

High-Income Business Writing Podcast
Ed Gandia
Ed Gandia, co-author of the bestselling book, The Wealthy Freelancer, reveals how to propel your writing business to the six-figure level (or the part-time equivalent). In this nuts-and-bolts, no-nonsense podcast, you'll discover how to get better clients, earn more in less time, and bring more freedom and joy into your writing business. Ed will walk you through the practical, “doable” systems and strategies he has developed in his own writing business — the same systems he has taught his private coaching clients. He'll also show you what’s working for other business writers by bringing you real case studies from the field. And he'll share all this information in an honest and transparent way, with no hype or fluff. Topics covered include: getting better and higher-paying clients; banishing the feast-or-famine cycle; doing more of the work that excites you; how to raise your fees and rates; boosting your productivity; making your business recession-proof; discovering and leveraging your strengths; finding your niche; pricing content writing projects; pricing copywriting projects; writing white papers; writing case studies; writing web copy; writing articles; and much more.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 21, 2015 • 28min
#077: How to Grow Your Income by 20% Almost Overnight
Growing your income as a freelancer doesn't need to be that difficult. In fact, there's a very simple way to do that. I've used it for years to multiply my income. And I've taught it to many of my coaching clients who have used it successfully. But there's a problem. The idea is so simple, it's often dismissed and never put to use. So before I reveal too much, I'd like to give you some context.

May 7, 2015 • 40min
#076: What to Do When a Prospect Goes Silent
As a freelancer, there are few things more frustrating than a prospect who suddenly disappears for no apparent reason. He reached out to get some information, indicated a high level of interest, was fine with your ballpark fee — maybe even gave you a verbal confirmation that he was going to move forward. But then ... nothing! You can't get him to return calls or emails. You have no idea why. And now you're wondering if you said or did the wrong thing. Sound familiar? In this week's episode, my friend and colleague Ilise Benun and I tackle this common issue head on. We look at the different flavors of this problem. We examine why this happens so frequently. And we offer some concrete advice for how to deal with these frustrating situations.

Apr 23, 2015 • 41min
#075: Dorie Clark on How to Capitalize on Your Unique Perspective and Knowledge
Many of us have been brought up to believe that talent and hard work are the keys to success in business. But as competition stiffens and clients find it harder to distinguish freelancers from each other, you need a different strategy. You need to capitalize on (and communicate) your unique perspective and knowledge. My guest for this episode is Dorie Clark, author of two business books, a consultant and speaker. Dorie worked as a journalist, so she knows our world very well. When she lost her job in a round of layoffs, she had to reinvent herself. Since then, she’s worked as a spokesperson for gubernatorial and presidential campaigns and executive director of a nonprofit. In this interview, she explains why hard work and talent are no longer enough. And how you can position yourself as a trusted expert to set yourself apart—even if you don't quite feel like an "expert" in your field.

Apr 9, 2015 • 39min
#074: Ten Things to Avoid When Ramping Up Your Freelance Writing Business
There's plenty of advice about what you should do when starting and growing a freelance writing business.
But not too many people are openly talking about things you should avoid at this critical early stage.
My guest this week is Diana Scheidman, a freelance writer and researcher specializing in the insurance and asset management industries.
Diana has developed a reputation for helping people who want to land well-paid freelance and consulting work quickly. And she recently wrote a book on the subject titled .
In this episode, Diana shares 10 things new freelance business writers must avoid if they want to get their freelance business off the ground faster.

Mar 26, 2015 • 39min
#073: The Messy Road to Better-Paying Clients
One of the things that I've tried to be very mindful of is painting a very realistic picture of what it's like to launch and grow a freelance writing and copywriting business today. In fact, I take great pride in being transparent about the hard work required. You'll hear that in most of my interviews, as well as in shows such as: ? ? Today is no exception. My guest is Mark Stone, a freelance writer from British Columbia, Canada. Mark is still in the early stages of growing his business, and he has an interesting story to tell about finding his way through this business. You're not going to hear a talk about rainbows and sunshine. Instead, you'll get more of a status report from Mark. You'll hear how Mark is landing progressively better and higher-paying clients. And how he's pushing past fears and insecurities to improve his business and his income. If you're just starting out or are in the first two or three years of your freelance venture, I think you'll get a lot out of this interview.

Mar 12, 2015 • 29min
#072: How Should You Evaluate a New Prospect?
Just last week I received a call from a friend who owns a small marketing agency. She had recently lost three solid opportunities—deals she should have won. She couldn't figure out what went wrong. So she did what most of us do: assume it was her own fault. Maybe she said the wrong thing. Or her pricing was way off. Or she didn't have the experience the prospect wanted. But I've lost enough deals to know the truth. She was basing her conclusions on the wrong assumption. More specifically, she was assuming that every opportunity has the same chance of success. More than likely, it wasn't something she did or didn't do. It was simply that these opportunities weren't really "winnable." In this episode, I'll tell you what I shared with her ... and how that shift in thinking made an immediate impact on her business.

Feb 26, 2015 • 41min
#071: Should You Go Freelance If You're 55 or Older?
Over the past seven years, I've had hundreds of conversations with new and aspiring freelancers who are 55+.
Perhaps the most common concern I hear from this group is, "I'm afraid that my age will prevent me from getting clients."
I can understand this fear. Especially if you've experienced age discrimination in the workplace ... or been laid off or downsized because of your age (something an employer would never admit).
Here's the good news—you have more to offer your clients than you realize. In fact, you have a serious competitive edge over younger freelancers — experience, wisdom and perspective.
And that's not just me saying that. I've heard this from several freelancers who launched their solo business later in life.
In fact, you'll hear from one of them in this week's episode. Her name is , a California–based web content developer and SEO writer who went solo 12 years ago at the age of 54.

Feb 12, 2015 • 52min
#070: The 'Rock Star' Myth + Why You Should NOT Diversify
Today's show is about two topics that didn't warrant their own episodes:
Why you must be careful when emulating the "rock stars" in our business
Why you should NOT diversify too much in terms of the services you offer
I'm also going to introduce a somewhat "silent" co-host of this show (someone you might have heard a few times before). I'll tell you about two upcoming industry events you may want to check out. And I'll explain how you can be a part of a future episode of this podcast.

Jan 29, 2015 • 41min
#069: How to Break Into Freelancing When You're Fresh Out of School
Yes, I really believe freelancing or contingency work is the way of the future. But if you're fresh out of school and have no contacts and no relevant experience, how can you possibly get started as a freelancer?
In this episode, I interview two young freelancers who faced the same dilemma just a few years ago.

Jan 15, 2015 • 41min
#068: Heather Lloyd-Martin on SEO Copywriting
Today we're talking about SEO copywriting. And to get the full scoop on what's happening with SEO these days, I've brought in one of the world's top authorities on the subject: Heather Lloyd Martin.
Heather has been writing, studying and teaching SEO copywriting for years. In fact, she got started way before SEO copywriting went mainstream.
In this interview, Heather is going to give us an overview of this opportunity, including:
What SEO copywriting entails
How it has changed over the past 10 years
How Google's big changes have impacted our ability to optimize web page
How you can manage clients' expectations in an environment of unscrupulous SEO practitioners?
The best sources of information for SEO copywriters
The best opportunities for SEO copywriters today
And much more!