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When I first started freelancing over 10 years ago, I relied on only one website, Elance, to secure the majority of my projects.  It was just so easy to submit and win proposals back then. In fact, over 10 years ago Elance was free for both providers AND buyers. It was really cool because I was able to really dominate the writing marketplace by delivering quality work that exceeded expectations. In only a few short years, I was one of the highest paid ELancers and I commanded $15=$20 per page for eBooks and routinely receive $15 per article.  Back then, clients didn’t complain about the prices – they simply paid and I delivered the goods.

Then, about 3 years ago, I started noticing a huge decline in the projects and the clients. It seemed more and more foreign writing companies were joining Elance and that more American writers were leaving. I also noticed that clients started expecting more and more for less and less. Although I noticed this, I held steady and simply submitted proposals with my regular rates. Although I received less projects, I wasn’t concerned because I was dibbling and dabbling in internet marketing and had less time and energy for clients’ projects anyway.

Fast forward to now, it is much harder for me as an internet marketing writer to find Elance clients that are willing to pay $15-$20 per page for eBooks and even harder to find clients willing to pay $15 or more for a well written and informative article. Instead I see requests for $2 per page for eBooks and $5 for 600 word articles. I  personally think that this is somewhat reflective of our economy but more reflective on the fast that many clients don’t value good solid content anymore. Instead, they are looking for quantity and not necessarily quantity.

Although I could lower my rates on Elance, I refuse to do so. Not because I am pigheaded (which I am) but simply because I value my work and know that if I were to submit lower proposals for the same amount of work – I would be taking a step backwards – a bit step backwards. This would only frustrate me and I would end up procrastinating and not getting the work done.

Instead, I would rather put more time into my own business and building passive income. I would rather make nothing than make a little bit of something. This probably means that I’ll have less active income now but, in all honesty I don’t care cause I know that the investment I make now will pay off much higher in the future.

Plus, if times get too tough, there are always sites like Demand Studios that I could write for if I really needed some quick cash. There are also fun sites like Fiverr where I could also make some fast cash. What do you think?

I am a firm believer that internet marketing writers should NEVER EVER put all their eggs in one basket. That is, smart marketing writers must diversity their income streams so that they can protect themselves from hard times.  And, when I say diversify, I mean diversify both active and passive income streams. By doing this, you will increase your odds of success and protect yourself (and your income) if one of your eggs dries up.

Take me for instance, I make over $500 a month from eHow but in their clever terms of service, eHow states that they can legally cancel or modify the WCP program at any time. They also state that they can eliminate the residual payments at any time and won’t owe writers an explanation or future payments.  Although I hope and pray that it doesn’t happen, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it did. in fact, I’d be surprised if they left everything as it is now. After all, eHow already canceled the previous WCP program so that writers can still receive residual payments for grandfathered articles but now they have to write through DS (Demand Studios) if they want to write additional WCP articles. Well, to protect myself from these types of changes – I also write for not one but several residual income sites including Suite101,  Xomba and Associated Content. In addition, I also have more than one niche blog and I monetize each one not one but 3 different ways.

But, that’s not it -  I also take this approach with my active income sources too. I spend about 1 hour a day searching for new clients and although I have several regular that keep me very busy, I stay active on Elance and Fiverr cause you just never know when you are going to need additional funds. By doing this, I keep my eggs lined up and ready to crack.

So, if you aren’t diversifying your residual income or are relying on one client for all of your income, please stop right now and get some more eggs. That way if the  company folds or changes their terms, you will still have other revenue streams that you can rely on and that is just smart  business!

Although my current marketing plan is 75% internet marketing and 25% freelancing, it still burns when I bid on a freelance or marketing project and the client declines my proposal. I just hate getting declined. Now, I don’t mind getting declined for being too high as I certainly don’t’ want to work with any cheap clients. But to be declined becaue the person doesn’t like my style, just stings. Ok, it really burns me up.

For once, I would like to write someone that declines my bid, I would really like to give them a piece of my mind. Here’s what I would say, “Hey, I just noticed that you declined me because you didn’t like my style. Well, I just wanted to let you know that you’re an idiot that doesn’t know a good thing when you see it. To be honest with you, I shouldn’t have even placed a proposal on your stupid project and if I had known what I know now, I wouldn’t have. Goodbye idiot and good luck finding someone with real talent and finesse to complete your dumb project.”

Yep, that is what I would write. But for now, I just have to chuck it up, dust myself off and hope that someone else likes my style.

Yesterday, I received a very nice compliment from one of my long term clients. She stated that she really appreciated my assistance over the years and was happy to recommend me toher friends and family members. I was elated and asked her what she appreciated most about my services.She stated that I treated him like family. When I asked what she meant, she stated, “You make me feel like you genuinely care about my copy and my business. I feel like we’re a team that is in it to win. You can be counted on to get the job done. And, just like a friend or family member, I can trust you.” This made me smile all day long. I really thought about her comments and I realized that what she said was true. I really do care about my clients and their businesses. I work my darndest to please them and I really truly to establish long term and mutually beneficial relationships.

Therefore, my advice is to treat your clients like family and always:

• Keep your word. If you say that you’re going to turn in a project on a certain date then make sure that you do.

• If you find that you can’t turn in a project by a certain date, tell the client why and ask for an extension.

• If a client is unhappy with your work, don’t take it personally. Just see if you can fix the problem. If not, give them a prompt refund.

• Be fair with your prices and make them feel they’re getting a good deal. Command what you are worth but don’t overbill clients. They like to feel special and offering special deals and specials is a great way to build loyalty. Plus, nothing is more annoying than an inflated bill for subpar work.

• Take your client’s work seriously and do the best job that you can possibly do. Not only will this keep them coming back for more but it will demonstrate your sincerity and commitment to their business.

Many businessmen and women will need letters, whether they are sales, query, proposal, complaint letters or something different. Many of them either hate to write or they feel less than confident in their writing abilities. This is a perfect opportunity for you to hop in and offer your writing services. For some of these letters, businesspeople are willing to pay top dollar, especially for sales letters and such because they have to be written to impress.

You can easily cash in on this market, as there are thousands of other freelance writers who are doing the same thing. The key is to get a good portfolio set up. You need to either use great samples of letters that you have written in the past or create some really killer samples to use.

When you are negotiating a deal or a client is considering using your services, he or she will most likely want to see at least one or two samples of letters that you’ve done in the past. That’s why you need to make sure the ones you show for samples are absolutely your best work.

This is an easy way to make a lot of money, and all you have to do is get specific guidelines from customers for the exact type of letter they want, what they want to be included, and any special instructions. It’s rather easy because the client basically outlines the entire letter for you.

The information is there and all you have to do is add flavor and interest and showcase your writing talent. Finding businessmen and women who are willing to pay great money for these letters isn’t that hard, and again, you will be earning money for yourself with your writing!