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
Aug 14, 2014 • 52min
#057: Writing Opportunities in the Medical Device Industry: An Interview With Casey Demchack
Do you have a healthcare background or an active interest in the medical industry? And do you have a knack for explaining complex topics in simple language?If so, you'll love today's episode. My guest is medical device copywriting veteran Casey Demchack. In this interview, Casey spills the beans about this fascinating field of commercial writing. He explains:What's involvedWhat types of writing projects are in demandWho the best clients areWhat they look for in a writerAnd how you can break into this market, even if you have limited (or zero) industry experienceCasey also shares his thoughts on having multiple specialties or target markets and how he juggles seemingly unrelated niches.
Jul 31, 2014 • 31min
#056 Creating a Successful B2B Content Development Agency: An Interview With Paul McKeon of The Content Factor
Successful freelance business writers often get to a point where they have to make a difficult decision: Should they keep operating as a one-person shop? Or should they scale and build something bigger?If you know you're not cut out to be an entrepreneur, you're probably better off as a solo business. Nothing wrong with that!But if you think you'd love the challenges and rewards of building a mini content-development agency, it might be worth exploring.In this episode, I interview Paul McKeon, founder of The Content Factor. Paul is a B2B tech-marketing veteran who has built one of the most respected and successful marketing content agencies in the Southeastern U.S.In our talk he shares how he built his agency, how he works with writers, what challenges he's faced over the years, and how to determine if this business model is for you.
Jul 17, 2014 • 43min
#055: How to Build Your Business with the Clients Y ou Really Want
The biggest reason I became self-employed was to have more control. I wanted to have more control over the kind of work I did, when I did it and how I went about it. And I especially wanted to have more control over the people I worked with. I wanted to choose my clients more carefully. Because as a freelance writer I was, essentially, selling a relationship. And I didn't want to have a relationship with people who didn't appreciate me or my work. Or who weren't fun work with. If we were going to work together closely, I wanted to do that only with people I enjoyed, doing meaningful and engaging work. That's what we're discussing in today's episode. And to do that, I've brought in one of the leading authorities on getting clients in the professional services arena: C.J. Hayden. C.J. is the author of the classic book , a book I read, studied and applied in my early years as a freelancer. It has served me very well over the years. So I feel honored to finally have her on the show to talk about finding and working with ideal clients.
Jul 3, 2014 • 38min
#054: How Julia Borgini Landed a Guest Blog Spot with a Major Online Publication
Getting some of your articles published in an industry newsletter, blog or publication has a number of benefits. For one, it helps position you as a thought leader—as an expert in your industry, niche or domain. It also helps expose you to prospects who may not have heard about you otherwise. Yet I find that most freelance business writer shy away from this strategy. Some don't understand the benefits of writing these pieces without direct compensation. Others think they're not qualified. And many of those who try give up way too early. In this week's podcast I interview Julia Borgini, a freelance writer and web content specialist who writes for technology companies. Julia recently landed a huge publicity win which has given her great exposure. And in this discussion, she explains how she went about it, what it took to get her article accepted, and what she's learned from the experience.
Jun 19, 2014 • 46min
#053: Building Up the Courage to Go After Bigger Clients
If you want to generate a high income as a freelance writer, you won't get there by doing lots of $500 projects for small clients. Sure, you can work long hours and bring in some big numbers. But it won't be long before you burn out. To earn a comfortable six-figure income AND have the freedom and flexibility to enjoy the fruits of your labor you HAVE to start working with bigger clients. One big client can easily replace two, three or even four smaller clients. Plus, they're often easier to work with. They have more work. And they're not as price-sensitive as smaller clients. So why do so many freelance writers avoid them? One word: FEAR! We might tell ourselves that it's other things. But at the core, the biggest reason we don't go after bigger fish is just plain, old-fashioned fear. In this episode you'll hear from Mary Rose Maguire, an Ohio-based freelance writer who recently broke through these fears and insecurities to go after (and land!) her largest client ever. She explains how she did it, how the overcame her fears and insecurities, and what she's learned about herself in the process.
Jun 5, 2014 • 53min
#052: Overlooked Freelance Writing Opportunities for Retiring Boomers
The premise of this show is that earning more in less time should be one of your key drivers. That kind of approach to your business (when done in a spirit of balance) enables you to have more time, more freedom and live a richer life ... without sacrificing your income. Freelance writer Kathleen Fink recently contacted me with a different twist on this idea — one that's particularly suited for retiring boomers who don't need to make "income" their primary goal. And in this episode she shares some great insights that may change the way you think about writing during retirement.
May 22, 2014 • 45min
#051: How to Get the Attention of Crazy-Busy Prospects with Agile Selling
When it comes to prospecting and selling, most of us want the easy way out. The gimmick that will put our prospecting on autopilot. But at the end of the day, if the trick, gimmick or technique is not based on strong fundamentals, it will have a VERY short shelf life. One of the many things I love about my colleague Jill Konrath is that all her advice is based on strong fundamentals. She understands human nature. She understands what decision makers want—what keeps them up at night. And how to continue the conversation already going on in their heads. In this episode, she explains: Why selling has changed drastically in the past 10 years Why you need to adopt a different approach to your own marketing and selling And how simple shifts in the way you approach prospects can have a dramatic impact on your income.
May 8, 2014 • 57min
#050: Writing for Ad Agencies and Marketing Firms: Two Freelance Writers Share What You Need to Know to Make it Work
What are the biggest pros and cons of working with agencies? What types of writers (and personalities) are best suited for working with agencies? What do agencies look for when hiring a freelance writer? What would you say are the best ways to attract and land agency clients? How can you avoid payment nightmares and other typical agency/freelancer challenges? You'll get the answers to all these questions in this week's podcast! My guests are Caryn Starr-Gates and Shanna Kurpe — two seasoned freelance writers who built their businesses through agencies and marketing firms.
Apr 24, 2014 • 32min
#049: Eleven Things High-Income Freelance Writers Do Differently
What makes some freelance business writers more successful than others? And why are some of them continually successful while others struggle in the feast-or-famine cycle for years? In this episode I share some of the most important things successful B2B/commercial writers have in common. What else would you add to this list? Please let me know in the comments area below.
Apr 10, 2014 • 60min
#048: From Laid-Off Worker to Six-Figure Freelance Writer
If you've ever been laid off or downsized, you already know what a crappy experience that can be. Especially when it's unexpected and it catches you off guard. But for Don Sadler, getting laid off from his job in 2009 was one of the best things that could have happened to him. Don was able to turn this "misfortune" into a six-figure freelance business. And in this interview, he shares how he did this and what he's learned along the way. Lots of great ideas and insights in this episode -- even for those of you who've been freelancing for a while The notes that follow are a very basic, unedited summary of the show. There’s a lot more detail in the audio version. You can listen to the show using the audio player below. Or you can subscribe to this podcast series in .
