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  • Can You Send 30 Pitches in 30 Days? This Course Will Teach You How to Perfect the Art of the Pitch

    Can You Send 30 Pitches in 30 Days? This Course Will Teach You How to Perfect the Art of the Pitch

    I’ve freelanced on and off for over five years now. Since then, I’ve tackled plenty of the typical freelance obstacles, from managing my time to getting steady gigs, and figured out a system that works for me. 

    But even still, I’ll admit: the idea of pitching to a new publication gives me sweaty palms and dry mouth.

    It’s not even so much the fear of rejection (although that’s certainly real), but overcoming the resistance I’ve built up inside me when I think about pitching to some of my “dream publications.” I already know what works with my steady gigs. Why not just send a quick pitch there? Why waste my time on something that’s not a guarantee? Time becomes such a valuable commodity as a freelancer that the idea of wasting it on an uncertainty seems impractical — and over time, impossible.

    Obviously, all of that is just me rationalizing so I can avoid doing something that scares me. And that’s exactly why I was so curious about a course that promised to help me muster up the courage and wherewithal to pitch to not one, not two, but 30 new publications in just one month.

    What is 30 Days, 30 Queries?

    30 Days, 30 Queries is a self-paced online course designed for both new and experienced freelancers who are feeling stuck. 

    The instructor knows what she’s talking about: Natasha Khullar Relph (who previously wrote under the name Mridu Khullar Relph) is a prolific freelance writer with bylines in TIME, The New York Times, CNN, Cosmopolitan and many more. (Really, you name it, and she’s probably published there.) 

    Upon reading the course description, I was comforted to find that Khullar Relph herself has dealt with the very same problem that had plagued me for the last several years. “I was always so busy writing for my existing clients that pitching to new markets, especially hard-to-break-into ones like The New Yorker or National Geographic, just never made it on my list of things to do,” she wrote. “Pitch The New Yorker and wait a year for the rejection, or email my editor at a trade magazine and get a quick assignment and nice paycheck within the month?”

    That is, until she challenged herself to send out 30 queries to new publications in 30 days. While she doesn’t claim  the course will help you nab all 30, she did reap pretty impressive rewards: She got four new clients — two of which paid $1 a word! — and developed a running dialogue with six other editors at publications like Wired, Parents and O.

    Khullar Relph realized the potential of this challenge for other freelance writers and built out a course of 30 lessons delivered via email daily that “will show you in a step-by-step fashion how to send 30 query letters in a month.”

    Nearly 600 students have taken the course since she launched it in 2014. Relph says students have bagged bylines at The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, LA Times, Marie Claire, National Geographic Traveler, Discover, The Guardian, Afar, GlobalPost, Vice.com, BBC, and CNN Travel.

    What features do you get when you sign up for the course? 

    To start, you get 30 lessons that help you break through the fear of pitching and create pitching habits. Those lessons also provide tips on how to write pitches that get more assignments and money.

    Then you also get a few other goodies:

    • Lifetime access to the 30 Days, 30 Queries Facebook group. The group includes current and former course participants. Here, you can ask questions, collaborate on pitches, and share resources with other editors and writers. There are over 400 people in this group, so it’s a valuable tool to have at your disposal — and it’s always good to have a community in this zany industry.
    • Resources to aid you in your quest. We’re talking samples of query letters, a list of high-paying publications, and links to various resources to help you fine tune your pitches. The query letter samples particularly valuable, as some of them resulted in stories published in major outlets — you can check out dozens of student testimonials to see for yourself.

    Other than email coaching with Khullar Relph, which only is available for the 30 days, you get lifetime access to all these elements, so if you don’t think you can do the full course in 30 days, it’s no problem — and if you feel like devouring it in 10, you can do that, too. 

    What do I like about 30 Days, 30 Queries?

    The hardest part of pitching is actually getting yourself to do it — and the first few days of 30 Days, 30 Queries make pitching feel bite-sized, doable and targeted. 

    The concept of sending out all those pitches to new publications may make you sweat initially, but it turns out you don’t even send out a single query during the first three days. 

    Instead of having you fire out queries wildly, Khullar Relph encourages you to take time at the beginning to mull over your ultimate goal for the course. It could be anything from writing about a particular topic to making a dollar a word or more, but it has to be specific, actionable and simple so you don’t get snagged in overwhelming details. “Complicated is the enemy of productivity,” Khullar Relph says.

    Then, the second lesson encourages you to come up with a list of 30 publications that would meet your goal, and the third helps you develop a “production line approach to querying” to remove as many obstacles from your path as possible right out of the gate. From there, you’re well on your way to getting your pitches out into the world.

    What I like so much about this course is that it’s not full of airy, bubbly “You can do it if you set your mind to it!” platitudes — instead, it answers the tough questions. 

    For example, on day two, Khullar Relph explains how to find the markets that work for you — and it turns out that concept becomes exponentially simpler when you’ve figured out your specific goal. 

    The course breaks down the process of freelancing and pitching so it feels actionable, possible and like just another part of your day instead of a massive hurdle to get over. As virtually any freelancer can tell you, that’s pretty huge.

    That’s not to say the course makes freelancing seem easy. Khullar Relph doesn’t pretend she’s some superhero who feels no fear or psychological barriers when it comes to pitching big publications; instead, she addresses each of these emotions head-on and helps you address them so you can stop working against yourself. The course keeps it real in a way your average how-to, “hustle ‘til you die” guide doesn’t.

    Through this course, I’ve gained the much-needed confidence to take on freelancing full time and develop my writing portfolio more and more every day. Another huge bonus was the development of a sturdier, more organized process for pitching — a more mundane element of freelancing that may seem like such a simple concept, but is the first to get lost as inboxes flood, bills come in, and deadlines pile up.

    How much does 30 Days, 30 Queries cost?

    My singular qualm with 30 Days, 30 Queries is the price of entry: $499. That’s no small concern, considering that for many freelancers, every cent counts. 

    However, the personalization is unbeatable here. As long as you put the recommended work and energy into this course, your net gain will likely far surpass the cost. And on the plus side, it becomes a lot easier to keep your motivation up when you think about $499 going to waste!

    If you want a fire lit under your butt, 30 Days, 30 Queries is worth it to focus your freelancing efforts, send effective pitches, and make every minute count. This is also a cool gift for writers you might know looking to take their career to the next level.

    Looking for other good classes to take? Check out our guide to the best online writing courses.

    This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!

    Photo via GuadiLab / Shutterstock 

  • How to Become a Master Copywriter in Just One Year

    How to Become a Master Copywriter in Just One Year

    Before getting into becoming a master copywriter, let’s be honest: “master” is relative, because even well-known masters of copywriting today still haven’t reached the pinnacle of their craft.

    There’s always something new to learn, something more to discover.

    But there are indeed ways you can rise up the ranks in your copywriting career so that you can call yourself a master (and feel 150 percent confident in that title) – and you can do so in just one year. Possibly even less.

    How to become a copywriter

    Here’s exactly how you can become a master copywriter in less than a year, and in just five easy steps:

    1. Read a whole lot

    Mastering any skill means absorbing all the information and education that possibly exists. Copywriting is no different, and plenty of resources can get that learning going on the path to a solid writing education.

    Head over to Amazon and pick up several copywriting books from renowned leaders in the industry, like Bob Bly, Joe Sugarman and David Ogilvy. It’s best to avoid books from relative unknowns or wannabes; to become a top copywriter, you want to learn from the top leaders in the field.

    Read each book slowly and with high levels of focus. Don’t just skim the content or skip chapters because you think you know what’s in them — you’ll forget 80 percent of everything you’ve read and miss the crucial details that make a big difference.

    Then reread each book as you finish it, taking notes the second time around. Your brain will retain more information and understand it better, thanks to devoted effort. You’ll absorb the education and make it second nature much faster that way.

    2. Practice even more

    Deliberate, intentional practice of each technique you learn is key to mastering it. Think of Olympic athletes who spend years perfecting one specific movement, over and over — you should do the same with every single copywriting technique you learn.

    In fact, lack of practice is one of the most common reasons good copywriters never become great. They don’t put in the extra effort to truly master their craft, and they always stay stuck at status quo because of it.

    So as you read through your books and learn new, specific techniques, take time to practice each one thoroughly. Then practice it some more.

    Have a sheet of paper or your keyboard handy so as you spot a new technique, you can stop right there and try it out immediately, over and over. When you feel you “get” it well, you can move on to the next new technique.

    But that doesn’t mean you should stop practicing. Have individual practice sessions for each technique, then as you become truly confident, integrate two techniques you feel you’ve mastered. Practice them together, as a whole, then add in a third technique you know well.

    Schedule regular, daily practice into your calendar, and put in the effort to continually improve your skills. You’ll pat yourself on the back for going the extra mile.

    Practice, says James Chartrand

    3. Get one-on-one training

    Self-education is great, and it can certainly take you a long way, but there’s nothing better than working one-on-one with a copywriting coach to advance even further towards mastery of your skill.

    After all, this person has been where you are and can show you how to take your copywriting skills to the next level. He or she can provide direct, immediate feedback on what you think you’re doing well enough or what you feel you need work on.

    Feedback from someone better than you is key: You’ll learn which areas need work, exactly what you should do to improve and get confirmation when you’re doing it right – or correction that helps you when you can’t quite get it.

    Group course environments are good if you can’t get a leading copywriter to mentor you personally in a one-on-one environment. You’ll receive less attention in a group because the instructor’s focus is diluted over several students, but it’s definitely better than no feedback at all.

    4. Get over your issues

    The biggest hurdle to becoming a master copywriter isn’t your skill set, your lack of education or your ability to produce good prose – it’s your psyche.

    The biggest roadblocks that slam themselves down in front of would-be copywriting masters are always psychological in nature. They’re rarely skill-related obstacles only. Writer’s block, blank-page syndrome, difficulty knowing what to say, endless editing, performance pressure… those are all common issues that could prevent mastery.

    The good news is that these issues are all in your mind, and you control your mind. There are all sorts of ways you can overcome your writing psychology roadblocks so you can advance to mastery levels.

    It may sound fu-fu, but never underestimate the value of a good therapist or coach. This person can help you overcome writing fears and issues for stress-free copywriting in short order.

    Strategies that could be used include exchanging bad habits for better ones, relaxation techniques, and discussion of fears so you can dissolve them into full confidence.

    A creative psychology coach is often the best person to have on your side, though they’re fairly rare and difficult to find. You’ll reap the rewards, though, and find yourself mastering copywriting at twice the speed you were before.

    5. Expand your knowledge

    Okay: You’ve read the books, taken the training, practiced like mad and sorted out your crazy-making. You’re doing well and feeling great about your copywriting skills!

    Now’s the time to expand and enrich your education in complementary fields, such as sales and marketing, storytelling, consumer psychology and critical thinking. Add a dab of each of these to your copywriting, and you’ll be able to reach new heights in your copywriting career in no time flat.

    In fact, it’s well known that copywriting is simply salesmanship in print. So why not start there?

    Before you get discouraged at all this learning, take heart: You don’t have to become a master in each of these related fields. But with a good working knowledge of related skills sets from different fields, you can integrate each into your copywriting.

    You’ll be well set to take your copywriting skill set to the final levels… and become a master – in less than a year.

    Looking at other writing careers? Check out this article, where you’ll find more options to get paid as a writer.

    Perhaps this quiz can help you decide.

    This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

  • 3 Important Line Edits to Make Your Writing Shine

    3 Important Line Edits to Make Your Writing Shine

    Ah, the line edit: one of the least favorite duties of any writer.

    As off-putting as it may be, the line edit is, nevertheless, the point at which your rough first draft starts to present itself as a cleaner, more involving and enjoyable reading experience.

    But line editing isn’t just one single task all by itself. Rather, it’s a venerable smorgasbord of jobs – checking for errors in grammar and punctuation, tracking down passive voice, investigating overblown dialogue tags, weeding out redundancies and repetitive phrasing…

    The list goes on and on.

    Using a grammar checker and editing tool like AutoCrit is a helpful way to ease the editing process, especially when it comes to line edits. AutoCrit analyzes your manuscript to identify areas for improvement, including pacing and momentum, dialogue, strong writing, word choice and repetition. For an in-depth explainer of AutoCrit’s free and premium versions, check out our full AutoCrit review.

    Here are the top three line edits you can perform to get maximum benefit in minimum time – so you can have a happier time crafting that second draft.

    Now, let’s make that writing shine with these editing tips.

    1. Swap out adverbs

    This is a cornerstone of any creative writing tuition, and for good reason. Adverbs – those modifiers we often fall back on to try and pack some extra information into our prose – are a crutch that you would do well to leave behind.

    You can immediately lend greater weight to your words, and create a smoother reading experience, by substituting the vast majority of adverb combinations for a single stronger verb or adjective.

    For example, you could say something was extremely loud. Or, perhaps, it would be more powerful if it were to be deafening.

    A person or thing might be really big. Or maybe your reader might feel more intimidated if that person or thing were gigantic instead.

    There’s a huge range of possibilities when it comes to getting rid of adverbs, and almost every substitution is guaranteed to elicit a far greater response in the imagination of your reader.

    Weeding out adverbs also has the beneficial effect of making your passages leaner, meaning simpler management of pace and cadence (a benefit for you) and more effortless reading for your audience. So it’s a win-win!

    2. Eliminate filler words

    One of the easiest tasks during any line edit, eliminating filler is a process that shouldn’t be skipped.

    Filler words bog down sentences, belabor paragraphs and pad out pages entirely unnecessarily. This makes your writing take much more attention and mental effort to read than is justifiable.

    The last thing you want is for a reader to realize they’ve just waded through two pages of prose and gained next to no worthwhile information. Yawn!

    Some of the most common filler words to look out for are:

    • Just
    • Really
    • Very
    • That
    • Then
    • Even

    Check your writing to see if instances of these words can be removed without lowering comprehension. If the sentence works just fine without them, the filler words can go.

    This step makes for a simple big win during the editing process – because even if you don’t make use of editing software, it’s still easy to perform a manual search inside any modern word processing program and be on your way to a perfect economy of words.

    3. Investigate sentence starters

    Sentence starters are quite an uncommon factor when thinking about your line edit – but the impact of taking them into account can be magnificent.

    Check, in particular, for sentences that begin with a pronoun, character name or conjunction.

    When describing the actions of a character throughout a passage, it’s often tempting to start with the character name before progressing with he/she did this, then he/she did that, and continuing along the same path.

    This can lead to unintended repetition, as the actions arrive staccato:

    Greg opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He blinked slowly, trying to clear the fog from his vision. He looked to his side, where the alarm clock read a quarter past seven. He rolled onto his side and groaned. Here we go again, he thought.

    When you pay attention to how sentences start, it makes you think more closely about alternative constructions that might be smoother to read, more interesting in terms of rhythm or that could offer more opportunity to build setting or character.

    Let’s say we’d read that example in our first draft. There’s a lot of he starting sentences there, so it could definitely do with a bit of modification:

    Greg opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. Groggy, he blinked a few times in an effort to clear the haze from his vision. Once he could focus, he turned his head to the side and glanced at the alarm clock. A quarter past seven. He rolled onto his side and groaned in futile defiance. Here we go again.

    How a sentence starts can dictate how it will end and/or limit what it may contain – the stage is set in the beginning, so take some time to look at your sentence starters as anchor points for information. Are they causing you to lose opportunities for a more involving, imaginative read?

    At AutoCrit, our investigations into a wide range of bestselling novels afford us unrivaled insight into their construction. Here are some statistical readings from various titles that show the percentage of sentences within the manuscript that begin with a pronoun or character name. 

    A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin: 48.85%

    A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin: 45.66%

    A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin: 46.60%

    A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin: 46.11%

    A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin: 41.74%

    The Martian by Andy Weir: 42.85%

    The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins : 40.05%

    The Next Always by Nora Roberts: 52.34%

    Pet Sematary by Stephen King: 49.20%

    Misery by Stephen King: 45.85%

    Outlander by Diana Gabaldon: 45.39%

    The numbers are remarkably similar, with it being a rarity for a successful, published novel to contain more than 50% of sentences beginning with a pronoun or name. Do your stories follow the same trend? 

    The first edit of a first draft can be a rocky time, so prioritize these three line edits for your next manuscript and feel your confidence rise more quickly than you’d expect.

    Do you agree with our top choices? Share your most impactful edits in the comments below.

    This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!

    Photo via JKstock / Shutterstock 

  • Here’s a Better Way to Set Your Freelance Writing Rates

    Here’s a Better Way to Set Your Freelance Writing Rates

    When you first set out to become a freelance writer, you charge whatever you think is “normal.”

    In the process of determining that rate, you consider the pay scale of jobs you’ve worked in the past, consult industry pricing sheets, and read every “How much should I charge?” resource you can get your hands on.

    And after reading all of those blogs and getting pep talks from the best writers out there… you still turn around and charge $15 or $20 an hour for all kinds of writing services.

    I know why you do it. I was there. I started my writing business charging $35 an hour and I felt pretty darn lucky to get the business that came in (and, truth be told, I was indeed lucky to get it because I was just getting started).

    Because no matter how many articles I read telling me to charge more, I never quite understood why I should charge more, or how I should go about it.

    Well, new writers, your day has come! Here’s a look at the real consequences of charging $20 an hour to write and how to make the switch to a more profitable rate you deserve.

    What’s a good hourly rate for a freelance writer?

    The truth of the matter is that a minimum writing rate is however low you’ll go when you need money.

    It’s important to know that number for business purposes, but using that number to guide your pricing is a huge mistake. It points the nose of your plane at the ground and limits your ability to earn from the get-go.

    For some, it’s thrilling to surpass the minimum wage at $15 per hour, and it beats unemployment. Many others, including myself, realize after a few months that charging this low rate is not the equivalent of a full-time writing job, and is simply not sustainable.

    Beyond the threat of going out of business because you aren’t making enough, charging too little makes freelancing stressful and hard. It makes you work overtime, and on projects (and with people) who don’t feed your love of writing.

    If you love freelancing and you are getting great feedback from your clients, the time has come to raise your rate. But trust me, if you go from $20 to $100 an hour, you’ll lose all your clients.

    So how do you do it without alienating the people you want to work with?

    What’s better than hourly freelance writing rates?

    Here’s the rub: Raising your prices when you work hourly is extremely difficult. Going from $20 an hour to $50 an hour will feel like an unwarranted hike for your clients and you’ll feel the need to justify every dollar of that increase.

    And worse yet? It still won’t help you achieve the freedom you want to achieve. Even charging $100 per hour (which few clients will pay for writing) won’t disengage you from the need to be active in your business 40 hours per week, because of all the unpaid time spent invoicing, marketing, paying taxes, and hunting down new work.

    All hourly pricing turns your time into a commodity. Instead, you need to shift to the most profitable way of charging for you and the most convenient form of billing for your clients: Project or value-based pricing.

    Transitioning to Project Pricing

    When switching your current clients from a low hourly rate to an equivalent project rate, you don’t have to make it a huge deal.

    Simply translate how much you’re billing your client hourly right now and match it with the tasks you’re performing. Then round up to get a “project rate” for the assignment.

    For example, let’s say you’ve been writing four blog posts for a company at $20 an hour and you’ve been invoicing four-to-six hours each month for the past few months for a total invoice of $120. Simply take the six-hour rate ($120) and turn it into a per-post rate of $40 for each of the four posts.

    Boom, you have a project rate.

    Here’s a simple email template you can use to switch your clients to a project rate in that scenario:

    Hello Client,

    Thank you so much for paying [most recent invoice]! I really enjoyed working on this project, and I can’t wait to get started on [next assignment].

    Regarding my future invoicing, I am shifting my business to a project rate model. This won’t affect our relationship very much — in fact, this will make it easier for you to predict your invoice each month and we won’t have to track pesky hours all the time.

    Instead of charging $20 per hour, I’ve analyzed the data from our invoices the past few months and set an equivalent project rate of $40 per post. Moving forward, I’ll bill at this itemized rate so you can know exactly what you’re getting into with each new project.

    Let me know if you have any questions — I’ll be happy to discuss this with you over the phone!

    Sincerely,

    [You]

    Now that you have this project rate established, you can start implementing the secrets all high-earning freelance writers use to maximize their income: Learn to write faster (thereby increasing your hourly income) and (over time, of course) raise your project rate so you make more with each project.

    You can also pitch new kinds of more valuable work (ghostwriting jobs, email copywriting, white papers, and website copywriting) at a higher project rate, thereby avoiding the discussion of hourly rates altogether as you grow your business.

    Why should people pay writers this much?

    One of the deepest issues writers have with charging a high rate is confidence in what you do. You naturally love to write, after all, so who are you to charge for something that comes easily to you?

    I cry baloney!

    Listen: Businesses make money selling ideas to their customers. Those ideas are expressed in words on their marketing material, websites, blogs, and product descriptions. Therefore, the only way any of these businesses ever makes money is…

    You got it. Through the words they use.

    If a business is successful or unsuccessful, it’s because it is communicating its value — with words — to clients who agree to buy. If you’re a part of that process, you’re a valuable business asset that is worth investing in — and paying more than $20 an hour.

    And if you can help a business understand this process by pricing your rates according to the value you bring, they will begin to understand why investing in the best writer for the job at a market project rate is in their best interest.

    Do you absolutely have to stop charging $20 per hour for your writing? Only if you want to stay in business.

    Take this post as an opportunity to sit down and think through your pricing strategy so you can get on track to succeed as a freelance writer today.

    What strategies have you used to determine or raise your freelance writing rates?

    This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

    Photo via JKstock / Shutterstock 

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    • The Elements of a Solid Novel, Plus Steps to Take Before You Even Start Writing

      The Elements of a Solid Novel, Plus Steps to Take Before You Even Start Writing

      Writing a novel is a big deal.

      It’s soul-consuming, and creating a feature-length work of fiction takes a great deal of time as well as dedication. 

      But, you probably already knew that, right?

      One of the most haunting thoughts for any budding novelist (the kind that wakes you up at night) is: will my idea support a lengthy work of fiction? Is it even worth writing at all?

      You could argue that with the right level of care and development any acorn of an idea could flourish into a mighty work of fiction. But, in reality — some novel ideas are more viable than others.

      While starting something that will eventually implode right in front of you on the screen after months of work is a daunting prospect, there are things you can do to test run your novel idea. And, we’re going to look at them here.

      The core elements of a solid novel

      Before you start to test run your story idea, it’s vital that you take some time to consider the very core elements of a solid novel.

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      Your novel should include:

      A strong protagonist

      Every great novel idea should accommodate a protagonist—or main character—that will compel people to keep reading as the story develops.

      Check out these three tips for crafting a protagonist that will make your novel work.

      A notable antagonist

      In addition to an epic protagonist, almost every accomplished story features a notable antagonist or character that creates a sense of conflict at key moments in the plot.

      Our guide to creating a compelling villain for your next story will help you get started. 

      A clearcut goal or mission

      For your plot to flourish from start to finish, it’s important to establish a clearcut goal or mission for your lead protagonist. Without a meaningful end goal, your idea might need a little more development. 

      Naturally, all characters have abstract goals (journies or self-discovery or reaching dawning existential realizations, for example)—but if your story is armed with a physical goal or mission, it will go the distance.

      Physical character goals include:

      • Getting something physical.
      • Causing something physical.
      • Escaping something physical.
      • Resolving something physical.
      • Surviving something physical.

      A strong setting

      It’s no secret that a setting is pivotal to any successful story. But, when you’re writing a novella or novel, your setting must, almost, be a living, breathing entity that helps to bond the plot.

      When you’re crafting your novel’s setting, you should ask yourself the following questions:

      • Can my characters physically and emotionally interact with the space around them throughout the course of the story?
      • Does my setting help to enhance my novel idea and give it direction?
      • Are there elements or features that are likely to make my story stand out in its niche?
      • Do I care about the story’s potential setting and will it motivate me to keep writing with pace and conviction?

      If you’ve answered a staunch ‘no’ to any of these questions, it might be time to go back to the drawing board.

      What to do before writing your novel

      We’ve established the core elements of a successful novel idea (concepts that will give your plot meaning and direction). Now it’s time to look at the practical ways you can test run your novel idea before putting pen to paper or fingers to keys.

      Create your storyline synopsis

      If you’ve explored the core elements of a solid novel and you believe you’ve passed the test—good for you, it’s time to create your storyline synopsis.

      For this exercise, your storyline synopsis is not a detailed account of the plot (you may not have fully developed your plot at this point, after all), but merely a one to two sentence summary of what your story is about. The who, where, what, and why, as it were.

      Here’s an example of a synopsis for your reference:

      The Silence of the Lambs: A young, ambitious F.B.I. agent must work alongside a manipulative, cannibalistic killer to help catch an active serial killer that is plaguing the nation with his heinous crimes.

      Action: Write your storyline synopsis, taking the core elements of a solid novel into account. Once you’re happy with the outcome, step away for a day or so and read it again. Does it sound interesting and compelling to you? 

      If the answer is no, you should go back and revisit your idea. You should also ask trusted friends or colleagues for their opinions on your synopsis—feedback is always invaluable to the creative process.

      Research your niche

      Does your synopsis jump off the page? Excellent, it’s time to start thinking about your niche or genre.

      Looking at your synopsis and core elements, decide if you feel your idea fits into a particular niche or genre. Your idea could work as a sci-fi novel or a hard-hitting romantic tale for young adults—the choice is yours.

      If your theme or subject does fit into a broad niche, conduct web-based research to understand your target audience and the scope of your potential novel category.

      Here are tools and ideas to help you conduct valuable research:

      • Use Google Trends and punch in key terms surrounding your novel’s potential genre to see what readers are searching for around the world. Here you will be able to see writers and novelists within a particular niche that are making waves and connecting with their audience. Read their stories and decide what you feel drives their success.
      • Explore targeted hashtags across social media channels to see what books, stories, and authors are trending in your niche. #Bookstagram and #Bookish are good places to start.
      • Visit independent bookstores or examine various book charts within your niche to see if your potential niche, genre or theme is an avenue you feel is worth pursuing.

      Action: Take time to explore, research, and read. Document your discoveries to paint a clearcut picture of how people are interacting with novels and authors in your prospective niche or genre. 

      Armed with this newfound information, pick a handful of books that are either performing well or that you respect within your niche. Decide whether your idea is too similar to these books and if so, search for an original angle that will offer a fresh perspective on a beloved or well-trodden theme. 

      If you can place your story idea into a niche or genre and you have a unique angle to explore—you’re probably onto a winner.

      Craft your elevator pitch

      If you’ve reached this point, it’s likely that your novel idea is worth taking to the next level. But, before you give it the official green writing light, you should craft an elevator pitch.

      Your elevator pitch is essentially a slightly longer, more detailed synopsis of your story that covers to the tale’s main protagonist, the primary conflict, what’s at stake, and a nod to the setting.

      Here is the elevator pitch for my novella, ‘Not Every Room Has a View’:

      “Samuel Jacks floats through his days venting a deep hatred for his industrial hometown to no one but himself, looking after his sick Aunty Mags, smoking endless piles of roll-ups, and making token efforts to write a novel that he’s probably never going to start, let alone finish. But then he meets an old flame and things start to unravel, fast. Can Sam make sense of the world around him and find inner peace or will he fall deeper into oblivion?

      A mind-bending misadventure of love, lust, death, drugs, abandonment, and blurred realities, told through the eyes of a frustrated, fragile, bright, angry, and emotionally trapped young British male from the working classes.”

      Action: Consolidating all of the discoveries and creative information from the previous steps, set aside ample time to craft a compelling elevator pitch. Again, step away and revisit it a day or so later.

      Is your detailed synopsis enough to make you want to put pen to paper and explore your idea? Are your friends, colleagues or relatives intrigued? Great, go for it.

      Writing a novel is a huge commitment but if you have faith in yourself and your idea, you will create something with depth and meaning. Test run your idea before writing your novel and you will know that it’s an avenue worth exploring.

      Looking for more helpful info in writing your book? Check out our guide to novel word counts so you have a better idea of what you’re in for when writing your story.

      Photo via GuadiLab / Shutterstock 

    • 3 Ways You Can Edit Your Manuscript With an Editing Tool

      3 Ways You Can Edit Your Manuscript With an Editing Tool

      Editing is an instrumental part of the writing process. So instrumental, in fact, that common wisdom dictates that your story is made in the edits, not in the initial writing.

      To get your manuscript publication-ready, you’ll need to edit it…a lot. Editing your manuscript is often more work than writing it in the first place, but that work pays off. An edited manuscript is tight, polished, and ready for readers.

      Editing your manuscript isn’t as simple as scanning each page for misspelled words. There are a number of different types of edits you’ll need to do get things up to par. We’ve got some great editing tips for you to try using a tool specifically meant for editing.

      How an editing tool can help you get your manuscript in tip-top shape

      Here’s how you can use an editing tool to support three of your editing types.

      1. Use an editing tool for your copy-edit

      A copy-edit pays detailed attention to your use of language throughout your manuscript. The goal of a copy-edit is to address technical flaws within your manuscript, such as mistakes in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax. You’ll also look for consistencies in spelling, hyphenation, jargon, and formatting.

      Unlike a line edit, which addresses the way you use language to communicate your story to the reader, the copy-edit ensures that your use of language is technically accurate and consistent.

      Using a grammar checker and editing tool like ProWritingAid is a great way to address many of the errors that you’re looking for in a copy-edit. ProWritingAid analyzes your writing and highlights potential improvements. For an in-depth explainer of ProwritingAid’s free and premium versions, check out our full ProwritingAid review.

      Reports like the Grammar Report use the latest artificial intelligence to catch thousands of embarrassing text errors. The Grammar Report can show you when you’ve missed a comma, but it also goes further than that, highlighting frequently confused words (such as “adverse” and “averse”) so you can eliminate silly mistakes before you reach your line edit.

      Likewise, the Consistency Check highlights cases of inconsistency in spelling, hyphenation, capitalization, and punctuation. That way, you can make sure your work is clean and consistent.

      Using an editing tool won’t solve all the copy-editing problems in your manuscript: you’ll still need to work with a human editor to address issues like formatting and font. But by using an editing tool, you can address many copy-editing mistakes yourself, meaning that you’re using your editor’s time (and your money) in the most effective way possible.

      2. Use an editing tool for your deep edits

      Your manuscript will go through many rounds of editing before it’s done. Near the end of your editing process, you may engage in something called deep edits: when you focus only on one issue and read your manuscript only for that.

      Here are some examples of deep editing topics:

      • Adverbs
      • Showing versus telling
      • Dialogue tags

      If you were doing a deep edit for adverbs, for instance, you would read through your manuscript and identify every instance of adverb usage.

      Adverbs aren’t technically wrong, but they can often be replaced with more active writing and are a sign that you might be doing more showing than telling. By eliminating adverbs in favor of stronger verbs, you’ll make your writing better.

      Rather than going through your manuscript and underlining all of your adverbs with a red pen, an editing tool can highlight all of your adverbs in one go. The ProWritingAid Writing Style report highlights all of the adverbs in your work and offers suggestions for how to replace them so your writing is stronger. 

      You can use an editing tool for other deep edits as well, such as identifying sticky sentences, improving readability, and highlighting repeats and echoes.

      The key with deep edits (and all edits) is to remember that you have full control over what feedback you choose to implement and what feedback you choose to ignore. An editing tool can help you find the potential problems, but you’ll have to decide if and how to fix them.

      3. Use an editing tool for your final proof

      Proofreading is the final part of your editing process. During a proofread, you’ll look for awkward word or page breaks and do a final run of copy-editing. 

      You can use an editing tool for this final copy-edit, as well: running ProWritingAid’s Grammar Report and Consistency Check can make sure that you haven’t misplaced a comma or forgotten to capitalize a character’s name during your line and deep edits.

      An editing tool can save you time and money at the proofreading stage: if you’re tight on funds, you can use an editing tool to run your final checks, while you yourself search the manuscript for formatting errors. At this stage, you’ve caught the vast majority of mistakes and there aren’t as many errors to contend with.

      Use an editing tool at every stage of the editing process

      Working through the edits of your manuscript is both a challenge and a joy. By the end of your editing process, you’ll have a book that’s publish-ready…even if it takes you several rounds of edits to get there!

      Working with an editing tool like ProWritingAid can save you time, money, and hassle as you hone your manuscript. By using an editing tool, you can identify both large and small mistakes and decide how to fix them to improve your work.

      This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!

      Photo via Flamingo Images / Shutterstock 

    • Build Your Author Platform: 7 Manageable Ways to Start From Scratch

      Build Your Author Platform: 7 Manageable Ways to Start From Scratch

      By now we’ve all heard about author platform, even if we’re not entirely sure how to build or maintain one.

      But in my everyday work with authors, I’ve noticed many writers aren’t sure how exactly to get started. What should you focus on when you’re being pointed in 20 different directions, and all roads are potentially huge time sucks?

      How to start building your author platform

      As I explain in this post, author platform includes these components: expertise, contacts, social media, previous media, previous books, personality, existing readership and ability to execute. That breakdown can function as a roadmap for anyone who’s trying to figure out how to get started, especially if you feel like you’re starting at zero.

      Ready to build your author platform? Here’s how to start from scratch.

      1. Expertise: Write an “I am fabulous” statement

      The goal with this step is to pump yourself up. In what specific and particular ways are you awesome? Why are you the person to write your book? Why is it the case that no one but you could write your book? What unique experience do you bring to the table?

      Even if your answer is simply that you lived the life you lived — and maybe it was a hard one —  you’re awesome for having survived it. If you write fiction, your book likely involves themes or situations you know a lot about, which makes you an expert.

      Let your statement be free-flowing, but work hard to pat yourself on the back. While many of us tend to undervalue our abilities, the first step toward being an expert is believing you can be an expert.

      You may have to fake it till you make it, and your “I am fabulous” statement can give you the motivation and validation you need to get there.

      2. Contacts: Put together a “big mouth list”

      Everyone you know is a contact. The more people you know, the more influence you have, especially if you know people in high places.

      So what if those influencers are a couple degrees of separation from you? People are surprising in how they choose to support fledgling authors. I’ve witnessed seriously established authors supporting new writers just because it feels good, and they remember what it’s like to be in your position.

      In addition to the list of people you’re connected to, create a list of people who might blurb you, from realistic to pie in the sky. Who would be your ideal reader? Who do you dream might one day recommend your book?

      3. Social media: Pick just two social channels

      That’s right: only two. Set up a profile on each and post once a day.

      For most writers, I recommend choosing Facebook and Twitter, but if you’re into other channels or options, give them a shot. If you’re writing something that lends itself to images, join Pinterest. If your work lends itself to video, do YouTube. Experiment to find a social media channel that works for you and your writing.

      The key to social media is posting regularly and engaging people. You want shares, because shares lead to more follows. Rather than spreading yourself thin across multiple platforms, focus consistently on the two platforms that provide the most value to you and your work.

      It takes forever (seriously) to build up a following on social media, so don’t be discouraged. Celebrate a few likes a week. Manage your expectations. Keep going. Building an author platform is a marathon, not a sprint.

      [twl_reusable_block post_id=41455]

      4. Previous media and books: Publish an ebook

      If you’re starting at zero, you may not have any previously published books or media, like guest posts or podcast interviews. That’s okay.

      If you’re working on a book project that you know is going to take some time to complete — a novel or a memoir that’s already been in progress for a few years, for instance — then write a shorter ebook!

      It’s surprisingly easy to self-publish an ebook. You want it to be high quality, with great content, a compelling cover and a well-designed interior. Using Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks, or e-junkie you can promote and sell your ebook from your website. While marketing your ebook is a topic for another post, figuring out how to write an ebook is a fairly simple process. And voila, you have a book to propel future books.

      Media opportunities will come, but any interview you do, blog post you write or opportunity to speak in front of people you come across qualifies as media. Don’t be afraid to showcase these successes on your website and social media channels.

      It takes a major shift in consciousness to start self-promoting, but I’ve found the key is in the balance. It’s cool to self-promote if you’re giving your readership fantastic, smart and interesting content — providing value. And it will get more comfortable with practice, I promise.

      5. Personality: Figure out your persona

      Jeff VanderMeer’s Booklife helped me understand the value of figuring out who you are online.

      Some people put it all out there and are wholly themselves online, while others choose to create a persona different from who they are in real life or only show a certain side of themselves. You get to decide, and you’re not wrong or weird or bad if you want to retain a little privacy.

      However, being private or an introvert does not mean you should not have a website, or that you can get away with pooh-poohing the importance of an author platform.

      It just means you get to set boundaries. Instead of holding technology in contempt, learn to work with what you might not like, and to figure out how to make it work for you.

      6. Existing readership: Create an email sign-up form on your website

      What? You don’t have a website yet? OK, the first step is to set up your new site. Here’s a guide on how to start a blog.

      While you’re at it, create a sign-up form that connects to an email management system; here are a few of our favorite email newsletter platforms to choose from. Put it on your homepage to capture email addresses — and take a deep breath.

      Authors often tell me that people they know already have too much email. Get over it. Seriously. Your job is to collect emails, and to send out worthwhile content. It may take a long time to build up your email list, and to figure out exactly what your message is, but you need to practice having a following.

      It doesn’t matter if you launch your email list with 20 people on it. That’s exactly what I did, and four years later I’m publishing for 5,000 subscribers who want to hear from me. After all, if they don’t, they can opt out.

      But don’t worry about the numbers for now. Just take the first step and set up the form.

      (Ready to take your email collection to the next level? Check out these 7 simple steps to build your author email list – fast!)

      7. Ability to execute: Stick to a schedule

      The ability to execute, like personality, is sort of a “soft” aspect of author platform, but it matters. It’s about follow-through and the ability to stick to a commitment to create content. It’s about consistency, and showing up even if it seems like no one is listening.

      Building an author platform is grueling work, but it’s truly rewarding when you see the occasional spikes in engagement or new followers, or the payoff in the form of positive feedback or sales.

      This payoff can only happen if you execute a plan and stick to it.

      I know it’s a long haul. I’m out there myself, working on my platform every day, sometimes wondering why I am putting so much effort toward all this personal branding. But if you want to publish, and if you want readers, you have to find a voice, write content, connect with your readers and put yourself out there.

      Your hard work will pay off; it just takes some time. Give it time and figure out a schedule that works for you. I recommend blogging once a month and posting on social media once a day, to start. You might increase from there, but again, you can take it little by little and adjust your plan as you figure it out.

      The best way to build an author platform is simple: start

      Just like you don’t run a marathon without training for weeks or months, you don’t start your author platform full force. Building your platform takes discipline and hard work, but if it weren’t worth it, no one would be doing it.

      The key is to find genuine value in your endeavors. Keep going, even when it feels like no one is listening. Eventually people will start to listen, and eventually you will get a comment to a post that makes you realize you’re making a difference, reach a milestone with your contacts that surprises you, or connect with a high-profile writer who supports you just because.

      Have faith. Work hard. Don’t dismiss these ideas just because they feel like too much effort, or because starting from zero seems daunting. Everyone started from zero, even your literary heroes. And it’s only with hindsight and effort that anyone has the wisdom to promise that it’s worth it.

      I promise, it is. Come on in and test the waters. Wade in slowly. You’ll find your way.

      What was the first thing you did to build your author platform? If you’re just starting out, what’s your biggest obstacle?

      This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

      Photo via GuadiLab / Shutterstock 

    • How to Write a Synopsis for Your Book: A Guide for Fiction and Nonfiction Writers

      How to Write a Synopsis for Your Book: A Guide for Fiction and Nonfiction Writers

      If you plan to publish a work of fiction or non-fiction, writing a synopsis that summarizes the scope of your manuscript is inevitable.

      Consider the typical submission process: First you write a query letter to agents or editors, and hopefully someone requests sample chapters along with a synopsis. Usually only after this step will authors be asked to submit the full manuscript.

      What is a synopsis? 

      Before we dive deep, let’s first define synopsis. 

      Simply put, a synopsis is a summary of your fiction or nonfiction project. 

      A synopsis will

      • have a beginning, middle and end
      • leave no plot questions unanswered
      • reflect the manuscript genre and tone
      • demonstrate your voice

      That may seem like a lot to accomplish within a few pages, but you’re not reinventing the wheel, here.

      What’s the purpose of a synopsis?

      Agents and editors have certain expectations of what they’ll find in your project overview, so it’s best to stick with the tried and true elements that make up this standard document. Standard, yes, but never boring. 

      After all, the purpose of the synopsis is to wow your reader (aka: an agent or editor) and compel them to want to read more.

      While you’re aiming for a certain wow factor to demonstrate the saleable nature of your must-read book, you really can’t leave anyone on the edge of their seats with unanswered questions and unresolved endings.

      Instead, the synopsis should fully frame your story, include major turning points, and—yes—share the story conclusion. Agents need to see the full story in a nutshell, from beginning to end, and see there’s a satisfying and appropriate resolution for readers.

      Agents and editors also use the synopsis to determine how well a writer tells a story, inclusive of voice and style.

      In some ways, you may do well to approach writing the synopsis as though this were a mini story in its own right.

      In a synopsis, you won’t have space to reveal every action or emotion, or the entire cast of characters. Instead, focus on your main characters, what motivates them throughout the storyline and what conflicts they face along the way. This is true for both fiction and nonfiction manuscripts.

      Is there a difference between writing a synopsis for fiction and nonfiction?

      Writing a synopsis for fiction and nonfiction is fairly similar.

      A novel synopsis is generally submitted along with the first few sample chapters, while a nonfiction synopsis is a necessary component of the overall nonfiction book proposal.

      A nonfiction synopsis, or project overview, may be as short as a paragraph or may elaborate over a few pages.

      Synopses for novels commonly range between one to three pages, though some genre editors may request a more detailed 10-15 page synopsis.

      3 tips for writing an effective synopsis

      Ready to write your synopsis? Follow these tips.

      1. Know your market

      In an interview with Writer’s Digest, Michael Larsen—literary agent and author of “How to Write a Book Proposal”—urges writers to be “an expert of the kind of book you’re writing.”

      This advice not only applies to recognizing the length of a synopsis, but also the content scope.

      Most writers find writing the synopsis that much easier once the manuscript is fully drafted. Only then can you fully know the story inside and out and be able to present your cast of characters and the story arc in a succinct, compelling manner.

      2. Brevity is your friend 

      Renowned publishing consultant Jane Friedman suggests crafting one single-spaced page “as your default, unless the submission guidelines ask for something longer.”

      If you can focus your story down to one page, you’ll be able to adapt to alternative requests and add detail as necessary.

      You’ll also be that much closer to understanding the key ingredients for an elevator pitch, a brief paragraph synopsis used when querying agents, pitching at conference one-on-ones, and in general conversation with industry pros.

      If you can frame your book into a few clear engaging sentences, you’re demonstrating you have a hook, know your audience, and are prepared to market to readers.

      3. The synopsis is about craft

      So what do you include in a synopsis and what should you leave out?

      •   Keep it simple and keep it focused.
      •   Introduce your main characters and their role in the story.
      •   Bring their world to life and share critical turning points.
      •   Include how your characters evolve, for better or worse, throughout the story.
      •   Reveal how the story ends, always.

      Essentially, you’ll address the who, what, why, and how of your story. Those ingredients should provide a basic story arc to frame your synopsis.

      Your overall goal is to make the agent or editor care about your story, and to compel them to want to read the manuscript start to finish.

      A strong synopsis will help you get published

      As you finetune the synopsis, you’ll likely learn a few things about your own project: You’ll more clearly define pivotal points for your characters. You’ll strengthen your ability to succinctly talk about your project in person. And you’ll perhaps see themes and connections within your story you hadn’t fully appreciated until you zeroed in on the story arc in this way.

      While the synopsis is truly about craft, and presenting your story to an agent or editor, keep in mind your future editor will have to go to bat for you at editorial meetings.

      Your synopsis is often part of the presentation materials, used to convince an editorial board of your story’s merit. For that reason, it’s in your best interest to take your time, but give it all you’ve got.  

      Photo via Dragon Images / Shutterstock 

    • What Should I Write About? A Simple Way to Know

      What Should I Write About? A Simple Way to Know

      In the Bhagavad Gita, an ancient story from India on how to live with purpose, one character tells his struggling counterpart:

      You don’t know what to choose because you don’t know your True Self.

      Oof. Ouch.

      As both a yogi and a writer, I don’t think there’s one sentence more appropriate — or more cutting — that captures why so many writers struggle with the ongoing and ever present dilemma that every writer experiences on his or her creative journey:

      “But what should I write about?”

      I built a corner of my business around helping writers solve for this very creative struggle. From 2012 to 2016, my paid-membership online writers’ group served hundreds of writing prompts and lessons to a community of 300 writers from 17 countries.

      While one intention I had for the group was to help members learn how to write better, I also wanted to help writers enjoy their writing journeys, rather than feel locked in a constant creative struggle.

      As the years unfolded, I noticed a pattern:

      The most significant growth for my writers happened when skill-building practice intersected with personal topics that guided writers into better knowing their true selves.

      Don’t get me wrong. Fun creative writing prompts are great for jump-starting creativity or unsticking your voice. No one wants to know more about what happens when Bigfoot goes vegan than I do.

      And yet, if you really want to feel like being a writer is enhancing the quality of your life?

      At some point, you will want what you’re writing about to intersect with the life that you’re living — and, for it to better inform you of how you’re living it.

      Answering the question “What should I write about?”

      Of the hundreds of prompts, lessons and conversations I’ve offered to help writers write more and write better, there’s one six-word question that is the most direct path into answering the elusive question of what to write about:

      “What have I been avoiding lately?”

      As you think through this, try to distinguish what you’re avoiding from what you don’t like, what you’re afraid of or what you don’t want.

      The difference is that “avoidance” implies a choice has already been made in the direction of what’s being avoided. What you’re avoiding is already calling for your attention. Think of that book idea you’ve been mulling over for years. Or a blog post idea that is still only a few bullet points, but clamoring for your attention. Maybe there’s an essay contest you can’t seem to commit to.

      Whatever it is, what you’re avoiding ha already been chosen on some deeper level of your consciousness.

      If you’re struggling to figure out what to write, the simple answer is to write about what you’re avoiding writing.

      And if there isn’t a specific project or topic on your side burner, instead ask yourself what you may be avoiding in your life nowadays, beyond your writing. Maybe there’s a tough-love admission about how you’ve really been feeling lately, or a silly argument with a friend that’s replaying in your mind.

      The point is to examine what you’re avoiding, because the nature of avoiding it implies that it matters to you, and — since you’ve already chosen it, deep down — you’ll need to eventually choose it fully to move toward it.

      In the act of writing, you may yet discover why you’ve been avoiding it.

      Exploring your inner landscape on paper can help you illuminate shadows behaviors, habits, worries, fears and other natural machinations of the mind — the sneaky stuff that causes resistance in writing, creating and doing. The healthier the rapport between you and your true self, the easier it becomes to choose your choices fully.

      what should i write about

      Avoidance will show you the way

      Asking yourself “What have I been avoiding lately?” is a simple question, and it’s a fast method for pinpointing a writing topic that’s near to the experience you’re living in the moment.

      Better yet, the question produces a personal, meaningful inquiry that may help you better understand what you’re resisting and why you’re resisting it.

      Whether you’re resisting a book topic, a blog post, submitting an essay to a contest, or avoiding something un-writing-related altogether, you can use your writing as a process for better understanding.

      Here are two simple scripts you can use to tap into what you’ve been avoiding lately:

      • “If I’m being really honest with myself, what I’ve been avoiding lately has been ________. I’ve probably been avoiding it ever since ________.”
      • “Where is my avoidance coming from? My go-to excuse for not doing it has been __________. But maybe I’m actually resisting it because ________.”

      Something powerful begins to happen when we write through the very questions, topics and struggles that inspire more self-knowledge.

      First and foremost, we answer the question, “What should I write about?”

      Better yet, when we use our writing to confront the topic of “what we’ve been avoiding lately,” our writing becomes a tool even more meaningful than for just telling stories.

      When we write about topics that explore the journey of life as we live it, we get to know ourselves better and better.

      Writing becomes an aid for our own healing, self-actualization and pursuit of happiness.

      This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

      Photo via GuadiLab / Shutterstock 

    • Recession-Proof Your Freelance Writing: How to Earn During COVID-19 and Other Tumultuous Times

      Recession-Proof Your Freelance Writing: How to Earn During COVID-19 and Other Tumultuous Times

      Check out Carol Tice’s new e-book The Recession-Proof Freelancer: A 12-Point Plan for Thriving in Hard Times.

      Feeling nervous about what’s happened to freelancing during COVID-19? If so, you’re not alone.

      But you can recession-proof your freelance writing career and continue to earn — if you know what steps to take.

      For me, the past few months have given me déjà vu — because I was freelancing in the last recession, around 2008. I had just begun ramping up my writing income when the financial meltdown came on. 

      I decided to stick with my plan to grow my income to six figures, despite what was happening. And in 2011, I got there, cracking six figures for the first time. 

      What does it take? Let me boil down the key components of earning well in a down economy into four important steps. 

      1. Win the mind-body battle 

      Understand that writers who thrive in the coming months will take good care of their bodies. Healthy food, regular sleep, exercise. All the basics are absolutely essential right now — they’re the foundation of your freelance-writing success.

      I know, it would be so easy to eat giant chocolate bars and order in French fries and be a Netflix binge-watchin’ zombie. But that won’t give you the stamina you need for this. Think of it like you’re training for a big race, and keep yourself in trim! It’ll help both your writing, and your chances of doing well if you end up getting the virus.

      Once you’re committed to taking great care of your body, the next step is to work on your head game.

      I’m talking about the endless undertow of negative thought-babble going on in our minds. Bad things we see on the news, worries about what could happen, all that. 

      Shut. It. Off. There’s nothing good there. Put yourself on a media diet, and focus on what is within your sphere of control. That will help you feel empowered. 

      Also, take time to experience joy or be silly each day. Laughter is good for your immune system.

      Finally, know that everybody’s productivity is taking a hit. Practice self-forgiveness, and when you have days where not much gets done, don’t beat yourself up. Do better tomorrow. 

      2. Get your schedule on 

      Once your mind and body are in as good a shape as you can get them, it’s time to come up with a battle plan for how and when the writing gets done. If you’re homeschooling kids, it’s going to take extreme creativity — but it can be done.

      Assess who you’ve got on your team, and when they could help. Some families are co-isolating with another family to get a sitter. My cousin has newborn grandkid twins, and they are cleared to come babysit. See where your comfort zone is for looping in family, neighbors or friends.

      You probably had a writing routine, and now it may be out of the window. That’s OK. We’re all reinventing how we do our work. My sister has a set of affirmations she’s using to get through this, and one of them is, “Being flexible is an action.” 

      Think of it as a science experiment. How much could I get done between 8 p.m. and midnight, after young kids go to bed? (That’s actually the schedule I used to write all my blog posts, for many years.) What if I got up at 5 a.m., before others arise? What if I grab this 20-minute break while everyone else runs an errand, and try to crank out a pitch letter? 

      If you stay open-minded about when creativity can happen, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results. Whether you create a new schedule, or ‘unschedule’ and just use whatever opportunities present themselves, commit to getting the writing done, one way or another. 

      3. Don’t be scared – be prepared 

      I’m hearing from many writers who are wringing their hands as clients ‘pause’ or cancel projects, cut their rates, or flat-out disappear. Payments are late, and you don’t know what to do. You’re worried these clients are going away.

      Let me suggest another mindset for this situation: Stop fearing that things are changing, and accept that they are. 

      In a downturn, the pace of change accelerates. That’s reality. In 2009, I lost every single client I had, one by one. I also replaced them all with better ones. 

      This is a situation where you should ‘act as if.’ Act as if that client who’s starting to pay slower, or send fewer assignments, is going away. What would you do, if that were true? Do that.

      Be ready for turnover, and you’ll be calm and in control – because you’ll already be acting on your backup plan to line up new work.

      4. Target winners and market massively

      When the economy tanks, it’s not all losers out there. There are also winners. Think of Amazon, or Zoom, and all their competitors.

      If the niches you’ve been writing in are at a standstill, think about what related areas you could move into that are doing well. (Hint: If you’ve written about one kind of tech, you can write about another.) 

      Once you know who you’ll target, it’s time to do mass quantities of marketing. Before this hit, I would routinely tell my coaching students to do 100 pieces of marketing a month. Now, I think it’s 200.

      What type of marketing should you do? It depends on your industry, your personality, and what you’re willing and able to do.

      Obviously, in-person networking is out right now. But virtual events are booming, LinkedIn is sizzling hot for connecting with new prospects, and pitch emails still find people, even if they’re working from home.

      Don’t overthink. Don’t get emotionally attached to any one pitch. This is a numbers game. You want the largest possible number of people to know who your ideal client is, so they can refer you.

      Proactively reach out to prospects, and not with generic, “Hi, I’m a writer, do you need a writer?” messaging. Bring them solutions, concrete ideas of how you could help them succeed in this tough environment.

      If you’ve never had to find many prospects at once, know that the list you want already exists, and it’s free. It might be data you get from business databases such as Owler, Hoovers or Manta. It might be tracking who’s getting investor money, as reported on CrunchBase. Or grabbing lists of fast-growing or biggest companies in a sector from your local business weekly, or off the Inc. 5000. 

      Check out their websites, see where you might contribute, shoot off a pitch.

      If you write for publications, be networking like mad. Everything is shifting so fast, it’s helpful to get an inside line to an editor, so you can ask them what sort of story ideas they need right now.

      When the economy is slow, you have to shake more trees to make sure you’ve got enough coconuts in your hand. Again, think of it as an experiment, a crazy beat-the-recession game. If you play to win, you’ll be surprised at how well you do. 

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