Do it yourself

When I started Writing Roads, and I started hawking my services, almost across the board, people asked me for the same thing: my portfolio. They wanted to see my work. I know, it’s shocking.

I knew I could write. I knew I could write for them. But I didn’t have anything that I could show them in the way of a portfolio per se. And that seemed impossible to me. I’d been writing my whole life – how could I not have any writing samples?

There was a moment where I thought, ‘Shit! I’m stuck in the classic Catch-22. I need a job to get writing samples, but I need writing samples to get a job.’ I felt dependent and a bit hopeless. I’d thought this was all going to be so easy – people would need good writing and I would write for them, goodly. All I needed was my computer and my brain. But now, with the writing sample roadblock, I was convinced that I needed other people to make my life as a copywriter begin.

I hate when that happens. It can be paralyzing. But really, it’s just an excuse not to move forward – born of the fear of taking a risk and the possibility of being great. Which is why I was thrilled when I saw that there was another way.

I cobbled the pieces together in my brain like this:

• I’m a writer.
• I’m trying to prove that I’m creative.
• I’m trying to prove that, as a freelancer, I can be responsible and self-manage.
• I have absolutely nothing to lose.
• I have a computer – and I know how to use it. (just like I’d said before, I was just going to use it for me first and then for my clients)

So in a stunning show of non-procrastination and verve, I gave myself twenty writing assignments. And then – and here’s the kicker – I completed them! I made the whole thing up. I wrote ads, I wrote sales letters, I wrote press releases, I wrote web copy, I wrote marketing letters. And I put them in a lovely black binder.

I also told potential clients what I’d done. I wasn’t about to start out under false pretenses. This was me - love me or I’ll leave you. I figured one of two things could happen:

1. They’d respect it and jive with the gumption. And this would be good.
2. They’d think I wasn’t for real and judge the fact that I didn’t have ‘real’ samples. And I wouldn’t want to work with those kinds of people anyway.

Most of them hired me. And I slowly replaced my made-up pieces with actual client work. Though I kept a few in there…for posterity.

I’m thinking about how often we don’t do things because we think we need something outside of ourselves to complete the task.  I’m thinking about how often we wait for someone to come through and do their part before we can take our  next step. I’m thinking about dependency. I’m thinking about self-sufficiency.

Is there anything – right now – that you’re not doing or finishing or starting because you think you need someone or something else to help you? Why in the world are you doing that? I bet there’s another way.

Image credit: newwavegurly (those are not my feet, but I do have and love those shoes)

When old media and new media play together in the sandbox

‘This is a very simply game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Sometimes…it rains.” Bull Durham

As I see it, one of my roles on this blog is, for lack of better words, to play the fool. For you that is. In other words, I’m taking one for the team. I’ve said time and time again that I’ve wished, both when I was starting out and still as I find my way, that I had someone like me who I could ask for advice or learn from. But I didn’t when I was starting and I frequently forget to ask for help now…so here I am as a result, sometimes doing it right, sometimes doing it wrong, sometimes…just doing it.

And last week, I did something wrong. So I’m here to tell you about it so that you, hopefully, don’t do it wrong if the opportunity should present itself.

Swimming around the freelancers’ pool

Freelancing has placed me in wide variety of situations at this point, I’m assuming you could say the same. By definition, we get thrown into all matter of circumstances where we may or may not have any clue how to act or be or do. Over our heads, soaked to our ankles, blowing bubbles, treading water or swimming speedily through the course – sometimes within a span of 5 minutes. Right?

Currently, I’m working on a massive project with a sizable team, we’ve got a little bit of every role you could imagine. Specific to my ‘doing it wrong’, we have two publicists. They’re Big deals. (It was suggested that I add the capital ‘B’).  One of them is French – and I imagine her sitting at a huge mahogany desk with a toy poodle on her lap and a long, thin cigarette hanging off of a long porcelain cigarette holder between her long thin fingers. Her hair is piled on top of her head and she’s wearing Chanel. But I have no idea if that is even a little bit true.

Anyway, I pissed her off.

You see, on a regular basis, the publicists send out emails to the team alerting us to news breaks or product mentions. And I, in my blind ignorance and bloggy haze of ‘we’re all in this together’, figured they were just letting us know whenever we were featured in the media. Since I’m running the social media campaign, I’ve engaged many listening tools – effectively holding my trusty stethoscope up to the internet – so that I know every time we ‘appear’ online. Obviously, then, I thought I should contribute to these emails as well. You know – one for all and all for…

Oops.

I got told off…and how (and quickly) for this gaff. Those press breaks they were sending were gigs the publicists themselves had landed. The break is there metric for their work for the client. Had I secured the mention I just emailed? (she asked). Um…nooooo, not so much. I just thought we were all spreading the good news. It turns out, we weren’t. Not even a little bit.

All worked out fine, I apologized, I never did it again, I returned to my corner to do my job. And I learned some things, which makes it all worth it in the end:

1. Now that I know why what I did wasn’t okay, it seems blaringly, glaringly obvious.
2. This is true of most lessons learned, except maybe those gleaned from a calculus textbook.
3. When entering a new situation, take a good look around and identify things that might not be familiar.
4. Find someone, either within the fray or without, that is familiar with those things.
5. If you feel like doing a certain something that is out of your general knowledge area, ask this someone for guidance: Run it by them first.
6. Keep your wits about you – did you just break a cardinal rule? ruin a business? step over a cultural line? threaten someone’s place on the totem pole? Put your mistake in perspective.
7. Life is very interesting when the old media and the new media play together in the sandbox.
8. My skin is getting thicker. Once upon a time I might have been mortified or at least obsessed about my faux pas. This time I said ‘whoops!’, laughed and moved right along.
9. What’s next? (Thank you, President Bartlett). The only way out of an error is forward. Fix it, change your behavior, don’t do it again.
10. When you have the best readers in the world, it isn’t that hard to tell them about the times when you’re stupid.
11. I really do love to share. It’s how I got myself into this mess…and it’s how I’m getting myself out.

Image credit: Banalities

Creating proposals that get you the job and are just generally awesome.

So, yesterday we were talking about the niche. But niche or not, when you want to get clients, you have to show them what’s on offer and make your case. Enter, the proposal. Imagine a sturdy, stunning document that you have at the ready to not only dazzle people with – but to show them that you mean business and that you’re professional.

Here are my elements for a successful, sensational, first-class proposal:

• Context. Set the stage, give stats, set up the problem(s) that you are going to solve. What’s the state of the union in the world of underwater basket weaving? Give your view.
• Why. Why does the problem need to be solved? Why is your solution the right one? Why is the reader missing out if they don’t solve it?
• Offerings. What are YOU going to do, how are YOU going to solve this problem for them. Tell them exactly and clearly what you will do for them.
• Prices. Get to the good stuff or get off the stage. You can tell me all about the world’s best toaster, but if it costs $1000, I’m outta here – so simply tell me the price so I can decide if I’m in or if I’m going to just eat cold bread.
• Who are you? Give the background about yourself and/or your company, show that you’ve got the goods. And don’t write your life story – only include information that is pertinent to this proposal. They only care that you’re good, have credentials and aren’t crazy. They don’t care that you once won a pie eating contest (unless you’re pitching Hostess).
• Who do other people think you are? This is the place for testimonials and/or stats and results from your previous work to date. Humans are pack animals, so if we see that other people think you’re stupendifying, we’ll assume that it’s true.
• Case study. Walk the reader through a real life example of what it’s like to work with you. Let them live life with you for a few bullet points.
• Portfolio. Show us what you’ve accomplished and show it proudly. Links, screen shots, you name it.
• Length. We all struggle with the Goldilocks syndrome here – looking to get it just right. Here’s the thing: it needs to be full and complete, you’ve got some ground to cover. So can you do that in a way that doesn’t look like you’re writing the great American novel? Big fonts, headlines, sub-headlines, pictures, different layouts and bullet points all help here. Make it easy for the potential client to get in, get the info they need and get out. Don’t make them feel like they have to read every word – because they won’t and they’ll be annoyed by the assumption that they should.
• Proofread. I couldn’t not say this. I know you will – for typos and content clarity. Tricks: 1) read it out loud as our minds like to make misspelled words look right, and 2) give it to a different and fresher pair of eyes to read through as well.
• Make it purty. If you’re still using a PC, you’re kind of screwed here. I kid, I kid. But seriously, creating a presentation in Keynote (via Apple’s iWork program) is the equivalent of giving a 3 year old one of those painting books where you rub a wet paint brush over the paper and the Mona Lisa appears. In other words, a good design/presentation program even makes someone artistically challenged, like me, look brilliant. Find a computer program that formats and designs beautifully, OR hire a designer to do this part for you. It’s worth it. (and I know a few, so just ask me). And, if you aren’t a writer, hire a writer to write the proposal for you (I know a few of those as well). Because remember: people really do judge you by your looks. It’s a shallow, shallow world out there.

…but hopefully that means someone will pluck your proposal out of the ankle deep waters.

Have some additional proposal tips, favorite design platforms? Please, by all means, add them in the comments below…

Image credit: Derek Purdy

Using mirrors the right way.

The wrong way…

Simply put, the wrong way is to look at it alone. Just you and the mirror. I’m sure there is that lone star out there, like my father, who loves to look at themselves in the mirror – oohing and ahhing at the prettiness.

(I’m not kidding about my dad. Without fail, the man looks in the mirror every morning and then remarks out loud about how handsome he is.)

But, the rest of us, well…we typically look and dissect and pick ourselves apart. Flaw after flaw pops out before our eyes. Our reflection becomes a punching bag.

The right way…

Yesterday, I spoke to one of my very best friends from high school. We’d lost touch in our 20′s when we were both busy, well, being 20 something. You know – that busy, wild, independent, selfish, scary and exciting time of real jobs, real romances, real apartments – actually living like an adult with the 20 something excuse that allows you to still fuck up at will.

Anywho, we’ve finally gotten back in touch – and we talked for a long time last night, taking turns telling the story of our last 15 years. As each of us finished, the other, of course, reflected back our thoughts and feelings about what our friend had gone through and where she was today.

It’s my M.O. to deflect compliments, but as I finished telling her about my life right now – and she reflected it back to me, thriling about bits and pieces including the fact that I was still writing (she was a big fan of my teenage writing, back in the day) – I couldn’t help but smile.

My reflection and the image that appeared in this mirror looked pretty good. So it got me thinking that maybe, just maybe there’s something to picking the right mirror. Maybe that’s the trick. Snow White’s Wicked Queen figured that out a long time ago, right?

Mirrors, it turns out, are subjective. And, we get to look in whichever direction we choose.

Image credit: The Alieness

using your blog as your portfolio or case study display, part 1

I recently wrote about the power of using case studies instead of a portfolio of finished work. And, I’ve realized that it’s almost the equivalent of a blog versus a static site. The portfolio pieces are static end products, while the case study is action, progress, collaboration, solution, process. Then Gem from The Lady Programmer dropped by with a comment about not needing to wait until projects were finished in order to display them via case studies. And, this made my mind just spin.

For instance, maybe you don’t need an official portfolio on your static site. In terms of cost (if you have to hire your web designer or master to make changes or if you use an intricate program to make it pretty or flashy), it would be much more effective to just post the finished projects, or better, the work in progress (case study style) on your blog, wouldn’t it?

Why do I feel like I’ve just discovered the electric orange juicer?

• You can instantly upload projects – keeping your readers and the world abreast of your latest and greatest achievements.
• The content, keywords and tags for each project and the industry it represents will bring in a whole new audience to your site.
• You have total control of when you post, including edits and updates.
• You can create a PORTFOLIO place on the blog, so everything is available on one page. This could be a static page on the blog with links out to each post or simply a new category.
• You direct people from your website (if you have a brochure site attached to your blog) to the PORTFOLIO section of your blog with a link and some copy.

Anyone have any good examples of people doing this already??? I’d love to hear about them.
(A little shout out to my tireless, award winning and phenomenal designer, Leslie Tane, who is at this very moment redoing my portfolio page, reading this post and thinking, ‘finally, Julie can handle this herself and is going to stop bothering me!’)

Coming tomorrow: Building a case study portfolio on your blog. How to do it.

me, virtually naked.

Working with people is key to the writing business – clients, graphic designers, web designers, printers, photographers, coders, techies, other writers. If I can’t get along with these folks, all is lost. I have been fortunate that these relationships usually go quite well. But sometimes they don’t.

I struggled with writing this post. Do I want you all to see behind the curtain? That some days are difficult? That I’m not perfect? That I make mistakes? And, then I laughed at myself, a bit cruelly. Who do I think I am? Who do I think you are? Of course you know that I’m human…sheesh.

So, I’m writing this post about business relationships gone wrong. But instead of telling you the sad, pathetic stories, I’m going to tell you what I’ve learned. Because this chick moves forward. I felt really bad for about an hour (or more) about each slip, but then I moved on – and here I stand, virtually naked, before you.

1. Slow down. When I rush and feel frantic about closing deals or solidifying partnerships, it’s not good. When I’m moving too fast, I ignore the red flags – I pretend that they are just red roses…that happen to be waving violently in front of my face. When I am in a rush, it oozes all over my clients and looks like pressure, bullying and desperation. Not pretty.

2. Check in with your gut. As things unfold, how do they feel. I hate to sound ‘Secret’-like. But your gut and how you feel really are excellent guides. I’ve had situations where I literally couldn’t write a word, as if my hands and my keyboard were both positive sides of a magnet – repelled from each other with an invisible, but tangible, buffer. The work didn’t feel right, and my very self could not perform the tasks.

3. Stick to your guns. Don’t let people push their agendas on your clients and your business practices. Remember that as a freelancer, writer, designer, business owner, it is your name attached to your work. Make sure that your own values are attached as well. You are your own independent, brilliant and successful person – act like it and stand up for what you think is right.

4. Keep some eggs in your own basket. Someone may come along with the promise of a partnership or a lot of work that they’ll throw your way. It will sound so good, too good. And it might be real, and it might be smoke. Explore it, take risks, stretch your options – but do not lose yourself, your clients, your business, your philosophy, your ethics or your cash flow in the excitement. Eventually, if say, over 6 months to a year, there are no red flags and the partnership is solid and productive, then you can bring the rest of the eggs with confidence.

5. Check in with those you trust. Did you watch the West Wing? I did, voraciously. There is an episode where President Bartlet (oh, how I miss you) is talking to the Secretary of Agriculture who was chosen to stay in the White House during the State of the Union so that someone could run the country if congress was bombed that night. And my dream president says, “If anything happens…do you have a best friend? Is he smarter than you? Would you trust him with your life? That’s your chief of staff.” This is not quite that severe, but I would reach for the sentiment. If you have people that are smart, honest and love you, take the time to bounce things off of them, let them read that email before you send it, let them support you and your challenges…and do the same for them.

There. Naked. How do I look? Better yet, how do you look? I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you’ve made mistakes too – tell me what you’ve learned, and we can lean on each other…just a little bit.

writer’s block, shmriter’s block

I don’t believe in writer’s block. I do believe that sometimes your mind, fingers and assignments are not aligned – and the single most important thing to do….is not to push it. When you try to force it, you get resistance. And it hurts. If you follow what feels right, what’s working, (pardon me) where the flow is – it will lead you back around to the place where you were struggling.

Let me put it this way: it’s mud-season, you turn on your car and the tires just spin. What will happen if you keep trying? The wheels will spin deeper and deeper and you will get increasingly more stuck. BUT, if you add some sand, chains or rocks, turn the wheels in a completely different direction or better yet, go do something else until the mud dries to dirt – THEN, you will make progress and you will be able to move your car.

Here’s how I handle myself (and my work) when it just ain’t workin’:

1. I work on a different project. I find one that feels really good. For instance, writing this blog is something I love, so if I’m having a hard time with a client’s project, I’ll write tomorrow’s post (in fact, I’m doing this right now!!!). Once I shift my energy, produce something I like and feel accomplished, turning back to that original project is easy and all good.

2. I eat lunch. Have you ever looked up to discover that it’s 3:00 and you haven’t had a thing to eat or drink since 7am? I’m not suggesting that you eat every time you can’t think of a good word (that would be enabling a serious case of compulsive eating)…but our brains need food and drink to function. Make sure you’re taking care of your physical self.

3. Ahhh, the web. Web surfing is a brilliant ‘un-blocker’…I stumble upon (so that’s where they got it!) all kinds of great nuggets that inform current projects, future marketing strategies and general professional development. Also, if I’m supposed to be writing an article about marionettes, but I just can’t think of anything to say, I look at other sites. No, not to copy them – to springboard from them. As good as the web is, it can be very, very bad. Sometimes I find terrible websites about my topic which make me exclaim, “I can do better than that!” And then I do. I call it WPK (Web Pants Kicking) and I need some every once in a while.

4. The clock. Occasionally, I find myself unable to write even the simplest email. Confused by this predicament last week, I glanced at the clock and discovered that it was 6:30 and I had been working like a dog for too long…so I went home, and when I arrived the next morning, the assignment just flew out of my head.

5. Make a call. Contact someone who specializes in the field you’re writing about and interview them or just chat about what’s happening with their work…of course, this is a great way to use your clients or an outside expert – carefully consider which is most appropriate.

the benefits of having a blog for your business, company or self

Why blog? BECAUSE:

Static websites (that do not continually upload content, but act as an online brochure) do not rate in site rankings. To compete in your industry and to be found by the world, you must add valuable, pertinent information to your website on a regular basis – a blog is the perfect platform.

1. Blog posts are dramatically less expensive than newspaper, magazine, radio, TV or web banner ads. For instance, ONE well-placed newspaper ad that guarantees a view by all readers can cost upwards of $50,000.

2. Blog posts are eternal advertisements. They live forever online, whereas a newspaper, magazine, radio or TV ads are gone with the trash/recycling or are missed when someone grabs a snack during the commercials. With a blog, you can be found by a potential client because they searched for a topic you blogged about 5 years ago.

3. Your main blog topic is the trunk of the tree, and each post is a branch that broadens your reach via topics, keywords and skill showcasing. While ads may have a headline, a company overview and contact information, each blog post offers vital information on each facet of your business or industry. This profoundly widens the net that you throw and establishes you as an expert in your field.

4. Because blogs are ongoing, the information you post is timely, relevant and cutting-edge, as well as proof that you are a steadfast, reliable presence.

5. Your blog is a showcase of your expertise and a portfolio of your work.

6. A standard ad is built for the general public, or even the general public of a specific readership (re. Boston Magazine, Science News). Each blog post focuses on a specific element of your profession and contains highly researched keywords that pull qualified visitors to the blog and your site.

7. In essence, blogging is a pure form of permission (or relationship) marketing. Your readers and potential clients found you, you did not coerce them into visiting with bells and whistles and flashing lights. You offered value and information, and they came looking for you.

8. Everyone is online and Web 2.0 supports people in participating, communicating and connecting online. The blogging platform encourages these interactions and a powerful sharing of information and referrals forming strategic web relationships.

9. Traveling purposefully through the blogosphere is essentially a dream networking situation. This is not a Chamber of Commerce Meet ‘n Greet. Here, you can pick and choose who you want to talk to, you have time to think before you speak and you have more than a business card – you have your blog standing behind you, backing you up and showcasing your incredible expertise.

10. When you build your readership, the possibilities of additional income streams (not attached to how many houses you sell, clients you have, hours you work) is endless. Some examples would be product sales, advertising and webinars (people are hungry to learn online in their own time, in their own home).

11. Even though there are currently about 90 million blogs…not everyone has one. Establishing yourself with a blog puts you ahead of many competitors in your industry.

12. You can do it all by yourself. You won’t need to pay a web master to update, edit or add to your site.

13. When new sites are created, the search engines ‘sandbox’ them and don’t immediately rank them or allow them to be searchable. A consistent blog and strategic blog marketing can circumvent this quarantine completely, making you available and findable to the world.

14. Blogs are made to grow. In size, readership, widgets, plugins, options, content, opportunities. The same blog platform can reach 5 or 5 million. The same blog can house a small outfit or a Fortune 500 company.

how to become a freelance copywriter: FIND YOUR NICHE

A woman contacted me because she wanted to know how to become a freelance writer. She was caught off guard when I started quizzing her about her background and her passions. She was a trained dancer, steeped in the academic theater/dance world. So I told her to contact dance and theater schools, programs and camps, theaters, dance studios, dance and acting teachers, agents and coaches, costume shops, make-up artists…and on and on. When you look at it this way, a whole world of people that need marketing and copywriting opens up and there is an immediate bond, or trust, that is formed because of your common backgrounds, interest, skill, language.

In the big, wide world of copywriting and marketing, there is something to be said for finding a niche:

1. It will help you stand out from the crowd. And the crowd is big.

2. It will instantly endear you to an industry and/or community. People like people who understand them and share their passions. Birds of a feather…

3. It builds on your strengths and a language that you already know. You’re starting something new – why wouldn’t you want to start at the top of the content-familiar learning curve? When you do the job well, you’ve secured a reference, portfolio content and, hopefully, some word of mouth referrals.

4. It lends credibility when you’re self-promoting. They want to work with someone who they won’t have to teach or train 100%. So, if you don’t have a ton of professional writing experience (or a big portfolio), this can pretty much negate that handicap.

5. It instantly creates your first ‘audience’ for your marketing efforts. For instance, if you’re doing direct mail or cold calling, some of that blind date feel is removed.

6. When your focus is something you love and feel comfortable with, it will show in your work. If someone asked me to write a texbook about physics, I’d cry. It wouldn’t be fun and the work wouldn’t be as good as if you asked me to write an essay on, say, the delights of butter. I’ve managed to attract projects that are interesting to me and letter-worthy (in my mind, anyway) by showcasing who I am and my personality through my website, blog, other marketing materials and my interactions with clients who give referrals.

7. You may already have contacts who will be thrilled to hear from you. When you call your old dance teacher and tell her that you’ve started a business to help promote the importance of dance for kids, she’ll hire you in a second. Or, she may have some solid connections and be thrilled to make some calls and/or provide a testimonial.

What’s your niche???

how could i forget!

Ahhhhh! I forgot a biggie on the list of how to become a freelance copywriter:

Network: Joining one or more groups like BNI, your local Chamber of Commerce or online support and networking groups is critical. They provide you with the opportunity to get out there and meet people, learn how to network and build a referral team. And don’t forget to be an active participant on Web 2.0