Issue #15: Ask and Ye Shall Receive

Or don’t ask and get what I deem proper

Jun 14, 2024

Hello, music lovers, everywhere!

It’s time you got a reply to the single most important question I failed to answer since you signed up for this newsletter:

What’s Vlad’s favorite music genre?

Why, it’s the… ups, wrong crowd, Romanian problem, you don’t really want to know. Anyway, these past few days have been kinda wacky in Romania.

Instead of talking about electoral fraud (oh, Europe, we’re sending some pretty unsavory characters to your parliament… sorry) we’ve all been up in arms about Chris Martin and some apes. You know, adventure of a lifetime?

Sorry, I meant singers. Now, THAT’S RACIST.

Hope it put things into perspective and we’re done with the virtue signaling. It really says something that the single most viewed post in the history of my LinkedIn presence was one where the main topic wasn’t even copy… My bad, niggers. I had an itch up my bum and I scratched it… hope it won’t happen again.

Anyhooo, we’ve gathered here today to talk about freelancing. And about my fear that I won’t have enough questions. I even pondered going through old DMs and putting together some questions. But that’s not my style.

Luckily, people pitched in, were actually curious about my business, so we have a topic of discussion today. And some additional resources. But, before we dive in, a message from our sponsor:

DISCLAIMER

What you’re about to witness is my own experience and my own ideas. There’s no guarantee these will work for you. That’s why I usually abstain from giving advice and frameworks. I’d rather talk about philosophies and ways to think about marketing and writing, not guidelines.

So, again, keep in mind that this is what worked for me, it’s not the general truth. No such thing, anyway. And if you get your panties in a bunch, disagree or call me out for whatever reason… frankly, you should have unsubscribed ages ago.

So, let’s goooo!

Ah, why should you trust me, though?

Because most of the freelancers I know are bemoaning a tough year. Meanwhile, I’m having my best year ever. Must be something in the water, not the blood, sweat and tears I put into this business. OK, sans the blood, I’m greatly exaggerating here.

The questions

Ce ai facut specific, astfel incat sa ai rezultate cand altora le-a mers mai slab/prost?

Translation: What have you done specifically so that now you have results, when it’s such a bad/slow time for others?

Well, Diana Enache, first up, thank you for the question. As with most things in life, there’s no one single answer. Most likely it’s a combination of factors. I’m not going to be able to cover all of them, but I will give my best to highlight the most important things I’ve done. Here goes:

I followed my passions, and I was always curious about the world around me. I read stuff, I watched a lot of media, played plenty of video games, hanged out with people from very diverse backgrounds. I learned from life mostly, and I was always out to accumulate as much information as possible. All that package is now the basis for my writing. That’s why, when people talk about my writing, they describe it as something smart, full of cultural references, not a Tide commercial.

I didn’t find my ONE TRUE passion when I was young. Or, if I did, I certainly refused to follow it. I went in many directions, tried a lot of stuff. If you look at my professional trajectory, you’ll notice a lot of zigzagging. Journalist, call center agent, trainer, actor, content writer and now copywriter and chiefly ghostwriter. And they all come together, trust me.

I left every job I ever had. This made me realize I can only make it on my own, sticking by my own values. It was a tough lesson, but a necessary one.

Once I started freelancing, I decided I was not going to take any shit from anyone. I think this is what sets me apart from most freelancers. I’m not willing to make the big compromises. Sure, I compromise where I can with clients, but not where it hurts. Not where my values, health and money come into discussion. Most freelancers think short term: they pick whatever project for the money. I don’t. I stick with the cool projects. Or drop projects and some months I just earn no money. It has happened, yes, on several occasions. People know I drop them if they give me shit, and that’s why they respect me. I can’t say that applies to most other freelancers. For them, the short term jig is up. I’m on my way up. Slower than them, surely. With more hardships. But long-term? I’m winning.

I’m incredibly lucky to have the support of my partner and of my family. This balls-to-the-wall approach would not work without financial and most importantly, emotional support. I can’t thank them enough for this.

I don’t compromise on the way I think things should be done. If you look at my LinkedIn presence, I’m not an ordinary freelance copywriter. I don’t follow templates, I don’t write like the other copywriters. Sure, I adapted to the platform, but the style is my own. I don’t follow trends, I don’t do what works. I do my own kind of writing and that helped immensely with personal branding. Once people get to know you and they figure out you’re consistent, the game is a lot easier. But yes, it takes time.

Last, but not least, I was patient. I did not start talking about my services until I had a follower base, a name, a reputation and some results to speak of. Sure, I did mention my services, but I didn’t sell myself aggressively. I don’t do it now either, but I do have a content pillar dedicated to selling myself. Only established it after I established my brand. Case in point, I only launched this newsletter and my consultation services after ONE year of being on the market. Baby steps. I build with intent, over a long period of time. I don’t rush stuff.

That’s what I did differently, hope this answers your question, Diana. Thank you!

How long did it take you to get a client base big enough to make a liveable amount of moolah?

Thanks for the question, Pan Macklin. It took 1 year and two-three months. I used to earn about 1000$ per month in my agency days, and that’s what I’m left with these days after taxes. It’s not much, but I mostly work 3-4 days a week, 4-5 hours a day, at most. I would take on more clients, but I’m waiting for the right ones, in terms of mentality and money.

Sure, I did have months when I earned a lot more than 1000$, but it wasn’t a steady thing. Now, all of my clients are on retainer and I hit that number monthly. It’s liveable, sure, but not ideal. I’ll get to ideal in my own time, and with clients I respect.

Has anyone ever told you that you're too expensive? And if they have, what's your reply?

Thank you for the question, anonymous Otter. Yes, they have, in my early days. I quoted them for some articles, and they said it’s too much. I told them I won’t do it for less, and that was that. Nowadays, people refuse working with me on account of my prices, but they usually say stuff like “we have to focus on X” or “this Y happened, and we switched priorities”. And I get it, nobody’s forced to admit they don’t actually have the money for something.

I did also get straight up answers like “We’re not ready to move forward with the current price rates” or “there has been an accounting hiccup, and we don’t have the funds now”.

Cool, I love direct answers. These people I won’t charge more when they come back because they were honest. The rest? 25% price increase. Just because I can.

Also, I tell them straight on that I don’t negotiate my prices. I tell them “I’m going to send an offer, and we can discuss the number of deliverables, rounds of feedback, hours of consultation, but not the price. I know the value I bring to the table, so the price stays as is. Take it or leave it.”

Hope that answered your question :).

Ok, how do you do it? And where do you find the damn confidence?

This question wasn’t addressed to me in the context of the newsletter, but I loved it so much that I wanted to include it. Thank you, Flogerta Lesi for agreeing to share it with other writers!

I’m gonna tell you exactly what I told her:

hehe. I just do. I used to be pretty frustrated as an employee. I started to speak up and have problems, so I left every job.

I figured I never wanted to go through that ever again, so as a freelancer I write whatever I want, however I want it. It's a leap of faith, really.

It doesn't mean I'm not scared of being judged. I am, but I do it anyway.

The confidence comes from doing it, doing, doing. Every day. And people respond to my stuff, which means I'm doing it right

What have you found are some good ways to generate inbound leads?

This one’s anonymous as well because I didn’t find the time to ask the person if they’re OK with showing up in my newsletter. But, since I did just dish out my knowledge on him, I figured it’s mine to share with you too. And, yeah, I know you guys like my philosophy, but you also want to know how to bring home the bacon.

So here’s the big strategy (which is mostly just common sense):

There's a specific structure I use and it's worked for me so far. Again, after one year. It's not a lightning in a bottle kind of thing.

I call it the "why, how, results" framework:

You gotta figure out WHY you do something and talk about your different vision.

Then you gotta talk about HOW you do it and how your approach is different/better than others.

Finally, you need to provide testimonials and ask for reviews to show that what you are doing is valuable.

Cover that, make sure you have a quality service and great client interaction, and you should be set.

And that’s it basically. Tell people why you do something, how you do something, and show them that it works. Bob’s your uncle, nothing fancy. But yes, it does take time, a lot of time.

Miss me with the “leads in 5 weeks” strategies. That’s not resonance. It’s not built to last. It’s just a quick and cheap win.

I’m building dynasties here, son. We’re not playing the same game.

ALSO, ALSO, ALSO!!!!

If you fancy this kind of in depth explanation of my process, I’m going to deliver a Ghostwriting Masterclass in Phil Charter’s community, come the 24th of June. We’re going to broach topics like:

How to create a “character file” for ghostwriting
How to set up a ghostwriting strategy for a client
How to optimize a client’s profile for LinkedIn
How to create an editorial calendar, complete with posting time and content pillars
How to create content pillars
The importance of posting time
The structure of a ghostwriting session (recording + writing)
How to market yourself as a ghostwriter (the “why”, the “how”, the “results”)
How to make your life easier as a ghostwriter (client terms)

As Phil puts it, that’s highly excellent content.

The talk is most likely going to end up on this newsletter too, but not this month, and probably not next month either, so if you want access to it as soon as possible, sign up with Phil.

There are a lot more bonuses you get out of his community, like additional courses, a network full of writers, writing buddies, vegan banana bread recipes and other goodies.

I’m also in the community and I vouch for it. Not for the vegan banana bread, cah…

Last but not least, I can teach you how to think about writing and marketing, but Phil can actually teach you how to write.

I recommend him with all my heart, and you know I don’t do that often.

The truth about the pipeline

The pipeline is not always full. It comes and goes… like waves. 6 months you get crickets, then 8 leads in one week. Then silenzio stampa for three months, then a holiday surge. You’re not a fortune-teller, so relax.

Please, please, please don’t believe people who tell you they can get you an X amount of leads per day/week/month. That’s not the truth. And, even if it was, they can’t guarantee the quality of said leads. And even if they did, it doesn’t mean you will convert them all.

People who tell you otherwise… let’s just say I smell bullshit.

Take it easy, craft before success. If anybody gives you any guarantees, apart from what pertains to their process, RUN LIKE THE WIND. Otherwise, prepare to be taken for a ride…

Additional resources:

If you haven’t had your fill regarding my freelancing experience, or the way I do things, I recommend reading these, preferably in chronological order

The Freelancer’s Manifesto on LinkedIn, detailing why I became a freelancer

Why you should always trust your intuition and the crap that befalls you if you don’t on LinkedIn, talking about a shit client who tried to take advantage of me

I don’t wanna work with… YOU, on LinkedIn, detailing the most common clients red flags

Double Standards, on LinkedIn, detailing my shit experience with Hacking Work (Romanians will know what I’m talking about)

THE OTHER VLADS, on LinkedIn, detailing how my various roles made me into the professional I am today

Issue #12 - The Snowflake Client, on this very newsletter, detailing how I don’t allow my clients or potential clients to mount me and turn me into their bitch

“Hard Now” vs “Hard Later”: Why I (Always) Choose “Hard Now”, a Guest Post on JOCstudio. It’s a very inclusive and welcoming environment, especially for creators. I found collaborating with them on this piece to be an absolute breeze, so do check them out. They work with RO clients, but also foreigners.

These should round out the experience nicely enough :)

Going forward

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, a lot to read. But what of it? It’s the weekend.

If you loved this issue, you might be interested in:

Previously, on B00ls: Issue #14: Jack of All Trades… and other stupid marketing bon mots

It (always) pays to consider the rest of the saying

Next time, join MadVlad as he takes on…

Issue #16: The Fuck You Point and How To Get There

Do you live to work or work to live?

You can get access to the full archive here if you missed any other issue.

In the meantime

If you liked my stuff, this is how we can work together:

I write for you. Check out the Experience section on my LinkedIn
I consult marketers and founders. I can show you how to learn from my mistakes and come out on top
I consult writers. I can show you how to find the confidence required to rock people with your words

Are you a writer/marketer/founder who wants to put in the work and reap the benefits?

Reply to this e-mail if you’re interested in the above.

Know somebody who’d also like that? Share my newsletter and point them in my direction. I’ll give you a beer if you’re ever in Bucharest.

Offer 1 is detailed up on LinkedIn.

Offers 2 and 3 are detailed up on LinkedIn. But you can also find them here: