High-Income Business Writing Podcast
Ed Gandia
Ed Gandia, co-author of the bestselling book, The Wealthy Freelancer, reveals how to propel your writing business to the six-figure level (or the part-time equivalent). In this nuts-and-bolts, no-nonsense podcast, you'll discover how to get better clients, earn more in less time, and bring more freedom and joy into your writing business. Ed will walk you through the practical, "doable" systems and strategies he has developed in his own writing business — the same systems he has taught his private coaching clients. He'll also show you what's working for other business writers by bringing you real case studies from the field. And he'll share all this information in an honest and transparent way, with no hype or fluff. Topics covered include: getting better and higher-paying clients; banishing the feast-or-famine cycle; doing more of the work that excites you; how to raise your fees and rates; boosting your productivity; making your business recession-proof; discovering and leveraging your strengths; finding your niche; pricing content writing projects; pricing copywriting projects; writing white papers; writing case studies; writing web copy; writing articles; and much more.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 12, 2015 • 29min
#072: How Should You Evaluate a New Prospect?
Just last week I received a call from a friend who owns a small marketing agency. She had recently lost three solid opportunities—deals she should have won. She couldn't figure out what went wrong. So she did what most of us do: assume it was her own fault. Maybe she said the wrong thing. Or her pricing was way off. Or she didn't have the experience the prospect wanted. But I've lost enough deals to know the truth. She was basing her conclusions on the wrong assumption. More specifically, she was assuming that every opportunity has the same chance of success. More than likely, it wasn't something she did or didn't do. It was simply that these opportunities weren't really "winnable." In this episode, I'll tell you what I shared with her ... and how that shift in thinking made an immediate impact on her business.
Feb 26, 2015 • 41min
#071: Should You Go Freelance If You're 55 or Older?
Over the past seven years, I've had hundreds of conversations with new and aspiring freelancers who are 55+. Perhaps the most common concern I hear from this group is, "I'm afraid that my age will prevent me from getting clients." I can understand this fear. Especially if you've experienced age discrimination in the workplace ... or been laid off or downsized because of your age (something an employer would never admit). Here's the good news—you have more to offer your clients than you realize. In fact, you have a serious competitive edge over younger freelancers — experience, wisdom and perspective. And that's not just me saying that. I've heard this from several freelancers who launched their solo business later in life. In fact, you'll hear from one of them in this week's episode. Her name is Katherine Andes, a California–based web content developer and SEO writer who went solo 12 years ago at the age of 54.
Feb 12, 2015 • 52min
#070: The 'Rock Star' Myth + Why You Should NOT Diversify
Today's show is about two topics that didn't warrant their own episodes: Why you must be careful when emulating the "rock stars" in our business Why you should NOT diversify too much in terms of the services you offer I'm also going to introduce a somewhat "silent" co-host of this show (someone you might have heard a few times before). I'll tell you about two upcoming industry events you may want to check out. And I'll explain how you can be a part of a future episode of this podcast.
Jan 29, 2015 • 41min
#069: How to Break Into Freelancing When You're Fresh Out of School
Yes, I really believe freelancing or contingency work is the way of the future. But if you're fresh out of school and have no contacts and no relevant experience, how can you possibly get started as a freelancer? In this episode, I interview two young freelancers who faced the same dilemma just a few years ago.
Jan 15, 2015 • 41min
#068: Heather Lloyd-Martin on SEO Copywriting
Today we're talking about SEO copywriting. And to get the full scoop on what's happening with SEO these days, I've brought in one of the world's top authorities on the subject: Heather Lloyd Martin. Heather has been writing, studying and teaching SEO copywriting for years. In fact, she got started way before SEO copywriting went mainstream. In this interview, Heather is going to give us an overview of this opportunity, including: What SEO copywriting entails How it has changed over the past 10 years How Google's big changes have impacted our ability to optimize web page How you can manage clients' expectations in an environment of unscrupulous SEO practitioners? The best sources of information for SEO copywriters The best opportunities for SEO copywriters today And much more!
Jan 1, 2015 • 32min
#067: Am I a Credible Source of Freelancing Advice?
Fully 90% of my income these days comes from teaching, training and coaching freelancers to earn more in less time, doing work they love for better clients. But what does that say about me, when so little of my income comes from working directly with freelance writing clients? It's a great question. And in this week's episode, I address the issue head on.
Dec 18, 2014 • 45min
#066: Pam Grout on a Series of Experiments That Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality
It's hard NOT to be somewhat spiritual when you're self-employed. That's because so much of what we do as a freelancers is based on faith — faith that things will work out ... that another good client will come along ... that you're doing the right thing by raising your fees... In fact, I've learned to understand that thoughts DO become things. (Of course, you also have to take steady and deliberate action. That's the part many people conveniently forget about. ;-) But is this there science behind this idea? Can we really manifest a new client on command? Can we turn things around by "creating" them in our minds first and asking for them? The answer is "Yes!" And in this episode, international bestselling author Pam Grout explains why that's the case ... and how you can prove it to yourself, even if you're a skeptic.
Dec 4, 2014 • 45min
#065: Carol Tice on 5 Profitable Article-Writing Opportunities
Article writing is one of the most fun and lucrative ways to make a living as a freelance writer. The variety of work is significant. For instance, ytou can write blog posts for a client. Or you can focus on the growing trend of brand journalism. Or maybe specialize in writing placed articles. In this episode, veteran freelance writer and founder of makealivingwriting.com, Carol Tice, details five ways to earn a great income writing articles for clients. She describes each opportunity in detail. She explains who's hiring writers in each category. And she discusses the earning potential for these projects.
Nov 20, 2014 • 50min
#064: Kathy Cabrera on Scripting and Producing 'Explainer Videos' for Clients
This week we're going to talk about yet another little-known opportunity for writers and copywriters—scripting and producing what are typically called "explainer videos" for clients. Explainer videos are nothing more than 1- to 2-minute simple and engaging explanations of what a product does and how it solves a key problem. They're not "demo" videos. Rather they're high-level presentations, usually involving some sort of computer animation or live action. And they've become incredibly popular! To discuss this opportunity in great detail, I've brought in Kathy Cabrera from Red Clip Video. As you'll hear, Kathy has a unique background that has enabled her to build a growing business around explainer videos. She'll explain what this type of work is all about. What it involves. The different opportunities for writers. And what you can charge, depending on what you choose to offer your clients.
Nov 6, 2014 • 58min
#063: Ghostwriting Business Books — A Realistic Six-Figure Opportunity for Strong Writers
It's not every day that I come across an idea in the freelancing world that gets me super excited. But when I recently sat down with freelance ghostwriter Derek Lewis, I found myself taking a ton of notes ... and thinking of ways I could shift my writing business to do what HE does!Derek is a very successful business-book ghostwriter. He's also the author of the new book The Business Book Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Write a Good Business Book. And in this interview, he gives us a detailed and very exciting look into the world of book ghostwriting. What it isWhat it involvesThe best target markets for this workWhat you can chargeHow to find clientsAnd who's best suited for this type of writingThis is a realistic six-figure opportunity for strong writers who enjoy longer-format projects and working closely with a client for an extended period of time. And as you'll see, the rewards go way beyond the financial.
