One thing few people know about me is that I am a book ghostwriter. Yes, I’m also a freelance copywriter and a book author but, to be honest, the best money I make is by writing books for others and agreeing to let them be known as the author.

This works for me because I’m a “shy writer” who never sought — or wanted to be in — the limelight. Someone else can have the fame, just let me write—and pay me (well) for my work and anonymity. With an attitude like this, ghostwriting was a great career move for me. Assignment fees for ghostwriters span a wide range from a low of $10,000 to a high of $100,000, and the celebrity-status projects could pay $250,000 or more per book. Not too shabby!

If you prefer to be a behind-the-scenes writer like me, then being a book ghostwriter might be right for you, too. Here are the basics to getting profitable book ghostwriting gigs: Read the rest of this entry

I was having a conversation this past week with someone who wants to transition from being employed as a writer for an individual company to being a freelance copywriter. Something I uttered about why a freelance writer should set higher rates stuck with him and he thanked me over and over again for having said it. Evidently, it put a whole new light on the role he would be assuming as a freelancer. Admittedly, I was oblivious to the wisdom of my words—maybe because I’ve been doing this for so long—but if it struck a chord with him, I’m guessing it might strike a chord with you, too. So here is the simple statement that changed his perspective: Read the rest of this entry

It never hurts to pump up your credibility as an expert on your topic. It’s even better when you can promote your book at the same time. How? Build articles around book excerpts. Send them to appropriate publications and be sure to get them published online in the article directories. In the resource box, include a link to your website or blog (you do have one, don’t you?) that includes a link for people to purchase the book.

I have been hearing a lot of “woe is me” stories from freelancers lately. They’ve suffered everything from lost clients to fewer projects to smaller fees.

I get it.

My business suffers, too. Many of my regular clients are now irregular clients, and I find myself competing for new projects with a much bigger pool of highly talented people all scrambling to make up for lost work. Yet, the one advantage that freelance writers have in a down economy is Read the rest of this entry

Using testimonials just makes good marketing sense. From blatant celebrity endorsements, to Jared (the guy who lost a ton of weight eating Subway sandwiches), to any infomercial you’ve ever seen, to direct marketing brochures used by businesses in your own city, testimonials SELL.

Think about it. Third party endorsements—things other people say about something—work better than first-person ads that just push information at you. Let’s look at what influences YOUR buying decisions. For example, if your sister told you about a travel agent that got her and her husband-to-be 40% off of their honeymoon trip to Spain, would you ask for the agent’s phone number to help you score a great trip to the Bahamas for your 10^th anniversary? Do you use someone’s services (i.e. lawn care, barber, auto mechanic, house painter, etc.) because a friend said they were good? Have you ever gone to a restaurant, bought a book, or seen a movie because you read a great review about it in the local newspaper? These are all third-party endorsements.

If that tiny bit of marketing strategy works on you, rest assured it will Read the rest of this entry