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How To Choose When To Add New Services in Your Writing/Editing Business

As a freelance writer or editor, you can broaden your business in two ways with new services: (1) niching into other writing/editing services or (2) stepping out into other freelance niches like marketing, video, or audio work, or administrative work.

But how do you know if it’s the right time or fit for you? Throughout my freelance career, I have pivoted into other freelance services and niched down into other freelance writing options, too. Here’s what to keep in mind.

Taking on Other Kinds of Editing/Writing Work

This is perhaps the easiest pivot, since you already have a track record of delivering in the writing and editing space. You have a better handle on pricing and can also bring over the lessons learned from your existing business (AKA how not to work with nightmare clients, which contract provisions protect you, how to set deadlines.)

For example, if you’ve been largely focused on academic editing services, you could continue to do those or dial that work down to shift over into business editing or fiction manuscript editing. Although the projects will look somewhat different, you aren’t making a huge change. It might be difficult to land those first few clients in your new service area if you’ve done a lot of work “branding” yourself as the academic writing expert.

When to consider making this kind of change:

You’re feeling too much “sameness” in your work (if you look at one more academic journal article, you’ll lose your mind). New service offerings, even if you’re not pivoting into them full-time, can help add variety.
You’re getting bored with your work and feel you’ve taken your current service offering as far as you could take it. (After 11 years of writing personal injury law blogs, not a single thing about it was challenging for me anymore.)
You don’t want to learn something entirely new, but you do desire a little bit of change

Taking on Entirely New Work

It’s a much bigger change if you’re going to start offering book cover design either instead of or in addition to your current editing workload. That’s not to say it can’t be done. In fact, some writers and editors love zooming out to the big picture to make themselves more of a one-stop shop. With this, however, comes thinking about how you’re going to market yourself differently and whether you need new work samples. If you’re not as familiar with the standards, pricing, client types, and deadlines in this new service area, allocate more time to get up to speed. It can be a bit clunky especially when everything feels so smooth in your existing editing and writing business just due to your experience in that field.

For example, after years of content writing, I shifted over to offer Amazon Ads for published book authors for a time. It was a big change even though I was familiar with publishing in general. I was talking to an entirely new group of potential clients and did not have all the kinks worked out yet. More on that later as I walk you through how to approach a test run of a new service area.

Here’s when to consider making a shift like this:

You’re increasingly bored or frustrated with your existing service offering and want to see if you can retire it or dial it down to 20% or less of your total work. Trying out a new service area helps you see whether that’s possible in terms of income and whether you like the new offering enough to do more of it.
You feel stagnant and want to continue growing or you want to protect yourself from risks, downturns, influence of AI, etc. that you’re worried about with your current service offering.
Your clients keep asking you if you offer service XYZ and you’re saying no, meaning you’re losing the opportunity to do more work with clients you like. An editor who also loves cover design could be a killer combination!

Managing a Test Run

A new service offering, even one similar to your existing work, is not always a good fit. Therefore, don’t put the cart before the horse and invest in a total rebrand. I’m really glad I didn’t do this with my Amazon Ads offering, because I ended up phasing it out after just four months. The great thing about trying something new is that you’re not obligated to stick with it so long as you didn’t promise people that it’s your new focus.

Instead, here is how to approach that:

Set up a test run of a few months or a handful of projects. Ideally, this will come from your existing clients or people who already know, like, and trust you. Bonus: these projects can be your first work samples and/or testimonials if they go well!
Offer special pricing for these first few projects with clear boundaries and endcaps. For example, with my Amazon Ads offering, I made it clear I was trying this out and only signed three-month contracts with a few people who I already liked and had asked me to run ads for them. This gives people an incentive to try out this new offering while not locking you in to some big project/long timeline in case you end up hating what you’re doing. This also prevents long-term underpricing since the special pricing is for a limited period.
Set a deadline for when you’ll decide if you will continue to offer this new service. I chose four months because during that time I’d be able to work on several of these projects.
Do not build a website, pay for a new logo, spend all your time on LinkedIn, etc. to make it seem as though this is your “new thing.” If you need to pick up a few test run clients, you can market this as a special opportunity: “I have openings for up to three clients with my new service.”
If you hate the new offering, conclude your contracts and exit the service. No harm done: you learned something new. And now you can try another service offering if you want!

I stopped offering 1:1 Amazon Ads because I just didn’t enjoy it; the clients wanted too much in terms of reporting, the results were randomly effective, and I did not like the constant back and forth emails. So I wrapped it up and put that behind me.

Keep these tips in mind as you think about whether offering a new service makes sense for you.

Laura Pennington Briggs is the founder and CEO of the Freelance Coach. A two-time TEDx speaker on how freelancing is changing the economy and the host of the weekly Advanced Freelancing podcast, Laura has helped over 15,000 freelancers start and scale their business. She’s an expert on systems, project and client management, marketing a solopreneur business, delegating to team members, retainers, and developing multiple income streams for writers of all stripes. Laura is the author of five books, including the Six Figure Freelancer, How to Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business, and award-winning Remote Work for Military Spouses. She’s also the founder of Operation Freelance, a national nonprofit providing free entrepreneurship training to military spouses worldwide.

Covers Uncovered

Monday, July Post a comment

You glance across a crowded room and lock eyes. You are inspired, beguiled. Suddenly, “love-at-first-sight” makes sense and you feel the spark of a love affair blossoming with . . . the BOOK of your dreams?…

Ok, that might be taking the metaphor a bit too far, but work with me on this. The ultimate goal of your book’s cover is to grab your readers’ attention and tell them in an instant, “Take me HOME, I’m just what you need! Pay no attention to all those other books, I’m the one!”

Think of it like your favorite little black dress that shows off your curves, and accentuates your . . . assets.

Let’s face it, there are really only two reasons to write a book:

To say you did, and
To sell it.

Unless you only wrote your book so your grandmother could read it, and your target audience is your crazy cousin Emma, Auntie Eileen, and Uncle George, the cover does matter. Let me say that again, in case you missed it in all the humor: If you want to sell your book, your cover DOES matter, a LOT.

So, let’s assume you wrote your book to actually sell a few copies. The key then is that you must:

Treat your writing as a business,

your book as a product

and the cover as its packaging.

The cover is your most important marketing tool, and as such, must be properly packaged to be visually appealing to your target market.

A successfully designed book cover, like that little black dress, will give hints about its content, convey the tone of your book, and entice readers into actually picking up your product to read your meticulously written and diligently edited words. Metaphorically, you’ve just been asked out for a first date. Only then can your inner beauty be discovered.

Let’s have a look at some examples and see what they tell you about what’s under the covers . . . (Ok, I’ll stop.)

Ponder on this cover package for a moment.

What does the color story tell you about what’s inside? It’s fresh, clean, green grass, blue sky. How does it make you feel? Cheerful, hopeful?

What’s under the cover, you ask? A letter from Pope Francis about caring for our common home, Earth.

The cover I created for the Pope’s Encyclical Letter is designed to make you think about our environment, ecology, and children’s future. The fresh greens, calming blues, and flesh tones are used intentionally to evoke a feeling of newness and concepts of youth, growth, and springtime rebirth.

What about these next two? How do they make you feel?

Fiction, Alternative History, Murder, Mystery

The color red in both of these images tells us they might be about death, but the fonts also tell us a story too. Notice that the bold modern font on The End Of Snow tells us that the story is based in modern day. If you zoom in close, you’ll also notice the texture of the font feels like a blizzard.

With Rebel Nation, we can surmise from the font that it has something to do with history. The rebel flag also gives a historical clue, but why is there a modern day rifle site? Hmmm, intriguing.

In the case of these next two, the softer font tells us this is a more feminine story. But what else can we discover about these two? Do they belong together? What clues tell you this?

With a sequel, it’s important to have consistency in the overall look and feel from one book to the next so your readers (or searchers) will know these stories belong together. This is known as “branding.” Typically, the color story will likely match and text treatment is usually similar.

Notice the repeating elements. The spherical object at the top of the design space, the light source just below, the city-scape in the foreground, and the similar text treatment. All these elements let us know that these are part of a sequel.

Another important thing to note is that there should be a strong contrast between the text and the image behind so that your words are legible.

And, you should always keep in mind that the cover will be displayed on digital browsers at a thumbnail size, so it is important the elements are minimal. Including every detail from your story only serves to make your cover busy and confusing and gives away too much, too soon. Remember our little black dress and keep it simple and classic.

One final little tid bit of advice I always give new authors is, if you are beginning to write a book, start saving from day one so that when it’s complete, you’ll have a tidy little nest egg to invest in what it takes to make your product look professional.

Because it matters. A lot.

Tamian Wood, winner of numerous print and cover design awards, uses art, photography, typography, and digital collage techniques to create book covers that sell. She works with several publishers and a growing number of indie authors. Tamian’s most famous client to date is Pope Francis, whose Encyclical Letter won first place for cover design. With over 25 years in the design trenches, she is also a partner member in good standing with the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) and a co-judge for a monthly cover design contest at Discovering Diamonds Historical Fiction Review site. Tamian has a weekly featured post (Critique Corner) at the Writers of Non-Fiction Facebook group. And she is the director of the LinkedIn group, Authors’ Resource. Tamian holds degrees in computer science and graphic design technology and is a proud member of Phi Theta Kappa National Honour Society.

Remember Your Editor When You Write

Saturday, June Post a comment

A funny thing happened on the way to editing a large manuscript for a friend and book publisher . . . A case of first impressions — not good ones — ended the editing effort before the end of the first chapter . . . section . . . it was hard to tell. The submission had come from someone who was not a writer but the publisher was anxious to acquire the subject matter for publication. This meant, for me, a book doctoring job more than an edit, but it was proposed as a straight edit, sight unseen, and thus the rate to do the edit was less than half the lowest going rate, largely as a favor to the publisher, who happens to be otherwise quite visionary and aggressive in what he chooses to publish. But the manuscript was in bad shape on arrival and impossible to follow. Even after being informed of the problems, the publisher wanted me to take a shot at a fix. When it takes months to plow through one “chapter” of the book of undefined scope, it is not an editing gig. This book forced me to wear two hats: developmental and copy editor — in basic terms — a book doctor with a patient on life support.

So how did it go with the author? After offering detailed feedback and many recommendations — the fixes — via the publisher, not great. While most authors are typically overwhelmed by criticism and more or less grateful for the inputs, this was not the case and the author responded defensively; it was anger. Trying to cure a manuscript as bad as this one was is a daily headache. To get this reaction from the author, who clearly believed that nothing was wrong with the work submitted, was stressful. In my experience, this writer reaction to critique is rare. The publisher was also dismayed at the reaction.

To attest to how bad this was from the start, after months of trying to whip the manuscript into shape, it was only fair to inform the publisher that while developmental editing and rewriting entire sections would continue, there was no way the publisher’s money could be accepted for the effort. To that point, the rate agreed to with the publisher, again, was well below the going rate for book doctoring. This was a $15,000 to $25,000 job — easy. The publisher knew this after seeing pages of comments from me regarding the manuscript. Reports to the publisher on a regular basis are important because the publisher is your partner in the effort to get a writer on track.

So, what stood out and what can you take away from it: Two things stood out immediately:

the overall submission lacked proper construction. There was no proper introduction and no narrative arc — a proper beginning, middle, and end — to the work. This submission struck me as a body of research that required division into at least FIVE+ books. To organize the book for writer feedback, an order of the book was crafted by me to make the point the material carved out to a single book should flow and a template would achieve this.
An edit of the entire body of research — in excess of 600,000 words — yes, you read that correctly, was not possible. Rewriting heavily in the first chapter/section to demonstrate proper use of subject reference, sentence structure, and narrative flow ate up the limited budget for the edit gig.

Other problems drew quick attention and criticism: When you make a statement on your book or devise a premise to some of the research material, you must cite at least two and preferably three sources to corroborate the assumption/finding. No spurious or conspiracy theory is needed/required. Just document thoroughly and be accurate in your endnotes and bibliography (which, in this edit job, required an entire verification of EVERY source and proper formatting) as to where you gleaned the information. From the introduction to the blurb for the book cover, the author must make it clear why the author’s narrative — your “take” — on these subjects should be published and thus read. What makes it stand out. If you don’t know, the publisher and editor can’t do it for you. Convince us. Make your argument. The author of this aforementioned work had not done the heavy lifting. Citing others’ works one after the other without much original thought on the subject matter isn’t what publishers of full-length manuscripts need to see; they need more than aggregation. Think like and of your editor when you write; it can save your manuscript from costly delays in the pre-publication phase and make you a better writer.

Amy Waters Yarsinske is the author of several best-selling, award-winning nonfiction books, published regionally, nationally, and internationally. Amy’s proposal technique was featured in literary agent/author Peter Rubie’s Telling the Story: How to Write and Sell Narrative Nonfiction; she also did a National Press Club panel with Rubie during the No One Left Behind press tour. She has been a regular contributor with international, national, and regional media, to include continued guest spots on national radio. An American in the Basement: The Betrayal of Captain Scott Speicher and the Cover-up of His Death won the Next Generation Indie Book Award for General Non-fiction in 2014, and No One Left Behind: The Lt. Comdr. Michael Scott Speicher Story earned her literary awards, an incredible press tour, and national/international recognition. With over 30 years in the publishing industry, Amy has published over 85 nonfiction books, most of them spotlighting current affairs, the military, history and the environment with a few biographies and corporate histories interspersed. Amy graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia, where she earned her bachelor of arts in English and economics and the University of Virginia School of Architecture, where she earned her Master of Planning and was a DuPont Fellow and Lawn/Range resident.

Connection Is the Key to Networking Value and Success

Friday, May Post a comment

At a recent meeting of one of my local professional organizations, the value of such affiliations was clear.

We talked about what that organization provides to members — why it was worth joining and being active; services and resources that could be used at any level of involvement; what made it different from other organizations, etc. The keyword was “connection,” and it applies to NAIWE.

Association membership is a great way to enhance a writing or editing career. Associations offer learning experiences through training sessions, webinars, courses, conferences, and publications; opportunities for visibility through discussion lists and forums, publishing, and presenting; even ways to earn a few bucks by presenting and contributing to or creating various projects and events. Interacting with colleagues builds our skills, answers our questions, provides access to resources, offers encouragement, and creates long-lasting friendships.

You might not have thought of it in these terms, but participating in any and all such activities is networking, especially if you remember that effective networking is a two-way process: It works when you give as well as get.

Networking through NAIWE means you have colleagues and friends to turn to for advice and for fitting into a new niche of some sort. Fellow members can refer or introduce you for projects and give you a strong leading edge over other candidates. Perhaps most importantly, association membership creates a connection that you can carry wherever you go, whether it’s to new clients and projects, a new industry, a new city, even a new country. That’s especially true of an association like NAIWE, because it’s national.

Despite all of the advantages that networking can bring, though, some colleagues aren’t comfortable with the concept. It might feel more natural and doable to think in terms of connections instead. When we connect with colleagues through associations like NAIWE, we strengthen our professionalism and often contribute to that of others. That makes networking even more than a two-way street; it’s a win for everyone.

However you define it, consider giving networking and connecting a try. If you’ve made efforts in that direction, think about new ways to make an impact. You might be pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable, and beneficial, it can be.

Let us know how networking has worked for you!

Ruth Thaler-Carter has been a full-time freelance writer, editor, proofreader, desktop publisher, and speaker for more than 30 years. She has been published locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally in, and does writing, editing, and proofreading for, publications, associations, nonprofits, websites, service firms, independent authors, and businesses. She sold her first freelance articles when she was still in high school. Often called the Queen of Networking, Ruth is active in about a dozen professional associations, serving as a newsletter editor, webmaster, publication author, speaker/presenter, blogger, program host or planner, and chapter leader. In 2006, Ruth launched the Communication Central Be a Better Freelancer annual conference, now cohosted with NAIWE — to help aspiring and established freelancers find greater success. Ruth is also owner and editor-in-chief of the An American Editor blog and owner of the A Flair for Writing publishing business. Her honors include member of her high school alumni hall of fame, in part for her publishing work and networking services; Writers and Books Big Pencil Award for teaching adults and contributions to the literary community; EFfie awards for writing, editing, and newsletters; an APEX award for feature writing; the Philip M. Stern Award of Washington (DC) Independent Writers for service to freelancers; and IABC/DC Communicator of the Year and Silver Quills for magazine writing and newsletters.

4 Red Flags to Look For

Tuesday, April Post a comment

Have you ever gotten an email from someone claiming to be a Nigerian prince and promising you millions of dollars? Did you assume he was telling the truth, or did you question his authenticity?

Thankfully, most people know better than to believe the prince scheme, but it’s not the prince you need to worry about — it’s the book editor promising you a perfect book for $100. Like the Nigerian prince, if the book editor making big promises for minimal investments seems to good to be true, it might be.

Here’s the hard truth: anyone with an email account can contact you and promise you millions of dollars. The same is true with book editors. Anyone with a computer can create a website or social media accounts and promise you a ready-to-publish manuscript in no time at all.

Neither of these people need to prove their identity to the internet. That’s why it’s crucial for authors to do their research and vet their editors before signing a contract. Here are a few red flags to look for before working with an editor:

Fraction-of-the-price fees. If someone promises an edit at 50-75% below their competitors, it’s okay to be suspicious. It could be that the editor is new and looking for experience, but it’s also possible the editor isn’t going to do the same quality of work as their colleagues (or, in this era, they’re using AI instead of doing the work themselves).
No contract. It might seem convenient not to have a contract, but every professional needs one — it clarifies expectations, including the work to be done, the timeline, and the fee. It protects both the editor and the author. If an editor won’t use a contract, keep looking.
No editing experience. Just because someone works in publishing doesn’t mean they know how to edit. When I worked as an acquisitions editor, I received many manuscripts “edited” by authors and agents. They were successful authors and agents, but knowing how to write or sell a manuscript doesn’t automatically translate into knowing how to edit one.
No professional affiliations or education. Is it possible to learn how to edit without formal training? Probably. Do all editors need to join professional groups? No. But if your editor doesn’t have any connections to editing groups or instructors, it’s safe to question how they learned to edit (and who evaluated their work to let them know they were doing it well).

Is this an all-inclusive list of potential red flags? No.

Does this list suggest that anyone who meets these requirements is automatically a bad editor and/or scammer? Of course not.

But because it’s easier than ever to call yourself an editor and start taking money from eager authors, it’s more important than ever for writers to do their homework and make sure they’re getting what they paid for and working with someone who can do the work they’ve promised.

Karin Beery is a published author and editor with experience in traditional and self-publishing, freelance editing, and editing for publishers. She is an active member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Christian Authors Network, and the Christian Proofreaders and Editors Network, as well as a PEN Institute instructor. Her specialty is substantive fiction editing with an emphasis in romance and women’s fiction.

12 Keys to Produce the Best Copyediting

Friday, February Post a comment

In fields as competitive as freelance writing and editing, setting yourself apart as one of the best is crucial to maintaining a thriving business. Once clients discover your high-quality work, they are going to spread the news. Not only that, but they’ll be willing to pay what you’re worth, especially once they’ve had one or two encounters with your less-than-professional colleagues. If you incorporate these 12 disciplines into your writing or editing life, you’re sure to deliver an excellent product every single time.

Prioritize Sleep

The most important tool you have in this career is your brain. And to help your brain function at its highest level, you should get enough sleep. It’s tempting to want to “grind it out,” especially if you’re trying to meet a deadline or if you’re tight on meeting your budget, but if you sacrifice your sleep, you may be sacrificing the quality of your work. It’s not worth it. Commit to getting good-quality sleep right now. Keep your priorities straight, so your clients don’t suffer. If that means missing a deadline, simply let your client know right away that it’s going to take a little longer than you thought, and then adjust your estimates for the next job to allow for more time.

You might have trouble falling asleep. Often, our minds race when we hit our pillow, and we just can’t fall asleep. I went through years of insomnia due to a fussy baby, post-partum depression, the death of my spouse, and a major cross-country move. But there were a few things I discovered about sleep that helped me start snoozing again. It is easier to fall asleep when you have a deep sense of being loved and valued and when you feel safe. If you are having difficulty falling asleep, think over and over about how loved you are and how valuable you are. You have a purpose, and your life is significant. In regard to feeling safe, I mediate on Scriptures from the Bible about how much our Father loves me and His promises to keep me safe. Find what works for you. Another thing that has been very effective is to think of the things I am holding against myself or others and say out loud, “[My name or name of the other person] I forgive you for [whatever the offense was] and I release you from the debt you owe me.” I’ve gotten some of the sweetest sleep after going through this forgiveness ritual.

Prioritize Good Nutrition

Our guts are so interconnected with our brain function that we shouldn’t ignore what we’re eating. Eat high-quality, unprocessed foods. This includes fresh fruits and vegetables, grass-fed beef, organic chicken, and wild-caught fish. Instead of looking at the nutrition label on packaged foods, read the ingredient list, and avoid foods that have ingredients you can’t pronounce or are mysterious. One of the easiest ways to eliminate inflammation in your body and increase clarity of mind is to eliminate cow dairy products (switch to goat dairy) and gluten.

Exercise

You’ve probably heard that movement is life. Get out and take a walk or a short run at least twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. You can also find some great exercise videos for free on YouTube. One of my favorite exercises is Pilates. It’s designed to incorporate dynamic stretching and strength movements that build your core muscles, which are the foundation for all your muscles. The deep, regular breathing during a Pilates workout oxygenates your brain and invigorates your body. Even 10 minutes of this workout a day will make a notable difference in your performance.

Don’t Worry

In a culture where stress and anxiety are the norm, it’s a rare thing to find an editor or writer who isn’t worried about some aspect of the job. But humans do their best creative work when we are super chill and confident. If you can master this discipline, you’ll set yourself head and shoulders above your colleagues.

I’ll tell you how I discovered what works for me, but you can use what works for you and feed the rest to the birds if you like. Several years ago, I had a dear friend try to convince me to start using marijuana to help take the edge off the anxiety I was experiencing. I assured my friend that marijuana would only be a coping mechanism, not a cure, and I wanted a cure. In the course of our conversation, it surfaced that trusting in Jesus was the answer, and a switch inside of me flipped. I realized that while I’d been a follower of Jesus most of my life, I didn’t really trust him to take care of things for me. I decided I had more to lose by taking my own responsibility for my career than by turning everything over to Jesus. I told him He was now responsible for my reputation, for meeting my deadlines, and for my quality of work. And that day, I started practicing casting my care on Him—taking the things I cared about and letting Him do all the caring about them instead. Practicing means I messed up quite a bit and got to try again. But the more I practiced the better I got. And since that time, I’ve never missed a deadline or disappointed a client. I attribute the success of my thriving business solely to the Boss Man, and work is more play to me. I hope you find your own way to let go of worry even while you diligently work.

Invest in a Blue Light Filter for Your Computer

I only discovered this after I started working full time. I realized my eyes were beyond fatigued after standing at my computer eight hours a day. So I did some research and discovered that our computers put off something called “blue light.” It’s very hard on our eyes, and you know how important our eyes are to this kind of work. If your computer doesn’t already have a blue light filter, don’t wait another day to find a product that has great reviews and order it!

Invest in a Standing Desk

Having a standing desk contributes to frequent exercise. Our bodies weren’t designed to sit all day, and since I began using a standing desk with a cushioned mat, I have less back pain and have noticed that my knees, ankles, and feet have gotten stronger. It’s nice to be able to take a 30-second break and do some squats and spine twists.

Invest in an Ergonomic Keyboard

Anyone who’s been in this business for a long time understands the kind of pain that can develop in your wrists. Although there may be a short learning curve as you adjust to the different position that an ergonomic keyboard requires, you’ll likely find immediate pain relief. A side note here: when I started getting chiropractic adjustments in my neck, that also greatly relieved my wrist pain. Chiropractic may be a great option for you when it comes to taking care of your wrists.

Keep a Schedule

Working from home requires a great deal of discipline. It’s amazing how quickly the time it takes to do “quick” house chores eats away at your work time. Set a schedule for yourself and stick to it. Avoid the temptation to put a load of laundry in the washing machine or vacuum the floors “real quick.” Instead, remind yourself that you can do these once your workday is over.

Eliminate Distractions

This key compliments keeping a schedule. It’s mind-blowing how quickly phone calls, text messages, emails, and social media can drain our work time. When you’re on the clock, focus on the job that’s in front of you. Check messages at your next break to see if any of them are work related. And have an appointed time to read and answer emails.

Get Dressed

I hope this one made you smile. Or maybe it made you roll your eyes. But there’s something about getting dressed for the day and putting on shoes that signal to your brain that it’s go-time. Even if you change from one set of pajamas to another, getting dressed makes a difference. On top of that, if you can fit in a shower or at least wash your face, this will also contribute to positioning your mind to produce quality work.

Go Slow

Now we get into the nuts and bolts of copyediting. You’ve taken care of your body and you’re ready to hit the ground running. Pull up the manuscript on your computer screen, and slow down. Examine every character and question if it should be there, whether it be a punctuation mark, a capital letter, a lowercase letter, a numeral, a spelled-out number, a source citation, a word with multiple spellings, etc. Question everything. And if you don’t know the answer, stop, and look it up.

After you finish examining a sentence, question the sentence. Did it make sense? Did it flow well?

After you finish a paragraph, question the paragraph. Did all the sentences belong in this paragraph? Are they in the right order? Do they make sense? Do they flow well?

An attorney I once worked for told me, “Haste makes waste.” And I’ve proven this phrase to be true too many times. Trust me. Slow down.

Trust Your Gut

If something doesn’t seem right. Stop and look it up. I can’t tell you how many times my brain has said, “This is right,” but my gut said, “Something’s wrong.” Occasionally, my gut will be wrong, but more often than not, it is spot on. Give your subconscious some credit. Sometimes it knows things our consciousness just can’t.

Giving a quality product every time will set your business apart and give you a great deal of satisfaction. With these 12 keys in place, doing your best will be as easy as breathing. Were any of these 12 keys new to you? Which ones do you find the most difficult to remain disciplined at? As you move forward to greater heights of writing and editing, remember that your voice is significant, and your contribution is unique.

Rachel E. Bradley holds a BS degree in paralegal studies from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma and graduated summa cum laude in 2006. She is a gold member of the Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, is an established freelance editor with the Christian Editor Connection, is an instructor with the PEN Institute, is a judge for the Editors’ Choice Award, and has served as faculty for PENCON, the only conference for editors in the Christian market. After serving nine years in the legal field and becoming an advanced certified paralegal, Rachel started her business as a freelance editor and indexer. She now owns Revisions by Rachel Inc. In 2018, she lost her first husband, Matthew, after an intense battle with brain cancer. She now edits with a new understanding and a fierce compassion for people who feel broken and hurt. In celebration of continued life and hope, she became a licensed skydiver and takes to the skies with her rainbow canopy, “Promises,” any chance she gets. In early 2021, she asked God to choose her next husband. In an incredible tale of trusting God and giving him her yes without exception, she is now joyfully married to Alexander Bradley. They have been assigned the awe-inspiring and continually humbling task of raising two incredible children. Beyond reading, Rachel enjoys Bible studies, dancing during church worship, skydiving, swing dancing, rock climbing, reading, teaching, discussing important issues, watching Star Trek, sewing, cooking, Pilates, horseback riding, water sports, playing guitar, and snow skiing.

Writing Your Life Story

Thursday, January 1 Comment

Each of us has our own unique story. Our memories can evoke a wide range of emotions. They can bring a smile and remind us of a time when we were particularly happy. Other memories can bring tears, especially when they are memories of a broken heart.

With some thought, we can also recall experiences that have affected our ideas and ideals. They are the basis of our hopes, distrust, and uncertainty. They have contributed to our commitments and distractions. They surely give voice to our dreams and determinations.

Whether you are writing for your grandchildren, to help or inspire others outside your family, or to leave a lasting voice to celebrate your life, you have a story to tell! Your memoir can be about a single period of your life or the whole of your life.

This is your history. Be willing to go on an emotional journey that can be both wonderful and painful. Be willing to tell the truth. It is essential you do your very best to be honest and open about your life experiences.

Organize your thoughts into lists such as important dates in your life, work, or career; domestic and foreign travel destinations; moments that left you feeling wonderful or sad; milestones in your childhood or family life; and, of course, your personal dreams and passions. Make a note of what was fun, what was frightening, and what may have stopped you from doing what you really wanted to do in life.

The Writing Process

Remember to write from your voice in the first person. Unlike an autobiography that is usually written in chronological order, a memoir can begin and end wherever you want and that best tells your story. Everyone has a story to tell. I encourage you to tell yours. Writing your life story can be an emotional, exciting, moving, and rewarding experience.

Writing Your Life Story Tips

Start writing in a journal or notebook
Make a list of important dates and events in your life
Make a list of your life experiences
Jog your memory with photos and mementos
Gather pertinent information
Research as many details as possible
Determine your goals
Write what inspires you
Decide if you want to write about a part or all of your life
Prepare to tell the truth
Relate to all your life senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste
Read at least several memoirs
Don’t let the negative opinions of others deter you
Keep writing
Get help editing, proofreading, marketing, and selling your book

Marcia Rosen (aka M. Glenda Rosen) is an award-winning author of eleven books including her newest one, An Agatha, Raymond, Sherlock and Me Mystery: Murder at the Zoo plus The Senior Sleuths, Dying To Be Beautiful Mystery Series, and The Gourmet Gangster: Mysteries and Menus (menus by her son Jory Rosen). She is also author of The Woman’s Business Therapist and award-winning My Memoir Workbook and has given memoir writing presentations and classes for close to 20 years. She has assisted many authors in developing, writing, publishing, and promoting their books. For 25 years, she was owner of a successful national marketing and public relations agency. Marcia has frequently been a speaker or program moderator at organization meetings and conferences, bookstores, libraries, and Zoom programs. Topics she has taught and presented over the past 20 years include Encouraging the Writer Within You, Marketing for Authors, Writing Mysteries…Not A Mystery, Writing Your Memoir, and recently Anatomy of Writing a Murder. Many articles on these topics have been published on mystery reader blogs and in newsletters and magazines and her newest articles relating include Location, Location, Location: Murders Have Their Places; Hearing Voices of Past Famous Detectives: Their Impact and Influences; and Writing Mysteries at a Zoo: With Caution. She is a member of Sisters in Crime National and New Mexico (Croak & Dagger), Southwest Writers, New Mexico Book Association, Women Writing the West, Public Safety Writer’s Association, Women’s National Book Association, and National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

Be Inspired, Not Intimidated

Saturday, January Post a comment

You hear about the amazing memoir everyone’s reading, that book at the top of the New York Times best-seller list for months, but you don’t really want to read it. Best-selling memoirs can throw you off track with your own writing

Sound like you?

As a memoir coach for hundreds of writers over the last two decades, I’ve heard this complaint too many times. And I know this: reading successful memoirs can be inspiring and those books can be your greatest teachers.

Artists have mentors. Painters visit museums and galleries to learn from other painters. Musicians go to concerts by esteemed musicians. Writers need to read successful authors in the genre they prefer.

Stephen King, a renowned and prolific writer, says, “…to be a writer you must do two things above all others: Read a lot and write a lot.”

I agree wholeheartedly, and I will drill down on this point more deeply.

Read the Best of the Best in Your Chosen Genre

Read current best-sellers and older classics. Be aware of what you like and don’t like. Notice the author’s use of scene and narration, how they handle the passage of time.

Remember: Your story is as important as any best-selling memoirist’s. Every writer with a successful book has put in the time it takes to get there.

Some of my favorite memoirs are Martha Beck’s Expecting Adam, Russell Baker’s Growing Up, James McBride’s The Color of Water, Elizabeth Gilbert Eat, Pray, Love. I admire each of these authors for different reasons. I could (and have) read their books again and again.

Novelists sometimes write memoirs, too. Hemingway’s memoir is A Movable Feast. Amy Tam wrote The Opposite of Fate. Isabel Allende published The Sum of Our Days. Joan Didion’s memoir is The Year of Magical Thinking, Alice Walker’s is The Chicken Chronicles. Look up a few of your favorite novelists and find and read their memoirs.

When you feel your own worth in the presence of greatness, that greatness can fuel your best writing. There’s a seat for you at the table too.

Suzanne Sherman is an author, book and magazine editor, and writing and publishing coach and consultant. She specializes in memoir and nonfiction and offers a weekly memoir writing class on Zoom. Her latest book is Girlhood in America: Personal Stories 1910-2010.

Copyright Case Round-Up

Tuesday, November Post a comment

Oftentimes, a year may go by without very many remarkable copyright cases. However, this year, several cases have come to the fore that authors should know about.

Hachette v. Internet Archive: This case, first filed in mid 2020, revolves around publishers suing the Internet Archive (IA) for scanning thousands upon thousands of literary works and distributing copies for free online. Initially, the IA insisted that the titles on loan corresponded to a legally purchased copy, thus operating like any library on a one-to-one basis, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, the IA ended the restrictions and allowed up to 10,000 copies of a title in its collection to be “loaned” free of charge at any one time.

The case revolves around the principle of Fair Use. The IA considered its use transformative and that the lending of multiple copies for free would not harm the publishers and authors of the books. However, in March of 2023, the District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled in favor of the publishers, stating that, as the works made available were protected by the copyright laws of the United States, the IA’s distribution of copies of whole works negatively impacted the publishers’ rights to distribute digital copies of the books to the public and to libraries through regular distribution channels.

Andy Warhol Foundation v. Goldsmith: In another case revolving around Fair Use, the Andy Warhol Foundation sued photographer Lynn Goldsmith for a declaration of noninfringement over the late artist’s usage of one of Goldsmith’s photographs of the musician Prince in a series of silkscreens.

Authors may wonder at the term “declaration of non-infringement,” but it is indeed a legitimate thing. In front of a federal judge, or via the Copyright Claims Board (CCB), a plaintiff may effectively ask for a decision that states no infringement prior to being on the receiving end of a copyright infringement suit.

This case was litigated in a district court and then in several appeals between 2017 and 2023 where the judges ruled for and against the plaintiffs until the Supreme Court of the United States took on the case. On May 18, 2023, the justices handed down a 7-2 decision in favor of the photographer, stating that the usage was not “transformative” simply because of the infringing party’s intent (in this case, Warhol). What this means is that the degree of transformation in an infringed work cannot be so wide as to limit the original rights holder’s right to make derivatives in their work (which is a principal right under U.S. Copyright Law).

Our final case in this round-up, Silverman et al v. Open AI and Meta still remains to be decided, but it is a case that authors should keenly watch as it puts all creatives up against new technological advances in artificial intelligence (AI). Although the U.S. Copyright Office has issued guidance stating that AI-generated materials cannot have copyright protection, the crux of this case rests on the use of creative materials (books, comedy sketches, and other works) to train generative AI in the creation of new materials. The suit maintains that individuals and companies using generative AI should obtain proper licenses for the usage of their materials in training the AI. Further, the suits allege that any AI-produced materials constitute a derivative to the original works. To date, there have been motions to dismiss these cases, but so far the courts have not determined a need to dismiss. It will be interesting to see how these cases are decided, and what impacts any decisions may have on future contracts and works.

Copyright law provides authors certain protections in and to their works, so it behooves creatives to keep a close watch on cases involving copyright disputes that come in front of both the Supreme Court of the United States and the newly organized Copyright Claims Board. In doing so, authors are better armed with the knowledge they need to help defend their intellectual property against unlawful use that could cost them revenue.

Mary Jo (“MJ”) Courchesne is the owner and principal consultant of Gryphon Publishing Consulting. A publishing veteran with more than 20 years of experience in trade, academic, and direct-response publishing, she has spent nearly two decades specializing in licensing, subsidiary rights, and permissions. MJ is a frequent and polished presenter on licensing and copyright, instructing future publishing professionals in the George Washington University’s Masters in Publishing program for the last 16 years. She currently serves on the Board of Experts for the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors, serves on the Advocacy Committee for the Independent Book Publishers Association, and holds memberships with the Book Industry Study Group and the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators.

The Art of Personal Branding for Writers and Editors

Monday, October 1 Comment

Are you familiar with the marketing term “branding?” Branding is the art and science of creating and building an instantly recognizable persona that sums up the heart of the company’s features, products, services, and benefits.

Many people equate a brand with a company’s logo, but branding is more than a logo. It encompasses visual elements, to be sure, but also the company’s messages, tone, and voice, and how it interacts with the world. Some brands are innovative and clear; some are trustworthy and old-fashioned. The impression that the public forms of a brand is built on consistent repetition of all of the elements that make up a brand.

Why Brand Is Vital in Today’s Digital World

Why do companies pour so much time, money, and effort into their brands? A strong brand can be worth billions. That’s not a typo. Apple currently stands as the world’s most highly valued brand, estimated at $323 billion U.S. Amazon comes in second place with brand equity valued at $201 billion. If you think pouring millions into a brand advertising campaign is foolish, consider that maintaining brand equity is worth the investment for these companies.

Companies spend much time, effort, money, and attention on branding, hiring consultants, graphic designers, and marketers to craft their unique and often iconic signature brand. It’s what helps them stand out in a crowded global marketplace and why consumers are willing to spend almost twice as much for an iPhone as a cheaper Android-based model or a computer sporting the black apple with a bite out of it. It’s not the logo they are purchasing but the experience: sleek, modern designer, excellent UI/UX, performance, speed, and longevity.

Writers and Editors Need a Brand, Too!

As the freelancing world becomes increasingly crowded, writers and editors must develop a personal brand to stand out from a sea of others offering similar services. In today’s digitally driven world, freelancers who invest in their personal brand reap the rewards:

Recognition: an instantly recognizable brand ensures you (and your work) stand out from the crowd.
Credibility: a personal brand establishes credibility in your chosen area of expertise.
Opportunity: individuals who develop their personal brand often find opportunities come to them rather than chasing opportunities. Because you are recognizable and credible, those searching for your skills easily find you online.

Building a personal brand takes time and effort. But the payoff for the time and effort invested into creating and sharing a personal brand can pay off in more lucrative freelance gigs, less time spent chasing your next assignment or project, and higher recognition in a crowded marketplace.

The Elements of a Brand

Before discussing the specifics of building your personal brand, let’s first look at what makes a brand. Brands are made up of individual elements that form the overall brand. Some of these elements may gain enough recognition or brand equity to stand by themselves as a symbol representing the entire brand ecosystem.

Examples include the instantly recognizable Chanel logo, the iconic and trademarked Tiffany blue color, and even the shape of a restaurant building. Pizza Hut, anyone?

The elements of branding are similar to the elements of good journalism: who, what, where, why, when, and how. Although marketers may each have their own method of identifying the components of a brand, in general, they fall into the following categories:

Brand voice: how the brand sounds — the style and tone of written and verbal communications.
Brand identity: how the brand looks — the logo, colors, photography, and other visual elements unique to a brand.
Brand promise: why the brand exists.
Brand values: what the brand stands for.
Brand targeting: who the brand is for.
Brand positioning: where the brand exists today (when) in the spectrum of similar brands.

Let’s take an example of a familiar and easily identifiable brand with considerable equity in the marketplace: McDonald’s. Nearly every town in America has a McDonald’s restaurant; 99% of people reading this have eaten at least one item from their menu.

Brand voice: McDonald’s brand voice is friendly, warm, and slightly modern. Listen to their commercials. It’s all about food, value, and a trustworthy, repeatable experience.
Brand identity: Every McDonald’s restaurant, with few exceptions, is identical. The golden arches are their most notable symbol. Even their foods are named “Mc” (McNuggets, Big Mac) as part of the brand schema. Inside a McDonald’s restaurant, the company colors — orange, yellow, brown — appear on the menus, walls, floors, tables, chairs, and employee uniforms.
Brand promise: McDonald’s promises consistency and a tasty, fast, filling meal for good value.
Brand value: Brand values can often be put into single words. For McDonald’s, I would name their brand value as “trust.” They aren’t selling food: they are selling trust, safety, and familiarity.
Brand targeting: Right now, they are targeting younger generations. During the 1970s, when I was growing up, their target market was children (hence the Ronald McDonald clown, indoor and outdoor playgrounds, and Happy Meals). Later, after adding their low-cost breakfast items, they expanded to senior citizens. Now, their target appears to be urban young adults.

I’m not privy to how McDonald’s determined their brand elements, nor do I know if these are 100% accurate. It’s what I’ve observed. You can play a similar game with other brands and try to identify their voice and visual identity.

Can Brands Change Over Time?

Brands evolve over time. As you can see from the McDonald’s example, a brand can begin with one target market and build over time. Other companies “rebrand” to update one or several parts of their brand elements. I’ve been part of teams rebranding iconic and venerable brands. It’s a balancing act of ensuring that a brand’s recognizable and beloved aspects remain while new, fresh elements are infused.

Personal Branding: A Game Changer for Freelancers

Personal branding allows freelancers to shape their online persona around their unique brand attributes and gain the instantly recognizable hallmarks of a strong brand.

Just as McDonald’s has its brand attributes, you have your own, too! You have a unique “voice” in the marketplace: funny, serious, quirky, and soothing.

You also have (or can develop) your unique visual identity. Your profile image, used across social media platforms, is an excellent start on your own personal brand. But other elements can also be infused into a personal brand to develop a recognizable visual identity. Selecting brand colors, or a small set of repeatable colors, to use throughout your website, images, and marketing materials is a quick and easy way to add a visual brand identity to your materials. You can even develop a logo inexpensively for your freelance business.

Writers must consider brand positioning as well as their own brand promise.
What do you stand for in the marketplace?
Who do you write for — consumers or businesses? If consumers, do you specialize in writing for young adults, women aged 40 and over, moms, stay-at-home dads, or senior citizens?
And what do you promise? A fun read that makes the audience laugh aloud, easy-to-understand technical information, or the latest, hippiest trends in fashion and beauty?

The unique combination of your own personal brand elements determines your unique personal brand. Each freelancer will have a different personal brand because no two people, not even identical twins, are the same. Give me five writers specializing in technology topics, and I’ll still have five unique personal brands.

Develop Your Personal Brand

Developing your own personal brand is similar to creating a company’s brand. It begins with a brand assessment.

If you were creating a brand for a company, you would start by assessing multiple attributes of the company. Most companies begin their branding process by convening a meeting of internal stakeholders: marketing and sales, operations, finance, accounting, and technology.

During this meeting, the meeting leader typically presents a series of questions for brainstorming. The answers and responses to a similar questionnaire for customers or clients help provide the person doing the branding with insights into the company’s products, services, unique attributes, personality quirks, company culture, and more.

Use personality assessments to better understand yourself.

“Know yourself” is a wise saying and the starting point for personal branding. Before building a personal brand, understanding your own strengths, weaknesses, communication style, and personality traits is essential.

Many good personality tests are available, and if you have access to them (Myers-Briggs, DISC, Enneagram, etc.), start with one of the better-known assessments.

One assessment that I highly recommend is the “Fascination” test created by Sally Hogshead. Sally is a well-known brand marketer, and I use her 49-grid Fascination profile for my clients. I also used it for my own personal branding and found that, when taken in conjunction with findings from the traditional personality assessments, it helped me build a personal brand that felt right for me.

Ask your clients and colleagues for some information.

This part can feel weird but bear with me. It’ s one of the best ways to understand the current personal brand persona you are projecting to the world. Often, what clients or colleagues express shocks you (in a good way!) and lends itself to new insights for a personal brand.

Make a list of people you’ve worked with who may be amenable to answering a few quick questions. Give them a deadline to ensure they focus and reply. Then, ask them the following via email:

What would you say if you had to describe me to someone else?
What do you perceive are my greatest strengths? Weaknesses?
What do you like best about working together?
What three adjectives best describe me?

You’d be surprised at how accurate these results can be. My own self-assessment began over 10 years ago with these questions. The answers were similar from the six coworkers, colleagues, and clients I polled. They saw me as trustworthy, professional, diligent, and brilliant at marketing. They also all said — and this was hard to hear but important — that I tend to get impatient when people don’t understand me. That I can get annoyed at little things. That when I get stressed, I take it out on others.

It may differ from what you want to hear, but feedback like this is invaluable. Many years after I did this first round of personal branding questions, I took a test from A Deeper Way (ADW) called the Personal Profile, and guess what? The results said the same thing — and pointed out that when I am under stress, I become short-tempered. Now, who would have thought . . . ?

Make a list of your best qualities.

Take the results from 1 and 2 and list your strongest assets. Your list may include words like mine, or perhaps you’re more creative, quirky, thorough, or funny than I am. Whatever they are, these are your words, and for now, just for your eyes only.

List your services.

Easy, right? Make a list of the services you offer. Then, rate the list on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the least and 5 the greatest, in the order you sell them. Then, do the same thing again, except mark the list on a scale of 1 to 5 with how much you enjoy providing the service.

Where these intersect becomes part of your brand focus.

List the industries you provide services to.

Repeat exercise number 4, but instead, list industries you provide services in — and rank the list the same way on a scale of 1 to 5. Now think about how often you work with that industry and how much you like the industry.

Where the two intersect becomes your industries served.

What’s Your Most Important Quality?

What makes you uniquely you? What is the one thing that comes up over and over again when people talk about you, post feedback about you, or share testimonials about you?

How about when you were a child — think back to your school days in your teenage and college years. What were you like then? Are you the same way now?

These attributes, over time, when combined with the feedback sessions you’ve completed with clients and your own self-assessments, provide the locus from which you can develop a personal brand.

Building a Simple Brand: Visual and Verbal

Let’s say that after completing a self-assessment and asking for feedback, your list of brand attributes looks like this:

Extraverted
Funny
Creative
Sincere
Problem Solver

Great! Now look at your list of services and industries:

Services

Advertising writing
Marketing writing
Sales brochures
SEO copy
Product descriptions

Industries

Insurance
Banking
Real estate

Building a personal brand on such qualities, services, and industries is fun! Although we might think of insurance, banking, and real estate as dull or stodgy, many companies in these industries would LOVE to find a creative advertising copywriter who is funny and fun to work with.

Developing a Visual Brand Image

Your visual brand should reflect you. All freelancers should have good quality, professional headshots taken by a photographer. Wear colors that flatter you, make you feel good about yourself, and align with your brand. Use the same or similar images across your social media platforms and your website to ensure quick recognition with your audience. You don’t need a logo with a personal brand; however, your portrait quickly becomes as important as a logo.

What about colors? Start with a color that feels “right” for you. People naturally gravitate toward brand colors that reflect their personalities. Go to a paint store and pick a few chips out that feel like your personal brand. Take these paint swatches and snap a photo of them separately against a white background. Then, use websites like Coloors to match the HEX# (a number that identifies a particular color and shade consistently across all digital devices). Write down the number as you will need it for your brand.

Coloors also has a color generator, which can help you choose additional colors for your brand palette. Like an artist’s palette upon which a painter splashes colors he mixes into a painting, a brand palette provides 2–3 colors, plus black and white, that should be used consistently and can be mixed and matched for variety.

When you have all of your colors, write down the numbers. I like to make a card on Canva or PicMonkey or any design software with my colors on the page in circles and the HEX# below them.

Your colors and your portrait become the central part of your visual brand. What about images? Think about consistency there, too, especially if you use licensed stock photography. The brand “tone” should be reflected in your image choices. If you’re funny and quirky, look for funny images, quirky angles, and more. If your brand tone is professional and dignified, think along those lines when choosing stock images. Colors, pictures, and other graphics work together to enhance your brand image.

Your Personal Brand: Description

Now we get to the fun part: writing your new profile description. This is where you can reflect your personal brand to the world! Sharing a consistent profile description on social media sites and your own website, and on sites you write for, also helps you build your personal brand.

Return to your list of attributes and qualities. Using our example of a funny, creative person who writes marketing copy for the banking industry, I’ll put together a sample of her profile below.

[You] + [results achieved] + [industry] + [service] = your profile message.

Our quirky copywriter might have a short bio that looks like this:

I generate leads for real estate agents by providing creative marketing and advertising writing.

Or, how about this, jazzing it up a little:

Tired of the same old boring finance copy? I write quirky, fun, creative, original sales copy for insurance, banking, and real estate. Plus, I’ll make you laugh. Ready to work?

Once you have something that appeals to you and feels right, use your new profile copy and image on all professional social media platforms.

Consistent Deployment of Personal Branding Builds Recognition

Remember that branding isn’t just visual and written. It’s also what you say and do and how you interact with others.

What If My Personal Brand Fails to Resonate?

Whenever I have seen a brand fail to resonate with the target audience, it’s usually due to one of the following factors:

Your personal brand must reflect the inner you to resonate with your target audience. You won’t get traction over time because it won’t feel “right.” Others will also perceive the discrepancy, like an instrument slightly out of tune in an orchestra. If you’re fun and quirky but trying to act serious and professional, you’ll feel constricted and bored — and it will show.
On Monday, you roll out your new brand message, portrait, and colors. But by Wednesday, you decide you don’t like orange, hate the banking industry, and change everything. This kind of flip-flopping never gains traction, confuses your audience, and doesn’t build a brand.
Giving Up. Lastly, giving up too soon can also cause a brand to fail. It can take many months of consistent hard work, sometimes longer, to truly see an impact.

Nearly every industry has room for originality, so I advise people to refrain from matching their brand to the industry. Matching brand attributes and values to the core of who you are builds an authentic, original personal brand. There’s only one you; if you try to be anyone but who you are, it won’t feel right to you or your audience.

It’s Your Turn: Build Your Personal Brand

Now it’s your turn! Building a personal brand can be a fun, creative exercise. Getting to know yourself via personality tests; asking for feedback and being open to receiving it; playing with color, photography, and words to describe yourself, your work, and the results you achieve for your clients; then deploying it across the digital landscape can be a fun marketing activity that also generates results.

And what results you can achieve. In today’s digital landscape, where potential clients have the attention span of a goldfish (8 seconds, in case you were wondering), being instantly recognizable — and your fabulous original self — is what will help you gain recognition for all the right things, stand out from the crowd, and attract the best clients to your doorstep.

Jeanne Grunert is the president and founder of Seven Oaks Consulting, a business-to-business content marketing agency. She is an award-winning writer and direct marketing expert with over 30 years of writing, marketing, and business experience. Prior to founding Seven Oaks Consulting, Jeanne led marketing for divisions of McGraw-Hill Education, Teachers College Columbia University, The College Board, and retail, publishing, and financial service companies in the New York City area. Known worldwide for her exceptional leadership and communication skills, Jeanne works seamlessly across cultural and corporate barriers to achieve outstanding results. She holds an M.A. in writing and an M.S. in direct and digital marketing (awarded with distinction) from New York University, as well as certifications in social media marketing, content marketing, and adult education. Originally from the New York City area, Jeanne currently resides with her husband, John, and many pets on a 17-acre farm in rural Virginia. When not leading marketing teams through her work at Seven Oaks Consulting, she enjoys gardening, reading, cooking, and writing mystery novels.

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