Live Training at 12 p.m. ET: Is B2B a good fit for you?

[The Writer’ s Life]( August 9, 2023 "Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better." – Pat Riley Hi {NAME}, Learning from someone who has successfully achieved what you want from YOUR writer's life gives you massive speed. You gain their experience on what worked — and what didn't — so you can navigate the journey with much more ease. With so many paths to the writer's life, there's sure to be one that truly fits who you are — your interests, your writing style, your project preferences, your lifestyle … and AWAI can connect you with an expert (or three) who can "download" their learning curve to you. In-demand expert and popular AWAI mentor Steve Slaunwhite says finding B2B (Business-to-Business) was his lucky break … and it led to a long and lucrative career … expert status … published books … fantastic income … and a lifestyle he truly enjoys. He's been freelancing for 25+ years! Today he's here with 25 lessons he's learned as a freelance writer, so you can use them to gain speed and ease. (He'll be sharing more insights like these at [Bootcamp]( this year.) He's been really good about #5, and this list in today's issue is one more example. 😊 Steve says, without question, B2B is the biggest and best niche for new writers. A niche that's been growing by $1 trillion per year. A niche where skilled writers are in huge demand. A niche where you can be paid an excellent executive-level salary for writing a wide variety of short, fun copy. A niche that's easy to learn — and where there's zero hard selling. AND, a niche you're likely already qualified to write for! So if you're looking to make good money as a writer … right out of the gate, I want to help you achieve that goal by taking advantage of the opportunity in B2B. Thousands of companies need you NOW, and I want to show you the best way to become a well-paid B2B writer, and give you all the tools you need to succeed … for just $1. [>> Check out the details here.]( Curious if B2B is for you? Join Steve for an exclusive one-time event we're hosting for you today at 12 p.m. ET. ([Access instructions here.]() He's going to share with you the insider secrets to getting started in the massive B2B market, and he'll also do a deep dive into the specific B2B projects that are in big demand right now. He'll also answer any questions you may have about the opportunity, as well as help you determine whether you should pursue it yourself. [Go here to reserve your seat and get a reminder]( — it's free! To your success, Rebecca Matter President AWAI Your ALL-ACCESS Key — Just $1! Get instant access to this exclusive B2B writing community and ALL their private resources, including … All the success roadmaps … All the writing templates … All the articles … All the how-to videos … All 150+ training webinars … The Forum, the Job Board, the tutorials, the tools … And much more! [Go Here for More Details]( 25 Lessons I Learned from 25 Years of Freelancing By Steve Slaunwhite [Steve Slaunwhite accepting his 2016 Copywriter of the Year Award from AWAI] Katie Yeakle, Rebecca Matter, Steve Slaunwhite, and Gordon Graham celebrate Steve's 2016 Copywriter of the Year win at Bootcamp I celebrated 25 years as a self-employed copywriter not long ago. So, I thought it would be interesting to list all I've learned about being a successful freelancer and share that with you. Frankly, when I started making this list, I wondered what I would write that has helped me over the years. But, as my list grew, I realized that I have more than a few ideas you might find helpful. So, here goes (in no particular order) … - Don't be a low-end service provider. Offer a premium service; something you can be proud of. Price accordingly. - Never stop marketing. Prospecting, networking, etc. Even when you're booked solid. Especially when you're booked solid. - Love your clients. After all, they pay for the many things — if not everything — in your life. (I'm paraphrasing my friend and famed UK copywriter, Andy Maslen.) - Make friends with fellow freelancers, ideally those a little more successful than you. - Give new freelancers a helping hand whenever you can. Share your advice, freely. When you do, you're not only doing the right thing, you're investing in the health and vibrancy of this profession. - Pay yourself a regular "salary." Like a good business owner, commit — really, really commit — to never missing your "payroll" to yourself. - Give your clients a 5-star experience when working with you. Every time. Don't take long-time, regular clients for granted. If anything, you should be giving them a 6-star experience! - Don't envy successful people in your field. Learn from them. - Strive to be the best at what you do. You may not end up being the best, but you'll probably get close. Push yourself to be a little better each week. Strive, grow. - Don't miss deadlines. If the client doesn't give you one, set the deadline yourself. (A tip I learned from Bob Bly.) - If you wake up in the morning not looking forward to your day, something's wrong. Find out what that is. Fix it, fast. - Return client calls and emails promptly. If possible, the same day. - When you take a day off, really take it off. No work. No emails. No business reading. - Earn a Ph.D. in your client's business. Learn all about what they do, what they sell, who their ideal customers are — and how you can help. You'll need this to accomplish #15 … - Become a linchpin in your client's business. Be "that guy" or "that gal" who's indispensable to them. (For a great definition of this, read Seth Godin's Linchpin.) - Get to know the players. In your field. And in the industry you target. - Reach out to and, if possible, meet with one new contact each week. Ideally, someone who could potentially hire you, recommend you, or just be a valuable professional connection in some other way. (Nod to Lindsay Ratowsky.) - Create a positive, stimulating environment in which to work. For me, that's my home office, with my paintings adorning the walls, guitar in the corner, favorite books on the shelf. Make your workspace an oasis. - Don't hang onto the past. Things change. Chances are, you'll need to update your skills, or do a complete pivot, every couple of years. Don't be the freelancer who still specializes in software CDs when the industry has moved on to SaaS. - Be good with money. Be "Suze Orman" good. Have enough in the bank to pay your business and personal expenses for at least six months. If you can't do that now, make it a goal. Even if it takes you five years of scrimping and saving, you'll be glad you did it. - Take on the occasional tough or unfamiliar project. It will stretch you. Years ago, I taught a three-day seminar having previously only handled half-day sessions. I was as nervous as an acrophobic about to do a bungee jump. But now multiday workshops are within my comfort zone. - Act like a consultant, not a temp employee. You're an equal with your client. You offer a valuable business service. Always present yourself that way. - Success isn't about getting gigs, it's about building relationships. One-off gigs will make you tired. Regular clients with recurring projects will make you inspired. - If you're not getting half your new business through referrals, you're doing something wrong. Fix it. (Tom Stoyan told me that 20 years ago and I never forgot it.) - Never submit your work to a client unless you're in love with it yourself. That means doing your best, wow-worthy work, every time. After 25+ years, you might think I follow these tenets religiously these days. Ahhh, no. Not always. I slip up more times than I care to admit. But, as I said in #9, it's all about striving to be the best you can be. So, my overall advice to my fellow freelancers is … keep on striving! If you're a new copywriter trying to get your business off the ground, or you're looking for a way to make great money as a copywriter from home, I can't think of a better industry than B2B. [Join our B2B Writers International for just $1!]( What's Hot at AWAI … 👀 [TODAY: Free training at 12 p.m. ET: How to Get Started as a B2B Copywriter with Steve Slaunwhite.]( 😎 [Get your ALL-ACCESS pass to B2B Writers International for just a dollar!]( 🧐 [3 ways to beat Impostor Syndrome.]( 👉 [Here's how to look like an expert]( — no faking needed! 😏 Imagining your writer's life? [Here's what your day could look like as a B2B copywriter.]( 😍 Watch: [From $5 content mill to copywriting pro: Mastering the 3 Ds!]( "It never gets boring!" Pamela S. had nothing but appreciation for Steve Slaunwhite after being mentored in his B2B Mastery course. Here's what she had to say … [Testimonial about B2B Mastery course] If you'd like to make great money as a copywriter from home — able to say "Yes" to a variety of high-paying projects, you should check out the opportunities in writing for the B2B industry. [All the details are here.]( Have your own story to share? Email us at mysuccess@awai.com, or [post it over in the Facebook group](, so we can celebrate your win too! Now Accepting New Writers If you want … - high-paying gigs, - predictable writing income, - greater flexibility … AND the satisfaction that comes with LOVING what you do for a living … Then getting accepted into our influential club can set you up for everything you're looking for in a writing career. NOTE: Your acceptance window will be closing soon! [Apply Now]( FREE Training TODAY: Break Into B2B Writing FAST [AWAI Event Break Into B2B Writing Fast] Learn why B2B writing is one of the fastest paths to making great money … with just a handful of clients. TODAY, August 9, 12 p.m. ET [Get The Details Here]( Featured Jobs You can find these jobs and thousands more on [WritersWanted.com](: --------------------------------------------------------------- B2B Copywriter, Transactional Content — Dotdash Meredith Full-time, Des Moines, IA As the B2B Copywriter, Transactional Content, you are responsible for creating compelling content across multiple channels, including email campaigns, landing pages, social media, and digital advertisements. --------------------------------------------------------------- B2B Copywriter — Creative Circle Full-time, Atlanta, GA The Copywriter will contribute thought-leadership to marketing efforts and will ensure quality by publishing error-free content on a consistent basis. --------------------------------------------------------------- B2B Copywriter — Nerd Rabbit Full-time, Remote Be able to write long copy and short copy: Web copy, white papers, collateral materials, case studies, blogs, drip campaigns of all types, landing pages, and messaging frameworks that might become a part of a client's brand guidelines. --------------------------------------------------------------- Trouble viewing this email? 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