High-Income Business Writing Podcast
348 episodes - English - Latest episode: 14 days ago - ★★★★★ - 291 ratingsEd Gandia, co-author of the bestselling book, The Wealthy Freelancer, reveals how to propel your writing business to the six-figure level (or the part-time equivalent). In this nuts-and-bolts, no-nonsense podcast, you'll discover how to get better clients, earn more in less time, and bring more freedom and joy into your writing business. Ed will walk you through the practical, “doable” systems and strategies he has developed in his own writing business — the same systems he has taught his private coaching clients. He'll also show you what’s working for other business writers by bringing you real case studies from the field. And he'll share all this information in an honest and transparent way, with no hype or fluff. Topics covered include: getting better and higher-paying clients; banishing the feast-or-famine cycle; doing more of the work that excites you; how to raise your fees and rates; boosting your productivity; making your business recession-proof; discovering and leveraging your strengths; finding your niche; pricing content writing projects; pricing copywriting projects; writing white papers; writing case studies; writing web copy; writing articles; and much more.
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Episodes
#198: Stop Complaining About Low Rates!
December 31, 2019 08:00 - 9 minutes - 13.9 MBComplaining at length about low rates is fruitless (and dangerous). In this episode, I explain why low rates aren’t the problem you think they are. And how you should start thinking about them instead.
#197: Daphne Gray-Grant on How to Obliterate Writer’s Block and Get Your First Draft DONE
December 24, 2019 08:00 - 39 minutes - 54 MBIn today’s episode, Daphne Gray-Grant explains why you need a crummy first draft, how to use mind mapping for inspiration and tips to stop editing as you write.
#196: Fitness for Freelancers—How to Get and Stay Physically Fit When You’re a Work-at-Home Professional
December 10, 2019 08:00 - 35 minutes - 49.3 MBIn this episode, personal trainer Steve Beck describes how to get started with a simple exercise program if you’re currently at “zero,” and how to build on your current fitness routine if you already have one.
#195: How to Drive More High-Quality Prospects to Your Website
November 19, 2019 08:00 - 21 minutes - 29.6 MBIn this podcast episode, I explore a variety of ideas and approaches to drive higher quality leads to your website.
#194: The Power of “Yes, and….”
November 15, 2019 08:00 - 7 minutes - 10.7 MBWhen a qualified prospect asks to meet you in person, respond with “yes, and…” to get the most out of your time.
#193: How Chris Orzechowski Generated a Tidal Wave of Client Leads with a Short and Simple Book
November 05, 2019 08:00 - 38 minutes - 70.1 MBIn this interview, Chris Orzechowski explains why he decided to write a book, how he settled on a topic, and how he got it done quickly. He also shares the massive results he’s enjoyed from the effort.
#192: Communicating Your Value to Prospects—an Example You Can Learn From
November 01, 2019 07:00 - 10 minutes - 14 MBIn this mini-podcast episode, I explain how a recent scare in my business proved the importance of clearly communicating your value to prospects when presenting your pricing.
#191: Want to Scale Your Business? Start with a Virtual Assistant!
October 22, 2019 07:01 - 7 minutes - 10.1 MBMany writers will hire another writer when they’re ready to scale their business. But often, a better first step is to hire a virtual assistant.
#190: Should You Scale Beyond a Business of One?
October 15, 2019 08:00 - 24 minutes - 34 MBIn our culture, we sometimes think that if we’re not scaling our business, we’re failing in our business. I dispel that myth in this episode.
#189: A New Prospect Is Asking for My Rates Right Away. How Should I Respond?
October 11, 2019 08:00 - 8 minutes - 12.4 MBClients and prospects will sometimes toss you a problem to solve. But that doesn’t automatically mean you have to deal with it. Sometimes you should toss the problem back to them.
#188:Ross Simmonds on How to Land Fortune 500 Clients
October 01, 2019 07:00 - 36 minutes - 50.9 MBIn this episode, guest Ross Simmonds explains what Fortune 500 clients look for in a writer, how you can generate a steady stream of high-quality corporate leads, and how you can command higher fees.
#187: A Systematic Way to Tackle Overwhelm
September 20, 2019 07:00 - 24 minutes - 32.5 MBIf you want to work more productively — and feel less overwhelmed — you have to make real changes to your business. In this podcast episode, I’m looking at actions you can take to work more efficiently and reduce feelings of overwhelm.
#186: Hilary Jastram on Running a Freelance Business When You’re Chronically Ill or Disabled
September 06, 2019 07:00 - 39 minutes - 54.8 MBHilary Jastram was forced into entrepreneurship when she became chronically ill a few years ago. In today’s podcast episode, she explains how she’s built a successful business and used her illness as a motivation to keep going.
#185: How to Overcome Procrastination
August 23, 2019 07:00 - 21 minutes - 29.7 MBTo overcome procrastination, you have to admit that you do it and find ways of dealing with it. In today’s podcast episode, you’ll learn why procrastination is a serious problem and what you can do turn things around.
#184: Hannah Bower on Why She Transitioned from Freelance PR Work to Content Marketing
August 09, 2019 07:00 - 38 minutes - 39.8 MBHannah Bower is a content marketer with a background in PR. In this conversation, you’ll learn what freelance PR work entails, how it’s changed and why Hannah decided to get out of it.
#183: What to Do When Friends and Family Don’t Support You in Your Business Journey
July 26, 2019 07:00 - 24 minutes - 30 MBRunning a freelance business becomes exponentially more challenging when you don’t have the support of your friends and family. In this episode, I share 10 practical tips that will help you if you’re in this situation.
#182: Alex Nerney on Launching a Money-Making Blog as a Side Hustle
July 12, 2019 07:00 - 42 minutes - 45.8 MBPodcast guest Alex Nerney explains why adding a blog to your freelance writing business is a great way to supplement your writing income and add more predictability to your business.
#181: Following Up with Prospects — a Different Way to Think About the Process
June 28, 2019 07:00 - 25 minutes - 34.1 MBFollowing up with prospects is the activity writers dread the most — topped only by prospecting. It feels odd and unnatural. We worry that we’re bothering people or being disrespectful. And then we start crafting crazy stories in our head. We imagine that the prospect is mad at us or shocked at our fees. “They think we’re a fraud!” “They never want to speak with us again!” But the vast majority of time, this isn’t what’s going on with prospects at all. I spent years in corpor...
#180: Liz Farr on Writing Bylined Articles to Generate Hot Client Leads and Attract New Opportunities
June 14, 2019 03:25 - 39 minutes - 39.9 MBFor the past two years, Liz Farr has been writing bylined articles for trade publications and content platforms to generate inbound leads and land great new clients — while also getting paid.
#179: Bundling and Productizing as an Antidote to Commoditization
May 31, 2019 07:00 - 24 minutes - 33.9 MBIt’s hard to find businesses that don’t use some form of content marketing. That’s a big shift from even five years ago. But as its popularity has grown, the fees for content marketing projects have suffered. Upwork and other job platforms have gotten better and more popular. You even have AI technology entering the writing fray. All these factors have combined to create a situation where many clients want content NOW... and they want it cheap! Does that mean that we all need to start looking...
#178: Command Higher Fees by Putting Value on the Table
May 17, 2019 07:00 - 21 minutes - 30.1 MBMost of us leave a ton of money on the table when quoting client work. This is no small thing! Commanding 20-40% more per project could have a huge impact on your business and your life. Think of the freedom it would give you! So what’s stopping us from asking for more? In this episode, I’m going to show you how to put your value on the table. Because by providing context for your quote, you can greatly influence the prospect’s response.
#177: Winnie Anderson on How Introverts Can Promote Themselves More Confidently
May 03, 2019 07:00 - 45 minutes - 49.1 MBMany introverted writers resist marketing their services and avoid doing what they need to do to grow their businesses. Does that mean you’re doomed to fail as a self-employed writer if you’re an introvert? Not at all. My guest this week is Winnie Anderson, a coach for introverted service-based professionals, as well as the host of The Courageous Entrepreneur podcast. She teaches people how to resolve the tug-of-war between needing to stand out but not wanting to stand out. In this episode, ...
#176: Sonia Simone on Becoming a Higher-Value Resource for Your Clients
April 19, 2019 07:00 - 41 minutes - 43.9 MBContent marketing has officially gone mainstream. It’s a “must do” for most businesses in today’s trust economy. While this increased demand has created huge opportunities for writers, it has also commoditized a lot of our work and given rise to content mills and rock-bottom fees. We’re not doomed. But to succeed, writers have to become a higher-value resource for their clients. In this episode, I speak with Sonia Simone, founding partner of Copyblogger Media (now Rainmaker Digital) and seaso...
#175: What to Do When a Prospect Wants to Meet for Coffee or Pick Your Brain
April 05, 2019 07:00 - 30 minutes - 42.3 MBHave you ever had a prospect ask for an in-person coffee meeting shortly after connecting? You’ve barely gotten past “hello” and they already want to put something in your calendar! This raises a red flag for me. In this podcast, I reveal a two-stage process you can use to evaluate requests for face-to-face meetings. This process is a great way to protect your time and energy — without discouraging good clients.
#174: How to Grow Your Income by Going Deeper with Clients and Leveraging Your Key Relationships
March 22, 2019 07:00 - 38 minutes - 39.8 MBToday’s podcast guest provides a classic illustration of the benefits of going deeper with existing clients. Her name is Lindy Alexander. Lindy started freelancing full time in 2017. By the end of that year, she grossed more than $100,000 in income! Even more remarkable: in 2018 she scaled back her hours to part-time and maintained the same income level. In this episode, she explains how she did it. It’s an amazing story I think you’ll really enjoy, regardless of where you are in your journey.
#173: Liz Sheffield on the Importance of Professional Development for Freelancers
March 08, 2019 08:00 - 39 minutes - 43.2 MBDo you ever get so busy that you forget to invest in yourself? It’s one of the pitfalls of being self-employed. There’s only so much time every week., right? Then again, if you don’t take time to “feed the goose,” you’ll soon have no golden eggs. My guest for today’s podcast has seen both sides of this problem. Liz Sheffield is a freelance writer with a background in human resources. As an HR professional, she understands the benefits of taking time to improve your knowledge and skills. And a...
#172: Eight Simple SEO Tweaks That Boosted Matt Olpinski’s Website Ranking on Google
February 22, 2019 08:00 - 39 minutes - 40.3 MBI’m just going to come right out and say it. Search engine optimization (SEO) has a horrible reputation. For years, SEO companies scammed clients with big promises of boosting their search engine rankings, only to fall short or fail altogether. Even now, information on this subject continues to be confusing, contradictory and misleading. For this episode, to learn what SEO best practices you should implement for your own website, I wanted to talk to someone who doesn’t do SEO for a living, bu...
#171: Five Valuable Case Study Tips from a 20-Year Case Study Veteran
February 08, 2019 08:00 - 40 minutes - 40.7 MBCasey Hibbard is one of the best case study writers in North America. She’s literally written hundreds of case studies for dozens of companies. Many of them big names you’d recognize. On the occasion of her 20-year business anniversary, I asked Casey to come on the show and share some of the most important lessons she’s learned about writing powerful case studies. In this interview, she shares 5 specific tips that will make you a stronger case study writer… and help you command higher fees fo...
#170: How to Grow Your Business and Command Higher Fees by Packaging What You Offer in a Different Way
January 25, 2019 08:00 - 41 minutes - 44.5 MBMost commercial writers see themselves as just that: a commercial writer. They describe themselves as writers. And they pitch themselves as writers. Nothing wrong with that! But that’s not the only way to make a living as a freelance commercial writer or copywriter. In this episode, you’ll hear from Maureen Farmer, founder of Word Right Executive Career Management. Much of what she does for clients involves writing, but she packages her services differently. As a result, her clients view ...
#169: How to Have a Better 2019 by Changing Your Identity
January 11, 2019 08:00 - 29 minutes - 38.4 MBI firmly believe that habits are the key to successful execution. Execution is where the rubber meets the road when it comes to making positive changes in our lives. And habits are THE most important element in execution. A few months ago, I had James Clear on the show to talk about his new book . And one of the things that really stood out for me is his discussion of identity. Specifically, how your habits shape your identity — and how your identity shapes your habits. In this episode, I t...
#168: Nine Things I’m Embarrassed to Tell You...
December 28, 2018 08:00 - 45 minutes - 63.6 MBWhen you’re in a leadership position, the people you lead sometimes put you on a pedestal. They think you have everything figured out. That you have no flaws. No struggles. I’m in a leadership position in that people often look to me for ideas, advice and mentorship. But let me tell you ... I’m not perfect by any means. I have my own struggles and imperfections. And in this episode, I come clean on 9 of those things...
#167: Elaine Pofeldt on Creating a Million-Dollar One-Person Business
December 14, 2018 08:00 - 41 minutes - 43.9 MBThis is an exciting time to be alive. The opportunity to make a great living as a self-employed professional has never been better. Changing economic trends, shifting attitudes toward self-employment, cheap technology, and the ability to leverage talent from around the world have all combined to make this opportunity possible. My guest for this week’s podcast has been tracking these changes for years. Her name is Elaine Pofeldt, and she’s the author of the book The Million-Dollar One-Person B...
#166: How to Be More Productive (and Creative) in a World Filled with Distractions
November 30, 2018 08:00 - 42 minutes - 45 MBI’ve found that maintaining a high level of productivity is one of the top challenges we face as self-employed professionals. Chris Bailey is an expert who will share a different take on the topic. In this episode, Chris brings some fresh perspectives to this discussion. Perspectives I don’t often hear. He also describes how to drastically reduce distractions and improve your productivity with a few simple changes...
#165: Two Unconventional Options to Traditional Healthcare Insurance: What My Listeners Have to Say
November 16, 2018 08:00 - 49 minutes - 68.3 MBNovember 2017, I dedicated a podcast episode to the topic of alternative healthcare insurance options. A year later, in this episode, I circle back to the topic. I asked my listeners to share their experiences with healthy indemnity plans and/or medical cost sharing over the past 12 months — both good and bad. The feedback I received was enlightening … and might help you with your own healthcare coverage decision making...
#164: Getting Your Most Important Things Done Every Week without All the Stress and Drama
November 02, 2018 07:00 - 47 minutes - 47.9 MBOne of the things I focus on with my coaching clients is improving their productivity. Because if you can’t get your work done efficiently, you’re going to struggle. You won’t meet your full earning potential. And you’ll be stressed and unhappy. My guest for this podcast episode is Jordan Baker, a personal productivity expert and the creator of , an auto-scheduling calendar app. You’ll walk away from this conversation with practical ideas that will help you get your most important things done...
#163: James Clear on an Easier Way to Build Good Habits as a Freelancer
October 19, 2018 07:00 - 47 minutes - 46.6 MBAs a freelance professional, your habits and systems will directly determine your level of success and happiness. But how do you develop and sustain the right habits? Are there tricks and strategies for doing that successfully? That’s the topic of this episode. My guest is James Clear, an expert in the field of behavioral science and habit transformation ... and author of the book Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones James thinks about these topics da...
#162: Copyright Infringement — What Writers Need to Know (with Attorney Richard Chapo)
October 05, 2018 07:00 - 50 minutes - 59.6 MBI had a friend who was married to a lawyer. She joked that when she was having trouble falling asleep, she’d ask her husband to talk about copyright law. Apparently, it worked way better (and faster) than taking a melatonin supplement. ;-) In all seriousness, copyright law is an important topic when you’re a freelancer writing for clients. For this podcast episode, I’ve brought in Internet business lawyer Richard Chapo to give us the scoop on how we can protect ourselves from the most common ...
#161: How Maggie Patterson Transformed Her Writing Business by Creating Premium Services Built Around Proprietary Processes
September 21, 2018 07:00 - 38 minutes - 40.5 MBYou can earn a very handsome income working on “transactional” assignments for clients. But for some writers, this model starts to get old. And they often wonder if there’s a better way of doing things. That’s exactly what happened to my guest. Maggie Patterson was making a very good living as a freelance writer. But she was burning out. So she began to offer more comprehensive services that included her own proprietary processes. The idea took hold. In a big way. In this episode, Maggie expl...
#160: Selling Your Writing Services When You’re an Introvert — an Interview with Matthew Pollard
September 07, 2018 07:00 - 48 minutes - 52.2 MBIn this episode, I’m covering a topic that’s extremely relevant and practical for a big part of my audience: How introverts can turn more prospects into clients. My guest is . Matthew is an internationally award-winning blogger and contributor to CEO, Entrepreneur, and Top Sales World Magazine. He is a recurring guest on FOX and NBC, and has appeared on top-rated podcasts including Entrepreneur on Fire and Eventual Millionaire. He’s the author of the bestseller The Introvert’s Edge: How the Q...
#159: Client Gift-Giving — When You Should Do It ... and How to Make a Big Impact with a Small Budget
August 24, 2018 07:00 - 39 minutes - 56.9 MBShould you give your clients a gift? If so, when is the best time to do this? And what should you give them? Holidays? At the end of your first project? Some other time? This episode is a great conversation with my colleague Sarah Greesonbach on this topic. Sarah gave me some great ideas for how make this decision ... which clients you should put on your list ... and how to give gifts that make a huge impact without spending more than $20 or $30. She’s a true gift-giving master! In this inte...
#158: A Quick Peek at What Six-Figure Writers Do Differently
August 10, 2018 07:00 - 30 minutes - 44.2 MBI love to look for patterns. And recently I’ve been looking for patterns as I’ve talked with coaching clients and peers who’ve reached the six-figure income level. Through those conversations, some interesting patterns emerged. In this episode, I give you a peek into those patterns—because they’ll give you a good idea of what six-figure writers do differently when compared to lower-income writers...
#157: A Powerful 3-Step Process for LinkedIn Outreach
July 27, 2018 07:00 - 51 minutes - 73.5 MBLinkedIn has quickly become one of the most effective marketing tools for writers and copywriters. But one of the downsides of this social platform is that it can feel overwhelming. How should you use it? Where should you start? How should you search for prospects inside? And how do you connect with them? My guest for this episode is Chrissie Wywrot. Chrissie works with clients on their LinkedIn profile and strategy, as well as their online brand, to establish them as experts and resources ...
#156: Jennifer Gregory’s “Audience First” Method for Finding Potential Clients
July 13, 2018 07:00 - 36 minutes - 51.9 MBHaving a well-defined target audience is a critical first step to freelance success. But it doesn’t end there. Because once you’ve identified your audience you now need to find some prospects to contact. That’s where many writers get stuck. If you’re in that situation now (or if you’ve ever been there), you’re going to get a ton out of this week’s podcast episode. My guest is the brilliant Jennifer Gregory. In this interview, Jennifer details her three-step “Audience First” method for finding...
#155: Why You Need to Set Standards in Your Business — and How to Do It Right
June 29, 2018 07:00 - 18 minutes - 28.2 MBInteresting fact... The biggest reason writers become (and stay) self-employed is freedom and flexibility — not money. Unfortunately, way too many freelance writers are worse off today than they were when traditionally employed. Too many are struggling to earn a good living. Or they’re working with bad clients on projects they hate. Or they’re working longer hours than they ever have. That’s not freedom! How can you turn that around? It all starts by setting some “standards” for your business...
#154: What’s the Bare MINIMUM You Should Be Charging Your Clients?
June 15, 2018 07:00 - 37 minutes - 54.1 MBWhen it comes to pricing, the most common question I get is, “How much should I charge for _________?” But no one has ever asked me, “What should my floor rate be?” In other words, the bare minimum you should be charging on any given project to make sure you cover your full costs as a freelancer. I’m not a fan of that kind of thinking. But there’s one exception. And that’s when you want to know and understand what your “all in” expenses are ... so you can make better overall pricing decisions...
#153: Overcoming Analysis Paralysis and Over-Thinking with Shelley Row
June 01, 2018 07:00 - 34 minutes - 49.8 MBMany writers I know struggle with analysis paralysis and over-thinking. I see it at all levels of experience and with all types of decisions. It often causes a great deal of stress and anxiety, which leads to poor performance and results ... which reinforces the need for overanalyzing things. And so the cycle goes. If you struggle with analysis paralysis, this podcast episode will help. My guest is Shelley Row, a speaker and consultant who works with leaders who must make fast, insightful dec...
#152: Thinking of Writing a Book? Here’s a 6-Point Reality Check
May 18, 2018 07:00 - 54 minutes - 77.6 MBEver thought about writing a book? Maybe a thought leadership book, a lead generator for your writing business ... or even a novel? If so, this week’s podcast episode will be right up your alley. My guest, Susan Baracco, explains what you need to know before you go down that path. It’s part reality check, part encouragement and inspiration. GREAT stuff!
#151: Jared Kessler on ‘Upleveling’ Your Copywriting Business
May 04, 2018 07:00 - 50 minutes - 72 MBI just published a podcast episode I think you’ll really enjoy. My guest is copywriter Jared Kessler. Jared just went freelance two years ago. But he’s been able to grow his business like crazy since then! In this interview, he explains how he’s done it. And why “positioning” has played such a critical role in his success. You’ll get some good insights no matter where you are in your journey. But if you’re an established writer or copywriter, this one’s a must-listen!
#150: What Do You Do When You Have TOO Much Work?
April 20, 2018 07:00 - 44 minutes - 63.5 MBSay you can handle about 25 hours of work per week. But your best client suddenly needs your help with a major product launch. And two new clients just hired you to work on some big projects. Oh, boy! When it rains, it pours... Great problem to have, right? ;-) If you’ve been freelancing for some time, you’ve probably experienced this challenge at some point. You know how difficult this situation can be. It’s fun ... until it isn’t. In this interview, Atlanta-based writer Don Sadler explains ...
#149: How to Start Prospecting for Clients When You’re New?
April 06, 2018 07:00 - 37 minutes - 54.1 MBOne of the most confusing and frustrating aspects of launching your freelance writing or copywriting business is looking for clients. Clients don’t just show up at your door. You have to find them. And when you’re new, you have to work even harder to find a few clients who will give you a chance. Fortunately, there are a few proven ways to land clients faster. And in this episode I’ll share the 6 approaches I teach my coaching clients to prospect for clients when they’re starting out.