Freelance Writers: How to Gear Up for Work in 2009 (Part I)

I know it’s the holidays and marketing for freelance writing work is really not high on anyone’s agenda right now. But, the new year is just over a week away. It’ll be here before you know it. And, as the world economy is in the tank right now, now is the time to gear up for work in 2009 if you’re a freelance writer or blogger.

It’s probably going to take a lot longer to land gigs because of the recession, so this week, I’ll be doing a three-part series on marketing for freelance work in 2009.

In today’s post, Part I, I discuss the one thing you should do right now to start the process – and it won’t take too much time away from your holiday celebrating.

Develop a Freelance Writing Marketing Plan

You don’t have to implement it now, but planning for success is 90% of achieving it in my book. Once you have a plan in place, all you have to do is implement it.

What to Put in Your Freelance Writing Marketing Plan

What should your freelance writing marketing plan look like? Simple. Initially, answer the following question.

Who are you going to target for freelance writing jobs? Web design firms, internet marketing companies, insurance agents, lawyers, etc.

Remember, you have a better chance of landing freelance writing jobs if you target a specific niche. While you may get work from other sectors, you should always have a primary niche that you market to. Why?

Two reasons.

Why Your Freelance Writing Marketing Plan Should Be Geared Towards a Specific Niche

Time and Money: It’s more expedient – in time and money – to target a niche. You don’t have to spend time writing up different samples for different niches. If your niche is mortgage writing, for example, once you get samples in that area – you ‘re done. All you have to do when you query prospects is send along your pre-written samples.

As for money, you tend to make more because your writing will go faster. If you’re a specialist in one niche, you probably know a lot about the subject matter, have your research resources already lined up and have a bank of ideas you can churn out content on.

In freelance writing, time is money, so you turn around assignments that much faster. The faster you work, the more money you make.

Authority: If you specialize in a niche, you build up a reputation as an authority in that niche. As an authority, you have an easier time getting assignments – and charging more for your work.

This is the beauty of specializing.

In tomorrow’s post, Part II, I’ll discuss more of what your freelance writing marketing plan should include.

Written by Yuwanda Black from Inkwell Editorial
Posted on December 22nd, 2008 and filed under Making Money
Do not forget to subscribe to our RSS feed for updates

6