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.

If you’re like me, you’re probably bombarded with messages from internet gurus who want to share with us some get rich quick scheme. I used to be one of those “get rich quick types” junkies. Yes, I admit it. I used to buys a ton of internet marketing crap and then dream of hitting it big with the newest super IM technique. Then, I would get overwhelmed with too much information and do nothing because the newest and greatest method just didn’t work for me. Then, I would hear about something else and buy the next method and start the craziness all again.

It was ridiculous and this went on for way too long. Now, I don’t do that anymore. I set realistic daily income goals and I use the methods that I already know. My new motto is “If it isn’t broke then don’t fix it.” And, you know what? I am less stressed and I have miraculously realized that I don’t have to figure it all out at once.

I can take my time and go at my own pace. I can relish in my small successes and experience joy when I meet my daily goals and then be happy with that. After all, evidence has shown, over time that the “slow and steady” wins the race.

 So, my question to you today is, are you on the slow and steady course or the fast track? How is it working for you?

Photo: jscreationzs

Today I visited Associated Content and I noticed that one of the same writers that is featured on Associated Content’s content with over 1,000,000+ page views is the same writer that has also been featured on eHow and Triond in their featured content/writer section.

It made me wonder, how in the heck can a writer manage to write 3000+ quality articles within 2 years and still work full time at a demanding position (like a physician)? My only guess is that they must have excellent time management skills, be extremely dedicated and absolutely love writing and sharing their knowledge with others.

I mean, it takes a lot of dedication and time to produce 3000+ articles within 2 years. I know because I’ve written about 2000(under various aliases) and I have no idea  how many I’ve written for clients but I do know that it is ALOT.

My point is, if I realistically produced 8-10 articles a day and had little buddies working for me to promote my various niche sites and informational products, I could really change other people’s lives AND make some serious dough.

Hmmmm really makes you think, doesn’t it? I guess I better get off my fanny and write more and more articles. I’ll keep you posted.

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.

When I first started freelance writing, it used to take me one hour to write a 500 word article. Now, I realize that this is way too slow. If I really want to maximize my freelance profits then I had to become a better paid high producer. With this in mind, I immediately raised my rates and also started churning out my quality articles quicker (without losing quality of course).The thing that inspired me was that I wanted to make $40 per hour from my ghostwriting projects. So, I raised my rates to $20.00 for a 400 word article and committed myself to writing two per hour.Sound difficult? It really isn’t.I personally know some writers that can write 3 or 4 articles an hour and these are not crappy articles. They are darn good articles that read well and exceed client expectations. My point is, fast writing be quite lucrative if you know the secrets.

Here are some tips that you can use to write quicker too:

1. Conduct your initial research. Don’t spend hours conducting research. Instead you must research quickly and effectively. Limit your research to 5 minutes for a 500 word article. To do so, use sources like Ezine Articles, Associated Content, Wikipedia and Google. Read through the top 4 articles on your subject matter quickly and make a mental note of their most pertinent parts. (5 minutes max.)

2. Immediately flesh out an outline of the 3 main points of your article. Your outline should have a beginning, middle and end. Don’t worry about perfection at this point. Just get that outline out. (3 minutes max)

3. Start writing your article. When crafting your article make sure you have an introduction, body and conclusion. Your goal should be to ask the reader a pertinent question, then answer the question with relevant information in your article and then provide your reader with a brief recap. (10 minutes max)

4. Proofread your work. Last but more importantly, you’ll need to proofread your articles and make sure it doesn’t contain any spelling or grammatical errors. If it does, change them immediately. (2 minute max)

That is. As you can see, you can craft a really great article within 20 minutes or less. (I wrote this one in ten) If you do this, you can significantly improve your freelance writing income. In fact, if you implement the above four tips, you should see a 20% or more increase in your productivity which will equal some serious cash for you!

As a freelance writer, you probably experience work-related stress and strain everyday. Sometimes you have too many projects (or not enough), clients don’t like your work or love it but refuse to pay the balance due, etc. Unfortunately, stress is part of being a freelancer and as long as you continue freelancing, you’ll experience some stress. But, I have good news for you. There are numerous techniques you can use in dealing with everyday stress. Techniques that will help you get and stay in control.

1. Get a grip and better balance your life. If you’re constantly in a state of unbalance and can’t effectively deal with the demands of work and family, you need to take control. If you don’t, you’ll experience the effects of stress and will be very unhappy indeed. By learning to balance your family’s demands with your clients, you’ll experience less stress and frustration.
2. Be more positive. Don’t concentrate on the negatives. Instead, focus on the positives. For instance, if a client doesn’t like your work, don’t see it as a failure. Figure out what you can do to improve it. If you do this, you’ll be using failure as feedback!
3. Identify everyday stressors and how you react to them. For instance, do your muscles become tense or do you get headaches when you feel stressed? Do you feel nauseous or experience stomach pains? Do you feel nervous or irritable when you’re under pressure? Or, does your heart race and your palms get sweaty? Whenever you notice these stressor reactions, take note of them immediately.
4. Plan to eliminate stress and then do it. For instance, some people learn biofeedback which is a relaxation method that teaches you to control your responses to stress. With biofeedback techniques, your brain learns how to control your heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, etc. The result will be less stress.
5. Eliminate stressors now. If you have to drop a particular project because it stresses you too much then do it. Although you might initially miss the income from this project, you’ll soon find better and higher paying projects.
6. Make accommodations. Try to shorten the amount of time you are exposed to the stress. For instance, if you have a client that is constantly stressing you out then don’t schedule a two hour meeting with him. Instead, keep the meeting to 30 minutes or less so that you avoid the situation as much as possible.
7. Take frequent breaks. Although it is always better to take a brief walk throughout the day, you may find that isn’t possible. If so, take some time away from your desk to stretch. Simply relax the muscles in your jaw, neck and shoulders which will help you alleviate stress.
8. Eat healthy foods. Certain foods tend to alleviate stress. For instance, almonds, blueberries, cottage cheese, fish, broccoli, whole-grain rice are thought to have stress-relieving properties.
9. Meditate. You can do this by breathing deep into your abdomen and slowly letting your breath out. Not only will this clear your mind but it will also increase oxygenate your blood too.
10. Enjoy life. Take time out of your day to enjoy yourself single day. Do the things that make you happy. After all, life is precious and you must enjoy it!

I picked up a copy of Writers Digest for 2008 and realized something. I’m really undercharging for my freelance writing talents. However, I’ve found that what you could make in print just doesn’t compare to what you make on the ‘net. I think it has something to do with “perceived value.” Magazine publishers pay you a lot more for your freelance writing services because they value your writing talents and know that it will, in essence, make them a ton of money.

However, clients on the ‘net are so conditioned to working with cheap writers that they sometimes balk at paying adequate freelance wages. This is really sad, in my opinion. I mean, the potential for clients to make money on the ‘net may even be higher than those offline. So, what is a freelance writer to do? I believe that your best bet is to study freelance writer rates and then choose your own rates based on your overhead (office supplies, rent, internet access, etc.), background, financial needs, and qualifications. In addition, here are the preferred rates from Writers Market:………………………lowest……..average…….highest

Business Articles…………$N/A……….$750………..$N/A

Newsletter writing…………$800………$2,000………..$5,000

Web page writing…………$100………$1,251…………$7,000

Ghostwriting (as told to)…$5,500…….$22,800………$80,000

Ghostwriting (no credit)…$5,000……..$36,229………$100,000

Source: Writer’s Digest 2008

Amazing isn’t it? Well, about a year ago, one of the warriors, Dee Powers, conducted a modest survey of online freelance writers to determine their rates and here’s what she came up with: ………………………………..lowest…..average…..highest
250-350 word article…….$5………$13……..$17

500 word article ………….. $7………$20 …….$30

1,000 word article …………$12…….. $54 ……$125

2,500 word short report…..$25……. $141 ….. $325

5,000 word report …………. $50……. $380 ….. $800

10,000 word long report …$100……. $797 …..$1,600
ebook per page
400 words on a page………..$10……. $25 ….. $40

Source: http://www.warriorforum.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=162503

So, as you can see, there is a big disparity between online and offline earnings for writers. The question is, what will you do about it?

A lot of people wonder, what was it that made me want to switch from full-time ghostwriter to soon-to-be full-time Internet Marketer. I can honestly say that it wasn’t one single thing but a combination of things that made me want more. More for myself and more for my life. Here’s my list of favorite 10 reasons that I made the switch.

1. I got tired of being the blunt of gurus’ jokes. I was tired of being “one of those cheap ghostwriters who they could hire to do all their work while they reaped all the benefits.”
   
2. Every day I started to dislike myself even more. The more and harder I worked as a writer, I could never penetrate the mindset that I was working for someone else’s benefit.
3. I started losing my passion for writing. Writing for everyone else but me was frustrating and depressing. It became more of a burden than a joy. Like I’ve said previously, I can write for myself forever, butit takes a bit of pushing to write for clients.
4. I became frustrated with my clients calling all the shots. For instance, they could pay me or not, they could steal my work, and they could even ruin my reputation just for the heck of it by leaving bad feedback.
5. I got really tired of making everyone rich but me. Every day, someone else made money off of my efforts and although I would get paid for my efforts the payment was miniscule for the hard work and effort that I put into pleasing my clients.
6. I was tired of competing for low-paying projects on bidding websites.
7. I became frustrated with impossible and cheap clients. You know the ones that want something for nothing. Those clients that complain about your rates, promise long-term projects when they don’t mean to, leave undeserving nasty feedback, don’t pay the final balances, and complain the whole time.
8. I got tired of my debt growing and my bank account depleting. Every month I worked my fanny off for these clients and I had absolutely nothing to show for it.
9. Although I had 16 years of education, I realized that my massage therapist, hairdresser, dog groomer, and gardener made more per hour than me, and I was determined to do something about it.
10. I wanted more for myself and my kids. I wanted to use my God-given talents to help us achieve financial peace and make a difference in the lives of others.