Welcome to the last Monday in February. I hope that everyone is staying warm and safe. My dog woke me up at 1:30 in the morning two days in a row. Anyone want a free dog? I kid – my daughter would never let that happen.
Here are a few things I’d like to share from The Editor’s Desk.
Setting your freelance writing rate
Many freelance writers dread when they hear clients ask, “What’s your rate?” The most common fears are:
- Set your rate too high and you lose the client.
- Set your rate too low and you’re losing money.
It’s usually preferable to have the client provide a rate so you can decide whether it’s worth your time. It also gives you a base from which to work, and it’s the minimum you’ll make, so you can quote a higher rate from there.
There is no perfect rate – what works for you won’t work for other people. Consider the following advice on how to set your freelance writing rate:
- Some clients like hourly rates – it’s easy to measure. However, others might get turned off by your hourly rate because they might not see the value in YOUR hourly rate.
- Hourly rates penalize more experienced writers. If you’ve been a writer for a while, you probably write faster and more efficiently than a less experienced writer. If they both worked on the same project, the less experienced writer would make more money using an hourly rate.
- Many writers and clients like per word rates – you know the word count and can easy calculate the final cost. But they are not great for every situation. Given equal per word rates, 1000-word blog post with very little research and no interviews would pay the same as a 1000-word article with three interviews, extensive research, and two rounds of revisions.
- The ideal pricing method is the project rate. You determine the cost of the project based on how long you think it will take (using YOUR hourly rate, plus a buffer for extra work). The client gets a fixed price, so they know how much the project costs and the value of your services.
How to stop procrastinating
Every writer who tells the truth knows about procrastination. We will often find almost anything else to do when we are faced with a blank page and cannot get the words to come out. Ayaz Nanji at MarketingProfs put together an infographic on how to stop procrastinating and become a joyful writer. The three tips are:
- Practice getting started
- Break the process into chunks
- Set small, easy-to-reach goals
- Build a bridge to tomorrow
- Avoid mid-writing distractions
- Identify your triggers
- Determine how your behaviour makes you feel
- Replace procrastination with a good habit
- Set a timer
- Dance with your feelings
- Acknowledge your resistance
- Devise tactics to get around it
The T-shaped information diet
According to Nick DeWilde at The Jungle Gym, the best way to grow your abilities is to “build a shallow understanding across a breadth of domains and a depth of expertise in whichever domain is most relevant to your profession.” This is known as the T-shaped information diet. The key is to curate information streams that deliver high-value insight. When evaluating information to add to your diet, you should consider the following sources:
- Popular vs. undiscovered information
- Open access vs. gated content
- Institutional vs. individual publishers
- Primary vs. secondary sources
- New vs. old ideas
Here’s a great quote: By subscribing to a mix of individual thinkers and institutional publications, you receive a holistic sense of the conversation. Individuals give you early access to unfiltered insight while institutions can help you identify which ideas are making their way into the mainstream.
Building confidence
Many writers have a problem with impostor syndrome. We never believe we’re good enough in our writing, especially when starting with new clients. The key is to develop confidence in your abilities. Linda Zhang at Product Lessons wrote an article on how to build confidence using five landmarks:
- Raise belief capital
- Start with limited expectations
- Find an unfair advantage
- Normalize your heroes
- Make transforming experiences
Here’s a great quote: Growth should be uncomfortable, but not fatal. The best way to keep growing is to stay in the game, so if you’re on the brink of quitting, pick a more narrow lane that you feel confident in. As you grow your confidence and skills, you’ll be ready to take on bigger challenges.
Rules on creating
Bob Lefsetz wrote 28 rules on creating in 2021. Here are some of my favourite:
- Perseverance: It takes longer than ever to make it. If you are not in it for the long haul, don’t even start.
- Your goal is to be self-sustaining.
- You’re the only one on your team.
- The Internet is the means. You create the end.
Quotes on writing
Denis Johnson put out a list of quotes on writing – here is the free PDF. I’ll let you discover your favourites on your own.
What I wrote
Here’s an article I wrote for Sellerant: Automating the Process of Moving a Prospect Through a Marketing Funnel.
And here’s a blog post I wrote two years ago – Three steps to get referrals.
What I read
I just finished reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I had never seen the movie, other than some trailers, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was a great read with a pretty shocking reveal. I’m not a fan of diary / letter format books, but I liked it quite a bit. I’m definitely going to check out the movie to see how it translates to the screen.
What I watched
My family and I watched the movie The Greatest Showman with Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams and Zac Efron. We all liked it – the songs were extremely catchy, the cinematography was beautiful, and the performances were great.
What I listened to
I recently joined Clubhouse. It’s interesting, as there are some great rooms on writing and marketing. There are also a lot of rooms of no interest, but that’s no different than most networking events, seminars, and parties I would not attend or be invited to. Based on what I’ve heard, seen, and read, some people have really jumped into Clubhouse as a strategy to grow their business. It’s like any other tool or app – success depends on how you use it. If you’re on there, come find me – @davidgargaro.
I also have some invites, so if you have an iPhone, the first email I get will receive an invite. That will show you actually read this far, which is pretty impressive.
Thanks for reading. If you liked what I wrote or think someone else would enjoy it, then please share it. And if you want to reach out, my email is contact@davidgargaro.com.
David Gargaro - The Editor's Desk 