Antsy and Busy Again

I’m so freaking antsy about getting a home makeover that I’ve almost completely emptied out the Jungle (living) room already.

 

My den is half full of living room stuff. There’s room for more, but not a whole lot more because I need to be able to get to my desk to work between now and when the new carpets get laid (which will be the week after next).

 

My den/work/writing room at present, two views

 

My Jungle/Living Room Presently

 

My Life-size Blanket Wall Hanging

(presently hiding a bunch of stashed stuff

that I put on the book shelves in the living room, taken from 

the TV/entertainment center  & living room cabinet) 

And speaking of work… I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever get writing or editing work again.

 

Ever since COVID-19 came to the US (my state was hit first), I have only made about $150 per month, not counting my corporate client. Usually I make eight or ten times that or more every month, so I was starting to get a tad worried.

 

Now, all of a sudden, people are coming to me in a flood–people wanting writers, editors, social media blurbs, etc. I was just about to start feeling overwhelmed (and I may still!) but then I remembered, hey, I’m in charge of my work flow.

 

I don’t have to jump right on everything immediately. One thing at a time, one day at a time. No one except me expects one or two day turnarounds, and those who do will pay RUSH fees because I don’t need to accept being pressured unless it pays very, very well!

 

For one of the newest potential clients, I had to take a Core Values test (offered free by Lynn Ellsworth Taylor). It turns out I’m a Merchant-Builder, and my core value energy is (drum roll, please!) Love.

 

From my read-out: “When you enter a room, there is more love and energy suddenly in that room… You are the essence of powerful love.”

 

Well, all righty, then!  There’s my ego boost for the week!

 

(But wait! There’s  more…so much more good stuff about me as a Merchant-Builder. I won’t bore you with details. Go get a free evaluation yourself and let me know what the test finds out about you. It was pretty accurate for me–yes, even the negative–er, challenged side!)

 

After passing that with flying colors for the tasks this client has in mind for me as a writer, I had to write a test article of 1000 words on his niche. And yes, I got paid to write the test article and I retain all rights to it, since it’s a viable article. (I told them for $100 I’d write it as a test but that I wanted to retain all rights to it since it’s worth a lot more than that, and they agreed to the deal.)

 

This morning, they sent me a list of tasks and asked me to submit quotes for the various pieces. The total added up to more than $3500 worth of work, since most of it (all but four articles) is evergreen copy or content (evergreen writing is any writing that can be used repeatedly for years with every new person they bring on board).

 

They say mine was the highest quote by quite a bit but, after seeing what I can do (and how fast I can do it and still turn in an exceptional piece), they seem amenable to hiring me for a long-term position. They need eleven pieces or more done in the next three weeks, so they’re trying to find someone fast. I suppose they’re hoping to find someone as good for less, and I told them if they do, to go for it. But they can afford to pay me, so unless they really do find someone equally good, they’ll probably pick me.

 

I had a great conversation with the executive assistant or recruiter to the owner. She’s Russian (speaks English fine), but they have offices in 120 countries. They’re a cruise membership company and they impressed the heck out of me with their videos. And the founder/owner is a delight and in it for all the right reasons. I’ll tell you more if I get the gig.

 

She did inquire why an email or course description of just 120 words was $200 while an article of 600 words was just $150, and I explained that the article was time-limited; the information in it would only be valuable for the next few months. By contrast, the 120-word emails and course descriptions could be used for all all time with all new prospects, recruits and distributors, so they’re worth more over time (carried more value) than the time-limited pieces.

 

Clients sometimes have a hard time wrapping their minds around why some words cost more than others. I usually have them watch the “Good Copywriters” video I wrote and produced to explain the value of evergreen copy, but then I’ll say, “It’s the difference between a guy selling one car on a flyer and an auto company selling hundreds of cars in an ad. The value is much greater when there are more potential buyers than when there is only one product (a single car) and there can only be one buyer. No one would spend tens of thousands of dollars advertising their one car. Dealers will spend lots of money advertising theirs because their ROI is going to make them happy.”

 

An email sequence that can be automated and sent to new prospects and distributors is a huge time-saver, and every minute saved is freed up to do something else valuable. A time-limited informational article (say, for cruise ships stuck in harbors because of COVID-19) is only going to be of interest to people itching to cruise right now. The information will change as regulations and safeguards are put into place to make cruises as safe as possible under the “new normal.”

 

Then I have a distributor of amazing air and surface purifying systems who wants emails, articles and flyers for businesses (and homeowners) worried about COVID-19 as an ever-present specter. He had someone doing his Facebook outreach to the tune of $4K and they haven’t got a single bite, so he asked me to look at what they were doing and “fix” it.  I did that. He’s satisfied, so now he wants me to do more for him. He’s thinking about letting his FB folks go so I might be able to pick up that gig.

 

And recently two authors asked me if I’m available to edit their manuscripts. One of them found someone already but says I’ll be the editor on her next book, which is in process now. I turned down the other one because it was a period piece and while I can edit just about anything, I’m not into period pieces and I might not be able to spot anachronisms and other stuff that a period piece editor could pick up. I told her that and she thanked me for my candor. Wish I knew someone good in that niche.  I would definitely refer them.

 

And then there was an Enterprise (IT) guy who wanted me to work with him. Nyet!  I’m not into IT at all. I thanked him for the offer, though; told him I was a Trekkie, not a techie!