Notes from Minnesota

The end is near.

Just kidding. But not really. :)

Here's the deal. I'm going to launch a CD series that'll transform your writing career and your attitude about writing. Of course, my Creative Mindset Community (CMC) pros will receive every one of the 12 CD set as part of their membership.

Given that membership in the CMC costs less than the retail price of these upcoming CDs, I'd say that's quite a nice deal.

So, if you're interested in transforming your career into exactly what you want it to be, I highly suggest you join the community before I close membership tomorrow.

They're a great group and I'm tickled as punch to watch their careers unfold. Oh, and as an interesting aside, it's a small group. I did this purposely because each person has personal access to me.

Not bad for ten smackers a month, eh?

I hope you'll join us... if you're the kind of person who wants to succeed on your own terms.

Onward and upward!

Beth

P.S. Just click here for more info.

P.P.S. Be sure to check out our best sellers. Just click here

A Mindset Moment

Hi Freelancer,

The glory of a finished novel, the joy of a big payday, the triumph of landing a big writing assignment... all of this pales in comparison to the power of sitting down at your desk every day and writing... simply because you can.

Toodles,
Your Muse

(Another Mindset Moment)

Beth's Hot Pick of the Week

Get a jump start on everyone reading today's lead article. Nab your copy of Jumpstart Your Writing Career and get all the nitty gritty details on how I landed more copywriting assignments than I could handle. It's a fast read and tons of fun. Just click here.

Just click here.

May Events for the Creative Mindset Community

It's your last chance. This weekend I'm closing admission to the Creative Mindset Community. If you wish to take part in this wonderful community, I highly suggest you sign on now. I'm not sure when I'll open it again.

This is because I'm literally giving away the farm with this group of talented writers.

Every single member receives my regular audio CDs, books, Yahoo group, Round Table discussions and much more.

Miss this deadline and you'll have to go on a waiting list.

So, if you're looking for a small, tight knit writing community... a place where you'll receive free resources, a private chat area, a monthly subscription to the Creative Mindset Newsletter, and a monthly Round Table discussion where you can hang out with other freelancers, ask questions, and simply be yourself... you need to check out the Creative Mindset Community.

If you're not a member yet, and if you want the monthly discussions, a fab newsletter, regular CDs, a private Yahoo group, and much more all for less than dinner for one at a nice restaurant. You can get all the info you need at the following link.

http://filbertpublishing.com/creative.html

Easy Market, Little to No Rejection

I began my freelance writing career in 1995.

Fresh from college, I had no doubt that I possessed every tool I needed to launch a successful freelance career.

Wrong.

I slaved at my desk, day after day, often earning a whopping 25 bucks per article. Sadly the wages haven't gone up that much since then. :(

This went on for months. Then years. I felt like I was hitting my head against the wall, always searching for that one big break that would make this job tolerable on a financial level.

But that break never transpired.

It soon became painfully evident that if anything happened to my husband, my son and I were basically screwed. I needed a way to get some money rolling in.

That’s about the time the now famous “Can You Write A Letter Like This” letter landed in my mailbox.

The mailing basically claimed that if I could create a letter remotely resembling the one I was reading, I could become wealthy beyond all dreams of avarice. I didn’t even have to think about it. I figured if one-third of what they said was true, I could really get into this “copywriting” thing.

And that’s exactly what I did.

I studying copywriting (writing advertising for businesses) and before I even finished my studies, I’d drafted my very own solicitation letter and started hitting up local businesses.

It’s amazing. Just mention that perhaps a local client should include benefits in their headline and they stand amazed at your brilliance.

True story. And just tweaking their ads in a most minor way often triggers an avalanche of sales they’re unaccustomed to.

It’s drop dead easy.

Sure. You don’t make tons of cash from the local guys, just a couple hundred dollars a pop, but the experience you receive is invaluable. Plus, a predictable cash flow doesn’t hurt.

So, what will you write for local clients? Primarily space ads, website copy, brochures, and articles. I sometimes write a short fund raising letter, but those are far and few between.

I love writing space ads. Headline, few bullets, call to action. Boom, you’re done.

Brochures are pretty darned easy as well. Headline, some copy, bullets, call to action.

If you don’t know how to draft a killer headline, don’t know what a lead is, think bullets belong in a gun and are fuzzy on the aspects of a good call to action, never you worry. I'm sure we'll talk about these in an upcoming issue of Writing Etc.

Now, I’ll admit there’s no way I can cover absolutely everything you need to know about copywriting in one short article. But I can definitely provide a pretty decent overview of some easy techniques you can use copywriting to ratchet up your freelance income.

First: contact some local businesses. Draft a kick-butt solicitation letter, keep ‘er short, make it effortless for them to get in touch with you.

Now you mail out a set number of these babies per day. One, two three… it’s totally up to you. The trick is this:

Faithful, consistent promotion on your part will result in a consistent flow of freelance work.

If you shoot off a gazillion of these letters, then sit back hoping for a windfall, you’re probably in for a disappointment.

I’ve determined that the experts are correct when they say that a prospective client needs at least seven exposures to a sales message before they’ll respond. So keep the letters flowing out of your office on a regular basis and before you know it, you’ve got more work than you ever expected.

I send out two to three letters per day. If you’re swamped, reduce that number. If you aren’t picking up assignments, shoot for up to five.

You’re probably wondering how you should target your prospective clients.

I'll cover that next time. :)

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Beth Ann Erickson is the “Queen Bee” of Filbert Publishing. She’s also the author of numerous titles including “101 No Cost and Low Cost Secrets To Turbo Charge Your Freelance Income.” Pick up your copy today at http://filbertpublishing.com/101.html She’s also a busy copywriter, speaker, and publisher of Writing Etc., the free e-mag for writers.

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