It’s a mantra that experienced entrepreneurs pass on to newbies: “Market, market, and market some more, no matter how busy you are. You never know when you’ll need more work.” But advice is only helpful if you take it and while I said the same thing to others, I didn’t do it myself.
I had a strong anchor client for five years; the work made up 75 percent of my income. It’s easy to become complacent if you have a good client. You may put out feelers here and there, send out a few LOIs, or answer a few writing job postings, but regular marketing techniques of following up, networking, and actively digging for work prospects don’t seem quite so vital. And one morning, the anchor client disappears. With one phone call, that monthly check was gone. All the warnings of “keep marketing” ricocheted in my brain.
So what to do?
I mourned the loss of my client for a few hours. I ranted and raved to understanding colleagues. I had a little (ok, big) pity party. And then I knew I had to get my act in gear. I had income to replace and I had to replace it sooner than later.
Step 1:
I told my colleagues. I let colleagues and friends know by email and through a writers’ forum that I’d lost this major client.
This step had two end goals: Commiseration for the loss and to stimulate job leads. I received much of both. My fellow writers were very encouraging and caring with their thoughts, and generous with contacts and leads. Within a couple of days, I had a few small projects on my calendar.
Step 2:
I sent notes to all my current and former editors, reminding them of my presence. I explained that I had just finished a big contract (not an untruth) and I now had more availability. Within a few hours, I had a conversation with an editor who was interested in my work for an upcoming project – the only caveat was that the company hadn’t signed the contract yet. But it was promising. A regular client threw an extra article my way, a former editor sent my contact information to a colleague, who called me to discuss a project, and several people responded that they would share my contact information with other editors.
Step 3:
I sent out many LOIs, and follow-ups to people I’d previously contacted. From this, I had four phone interviews for possible long-term projects. So far, one small one has come through, and one big one looks promising.
I know there is more I could be doing, but I’m also in the midst of marketing a newly published book, so I don’t want to ignore that completely.
Have I learned my lesson? I hope so. I hope that by the time you’re reading this, I’ve replaced that income and then some. And I plan on continuing to market myself, no matter how busy I get. Truly!