Content Providers vs. Private Clients

[Laurie1979]

I hate how my money situation is going on for a whole year. The most I made was $400 which was in February.
Since I have 8, 4 and a year old kids, it's hard to get to do cold calling without some little ones screaming their head off and in the process I would yell and scream at them. It's horrible. Even when they know that I am on the phone.
I hate just writing at associated content and getting chump change. I need to do something about this and my main goal is to make at least $5k a month.
Right now, it's looking very bleak to me to ever reach there.
I am getting discourage now even though I apply at many different places looking for writers.
I hate this. Sorry for being negative here but tired of chump change income. I need to do something and I am mainly a stay at home mom.

[TiffanyB]

Originally Posted by Laurie1979

I hate how my money situation is going on for a whole year. The most I made was $400 which was in February.
Since I have 8, 4 and a year old kids, it's hard to get to do cold calling without some little ones screaming their head off and in the process I would yell and scream at them. It's horrible. Even when they know that I am on the phone.
I hate just writing at associated content and getting chump change. I need to do something about this and my main goal is to make at least $5k a month.
Right now, it's looking very bleak to me to ever reach there.
I am getting discourage now even though I apply at many different places looking for writers.
I hate this. Sorry for being negative here but tired of chump change income. I need to do something and I am mainly a stay at home mom.

I make a pretty decent living from writing (more than I was making as admin assistant before working from home). The only real advice I have is to just go and do it. I have probably applied for over 100 jobs on job boards and maybe landed about 10 of them, but some of them have turned into more lucrative clients than first projected. If you are not able to cold call potential clients, then the next best thing is cold emailing, just be sure that your email is not a form letter and doesn't looks like spam!

Also, be sure that your writing samples that you are using when you apply are your best work with no errors and they flow well. Believe it or not clients will read the samples you send over. Think about making your own website to promote your writing and your portfolio as well. Making a living writing on the web is not easy, some people think that it is easy and they are the ones that end up not making that much because they don't put everything into like a normal job (not saying this is you!).

Keep you head up and keep plugging away!

[antebellum]

Originally Posted by debng

First, I sent them a package with a nice introductory letter. Included was some samples of my writing - relevant to their business, testimonials, a resume, and my contact info. A few days after sending these packages out, I followed up with phone calls. Out of 12 places I landed 2 clients. Both long term and lucrative.

I do this too (though I don't always follow up with phone calls), to small businesses in my town. I've also gotten a few clients through my website.

[Laurie1979]

Tiffany,
Thanks for the advice. I have been toying with the idea for months on getting my own website but never gotten around to it. I now have to wait to get new debit cards. I found a site where I can try them out for free for the first month and then it's $4.95 a month. I think that's a sweet deal for me.

I guess i will need to do blogging and having a website when I have the money. I know that Robert BLy is doing great for his writing biz since he makes over $600,000 a year.
For now, I went back to apply more of those promo brand ambassador work where I have to be away from my kids. Unfortunately, I don't get those assignments a lot handed to me so hopefully when I have more money, I would be able to get my own website with some writing samples to show.

And thanks for the advice once again.