Happy (and Abundant) 2014!

I'm back... after taking a few days "off" for the holidays.

Since my last post, just before Christmas, not much has moved in relation to my writing career.

But I chalk that up to the holidays and that everyone is busy during this time... now back to work!

Updates:  

I have not heard from any of the businesses I sent the "special offer" letter to a couple weeks ago.

If you recall, I mailed out 50 letters to businesses in a particular niche on December 19th, offering to write a "reconnection" letter for $100.  A letter that would be sent to their past customers, with the intention of getting extra repeat business at the start of the year for them.

My next step in this venture is to send an email follow-up to each of the businesses I mailed the first letter to.  I plan to send out those emails possibly today, or in the next couple of days.

I'll let you know how it goes and if I get any replies.

I did get an email today from a prospect I contacted (via email) a few months ago.

I made the first contact on November 14th -- via the contact form on the company's website.

I complimented their company and product (I did check out their website and got a feel for how they did business and the type of product they produced, and did genuinely like what I saw).  Then I introduced myself and offered to help them with brochures (I saw on their website that they did put out brochures) or any website copy updates.

I got an initial reply, within a couple days after I sent the contact form, asking for samples.

So I sent a couple samples, was thanked for sending them, but didn't hear anything further.

Til now.

I got an email from the same person who replied initially, saying he might be interested in working with me, and needs brochures, website updates, and possibly retail ads written.  He asked how I typically work with contracts like this, and what my pricing was.

I just sent back a reply with that information, and again, I'll let you know how it goes.

I have to tell you, though, it was kind of scary actually talking to someone who may be paying me hundreds (or thousands???) of dollars for important work for his business!  I'm still at the "I'm not really sure what I'm doing" phase in my writing career development.

But on that note, I'm currently reading "Secrets of a Freelance Writer" by Bob Bly (Robert W. Bly is how it is on the book).

First off, it's a great book!  I'm only 3 chapters in, but I'm finding it very helpful and I recommend it to any freelance writer!

Secondly, Bob reminds us new writers that everyone has to start somewhere.  Everyone as his/her first project and first client.  And at some point, if you really want to do this, you just have to jump in and do it.

So, with a deep breath and a reminder of Bob's wise words, I sent the email reply back to the prospective client, with my fees for the type of work he mentioned.

I think that's it... an update as to where things are presently.  I still have no secured my first paying client, but have a strong prospect now.

I also have some ideas for e-books I might write.  Books on topics that I'm knowledgeable about and interested in.  One such topic is fostering dogs (a friend in a Facebook group I'm in actually suggested that to me and I love it!).

Writing e-books is where I started as a writer.  So it's appealing to me... and safe.

The downside is, you put out a lot of time and effort, produce a book, and you never know if anyone will buy it.

I'm also still trying to figure out how to promote my books, and build a readership.  Whether it's for my fiction novels already published, or future non-fiction books I'd like to write.  The promotion aspect of being an author still eludes me.

If anyone has any advice on this in particular, I'd love to hear it!

Until next time...
Sarah