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
Oct 23, 2014 • 47min
#062: Michelle Hiskey on Helping College Applicants Write Their Essays
Michelle Hiskey doesn't have a traditional freelance writing business. For one, she has a full-time job. So she works her freelance work on the side. Also, her clients are NOT the traditional businesses and nonprofits many of us work with. Instead, they're high school students who need help writing their college application essay. In this interview, Michelle explains what this type of writing is all about. What's involved. What she charges. How she approaches the work. And what type of writer this specialty is well suited for. She also talks about how she's giving back to her community in a creative and meaningful way. This is an inspiring and fascinating discussion — perfect if you're exploring different ideas or business models.
Oct 9, 2014 • 52min
#061 Steve Roller on How to Successfully Run Your Freelance Business While Traveling the World
One of the biggest reasons freelancers love being on their own is the flexibility it affords.When you're your own boss, you set the schedule. You pick whom you work with and what projects you take on.And, ideally, you pick where you work.Unfortunately, most of us don't take full advantage of our business portability. Some people have young kids. Others have aging parents to take care of. Or a medical condition that limits travel.Recently, after talking with my colleague Steve Roller from CopywriterCafe.com, I realized that (for me, at least), it's mostly an issue of both commitment AND fear.I haven't made this a priority. And I'm a bit fearful of the unknown.There's a third reason that stops many solos...The belief that you have to go to an exotic location — and that you have to do it for an extended period of time.If you're even remotely interested in travel, I urge you to listen to this episode. Steve talks about his motivation for getting out of his daily environment and seeing more of the world. He explains how he's able to make it work. And he offers many useful tips and tricks for successful "vagabonding."
Sep 25, 2014 • 32min
#060: A Clever Way to Land a Ton of Work from Trade Shows (Without Leaving Your House)
If you enjoy learning new and clever strategies for landing more work from better clients, you definitely need to check out this episode. Freelance writer Amy Dunn Moscoso has been using a unique and very effective strategy for landing work from trade shows. Not just a project or two. In many cases, we're talking about a TON of work. Enough to keep her busy for months. The best part? She doesn't even have to attend the show! In this episode, Amy explains what this strategy is all about, why it works so well, and how she's implemented it so effectively. Get ready to take some notes!
Sep 11, 2014 • 1h 3min
#059 Cliff Ravenscraft on How Podcasting Can Help You Land Great Clients and Make You the Obvious Choice in Your Field
Think podcasting is for celebrities, authors and speakers?Think again!Podcasting is rapidly becoming one of the most effective and popular mediums for self-employed pros to attract high-quality leads, build trust and create rock-solid client loyalty.I know that sounds like hype. I didn't believe it myself — until about 18 months ago, when I reluctantly started my own show and saw the immediate impact it had in my own business.In this interview, you'll hear from my friend and colleague Cliff Ravenscraft, the "Podcast Answerman." Cliff eats, breathes and lives podcasting. He's probably helped more people start and grow a podcast than anyone else. And he explains why every service professional—including freelancers in all disciplines—should start their own show.If you're very selective about the shows you upload to your phone or mobile device, I can assure you that this one is a MUST-LISTEN!
Aug 28, 2014 • 57min
#058 Bob Bly: A Candid Talk With a Legendary Copywriter
I recently had the opportunity to interview legendary copywriter Bob Bly.We talked for almost an hour. What a fascinating guy!Among other things, I asked him:What his typical day looks likeWhere his income comes fromHis thoughts on social mediaHow to get lead-gen copywriting work in B2BHow to get your income to the $200,000 level and beyond I even threw him a surprising question towards the end. And he replied with an equally surprising answer.
Aug 14, 2014 • 52min
#057: Writing Opportunities in the Medical Device Industry: An Interview With Casey Demchack
Do you have a healthcare background or an active interest in the medical industry? And do you have a knack for explaining complex topics in simple language?If so, you'll love today's episode. My guest is medical device copywriting veteran Casey Demchack. In this interview, Casey spills the beans about this fascinating field of commercial writing. He explains:What's involvedWhat types of writing projects are in demandWho the best clients areWhat they look for in a writerAnd how you can break into this market, even if you have limited (or zero) industry experienceCasey also shares his thoughts on having multiple specialties or target markets and how he juggles seemingly unrelated niches.
Jul 31, 2014 • 31min
#056 Creating a Successful B2B Content Development Agency: An Interview With Paul McKeon of The Content Factor
Successful freelance business writers often get to a point where they have to make a difficult decision: Should they keep operating as a one-person shop? Or should they scale and build something bigger?If you know you're not cut out to be an entrepreneur, you're probably better off as a solo business. Nothing wrong with that!But if you think you'd love the challenges and rewards of building a mini content-development agency, it might be worth exploring.In this episode, I interview Paul McKeon, founder of The Content Factor. Paul is a B2B tech-marketing veteran who has built one of the most respected and successful marketing content agencies in the Southeastern U.S.In our talk he shares how he built his agency, how he works with writers, what challenges he's faced over the years, and how to determine if this business model is for you.
Jul 17, 2014 • 43min
#055: How to Build Your Business with the Clients Y ou Really Want
The biggest reason I became self-employed was to have more control. I wanted to have more control over the kind of work I did, when I did it and how I went about it. And I especially wanted to have more control over the people I worked with. I wanted to choose my clients more carefully. Because as a freelance writer I was, essentially, selling a relationship. And I didn't want to have a relationship with people who didn't appreciate me or my work. Or who weren't fun work with. If we were going to work together closely, I wanted to do that only with people I enjoyed, doing meaningful and engaging work. That's what we're discussing in today's episode. And to do that, I've brought in one of the leading authorities on getting clients in the professional services arena: C.J. Hayden. C.J. is the author of the classic book Get Client NOW!, a book I read, studied and applied in my early years as a freelancer. It has served me very well over the years. So I feel honored to finally have her on the show to talk about finding and working with ideal clients.
Jul 3, 2014 • 38min
#054: How Julia Borgini Landed a Guest Blog Spot with a Major Online Publication
Getting some of your articles published in an industry newsletter, blog or publication has a number of benefits. For one, it helps position you as a thought leader—as an expert in your industry, niche or domain. It also helps expose you to prospects who may not have heard about you otherwise. Yet I find that most freelance business writer shy away from this strategy. Some don't understand the benefits of writing these pieces without direct compensation. Others think they're not qualified. And many of those who try give up way too early. In this week's podcast I interview Julia Borgini, a freelance writer and web content specialist who writes for technology companies. Julia recently landed a huge publicity win which has given her great exposure. And in this discussion, she explains how she went about it, what it took to get her article accepted, and what she's learned from the experience.
Jun 19, 2014 • 46min
#053: Building Up the Courage to Go After Bigger Clients
If you want to generate a high income as a freelance writer, you won't get there by doing lots of $500 projects for small clients. Sure, you can work long hours and bring in some big numbers. But it won't be long before you burn out. To earn a comfortable six-figure income AND have the freedom and flexibility to enjoy the fruits of your labor you HAVE to start working with bigger clients. One big client can easily replace two, three or even four smaller clients. Plus, they're often easier to work with. They have more work. And they're not as price-sensitive as smaller clients. So why do so many freelance writers avoid them? One word: FEAR! We might tell ourselves that it's other things. But at the core, the biggest reason we don't go after bigger fish is just plain, old-fashioned fear. In this episode you'll hear from Mary Rose Maguire, an Ohio-based freelance writer who recently broke through these fears and insecurities to go after (and land!) her largest client ever. She explains how she did it, how the overcame her fears and insecurities, and what she's learned about herself in the process.
