, congratulations!!! You are well on your way to a full-time career as a freelance writer. I know there has been a lot of work, but if you have followed each step, I’m sure you can see how it is paying off.

If you are just joining in, or want to review what has already been covered, please take a look at the Jump Start Your Writing Career page. All the information you need is here.

Week Four List

Wrap Up

Prospect for business on an ongoing basis. Even when you get busy, it is imperative to keep writing to new contacts. You’ll want a steady flow of clients contacting you. If you slow down your prospecting efforts when you are busy, then when you run out of work from current clients, there will be nothing new coming in. Try to email, call or send letters to 30 potential clients per week.

Organization is key. By now you should have a filing system with the name of each client you are working with. All hard copies should be in each clients file. Email conversations and any Word documents etc… should be filed under the client’s name on your computer.

You should have a mileage chart, an expense report and a contact list that you
can add to as you go. Documentation is very important.

Stay current with any social media platforms you use. It’s important to stay connected. If a potential client Googles your name, the more positive links they find, the more relevant you will appear in their eyes. Go ahead, Google my name and see how much pops up. Now Google your name and see what you can do to increase your presence.
Really take that blog and make it into a working portfolio. Write at least three articles per week. Talk about writing, social media, changing careers and whatever else shows off your knowledge and skills.

Make sure you have pages for awards, clips of your work, recommendations by
past clients, and an about me page. You might want to consider a hire me page,
media kit, price list, a list of work you do, or anything else that provides
information to a person who is thinking about hiring you.

Continue to expand your connections on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook etc… Aim to send out as many requests to connect as you can in a one hour period. Focus on getting your blog link on every profile you have. Add your link to blog directories, new social media platforms and within groups you participate in.

The goal from here on out is to be organized, prospect on a continuing basis and be everywhere when a person Googles your name or website.

I hope you have enjoyed the Jump Start Your Writing Career program. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below or tell us about your own experience.

Wishing you the very best in your career as a writer!

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Wendy McCance

Wendy McCance is a Michigan based freelance writer and social media consultant. Wendy has gained attention as the founder of the popular blog Searching for the Happiness which can be viewed in 6 local papers online, including the Oakland Press.The combination of writing skills and social media knowledge is what makes Wendy such a powerhouse to work with. Stay tuned for opportunities to advertise, guest post and as always, have your questions answered.

To contact Wendy McCance about a writing assignment, interview or speaking engagement, please email her at: [email protected]