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
Jun 5, 2014 • 53min
#052: Overlooked Freelance Writing Opportunities for Retiring Boomers
The premise of this show is that earning more in less time should be one of your key drivers. That kind of approach to your business (when done in a spirit of balance) enables you to have more time, more freedom and live a richer life ... without sacrificing your income. Freelance writer Kathleen Fink recently contacted me with a different twist on this idea — one that's particularly suited for retiring boomers who don't need to make "income" their primary goal. And in this episode she shares some great insights that may change the way you think about writing during retirement.
May 22, 2014 • 45min
#051: How to Get the Attention of Crazy-Busy Prospects with Agile Selling
When it comes to prospecting and selling, most of us want the easy way out. The gimmick that will put our prospecting on autopilot. But at the end of the day, if the trick, gimmick or technique is not based on strong fundamentals, it will have a VERY short shelf life. One of the many things I love about my colleague Jill Konrath is that all her advice is based on strong fundamentals. She understands human nature. She understands what decision makers want—what keeps them up at night. And how to continue the conversation already going on in their heads. In this episode, she explains: Why selling has changed drastically in the past 10 years Why you need to adopt a different approach to your own marketing and selling And how simple shifts in the way you approach prospects can have a dramatic impact on your income.
May 8, 2014 • 57min
#050: Writing for Ad Agencies and Marketing Firms: Two Freelance Writers Share What You Need to Know to Make it Work
What are the biggest pros and cons of working with agencies? What types of writers (and personalities) are best suited for working with agencies? What do agencies look for when hiring a freelance writer? What would you say are the best ways to attract and land agency clients? How can you avoid payment nightmares and other typical agency/freelancer challenges? You'll get the answers to all these questions in this week's podcast! My guests are Caryn Starr-Gates and Shanna Kurpe — two seasoned freelance writers who built their businesses through agencies and marketing firms.
Apr 24, 2014 • 32min
#049: Eleven Things High-Income Freelance Writers Do Differently
What makes some freelance business writers more successful than others? And why are some of them continually successful while others struggle in the feast-or-famine cycle for years? In this episode I share some of the most important things successful B2B/commercial writers have in common. What else would you add to this list? Please let me know in the comments area below.
Apr 10, 2014 • 60min
#048: From Laid-Off Worker to Six-Figure Freelance Writer
If you've ever been laid off or downsized, you already know what a crappy experience that can be. Especially when it's unexpected and it catches you off guard. But for Don Sadler, getting laid off from his job in 2009 was one of the best things that could have happened to him. Don was able to turn this "misfortune" into a six-figure freelance business. And in this interview, he shares how he did this and what he's learned along the way. Lots of great ideas and insights in this episode -- even for those of you who've been freelancing for a while The notes that follow are a very basic, unedited summary of the show. There's a lot more detail in the audio version. You can listen to the show using the audio player below. Or you can subscribe to this podcast series in iTunes.
Mar 27, 2014 • 44min
#047: How to Use Public Speaking to Land B2B Writing Clients
Creating a smart prospecting strategy is very much like assembling a solid, diversified investment portfolio. And just like the world of investments has countless options, there are many prospecting and self-promotional tactics available to today's freelance writer. Too many, in fact! But one tactic that we don't talk about enough is public speaking. And more specifically, delivering talks to groups and organizations. In this show, I interview someone who's landed a great deal of freelance work with this idea: my colleague Steve Slaunwhite. Steve shares what he likes best about this particular type of self-promotion, whom this strategy is best-suited for, the steps to take to make this work, and how you can get started today.
Mar 20, 2014 • 32min
#046: Three Things You Need to Outsource (Even if You're New)
In this week's show, I'll share 3 smart ways to boost your freelance income by outsourcing tasks that others can do better, faster and more cheaply. It may not make sense to do them all at once. It depends on where you are in your business and what kind of work you're doing. But at some point, you should seriously consider delegating some of these functions. I'll explain what these tasks are, how I outsource this work, what companies I use and what my experience has been.
Mar 13, 2014 • 55min
#045: What Should Your Freelance Writing Contract Include?
Today's show covers a topic many of you have asked me about... Contracts. Should you use a contract when working with a client? What should it include? And should you write it up yourself, or is it best to hire an attorney? I'm not an attorney. And I don't even play one on TV. So I decided to bring in a lawyer to the show — someone who works with freelancers and entrepreneurs. In this interview, attorney Mark Mauriello explains: The benefits of using a contract What your contract should include When to use it When to hire an attorney And much more.
Mar 6, 2014 • 39min
#044: Should You Quit, or Should You Stick?
I occasionally hear from writers who are on the verge of giving up their freelance dream. They've tried for months (or even years!) to make a go of it. But they haven't been able to achieve the level of success they expected. So they come to me for advice. In this episode, I share some of my thoughts on this issue. And, no—it's not all "rainbows and sunshine" advice. In fact, some of these ideas may surprise you.
Feb 27, 2014 • 34min
#043: How to Get More and Better Referrals
Wouldn't it be great to have most of your business come to YOU? Referrals and word of mouth sure beat having to chase every opportunity on your own. Unfortunately, they don't just happen — you have to make them happen. In this episode I share some practical ideas to getting more referral business — and how to do it in a way that feels right and becomes habitual.
