Not too much to report this week, I'm afraid. I've added a bunch of new samples to my website, stayed active on the social media front (that includes Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) and sent out half a dozen LOIs to local real estate organizations. I'd like to get another half dozen of those out before the end of the week.
The editor at one of my local newspapers gave me the okay to write stories for them, but I haven't heard anything since then. They generate most of their leads in-house, so I want to get a few articles under my belt before I start pitching ideas. No word from the resume company yet, either.
So yeah. All is quiet here on the freelance front. Kinda playing the waiting game a bit.
In general, I think I'm a fairly patient person. I rarely honk at cars in traffic, I don't yell at customer service people over the phone and I always try to tip waiters in restaurants, even if the service is lousy. Unless I'm really perturbed or in a desperate hurry, I can usually park and sit for a spell if I have to, regardless of the situation.
Unfortunately, that sort of passivity is certain death for a freelance writer. Just about every blogger I have listed on my blog roll has mentioned at some point that this business is all about being proactive. You simply can't wait for potential clients to come to you, especially in the beginning. You have to go after them like they're a carrot on a stick, and you're one hungry bunny. I'd like to think that's what I've been doing so far.
However, after almost a month of chugging along nonstop with limited results, my motivation is beginning to wan just a little. I never expected to have a ton of money in the bank right away, but I did think I would at least have a project or two to work on by now. Something concrete. Tangible. Something with a deadline. At this moment, no such luck.
So, the question now is, what to do next? Do I stick it out with my current marketing plan and hope for the best? Do I switch things up and try something completely different? Or do I go with a combination of the two, adding some new tactics while continuing with some of the old?
I'd like to get your thoughts on this before I decide. Three weeks is a ridiculously short period of time to get a business going, even for a full-time freelance writer. I understand that. Still, the sooner I can get at least one project going, the better.
Q&A for the Day: What do you think my plan should be going forward? What do you do to generate income quickly when you're stuck in a drought? How often do you change marketing tactics to stir up new client prospects?
Good gracious, is it Thursday already? It's hard to believe it's been almost a week since I traded in my stable 9-to-5 for this crazy, awesome, unpredictable world of freelance writing. And let me tell you, it's been quite a ride so far. Methinks it's time for a recap, both for the sake of your curiosity and my personal need for accountability. Here's how the details shake out so far:
Income Status: No drops in the bucket yet, but I suppose that's to be expected. I'm giving myself a 30-day grace period to get some activity going, which is probably more strict than most.
Potential Gigs: I have two possibilities lined up at the moment; one with a resume writing company, and the other with a local newspaper. I'm currently working on a sample project for the former and waiting for a final decision from the latter. Hopefully I'll know something definite about one of the two by this time next week.
Where the Leads Came From: I'm one of those throw-things-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks kind of people, so at least during the first few months, I'll be investigating a bunch of different freelancing avenues to find out what works for me. Here's what I tried this week:
- Resume Companies: As I said earlier, this is where I got one of my potentials, and even if it doesn't work out, I'll stay with this source for now because I like the possibilities.
- Local Newspapers: Again, the other source came from here. I wrote for local papers during my part-time freelancing days a few years ago, so I know they're a legitimate gig. You won't get rich off of them by any means, but it's a good way to fill in the gaps between paydays or get your feet wet in the biz.
- Online Job Postings: Most of these have been through Craigslist, and so far have been ridiculously low-paying jobs. Haven't any luck with these at all yet, but then again, I haven't put out a ton of applications, either.
I don't know why, but for some reason I like letting folks know about this kind of stuff. I could be stingy and keep the info entirely to myself, but why bother? What would that really save me in the long run? A couple hundred bucks? A couple thousand? So not worth it. Besides, if certain very cool ladies like this one and this one hadn't been generous enough to share their wisdom, people like me wouldn't be here today.
Q&A for the Day: What did you do to generate business this week? What worked for you? What didn't? What possibilities do you have waiting in the wings?
