Excuse-Busting Marketing
My excuse-busting marketing method has been highly successful in helping potential author clients decide whether to get their books edited and published.
Excuse-Busting Marketing: How to Help Authors Get Ready for Editing
If you’ve hung around here for a while, you know that I’m a big fan of finding clients who already know they want to work with an editor but just aren’t sure which one. This makes turning them into clients so much easier! All you have to do is show why you’re the one.
If a writer is convinced they can go on to fame and fortune without hiring a developmental editor, I won’t waste my precious life trying to convince them otherwise. Maybe they will go on to fame and fortune without me. How do I know?
But I do sometimes get clients who are on the fence, just by busting their excuses. Or, in sales-speak, “overcoming objections.” But unlike a used car salesman, I’m looking for objections that are not about the service I’m offering (a common objection in this vein is, “I can’t afford it”).
Instead, I’m talking about addressing the challenges authors routinely have in their writing lives. I bust their excuses (so to speak) by showing how I can help them solve those problems.
You can also use excuse-busting to get more clients.
Here’s an example: “I don’t have time to write.”
It’s a very common frustration among writers. But instead of nodding and saying, “Yeah, too bad. Let me know when you do find time to finish that draft, and I’ll edit it for you,” you could help them solve this problem.
- You could say, “I’ll write it for you.”
- You could say, “I’ll be your accountability partner.”
- You could say, “I’ll coach you in using your time more effectively.”
These aren’t, strictly speaking, editing jobs, but they are jobs that many editors can do well. Once you’ve helped the author bust their excuses (and – this is key – have gotten paid for it!), you might also be able to do an edit on their project since your efforts have now helped them finish it.
Even if not, you’ve at least earned some bucks and sharpened your skills.
Tips for Editors & Writers
-
How to Make More Money as a Freelance Editor
If you’re trying to build your freelance business, you’d probably like to know how to make more money as an editor. One way to do that is to offer a wider variety of services to meet client needs. Expanding the services you offer is also a great way to add some variety to your day.…
-
Finding Clients Who Pay High(er) Fees
A newer freelance editor reports that she’s having trouble booking clients for developmental editing at the fees she’s asking. She wants my help to figure out what to do next. The Problem “Most clients [who decline booking a DE] tell me that the reason is the high fee (for them) for the service. Some of them choose…
-
The Stages of Book Editing
Not long ago, I came across this question (paraphrased) on a site for freelance editors: “A potential client has written a science fiction novel (350,000 words) and is asking me to proofread the manuscript, offer inline fact-checking on the scientific accuracy, and provide overall feedback about the project. How should I price a project like…
