How to get the Right Kind of Clients for your Business

As a freelancer I have found that there are basically two to three kinds of clients–one– who are on a limited budget, want to spend minimal and want to gain the maximum. They will never appreciate your work, will haggle over every penny and frankly are no good in financial terms or even in work satisfaction terms as you won’t even get a good recommendation from them. They usually frequent buy and sell forums and their threads read something like, " Need native English writers to write 500 word articles on online marketing niche. Articles should have no grammatical or spelling errors. I will pay $ 10 for 10 articles. I need them within 48 hours." My advice, unless you badly need work, avoid such clients.

The Professional Client

 

The other two types are the ones we have to focus on–the second type of client pays well, knows what his money is worth, will provide you with recommendations and will generally be professional in all his dealings. He can smell a rat from a mile, so, do not try to fake your credentials with such a client. You should impress him with your credentials. He may even hire you if you are a newbie, as long as you can show that you can deliver.

This kind of client values his reputation as a buyer as much as you value yours as a service provider. I would recommend this kind of client as he is quick to praise, will give you honest feedback and will also teach you a few things about your craft as he is a perfectionist when it comes to work.

Where to find them, check out job boards and have a CV or a blog or website as samples.

The Vague Client

 

The third kind of client is the one on whom you should really focus on. He has money, isn’t completely sure of what he wants, but is ready to put in his money if you manage to convince him.

Look for them in job boards or content mills sites. Keep samples ready and write a nice persuasive proposal. Check out Angela Hoy’s free eBook on, "How to Be a Freelancer."

In her sample query letter she starts by giving a sample of her written work, then goes on to describe what her article is about. I recommend this book as a guide for any freelancer, irrespective of what stage your career as a freelancer is at.

How to deal with the professional client?

Let us now discuss how to tackle the latter two. For the second kind of client, be confident, not over-confident. Do not fake up credentials– if you do not have relevant samples, say, "if I’m given a chance I can prove my worth." If you sound good enough, chances are he will hire you. This kind of person is easy to tackle, if you know how to. They are not suspicious but chances are have seen a lot and do not trust easily. Don’t come up with a long winded plan either, just give a clear plan of what you offer and what you can do for them. Short and simple is the mantra here.

Be a good listener and do just as the client asks, this in fact goes a long way in your career as a freelancer. People who are good listeners manage to deliver just what is required of them as they listen carefully to what the client wants– they have the capability to fill in the gaps.

How to handle the vague client?

Now we come to the third kind of client, he is willing to pay, is suspicious, as he has heard many stories of writer scams, but, doesn’t have much experience in the field– if you can convince him, he is willing to put his money on you. Try to come up with a definite plan, explain to him how you are going to translate his vision . He is willing to be led, you should know how to lead. Discuss at length how you work on a project. This will convince him that you are a professional and you know your job.

Ask him relevant questions about the project, so that, he knows you are interested in the project and will do a thorough job.

Do a quick background research as well as study the latest trends in the field-bottom line– client knows that you know your job.

Submit a rough draft for client approval, so client knows he won’t be taken for a ride.

Prepare a final copy and review it yourself and then finally submit it to the client

Follow these steps along with ensuring a strong online presence. Be active on discussion boards, always try to share your knowledge, remember it is more important to share your knowledge than to display. In the latter case you may come across as an overbearing personality, if you are an authority on a subject you will be recognized as such.

All this will serve as a sample of not just your mastery over words but also show your clarity in thought process and your ability to convey it through words.

What are the 10 commandments of writing for the web?

Writing for the web seems to be relatively easy; you not just get published but get paid too. With that said, can anybody become a writer? The answer to this question could be a yes and a no, which essentially means, anybody can write and get published, but there is no guarantee that their written works will be read.

Readership is what determines a writer’s popularity. While it is good to get support from friends and family, the best appreciation for a writer comes when a stranger appreciates your work and wants to know more about you or wants to read more of your written works.

In that case what are the 10 essentials of web writing?

Here is a list of some important requirements for writing engaging content on the web.

Use a conversational tone-this means directly address the reader. You may be one of those who uses personal experiences to drive home a point or one of those who just state facts. In either case please ensure that whatever you are stating has relevance for the reader. Some people have a great way of using personal experiences to convey a message and they make it humorous too.

For instance, I get newsletters from Sue La Pointe, a writer who writes in a very informal tone– but–does she manage to drive home the point? She does. In fact, she does it so well, I find her blogs posts not just interesting but she manages to motivate me enough to believe that I can write well too.

Active Voice- Stephen King and several others recommend the use of active voice, the reason for this is simple it is direct and keeps the reader engaged. While the third person narrative or the impersonal or objective tone is fine, it should not be didactic or tend to sermonize.

Use Examples- Using examples or illustrations to convey your thought has always been preferred, especially in non-fiction writing. You can use illustrations from your personal experiences or just pick any object or example to explain your point. Use of illustrations to explain a concept has always been a standard method of teaching. Consider your readers as your audience who want to gather some information from the article.

Provide Information- Do not consider the web to be your literature class where you display your verbal flourishes, rather pack your written work with information. Remember the internet is often primarily used as a place to search for information. So, make sure your article has accurate, up-to-date and in-depth information. Do not do a perfunctory job when it comes to providing information. The more information your articles provides the more likely is your reader will come back. The standard rules of writing apply to the web too. Give correct information and the reader will buy your book.

Use Short Paragraphs- Writing for the web should be concise. It is essential to make your writing succinct. The reader skims the article for information so unless the article is pithy, the reader is unlikely to stick around. Short sentences and short paragraphs are the essentials of web writing.

Know your subject- Irrespective of whether you are a subject matter expert on a particular topic or not, make sure when you write about something you know the subject in-depth. Don’t limit your knowledge of a subject to a 500 word article. This will not just help you in building trust with your reader, but is good for your credibility as a writer.

Confident Tone- Write confidently and this comes when you know your subject well. So make sure you have your grammar in place and you know what you are writing about. Make sure every article, blog post, or e-book you write is well researched, even if you are just compiling information, make sure that your source is good so that you can be confident that you are providing value to your reader.

Avoid Using Jargon- Do not assume that your reader has also done the same kind of research work as you. In fact remember that you are a facilitator of information for the reader, so make sure that the he finds your copy easy to understand.

Interactive content- Web writing is a lot about being interactive. Make sure you leave things open for the reader to comment on. The reader should have questions or should be able to add some information to the article. So make sure that your content is presented well and engages the reader.

 Focus on the content- It is not necessary to make your article an encyclopedia but make sure you provide all the information in a simple, easy to understand manner. Make your article come alive by exuding your energy and enthusiasm into it.

Ghostwrite a book, an article or a screenplay

 

Everybody has a story to tell, but, they may not have the time or energy to write their book, or they may not know how to tell their story in an interesting manner. People who want their story written can use the services of ghostwriters. Ghostwriting is of several types–it could involve telling somebody else’s story, where the book is credited to somebody else. Another kind of ghostwriting could involve writing books or articles on any subject and then giving over the credit to somebody else for a small sum of money.

Ghostwriters are generally well established writers who write books for a hefty sum of money while the credit for writing goes to somebody else. In short they sell their writing services for a certain amount of money.

Skills required from a ghostwriter

A ghost writer should be a competent writer. He should have good interviewing skills that involve asking relevant questions to get enough matter from the client to write an engaging story.

The writer should make sure that his personality as a writer does not come forth when he is ghostwriting. He should keenly observe the client’s thought pattern. He should be able to see the client’s vision and translate that into the book. He should function as the client’s voice.

A ghostwriter should maintain complete confidentiality. He should not threaten to sell the client’s story in case there is a fall out between the two. Ghostwriting also involves being a good listener. Irrespective of how preposterous you may find the client’s story, you have to do a good job of telling it.

Ghostwriting involves constant interaction between the client and the ghostwriter, so it is imperative that the ghostwriter possesses excellent communication skills.

A ghostwriter should be good at collecting data and then organizing and processing it to create a meaningful and interesting book.

Steps involved in ghostwriting a book

As a ghostwriter when you have collected all the relevant material for the book, you have to create an outline and a rough draft. Once you have prepared a first draft send it to the client for approval. After the client approves the draft, start writing the final book. Do not edit while writing the book. Once you have finished a chapter or so, start editing.

As a ghostwriter your job is to collect as much relevant data as possible. Try and learn about all the aspects of the client’s life.

If the book you are writing is not a work of fiction, rather it is an ebook on online marketing or has some other technical aspect, you will have to collect all the relevant data and then write your book. A non-fiction book may take less time to churn out than a work of fiction.

Fields where ghost writers work

Actually ghostwriters work in all fields. There are medical ghostwriters, ebook ghostwriters, screenplay ghostwriters and of course auto-biographical ghostwriters.

In fact ghostwriters though not well known are often responsible for all the books that are ascribed to movie stars, politicians and industrialists.

Ghostwriting screenplay is not just a full time job but can fetch you a lot of money too. It will also ensure a full time career for you. The entertainment industry is always looking for fresh talent so even if you begin by ghostwriting, you can end up writing for yourself.

Ghostwriting can enter any field of work. You can ghost write books on finance, spiritual guides, and marketing manuals. In fact sky is the limit for a talented ghostwriter.

One field in which ghostwriters have traditionally worked is writing memoirs and personal stories. This is also a field which requires a lot of money to work.

Becoming a certified ghost writer can be of immense help. Try attending the tele-class run by Claudia Suzanne, to fine tune your craft. Even if you are a great writer, the course will teach you the essential mechanics of the ghostwriting process. Here’s the link to her site:

http://claudiasuzanne.com/tag/professional-writer/

Payment terms and agreement:

Make sure you have a written agreement before you begin writing. Payment should be 50% advance and the rest once the book is finished. Client satisfaction is of utmost importance, so consult the client at every step and if the client is not satisfied by the final outcome make sure you make the necessary changes. A negative feedback can seriously damage your career as a ghostwriter.

Make the right moves and this could be one of the most satisfying careers, where you have the respect of your clients and money too.

Effective content is well written content

Effective writing is the key to ensuring a good readership base–this is true of anything that you may be promoting– your website, your products, or just yourself as a writer. Unless you offer some meat to the reader, they won’t come back. This would bring us to our next point–should one then write only about saleable topics? Or should one write in such a manner that we make our topics saleable? I’d suggest the latter. True winners always chose the unbeaten path and slow and steady wins the race.

While we are discussing the unbeaten path or topics that already do not have endless promoters we also should consider how we promote our topics. Remember, when it comes to researching on the internet– people search everything, people basically come to the internet as a one-stop-shop for information. So, as long as you are providing good solid information on any topic be sure that your article will be searched.

Not every one comes to the internet looking for 10 tips on how to make easy money. Many come to look for genuine information and the topics they look for could be as varied as looking for a recipe or information on computer hardware to written works of Shakespeare or even a research thesis on biochemistry.

If you provide knowledge that makes for interesting reading, you should not be worried about driving traffic to your website. An important point to consider when you settle for topics that figure in the list of top-searched topics in Google search engine rankings is– you are inviting plenty of competition. Remember, all the online marketing gurus are promoting just these topics– these markets are already saturated and basically everybody is providing the same information with just a few changes.

This brings us to our next point– what then is effective writing? It’s not always about what your natural inclinations or tastes are– it is often about how well you know your craft? So, whatever topic you choose to write about, make sure you know how to present your information. Here are a few points to bear in mind when writing for any topic—

 1. Think about your target audience and address them: always write keeping your audience in mind. If you are writing for the layman– then keep things simple, but, if you are writing for somebody who, already knows the topic then write accordingly, you have to cater to your niche audience.

2. Make sure your article has a clear purpose: you should not keep rambling on and on about a certain topic. Write with a clear purpose in mind and that should be to impart information or educate about your product–so, there should be maximum information offered about your subject matter in the article.

3. The article should have a logical outline: somewhere in school we had learnt that every piece of writing should have a beginning, middle and an end– this still holds true. Write your article by introducing your topic and addressing your audience– somewhat like a stage performance, where you briefly state what you are there for and then you start your act. Give more information and gradually direct the reader to a logical conclusion. Your article should read like a well made film, where the reader is clamoring for more.

4.Try to gauge the reader’s mind: after you have written your article think what kind of questions your readers might have once they have read your article and try and answer them. Read through and analyze every sentence that you have written and make sure every word adds value to your content.

5. Avoid repeating information: a common mistake that people make while writing on any topic is– they get carried away and start repeating the same thing albeit in different words. They keep making the same point by using either different examples, or they keep playing with words. The disadvantage of this is that it will either drive the intelligent reader away or they would rate you as a writer who has little information to impart. One also has to understand that people who read content are generally impatient– if, they don’t get what they want, they quickly move on. Always remember that short is sweet.

Tips to Add Punch to Your Writing

Is there a magic formula to successful writing? What is it that successful writers do that unsuccessful or the not- so- successful writers don’t? One thing that is definite is they polish their copy. They try to say things in one or two words instead of long sentences. Most importantly, they know the subject well and when you know something well, you can write effectively on that subject.

Good writers can add life to the most mundane of subjects and to be honest there are no mundane subjects, there are just dull writers. Which brings us back to our topic what should you do to distinguish yourself from the ilk of dull writers? Here are some tips from top journalists and writers on how to add punch to your writing : 
 Write like a pro–
you may ask me what does that mean? Well, in simple words, write like an authority on any subject. People, who have deep knowledge on any subject, spend less time on selecting apt words, for them thoughts flow naturally. So, the bottom-line is– do your homework. Research well, and understand your subject and your article will flow naturally.  

Stick to simple language–

 Some people like to use difficult words–but– if they are familiar with its usage it is fine, avoid using words that you are not familiar with. Try not to make your writing deliberately obscure, just to appear knowledgeable, otherwise, you may be accused of being esoteric. If you are writing for the web, or in a publication that is not for a special reader-audience, try to keep your language simple, and write in such a manner, that even obscure thoughts can be understood by all. The idea in web-writing is to make everything available for all.
Make sure your thought flow is natural and logical–

 Jumping from one subject to another, or giving examples that deviate from the main subject, will not just confuse the reader but also make the reader lose interest. It is very important, that your thought pattern flows logically and you begin by introducing your subject then build the article by giving more information about your subject and then you gradually draw a logical conclusion.

Briefly introducing your subject or stating your objective, in the opening para, is a pattern that is followed in almost all forms of non-fiction writing.
Avoid redundancies or repetition of thought and words–

 most articles on web need to be 500 words in length and you are often paid per word, so, even if you are paid $1 per word or more try not to add more words just to increase the length of your article. Redundancy, or constantly repeating the same thing makes the reader lose interest and affects your credibility as a writer. Make sure your article is content rich and not word rich. Try to say things in as few words as possible.

Effective writing is clear in thought and succinct. This way the reader will have lots to read about, in terms of subject- matter, rather than a mere play-of-words. Verbal flourishes are not desired in web writing.

Organize your thoughts and words–

 It’s very important to separate the grain from the chaff. To be an effective writer, go over your written work several times to ensure there are no errors, every sentence is not just grammatically correct, but, also clear in thought. See that your article has logical progression of thought and at this time try to wear your reader’s cap to see how much you are offering to them as a writer. To make sure your reader comes back to read your article, let it read like an interesting story where the reader is hooked till the end.
 

How to write a love letter

Recently I received a strange request on Linked in, Anil Sharma( name changed), a call centre employee wanted me to write a love letter for him to his girl friend. He of course was discouraged by the high rate I quoted, so I decided to devote a post to all those who want to express their feelings through the written medium, I mean you can always say it with a song, or a SMS. You could also make use of greeting cards,but of course if you like things the old fashioned way, here goes:
I do like long letters and e-mails, so I would suggest you write a long one if you plan a letter, a short one is a note, not necessarily a letter.

The first thing to do is, to check the mentality and likes and dislikes of your prospective partner.

The age group– yours and hers are very important, if you are teenagers, keep things sweet. Some girls like letters written in blood( personally, I feel it has better uses and ink is just great ), well I’m not too sure whether you should comply with such tastes, but yes, try and keep things simple. If she likes things straight, avoid games. If she is a bit mature and likes a bit of style, please do not rush in, just write a friendly feeler, it should introduce the idea, that you have some thing other than plain friendship in mind. See how she takes it, does she like it, or she is avoiding certain topics , while just maintaining the friendship, if she is just politely replying, then stop, she may not be interested.

On the other hand, if she returns your attempts at mild flirtation with some hints and suggestions, start building the friendship, and of course when you finally confess your love, induce some humor into it, so she doesn’t feel overwhelmed and feels pressurized into replying.

Nothing is more distasteful than a friendship that has gone sour, just because you couldn’t control your feelings.

The final word on this one—Good Luck!:)

Homonyms and their misplacement

Have you ever imagined the comic effect that would result if you placed one word in place of another? Such as, ”that is the end of the tail,” instead of saying, “that is the end of the tale.” Today I plan to discuss homonyms; we use them ever so often, but when asked to explain we tend to go blank( my favorite hobby).  Homonyms can be categorised as words that are spelt the same or have  similar pronunciation but  are different in meaning.

By definition a homonym is (grammar) a word that is spelt like another word (and may be pronounced like it) but which has a different meaning, for example can meaning ‘be able’ and can meaning ‘put sth in a container’(OALD).

Fowler’s Modern English Usage describes homonyms as, “a word of the same spelling or sound as another but of different meaning,”  they have cited the example of  the word, “calf” and “calf“, which has the same spelling as well as pronunciation but differs in meaning. The first meaning could be calf as the young one of a cow, and calf as the fleshy hind part of the human leg. For those words that are identical in sound but not in spelling he has cited the example of “tail” and “tale.” While the former means tail of an animal the latter refers to a narrative or a story.

Words that are same in spelling are known as homographs and those that are same in sound or pronunciation are called homophones. Homographs need not have the same pronuniciation, such as lead and lead, one is a heavy metal and the other means to guide. Other examples could be read and read. Homophones on the other hand just have the same sound, they could have completely different meanings, such as, aloud/allowed. Current/currant. The example that I cited in my introductory paragraph, which is tale and tail is an example of homophones.

So here I list some commonly misused homonyms. The first one is ‘quiet’ and ‘quite’( this though wouldn’t quite fit the definition mentioned above as the spelling differs).

Quiet is an adjective, can also function as a verb and noun. It means making very little noise. You could refer to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary(henceforth OALD) for other meanings of this word.

Quite is an adverb which means fairly, pretty, to a certain degree. “I quite like the book.” For detailed reference, please check the OALD.

The next one in the list is advice and advise. While the former is a noun the latter is a verb. Advice as a noun means, an opinion or a suggestion about what sb should do in a particular situation, e.g. follow your doctor’s advice.

Advise on the other hand means to tell sb what you think they should do in a particular situation, e.g. I would strongly advise against going out on your own.

Magazine and magazine. A noun in both cases, one refers to a thin book containing articles, discussions, photos on a particular topic or maybe a mixed bag of articles.

Magazine also means the part of a gun that holds bullets before they are fired. It also refers to a room or building where weapons, explosives and bullets are stored.

article and article. This word actually has 4 different meanings. In each case however it is a noun. The first article is a piece of writing on a particular subject in a newspaper or magazine.

The second meaning has a legal reference. A separate item in an agreement or a contract.

The third refers to a particular item or a separate thing.Especially one of a set.

The fourth has grammatical reference, one of the three articles, ‘a’, ‘an’, or ‘the’.

Kind and Kind. Here too both are adjectives but they have different meanings. The first refers to, a group of people or things that are the same in some way; a particular variety or type.

The second refers to, caring about others; gentle, friendly and generous.

Type and type, used both as a noun and verb, this word has 4  different meanings. The first one is synonymous with kind and means, a class or group of people that share particular qualities or features.

The second meaning is similar to the above meaning but has a slightly different connotation. This is used informally and means a person of a particular character, with particular features etc. Such as she is the artistic type, he is not my type etc.

The third meaning too refers to the same thing as above but has a slightly different connotation. This means, having the qualities or features of the group, person or thing mentioned, such as, a police-type badge, a continental-type-cafe.

The fourth meaning refers to the act of typing letters or words. Here type is used as a verb.

Watch this space for more such lists. I intend to devote a post to the usage of colon, comma, apostrophe and the much maligned passive voice.