How to start and market a writing business?

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Rick Olsen

My goal is to build a service business writing for other people. The problem is that I have no idea how to go about it. I'm building a website, but I still have too many questions.

What is the optimum length for an article or blog post? I've read 200-250 and 250-300 words for blog posts. I've read 400 and 500 words for articles.

Does one charge a set fee per project, as in $10 per blog post and $20 per article, or does one charge so much per word?

Would one charge 50% up front, 100% up front, or charge after the project is completed?

Would paypal buy now buttons be used, or would the client be sent an invoice when payment is due?

After everything is set up how would one market this service?

Thanks for your help.

I would begin by looking at what some of the other Warriors whom are offering such services as above are doing. It varies, your skill level will ultimately determine your prices you will charge, whether those are set fees or not.

You are going to get a large amount of idea's from other posters regarding their experiences probably, as I do not offer such a writing service I cannot shed to much light.

Goodluck.

Thanks

Signature

SWTOR Leveling Guides
Bioware SWTOR

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2548272].message }}

Alexa Smith

Banned 14 years ago

Originally Posted by Rick Olsen

My goal is to build a service business writing for other people. The problem is that I have no idea how to go about it. I'm building a website

Well, that's a good start, for sure. I'm always surprised at the numbers of people here who have been trying, some of them for many months, to build a service business writing for other people without having a website at all. (How they imagine they're going to manage it I can't begin to understand).

Originally Posted by Rick Olsen

What is the optimum length for an article or blog post? I've read 200-250 and 250-300 words for blog posts. I've read 400 and 500 words for articles.

Actually that's all nonsense, to be honest, but it isn't really relevant to you anyway, Rick, because for the overwhelming majority of the time you'll be writing the length your clients want.

If people want advice from you on the subject, there are many threads here which give it. In all of them, the successful article marketers here explain in some detail why 800 - 1,200 words or so is actually a far better article length and reliably produces a lot more income. But I think it's fair to say that 90%+ of clients don't want to hear that and aren't going to be willing to listen to it anyway. Most people wanting articles actually measure their "results" according to the CTR (rather than the money), and until they learn to do otherwise, it's difficult to discuss this matter with clients. However true it is, most won't listen to anyone explaining to them why reducing CTR can actually be better for business than increasing it.

Originally Posted by Rick Olsen

Does one charge a set fee per project, as in $10 per blog post and $20 per article, or does one charge so much per word?

Most people in the business have a rate-per-word (or even more than one rate-per-word depending on the type of work and amount of research needed, if any), I think. I always had an "hourly rate", myself, and when quoting prices to clients, simply estimated from my perception of how long something would take, erring in the client's favour. When I first started, my time was worth $45 per hour to me, and I just quoted prices for work on that basis. The fact that I was estimating it that way never caused me a problem. (The prices themselves sometimes did, of course, but that was a different matter: that was simply what my time was worth to me, so there was nothing I could do about it).

Originally Posted by Rick Olsen

Would one charge 50% up front, 100% up front, or charge after the project is completed?

I have always charged all new clients 100% up-front for a "first order" (and I wouldn't ever do fewer than 3 articles for a new client). After I knew them, I was willing to take only 50% up-front but almost all were willing to pay in full up-front anyway, and it was never an issue.

Anyway, I'd advise you never to do the work without being paid at least half in advance.

Originally Posted by Rick Olsen

Would paypal buy now buttons be used, or would the client be sent an invoice when payment is due?

Either, I suppose. I've never used PayPal buttons.

Originally Posted by Rick Olsen

After everything is set up how would one market this service?

This is a huge question, and certainly one to think through in detail before starting. No more time now, but I'll post again later if others don't answer this one.

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2548301].message }}

x3xsolxdierx3x

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

Well, that's a good start, for sure. I'm always surprised at the numbers of people here who have been trying, some of them for many months, to build a service business writing for other people without having a website at all. (How they imagine they're going to manage it I can't begin to understand).

Alexa,

It IS possible, with a bit of creative marketing and the right avenues. If one writes a book, dependent upon the quality of their writing and how it is embraced by their target audience, they could also include a bit of an excerpt at the beginning and end about their writing services.

But...then....there is the issue of actually marketing the book, itself. lol. Even WITHOUT a website, he could write a book about writing, begin a WSO, and include a blurb about his services in a book that he prices very low in the WSO forum.

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

"the Next Squidoo, HubPages, Suite101, and eHow"
1,001 Free eBooks You Must Read to Succeed (at Just About Anything!)
"WritingTactics: Top Best Article Writing Online"

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2548320].message }}

Alexa Smith

Banned 14 years ago

Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x

If one writes a book, dependent upon the quality of their writing and how it is embraced by their target audience, they could also include a bit of an excerpt at the beginning and end about their writing services.

Yes, fair comment, and true enough.

My thinking was that having a simple website takes about an hour to do (even for an incompetent technophobe like me), doesn't necessarily cost a penny, and that it's pretty silly not to do so when you're trying to build up a business.

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2548364].message }}

Gary King

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Alexa Smith

Yes, fair comment, and true enough.

My thinking was that having a simple website takes about an hour to do (even for an incompetent technophobe like me), doesn't necessarily cost a penny, and that it's pretty silly not to do so when you're trying to build up a business.

Absolutely Alexa!

Rick - don't get caught up in the grind of all the little picky details. It's really easy to get overloaded with information, tasks and questions - you'll be overwhelmed and never move forward.

After reading your post, I can't help but think that you are teetering on that edge.

Step back, take a deep breath and make a short list. Work from and massage that list.

Getting a web site can be *extremely* simple - WordPress is an amazing set of tools you can extend to do so many things it's mind boggling.

It's also great for people getting started.

There are free web hosts out there too - blogger, etc - and you can host at WordPress.com — Get a Free Blog Here too.

For the cost of inexpensive hosting (tons of threads on the forum about everyone's favs, just do a search) it may be better to have your own domain and hosting. Sometimes the free hosts delete info without warning, primarily if they feel it isn't appropriate content.

This shouldn't be an issue for you, it's generally when people are plugging CPA or affiliate programs, although I still feel it's better to have your own domain as soon as you can do so.

If you set your mind to it and setup with hosting with decent support, you can have a wordpress blog running in a matter of a few hours at most.

As suggested by other posters in the thread, look at what other writers are doing. Many of them are on WordPress for their sites for one. Check out their WSO (search that section for article writing or similar).

One thing I see from a far on the boards is this - someone offers article writing. People are interested and ask for samples. The author says they don't have any or that all of them are for clients so they can't show them.

I understand not releasing to the public articles that were developed for paying customers. However, you need to be able to show something. If nothing else, go to yahoo buzz, google trends, etc and see what's hot. Write a couple articles on a topic/topics from there for your samples.

They will showcase your mad skills and will be fresh and current.

Make friends here, contribute and share. It will come back to you ten-fold at a minimum.

Consider a WSO here:
Warrior Special Offers Forum

Consider a classified ad here:
Warrior Forum Classified Ads

A posting that you are for hire here:
Warriors For Hire

Create a signature that touts your offering. Probably driving it to your web site as soon as you can set that up. In the mean time, make one that says to PM you or something. That way you can communicate without waiting on the site.

You'll need 50 posts (make them a value-add not garbage or you'll get whacked by the mods) or you'll need to join the war room to be able to PM.

Offer some crazy deal to do very cheap or free articles for the first x people to build your reputation and hopefully gain testimonials.

If you are a war room member, you can post a free offering for x number of warriors to do x number of free articles like:

"Hey Warriors, I'm building my reputation here.

I'll do 3 FREE articles for the first 10 Warriors that respond to this thread.

I've got to limit this (so I don't go insane!) but I WILL deliver.

After 10, that's it."

Follow-through with your offering of course.

You can substitute whatever numbers are appropriate. You can even get creative and run a contest - others have given free war room memberships and done a "Free War Room Membership - Tell Me Why You Should Be The One I Pick" thread.

Hope it helps Rick.

All success,

Gary

Thanks
1 reply

Signature

===========================

OFFLINERS! Warning: Unless You Know These Pricing Secrets, You are Leaving THOUSANDS on the Table. Get Your Free Report Now.

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2548398].message }}

oneplusone 14 years ago

As a regular buyer of articles, I can tell you that you need a business which stands out.

Article writers are a dime a dozen, what makes you or your service unique/different?

Writing quality articles won't be enough - there is too much competition.

You really need to think of a USP (Unique Selling Point or Unique Selling Proposition) to make your service stand out.

If you look at any very successful article writing business, graphic designer ... they all tend to have strong USPs.

The USP is usually something which is unusual, or different which gets peoples attention.

Alexa Smith has a USP (herself), her warrior profile alone has 19,000 hits (plus some funny comments) but you get my point.

You'll probably have to create your USP, to make your business stand out.

One interesting idea is the "unlimited" angle, I and many others pay a $137/month or $197/month fee to Unlimited E-Covers for graphic design which you can check out here:

Unlimited Mini-Sites and Ecovers | Get UNLIMITED Profit Boosting Ecovers & Mini-Site Designs for ONE Crazy Low Price!

Once you've created your USP, you work off it as your foundation for all your marketing.
- Thanks
Signature
'If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.' Vincent Van Gogh.
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2548567].message }}

Rose Anderson

14 years ago

Hi Rick,
I'm only a few months ahead of you in my writing business so I don't have too many words of wisdom, but I will tell you this:

Read every word Alexa posts. She doesn't know this, but I've learned so much from her about article writing. Search old posts under "article writing" etc. Though they might not be about marketing, you'll feel more confident about marketing by learning as much about online article writing as possible. Zeus also has a lot of good posts and a WSO I purchased as well.

I'm still working on my webpage, but I've been able to get a lot of work from a "warrior for hire" post.

Good luck!
rose

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2548647].message }}

Rinz

14 years ago

First you should market your service on this forum first (warrior special offers section). If you are good, you can get a lot of honest testimonials from this forum members. Gather and put the testimonials on your website, just say that the testimonials are from warrior forum. This way you can get trust from your prospects.

Thanks
1 reply

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2548665].message }}

dbarnum 14 years ago

Rick,

Cheers to your new enterprise! Had to share a tip:

your market will evolve as your services, your marketing and your business does. So you'll find you'll want specially packaged or types of service levels, depending upon your target audience.

As someone mentioned above, it's what people want that counts. So just get out there and grow with the demand. Take business seriously, but do have fun with it and keep yourself in there, because people are buying from you because you are part of the package (Zig Ziglar says this much, much better - -find him on YouTube videos. He's coming here to town in a couple weeks, and I'll be there.)
- Thanks
Signature
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2548690].message }}

Rick Olsen

14 years ago

Thanks for the replies. You've given me a lot to think about. I didn't realize there's so much competition and that people seem to want cheap rather than quality. I don't see how I can compete with people who charge $2 for a 500 word article.

I live in the United States and I believe .04 cents per word is a fair rate in this economy. I write well and I'm unwilling to sell myself short. This must be where the USP comes in. I thought quality work, at fair prices, and with on time delivery would be enough.

I believe I will make this work. I just need to work out a few kinks. Thanks again.

Thanks
2 replies

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2550604].message }}

Tina Golden

14 years ago

I didn't realize there's so much competition and that people seem to want cheap rather than quality. I don't see how I can compete with people who charge $2 for a 500 word article.

Don't compete with them. If you can make an article that people actually want to read, those "writers" are NOT your competition.

Yes, there are many out there looking for cheap at all costs. But there are still many looking to pay a decent rate in order to get a well-written article that will accomplish their goals. That's the market you target.

Tina

Thanks

Signature

Discover how to have fabulous, engaging content with
Fast & Easy Content Creation
***Especially if you don't have enough time, money, or just plain HATE writing***

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2550620].message }}

Alexa Smith Banned 14 years ago

Originally Posted by Rick Olsen

I don't see how I can compete with people who charge $2 for a 500 word article.

You probably can't. And certainly shouldn't.

It's all about the markets in which one chooses to compete. The reality is simply that one competes in the markets in which one chooses to compete. And those depend simply on one's marketing skills as a professional writer, promoting one's own services.

Many people with genuinely valuable writing skills start off with very low-paid projects, thinking that this will help them to move on to higher-paid projects. It usually doesn't, at all. It's really important, I think, to avoid at the outset the mistake of imagining that it's sensible to "start off by writing for low prices" with a view to raising your prices after clients have seen what you can produce. When writing for online markets, it simply doesn't work that way: when you write for low prices you attract clients whose primary motivation is to pay low prices, and you lose almost all of them when you increase prices later.

You may well find some/all of these resources helpful:-

Jennifer Mattern's blog

Carol Tice's blog

Freelance writing jobs (minmum payment requirement of $50 per article to be listed there)

Free report on how to attract new freelance writing clients during a recession

The Renegade Writer Blog

The "Irreverent Freelancer" blog
- Thanks
- 1 reply
{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2550646].message }}
- Rick Olsen 14 years ago
  
  Thanks a lot, Alexa. You've been a big help. I've added a forum signature. Is it okay, or should I change it?
  
  One other quick question please. Should my site have a blog page?
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2551130].message }}
  
  Kay King 14 years ago
  
  Alexa and Tina are on the money. I've been writing for myself and a very few others for 10 years but began writing as a service just over a year ago. Thee's a lot of work available - and many buyers willing to pay good fees for quality writing.
  
  Do not worry about competing with $2 writers - there are buyers in all price brackets.
  
  I strongly advise you to follow Alexa's advice about pricing based on your own hourly rate. You may not start at $45 an hour - but might start at $30 an hour. You will get faster as you gain experience but write enough to know how long it takes you to research and write 5-10 articles on a new subject.
  
  When in doubt, use a per word charge. Be flexible - I recently reduced my fees for a client because the work was in a niche I love to write about and I'm knowledgeable in. The job ended up being much larger than originally planned and very profitable in the end. When you aren't sure what to charge, go with your gut rather than with what someone else wants.
  
  Have a portfolio of examples ready to put on your site and/or send to potential customers. This should include examples of several types of writing and samples in various "voices" to show your range.
  
  kay
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
  Signature
  
  Saving one dog will not change the world - but the world changes forever for that one dog
  ***
  Dear April: I don't want any trouble from you.
  January was long, February was iffy, March was a freaking dumpster fire.
  So sit down, be quiet, and don't touch anything.
  
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2551184].message }}
  
  inter123 14 years ago
  
  There is no right or wrong answer to any of this. You don't have to charge $45 or even $30 per hour. You can charge peanuts and still make a million.
  
  There are some writers passionate about what they do. Quality Content, "Fancy writing" or whatever else you wish to call it is the priority, making money is a secondary issue.
  
  For anybody that is half competent at writing, this is one of the easiest ways of making cash with the demand for content always present. Creation of a website is a great idea followed by promotion through various forums and interaction hubs.
  
  Thanks
  
  {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2551319].message }}

I.M.Retired

14 years ago

Rick: I operate a very private website that promotes my writing services. Before I started, I bought a WS0 from Jen Dize, a fellow warrior who teaches you about all the questions you asked in this post.

I followed her instructions to a 'T'. Her stuff is pure gold! I also read every post by every single Warrior Forum member who offers writing services - and buy their WSO's when applicable.

There are so many excellent writers here that I hesitate to post names. (And yes, Alexa is one of them.) If I added many of the other excellent Warrior writers I would be here all night!!!)

Read posts! It will quickly become apparent who the 'good writers' are! Learn from what they do and refine it according to your own tastes and interests.

I don't advertise my site. I never promote my services here on the Warrior Forum, in fact, I don't do article marketing or ANY popular online promotions.

Yet I am so busy I'm thinking I may have to schedule a vacation within the next week or so. Plus, I live way back in the boonies here in Canada and can barely get online on the good days - you know the ones - sunshine, no wind, no clouds, no air moving in any way, shape or form--otherwise my Internet service or the power goes out, so I do operate under somewhat of a handicap. (But, it IS pretty around here!

) My customers still find me, which I find totally amazing!

The fact of the matter is: people want content. They especially want QUALITY content.
And they are more than willing to pay a fair (read TOP) price for top quality content.

I checked what everyone else was doing; what they were charging, how they presented themselves, etc., and then I made a site to reflect the services I wanted to offer. My site is not like other writers. I do what I want and charge what I want. I provide good value for my customers, and I love what I do!

Register your domain. Set up a website. Put the requisite information on your site, ie., your about page, your unique selling proposition, your privacy and disclaimer information, and post some sample articles. The sample articles are what draw the customers.

This past week I have been contacted by someone in Britain, someone from Canada, someone in Pakistan, and surprise of all surprises - someone who lives not more than 50 miles away from me. They all became paying customers!

I am always amazed by how these people find me. The only thing I can think of is they searched for something, found my sample articles because the articles contained similar information to what they wanted for their own sites; they liked what they saw and contacted me.

My writing business is built on trust. I write the article, send the first draft to the customer - sometimes I post the first draft on Google Docs and send the customer a link so that they can edit it online themselves - and when everything is tickety-boo I send them the article in whatever format they prefer, then I send them a Paypal or 2Checkout Invoice - or whatever payment gateway they prefer. I have never had a customer not pay, to date.

Hope this helps. Follow your heart. Set up your writing business based on the services YOU want to provide!

And set aside a few 'recuperation days' each month. You will be busier than you ever imagined possible!

Thanks

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2551158].message }}

David Hooper

14 years ago

I'd look around sites like Elance | Outsource to freelance professionals, experts, and consultants - Get work done on Elance to find what people are looking for and get an idea of how much (and with what terms) they pay. Then build your business around that, using a pricing structure you can live with.

Thanks

Signature

25 Podcast Episode Templates - FREE

{{ DiscussionBoard.errors[2551244].message }}

How to start and market a writing business?

Trending Topics

Been a while! Any of you Old Timers here?

How much does the rebranding affect CR ?

Clickbank low cost recurring

Boat and Jet Ski Rentals...... Door Hangers Effective?

Are billboards still effective in driving customers?