How To Self-Publish Your Book on Amazon KDP

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.

My homepage on KDP.

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.

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Freelance Business Coaching — What is it & why should you care?

Freelance Business Coaching — What is it & why should you care?

JS, Medium

I get so many questions from new and aspiring freelancers — especially surrounding how to find and get clients, how to determine or raise prices, and how to “break up” with clients. Typically, I take the time to thoroughly write out an answer for each one, whether it’s on Quora, Facebook writing/freelancing groups, comments on my blog, or through email.

While I do still intend to write a guidebook of sorts for beginning freelancers with pitch examples, writing samples, scripts, contract templates, etc., I think doing one-on-one freelance business coaching is really helpful for people who want one-on-one help, advice, and accountability with a real person.

After all, having someone to answer questions, give direction and actionable steps to take, and hold you accountable may help you get more done!

I’ve been doing book coaching and free freelancing mentoring for several years now, and this felt like the perfect next step.

What is freelance coaching?

Great question! It’s basically interchangeable with career or business coaching — just focused specifically on freelancing.

It’s me as an expert, coach, and mentor to someone looking to start freelancing or for freelancers who want to level up and streamline their business.

Basically, if you want to start a side hustle as a freelancer selling your services or create a full-time freelance career, I can help!

Services include:

  • Deciding if you need a niche, and if so refining your niche
  • Marketing yourself and finding clients
  • Helping you pitch yourself to potential clients
  • How to determine your pricing/rates
  • How to negotiate rates with potential clients
  • How to raise your rates with existing clients
  • Time management and organization
  • Learning to identify “bad” clients/red flags and say no before ever starting to work with them
  • How to “break up” with a client you no longer want to work with
  • Helping you come up with copy for your website and write a bio
  • Free access to a contract template
  • Recommending free or low-cost tools and software that make your job easier (no affiliate links, no kickbacks, not required to use — just recommendations)

And more!

What do you think?

Are there services missing that you would find useful? Drop them in the comments and I can add them to the list!

Questions for YOU

Have you ever worked with a coach? What were your biggest positives and negatives when working with one?

Was there something that REALLY worked for you — or something that really, really didn’t and disappointed you?

I’d love to hear about YOUR experiences with coaches as the client and whether the coaching was “worth it” for you — or what would MAKE it worth it.

Thank you for your help!


Check out my book Concept to Conclusion: How to Write a Bookand learn everything you need to know to conceive of, outline, write, publish, and market a book!

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


Other stories you may like:

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One Fast & Simple Way to Scale Your Freelance Business

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The #1 Thing You Must Do to Be a Successful Entrepreneur

The #1 Thing You Must Do to Be a Successful Entrepreneur

Entrepreneur, JS

When people ask me how I became profitable immediately when I started my business, I always answer the same way:

“I didn’t spend ANY money on websites, business cards, marketing, or software/tools. I started by going out and FINDING CLIENTS first. That was my top and only priority. I had to prove there was a viable market for my skills before investing in anything.”

I started by being proactive and marketing myself and directly messaging potential clients. I answered job ads, messaged people via Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, and offered my services. My message told them I could provide value with updating their website copy/blogging for them/writing marketing copy/editing books, etc.

I attached 2–3 PDFs of writing samples I’d previously written and gave a link to my free online blog.

My first 4 clients: 1 was from a direct marketing email. 1 was from Reddit’s ForHire sub, I responded to a posted ad. 1 was a response to a free ad I’d posted on Craigslist looking for clients/work, and 1 was from LinkedIn, where I directly messaged some of my contacts who are business owners/founders/CEOs, etc.

And I still get clients via social media! (Here is an article showing how I use social media to find clients with examples!)

So, getting and having clients is obviously important to having a successful business. That makes sense. But this post is NOT about marketing, this is just background info.

So, what’s the #1 tip?

Sure, marketing yourself is really the top way to be finding and gaining new clients, but what is the tip I was talking about for being a successful entrepreneur?

The #1 thing you need to do to be successful in ANY business is to have GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I know I am a decent, even a good writer. Am I the best writer in the world? Heck NO.

BUT I am extremely easy to work with.

People LIKE me, and they like working with me.

I ask questions and dig in to really understand what they need and want. I take copious notes and remember their needs and questions. I am honest; if I don’t know the answer to something, I’ll always say “I’m not sure, let me find out and let you know.” I DELIVER on my promises. Overdeliver whenever possible (getting things done before a deadline, offering extra advice, sharing ideas, etc.). I update them on my progress on their projects, so they never wonder what I’m doing or if their work is getting done. I don’t charge extra fees on top of my stated and agreed-upon rates. I make sure I have a pretty flexible schedule so I can be available to jump on a call or respond to emailed questions. I RESPOND to emails and calls quickly.

I have made it my mission to be easy to work with.

And it has made a huge impact on my business. I get a ton of client referrals, more than some other writers and editors I know. I get clients who come back to ask to work with me on different projects or different types of work. They’ll say, “Hey, do you do XYZ? I know it’s not what you usually do but…”

I make sure to give them information for free on our first call. If they are an author, I talk about publishing options and comparisons and offer to introduce them to my cover designer, if they’d like (I get no kickback or referral fee from doing so). If they are a company looking for a blogger, I offer some free ideas for topics and ways we can use calls to action.

This is what makes ANY business successful, but especially an entrepreneur.

You don’t have to be the best, most perfect expert in the world.

You have to be good at what you do, of course.

But most of all, you have to be someone people WANT to work with.


Check out my brand new book Concept to Conclusion: How to Write a Bookand learn everything you need to know to conceive of, outline, write, publish, and market a book!

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


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Where To Start When Writing a Book

Where To Start When Writing a Book

JS

The idea of “I am going to write a book” feels huge.

And overwhelming and hard.

And sure, it can be…if you let it.

One of the biggest mistakes first-time authors make is overthinking, overanalyzing, and just not getting started.

It’s easy to look at writing a book as one whole BIG step instead of as a series of smaller tasks and to-dos.

But here’s the fun part: You don’t have to start at the introduction or even at the beginning if you don’t want to.

If you have a comprehensive and complete outline, then you already know the order everything will be in for the entire book.

So, you can pick a topic or section which feels inspiring at that moment and just start writing.

If you spend so much time agonizing over that opening line that you never actually write it, what have you accomplished?

Just put words down on the page.

You can change it, edit, revise later. You can fix or change or delete anything.

But there have to be words to change.

It’s easier to fix bad writing than to start from a blank page every time.

I know that sounds silly, simple, maybe even stupid — but it’s true. You can always edit your work but there must first be work to edit.

You can do one, two, or seven drafts and change as much as you need to until it’s exactly what you want it to be.

You have to start somewhere!

Start with an outline

Create a solid outline and roadmap for your book. You’ll always know how to get there if you know exactly the path you plan to take.

Use your outline as the place to change the order, add topics, decide the structure, and identify if you’re missing important information or have some information that doesn’t really fit with the rest.

Treat your outline as the first draft of your book.

Then it won’t feel as hard to start writing — because hey, the first draft is done, now it’s just about fleshing it out!

How do I know?

Well, because I’ve written books. More than that, I’ve helped a bunch of OTHER people write books, from really refining their concept to breaking down the writing process to putting the manuscript in order, publishing, and even using their books as marketing tools for their businesses.

I love books.

I admit it, I’m a huge book nerd. Book nerds unite!

I’ve written 3 of my own books, did book coaching for dozens of authors to help them start and finish their books, and even ghostwritten a few books!

I edit book manuscripts as a big part of my business….and I also still read books for fun!

See? Book nerd.

And I just wrote my third book. It’s freaking awesome and I’m super excited. It’s coming out Tuesday, November 26th because I might be an idiot and want to release it right before the holidays.

It’s an easy read and a great reference to walk ANY author through the writing process, and it is geared specifically toward nonfiction authors (though part two has some really awesome information on the editing process, publishing, and marketing which will help fiction authors, too!).

You don’t have to read it, I won’t make you.

But I am extremely proud of it and if you do read it, I know for a FACT it will be useful and give you straightforward no-BS knowledge to break down the writing process and learn step-by-step how to get that book out of your head and out into the world.

Concept to Conclusion: How to Write a Book comes out TOMORROW! It will be FREE for 48 hours ONLY starting tomorrow morning (November 26)!


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

Self-Publishing vs. Vanity Publishers vs. Trade Publishers

JS

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

I came across this question on Quora: “ Why do publishing companies charge authors for publishing their books when the publishing companies make their money from a percentage of book sales?

Here is the answer:

They don’t. What you’re referring to are “vanity publishers,” which are companies that help authors SELF-PUBLISH their books. They charge for editing, formatting, cover design, and often marketing and promotions to help your book get exposure.

They are typically far more expensive than simply self-publishing your own book. They also typically require an upfront payment and do NOT take royalties from book sales.

Traditional publishers do NOT charge the authors any money and take care of editing, formatting, cover, publishing, distribution, and promotions and DO share royalties with the author for all book sales.

If you are a big enough author, they may offer an advance payment on future royalties, however, most trade publishers these days do not pay first-time authors an advance and instead start paying royalties from the first book sale.

Why Do People Use Vanity Publishers?

There are a few reasons why someone would use these online vanity publishers.

  1. They don’t know how to or are intimidated by self-publishing. (Or do not know how to find professional editors, designers, and formatters and want help.)
  2. They don’t know how to market or promote their self-published book.
  3. They do not know the difference between vanity and traditional publishing.

These are the main reasons I have seen. I’ve worked with several vanity publishers as an editor and have had a good experience with most of them.

While I, personally, believe that most vanity publishers overcharge for their services, I also know that many authors are happy with these services and get to realize their dreams of being published authors without having to find, interview, and retain professionals for editing, formatting, and their cover, and can hand over that responsibility to people who know what they are doing.

The marketing and promotions aspect is something many vanity publishers do well. They know how to use social media, ads, and blogs and podcasts to get their authors exposure the authors may not know how to get themselves.

These promotions often lead to book sales, which is what the author wants.

Upfront Payments

The payments are the main difference between vanity publishers and traditional publishers. While most vanity publishers are NOT promoting themselves as trade publishers, many people not familiar with the publishing industry simply don’t know the difference and may feel duped.

As an author, it is really your responsibility to do your research and identify if the company you’re working with is really what you want.

A simple breakdown is this:

  • Vanity publishers require upfront payments for their services, do not usually distribute your physical books to bookstores and libraries, and the publishing is done under the author’s Amazon account. There are generally NO SHARED ROYALTIES on book sales. [Note: If you’re talking to a vanity publisher and they want to split royalties, run away. It’s YOUR Amazon account. How will they know the book sales or how much you owe them? How long will they want royalties? You are already pre-paying for their services.]
  • Trade publishers do not cost the author any money. They take on the risk of paying for everything with the assumption your book will sell enough copies to make a profit for both them and the author. The publishing is done under the company name and not your personal Amazon account. They distribute to many physical and electronic locations.
  • Self-publishing is truly doing it yourself without the help of marketing or people who know editing and formatting vendors. You find those people yourself, pay them for their services, and upload your own book to Amazon.

Self-Publishing vs. Vanity Publishers

The end result is the same. Whether you do it yourself or a vanity press does it for you, your book will be self-published under your personal Amazon account and royalties will be sent directly to you, and you’ll be able to track book sales on KDP.

It’s the process of getting your book ready for publishing and then promoting it which the vanity press addresses. Some people simply don’t have the time or inclination to do it themselves and prefer someone who knows what they are doing to just take care of it. This is where vanity publishers shine. They understand the process, have the vendors, and know what books need to be ready for publishing.

It is up to the author to decide what is right for them and how they prefer to publish.

Just remember — being self-published does not preclude you from being picked up by a traditional publisher later. I know, it happened to me. Some people think it does and blame self-publishing, but that is truly not the case. Self-publishing is a great way to get your work out there, get book sales and exposure, and be a published author while retaining full creative control.

What are your thoughts on the different ways to publish?

Self-employed vs. Employed: Pros & Cons

JS

Which is better??


Photo by Martin Shreder on Unsplash

This is not going to be some deeply controversial rant about why one way of making a salary is better or worse than the other.

This is not a verbose way to toot my own horn and make you spend your time and energy reading about how great I am.

This is not an article filled with cat pictures (sorry).

Because the question of “Which is better?” is an unfair question. The “right” answer is completely subjective.

I am currently self-employed and I love it, though of course there are drawbacks.

I previously worked for 10 years in corporate America and it was also both good and bad.

There are “dream jobs,” of course, but the reality is that even your dream job has drawbacks and days that suck sometimes.

Both self-employment and traditional employment have advantages and disadvantages, it is truly about what is best FOR YOU as an individual and for your family.

As Quora user Kelven Swords points out:

Pros:

  • YOU make the decisions, no one else… and you thus reap the rewards.
  • YOU control the finances, no one else… and you thus reap the profits.
  • YOU determine who is on staff, no one else… and you thus control the social structure.

Cons:

  • You make the decisions… thus have no one else to blame for your errors.
  • You control the finances… thus have no one else to blame for any wasted money.
  • You determine who is on staff… thus you have no one else to blame for any parasitic staff members who poison the well.

Let’s take it a step further than what Kelven has described above.

There are obvious advantages to working for yourself.

  • You can set your own working hours.
  • You choose who to work with…and who NOT to work with.
  • You have significantly more control over processes, contracts, clients, work, time, and everything else.
  • You can work in your pajamas — and even sleep in!
  • You get to build great relationships with your clients because you’re steering the ship and choosing how to cultivate those relationships.

There are some obvious disadvantages, as well.

  • You have no one else to rely on.
  • You do not have a manager setting tasks or deadlines, so all deadlines are self-imposed, which can be difficult for some to manage and stick to.
  • Time management becomes extremely important, which is hard for many.
  • No company insurance or other benefits.
  • No sick time, paid vacation time, or maternity leave.
  • Less stability in terms of income.
  • You will find yourself working far more than 40 hours most weeks.
  • You do not have coworkers and it can be sometimes lonely and isolating.
  • You are probably not an expert in every single thing a business needs: processes, sales, closing sales, marketing, website building and maintenance, creative stuff, contracts, organization, admin work, etc.
  • Higher potential for burnout/overworking.
  • Doing your taxes is harder.

When it comes to working for a company, you are getting some very specific advantages, in terms of a stable, dependable income, medical and other benefits, having people to ask when you need help, and being told what you should be doing.

Something people rarely think about when dreaming of being self-employed is the lack of structure and organization.

You have to create your own schedule, keep yourself on task, make sure work gets done, track deadlines, invoices, payments, all business expenses, and create a structure to your day.

It is incredibly easy to lose track of time or lose focus and end up spending half your day on social media when no one is watching!

There are many tools out there to help you get organized and create a structure for your day. Some are free and some cost money — which you need to keep track of so that you can make sure to deduct it on your taxes as a business expense.

Taxes are different and a bit more difficult when you work for yourself, and you have to save some of your income to pay it, and it WILL be a difficult check to write.

If you have personal assets, you’ll need to consider if it makes more sense for you to be a sole proprietor, LLC, S-Corp, or several other options, each with their own benefits and drawbacks. There is much research involved in starting your own business!

For Me

Being my own boss has been fun, challenging, interesting, and lonely. I love being a writer and being able to choose what I write and who I work with, and I created a business model which works well for me.

I also continuously refine and evolve my business offerings, update my own website, look for clients, maintain my social media accounts, and blog regularly. All of which is part of running my business, but is ultimately unpaid work.

I love my business and what I do, but I also enjoyed my work as a Business Development Director in the recruitment industry. I had a great boss, cool coworkers, a stable and dependable paycheck, and a set end time to my workday, none of which I now have.

However, I have the freedom to do the work I want, charge the rates I want, and am much more flexible with my schedule. I can go to the gym in the middle of the day, run errands whenever I want, work in the middle of the night if I am so inclined, and pet my cat all day.

For You

It’s about what works best for you. Don’t put pressure on yourself to be one way or the other or let people tell you one is “better” or more “right” for you than the other.

Make plans, do research, interview people, and figure out what is best for youand make sure you have a clear idea of both the advantages and disadvantages so you are well informed!

How to Get Paid What You Are Worth!

How to Get Paid What You Are Worth!

Entrepreneur, JS, Medium

Even when you don’t have as many clients as you would like or if you’ve been working with someone for a long time, you deserve to get paid for your time and your skills.

As a freelancer, it is hard to keep this particular boundary in place.

It’s so damn easy to say, “Sure, it’s not THAT much less, and we’ve been working together for a long time…”

But you’re devaluing yourself and your brand.

It can be nervewracking or difficult to have the money conversation with potential clients and more so when you need to have it with people you’re already working with.

But it must happen.

Your time is your most important commodity. There are millions of writers out there, but you want to work with me.

Whether that is because I was referred to you by a trusted source, or you read my books, or we got on a call and we just clicked, there is a reason you’re interested in working with me specifically.

And yes, I am a damn good writer. I know it, you know it. It’s how I make a living and I know for a fact that I’m good at it. I am nothing if not confident in my skills.

If I am editing your book or helping you write one, it’ll be edited well. If I’m blogging for your company, they will be researched well-written posts.

I have had to have the money conversation with every client I’ve ever had.

Sometimes it is at the beginning of the process when we’re putting together contracts and agreeing on a price.

Sometimes it is after we’ve been working together for a while and my responsibilities or time commitment has increased.

Either way, I approach it professionally and politely.

And I approach it similarly to how I used to ask for a raise from a manager in my corporate days.

First, I look at how many hours per week I’m working for them, and divide my monthly retainer fee by the number of hours. If the result is less than I want to be making per hour or less than we originally agreed upon, I bring it up to them.

“Hey, it has been great working with you. In the last 4 weeks, the number of hours I’m working on stuff for you has increased to X, which is putting me Y dollars per hour. We need to discuss either me working less and what tasks you want to take off my plate or renegotiating my monthly fee.”

And then let them talk. They may have questions or may hem and haw or may put a hard boundary down and not be willing to discuss a higher rate.

That’s fine.

If that’s the case, I will work fewer hours and continue on at the same price.

If not, we’ll discuss what I want to be paid and come to a mutual decision.

Either way, I make more money. Because I either have free time to get a new client or make more from the one I already have.

You cannot be afraid to discuss money with clients. As a freelancer, you are your own advocate, your own salesperson, and your own biggest obstacle.

It doesn’t matter if it makes you uncomfortable to talk about money. These people are your clients. They are paying for your services. They understand the relationship. They are not your best friend for whom you’re doing a favor.

Buck up. You are running a business, not a charity.

I know, right? Truth bomb.


Are you picking up what I’m putting down? Check out my story and freelancing guide, “Write. Get Paid. Repeat.” with tons of practical info packed into a short book! I also created a writing course called “How to Write a Book in 3 Months.” Check it out here!

How My Writing Has Evolved with Time

How My Writing Has Evolved with Time

JS, Medium, writing

Writing is so interesting because it is one of those things which is both a skill and a talent.

The difference between those two is that a skill is a buildable, progressive thing you can practice and work on and improve on over time and a talent (at its core) is more inherent. It’s something you have.

Those are my definitions. Let’s check in with Merriam-Webster for the official ones.

Skill: “1a: the ability to use one’s knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance

b: dexterity or coordination especially in the execution of learned physical tasks

2: a learned power of doing something competently: a developed aptitude or ability. Language skills”

Talent: “1a: a special often athletic, creative, or artistic aptitude

b: general intelligence or mental power; ability

2: the natural endowments of a person”

Oh, good! Pretty similar. Feels good — and I love words and knowing and learning precise definitions and synonyms, antonyms. I am a proud word nerd.

Singing is another great example. You can be born with and grow up with a good or great singing voice, and you will still improve and learn to sing even better with practice and lessons.

My Writing Evolution

I was recently asked about how my writing has evolved or changed over the years and I was struck by how fantastic of a question it was.

My writing has evolved over time from being more personal and for me (such as LiveJournal and my first Blogspot blog) to writing FOR and TO an audience and my readers.

I am much more focused on trying to give information or teach something than in just writing to myself. I can write to myself in a journal, and I sometimes do, but I now prefer my online writing to be useful and valuable to others.

I also write for my business. As a freelance writer, I am often writing for specific companies or people. I needed to learn how to write in different tones and styles in order to get their messages across while fitting their brand.

Even when I wrote my books, they are both so different in style, tone, messaging, and audience. The writing for each is different and distinct.

It’s extremely interesting to think of the changing, adapting, and evolving writing.

How has your writing changed over the years?

Are you picking up what I’m putting down? Check out my story and freelancing guide, “Write. Get Paid. Repeat.” with tons of practical info packed into a short book! I also have a brand new writing course called “How to Write a Book in 3 Months.” Go to the site to learn more!

How To Be Confident in Your Entrepreneurial Journey

How To Be Confident in Your Entrepreneurial Journey

Entrepreneur, JS, Medium

What is the most important part of being an entrepreneur? Confidence. You have to believe with every fiber of your being that you‘re doing the right thing, on the right path, and that the hard work is totally worth it.

Sometimes I joke about working 14 hour days, so I must be a hustler, but it was true. I started my business while I still had a full-time day job, a sales career I’d built for almost 10 years, and have been successful in. I enjoyed my career and the opportunities I had within it.

I’ve met some of the most amazing people, learned from the best bosses, and gotten marketing, conference, travel, and training opportunities I would never have had otherwise. I appreciate what I accomplished, and in some ways, the transition to entrepreneurship has been bittersweet.

I’d been working nights and weekends for a few months building my own writing business. Every free moment was spent communicating with clients, research for articles, writing articles and copy for websites, editing, sending it to the client, posting it online, sharing, etc. And when I wasn’t doing that, my time needed to be spent marketing myself and my services and looking for additional clients, then following up with potential clients, proposals that are out, checking on invoices, and applying to additional writing gigs.

I was so busy, and it was exhausting, but it was also pretty amazing to see what I’m capable of. I may have been tired sometimes, but I was also invigorated and interested in my clients and what I was doing. I was building something from nothing, which is extremely exciting and also terrifying.

Interestingly, many of my clients are entrepreneurs themselves, so I’m also surrounded by incredibly smart, funny, interesting people who completely understand my journey and are excited to be a part of it.

I’ve also had the very interesting discovery of learning to utilize Instagram as best as I can. I’d never really used it at all but decided to give it a shot, and hey — free marketing. It’s been fantastic! I’ve gotten half of my client list from Instagram. I’ve been enjoying posting pictures, engaging with people, and really finding fascinating new people all over the world to follow. It’s a really cool visual platform.

As I got more clients, I took my leap of faith — in myself. I quit my day job to focus on writing and editing full-time.

That was over 18 months ago, now. And every day I am confident in my journey and my abilities and myself.

I’m busy, but I am supported and growing and learning and excited and some days I don’t know exactly what I’m doing, but I keep learning and researching and I will not stop. I will NOT STOP because I know I can do this.

What’s an important quality to being an entrepreneur? CONFIDENCE.

I am good at what I do, I deserve to do it, and I am bringing great value to my clients. I am completely confident in these things.

How can YOU be more confident?

Identify what you’re good at. What do you feel you are good at and like doing? What special skills do you have?

Once you know what you’re good at AND feel good doing, you’ll feel that spark of confidence — you KNOW this is something you’re great at, no matter what it is.

Body language. Act confident, walk with your shoulder back and head up. Project confidence.

Research if there is a way for you to use your skills in a career you’d find fulfilling. I am confident in my writing, and I found a way to be a writer.

I know it sounds a bit simplistic, but confidence boils down to how you FEEL about your skills and yourself. You don’t have to be confident in everything about yourself to be successful. That’s not realistic for most people.

Find something you ARE confident in and build from there.

And remember — you can fake it ’til you make it. When you project confidence and act confident, you will internalize that feeling and the reactions and will continue to act that way, which eventually becomes a real part of you.

How Important is “Exposure”?

How Important is “Exposure”?

Entrepreneur, JS, Medium, writing

What is it and how to (& not to) get it.

Merriam Webster defines exposure as “ the condition of being presented to view or made known” and “the condition of being subject to some effect or influence,”along with a couple other definitions.

Practically speaking, as a freelancer or entrepreneur, you need exposure.

It’s a fact of business.

People need to know you exist in order to buy your product or services.

How Can You Get Exposure?

There are many different ways to get exposure, like having a column in a major publication, but like Nicolas Cole learned, it may not be the best way (he shares some great insights in this article). You can start a blog, pay for ads, do work for free (but you shouldn’t!), you can pay social media influencers to feature you, you can use PR tactics like pitching to media outlets, and more.

You can become a top writer on Medium and Quora (I’mcurrently both), though those don’t necessarily mean more exposure, they certainly have the potential to do so.

You can also just be marketing yourself to individual clients and focus on building up your client base.

What Works Best?

That one is a bit harder. What works best for me — using social media to find clients and then selling myself on the phone — may not work best for you.

Most people and companies find that a combination of several tactics is best for them.

You have to figure out what works by judging cost versus benefit. Whether it’s costing you money or your time, it is costing you something.

If you boosted a Facebook ad or sponsored an Instagram ad, look at the stats and results. Did you get any new clients from it? Or inquiries? Did any more people subscribe to your mailing list or buy your book?

Testing different ideas is a great way to see what works for you with minimal risks. Don’t spend $200 on your first ad, start small and figure out your audience and then move up.

You Still Have to Pay the Bills!

Be careful not to do too much for the elusive “exposure.”

There are websitescomicstwitter accounts, and more showing just how often freelancers and craftspeople are asked to do things for free or “for the exposure.”

There are very few times when the exposure they are offering is actually going to be worth your time and energy. Amy Morinwrote a piece for Inc on this exact topic.

You can’t pay your rent/mortgage with exposure. Be very careful not to just do a bunch of free or vastly underpaid work in the HOPES it might get you some exposure. Your time will be far better spent looking for actual paying clients.

I found clients even when I had zero professional writing experience, using only my old personal blog as writing samples, simply by approaching people and asking if they would be interested in any writing or editing services.

Make your OWN exposure. Value your work and yourself very highly!

Of courses there are exceptions!

I am NOT saying to not do anything for free ever in your life! I am talking specifically in the context of potential clients and paid work. For example, there may be a charitable organization you choose to volunteer your time and skills for — of course, that’s wonderful and is also your own choice.

You also may find yourself in a HuffPost situation.

About a year before I ever even thought about looking for clients and being a paid writer, I started contributing to HuffPost for free. I loved it, it was something I chose to do knowing there was no payment. However, when I weighed the benefits I’d get (major publication byline, the marketability, write what I want) against the cost (my time), it made sense to me.

So of course, find what works best FOR YOU and don’t just trust every stranger on the internet!

Are you picking up what I’m putting down? Join my mailing list for more info (not spam!) or check out my story and freelancing guide, “Write. Get Paid. Repeat.” with tons of practical info packed into a short book!