Have you seen those ads running on Facebook or Instagram, saying,

“Would you like to make your own art?”

“Do you want to work for yourself and not under the pressure of somebody else?”

And so and so forth!

Yes, you have the liberty to work on flexible hours or manage to work by yourself.

But, as fun as freelance writing sounds and as easy as it might seem,  there are many hurdles one must overcome to make it in this very competitive field. 

And that is why we have come up with this blog post in which we will share the 10 best tips for a successful freelance writing career that will not only help you to overcome the hurdles but will give your career a higher jump.

So, let’s dive in!

Best Actionable Tips for a Successful Freelance Writing Career

Be aware of your goal as a freelance writer

Find your goals!

When you begin writing, it can be easy to lose focus or write about things that don’t matter. This is why ask yourself the following:

• Where do you want to lead your writing career?
• How much do you want to earn?
• Where do you hope to find clients who are looking for similar services?
• What marketing strategies are you planning to apply for your freelance writing career?

Remember that you’re in business, not just developing your writing skills. The more carefully you set goals, the more likely you are to succeed as a freelance writer and establish a marketable career.

Put work and home apart

Golden Rule: Learn to balance your work and leisure time!

Consistency and focus are essential traits for any successful profession. And freelance writing is no exception. 

It’s true that you can work anytime and anywhere, but having a designated workspace – ideally, an office or studio space outside your home – can help you feel more inspired and productive. You also might want to consider a home office with a door you can close if you live in an apartment building. And if an office isn’t possible, set up shop in a corner of your home: The Chinese screen will make it look more official.

Find a writing genre you enjoy

Finding a niche is a must for any freelance writer!

When you start your career as a freelance writer, figuring out what to write on is not easy. Many of us jump at the chance to write about any subject, regardless of whether we have experience or knowledge in that area. When you have a plan, you’ll get to your destination with less stress.

As you get more assignments, look for a subject you enjoy writing about and write well about it. Then, focus on that topic as you take on more work. For example, if you like to write about finance, look for opportunities to write about finance and eventually you’ll become a sought-after writer within that field.

Tell your own stories

The pitch is a classic film marketing tool!

As a freelance writer, you may have ideas for stories rolling around in your head. Maybe you’ve been thinking about writing a piece on X, or Y, or Z. But how you tell them is equally important. 

Start pitching your ideas to editors. The more pitches you send, the better your chances are of getting one published. When you get your first story published, it will be easier to pitch other pieces to different publications.

Be on the lookout for freelance writing jobs

The key here is: Always!

As a freelancer, you’re accountable for finding new customers and securing future freelance assignments. To prevent time gaps between projects and ensure ongoing income, you’ll have to market yourself aggressively to get new freelance work.

Employ a variety of online job boards. Send an email to the content director introducing yourself and your work to the publication. Network with experienced writers; they may be able to pass off some of their assignments or recommend you as an editor when they’re overbooked.

Work your day job instead of quitting

Don’t quit your day job!

Don’t rush into a career as a full-time freelance writer. First, ease into it. Start by carving out a few hours each week to write your own work, not someone else’s. When you’ve written several pieces and established a bit of an online presence, you can pursue a freelance career full-time.

Once you’ve gotten a handle on a freelance job, built up a client base, and have some good writing samples to show for it, start freelancing your full-time career.

Proofread your work

We do it best after we have hit send!

Imagine if you had to write a paper entirely in your head, then do solid research and still write it, only to find that the only thing people noticed are the typos! It’s frustrating, isn’t it? That’s why careful proofreading of all written content is so important.

Please make sure to thoroughly proofread and edit your writing before submitting it. Make sure your sentences are short, concise, and easy to comprehend. Check for typos and grammar errors.

Start a blog

You are the creator of your own destiny!

Once you find your sweet spot as a freelance writer, it’s time to take the next step.

Start blogging and consider subjects that ignite your passion, like parenting, traveling or snowboarding. Becoming a blogger will help you hone your skills, build your writing style, and become a better writer.

Moreover, your own blog will increase your online presence and build your credibility among clients that you possess the necessary skills. This will make it easier for your clients to find you online.

Understand the fundamentals of SEO

Good SEO = More Visibility

As a content marketing writer, you need to be able to write intelligent, informative content that makes web visitors want to buy the client’s product. Although there are many ways to do that, one of the most efficient ways is through Search Engine Optimization (SEO). 

SEO is an essential skill for all content writers and content marketers, learn how it works and how to place keywords in strategic areas of website pages so they rank higher in search results. But don’t make the mistake of compromising your content in order to get good search engine optimization. 

Read Blog Writing for SEO: 6 Tips for Writing SEO Blog Posts if you want to know some SEO tips for blog writing

Develop a thick skin 

Honest feedback is healthy!

Feedback on your work will come from your clients. Their feedback may require you to do a lot of editing, or it may be so positive that you feel no need for changes. Don’t take clients’ comments personally, and produce the content they expect, even if it means writing in a voice or tone that feels unnatural to you.

As a freelance writer, you will likely encounter several instances when you need to change something that you have written. This can be difficult, but it is an important part of the process and cannot be avoided if you want to succeed in your career.

Organize your time more effectively

Time is money!

Different writing projects will require different amounts of time. For example, a short piece for the local newspaper might only take you a few hours to write, while a 3000 word article assigned by your boss might take you a few days. 

Take time to figure out how much time you need to finish each assignment. Then plan out your days and weeks in advance so you can get your work done in a timely manner.

Become familiar with each style guide

Polish your writing skills with style guides!

Writers who want to polish their writing skills should familiarize themselves with style guides and use them to associate a variety of standards with their daily writing. In most cases, style guides are descriptive rather than prescriptive, so they describe how language is commonly used rather than establish rules for how it should be used.

For example, clients often request that you follow the Associated Press Stylebook or the Chicago Manual of Style. Both books include guidance on grammar, style, spelling and punctuation usage. To be prepared for a client’s request, keep copies of each book in your writing toolkit.

Get ready with your marketing materials

Be ready with your portfolio!

To get freelance work, a good writer will make it easy for potential clients to get a sense of their style and what they can do. Have your best clips handy when the time comes to bid on a job. Clients want to see what you can do. 

Have those samples organized so you can quickly send along with links to relevant work, and be ready to share testimonials if necessary.

Now you know everything you need to get started as a freelance writer or make your writing business work for you. 

So what are you waiting for? Make your freelance writing career successful by following the tips we have provided above.

Are you interested in content writing? Here are some resources related to it.

Best Content Writing Tips for Beginner and Pro Writers

9 Best Types of Content Writing for Better Traffic

About the Author:

Naveen is the marketing and product head at JoomDev. He loves to convert his ideas into reality by developing products to make your online business successful with his WordPress plugins and mobile app development services. 

The post 10 Best Tips for a Successful Freelance Writing Career appeared first on FreelanceWriting.

The best thing about freelancing is that it opens numerous doors for people who are interested in learning and earning without being restricted by work hours and other responsibilities. These opportunities include writing, website, and graphic design, video editing, and virtual assistance jobs. If you think you are a good writer or simply enjoy writing, you can consider it your path in freelancing. It offers different avenues for you to improve your skills and pay your bills at the same time.  Here are some important tips to help you get started with your freelance writing journey: 

1. Establish a niche and become an expert in that field

Being good at writing is one thing, but becoming an expert in a specific and unique niche is another. It will separate you from the rest and increase your chances of being hired. Because more people are transitioning to freelancing, you must choose a niche that is not overly saturated with other skilled writers.

In freelance writing, your niche is your specialization, depending on the topic or type of content. It can be an area you are already excellent at or a new field you want to learn and explore. Video scriptwriting, book or ebook writing, and blogging are some of the popular areas you should consider. If you do not yet know about this, try to enroll in some free or paid online courses to get you started.

Nowadays, more entrepreneurs are venturing into online selling. So, it would also be helpful to study copywriting or Amazon listing optimization. In this way, you can find an Amazon FBA seller and be paid for the listings you write for them. But whichever path you plan to pursue, ensure that you will have the passion for it, or else you will feel forced to do it every day. 

2. Develop a strong personal brand and online presence

Once you have decided on your specific niche, you can now work on how you want to establish your brand as a freelance writer. This kind of strategy will help you showcase what you have as a freelancer and what sets you apart from the competition. If you are starting and don’t have a client yet, start by crafting your portfolio online that focuses on your chosen niche.

Doing this is a great way for clients to know their strengths. But, no one would ask for it unless they see something outstanding about you. So, it’s best to put yourself out there for everyone to recognize your skills and potential. You can do this best by leveraging the power of the internet and social media. Create your social media accounts or blog and be consistent in posting your content to maintain a strong online presence. In this way, you can acquire followers and possibly, future clients. 

3. Build a network of quality contacts and collaborators

Even though you are working as a freelancer, you can still have the opportunity to build strong connections with other freelancers online. In this way, you can develop relationships and build the connections necessary to reach growth and success. If you are just starting, you must also try to join freelancer groups on Facebook to meet people with similar interests. Most of them are friendly and approachable which is easier for you to receive answers when you ask them.

Moreover, they share their motivational stories and achievements to encourage you to strive harder to reach your goals, like them. Lastly, you can take advantage of the connections they share with the group. For example, they may know some clients who need to outsource freelance work, and that is the best time for you to pitch yourself to them. Once you make a deal with a client because of their help, it would be nice to show them appreciation.

4. Stay up to date with trends and changes in the industry

No matter what you do in life, you must never stop learning. At some point, you may become complacent with your current skill set or confident because you already have a client. However, always update yourself with the current trends and changes in the industry you belong to. In this way, you can adopt new technologies or incorporate new ideas into your writing.

Nowadays, many software and app developers create programs that can aid people in their daily tasks and jobs, including writers. Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, Jasper, and Freedom are just some of the software programs you can use while writing. They can check your spelling and grammar, give you ideas and suggestions, and help you focus by blocking other sites. Look for the ones that will fit your budget and help you the most.

In addition, you must also be aware of the issues in our society, like political correctness. Finally, whatever niche you have, you should always use the appropriate terms to avoid offending people, especially your target audience. Consider investing in your career by taking part in virtual summits and live conventions that relate to your niche to better understand the needs of those who are involved in the field you write about. 

5. Produce high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience

Writing is your bread and butter, so you must earn your clients’ trust by always submitting high-quality output. If they are constantly impressed by what you submit, they are more likely to keep giving you projects. They can also refer you to other people they know who need writing services. Who knows how impactful one content can be for your entire career, right?

Besides impressing your clients, you must also produce relevant content to engage new and loyal readers. People tend to draw themselves toward information and content related to their day-to-day activities and hobbies. So ensure that your outputs are always up to date and reliable. By doing these things, you show that you value your audience and work hard to always provide them with the content they need.

6. Negotiate fair rates for your services

If you are a beginner, you might be thinking that your fees should be low because you are just starting. But do not belittle your abilities because it can affect your self-confidence, which your clients can notice. In addition, you might not have enough money to pay your bills and even buy your necessities. In contrast, you can lose to other freelancers if you give high rates for your services.

So, you must strive to achieve the balance that will help you thrive in freelancing. You can do this by following two common pricing models freelancers use—hourly and project-based pricing. Gather more information about your market and target clients before deciding which one to choose.

Conclusion

Becoming a freelance writer to replace your daytime job will not be easy at first. You will encounter challenges, and you must always learn to be flexible. However, you can make your freelance writing journey workable by mastering your niche and producing quality and relevant outputs your readers will love. Also, build a strong social media presence and network with other freelancers. Lastly, negotiate a fair rate for your services to keep having clients. By doing all of these things, you can achieve writing success through your freelance journey.

AUTHOR’S BIO

Jayce is the managing director of Seller Interactive, the number one Amazon advertising agency based in Canada that helps brands build their business on Amazon. His content marketing expertise has led him to work with brands such as Toyota and GoDaddy, producing content that has reached over 20M views in a month.

The post How to Earn a Full-Time Living as a Part-Time Freelance Writer appeared first on FreelanceWriting.

Looking closer, it’s easy to see that Instagram holds plenty of opportunity. Publications, editors, commercial brands, and nonprofits abound on Instagram — any of these could be a potential client. A recent Payoneer survey showed a significant increase in freelancers using Instagram for business. So how do you get started?

There are two general approaches to finding freelance writing work on Instagram. The first is, broadly speaking, letting work find you. This involves optimizing your profile, deciding what sort of content to post, and then refining it to suit that purpose. The second is going out and finding work: networking through hashtags, DMs and comment marketing.

Optimize Your Profile

Regardless of how you plan to look for work on Instagram, optimizing your profile is a must. Any potential client hoping to learn more about you will go to your profile first. Your profile should both inspire confidence and provide information. Here’s one great example:

The principles of profile optimization are the same for freelancers of all sorts. Choose a presentable, distinctive profile picture and write a clear description of what it is you do. Ami Writes takes this a step further by including her target market: female business owners. A link manager or landing page editor can help make the most of the single link you’re allowed in your bio. Finally, make use of story archives to pin further info to your profile, such as client testimonials, promos, and evergreen content.

Find Your Angle

No matter how great your profile is, it won’t get you far if there’s nothing attached to it. Instagram is still, first and foremost, a platform for user-generated content — so you’ll need to post great content  to help win engagement.

One thing to note before starting: don’t put the focus on your writing services. Instagram users are driven primarily by interests and hobbies, so if you want to gain traction, you’ll need to appeal to those interests. Besides, your goal as a freelance writer isn’t to draw attention to how well you write — it’s to use your skills to make something else look good.

This presents a few options for curating your content. First: if you specialize in writing about very visual subjects — food, fashion, places, etc. — you feature this. (If you’re worried about the image itself, remember that a good photo editing or layout app can go a long way.)

Featuring your work on your feed immediately gives potential clients an idea of what you do. The example above shows good form: the product is mentioned in the first few words, placed within a hook that anyone who’s wanted cake for breakfast can relate to. Openings like this are especially important on Instagram, where roughly tweet-length copy performs best. (Save the hashtags for the end of the caption.)

If the work you specialize in is less visual in nature, don’t despair. Pictures with a personal touch are popular on Instagram, too. Snapshots of your day-to-day life — even if heavily “filtered” for social media — are a good way to fill your gallery. Make sure to use your captions well: highlight your interests, the causes you care about and, trite as it may sound, your personal brand.

Not all writers are fascinated with libraries and bookstores, but there are enough of them that the picture above is likely to get some welcome attention for a freelance editor. Which brings us to our next point…

Networking

As a social media platform, Instagram offers many opportunities to expand your network. By hopping on hashtags or sliding into DMs, you can find clients, collaborators, or people who might refer you to further leads.

Hashtags are an easy starting point, since you can use them right from the get-go. Still, taking time to research well-performing, relevant hashtags will help you get a lot more value out of them. You can start by using the hashtags from brands or publications you hope to work with, from interest groups that you’re keen on, or from fellow copywriters. When you use a hashtag that others are already familiar with — like #copywriters in the example below — you get to draw on all the momentum that tag’s already built up.

Of course, you can’t just throw more hashtags into your caption to draw more attention. Using too many hashtags may result in a “shadow ban”: having the algorithm omit your posts from the search results for certain hashtags. A good benchmark for how many hashtags to use, based on recent data, is between five and ten.

If you’re using direct messages (DMs), there are just two things to keep in mind. First, be direct and respectful when you actually send a message. But before that, be sure to choose your targets well. Target individual (but professional) accounts, rather than brand pages; when you do, go over their work to make sure your pitch is something relevant and, preferably, new.

Comment Marketing

This method is all about promoting yourself and your services by providing meaningful replies to other people’s posts. The great advantage of comment marketing is that it responds directly to questions and concerns other people have already identified — which in turn attract people with the same issues.

The best posts to comment are those made by reputable accounts, which are explicitly encouraging interaction (e.g. looking for opinions, recommendations or answers). Your responses should be substantial enough to set the poster on the right track, but leave enough unsaid to get them interested in seeking you out.

An invitation for them to find you as [username] on a given platform, or simply to check out your “link in bio” is a good way to close a comment. Keep in mind, though, that interests come first on Instagram — make sure your answers stay focused on the issue at hand, even when you’re trying to promote yourself.

As interacting with customers on social media becomes increasingly important for businesses, demonstrating a knack for it just might be your ticket to more freelance work.

Don’t Force It (Too Much)

Success on Instagram relies a lot on affecting a kind of semi-authenticity. No one expects you to actually be yourself, but they do at least expect a certain degree of sincerity — seeing at least one side of you that’s more or less close to reality.

If you can’t think of some way to do that while looking for freelance writing work on Instagram, then give it some time. Take a look around the platform. Find some accounts that genuinely interest you and see if you can learn from them — on Instagram, after all, there’s no shame in taking a little inspiration.

The post How Freelance Writers Can Find Work Using Instagram appeared first on FreelanceWriting.

1. Who can be a copy editor? What are the requirements?

sAnybody can become a copy editor or proofreader. There are no universal standards, however excellent spelling, grammar and attention to detail will certainly help. Moreover, an excellent grasp of the English language, style, word choice, as well as the mechanics of good fiction and non-fiction writing are useful.

The best proofreaders are probably pedantic and organized, although this is in no way a certainty. (It doesn’t apply to me, for example.) In truth, there are probably many people who, given enough practice, could become great copy editors. The trick is in setting yourself up as a proofreader or copy-editor and getting people to trust you with their documents.

2. How do I get started? What jobs are available?

The way most people get started is by applying for a part-time or full-time position with an established editing company. You would do this like you would apply for any other job: sell yourself and your achievements. You’d probably have to do some tests, sample edits and things like that to prove your capability as an editor.

You might also have a “Senior editor” to double-check your work in the beginning, which can be stressful. If you want to gain experience and become a better editor, editing and proofreading for an established editorial company (with its own set of standards, rules and editing style) will probably be helpful for you. However, the pay may be very low. You might make in the range of $5 to $15 an hour depending on many factors.

3. Setting yourself up as a freelancer

If you’re already confident in your editing skills, and have some experience already, I recommend going it alone. There are several freelance sites where you can bid on editing projects, like Guru, Freelancer, or Upwork. You can also make your own website. The competition is fierce, and you’ll have to know a lot about search engines, website ranking and traffic in order to succeed via this route.

However, if you are the only editor for your business, you might not need a lot of work anyway. How to make a successful editing site? Start out with your education, background, and experience. You can either decide to go “personal” ie. “Laura Smith’s Editing Company” or commercial “XYZ editing and proofreading company.” Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Make sure your site is clean and stylish; many editing websites look terrible and a nice template will set yours apart. Don’t make it too “bloggy” or personal—keep it simple. White background, not too many pictures, and of course absolutely flawless text. (There’s nothing worse than a website offering editing and proofreading services full of errors.)

4. Think local.

The web is a huge, scary place. Although you might get cases from all over the world, you’ll have much more success if you focus your advertising locally. Yellow pages (people still use those, sometimes), business cards on bulletin boards, fliers at local universities and places you know authors convene like bookstores or coffeeshops are great sources of business.

5. Develop a niche.

It’s hard to sell “proofreading and editing” services, for the reason that most people are searching for more specific services. “Editing for my thesis”, “manuscript editing”, “book or novel proofreading”, “essay editing and proofreading”, “dissertation editing”, etc. If you enjoy a specific type of manuscript, claim it as your own. Focus on becoming the absolute best in a particular field, an expert in “proofreading children’s literature” for example, and make sure everybody thinks of you when that subject comes up.

6. How much should I charge?

Many companies charge different rates depending on how thorough an edit the file needs, or whether they need copy editing or just proofreading. Some charge per hour, in a range of $10 to $50 per hour. I recommend charging by word count, so that it is easy for potential clients to figure out exactly how much their project is going to cost.

Between $0.01 and $0.02 per word is a good rough estimate for the industry average ($10 or $20 per 1,000 words), although editors come in a very wide range. Don’t worry about what other people are charging, though. Figure out what your time is worth to you; how much you want to be making an hour. Figure out how many words you can do in an hour and use that to establish your pricing.

7. How to accept payment?

PayPal or GoogleCheckout are my two favorite methods of getting paid. They’re easy, simple to set up and trustworthy. You can register for a free account online.

About the Author

Derek Murphy is an editor and owner of the editing company, Paper Perfect.

The post How to Become a Successful Freelance Editor and Proofreader appeared first on FreelanceWriting.

How to Find Relevant Publications

Before I write an article on a familiar or unfamiliar topic, I first explore potential publications that publish such topics. I do this in a few ways:

1. I search online for relevant magazines.
2. I visit the magazine’s website and browse through its content.
3. I review the magazine’s writer’s guidelines.
4. I review the magazine’s editorial calendar. An editorial calendar will tell you what the editor plans to publish in the coming months.
5. I review how much the magazine pays and what “rights” it buys. This can help you eliminate magazines that don’t match or exceed your pay rate or which purchase “All Rights” to an article (without the rights ever reverting back to you).
6. I judge the level of competition. The chance of a new writer selling a first article to a widely-distributed national magazine that pays $1.00 per word is probably 0.01%. A new writer should aim for regional, local or trade magazines that welcome new writers and pay decent rates.

Additional Research Methods

Sometimes I support my research by going out in the field. What this means, literally, is that I visit my local library (it’s right down the street where I live) and my local bookstore to survey the types of magazines in the subject area I’ve written about. At my
local bookstore, I can visit the magazine rack where magazine titles are fanned out across different tiers and pinpoint magazines that might publish my topic.

Alternatively, you can visit Amazon.com’s magazine subscription category and search for relevant magazines. Although Amazon.com will not list all relevant magazines that are published in the U.S., it will aid you in finding the most popular magazines.

Google is another option. For example, to search for travel magazines, you can enter the search term “travel magazines,” and Google will usually list the most popular travel magazines. If you want to find travel trade magazines, you simply add the keyword
“trade” to the search phrase.

Finally, I use a directory called “Writer’s Market“. This paperback compendium of] magazine markets profiles hundreds of editors and publishers who accept submissions from freelance writers. Each profile lets you know what the editor wants, what they pay, how to submit, and whom to contact.

I use the online edition of Writer’s Market and FreelanceWriting.com’s Writer’s Guidelines Database to search for additional publications that publish articles on topics that I’ve already written about so that I can potentially re-sell a previously published
article.

Two Categories of Magazines

Freelance writers can tap into two potentially lucrative magazine markets: trade magazines and general-interest magazines.

Trade magazines are publications aimed at specific industries from insurance to construction to teaching or just about any other field. Because publishers distribute trade magazines directly to subscribers, they are less visible but often pay better than other types of magazines. You can research trade magazines at your library, online, or in “Writer’s Market.”

The other market that I follow is general-interest magazines. These magazines are mailed to consumers, sold at the newsstand, read online via mobile apps or digital content delivery, or distributed regionally or locally. For example, when I write a travel article, I try to look beyond travel-specific or travel-trade magazines to other “general interest” magazines that publish travel-related and lifestyle articles.

How to Study the Magazine

As I uncover new markets, I study each magazine thoroughly so I have a better chance at selling an article.

1. I study the magazine’s tone. Is the tone formal or informal? Is it conversational, or serious? Is it technical or expressive?
2. I study the magazine’s audience and readership. Who reads this magazine, and why? Why are readers eager to pay for a subscription? They must know they will get some value and benefit from each issue. What is that value and benefit which readers seek?
3. I study the magazine’s advertisers. A magazine with more advertisers usually pays higher freelance rates. Plus, the type of businesses that advertise their services or products can tell you a lot about the magazine’s readers.
4. I study the magazine’s writers and what they write and how they write. An editor has decided to publish these writers. Why?
5. I study what the magazine has already published. You do not want to pitch articles that the magazine has recently covered or topics that are overdone.
6. I study the magazine’s frequency. A monthly or bi-weekly magazine needs more articles. A quarterly or bi-monthly magazine needs less. Pretty obvious.
7. I study the magazine’s thickness. What is the ratio between content and advertisements? How many pages are devoted to articles? This will help you judge how much content an editor buys.

All of these elements help me write a more focused query letter to address the needs of the editor.

Following the Writer’s Guidelines

Magazines provide their own “writer’s guidelines” to tell writers what the editor wants and doesn’t want; what type of articles and departments are open to freelance writers; typical word length; response times; and how to submit material.

Follow the magazine’s guidelines exactly. Editors receive hundreds of submissions monthly. Laziness on your part will likely result in a rejection. I type my query letter or finished article in 12-point Times New Roman or Courier New and double-space. I put my name and contact information in the upper left-hand corner. I like to use 1.5″ inch margins. A magazine’s guidelines will tell you if the editor prefers query letters or finished manuscripts.

Pitching an Article to an Editor

I generally make a list of potential markets based on pay and response. As long as magazines do not ask for exclusivity, I email a number of queries at once. I double-check the writer’s guidelines for each magazine to see what information I should include in a query letter. I address each editor by full name and title, and keep my query letters as short as possible.

If you’re using an email sending platform to deliver a batch of query letters, make sure to personalize your emails by using dynamic content features. This will help increase the odds of your pitch getting read and approved.

Generally, a query letter contains four paragraphs that sell your article and convince the editor to publish your article.

• In the first paragraph, I hook the editor, usually with a short passage from my article.
• In the second paragraph, I support my hook by discussing a solution or solutions to the problem.
• In the third paragraph, I tell the editor why my article will interest readers.
• In the fourth paragraph, I tell the editor my credentials and why I am the best writer to write on the topic. For example, if I had written an article about Apple’s newest iPad and I have a background in designing mobile applications, I would mention that fact.

Here is an infographic that shows the components of a query letter.

The hook

I mentioned that I “hook” the editor in the first paragraph. This is important in every query letter. It is your first chance and first impression to sell your article. You can “hook” the editor in numerous ways, depending on your article. For example, if I say I want to write an article on childhood obesity in America, that doesn’t sound unique or interesting.

However, what if I say I want to write about the emotional stress that obese children face because of constant bullying at school? Here I am more specific. I have tied together two popular, timely topics to make my article more appealing. In my hook, I tell the editor about this national problem and how my article will address this concern and offer solutions to the magazine’s readers. That’s a more interesting approach.

However, what if I say I want to write about the emotional stress that obese children face because of constant bullying at school? Here I am more specific. I have tied together two popular, timely topics to make my article more appealing. In my hook, I tell the editor about this national problem and how my article will address this concern and offer solutions to the magazine’s readers. That’s a more interesting approach.

Market Yourself and Your Writing

Writers aren’t salespeople, nor do they want to be. Writers just want to write. Unfortunately, a freelance writer has no choice but to act as his or her own marketer and sales person. With solid research, a convincing query letter, backed up by persistence and motivation, I am able to sell most of the writing that I do. So can you.

The post How a Freelance Writer Should Submit an Article to a Magazine appeared first on FreelanceWriting.

“If I do good work, my clients will refer me to their colleagues, friends and associates”

In a nutshell, don’t count on it. Sure, it seems to make sense. But here’s a caveat—referring you won’t typically cross Mr. or Ms. Client’s mind. They might be doing the happy dance when you submit your eloquent, compelling prose. They may be singing your praises and telling you what a wonderful job you’ve done. However, a referral is at the bottom of their things to do list, if it made the list at all. There are several reasons for this and a fix for the quandary. As luck would have it, that’s what this article is all about.

There’s a truth in business and in life: If you don’t ask, you don’t get. It’s no different when it comes to client referrals. But, that asking requires some careful thought and preparation. A bit of style and panache doesn’t hurt, either.

The anatomy of a referral

Referrals are often ready-made business. As a matter of fact, RainToday.com’s 2009 study, How Clients Buy, showed referrals from colleagues and other service providers topped the list at 79% and 75%, respectively, outshining personal recognition/awareness (73%) and in-person seminars (66%).

Plus, referrals carry an endorsement from a third party. Your client’s or colleague’s trusted stamp of approval can set the prospect’s mind at ease and establish you as the right choice to fulfill the prospect’s needs.

The sales cycle

The time needed to nurture and build a business relationship that, ultimately, turns a prospect into a paying client is called the sales cycle. The typical sales cycle for business services is roughly six to eight months. A quality referral can reduce that to mere moments. Why? Buyers often find themselves with a fire that needs to be put out … right now. So, they scramble and call a few trusted associates for some professional fire extinguishing recommendations.

A source of business

Many service providers rely heavily on referrals. For some, it’s their only source of business. And here’s how it usually works. Mr. or Ms. Freelance Writer hangs out their shingle and tells a few friends and business associates that they’re open for business.

The associates, being the benevolent souls they are, want to help and spread the word around or provide some contacts for the writer. The writer makes a few calls and lands a gig or two. Soon, the phone starts to ring with a few more requests. Off our freelance writer goes into the merry world of self-employment.

Avoid this bad habit

The problem is that they’ve set up a behavior … a habit. They wait for the phone to ring. As mentioned, they think, “If I do good work, people will refer me to others.” Sure, your clients might think you’re the bee’s knees while you’re working on a project and shortly thereafter. But, soon they forget about you until they need your services again. This non-marketing marketing method may be just peachy for a while. Eventually, the phone stops ringing and Mr. or Ms. Freelancer begins to get a wee bit anxious, if not completely freaking out.

The truth be told, even in good times, waiting for the phone to ring is a bad idea. It’s simply letting your business happen to you, rather than you making things happen. A better idea is to have a system in place to ensure those referrals keep rolling in and that they’re quality referrals.

Not all referrals are created equal

Many times, a referral is just a name and a phone number or email address. The person who owns that phone number may or may not need your services. Perhaps they can’t afford your fees or they’re a complete lousy fit for your business. It might also be that the person making the referral isn’t known very well by the prospect, so there may be a lack of trust and/or credibility.

There’s something of a hierarchy when it comes to referrals. Our existing clients, those who’ve experienced working with us first hand, are at the top of the list. Next come colleagues we’ve worked with on various projects. They’ve also experienced working with us, but from a different point-of-view. Then, there’s everybody else. So, it’s probably a good idea to focus your efforts on clients and project colleagues and then fill out your efforts with others in your business and personal networks.

Getting the right type of referrals

Educate clients

A large part of your referral system should be educating your clients and colleagues as to what you’re looking for when it comes to referrals. How do you qualify prospects? That’s the info you need to communicate to potential referrers. Your list might include the type of project, industry, size of the prospect, whether they can pay your lofty fees, location and similar information.

Be specific

Some folks fear that by getting too specific, they run the risk of closing the door on referrals. Not so. In fact, the more clearly you can define what you’re seeking, the easier it is for folks to refer you to the right contacts. If you’re too vague or broad in describing what you’re seeking, your contacts will struggle to match you with their contacts.

Also, generalities can erode your positioning. If you say, “Any small to mid-size company is a prospect for me!” Your contact hears, “I’m really benign and vanilla. There’s really no good reason to hire me over the other freelancer.” This is especially important to consider for associates who haven’t worked with you directly.

Define your leads

In as much as referrals are something of a numbers game, do what you can to define those numbers as high quality and likely to yield results. It makes little sense to spin your wheels chasing a lead you’ll never close or is a bad fit.

Going beyond the phone call

Don’t forget to tap into the social scene for possible referrals. If there are some prospects you’d like to work with, check your LinkedIn network to see if any of them have a contact in their network. A carefully crafted message may just do the trick. It might go something like this:

Hi Bob,

I noticed that Jack Sprat of Eat No Fat Corp. is one of your LinkedIn contacts. I’ve been researching them and it looks like they would benefit from an email marketing campaign like the one I recently completed for you. Would you be willing to make an introduction?

Thanks! Also, we need to get together and catch up. Lunch is on me. Let me know where and when is good for you.

Utilize social media

Also check your clients’ and colleagues’ Facebook profiles and pages, along with Twitter followers. Your efforts might just glean some great contacts.

In addition to social media, consider asking a colleague to bring a potential prospect to one of your presentations or seminars. Or, it could be as simple as the getting the three of you together to break some bread (on you, of course).

Alternatively, consider using some case studies in an email campaign. (You can find tips on how to set this up on InboxArmy.) They should be in a problem / solution / result format. At the end, add in something along the lines of, “Perhaps you or a colleague would benefit from a similar project. If so, give us a ring or email and let’s talk.”

Setting referrers at ease

Getting potent referrals requires a couple of other things. First, you need pleased-as-punch clients. So, do great work and always strive to under-promise and over-deliver.

It’s important to note that giving a referral can often involve a lot of risk on the part of the referrer. They need to be assured that you’ll do as good a job, or better, for their contact as you did for or with them. Your request puts their reputation on the line.

Yet, for some clients, even though you’ve done a stellar job, they may feel more than a bit awkward in talking you up to their contacts. Even worse, they may feel like you’re putting them in the position of being a non-paid salesperson for you.

To ease their mind, consider, as mentioned earlier, having your client bring their contact to an event you’re hosting or featured at, such as being the speaker. Now there’s some value attached to the introduction.

The power of giving

If you find yourself event-less, a special report or white paper you wrote, or can write, or some other special information can also work. It’s a matter of finding a method to authentically add value so the referrer isn’t feeling like you’re putting them on the spot.

Plus, it can also be awkward, let alone ineffective, to unexpectedly spring a referral request on people. When a person is unprepared for the request, it’s tough for them to come up with quality contacts right on the spot. Give them a chance to mull it over by preparing them first. During the course of the gig, providing it’s going well, ask them how they feel the project is progressing. Is it what they expected? Can anything be done to improve things? Finally, ask them if it would be

During the course of the gig, providing it’s going well, ask them how they feel the project is progressing. Is it what they expected? Can anything be done to improve things? Finally, ask them if it would be okay to, at a later date, talk with them about others they know who might also benefit from your services. This gives them a chance to think things over and come up, usually, with several contacts that fit your ideals.

Timing your requests

It’s said that timing is everything and it’s no different when it comes to referrals. Obviously, the best time to approach a client or colleague for referrals is at the end of a successful project. You’re fresh on their minds. You’re a star for pulling off some amazing feat.

Consider making a follow-up meeting part of your project process. Although you may have discussed it during the project, ask what they felt went well and what could use improvement. Ask if their expectations were met. Also ask for any specific results they can share about the project. This is handy info for developing case studies. Solid, quantified results give a much sharper edge to case studies.

Then ask them who they may know that would also benefit from your services. After they just told you all the high points of working with you and the incredible results your skills brought to them, singing your praises to others is the next logical step. Manipulative? Sure. But often it’s important to guide your clients and colleagues along a path to get the right type of referral.

Marketing for referrals

Finally, make the quest for referrals a regular part of your marketing mix. Add these tasks to your calendar and set up reminders. Develop materials your potential referrers can use to provide value in making referrals. Do what you can to ease referral anxiety on the part of your contact. Scour LinkedIn and other social media site for connections. Whenever possible and appropriate, educate your clients, colleagues and contacts as to what you’re looking for in prospects and referrals.

Whenever possible and appropriate, educate your clients, colleagues and contacts as to what you’re looking for in prospects and referrals.

It may take some time to get your referral system up and running like a well-oiled machine. But, it sure beats sitting at your desk playing Solitaire while waiting for the phone to ring.

About the Author

Neil Tortorella is a graphic designer, writer and marketing consultant with over thirty years experience. He is the author of Starting Your Career As A Freelance Web Designer, Starting Your Career As A Musician and The Freelance Writer’s Business Book. Tortorella is a frequent speaker at conferences and business events. His writing and consulting site can be found at www.neiltortorella.com.

The post How to Generate More, High Quality, Referrals for Your Writing Business appeared first on FreelanceWriting.

If you haven’t considered outsourcing your business’s content needs to freelance writers and content writing services, it’s worth taking a look at the myriad benefits that this strategy can provide.

Continue reading to dive into the importance of outsourcing when it comes to content creation, and to learn why so many businesses are choosing this route.

Why Outsource Content Creation?

Sure, you can take on all of your content creation tasks by yourself, or you can ask one of your current employees to take on this responsibility. However, there are plenty of reasons why this may not be the best idea and why outsourcing might be the smarter path.

1. Outsourcing Might Help Your Business Save Money

When it comes to running a business, it’s all about numbers. You want to be sure your venture is profitable and that your business isn’t overwhelmed with expenses. Being cautious and making wise decisions can help boost the odds that you will reduce costs while also providing high-quality products and/or services to clients and customers.

One reason many companies opt to outsource content creation, in particular, is because it helps them save money.

Of course, it’s necessary to carefully analyze your income and your costs of doing business. But once you crunch some numbers—and factor in the costs of training, equipment, salary, benefits, sick days, vacation days, and overhead expenses—you might realize that hiring an in-house writer is more expensive than working with a freelance writer.

According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary of a content writer is roughly $50,000 annually, but some writers demand more than that based on their skills and experience level. Adding this expense to the other costs of operating your business might be challenging. At the same time, though, having content that generates leads and increases conversions is also an important part of running a successful business.

Hiring an experienced freelance writer means you can bring someone to the team who:

• knows how to develop quality content on a consistent basis, and
• has the equipment they need to get the job done right.

You can pay them for the work that they produce when they produce it, and you don’t need to pay them every day if you don’t need them to work every day.

If you opt to pursue content outsourcing for your writing needs, you can get the best of both worlds: you may save money while also ensuring you don’t sacrifice the quality of your content strategy.

2. You Can Find Expert Writers To Cover Any Topic

You can search for self-employed freelance writers on your own, or you can opt to work with a content creation platform that connects you with highly skilled writers. Either way, you’ll be able to connect with content producers who are capable of covering a wide range of topics.

Versatile writers can write effectively within multiple industries, thanks to their strong research skills and ability to match their writing voice to a particular brand. They’re also used to working for various clients, each with its own set of unique needs and expectations, so these writers know how to adjust their work to suit your requirements.

If you’re ready to outsource content creation, consider the type of business you operate, as well as the type of strategy you want to implement. Then hone in on the expert writers who have experience writing for your industry, are excited to work for you, and have the time and resources to deliver the materials you need.

3. You Can Find Writers to Create a Variety of Content Types

When you outsource writing tasks, you can commission a wide range of content types. Examples include:

• blog content
• website copy
• ebooks
• white papers
• email copy
• social media posts

The possibilities are endless when you have writers who are ready to take on projects as they arise.

Because you can test so many different types of content, you can try things out to see what works and what doesn’t. Over time, you can figure out where most of your attention should go to reap the biggest returns on your investment in content marketing. And, if you hire more than one freelance writer, you can test out different voices and styles to see what type of writing resonates most with your target audience.

4. You Can Get the Content You Need Fast

Content marketing requires a lot of time, consistent effort, and attention. For example, the average blog post published in 2019 took 3 hours and 57 minutes to write.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed when you’re trying to do it all, while also managing other aspects of your company. Having someone else focused on crafting content that suits your brand can reduce your stress level and help you avoid burnout. If you won’t need to worry about doing it all yourself, you have more time to focus on other critical aspects of your business.

Here’s an example: if you need to deliver new content in a short span of time, such as a week, you can assign this task to a freelancer who will get it done. Even if you hired an in-house writer, they’d likely be trying to fulfill multiple tasks or meet several deadlines, and they might not always have enough time to get extra assignments done in a timely manner.

Also, if you opt to work with a content writing service, you can gain access to a team of highly qualified professionals who know the ins and outs of content production and content marketing. When you need to have something written in a pinch, they can take it on for you, leaving you with one less thing to worry about.

5. Sticking to a Publishing Schedule Is Easier

Coming up with a publishing schedule is one thing; sticking to it is another story. Many business owners and managers have a lot of things to tackle on a daily basis, so content creation and marketing might be put off if other tasks take precedence.

To make content marketing work, you need to put in the work. It requires strategy and creativity. It’s best to be familiar with various rules and guidelines, such as best practices for SEO. It’s a lot to juggle, and it can be hard to prioritize a new blog post alongside your other business priorities.

Hiring freelance writers may help set your mind at ease. They will be there to support you, and they can help you get things done on or ahead of your deadlines. Your content can be comprehensive, easy to understand, and on-brand. And you can rest assured that your content will be released on time so you won’t skip a beat.

6. You Can Hire Multiple Freelance Writers

You can choose to outsource article writing to a single freelancer who will be tasked with creating all of the content you need. But there are advantages that come with hiring more than one freelancer at the same time, too.

For example, if you want to have a variety of voices on your blog, multiple writers can help you achieve that goal. Or if you want to tap into the knowledge offered by several experts, this is a good way to do so. If you want to be sure you won’t have to worry if a writer can’t meet a deadline, having more than one writer available is wise.

Another perk of outsourcing to more than one freelancer: you can adapt to seasonal changes quickly and easily. If you suddenly need to have a lot more content produced, or if you need content produced quickly to discuss a current event that’s impacting your business, you won’t need to fret about having the manpower to get it all done efficiently and correctly.

Overall, hiring more than one freelance writer may provide you with more flexibility than you’d have if you hired one full-time, in-house writer. Plus, if you do find that a particular freelancer isn’t living up to your expectations, it’s simple to move on to a different freelancer. The same can’t be said when you hire an in-house writer as an employee.

Take Advantage of Content Creation Benefits with the Help of Freelancers

The benefits of outsourcing your business’s content creation are clear, whether you’re worried about being able to come up with a content marketing strategy that will work or you have concerns about maintaining a consistent publishing schedule. Also, if you simply don’t have anyone within your organization who can take on the writing projects you need to get done, one or more freelance writers can take care of handling those tasks for you.

With the right strategy and team of writers in place, you can save time, reduce effort, and maybe even prevent burnout. With so many talented content producers and writing services out there, it is surprisingly easy to begin reaping the benefits of outsourcing right away.

About the Author

Lisa Selvaggio has been freelance writing, editing, and proofreading since 2012. She’s worked with a variety of clients across various industries, including health and fitness, pets, business, lifestyle, real estate, and tech.

The post Why Outsource Your Business’s Content Creation? The 6 Benefits of Outsourcing appeared first on FreelanceWriting.

It starts with sharing the highest quality content that is optimized, relatable, shareable, and easy to understand. And this is where hiring a freelance writer can make a difference.

From writing internal documents for your staff to producing compelling marketing materials to vendors and customers, a writer who understands your needs, and can deliver what you request in a timely fashion, can be an invaluable resource.

It’s Wise to Invest in a Content Strategy

The obvious reason to create high-quality content for your business is to promote your products or services. But here is another reason to invest time, money, and resources into content creation: bad writing can cause you to lose money!

According to Muck Rack, Josh Bernoff estimated that low-quality writing comes with a hefty cost of around $400 billion annually for American businesses. What does this mean? Put simply, your business might lose out on sales if your writing is full of mistakes, too long, filled with hard-to-understand terms, or disorganized.

The goal is to release materials that increase traffic to your website, boost sales, and keep people coming back. But this might be easier said than done, especially if you don’t have a strong team of writers to help you.

Writing High-Quality Content for Business Can Be Challenging

Writing for a casual audience may be easy. On the other hand, writing for a professional audience, or writing in a manner that effectively markets your products and services to consumers, can be challenging. There are a lot of details to juggle, and a writer needs to be versatile and talented enough to create engaging, original material in the appropriate voice and format for the type of content that’s required.

Here are a few of the reasons why content creation is harder than it might appear to be:

Businesses need more than just website copy and articles for their blog

Even though you might immediately think of blog posts and website copy, the truth is that businesses need different types of writing that will go beyond the basics. For example, they may need to develop:

• white papers
• press releases
• email and social media copy
• advertising materials
• instruction guides
• and more!

Writing is needed in every area of a company’s operations, from management to marketing. Moreover, it is important to ensure that all writing is clear and concise.

Writing for different audiences isn’t always simple

Regardless of the type of writing that you need for your business, one thing that you will likely realize once you sit down to do it yourself is that it’s a lot harder than you thought.

Quickly putting your ideas down on paper might be sufficient when you are writing for personal reasons. But when your aim is to clearly communicate with consumers, stakeholders, investors, staff, the press, and others in the professional world, things can get complicated. For instance, you may find that you don’t know how to properly structure a piece to get your ideas across in a way that will ensure others will easily understand you.

There are rules to follow

In addition to following copyright rules to ensure originality and avoid plagiarism, when it comes to writing for different objectives in business, there are various rules and recommendations that should be followed. Even when writing for the web, different guidelines apply than when writing for other formats, such as print.

These rules are there to help improve the quality and effectiveness of your content. A freelance writer who is already well-versed in these rules can get right to work, and they can also ensure that your content is optimized, written in the appropriate tone for your audience, and formatted in a way that makes the information digestible and shareable.

It’s hard to create content that stands out

Creating excellent original content is easier said than done. But, once again, a professional freelance writer can help because they know how to produce copy that’s better than what your competition has to offer.

Writing takes quite a bit of time and effort, and it requires research skills to ensure accuracy. Plus, if you are producing content for a specific industry, knowing how to write for a particular audience is yet another key factor in helping to ensure it will be noteworthy.

Why Hire a Writer?

Still not sure if you should hire a freelance writer? Here are three reasons why businesses choose to take this step:

1. Freelance writers can produce a variety of content

In order to begin to recognize the benefits that your business can derive from working with writers, you need to first have a basic understanding of what freelance writers do.

Put simply, an experienced writer can dive right in and help you produce a variety of content to support your business. This can include short-form and long-form pieces, as well as video scripts, technical writing, speeches, and more.

2. Poor quality writing can frustrate your own staff

Businesses should focus on creating well-written letters, guides, reports, emails, etc. for their staff, just as they focus on creating compelling content for their target audience. Unfortunately, without the help of professional writers, this might be difficult to achieve.

According to Harvard Business Review, workers who receive business materials that are poorly written often find that they end up wasting time as a result. What constitutes poor quality writing? Well, the points being made might be unclear, or the material might be disorganized or too long, as a few examples.

Hiring freelance writers can help businesses ensure that their messages are easy to understand, whether they are communicating internally or they are trying to increase conversions. This can help improve collaboration and productivity among workers, as well as help consumers develop a level of trust in a brand.

3. Writers can help you promote your mission

If your goal is to discuss your brand’s mission and values, and if you want to prove that your offerings are better than what your competition is selling, it’s smart to hire a freelance writer to help you accomplish these tasks.

The stronger your message, the better, because this helps boost the odds that you’ll overcome all of the noise created by competitors. Saturated markets can be tough to navigate, and differentiating yourself is key. High-quality writing can be a valuable tool in sharing a message that resonates with your target audience.

You Can Find Top-Notch Freelancers with the Help of Writing Services

For all of the above reasons and more, savvy businesses hire writers to get the job done right. So, if you’re ready to improve the quality of your content, you can begin by searching for professionals who know how to work efficiently without sacrificing quality.

Hiring writers to work for you on a freelance basis can be beneficial, whether you only need content sporadically or you want to collaborate with a writer to create content on a consistent schedule. Thankfully, with the help of content writing services, you can easily connect with proficient writers who are capable of crafting the materials that your business needs.

About the Author

Lisa Selvaggio has been freelance writing, editing, and proofreading since 2012. She’s worked with a variety of clients across various industries, including health and fitness, pets, business, lifestyle, real estate, and tech.

The post Why Hire a Freelance Writer? appeared first on FreelanceWriting.

So what is Compose.ly all about? What makes it different from the many other content writing services out there, and is it the right choice for your business? Read on for a comprehensive Compose.ly review, including what you can expect and what other people have experienced in working with the company.

About Compose.ly

Compose.ly is unique in the world of content services. It’s not a marketplace like Constant Content, where writers sell articles and buyers purchase them on their own terms. You won’t find writers bidding for jobs like you would on Upwork, and you won’t find 2-cents-a-word writers like on Textbroker and other content mills.

Compose.ly works more like an agency. Clients order content and Compose.ly sends each order to one of its writers, all of whom are carefully vetted and regularly monitored for quality control.

In addition to its team of fully vetted freelance content writers, the company maintains an in-house staff of content strategists, project managers, client success professionals, and of course, editors. The team’s shared goal is to deliver high-quality content that meets each client’s individual goals.

One of Compose.ly’s main areas of focus is SEO performance. According to the company’s website:

We’re a trusted source for businesses that require highly technical content to take Google’s top organic positions for competitive SEO keywords. In fact, we are recognized as a top SEO company on DesignRush.

Most importantly, Compose.ly writers and editors all have SEO expertise, making it a trustworthy company for optimized web content.

Services

Compose.ly is designed to serve anyone who needs content, from individual eCommerce entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies. Compose.ly also works with agencies to provide on-demand writer access for client projects.

For agencies and larger companies, one of the most important features of Compose.ly is its ability to offer content at scale. Some of Compose.ly’s clients order hundreds of content pieces per month, and it’s not always easy to find a provider that can handle that volume.

Compose.ly focuses primarily on digital content, including:

• Blog posts and articles
• Website pages
• Newsletters
• Press releases
• White papers
• Product descriptions

You can work directly with a writer or sign up to have Compose.ly handle it for you. More on that later.

The Writers

Compose.ly’s writer team is one of its strongest assets. All applicants undergo a thorough evaluation of their skill and subject knowledge, and only 1% receive an invitation to join the platform’s team of freelancers. Once a writer gets accepted, the internal team regularly reviews their work and offers feedback to ensure that standards remain high.

Compose.ly’s writers have a broad range of subject matter expertise, including:

• Sales and marketing
• Finance, business, and real estate
• Medical and healthcare
• Tech and internet
• Travel and lifestyle

Compose.ly understands what writers need to know to create great content and has designed its project request form accordingly. There are open-response fields as well as specific questions about your project needs, preferences, and brand voice.

For example:

• Do you prefer a more casual or professional tone?
• Do you want the content to be written in the first person (I, we), second person (you), or third person (he, she, they)?
• How many sources do you want the writer to use?
• Who is your target audience?

For a lot of clients, especially those new to commissioning content, these questions will make you think in-depth about how you want the final product to look. It’s a moderate time investment, but it can significantly increase the chances that the initial draft will be just what you wanted.

Plans and Pricing

Compose.ly offers three pricing plans to meet different client needs.

1. Self-Service

For clients who prefer to work directly with writers, Compose.ly offers a self-service plan that lets you order and pay by the project. Prices are based on word count and type of content, starting at:

• 200-word product description for $29.95
• 500-word blog post for $74.95
• 500-word newsletter for $74.95
• 500-word website copy for $74.95
• 500-word press release for $74.95
• 3,000-word white paper for $449.95

All self-service orders include automatic plagiarism checks and access to a team of vetted writers based in the U.S. You can manage all orders on your content dashboard and communicate with your writer using Compose.ly’s intuitive in-app messenger.

2. Managed Service

If you need a higher volume of content or would like someone to manage your content orders, Compose.ly’s Managed Service subscription plan is a strong option. Managed Service clients enjoy exclusive access to a team of Compose.ly’s top writers, plus a review of each piece by the platform’s in-house editors.

The Managed Service plan includes the work of a Client Success Manager, who serves as the intermediary between the client and the content writing team. Clients can request as many revisions as necessary, and all projects include SEO editing for optimal performance. Pricing starts at $999 per month, depending on the client’s content needs.

3. Content Blocks

For clients who want the features of the Managed Service plan without the long-term commitment, Compose.ly offers custom content blocks for purchase.

Blocks start at 10,000 words and are priced at a flat rate depending on word count. The cost includes all benefits of the Managed Service plan, including in-house editing and the services of Compose.ly’s best writers. Blocks are valid up to six months from the purchase date.

Reviews of Compose.ly

Compose.ly is well-reviewed on third-party sites. On Trustpilot, the platform has 4.4 out of five stars with ratings from writers as well as clients. Here’s one concise example:

Another client referred to Compose.ly as their “go-to for long-form content,” calling the writers “dependable, attentive, fast, skilled, and adaptive—attributes you don’t see with most content resources.”

A third reviewer uses the headline, “Look no further. Quality content and trustworthy, honest people.”

The throughline of these reviews is dependability—real people who care about the client experience. That can be hard to find in the content world, as evidenced by this review of Scripted:

Writer Reviews

Client reviews are important, but don’t forget to look at writer feedback when you’re learning about a content service. Plenty of companies put on a good show for clients but show their true colors to writers, offering low pay and even trying to withhold income. As just one example, look at these Textbroker reviews:

• “Got paid $0.50 per hour to write for them. Not kidding.”
• “They charge a minimum of 7 cents a word but paid me only 1.7 cents a word. Don’t work for them. Don’t use them for content.”

Textbroker has also been accused of withholding pay and closing writer accounts unfairly:

Compose.ly’s Trustpilot profile looks a lot different. Reviews look more like this:

Other reviews from writers state:

• “It’s the best source of writing jobs that I’ve found. They pay fairly and they care about their writers.”
• “Compose.ly has become my favorite company to work with…The projects are interesting, [and] the editors provide excellent feedback that helps me grow as a writer.”

Case Studies

Reviews tell you a lot about client and writer experiences, but what about results?

ResumeGenius sought Compose.ly’s services to rank for job search keywords, which tend to be high-value and extremely competitive. Compose.ly helped the ResumeGenius team to scale up their content and rank in the top 10 for popular keywords like “resume,” “resume examples,” and “cover letters.”

Mailchimp boasts a similar success story. The company partnered with Compose.ly as part of an effort to expand its service offerings and grow its web presence. One of its primary goals was to outperform competitors on search engine results pages.

In just four months, Mailchimp landed on the first page of Google search results, even ranking number one for the keywords “audience segmentation” and “direct mail marketing.”

Results like these don’t happen by accident. They require the attention of skilled SEO writers, editors, and content strategists. There are no guarantees that another Compose.ly client will see the same results, but the availability of this data is telling in itself.

Is Compose.ly Worth It?

If your goal is to get content as cheaply as possible, Compose.ly may not be the service for you. There are plenty of “content mill” services that churn out material at bargain-basement prices—Textbroker, for example, starts at just 1.5 cents per word, but you get what you pay for. This kind of content usually comes from inexperienced writers who can’t command higher fees.

Compose.ly is geared toward those willing to pay a little bit more for quality content from experienced writers. Compose.ly is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive, but it’s reliable and transparent with pricing. Plus, you always know that you’re getting quality service.

In the end, you know what you need from a content service better than anyone. If you think that Compose.ly might be a good fit for your business, get in touch for more information or a writing sample. The team is always ready to help.

About the Author

Ellie Diamond is a professional freelance writer with nearly a decade of freelancing experience. She creates informative and engaging content across a broad range of industries, including real estate, child development, healthcare, marketing, personal finance, and tech.

The post Compose.ly Review: A Complete Breakdown appeared first on FreelanceWriting.