Message from Mary Anne
Hello, fellow ghost writers:
It’s a very exciting time here at the IAPGW! Not only have we resumed the free, informative teleclasses for members and nonmembers alike, but we’ve got some awesome new member benefits in the works, namely—
1. A “breaking into ghost writing” course for new and aspiring ghost writers. This program will span several weeks and include telephone lessons, Q&As and some private coaching sessions—plus one year Associate level membership in the IAPGW! (The course will be free for Associate members who join before the course is launched).
2. A “marketing for ghost writers” course for working ghost writers. In this program, we’ll cover both on- and off-line methods for attracting clients to your ghost writing business. The program will include teleclasses, Q&As and a one year Professional level membership in the IAPGW (The course will be free for Professional members who join before 12/31.2010).
Sounds like this will be an ideal time to join the International Association of Professional Ghost Writers, right? So get on over to http://iapgw.org/member-benefits and join today!
To your success,
Mary Anne Hahn
IAPGW Executive Director
P.S. If you haven’t already done so, please take a few minutes to complete the reader survey I’m conducting at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JLQGLJM
I truly appreciate your feedback!
Feature Article:
Suffer From “Bright Shiny Object Syndrome”?
© 2010 by Mary Anne Hahn
You may have heard the term “Bright Shiny Object Syndrome”— it’s the tendency to become easily distracted or pulled in different directions by whatever new idea or activity crosses your path. Whether it’s caused by phone calls, e-mails or instant messages you receive, by what you read in books, magazines or online, by what you see on television or hear on the radio, or via a thousand other sources for incoming messages you get bombarded with each day, the BSO syndrome causes you to repeatedly abandon one task or project after another as you turn your attention to the newest, brightest, shiniest distraction. Over time, you find yourself merely spinning your wheels with nothing much to show for your efforts.
If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. Every day we encounter an onslaught of new information to absorb, new technologies to learn, new marketing techniques to consider, new ways to meet and connect with others, and on and on. As writers in general and ghost writers in particular, we tend to be creative by nature, and delight in pursuing and trying to catch all these alluring ideas, tools and bits of knowledge like so many butterflies in a single net. There’s just so much to read, to learn and to do, so many people to meet and learn about, and only so much time to fit it all in. Small wonder that we sometimes come up empty, overwhelmed and exhausted.
You probably also agree you need to find ways to keep “bright shiny object syndrome” in check if you ever hope to grow the thriving and prosperous ghost writing business of your dreams. Clients need to be found and deadlines must be kept. This means planning your work and working your plan. But to help you fend off the daily onslaught of new and enticing distractions, here are some steps you can take in order to put yourself back in the driver’s seat and in better control of your schedule and accomplishments:
1. Get back to basics. What is it that you really want from your writing business? Why did you decide to pursue ghost writing in the first place? Taking a fresh look at your goals and values can enable you to get back on track.
2. Reprioritize. Write down or mind map all of the ideas you’ve been toying with but not pursuing. Which ones bring you closest to the goals and values you listed above?
3. Set goals with dates attached. Take your top few ideas and put timelines around them.
4. Create a “Future Ideas” Folder. Any items from your mind map or ideas list that did not make the priority list get filed here. That also applies to any new ideas that crop up. You may even want to create multiple folders (Future Ideas for Marketing, Future Ideas for Projects, etc.) so you can easily reference them when you’ve completed your top priorities and are ready to move on.
5. Carve out specific project development time. To get the most out of your time, set aside a block of one to two hours minimum each day that you can devote to the priority projects you identified. During this time, minimize all distractions—turn off phone ringers, make yourself unavailable for instant messaging, and stay out of your e-mail. Using this time regularly and well is critical to your success!
6. Map out your steps. Sometimes overwhelm and distraction occur because a project simply looks too big to handle. So what’s the very first step you need to take? Then the next? Break your ideas down into small, achievable action steps.
Overcoming “bright shiny object syndrome” really boils down to deciding what’s really most important to you in your life and business, then deciding to do what it takes to achieve those things. Other tempting avenues that you discover along the way will still be there for you, if and when you’re ready to take them, but don’t let them lead you away from accomplishing your heart’s desire.
Upcoming Event
September 15: How Ghosts Can Get Face-to-Face with Clients on Facebook and LinkedIn
As a ghostwriter, you may be accustomed to being invisible or behind the scenes, but you must be highly visible to get new business! Fortunately, social networking provides a great opportunity to get face-to-face with prospective clients.
In this teleclass, Shelley Lieber, the Wordy Woman, will share proven strategies and a secret, little-used approach that you can use right away on Facebook and LinkedIn to get in front of your target audience and showcase your talents. Shelley is the author of 4Ps to Publishing Success, founder of VIP Authors (http://vipauthors.com), host of VIP Author Talks, and publisher at VIP Book Publishing.
Sign up now for this fun and informative class! For call details and F.R.E.E. registration, go to http://iapgw.org/upcoming-events right now.
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Message from Mary Anne
Greetings, fellow ghost writers:
Those of you who subscribed to this newsletter months ago may have wondered whether I had disappeared off the face of the earth (something that, I suppose, is entirely within the realm of a ghost’s natural abilities, yes?). But no, I’ve been around, mostly working on writing and editing projects, and thinking about various ways I could bring more value to International Association of Professional Ghost Writers membership.
And then I thought, duh, why not just ask the Invisible Ink readers what they would like to see the IAPGW do or offer? Yeah, yeah, I can be a little slow on the trigger sometimes.
So I’ve designed a super-quick survey that I hope you’ll take a few moments to complete. You can find it at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JLQGLJM. To see what benefits the IAPGW currently offers, go to http://iapgw.org/member-benefits.
I look forward to reading your input.
To your success,
Mary Anne Hahn
IAPGW Executive Director
Feature Article:
How to Turn Website Visitors into Clients
© 2010 by Mary Anne Hahn
You’ve begun to see an increase in traffic to your ghost writing website or followers to your blog. People have begun to check out your services because they came across an article you’ve written, heard you speak somewhere, found you on a social media site, or learned about you from a friend or colleague. Something about your message or personality made them want to know more about you and your services, so they clicked on your URL.
This means that your marketing efforts have begun to pay off. But if that’s true, then why aren’t more people actually contacting you to talk about their project or obtain more information about working with you? To answer this, start by taking a good look at your website or blog to see if one or more of the following factors is the culprit:
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You don’t provide enough detail on what services you offer.
Exactly what kinds of writing services do you do? Do you offer any packages? How are you unique from all of the other ghost writers out there? Be as specific about your services as possible and be sure to include samples of your work so that potential clients will know whether you are a match for them.
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You don’t provide enough detail on what kinds of clients you work with.
Trying to be all things to all people will most likely get you nowhere. Everything from marketing strategies to setting rates gets immensely easier when you focus your efforts and content on specific types of clients.
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You don’t describe the problems that working with you would solve.
Can you help someone tell his or her side of the story? Get them greater visibility online? Put their extensive knowledge of a complex subject into layman’s terms? The more specific you get about the needs of your potential clients and how you can fill them, the more likely you’ll develop services and Web copy that resonates with them.
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You don’t provide visitors to your site with a risk-free way to get to know you better.
Maybe your site visitors have considered hiring a ghost writer, but are not yet ready, willing or able to do so for a variety of reasons. Offering a free newsletter, report and/or e-course is a terrific way to capture the email addresses of potential clients and keep your name and services in front of them.
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You don’t provide visitors to your site with a risk-free way to contact you.
Many people have an aversion to picking up the phone and calling a complete stranger, or fear that they’ll get a hard sell if they call; on the other hand, they would happily complete an online form or send an email outlining the project they want to do and asking questions about your services. Be sure that your email address is prominently posted throughout your website, or that your form is easy to find and complete. Also, offer a free, no obligation initial consultation via phone, email or instant messaging, which lets your potential client choose the contact method he or she is most comfortable with.
So while helping people find your site is an important and ongoing strategy, you also want to generate visitors’ interest in what they see there. Make sure you’re putting your virtual best foot forward via your website and/or blog by addressing each of the issues listed above. Your bank account will appreciate the effort.
Upcoming Events
Stay tuned for the schedule of upcoming speakers and topics. Also, I will be participating in a telesummit for freelancers in October. Details coming soon!
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Message from Mary Anne
Greetings:
One of the greatest pleasures I’ve had since launching the IAPGW has been hosting the free teleclasses with guest speakers on topics I’ve hoped would be of interest to writers in general and ghost writers in particular.
I found both the calls with Kim Pearson on why people hire ghost writers and with Mary Ellen Bates on how to conduct painless negotiation highly informative, and both speakers gave generously of their time and expertise. Moreover, I loved hearing those of you who listened to these calls ask great questions, which showed that you, too, were engaged and interested in what these guests had to say.
I look forward to hosting more of these down the road, and have already lined up a speaker for June—Paulette Ensign of http://tipsbooklets.com and http://CollectionOfExperts.com, who will talk about how ghost writers can use tips booklets to attract new clients. You’ll find details regarding this next free teleclass at http://iapgw.org/upcoming-events.
Do you have any expertise that you would like to share with fellow ghost writers via a teleclass? Or are there any topics you would like to see explored on future calls? Please feel free to e-mail me with your comments and suggestions at MaryAnne@iapgw.org.
To your success,
Mary Anne Hahn
IAPGW Executive Director
New Member Welcome
Kathryn Siranosian
Professional Member
East Sandwich, MA
http://corporatewriter4hire.com
IAPGW News
A new benefit has been added to the International Association of Professional Ghost Writers for both associate and professional level members!
We’ve created a members-only networking and discussion forum on ning.com that we hope will be beneficial for experienced and beginner ghost writers alike.
Not a member yet? Come join us at http://iapgw.org/member-benefits
Feature Article:
Some “Old School” Ways to Get Ghost Writing Assignments
© 2010 by Mary Anne Hahn
The Internet has provided writers with so many benefits one can hardly remember or imagine life before its inception. It gives us the means to find and work with clients all over the world, allows us to communicate with them instantly and often inexpensively via e-mail, Skype and instant messaging, and puts researching capabilities right at our fingertips. We can easily self-edit as we go without wasting reams of paper, send what we’ve written to clients without spending money on postage, and receive payment directly into our bank or PayPal accounts. We’re then able to look for our next assignments without ever having to get up from our chairs, or even get dressed for that matter.
Yet these conveniences don’t come without their disadvantages. Anyone who frequents on-line job boards or responds to job postings on Craigslist knows how fierce and global the competition is for these opportunities. And putting up your shingle on the Web doesn’t automatically bring business to you; no matter how well you write and how compelling your samples are, you need to constantly market your website in order to attract visitors to it. Moreover, variances in costs of living from country to country have sent fees for a many freelancing jobs plunging as people look for writers who live where they can afford to work for pennies rather than dollars.
In the wake of these realities, some writers have begun to revert to old tricks of the trade for unearthing writing work, or combine Web-based searches with off-line techniques. Rather than simply following the crowd and jostling for the attention of anonymous job posters on sites such as elance, these writers prefer to separate themselves from the pack and strike out on their own in search of clients. Although some of the tactics they use sound like suggestions from marketing or job hunting books written 20 or more years ago, writers are discovering that their results are as relevant today as they ever were.
You, too, might want to try the following “old school” methods for landing writing assignments:
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Join your local Chamber of Commerce. What better place to meet professionals and local business people who might be able to use your services than at your city’s chamber? Who knows, you may even turn out to be the only member who’s a ghost writer, which might make what you do even more intriguing to other members.
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See if you can get speaking engagements at events that your target clients attend. Do your target clients belong to any professional groups or attend any regular meetings where you might get an opportunity to speak about ghost writing? Some of these clubs struggle to line up interesting speakers for their members month after month, and would be delighted to hear from you.
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Set up your own informational seminar or workshop. Perhaps a topic like “Getting Your Book Written: A Guide for (Your Target Niche Here)” would generate some interest. Before your event, be sure to send press releases to local newspapers and line up interviews with area radio talk show hosts to generate some added buzz.
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Launch a snail mail campaign. Build a database containing names and addresses of potential clients, and then send them a post card or pamphlet outlining how you and your services might benefit them, directing them to your website for more information. Monitor your site traffic to gauge the effectiveness of any given mailing, and give them a reason to leave their name and e-mail addresses so that you can periodically follow up with them by sending more information.
These are just a handful of ways you can find work where you live or with the kinds of people you want to write for, without totally relying on the Internet. Chances are you’ll find that these techniques will enable you to broaden both your professional and personal circle of contacts, and lead to opportunities you may have not found otherwise.
April/May Poll
If you have or would join a monthly coaching club, what would the purpose of it be?
Register your vote at http://iapgw.org.
Upcoming Events
June 17: Free teleclass: How to sell Your Ghost Writing Services with Tips Booklets
For details and/or to register for this call, go to
http://iapgw.org/upcoming-events
Don’t Miss This Limited Time Living as a Ghost Program Discount
Final days! Until June 1, 2010, IAPGW members can receive a $75 discount on the program Living as a Ghost, a comprehensive program on how to establish and grow your own ghostwriting career. Developed and offered by Kim Pearson, herself an established ghost writer with more than 10 years of experience, this course will help aspiring ghost writers get their careers off the ground, and established ghost writers move to the next level.
This discount is ONLY available to IAPGW members (at both the associate and professional levels). For details on the course, and to find out how to qualify for the discount, visit http://iapgw.org/living-as-a-ghost-program.
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