Comments on: Why You Should Consider Cold Calling to Find Work

By: Digital Coaxial Audio Cable

Digital Coaxial Audio Cable — Thu, 27 May 2010 10:05:49 +0000

Hmm that was weird, my comment got eaten. Anyway I wanted to say that it is good to realize that someone else also mentioned this as I had trouble finding the exact same info elsewhere. This was the very first location that told me the answer. Thanks.

By: Freelance Writing Guest Spots and Some Recommended Reading : Freelance Writing Jobs | A Freelance Writing Community and Freelance Writing Jobs Resource

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:48:24 +0000

[...] Why You Should Consider Cold Calling to Find Work [...]

By: Freelance Writing Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions : Freelance Writing Jobs | A Freelance Writing Community and Freelance Writing Jobs Resource

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:58:33 +0000

[...] Why You Should Consider Cold Calling to Find Work [...]

By: Freelance Writing: Nothing Has Changed & Everything Has Changed : Freelance Writing Jobs | A Freelance Writing Community and Freelance Writing Jobs Resource

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:54:42 +0000

[...] majority of freelance writers found work via cold calling, pounding the pavement and personal recommendations from friends. As you can imagine, it was a lot [...]

By: 5 Suggestions for Moving Away from the Easy Gigs to the More Lucrative Freelance Opportunities : Freelance Writing Jobs | The #1 Online Writing Community for Freelancers

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:52:42 +0000

[...] talked about cold calling here before, and even cold emailing. There are so many places that hire writers but don’t [...]

By: Addressing Your Comment Questions About Finding Higher Paying Freelance Writing Work : Freelance Writing Jobs

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:56:44 +0000

[...] gigs to you here, but I can’t find them all. Look for corporate freelancing opportunties or cold call [...]

By: 60 Tips for Getting Started in Your Freelance Writing Career : Freelance Writing Jobs

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:06:27 +0000

[...] cold calling: Not many freelancers enjoy cold calling, but those of us who have done it will tell you we landed some lucrative gigs as a result. [...]

By: 10 Reasons Face to Face Networking is Important for Landing Freelance Writing Clients : Freelance Writing Jobs

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:57:41 +0000

[...] one can hang up the phone: One of the reasons I dislike cold calling is because sometimes the person who answers the phone will say, “no thank you” and hang [...]

By: 5 Tips for Finding Work Between Freelance Writing Gigs : Business Tips for Writers

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:08:42 +0000

[...] some cold calling: Clients don’t always come to us, we also have to find clients. Cold calling is not a freelance writer’s favorite thing to do, but it can yield some very lucrative [...]

By: Web Content Sites vs. Private Clients : Freelance Writing Jobs

Web Content Sites vs. Private Clients : Freelance Writing Jobs — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 15:43:35 +0000

[...] Content sites are always hiring and always advertising so it’s easy to find these types of jobs. Visit any writing blog or forum and you’ll find listings of web content sites. Private clients aren’t as easy to land. Though many do advertise on the job boards, they’re more selective with their hiring process and competition is tougher. Still, there are plenty of private clients hiring each and every day. Still more can be found via various methods including cold calling. [...]

By: 5 Ways to Step Away from the Freelance Job Boards and Create Your Own Freelance Writing Opportunities : Freelance Writing Jobs

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:29:51 +0000

[...] Cold calling: For some reason cold calling drives fear into the most seasoned of veterans, but there’s no reason it should. It’s a [...]

By: Jazmin Espinal

Jazmin Espinal — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:27:34 +0000

I email websites but I am sure to personalize them as much as possible. By no means am I implying that one should sacrifice professionalism for an overly casual email, because you still want to sound professional to land the job. Personalizing them just eases my mind from thinking that it will end up in the spam pile.

By: If There Was No Internet…Would You Still Write? | Freelance Writing Jobs

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:22:11 +0000

[...] Wide Web, would you still be writing? Would you be submitting queries to online publications and cold-calling local businesses or would you be an accountant or programmer or have a different office [...]

By: 10 Bad Freelance Writing Habits You Need to Break | Freelance Writing Jobs

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:45:59 +0000

[...] places offering great opportunities. Not all of them are online either. Don’t be afraid of cold-calling or visiting with offline sources as well. These can be great source of income as well as [...]

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:12:54 +0000

As Kendra says, newspapers don’t pay worth *!@%. Heck, I helped develop payment agreement for one newspaper 20 years ago, and payment hasn’t gone up much, if at all, since, despite 20 years of inflation. Newspaper reporters don’t fair much better, though they may get benefits.

By: Deb

Deb — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:16:29 +0000

Hi Erik – I think there are still plenty of ways to be a successful writer and hope you won’t abandon it (or us) altogether.

I wish you lots of good luck and have been wondering where you’ve been!

By: Amy Derby

Amy Derby — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 03:05:46 +0000

Erik — I was so excited to see your name, because I haven’t seen you around here in so long. Then I saw what you said, and it made me sad. I can certainly understand your decision though. I selfishly hope you will keep at your fiction writing, at least, because I enjoyed reading your fiction (before I lost the link to your blog in the Great Computer Crash of 2008). I hope you’ll find the right track for you, whatever way that may be.

By: Kendra

Kendra — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 02:57:12 +0000

Erik,

“Being good” is only part of success. Tenacity and marketing are a HUGE part of success.

Newspapers pay little or nothing (speaking of “penny a word”). DO NOT just look for newspaper jobs.

The non-profit world isn’t drying up. I see several “Grant Writer needed” positions on Craigslist each week.

As far as finding out how to break into markets, I’m wondering if you visit this site much (that sounded a bit harsh, but it’s not my intention). If you haven’t already, add this site to your RSS reader, and apply for at least five jobs listed on the job postings each day.

With the economy, employment opportunities are more competitive. You have to work twice as hard sometimes to get half the results. However, giving up will ENSURE that you don’t get any writing gigs.

By: Erik Hare

Erik Hare — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:11:36 +0000

After a few years of staying in the biz, I think it’s time to give up. I can’t get journalism gigs because we have too many unemployed reporters from the Strib and PPress around. The nonprofit world is drying up, so there goes grant writing. I never did find out how to break into Tech Writing, despite having an engineering degree.

Bottom line – I’m not good enough to make it. Bye, everyone. I have to figure out another way to survive. A penny a word gig isn’t going to do it.

By: Phil

Phil — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:38:34 +0000

Amy,

That’s how I feel, too. I’m a big believer in “you get what you pay for.”

By: Amy Derby

Amy Derby — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:51:50 +0000

Phil — My opinion only, but I would skip the rate sheets. Knowing what you do (from what you’ve told me), and knowing vaguely what you charge, I would say your chances on a cold lead would be better without the rate sheet. Big prices turn people off, in my experience, even if you’re worth it. For someone inexperienced in paying a professional rate for a press release, seeing your rate might floor them. However, if they were forced to contact you to find out your rate before making a decision, you would have that leg-up. I know many freelancers will argue with me on this one, but that’s how I see it. As for me, there is no way I could put in writing what I charge either per word or per project. It varies so much based on the client. I instead use the “free consultation to discuss your needs” approach. This lures them in, and it gives them the opportunity to hear me out and be impressed enough to want to pay my rate rather than some schmoe who charges a fraction of a penny per word.

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:36:30 +0000

I worked as an advertising rep for a local newspaper for eight years, and cold calling was a big part of my job. Even though I hated it with a passion (still do!) I am thankful for the training it provided.

It’s still not easy though – I sometimes struggle with hearing “no” repeatedly, but the reality is that cold calling, and any other marketing technique, is a numbers game.

I prefer using the “warm call” technique instead like Deb suggested – sending a package relaying the services you provide, and then following up with a phone call to make sure it was received and answer any questions. But I still call first to make sure I have the contact person’s name before sending anything by mail – helps you get through the gate keepers when you’re making that follow up call too.

By: Phil

Phil — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:47:49 +0000

Deb,

Thanks. I’ve been burned in the past by project creep, and mentioned earlier the problems I have with hourly rates. While I know word rates for magazines and for “journalistic” online endeavors, those don’t translate too well for press releases and similar work.

By: Robin

Robin — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:59:35 +0000

Deb,

When I cold e-mail I’ve always made it very specific for their website. It’s not a form e-mail that I’m sending to a whole bunch of places. They’ve been websites that I would really like to write for, not just website that I think “oh, I could write for them.” So, hopefully, it’s been recognized as not spam, but if it’s been considered spam, I certainly didn’t intend it to be.

By: Deb

Deb — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:53:33 +0000

@Phil – I never give out my rates and I’m always uncomfortable telling others what to charge. What I can do is tell you how my rate sheet is set up:

500 words = $xx.00
Each additional 100 words = $XX.00
Rewrites – $XX per hour

I know another writer who offers an a la carte menu

Website copy =
Articles =
Brochures =

I hope that helps.

@ Robin – I’ve cold emailed the past as well – just keep in mind that some look at it as spam.

@Nicki – It DOES take a lot of confidence and it’s nerve wracking. I never liked doing it but I’ve had success.