May162023 by Jyssica SchwartzNo Comments

9 Easy & FREE Marketing Ideas for People Who Hate Marketing

Books, Copywriting, Editing, JS, LinkedIn, Medium, Sales & Marketing, writing

I get it, I am a weirdo.

Perhaps an anomaly.

But I…(shhh, don’t tell anyone!) like marketing myself and my business.

No, no, don’t run away!

I know most people hate marketing themselves.

It can feel “braggy” to talk about yourself. There is anxiety when approaching strangers. What if the person/company doesn’t like your work? And, hey, marketing takes time away from other (paid) work.

“I’m just not good at it.”

“I don’t see the point.”

I have HEARD IT ALL.

And I still know it to be 100% true that if you market yourself, even a little bit, you will get back SO MUCH return and will be more profitable and successful FASTER.

So, instead of a lecture on why marketing is super important and why you really just need to do it, full stop, I am going to give you a few quick tips you can implement starting right now to do some marketing with minimal work or effort on your part.

None of the below ideas require you to spend hours researching or scrolling through social media or emailing individual companies and people. They are all free. And even just picking a couple and trying them will show you how useful this kind of marketing can be.

I CHALLENGE YOU:

Do just a couple of these things consistently for 60–90 days and see if you are getting more leads, more money, and better clients.

Just see if it works for you.

You may find that some things work better than others. Great! Drop the ones that don’t work after the first 30-60 days and focus on the things that are producing results. Maybe replace it with another item on the list if you have time to incorporate it.

You may be surprised that some of these end up being things you actually enjoy doing. Yes, I blog for my business — but I genuinely enjoy blogging!

1. Add your blog, books, and links to your email signature (and social bios).

Time it takes: 10 minutes (max)

Cost: Free

This is a super simple one. Add the links for your company, website, books, courses, etc. into your email signature and also into all of your social media bios.

It takes basically no time, and then they are there forever.

Here is my Gmail email signature:

2. Ask for referrals.

Time it takes: 10–20 minutes

Cost: Free

This is something you SHOULD be doing with every client, but it’s easy to forget.

Go through your spreadsheet or email folders or wherever and gather the list of previous clients you’ve worked with over the past, say two years.

Shoot them a super quick email saying hello and checking in, and letting them know you enjoyed working with them previously. Mention any exciting developments (you launched a new course, have new services, got married, etc.). And end it by saying, “If you or anyone you know anyone who needs _____ services, please let me know! I am currently looking to add 2 new clients to my roster. Thank you!”

You can even create a referral program where you give an old client $100 or a percentage of the first project you do with any client they refer.

If you decide to create a referral program, mention it in the same email!

Then, moving forward, every time you work with a client, ask for referrals. You don’t have to wait until you’re done working with someone. Once you’ve done some work for anyone, they have enough information to know they like working with you.

Always ask for referrals!

3. Upsell your existing clients for more services.

Time it takes: 10 minutes of conversation (or a REALLY good email)

Cost: Free

As a writer/editor, most first-time or prospective clients assume that writing or editing is all I do. They ask me about the cost of website copy, blogging, or editing a book, and that’s it.

However, I use the conversation to let them know about my other skills and other ways I can bring value to their business.

For example, instead of ONLY writing the blog post, I offer to source images, upload the post to their site (if they want), and create a social media post with the link, a quote from the article, and hashtags.

This takes a lot off their plate — uploading, scheduling posts, grabbing images, etc.

They then get excited when they realize I can do the entire process, which also helps them understand why my prices are what they are — because I’m worth it.

Or if I am editing for a client, I like to also offer my writing, fact-checking, research, and formatting services.

So, think about additional things you can do to make your existing services bigger. It is the easiest and fastest way to make more money!

If you offer graphic design and are brought on to update the website, talk about your logo creation services, too.

In most cases (in my experience), the client didn’t even think to ask if you also did these other things and are excited you can take more off their plate.

The result is more money from each client.

4. Create a free one-pager, article, infographic, 3-minute video, or other informational item related to your business.

Time it takes: 1–2 hours one time (+ long-term returns)

Cost: Free

This one and #5 work hand in hand.

You can offer a free opt-in item to anyone who is interested.

I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of popups on websites and blogs that say, “Get a FREE ____ workbook!” or “Click here to download a free 10-day meal plan!”

Those are free opt-ins.

You can create ANYTHING to be a free promo item. It could be a PDF of an article you wrote that is particularly valuable for your industry, a one-video short webinar on the topic you get asked about the most, a listicle of paid opportunities in your field, an infographic, a free ebook you’ve written — anything.

But having a free promo item helps you build your email list AND gets your name and work to a wider audience with basically no additional work from you.

Then you can add the link to your free promo item in your email signature and bios, at the end of blog posts, as a popup on your website. There are plugins for that OR you can do it via your mailing list site (see #5), and every time someone signs up for your free item, they are added to a mailing list and become leads.

5. Build an email list and send out newsletters.

Time it takes: 20 minutes to get started, then ongoing, maybe 30 minutes per newsletter

Cost: Free (depending on what resource you use)

I use a free MailChimp account for my email list and to send newsletters. If you choose a different service, this might not be free.

But MailChimp (and other email services) have free signup forms you can create and add to your website or blog to encourage people to sign up for your mailing list. In my MailChimp account, I can go to any audience and click on “Create a signup form” to get their form builder.

This is mine for my main mailing list, Schwartz Freelancer News

I have the link to my mailing list form (that “eepurl” URL at the top left) at the bottom of blog posts and on my website. You can also add it to your email signature, social media bios, and more.

Once I put it at the bottom of my blog posts, I started getting new signups every week!

Once you have a few signups, start sending out newsletters to your list. You choose how often you want to send them out and what they say. Do it consistently, similar to how you might create a blogging schedule.

I tend to only send out newsletters about once a month. I usually feature a recent (useful) blog post and mention what I am working on next and any announcements about my work or business.

Yours could be anything. They could be valuable resources you’ve found for people in your industry, a list of websites that pay for contributor articles, a recommended reading list, a recent blog post or video you posted, or anything!

But sending out newsletters keeps your name in peoples’ minds, engages with leads, and shows them the value you provide for free. They will be certain your paid services are worth your price.

6. Write and post blogs consistently.

Time it takes: 1–2 hours per blog

Cost: Free

Content marketing is super important, but all you need to know is that you should post more on your blog, whether that is on your website or on an independent platform like Medium.

Blogging consistently (I recommend at least once per week) will grow your audience and get you ranked higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Original content is huge for search engines.

And if more people find you from the SERPs, you’ll continue growing your audience and your credibility with useful content.

Bonus tip: Do some guest blogging! If you have a piece of content that could be a good fit on another site, shoot them an email and ask if they accept guest posts. Whether they pay or not, you’re widening your audience base and getting your name further afield.

7. Post on social media more often (& not necessarily work stuff!).

Time it takes: 5–10 minutes a couple of days a week

Cost: Free

You have an online business. You KNOW you should be using social media, even just a little bit every week.

Start making a point to post on social media 2–3 times per week. The posts do not need to be only about your business. In fact, most consumers prefer to see the humanity and authenticity behind the brand. Post about yourself, a cute photo of your pet, a challenge you are working through, anything.

Posting more often widens your reach and expands who sees you. And then, when they check your bio, they see all the stuff you do! It all works together.

Make sure to use hashtags when posting so that the people who follow those tags see your posts, and remember it doesn’t even have to be original content — you can retweet and share other people’s content. Tag them so their audience sees you, too.

Finally, don’t sleep on LinkedIn. I’ve gotten a bunch of clients through LinkedIn. Grab the post you just made on Facebook or Twitter and paste it into LinkedIn to share. Throw up a blog post from your blog onto LinkedIn’s platform occasionally. Just use it; there are so many business owners on that platform!

8. Get involved in a couple of Facebook or LinkedIn groups in your field of expertise and answer a few questions.

Time it takes: 10 minutes a couple of times per week

Cost: Free

You’re probably already in a few groups here and there for your industry. I am in a couple of writing groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. While I don’t check them every day, I do like to go in once or twice each week and answer some questions.

I have gotten new clients who told me they saw my comments in the FB/LI group and wanted to work with me.

I just answer questions with a few sentences. Not every day and not every question, but I go in and clearly answer a few things weekly to show my authority and continue to brand myself as a thought leader.

I am also not afraid to ask a question or two myself in the group and get some info from others.

It’s a great way to engage with people and get your name out without having to actively market yourself. It also shows off your knowledge and expertise. Win-win!

9. Join HARO & PodcastGuests to get featured in articles and podcasts.

Time it takes: 2–3 minutes to scroll through the list. 3-5 minutes per answer

Cost: Free

I’ve talked about HARO before, and I’m saying it here because it’s a great way to get free publicity and market yourself by getting quoted by other websites for free.

HARO stands for Help A Reporter Out and is at www.HelpAReporter.com. Go to the website and sign up as a “source.” It’s free and quick.

You will receive 3 emails per day from HARO with a list of all the writers and reporters looking for information and quotes for their articles. They always list out what they are looking for and the information they need, and in most cases, they list the publication.

If they like your response, they’ll quote you in the article and usually send you a link once it is published.

In case they don’t, I do a Google search of my name about once a month to see if anything new has been posted with my name.

If you’re interested in getting on podcasts, a similar free resource to HARO for podcasts is podcastguests.com. Sign up and you’ll receive daily emails about podcasts actively looking for people to interview on their show. You can very quickly fill out a Google form for each one you’re interested in.

Not only is this a great free way to get your name even further out there and pops up when people search your name, but it ALSO is a great addition to the Media page on your website. My media page lists everywhere I have been featured or directly interviewed, including podcasts. It just adds to my credibility when people look at my website and search for me online.

Here’s my media page: https://jyssicaschwartz.com/media/

An Important Note:

James M. Ranson, a close friend of mine who is also a successful freelancer, wants to add his thoughts to this post. This comes directly from his own experience:

If you look at these 9 marketing tips and just don’t want to do any of them or don’t see the point in doing them, you may not have a marketing issue — you may have a business problem. Take some time to reflect and make sure that you are happy with what you do and offer and the work you produce. Revisit what you do, why you do it, who you do it for, and how you feel about doing it.

If you aren’t excited to share it, you may not be doing the thing that is right for you. And that’s ok! It’s totally fine — even encouraged — to reassess and pivot to a new offering or work that you like more.

Be ruthlessly honest with yourself about what’s working for you around those things and what isn’t. Then use what you find to tweak, refine, pivot, or even completely revamp your business into something you’re excited to do at least SOME of these 9 marketing tasks for.

Aug62021 by Jyssica Schwartz1 Comment

How To Self-Publish Your Book on Amazon KDP

Books, Medium

I get asked how to self-publish ALL the time.

And I know it can be confusing if you’ve never done it before. So to make it easier, I’ve created a step by step guide for the entire process.

I am not going to dive into how to find a cover designer or formatting or all the details of formatting in this post. Let me know if that is something you want to see in another article.

Here are the things you need to self-publish on Amazon:

Two versions of your formatted book; one as a docx, EPUB, or KPF file (formatted for ebook) and the other as a PDF file (formatted for the physical version/paperback).
Front cover in JPG format (for ebook) and wraparound cover with a spine in JPG format (for physical version/paperback).
Summary/book description (same as what is on the back cover of the physical book).
An idea of the two Amazon categories you want to publish in.
The price you want to sell the ebook and paperback versions for.

You do not need to buy an ISBN, Amazon will provide you with one for free for each version.

Step 1: Create an account on KDP.

Go to kdp.amazon.com and sign in with your same Amazon login.

The “Bookshelf” tab is where you upload books and also see a list of all books you’ve published.

The “Reports” tab shows how many books have been sold in each format and your current royalties, as well as how many Kindle Unlimited pages are read. There is other info as well. You can just click through the tabs to familiarize yourself.

The “Community” tab has forums and a knowledge base, and the “Marketing” tab shows advertising options through Amazon.

Step 2: Upload an ebook.

On the “Bookshelf” tab, click +Kindle eBook.

You will now see 3 pages of steps to publish your ebook. Let’s go through them one by one.

Kindle eBook Details

This is the page where you’ll input all the book details.

Start by typing in your book title and subtitle (if any). If you don’t have a subtitle, leave this blank.

If your book is part of a series, you will do the series step. If not, skip it.

If you are publishing a new book, then you will not fill in the edition number. This is only if it is a new or updated version of an existing, already published book.

Add your name as author.

If you have an illustrator, editor, co-author, introduction writer, or any other contributors, add their names and role under “Contributors.”

Next, you will add the book description in the text box.

Check off that you own the copyright to your book.

Select up to 7 keywords or keyphrases that describe your book. These can be anything you want but should be related to your book’s topic and themes. These keywords help Amazon know when to show your book when shoppers search for related topics.

Now you will select 2 categories. These are the categories your book will be listed in on Amazon’s book listings.

You can choose any categories you want. Take your time to go through the various options and categories to see what makes the most sense. You can only choose 2.

In the next section, if you’re uploading a children’s book, you can select age and grade ranges. If it is not a kid’s book, skip this step.

If you plan to upload the book ASAP, ignore the pre-order option.

Click Save and Continue.

Kindle eBook Content

This is the page where you will upload your manuscript and cover, as well as actually see what it will look like.

At the top, you will need to select if you want to enable Digita Rights Management (DRM). This is up to you. Here are 3 resources that go deeper into details on what DRM is and the pros and cons so you can decide:

Next, you’ll upload your book manuscript as a docx, EPUB, or KPF file. If it is a docx file, it still needs to be formatted correctly for Kindle.

Then you’ll upload your front cover image (not the wraparound cover) as a JPG or TIFF file. You could use the cover creator to create a cover on your own, though I have not used that tool.

Once the interior and covers are fully uploaded and processed, click on Launch Previewer to see how it will look!

It is important to flip through this and make sure the cover looks good, the interior pages look right, and that KDP doesn’t flag any issues. At the top of the screen, you can change the previewer to Tablet, Phone, or Kindle e-reader to see what your book will look like on various devices.

It is common for the sizing or formatting to be slightly off. Read the menu on the left side to get details if something isn’t right and give that information to your cover designer and/or formatter for any needed adjustments. You’ll take the adjusted files and reupload them in this same place and review the previewer again.

If you are satisfied with everything, click Approve.

Last on this page is the ISBN. If you have already purchased an ISBN, paste it here. If not, skip this step, as ebooks do not require one.

Click Save and Continue.

Kindle eBook Pricing

Last is the pricing page.

You’ll start by selecting if you want to enroll in KDP Select. KDP Select gives you access to promotions and other things but is a 90-day requirement that will auto-renew unless you remember to change it. Here are 3 resources to decide if you want to enroll:

For territories, you can choose if you want to have your book sold in all Amazon territories around the world or if you prefer to limit it to specific areas.

Under Primary marketplace, you can select your “home” Amazon. For example, if you are in the US, this will be Amazon.com. If you are located in India, it would be Amazon.in.

Then comes pricing! Here you will choose either 35% or 70% royalty. If you want the 70% royalty, your book MUST be priced between $2.99 and $9.99.

With 35%, your price can be anywhere from $0.99 to $200.

You will see the converted priced and royalties per sale for all territories below.

Finally, you’ll see the Book Lending section. If you choose 70% royalties, you will automatically be enrolled in Book Lending and cannot remove it.

Click Publish.

Congrats! Your ebook is submitted. You will receive an email within 72 hours from Amazon KDP either telling you the book is live and giving you the link OR explaining any issues and telling you what to fix before it can go live.

Step 3: Upload a paperback.

Now that you have uploaded your ebook, it’s time to do the paperback. Once you hit “Publish” for the ebook, KDP will give you a popup pop that asks if you want to go ahead and do the paperback. Click yes.

If you did not see the popup or accidentally clicked no, simply click +Paperback in the center of the “Bookshelf” screen.

Paperback Details

If you clicked yes on the popup, KDP will autofill in this information from the ebook details. Verify it is correct and change anything you need.

Save and Continue to move onto the content.

If you clicked +Paperback, it will not autofill the Paperback Details page and you’ll need to fill it in with the same information from the ebook: title, author, description, keywords, categories, etc. before you save and continue.

Paperback Content

At the top, you will see the ISBN section.

If you purchased your own ISBN, click “Use my own ISBN” and paste in the number. If not, select “Get a free KDP ISBN” and the system will randomly assign you one.

Under publication date, you can choose any date starting from today. If you have a specific date you want to launch, find and select that day. If not, just put today’s date.

The next section is Print Options.

In the top area, you’ll select whether you want a black and white interior with cream or white paper or a color interior. Keep in mind that black and white is cheaper to print, giving you more royalties from each sale.

Then you’ll see Trim Size. Trim size is the size of your physical book. You will have already chosen this size when you had a cover made and the interior formatted, so you should already know this. The cover and interior have to be formatted to fit your specific book/trim size.

KDP supports a ton of different sizes. Here’s a full list of sizes you can choose from. 5×8 and 6×9 seem to be very common.

You’ll also choose if you want bleed or no bleed. Bleed is when the background color or images go all the way to the edge of the page, no bleed means it does not extend to the edge and has a small border on all sides.

Select if you want your cover to be matte or shiny.

Next, just like with the ebook, it’s time to upload your manuscript and cover. Manuscripts can be PDF (recommended), docx, HTML, or RTF.

Upload your wraparound cover as a PDF file.

Launch the previewer, review, and approve. Take note if there are any issues, as you’ll need to resolve them before it will let you publish the book.

Paperback Rights & Pricing

This page is the same as the ebook pricing page. Choose your territories, marketplace, and your pricing. Generally, paperbacks cost more than ebooks.

Finally, click Publish Your Paperback Book.

Congrats! Wait for the email from Amazon with a live link or any issues.

After You Publish

AFTER your first book is live on Amazon, you’ll go to Author Central to create an Amazon author page.

Step 1: Go to author.amazon.com and create an account and fill in your profile info.

Step 2: Click “Books” at the top to add your books to your profile page. Here is what my profile page looks like: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B074MBKFZN
⁠
Every single time you upload a new book, you’ll go to Author Central and add it to your page.

You will also need to contact Author Central’s customer service to have them merge your ebook and paperback into one page. If you don’t, Amazon counts them as separate books and each version will have its own page. You want them to be on one page so you can see all formats in one place.

If you need more detail on Author Central, here is a step-by-step guide with images: 3 Steps You Must Take After Publishing Your Book

And you’re all set!

I know this is long but I hope it’s super helpful. Let me know if you have any questions!

Check out my book Concept to Conclusion: How to Write a Book and learn everything you need to know to conceive of, outline, write, publish, and market a book! Or check out my newest release, an anxiety journal: But…what if? A Journal For Anxious People.

Sign up for my mailing list for writing and freelancing news and information.

24 Ways To Market & Sell Your Book

Books, JS, Sales & Marketing

Use your book as a marketing tool to grow your business!

Few authors make a livable income from selling their books alone (including me!). However, there are many ways having written a book allows you to make more money, by attracting new clients, growing your business or brand, and positioning yourself as an authority — which will lead to you raising your prices for your services.

You may come to see that writing your book is the easy part, and it’s the marketing and selling it which can be difficult and sometimes frustrating.

Using your book as a marketing tool to serve yourself and your business, and marketing your book to sell copies are two separate things and you should approach them differently.

An example of using your book as a marketing tool is if you use the fact that you’re a published author in the industry as a selling point or credential to land a speaking engagement.

An example of marketing your book for sales is bringing copies of your book to a conference, book fair, or speaking engagement and selling copies to attendees while there.

Marketing your book can sometimes feel like a second job, but it’s an important aspect in book publishing, no matter how you choose to publish! If you go with traditional publishing, the publisher will have ways to market your book, but it will still be up to you to do a lot of your own marketing, too.

Having written a book allows you to:

Launch or further your personal brand (or that of your company).
Position yourself as a thought leader and an expert in your field.
Give yourself an immediate perception of authority, credibility, and legitimacy.
Attract clients and act as a lead generator, which helps you sell more products or services.
Provide a straightforward way to educate people on your industry or topic.
Create a passive income stream.
Launch or grow a business.
Provide more opportunities for media and publicity.
Open doors for getting into public speaking or consulting.

24 Book Marketing Ideas

Here is a list of 24 marketing ideas. Hopefully, this list will spark some ideas and inspiration in you and you may come up with new ideas I’d never think of!

Create an opt-in within your book to add to your mailing list (see chapter six for more on this).
Use HARO and PodcastGuests to be featured in articles and podcasts.
Run a preorder campaign before you launch.
Create a Goodreads account and connect your book to your name there.
Write an article on LinkedIn.
Write a blog post on your personal blog.
Do some guest posts on other people’s blogs.
Announce your book to your email lists.
Update your website with your new book and a link to purchase.
Create targeted ads on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Run a Google AdWords campaign.
Write and distribute a press release.
Do livestreams on Facebook or YouTube with Q&As and talk about your book and the writing process
Do a Reddit AMA (“Ask Me Anything”).
Host a book launch party.
Do book signings at local bookstores or libraries.
Make simple graphics on sites like Canva to post on various social media platforms.
Submit your book to websites that do editorial reviews.
Send your book to individual reviewers who post on their own platforms.
Put an excerpt of a chapter or two on Wattpad and include a link to purchase the rest.
Do a giveaway.
Try a Kindle Countdown deal (price promotion) or use other Amazon promotional tools available to you through KDP (if you enrolled in KDP Select).
Be a speaker at an event or conference (and bring copies of your book to sell).
Attend book fairs, festivals, and conferences (you can even purchase a booth and bring plenty of copies to sell).

Get creative and think about how you can get your book or information about you in front of a wider audience. These are only some of the ways you can market and advertise your book, and I know you’ll be able to come up with many more.

It’s up to you whether you choose to use your book as a marketing tool or market your book at all. Just know that being a published author can serve you well in your life and business.

Check out my book Concept to Conclusion: How to Write a Book and learn everything you need to know to conceive of, outline, write, publish, and market a book! Or check out my first-ever beautifully illustrated kid’s book I Love You Bigger Than All The Stars In The Sky.

Sign up for my mailing list for writing and freelancing news and information.

Other stories you may like:

3 Steps You Must Take After Publishing Your Book

How To Write & Publish A Kid’s Book

What Is ‘Creative Nonfiction’?

Apr162021 by Jyssica SchwartzNo Comments

17 Mistakes To Avoid As A Freelancer

Books, Copywriting, Entrepreneur, JS, Medium

A straightforward list of tips and advice to build your brand fast.

I saw this question on Quora and wrote up a nice long answer. I realized it would be useful to you as well! So here is my answer to “What should I avoid when I am a freelance writer?” originally asked on Quora with some more information for you.

There were some other excellent answers, but here are the 17 mistakes that I came up with and some details as to why.

The top things to avoid as a freelance writer are:

Working for free for any reason — you do not need a portfolio of published pieces or free work to get started. Anyone with any level of experience can pitch to clients and use PDFs or Google docs of written pieces as writing samples. Never work for free.
Self-doubt — Insecurity, imposter syndrome, and self-doubt are extremely common, especially among new or inexperienced freelancers. The reality is that if people are willing to pay for your work, then it is valuable. You have to value yourself and your skills and be confident in your pitches to succeed. Entrepreneurship is hard enough without self-sabotage.
Working for very low pay — If a site or agency or client is offering 2 or 4 cents per word, no matter how fast you write, it is too low and unreasonable. Value your skills and time. If you are making at or below even minimum wage, it’s WAY TOO LOW. Freelance writing is a specialized skill, especially if you have a specific highly specialized niche. Charge more and say NO to too-low wages. Use that time looking for higher-paying projects.
Writing free “samples” — If a company or client asks for free writing, it’s a scam to get free posts. Even if they are a legitimate company, they are still scamming you. Reputable good companies will pay for any samples or tests they ask you to do in the interview process.
Bad clients — Clients who try to scope creep (asking for more than you agreed to and are being paid for), demanding, late with payments, nickel-and-diming you, and who are unresponsive are simply not worth your time and frustration. Spend that time looking for better clients. Trust me, this one is huge. Here’s a post about how to identify these types of bad clients.
Freelance content mills — I personally am not a fan of Upwork and similar sites, simply because it always feels like a race to the bottom. Value quantity over quality. Marketing yourself can sound overwhelming but if you pick a few companies that look like good fits and reach out directly, you are far more likely to get a response and start building a relationship.
Overbooking yourself — If you overload yourself with work, you risk missing deadlines, stressing yourself out, and making mistakes. Know your limits of how much you can do in a day, a week, and a month. It is ok to say “I am not able to take that on this week but I could start on it next Tuesday with a deadline of Friday if that works for you.” Give yourself permission to take a break, a nap, a walk, and have some free time. Freelancing doesn’t mean being busy every second, it’s about working smarter and building relationships, and working on the types of things you WANT to be doing.
Missing deadlines — Don’t do it. If you make a commitment, make it happen. If you overbooked yourself or didn’t allow enough time for it, then grind it out and do it this time and learn the lesson of how long things take you and how to estimate deadlines. When creating your deadlines, build in some wiggle room.
Working without a contract — This is a huge no-no. Don’t do it. Even if it is a simple, relatively inexpensive project, contracts are hugely important. Your contract should dictate payments, deadlines, deliverables, and anything else having to do with the client/freelancer relationship. Contracts are put in place to protect ALL parties, not just the freelancer. The client is getting a guarantee of the work and deliverables they can expect, as well as timelines and payment schedules.
Not asking for referrals and reviews/testimonials — This is a mistake many freelancers make. They either “feel weird asking” or forget to ask for referrals and testimonials. Not me! I assume that every client I work with had a good experience — because I put a lot of effort into making sure I am easy to work with and give them what they ask for. After our project is complete, I let them know I enjoyed working with them and ask if they or anyone they know needs any writing and editing services. If they write back a good review, I ask if it’s ok to put it up on my website.
Not looking for long-term or retainer clients — This is one many freelancers learn as they go. Projects are great and especially good for filling gaps and making faster money, but longer-term projects and monthly retainer clients are the best way to build stability into your paycheck and work. I have retainer clients that pay a flat fee per month and get X number of hours or work or X number of posts per month from me. I invoice them monthly and build a solid relationship. I also tend to get more referrals from this type of client.
Not asking for more money/negotiating — If a project or client seems interesting and you want to work with them but they are offering too low of pay rates, try simply asking for and negotiating for more money. It never hurts to ask. I often will take a little time to educate them on “average” rates and why they often get what they pay for. I show them my value and the benefits they will get from working with me. This works more often than not.
Not be proactive about pitching/marketing yourself — Many new (and seasoned!) freelancers join sites like Upwork and write for their own blogs and just wait for clients to come to them. This is the worst possible strategy. Being successful faster requires you to go out and identify ideal clients and actively reach out to them and introduce yourself. No one knows who I am. They are not searching for ME, they are searching for a random writer to fit with what they need. Being proactive is extremely effective and often results in better clients, better work, and better pay.
Not having their own blog — Having your own blog that you update regularly is a huge boon. People can find you organically and you can also use it as your writing samples. It is a great way to get your name out there and build an audience. Some clients will reach out to you simply because they found your blog and it was a great resource for them.
Not diversifying their income — You do NOT have to stick to one thing. Maybe you started out ghostwriting blog posts, but that doesn’t mean that is the only thing you can do. There are tons of other ways to make money, some more passive than others. For example, you can write a book and get royalties from sales, you can do some affiliate marketing if it makes sense on your blog, you can start a podcast or a Youtube channel, you could create a short webinar or online course that can be sold in perpetuity.
Not starting an email list early — I didn’t start my email list until I was ready to publish my first book and I was definitely missing out. Newsletters can make you money, make you a thought leader, let you give valuable information to your readers, and is a great place to announce new things happening with you — book releases, a new service offering, and more.
Not double-checking the details — When writing or editing something for anyone, make sure you not only reread your work several times but also that you reread the brief or outline to make sure it is what the client wants. Also, run your work through editing software like Grammarly as a final step, just to make sure you didn’t miss anything. We all make mistakes and typos, it’s human nature. So, just do whatever you can to avoid them in the final product.

I hope you find this helpful and can avoid making these mistakes as you build your freelancing empire!

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How to Get Started & Write Your Book

Books, JS, Medium

Breaking down the process.

When it comes to writing a book, there are a lot of misconceptions.

Some people think it’s super easy (it’s not!), some think it’s too hard (nope!), others think it’s unnecessary or there are too many books in the world (never!), and still others just don’t know where to start.

And if you have a book in you but don’t know where to start, that is where a book coach comes in.

A book coach is a cross between an author, an accountability coach, a writing partner, an editor, and a therapist.

My book coaching focuses mostly on nonfiction works.

When I work with authors, our first couple of sessions really focus on creating an outline and coming up with a complete idea, a beginning, middle and end, and making sure the outline reflects what they want to say in the order they want to say it, in addition to hitting all the important takeaways they want the reader to get.

I’ve certainly spoken before about the importance of having an outline to when writing your book. And I will reiterate here: outlines are super important! They help you map out your book, keep you on track and focused, help you guard against writer’s block, and will allow you to finish your book much faster.

After putting together a cohesive outline, it’s time to start writing!

When it comes to actually writing a nonfiction book, there are dangers in being the expert!

Experts tend to want to write and discuss every little detail of their industry and experience and knowledge. After all, that’s why they are the expert writing the book!

But when it comes to putting it together into a book, you have to be able to step back and think about it from the reader’s perspective. Is this a beginner-level book? If so, that is entirely different from writing it for more advanced readers who are already very familiar with your topic, the lingo, the industry, and the background of it.

Beginners need all the acronyms explained, the concepts spelled out, and more examples given in different ways. The same way any newbie to an industry would. I have a plan for that.

There is also a tendency to write EVERYTHING YOU KNOW in your book, forgetting the audience and forgetting that you can always write a second book or start a blog or create a more detailed course, etc. You don’t have to get all of your knowledge out in one book! It’s also hard to sell a beginner on a book on a new topic if it’s 400 pages long and looks super complicated.

And no matter what, just start writing! It’s easier to fix bad writing than it is to start from a blank page over and over. Trust yourself and your knowledge and get started!

You have a book coach to help you — take advantage of that. Write and give the coach something to critique!

Next, I’ll be talking about the best way to break down the actual writing process.

Oct272017 by Jyssica Schwartz3 Comments

#MeToo the Book — Share Your Story

Books, Entrepreneur, JS, writing

I have been deeply inspired by the sharing and bravery of the people who told their story while #metoo swept social media in the last weeks. I have also been a victim of sexual harassment and assault, and I think it is more important than ever that we continue to talk about, continue to provoke conversation, and refuse to be victims.

I am putting together a book of stories based on the #metoo movement.

Are you interested in telling your story?

Hi, my name is Jyssica Schwartz. I am a 31-year-old writer and editor based in Brooklyn, NY. If you’d like more information about me, please feel free to check out my website, blog, Instagram, Twitter, or book. This is a sensitive topic and I will be open and honest with all of you. Reach out to me with questions, concerns, and stories.

I have been very open about writing about mental health and my anxiety in my entrepreneurship journey and I continue this refusal to be a part of stigmatizing difficult topics with this book. As an author, I have the capacity and ability to put this project together using professional editors, cover designers, formatters, etc.

Submissions

If you would like to participate, please submit your story (no minimum length requirement, but please keep it under 3000 words) either to me by email at jyssica.schwartz@gmail.com or uploading it to upload it to Google drive here.

Make sure you include a title (if you want one), a first name, age, and location either in the filename of the document or at the top of the document itself.
I have been asked if contributors can be anonymous – YES. Use a fake first name or just “Anonymous,” but please still include your age and location.
This is open to ALL genders, ages, races, nationalities, everything. There will be no discrimination. If you submit, you will be included.
You are NOT being asked to pay anything at all. It is 100% free to be involved. I am currently planning to self-fund this project.

There is no length requirement, but here are some things to consider:

Think about not just the incident itself but the way you felt afterward, what steps you took, and why you did or did not report it.
Were you raised hearing things like “boys will be boys” or being told not to wear certain things because it might “distract the boys” or cause problems?
What might you do differently now or tell people now about these situations?
Your story is subject to general editing (not for content).

It could be anything from realizing we’re raised to expect it to how you feel about harassment to anything deep or light-hearted. I genuinely want different perspectives and views. It can be short or long, but I am looking for raw honesty. You would not need to be fully identified.

This movement has certainly highlighted the fact that almost all women are harassed so often that we ignore it and don’t talk about it, but I think we should.

This project is open to both men and women and you can stay anonymous with just a first name (even a pseudonym), age and country as the location.

This book

Will be open to all ages, genders, and nationalities. Diversity is encouraged and completely welcome.
Does not differentiate between types of stories. If it was verbal harassment or something far worse, your story deserves to be heard.
Will be self-published and available as both an ebook and a paperback.
Will be professionally edited.
Will have a professional cover and interior formatting.
Will have an introduction by me, likely based on a blog post I recently wrote about this topic (Unless someone more famous [which is basically everyone] is interested in being involved and wants to write a foreword/introduction!).

This book is for all of us.

A Few Statistics

70% of sexual harassment incidents in the workplace are not reported (source)
An analysis of 55 representative surveys found that about 25 percent of women report having experienced sexual harassment, but when they are asked about specific behaviors, like inappropriate touching or pressure for sexual favors, the share roughly doubles. Those numbers are broadly consistent with other survey findings. (source)
In 2015, 6,822 sexual harassment claims were filed with the EEOC. 17.1 percent of those cases were filed by men. (source)
Perpetrators of sexual violence are less likely to go to jail or prison than other criminals. In fact, out of every 1000 rapes, 994 perpetrators will walk free. (Source)
Only 344 out of every 1,000 sexual assaults are reported to police. That means about 2 out of 3 go unreported. (source)
Members of the military: 43% of female victims and 10% of male victims reported. (source)
In 2016, the EEOC released a comprehensive study of workplace harassment in the United States, which concluded that “anywhere from 25% to 85% of women report having experienced sexual harassment in the workplace.”
Almost two-thirds of male and female college students interviewed said they have encountered some type of sexual harassment while attending a university, about a third of which included physical contact such as being grabbed or touched in a sexual manner. (source)

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