High-Income Business Writing Podcast

Today I'm continuing my story of how I went from corporate sales professional to freelance writer — and to a combination of freelance writer and coach/trainer. This is a departure from the type shows that I've been publishing. But I'm constantly asked about my business, how I spend my time, where my income comes from and how I got to where I am today. I've addressed these questions individually and in different training episodes I've published. But I've never told my full business-launch story in detail. And I thought this podcast format would be the ideal way to do that. If you haven't listened to , you probably want to check that out first.

Today, I'm taking a departure from the types of shows I've been doing since I launched this podcast. Instead of doing an interview, I'm going to share my story with you. The story of how I stumbled into freelance writing and how I've turned it into a six-figure business. I've shared parts of my journey in articles and video trainings. But I've never shared the whole thing in one place.   I'm going to do this over two episodes. I'll share both the successes AND the struggles. I'll show you why I truly believe that any writer with solid skills can do this. And I hope to satisfy much of the curiosity out there about what I do day to day, how I spend my time and where my income comes from.

Have you ever wondered how freelancers are using LinkedIn to find and land clients? Is LinkedIn truly a valuable prospecting tool? Does it live up the hype? Are there practical ways of using it to drum up business? About This ShowThe High-Income Business Writing podcast is a production of B2B Biz Launcher. It's designed for business writers and copywriters who want to propel their writing business to the six-figure level (or the part-time equivalent).To learn more about leveraging LinkedIn (LI) to grow your writing business — I interview Jill Konrath for this episode of The High Income Business Writing podcast.Jill is the author of two bestselling sales books and is a popular speaker who helps sellers crack into new accounts, speed up sales cycles and win more business. She has conducted extensive research on how top professionals use LI to build a professional platform.In this episode, Jill explains how to turn LI from a dull career/job finding site to a powerful business-building tool.

Have you every written a short article for a magazine, newspaper or trade journal? Not the most profitable work these days, is it? If you're looking for a better way to leverage your storytelling skills, case studies are a great way to do that. To learn more about the opportunity in case studies — and how to approach these projects — I interview Casey Hibbard for this episode of The High-Income Business Writing podcast.   About This Show The High-Income Business Writing podcast is a production of B2B Biz Launcher. It's designed for business writer and copywriters who want to propel their writing business to the six-figure level (or the part-time equivalent). In this week's episode I interview Casey Hibbard, a successful freelance writer who specializes in writing customer case studies (also known as "customer success stories"), and author of the excellent book, Casey explains what case studies are and how they're used by clients. She gives us a primer on the basic components of case studies, including what elements you should include in order to make them more effective. And she explains why they continue to be so popular in the marketing communications arena. Casey also talks at length about: How she manages these projects What key deliverables you should include Guidelines for pricing case studies Different types and formats of case studies What makes a great case study writer What to do if you have no samples but want to get started

In part two of this two-part episode (check out part one here), I interview one of the most knowledgeable and experienced white paper writers in the business: Gordon Graham. Gordon is the author of the newly released book White Papers for Dummies, a must-read book if you're considering writing white papers — and an invaluable resource if you've been writing white papers for years. White papers have been critically important in my writing career. They gave me a serious income boost when I needed it most (in fact, this is the type of project that first propelled my income to the six-figure level). White papers are also fun to research and write, and they're one of the first types of assignments clients outsource to freelance writers. In this session you'll discover: The three "flavors" of white papers and how to determine which one you need, when. A detailed discussion of each white paper type, including length, tone and how much you can charge as a freelance writer. How to effectively approach a white paper project. Potential pitfalls and landmines to watch out for when writing a white paper. How to keep white paper projects on track and within scope. Dealing with difficult clients and edit-happy reviewers. What a Google executive told Gordon about white paper writers they've worked with (this one's a shocker!). So, you want to write white papers for a living? Here's where (and how) to get started.   And much, much more!

In this episode of The High-Income Business Writing Podcast I interview one of the most knowledgeable and experienced white paper writers in the business: Gordon Graham. Gordon is the author of the newly released book , a must-read book if you're considering writing white papers — and an invaluable resource if you've been writing white papers for years. White papers have been critically important in my writing career. They gave me a serious income boost when I needed it most. They're also fun to research and write, and they're one of the first types of assignments clients outsource to freelance writers. In this session you'll discover: A detailed explanation of white papers, including what they are, who uses them and how they're used. Why white papers continue to rise in popularity in a world of new media and an ever-growing stream of shiny objects. The opportunity for writers today. Plus, the future of white papers and how it will impact white paper writers. The industries that represent the hottest white paper opportunities for writers (and why). How much you can charge for a white paper. Gordon will reveal what he personally charges and what you can quote when starting out. Why marketers are struggling to find good white paper writers. What makes a good white paper writer, and how to know if this type of writing assignment is for you. What if you have no white paper samples? How do you get started? And much more!

Pricing is a tricky thing. If you price your work to high, you'll lose the prospect. But if you price too low, you'll look like an amateur. How do you get it right? In this session of The High-Income Business Writing Podcast I'll show you how to approach your pricing more systematically. I'll share a simple process that will take much of the anxiety out of the equation. And I'll give you smart questions to ask your prospect before you quote.