This is a heads up to all clients and potential clients, not-so-cleverly disguised as an informative blog post. I am raising my rates at the beginning of April by about 10%. This is both a cost-of-living raise and reflects my improving skill-set and specializations. If you are a current client – don’t fret, I’m not going to raise the price halfway through a project. Rates for future projects may be slightly higher, or not, depending on several factors. 

If you are a new potential client and would like to lock in a project at the current rates, then contact me now – I’ll be quoting based on current rates till the end of the month.

The rates charged for different freelance services vary drastically between individuals. What I charge $50 for, another writer might do for $10 and another for $120. While there are definitely market bands in freelancing, they are often more fluid than you realise, and it’s impossible to get a “standard rate” by which you can benchmark yourself.

That’s why it’s important for freelancers to consider raising their rates every year. You need to take a look at your business and figure out if you’re earning what you’re worth, whether your rate needs to go up, and by how much. The same goes from anyone in a non-freelance business – year-end time is coming up fast and it’s a good chance to assess your pricing and whether it’s time for a change.

Read On…

This article is a friendly warning about the perils of neglecting your marketing. It’s one of those things, like brushing your teeth, you really should do every day. And yet, when we get busy and stressed and run off our feet, our marketing calendar is usually the first thing we drop. And that would seem to be perfect sense. After all, if your business is doing so well, why do you need to hunt for MORE business?

I’ll tell you a little story, about a writer named … Suzie. Suzie had been copywriting for small business clients while working a full-time job at a local charity, as well as writing a few blogs, partaking in several hobbies, and leading a very active social life alongside her rather handsome husband (he was a drum- I mean, he played the tuba). Over the last couple of years, Suzie’s clients were asking her to take on more and more work, and she was at the stage where she could cut back at her office and make a real go at being a full-time freelancer. This would mean Suzie wouldn’t have to work so many evenings and weekends, and would have much more time for hanging out with her friends and headbanging to her husband’s band at the local … jazz club.

Read On…

Guest Post by Lamer Cook

Working as a freelancer is a fantastic decision in our current era, and the value of freelance work seems to be on the rise. There’s a few clear reasons why freelancing skills can be better than many career options for millions of people, and many employers could even learn a thing or two from all this.

Reason One: Build an Immaculate Portfolio or Start a Business

Most employers these days are looking for individuals that already have experience. This creates a kind of “dead zone” for entry-level workers with marketable skills. They want to gain experience with the job, but they can’t get the job to gain experience. It’s an unfortunate catch-22, and contrary to popular belief, a college degree does not replace the desire for hands-on experience in the workplace. Businesses do not want to pay to train people any more than they have to, and this attitude is creating a shortage of trained individuals.

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Hi everyone! So, it’s been far too long since I updated this here blog. I know, I know, do as I say, not as I do. Trust me, it has been in my mind for weeks, and I’ve even got a couple or articles half-drafted, but between working away at client work, building a house, and starting a new business enterprise (I know, because who needs sleep, right?) the idea of adding any updates here has made my brain turn to jelly. Lime-flavoured jelly – that’s the best flavour.

But I thought I’d break radio silence to let you know about this exciting venture I’ve been involved in. Heidi Thompson is the awesome lady in charge of Evolve Your Wedding Business, an haven of advice for those marketing products and services to brides and grooms. She’s been an events and wedding professional in the UK and US for several years, most recently running The Alternative Wedding Fair events – which is just my kind of wedding show! Now she’s working on her own wedding marketing firm. Her first big undertaking is the Wedding Business Evolution Summit, which is essentially an online marketing conference for wedding professionals. It’s completely free to sign up an listen along to the seven informational webinars, and there is a truckload of useful tips and ideas for growing your wedding business within – including a webinar on guest blogging by yours truly!

Read On…

I like to share some of my work with you, in case you feel you don’t get enough of me on my own sites. I’ve been busy writing my way across the web, with often humorous results!

• I had a lot of fun writing this post - Writing Tips from Blackbeard the Pirate - for the Men with Pens blog, which is one of the most popular writing blogs online. I had a lot of positive feedback about my comparison of the writing process with the notorious pirate. Please have a read and let me know if you agree!
• Marketing Creativity is a site run by Lisa Jacobs, an amazing woman who’s made a full-time career out of her Etsy shop – Energy Shop Jewelry. She uses her blog to offer other online handmade sellers advice on business and creativity. Lisa invited me to contribute some articles to her site, and I jumped at the chance to talk about one of my favorite things – creativity in business. My most recent article, Soothing Troubled Waters: Dealing with Unhappy Customers and Negative Feedback, is up now, and is timely for the Christmas season, where mistakes can be made and postage delays can leave customers feeling brassed off.
• And, if you like to keep up with the latest blogging tips, you might have seen my recent Problogger article, 40 Cool Things to Do With Your Post AFTER You Hit Publish. I love writing list articles like this one because the format forces you to get creative with your list items. This article has over 40 comments, and was retweeted more than 500 times, so it seems my ideas resonated with the blogosphere!
• The Disabled Shop is one of my oldest blogging clients, and as I live with a disability myself, the subject matter and audience are very close to my heart. Some of my favorite recent posts include Christmas Gift Ideas: Children’s Books About Disability, and Top Ten UK Disability Blogs. The last article was shared more than 100 times, which is big numbers in a small niche like this.
• And, lastly, over on Empty Easel, I put on my illustrator/artist hat, and write about 6 Powerful New Years Art Resolutions, and well as 10 Ways to Increase Your Christmas Art Sales this Holiday Season.

So there you have it – plenty of reading to occupy you for the rest of the afternoon! Now, you tell me, what have you been writing and reading online lately?

Does your blog need a little rock-star attitude? If you’re looking for a professional ghost-blogger, check out my work in my blogging portfolio, and contact me on steff@grymmandepic.com to discuss your needs. Or you could join the Grymm & Epic Gazette for a fortnightly dose of business tips, special deals on writing services, and general silliness.