Weigh up the options before bartering your writing services.

For most writers, getting paid to write means just that – money in the pocket. I’ve never advocated writing for free, but when is it ok to use the barter system?

Barter is something we often get into as kids. Perhaps we traded an hour spent washing the car for an extra hour of  watching TV. With our friends, we almost certainly traded lunch items we didn’t want for ones we found more appealing, and also traded collectibles of all kinds. Human beings like to trade, but is writing for anything but mondy a sound business practice?

I have to be honest. In most cases, I go for the cash – a deposit up front and the rest on completion. Sometimes, though, barter can be worth it. Here are a few examples from my writing business.

Barter and My Writing Business – Case Studies

Case Study 1

A friend approached me to help get her WordPress website set up. We agreed a fee for the initial job (a slightly discounted mate’s rate, as we would call it in the UK) and started the job. However, it turned out to be a much longer job, partly because we kept refining what the site really needed. We also had some hosting and technical problems to sort out. Since I knew the budget was tight, I offered to do the rest of the job on a part cash, part services basis. She is a massage therapist, and I’ve got a pampering session booked in for some time in the next month. She got her site up and I get some self-care. Everyone wins.

Case Study 2

I had a meeting with a new client who was strapped for cash. However, he was upfront about it and wanted to compensate me. He offers business and organizational development courses. We agreed to swap a three day course for a package of writing services.  That means I get some professional development which all of us need sometimes. Even better, I’m top of his list for payment for services when his next cash inflow comes.

Case Study 3

I once traded writing a promotional article for placement of my ad on a site where the ad fees would normally have been too high. The person who wanted the writing placed value on my writing services and I was happy with the ad placement and traffic I received in return.

Case Study 4

I run an ongoing promotion for a site that’s useful for writers on this blog in exchange for access to the daily job opportunity updates. I also promote the site wherever I can, as it’s a useful service. So far, we’re both happy with the arrangement.

How to Barter Successfully

So, yes, barter can work, but I don’t accept every offer.  There are some important aspects to bartering successfully:

• First, you have to know the value of the services you want to trade. If you are a writer with a price list (even if it’s only in your head), then you know what you would expect to earn for writing an article, blog post or ebook. Keep that figure in mind when making a barter arrangement.
• Second, the other person has to have something that you want – and probably something that you wouldn’t normally buy, otherwise there’s no incentive for you.
• Third, you need to work out some equivalency. How much of your writing is worth how much of their product or service? You both have to be happy that there’s parity, otherwise one of you will end up feeling disgruntled.
• Fourth, only barter if you can live with the fact that you’re not getting cash on this occasion. Man – or woman – cannot live by barter alone. It might have been possible in the days before utility bills and cars, but it certainly isn’t now. Try bartering with the electricity company and you’ll see what I mean.
• Fifth, limit the arrangement. Most business people won’t want to barter forever. In the case of the second client I mentioned above, I stated clearly that while I was happy to barter in the short term, in the medium term I would expect to get paid so I could eat. He understood where I was coming from.

That’s my experience with barter – what’s yours? Have you learned any lessons you’d care to share?

This is my WordCarnival entry. Be sure to check out the other posts on the topic of barter – they will be great!

Photo credit: Sepehr Ehsani

I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to welcome Cathy Miller as a guest writer on Get Paid to Write Online. Her Simply Stated Business blog is one of my must-reads and you’re in for a treat as Cathy describes her writing journey.

There’s a freshness about a clean sheet of paper. It’s like newly fallen snow, silently waiting for the season’s first snow angel. For someone who spent most of her life creating snow angels on paper, the online world was a new universe. My name is Cathy Miller and I am an old business writer.

The Journey Online

The year 2008 signaled the winter of my discontent. After 30+ years in Corporate America, I packed up my pen and paper and headed online. Up to that point, I was free of all social media platforms.

• Twitter was something gossipy girls did
• And Facebook sounded like a student’s fate during finals

I started my own business writing company. Fortunately, there is still plenty for an old business writer to do. But, I have never been one for labels. Give me one and I’ll probably write all over it. I knew if I wanted to compete in  this new world, I’d better find out about this online stuff.

Comedy Central

My first peek at online jobs had me looking for the hidden camera. Surely, this was some kind of joke.

• Ads for $5 per post
• Blogs devoted to Loosing Weight
• Rants about spam

To be fair, I never liked the taste of spam either, but why was everyone getting so worked up over it? Suddenly, the print world was looking pretty good.

Back to School

Believe it when they tell you, you are never too old to learn. Eventually, I found my way to the sunny side of online. Talented professionals, like Sharon Hurley Hall, showed me you can Get Paid to Write Onlineand still afford to eat. Your only limits are what you make them. There were lessons to learn – blogging and ghosting and WordPress – oh my. For all of its newness, the online world offered much of what I loved about the old world.

• The power of the written word
• Helping others express their dreams
• The rewards of communication

How could I not fall in love with a place where keeping it simple scores?

Lessons Learned

A Different Style

My last corporate boss told me that one thing she liked about my writing was its short sentences. I think I just blew that theory. Is it any wonder that my style took to online writing? Okay, don’t go running to my early blog posts. It did take me a while to adapt. A combination of my writing style and baby boomer eyes was a natural for the online world.

• Bulleted lists
• Bold headings
• Short sentences

Love it!

Calling All Writers

There is a tremendous need for good writers – emphasis on good. Think about it. The opportunities for writing online are endless.

• Web pages, press releases
• Professional bios
• Articles for online magazines
• Ghostwriting and blogging
• eBooks, newsletters
• Sales pages, ad copy, and much more

Why shouldn’t an old business writer join the fun?

Online and Loving It

You can make a good living online. You can also mix print and online writing and survive – no, thrive. In the end, it’s all about communication, and it doesn’t matter if you are new to the business or a 30+ year veteran. Emily Dickinson (someone even older than me) put it this way –

We turn not older with years, but newer every day.

Go online and enjoy the journey.

Cathy Miller is a freelance business writer with over 30 years of professional writing experience from small businesses to Fortune 500 customers. Cathy started her own business in 2008, providing all forms of online and print business writing. Cathy has a business writing blog at Simply stated business, a health care blog at Simply stated health care and her personal blog, millercathy: A Baby Boomer’s Second Life.   

At usual this year, I’m keeping the Get Paid to Write Online annual roundup to a single post – this one. We have had a great year here. I know I say that every year, but it’s true. We’ve had more people visiting the blog than ever before, some great posts from Dan and guest writers and some excellent conversation. Drumroll, please, as I start the lists:

The Posts You Subscribed To Most in 2011

• Advice on Charging for Writing Blog Posts
• Liberate Your Writing Business – Giveaway
• Get More from Elance: Giveaway
• When Does A Freelance Writing Offer Or Promotion Become Something That Has A Detrimental Effect On Your Career?
• Do You Prefer Personal or Impersonal Article Writing?
• 10 Most Common Writing Mistakes
• Stop Multitasking from Killing Your Productivity
• Google Alerts: A Great Freelance Writing Tool
• First Get Paid to Write Online Video
• How Much Of An Issue Do You Think Bad Spelling And Grammar Is?

The Posts You Talked About Most in 2011

• Advice on Charging for Writing Blog Posts
• Creativity Alone is Not Enough!
• First Get Paid to Write Online Video
• The Revenge of the Concise Writer
• Guest Blogging Opportunity
• I’m Not Hiring Writers, But …
• CommentLuv Premium and Other Changes
• Finding and Connecting With Writing Clients
• My Top Writing Tools – October 2011
• 3 Simple Healthy Habits for Writers

All Time Greats (according to WP-Stats)

• How To Create A Writing Portfolio
• 10 Most Common Writing Mistakes
• How To Write With A British Accent
• Guest Post On Get Paid To Write Online
• Five Best Sites For Freelance Writing Opportunities
• How To Write Online and Make Money without Spending A Dime
• New Writers Start Here
• Freelancer.com Review
• Grammarly Review
• I, Ghost Blogger

Great Guest Posts

• Research Your Writing With Blekko – A Review
• When to Self-Edit (and When to Get Help)
• Writers – Are You Filling In Your Profiles?
• Your Elance Profile: The First Step to Finding Success
• 4 Ways To Manage The Overwhelm as a New Freelance Writer

Personal Favorites

Some of my favorites from 2011 have already been listed above, but here are a few others:

• Why A Change In Perception Can Make Freelance Writing Progression All That Easier
• Writing Business Lessons From The Guttering Guy
• Are You Prepared To Lose All Of Your Writing Work?
• 5 Reasons Why I Hate Freelance Writing
• It’s Time To Talk About A Writer’s Ammunition. Again.
• Why I’m Guest Blogging More
• New Writers: Are You Ready For The Lonely Side Of Freelance Writing?

Thank you for commenting and sharing.

Last year, I published a list of people who had commented on and shared blog posts. This year, I thanked those people in my Thanksgiving post, Thankful without Thanksgiving. You can also see some of the faithful supporters of the blog in the Top Commentluvvers widget in the sidebar. Thanks again, and happy holidays to all of you.

(Oh, and in case you’re new to the blog or perennially curious, here are the 2009 and 2010 lists) – Image: Bright Meadow

I suppose it’s natural given the name of this site, but every so often I get a question from a reader about whether it’s really possible to get paid to write and what it takes to do so. Here’s the latest example:

I really need some reliable words of wisdom regarding the “real” potential to earn money at this kind of writing and the administrative work that goes into it. I know the energy input of the writing, but I’m hoping your site will have guidance on the return on investment and the amount of investment. – D

I was glad to see that D realized that you have to make an effort to succeed at getting paid to write online, but her questions about the investment required and the administrative work needed were also thought-provoking. First let’s look at the investment.

Investing in Writing Hardware

Any business needs an investment, and a writing business is no exception. When I started freelancing, I already had a computer and printer, which are the basics you need to get started. What kind of computer you get is up to you. I started out with a desktop, moved to a laptop so I could write from anywhere and moved back to a desktop once I had a fixed abode. I also have a laptop for going on the road and doing client presentations.

Fixed or Mobile Writing

My advice: if you want to be mobile, then get a laptop with the biggest screen and fastest processor but lightest weight you can achieve. If mobility is not necessary (say, for example, if you have to be around so kids can stay in school), then a desktop machine offers more hard disk storage, more processing power and the option of a bigger screen. A middle ground, which I have also used, is to have a laptop, but work on my desk with an external screen, keyboard and mouse.

Do You Need a Printer?

Unless you are working for local clients who need to see pieces of paper, you can probably manage without a printer and scanner at first. To replace those, you will need to have the ability to save documents as PDFs. I currently use two tools for this: the Microsoft Word 2007 add-on that lets me save documents as PDFs and doPDF which mimics a printer to let me create PDFs. We have a scanner in the house and once every six weeks or so I use it to scan in a signed contract to return to a client. Many now accept email signatures, so it’s getting rarer. As for printing, I have an HP LaserJet and my first toner lasted 2 years – that’s how little I print. There are other things you can get to trick out your office of course, like a headset, speakers and the usual assortment of software, but the entry cost isn’t very high. Next, let’s look at administering the writing business.

Writing Business Administration

Administering your writing business is where things get tricky. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to set out your shingle as a freelance writer and wait for the work to come in. As I pointed out in Getting Paid to Write – It’s More Than Just Writing on Growmap, there’s a whole lot of work to do in getting your name out there. There are tens of thousands of writers out there, all going after the same jobs. However, don’t be discouraged, because there is also plenty of writing work out there.  In Key Aspects of Your Business Website for Writers (and Small Businesses and Others), I mention another investment you need to make – getting your own website as a platform for self-promotion.

The best way to illustrate what it takes to administer a writing business is to give you a snapshot of some of the tasks I undertake.

Key Writing Business Tasks

1. Every year, I set up my client tracking spreadsheet, which includes income comparison figures for the last four years, a forecast of expected earnings for the coming year, and a sheet where I track income received, income on the way and client leads. I’ll be setting that up before the end of the year.

2. I have subscribed to several job leads emails, which I skim and send bids/queries for the things that interest me. This is a daily task, or at least 3 times a week if I’m busy.

3. I set out a calendar, including both personal and work obligations and all deadlines so I can have an at-a-glance picture of where I stand. I make sure this appears on my iGoogle page and also send reminders if necessary.

4. I have a schedule for writing. I check email first thing in the morning, which is already lunchtime for my UK/European clients. I spend 3-4 hours writing in the morning, and another 2-3 in the afternoon. I also do a last email check at night. This schedule varies according to other commitments such as client meetings and volunteering.

5. I hang out online on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook as well as a couple of writer forums.

6. I manage income received by entering it in my spreadsheet and managing transfers between Paypal and my bank account. This usually involves checking exchange rates as my clients pay in three currencies.

7. At the end of every month, I tally the income, update my forecast and assess how much more marketing I need to do in the coming month.

There are probably other things I do automatically that I haven’t listed here, but these are some of the main ones – and they take time.

What about the ROI?

How you assess the return on investment for your writing business is about whether it meets your personal, professional and income goals. For myself, I can say that since I started freelancing, I have earned a steady income that covers my bills and allows for extras. So yes, you can earn money if you have the skill and put in the effort.

I’ve also made connections with great writers and bloggers, some of whom have become friends. I have met clients and others who trust my professional opinion, consider me their go-to person for writing and recommend me to everyone. I think that’s a pretty good return on the time and effort I have spent on developing my writing business.

So that’s my take on it, but I’d love to hear what the other experienced writers who read this blog have to say. Over to you …

(Image: MyTudut)

One of the issues writers always struggle with is what to charge for their writing. Here’s how I advised a friend recently. She was contacted by someone asking her to guest post for a set fee and wanted to know how to respond to them, as the money didn’t seem huge but she wanted to build up the paid blogging side of her business.

Here was my initial advice on average rates for writing blog posts:

What you can charge for posts depends on your profile and their budget. Small blogs may only pay $15-20 a post, while corporate/big blogs may be anywhere upwards of $50.  So the fee offered (about $30) sits right in the middle. (I also know bloggers who don’t do posts for less than $100-$150 apiece for corporate clients. )

Then I suggested that another consideration should be the work involved in writing the post:

If it’s a topic you’re expert in and you can write without thinking about it too much, then that would be ok (just) for a short post (400-500 words). If you have to write a longer, more detailed post and provide images, upload it yourself and so on, then you could ask for a bit more if you think they want it badly enough.

I followed this up with thinking about how the job sat with her personal productivity:

One way I work out a rate is to think of my hourly rate and halve it because I can easily write two 500 word posts in an hour, if it’s a topic I know inside out. (Update: but most people would expect you to take an hour to write a post and more time for associated tasks, so keep this in mind as well.)

Finally, I provided a short script for a response that left room for a future price increase:

You could also respond positively to the offer and make it clear that you will do it for $30 as an introductory rate, but would want more if it turns into something regular.

I always believe in leaving room for negotiation.

New writers, would this work for you? Experienced writers, what other advice would you add?

This is just a quick post to let you know that, with the launch of Google+ Brand Pages, Get Paid to Write Online now has its own Google+ page. There’s not a lot there at the moment, but for those who prefer to get news of blog updates on that site, that’s where it will happen. My thinking at the moment, though this may change, is that I’ll share all GPTWO content on its page, while continuing to share selectively on my own personal Google+ profile. This feature is so new that it’s hard to say how it will develop. I’ve shared my initial thoughts here. If you’re interested in getting your own page, then check out this easy tutorial from Hesham Zebida. And if you’re a writer, come back and share your page with me so I can check it out.

Ready for another blogging linkfest? Here’s a long list of posts I’ve bookmarked and shared in the last couple of months, along with a short excerpt from each:

Writing Business

• 5 Rarely Remembered Rules for Building Your Freelance Brand - Good brands command respect and establish a reputation. They establish your presence in the marketplace.
• Top 3 Symptoms Your Business Blog Reeks - Any size company can have a case of blogitis If you are phoning in your business blog, hang up on that practice.
• Features of the Freelance Economy - Government policy makers are devising all sorts of programs that will put people back to work.
• Building New Income Streams When Client Work is Slow - We’ve already looked at why freelance job boards aren’t the best places to find gigs and how you can make it easier for clients to find you through your writer platform. But what can you do in between client projects?
• How to Build a Writer Platform and Make Jobs Come to You - Our last post looked at reasons freelance writers should stop spending too much time trolling job boards looking for new gigs.
• 7 Signs That It’s Time to Simplify Your Freelancing Business - If your freelancing life has become too much for you, it may be time to simplify your life and your freelancing business as well. Do you think this is you?
• Back to basics: A 10-step freelance story workflow guide - Writers use various methods to stay on top of queries, stories in progress, rewrites, collections and the like.

Writing Skills

• 7 Cs of Effective Web Writing–a Checklist for Freelance Writers - A relatively small percentage of these freelancers really understand their job and responsibilities. If truth be told, it may seem that anybody can write.
• Should You Do Ghostwriting? - Exactly what is ghostwriting? And, what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of doing this type of writing? Is it ethical? Are such jobs available?
• If English Isn’t Your First Language – An Open Letter To Writers - I only speak and read one language, and that’s American English. It’s my native language. I grew up with it. While I have a smattering of Spanish and a few words of French, I’m a typical American, with only one language.
• One Tool that Really Sharpens Your Writer’s – or Blogger’s – Voice - A writer’s voice – a blogger’s voice. All aspiring writers search for it. All authors define it, explain it, and scare the hell out of those who have yet to discover it. Over and over again. And we never get tired of talking about it.
• The 5 Steps To Actually Starting A Freelance Writing Career - If you want to be a freelance writer you’ve simply got to write. There’s just no getting around it. And you’ve got to write regularly.
• Finding a Mentor–A Freelancer’s Simple Success Secret - A mentor is a more experienced freelancer or other professional who you can turn to for guidance and who can answer your questions about freelancing.
• 5 ways to protect your work online - Anyone who shares their work online knows there’s a risk they’re taking… Despite those risks, there is something to be said for having an instant audience online.
• When Words Are Not Enough - Since I use words for a living I love the fact that they can be so powerful. But, my profession is also why it’s all too easy for me to get too caught up in the power of words–too easy for me to forget that words are sometimes not enough.

Marketing and Promotion

• 5 Ways to Build a Better Website - Your business website positions you as an authoritative and skilled freelancer in your field. It captures leads into an automated email service or customer relations management software.
• Freelance Marketing – Market Research and Planning - If you’re considering a change to grow your business, you should start there and narrow down your specialty area.
• Building Your Web Presence for Authors: Don’t Let Google Do Your Talking - I pulled out my iPhone and googled the business name and the city. What showed up as the site description? “Joomla! – the dynamic portal engine and content management system.” Wow. Whoever made their website didn’t bother to change that default description.

Getting Paid to Write/Getting Writing Gigs

• 8 Must Haves Before You Apply For A Freelance Writing Job - There are eight things you need to get in order before you can be sure you’re looking good and likely to land the freelance writing job you want.
• 8 Steps For Landing That Freelance Writing Job - For the better writing jobs there are tons of applicants which means your goal is really to get an email response.
• Numbers Are Our Friend–Writers and the Wild World of Metrics - The idea of numbers should not scare you. Numbers can be a writer’s best friend.
• How Long Does It Take PayPal to Transfer to Your Bank Account? - Setting up PayPal for your work at home jobs is smart. It’s an almost universal way to get paid online because most people already use it.
• Full-Time Income in Part-Time Hours? Sure Thing! - I was definitely intrigued by Gretchen Roberts’ new ebook, Full-time Income in Part-time Hours. Gretchen, a food and wine writer, has been freelancing since May, 2003.
• Search & Networking Tips For Finding Freelance Writing Jobs - As more and more people in the world become Internet savvy, the world of online freelancing gets more and more competitive. This can make it harder to find good paying gigs

Client Relations

• Insulate Yourself From Bad Freelance Clients - Here are three simple ways you can better insulate yourself from bad writing clients.
• 8 Tips About How To Respond When A Potential Writing Client Calls - You are sitting at your desk writing away and the phone rings and it’s someone who needs a writer. They’ve found out about your writing through your website or have one of your business cards or something. These calls are potentially pure gold.
• 10 Ways to Win Back a Former Client - Assuming you’ve done your work well, your former clients already know and trust you. They no longer need to be convinced that you’re a good freelancer. Unfortunately, clients don’t always come back to us with more projects.

Blogging

• 5 Popular WordPress Plugins You Need to Ditch Now! - We all want to speed up our blogs and one of the easiest ways to do that is by removing WordPress Plugins that impact load speed, and provide little value for our readers.
• Is Impartiality in Media or Blogging Even Possible? - Every time I read a post bemoaning the idea that copywriters and bloggers deserve to be compensated for their time because journalism should be impartial, I wonder whether people truly believe that the major media does not primarily benefit the wealthy who control it.
• How Do QR Codes Work and What Do You Need? - Before we put the cart before the horse, we should know what we need to make these square soundbites work.

Inspiration

• Why Success Should Not be Measured in Money - Some complain about those whose English is not perfect and many bloggers delete their comments and do not publish their posts.
• Ready to Give Up? 50 Things You SHOULD Give Up… Starting Today.  – 2. Give up comparing yourself to others. – The only person you are competing against is yourself. 3. Give up dwelling on the past or worrying too much about the future. – Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you.
• Why Can’t a Freelancer Be a Millionaire? - There’s a big difference between earning six figures and hitting that seventh figure, but is it enough of a difference to keep freelancers out?
• 3 Things Freelance Writing Has Allowed Me To Do - Being a freelance writer can be a considerably varied career. If you’re a banker, you work in finance. If you’re an IT executive, you work in IT. If you’re a doctor, you work in medicine. If you’re a freelance writer, however, you get to sample numerous different careers
• So You Think You Can ePublish?- Self-publishing is EXPLODING and there are more opportunities than ever before.

Featured

To end the round-up, I’d like to draw your attention to two more posts, one which I’ve written (Why I’m Betting on Kindle for Self Publishing) and one where I was featured (She loves to write: An interview with Sharon Hurley Hall.)

Happy reading! (Image:  jjpacres)

A friend recently asked me where to search online for writing competitions and contests. I realized that I don’t have a list of those anywhere, just finding them as I go. Last year, I identified some cool travel writing contests, but I think it’s time to put together a proper list. Here are a few resources to get us started. Will you help me by adding your resources for finding writing contests in the comments?

• C Hope Clark’s blog – she runs the Funds for Writers mailing lists and has up to date writing competition listings on her blog. There are also some on the Funds for Writers page.
• Daily Writing Tips has a list of 25 writing competitions.
• Writer’s Digest competitions
• Fanstory writing contests
• Writing contests on FreelanceWriting.com
• UK writing contests on JBWB

What would you add?

Find me on Google Plus: +Sharon Hurley Hall

by Tyler Bennett

I thought this story of how Tyler started his freelance writing career might inspire others who are doing the same thing.

The field of freelance writing is a such a great job opportunity for those who are willing to put in the time and effort. I have had an a quite bumpy start to freelance writing, but over the past few weeks things have greatly improved, and I am immensely excited for the future.

I started freelance writing out of a random occurrence. One day I was browsing my local Craigslist for part-time jobs to earn extra income, when I came across a position for a writer at a local magazine for teens. This ad got me thinking, “Man, writing online may be a great way to earn money!”.

Researching Getting Paid to Write Online

I have always loved to write, so I decided to find out the potential of becoming a freelance writer. I am not the kind of person that goes into something half-heartedly; I pursue everything I get into to the fullest of my potential. That very day I started researching writing online, and how to be a freelance writer successfully. I found myself staying up extremely late into the night, and spending near all of my time researching. I quickly decided to enter the world of writing as a freelancer, and I couldn’t be happier.

During my research, I stumbled upon many great sites that contained valuable information on the subject of freelance writing, but most notably, this very site, getpaidtowriteonline.com. The information on this site gave me a direction in which to start my freelance writing career, and how to do so effectively. I finally had some insight on where to go to get started on how to become a freelance writer. This was a tremendous help for me, and I give credit to  Sharon  for helping get me started.

The First Freelance Writing Gig

Then I decided it was finally time for me to actually go out and pursue some potential job positions. After looking at the numerous articles on this site, I felt like I had a fighting chance at beginning my freelance writing journey. I followed Sharon’s tips, and within two days of trying, I landed my first writing gig. I can’t even express how happy I was and I went to work right away. The gig was a research article writing gig, and it paid 5 dollars an article. I honestly can say that I don’t believe I would have made it without the knowledge I gained from this website.

Now, I have moved on to more and more freelance writing jobs, and even have my own blog. I am always researching new styles of writing, and this website is one of my first stops. Sharon is truly an inspiration to me, and I will always cherish the knowledge she gave me.

Tyler Bennett is a freelance writer who does research, article writing, copywriting, blogging, and reviews. His niches include freelance writing, technology, automobiles, and business and finance. Contact Tyler through his blog, http://tcbwriting.com/. (Photo: Swiv)

by Sean Platt

One thing all top-earning copywriters have in common is their dependable ability to drive readers to action.

It doesn’t matter how witty you are, how well you use alliteration, or how well you can draw your characters – if you can’t drive your readers to action, you’ll never command the fees that top-tier copywriters do.

A dollar to two dollars per word may sound like a lot of money, but that doesn’t mean those copywriters are overpaid. If a writer can get $10,000 for a sales letter, what do you imagine the person who paid for it stands to make?

Yet those top copywriters aren’t doing anything you can’t do and don’t know anything you can’t learn. Copywriting is a skill based profession. What they have that you don’t is years and years of practice.

So get started.

I fancy myself a pretty great father, but it didn’t happen the day my daughter was born. I had to fail many times and keep practicing before I learned enough to make it look easy.

Top-tier copywriters know how to lead their reader from the top of a page all the way to the bottom, where there is a call to action (the hot spot where you can turn readers into buyers).

It doesn’t matter if there isn’t an actual purchase involved. A “buyer” is any reader who rewards you for your time. And if you’re writing online, that is what’s ultimately important. It’s not just about sales; it’s about widening your network, building your fan base, and gathering as much attention or profit as you can for every word you write.

Online, you have scant time to grab attention, so you must start with a compelling headline, inspiring curiosity enough to capture the click, but without being disingenuous.

Your headline must make a promise and your copy must keep it. Consider what you’re trying to say, and then think of the best way to wrap that information in a bit of intrigue and wordplay.

Once your reader is on the page make sure your first sentence is compelling enough to lead them directly into the second sentence, then right into the first paragraph and all the way down the body of the page.

Every bullet, every subhead, every paragraph of your copy should be in precise alignment with whatever it is you want your reader to do at the end, as well as with the promise you made in your headline.

Sometimes getting my children to do what I want is as easy as asking. Other times, I lay the road brick by brick from morning through to afternoon so our evening goes precisely as planned.

Treat your copy the same. Understand that your copy is a single organism with every piece dependent on the others. Treat your words as a narrative, maintaining flow from the top to the bottom, then paying special attention to the call to action at the end.

Use the call to action to bring it home. Tell your reader what you want them to do. And don’t be shy. If your reader has made it through to the end of your copy, they’ve already given you their time – the most important asset they have. They want to know what they should do next.

Whether you’re asking for a sale, a “like”, a comment or a re-tweet, learning how to ask for action just like the top-tier copywriters do will help you live the writing life that you deserve.

Sean Platt helps good writers make a great living. Get his free report, 24 Easy Ways to Turn Readers into Buyers and learn how to close those sales. Follow him on Twitter. (photo: Timo Heuer)