A Marketing Exercise That is a Must for Your Critique Group

In the past week, I've had two Editor 911 clients ask me to write marketing materials for them. I had edited the manuscripts for both of them, so I was familiar with their work. One client asked me to rewrite her Amazon book description, back cover material, and bio, so that her Amazon page popped when people found her book by doing a search on the book site. The other client lives in New York City and has an opportunity to present a minute pitch in front of a panel of writing professionals. She was having trouble narrowing her entire novel into a few words pitch that would make it stand out from everyone else's. I love doing copywriting like this, and both of these writers hired me because they were too close to their work to do it themselves.

This led me to the idea that this happens to writers all the time! It happens with query letters and synopsis, which is commonly known and discussed all over the blogosphere. But it also happens with marketing materials--website copy, book cover copy, taglines, pitches, and more. However, many writers are poor, and so they can't hire someone to write this material for them. Also, if the copywriter is not familiar with the writer's work, she might have to charge more than if she was because it would take longer to review the work first before writing the marketing material.

But my thinking cap was still on! (It's been on all day. I'm writing this post after dinner while I'm hoping my 7 year old makes it a few more minutes of entertaining herself, so I can finish my brainstorm...) Who knows our work as well as we do? Who reads our work on a regular basis and offers us feedback? Who loves us and wants us to sell books? Our critique group members! So when one of you finishes a book and is about to write website copy, construct a query letter, or pitch to an agent, why don't the critique group members take 15-20 minutes of the time you meet and write a draft of one of these? Here's how it would work.

Let's say Amelia is self-publishing her self-help book on eating healthy, even though she is a parent of five young, picky eaters. She's ready to set up her Amazon book page, but doesn't know what to put on it. Her critique group of four other writers has been working with her every step of the way. So on Wednesday night, when they meet, instead of taking time to critique something that Amelia wrote, she says:

1. Take out a blank piece of paper or start a new document on your laptop.
2. In 20 minutes, write a book description that will sell my book. (Give a time limit so that this doesn't go on forever).
3. Amelia tells them that a book description must have a headline that catches readers' attention, explains why readers should buy this book, and why Amelia is the perfect author for this book--plus what will change in readers' lives after finishing this book. Amelia has already printed out a couple of bestselling nutrition book descriptions from Amazon and passes them out as examples.
4. She sets a timer and does not just stare at her critique group members. She also tries this exercise.
5. When time is up, they each read their description aloud and give feedback on parts they liked and didn't.
6. Amelia collects all of these; and at home in the next couple of days, she writes her final book description.

As the author of the book we want to promote, we are often too close to see why it is good for readers and why readers need to buy the book. So let your critique group help you with this crucial part of the publication process when you're ready to create your marketing materials--no matter if you're self-publishing, sending out queries, or working on your own website copy.

For more marketing tips and individualized marketing plan help, consider taking Margo's class that starts September 26, Individualized Marketing for Authors and Writing Industry Professionals.   To find out more about Margo, go to her website here. 

Light bulb photo above by thomasbrightbill on Flickr.com

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5 comments Amazon book marketing, book marketing, copywriting, Margo L. Dill, marketing

How My Life Improved After 14 Days of Saying “No”

By M. Shannon Hernandez

I had always been a “yes” woman. You know, that woman who wants to make everyone happy, not ruffle any feathers, and above all, lend a helping hand.

You must be able to relate?

Well, at the beginning of this year, I decided it was time to become a “no” woman...unless the things or opportunities being asked of me were a “hell yes.” That means that I had to almost jump up and down with excitement in order for someone to get a “yes” from me.

There were a few events that prompted me to change my mind from being a “yes” woman to a “hell yes”...or in other words, a mostly “no” woman.

First, I realized that my time is the most precious asset I have going for me. And with that realization came the insight that I wanted to start protecting my time for things I truly loved, rather than give it away to people and things that made me feel “lukewarm.”

Second, I realized that I was spending waaaayyyy more time with other people...great people like my friends and business colleagues, and not-so-much time with the most important person in my life: my husband.

Third, I wanted to ensure that I had time in my schedule to work on hobbies and crafts that I truly enjoy—like scrapbooking, calligraphy, reading, etc. Because of all the “yeses” I had been dishing out over the years, I didn’t have time in my schedule for the activities that fueled my spirit.

Now, there was just one problem with becoming a “no” woman, after a lifetime of being a “yes” woman: I had to get over the feeling of letting others down and/or feeling guilty. This took courage! I actually set out to say “no” 14 days in a row to things that I didn’t feel deserved my time.

I kept a log to help me stay accountable to myself:

Day 1: “No” to working on Fridays. In fact, I have declared 3 out of 4 of the Fridays each month as FunFridays. These are days that I go out exploring, get a massage, or just lay low and do things I love to do.

Day 2: When my husband complained about not having any laundry today, I lost it. You see, he had been stepping over the pile for 3 days—this is the part that made me upset. Today I told him that not only was I not doing that pile of laundry, as I was swamped with work and deadlines, but that he was now responsible for the laundry. The best news? The laundry is now dropped off at a laundry service where it is washed, dried, and folded. Bliss!

Day 3: I was asked today to be a guest on somebody’s podcast show. Now, this happens often, and most times it is a “hell yes” but this particular individual hasn’t produced an episode if over 2 years. This means there is no audience even listening anymore, and she wanted to “use me to bring her podcast back to life.” Nope, that’s a big fat no—my time is more valuable than that. I politely declined and told her to be in touch once she rebranded it and released a few new episodes.

Day 4: Today I fired a client. Now, this may sound funny to some of you, but when you work for yourself, you have to do this from time to time. It is never fun, nor easy. But this particular client was sucking the life out of me. She wasn’t holding up her end of the deal in the writing coaching, and then was blaming me for lack of progress. I ain’t got time nor energy for that!

Day 5: I had to say “no” to the 4th chocolate chip peanut butter cookie I wanted to stuff in my mouth today!

Day 6: An email arrived in my inbox today. Someone wanted me to free up space on my calendar to speak with her. The problem? She had stood me up two times prior. Saying no this time meant that I could protect my time in the future.

Day 7: I resigned today from a dysfunctional board I was sitting on today. When the volunteer commitments are more drama than fun, it’s time for a change.

Day 8: I had to remind a client today that I don’t work on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday on client work. This infuriated her—namely because she had waited until the last minute to submit work for my review. I politely reminded her of my standards and processes.

Day 9: I’m taking a break from social media today. I’m on overload mode.

Day 10: A new client was upset because I didn’t take checks via mail for payment. I politely offered 3 alternative ways to pay me, all online. I thought for sure I had lost that sale, but taking checks is risky, and not how I operate! In the end, she figured out PayPal and made the payment!

Day 11: Today someone tried to “bargain-down” my copywriting prices. I told her that the prices on the site were non-negotiable. I have a business to run here! I lost that sale, but 2 more came in with people willing to pay the fair price.

Day 12: As a college professor, sometimes I have to dish out tough love. Tonight was one of those nights. I told my students that if they arrived to class late, they would be penalized. Well, tonight I had to stick to my words. When one student asked if I would reconsider, I politely said “no” and went on about class. (He didn’t have a valid excuse, I checked.)

Day 13: My friend called today and asked if I wanted to go grab a drink at the beer garden. I wasn’t in a position to get up and go at the moment, and she was already there. I said “no” and felt strong for not feeling guilty about it!

Day 14: I submitted a talk for an education conference in Chicago. I got the word that it had been approved, but the organizers could only fit me in during lunch time. This meant that people would be walking in and out, because lunch wasn’t provided, and they would be not fully engaged with the topic. I gave a response of “no” to the invitation, knowing that those 3 days spent in Brooklyn with my husband and cat, rather than in Chicago, would be more rewarding.

After 14 days of saying “no,” I learned some key things about myself and others:

• Most people are perfectly fine with the “no.” I was the one who had to get over the feelings of guilt and letting others down.

• Saying “no” allowed me more time for myself, my husband, and spontaneous things that popped up along the way!

• I became a happier person, because I wasn’t stressed out and “booked to the max.” I also wasn’t trying to make everyone else happy, which in turn, made me a happier individual.

• I made more money in my business by saying “no” to clients who weren’t a good fit, didn’t see my value, or wouldn’t follow my processes. This was a huge breakthrough for me!

• Every time I said “no,” it got easier the next time. I wish I would have started this initiative a long time ago.

If you are feeling stressed, overcommitted, and worn down, I am going to encourage you to take a look at your schedule and, more importantly, how often you are saying “yes” to things out of obligation, guilt, or fear. Life is short, our time is precious, and I believe we should spend every moment doing things that light us up with passion, creativity, and love. Won’t you join me on the journey from “no” to ‘hell yes”?

***

Learn more about maintaining a healthy work/life balance, increasing your productivity, and making more money in M. Shannon Hernandez's upcoming course, Copywriting with Heart: Learn How to Jumpstart Your Copywriting Career, Write Authentic Marketing Messages, Craft Powerful Sales Pages…and More! starting April 30.

M. Shannon Hernandez is the founder of The Writing Whisperer, and her mission is to help heart-centered entrepreneurs and heart-centered authors find their brand voices, share their unique stories, gain more visibility, establish themselves as experts, and create authentic marketing messages, all through the use of smart content strategy and engaging copywriting. The Writing Whisperer was named one of Top 100 Websites for Writers by The Write Life in both 2014 and 2015. As a content strategist and copywriter, Shannon continues to educate and inspire others through her blog, guest blogs, and podcast appearances. In addition to business writing, Shannon writes passionately about heart-centered education reform, and is a regular contributor to the The Huffington Post. Shannon’s memoir, Breaking the Silence, chronicles her exit out of public education, after 15 years, and provides readers an intimate view of her journey to business ownership, finding happiness, and reinvention.

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4 comments copywriting, freelance, M. Shannon Hernandez, saying no, valuing your time, work life balance, working with clients, writing coach

The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Content Marketing

By Mridu Khullar Relph

In 2008, Steve Goedeker, who runs an appliance retail company in the US, was trying to save his family’s business and so, as a first step, he took it online. Profits soared, according to the New York Times story in which Goedeker was featured.

But then something more exciting happened. Goedeker decided to replace his Google ad spend with content marketing. According to the New York Times story, they hired two full-time writers and now spend between $100,000 and $150,000 a year on content marketing efforts.

Did you sniff the opportunity yet?

If not, the NYT story goes on to talk about Marcus Sheridan, owner of River Pools and Spas who published a post about how much it cost to install a fiberglass pool on their blog, and—pay attention to this bit—made $2.5 million in sales from just that one single article. Another business owner in the same Times story, attributes 1 to 3 percent of their business growth ($120,000 to $360,000) directly to content marketing.

Who does all this writing that content marketing requires? Freelance writers and more specifically, if industry chatter is to be believed, freelance journalists with years of experience covering these topics.

Because businesses expecting hundreds of thousands of dollars return for their content don’t hire writers off oDesk to do the work, they hire writers with proven storytelling, publishing, and writing skills.

People like you and me.

Why Freelance Journalists Should Consider Content Marketing Writing

I introduced content marketing into my freelancing business last year. And when I did my yearly sums in December, I found—much to my amazement—that my income had doubled from the year before. This extra income was all from the content marketing work. Even better? I’d only spent 20% of my time doing it.

The work was the same. I was still writing news, profiles, and trend pieces, so why was content marketing paying more while my journalism income continued to stay stagnant?

And the answers to that question are why content marketing writing has become such an amazing opportunity for freelance journalists.

I found that:

1. I was being paid, on average, more than I was paid for my journalism work. (Between $1-2 a word is what I’m typically paid.)
2. The revisions are almost non-existent. Both clients and agencies are eager to get the work out the door as soon as they can because they can’t afford to create inefficiencies in their business. This means that if you submit publishable content right off the bat, you will never have to endure the four to five revisions that are typical of national (US) publications.
3. Payment is immediate. I’m often paid within seven days of submission. (That’s right, submission, not acceptance.)
4. The client or agency ends up generating a lot of the ideas, which cuts down on my work time.

All these things ensure that not only am I paid more (I average $300 to $400 an hour on my content marketing assignments) but that the lack of endless revisions and follow-ups regarding payment mean that I’m enjoying much more job satisfaction and joy with my writing than I have in years.

More money, less aggravation, same work. That’s why I think freelance journalists should consider content marketing.

Are You Already a Content Marketing Writer Without Realizing It?

Ever written a guest post for a blog that sells products (e-books, for instance)? An article for a non-profit organization that they sent out to their donors? Posted social media updates for a local restaurant chain? Written health stories for the online newsletter of a medical association?

You’re a content marketing writer.

In fact, content marketing writing is so prevalent that it’s very likely that you’ve done it as a freelancer without even realizing it. It often comes packaged as straightforward article writing, after all, so you’d have no reason to suspect otherwise. But if it’s for a business, and the business has customers, it’s content marketing. This blog post is content marketing and if you’ve ever written for The International Freelancer, you’ve done content marketing writing.

What actively learning about content marketing will help you do is two things:

1. It will help you proactively find work that you enjoy in the space and make more money doing so, and
2. It will help you know when you’re engaging in it so that you don’t unintentionally or unknowingly cross any ethical lines that will hinder your journalism work or credibility.

How is Content Marketing Writing Different From Other Types of Writing?

All that said, there are pros and cons to everything and content marketing is no different.

We’ve discussed the pros. Now let’s talk about some of the cons.

1. You can’t be an investigative journalist if you’re also doing content marketing writing. You can’t take money from large banks to write their content and then publish articles in the New York Times about the banking crisis or offshore accounts facilitated by large banks. So yes, you will be shutting yourself off to certain kinds of work. You should be aware of this before you move forward.
2. Some editors—and they’re increasingly rare—may not want to hire you as a journalist if you’ve done content marketing (consider that both The New York Times and TIME have content marketing arms.) This is usually also going to fall in the realm of investigative journalism, but it’s worth being aware of all the same.
3. You’re likely going to have two areas of specialty if you want to keep your content marketing and your journalism lives separate. 

So, by this point, you probably know whether content marketing is a good fit for you or not.

-----

If you think content marketing might be for you, you're in for a treat!

Mridu Khullar Relph, who’s been published in NYT, Time, CNN, ABC News, The Independent, and other publications, and now runs The International Freelancer, found that her income doubled once she introduced content marketing into the mix. Now she’s teaching other writers how to do the same. Check out her new course.

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1 comment business writing, content marketing, content writing, copywriting, double your income, freelance writing, international freelancer, journalism, making money, Mridu Khullar Relph

Supplement your Income with Internet-Based Freelance Writing Jobs, Guest Post by Brian Jenkins

Freelance writing jobs abound for talented writers who are willing to seek them out on the Internet. Writers can sell their talent on the Web instead of just sitting back and waiting for book sales! Some freelance writers use job market websites to earn additional income. However, these websites typically use a bidding system for writing projects, so the pay is typically low because of intense competition between writers. Let's take a look at some good Internet-based, part-time freelance writing job arenas:

Women's Magazines with an Internet Presence

One handy website, Freelance Writing, provides a list of women's magazines that accept submissions from freelancers. The list includes a short description of each magazine, including their websites, as well as submission guidelines.

Copywriting

The success of many online businesses depends on creative advertising. Because of this, a talented copywriter can make a decent income. Companies seek talented writers to develop scripts for advertisements, promotional materials, landing pages, and public relations materials. They are also called upon to write short, informative articles. Some Internet copywriters develop original scripts for audio or video advertising campaigns.

Greeting Cards

Some greeting card companies accept submissions from freelancers. Blue Mountain Arts, for example, pays freelancers as much as $300 for a short verse. The greeting cards sector is a good niche for poets and for writers with good senses of humor. Freelancers may improve their chances by offering ideas for a specific audience, such as novelty cards for kids.

Here are links to the submissions guidelines for some of the greeting card companies that accept submissions from freelancers:

• Blue Mountain Arts
• Submit Funny Stuff
• JQ Greetings
• Oatmeal Studios (The web page has a Writer's Guidelines Tab)

Electronic Newsletters

A variety of companies and organizations send newsletters via email. Basically, these jobs involve writing articles, providing relevant information about the organization or it's industry, and perhaps conducting interviews. Depending on factors such as the importance and size of the organization as well as the frequency of the newsletter, you can make anywhere from $1,500 to $6,000 per newsletter.

Blogging

Freelance writers can blog part-time to add to their income. To help make it easier to find these opportunities, there are numerous websites that post blogging jobs. Visit Problogger's jobs web page and the Freelance Writing Jobs Network. Both of these useful websites post a wide variety of blogging jobs.

Some blog-based websites hire bloggers onto their staffs. b5media, based in Toronto, operates a wide variety of blogs. Their bloggers get paid from $100 to $250 per month based on the quality of their blog posts as well as their experience. However, they also can get bonuses, and these are connected to the traffic their blogs receive.

Many freelance writing jobs can be performed on a part-time basis, which leaves plenty of time to write about other topics you enjoy.

*  *  *

Brian Jenkins writes about a variety of career and job search topics for BrainTrack.com. His writing experience also includes developing marketing copy, publishing web pages, blogging, and writing a wide variety of informative web-based articles. Brian has written numerous online-based press releases for a variety of companies.

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Leave a Comment blogging, copywriting, freelance writing, freelance writing for the web, greeting cards, guest post, newsletters

Friday Speak Out!: Writing Copy vs. Writing for Yourself: How Not to Kill Your Creativity, Guest Post by Joy Paley

Writing Copy vs. Writing for Yourself: How Not to Kill Your Creativity

by Joy Paley

If you’re a naturally creative person, freelance writing might seem like a perfect job. It brings flexible hours and a varied work environment. And once you get good at it, you can earn enough to shorten your workday and fit in more time for your creative endeavors. Even writing copy is writing, right? It all flexes a similar part of your brain.

Try sitting down and working on a short story or plot outline for you nascent novel after typing up copy all day, and you might renounce everything I just said, however. Writing copy seems to put your brain into a certain mode, a mode of quickly synthesizing information and rearranging it that’s definitely different than thinking creatively.

When working creatively, you need a relaxed brain that's willing to move spontaneously in new directions when they call. Getting your brain from one mode to the other isn’t easy, but it’s possible. There are some things you can do to keep from simply wanting to turn on the TV and veg out after you’ve spent the day writing what other people want you to write.

One important tactic is to compartmentalize your creative life from your work life. If you keep them separated physically, you’ll be able to more easily separate them mentally. If you spend the day in your home office writing copy, go out when you’re ready to get going on your creative work. Find a café you like or try a cozy cubicle in your local library. You’ll get rid of those visual cues that tell your brain it’s time to switch into efficient work mode.
Another thing to try if you have the time is to do creative work in the morning before you begin your daily grind.

I’ve gotten good at writing copy and can do it if I’m tired, depressed, or whatever. When I’m working on my short stories, it’s different. I need a fresh brain that’s not still subconsciously editing that article I just finished. When my mind is relaxed and fully rested from sleep, it’s easier to slip into that creative flow that when it’s burned out from working all day.

Meditation is another great way to clear your brain and get rid of residual thoughts of work. It doesn’t have to be long, difficult, or complicated; simply sitting for five minutes, focusing on a candle flame, and breathing deeply will quiet down the clutter in your head. Multitasking, a great work skill, can be the death of creativity. After I’ve spent the day shuffling between fifteen tabs on my web browser and quickly skimming information, a short meditation can get me out of multitasking mode.

What’s the common theme of all my suggestions for staying creative when you’re also balancing a life of freelance writing? Identify when and how you are your creative best, and find ways to clear your brain and get it there. The flexibility of a freelance writing career can help accommodate your creative aspirations, if you put a little time and effort into nurturing them yourself.

* * *

Joy Paley is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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3 comments copywriting, creative writing, Creativity, Friday Speak Out, Joy Paley

Copywriters, Be Proud

Allena Tapia, of About.com Freelance Writing and Garden Wall Publications, shared this video with the Premium-Green Writer's Group, and I had to pass it along to you all.

The power of a few words can move mountains. So touching...especially the ending. You don't have to understand Spanish to enjoy it.

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Leave a Comment copywriting, Power of Words, writing video

Interview with Kathryn Vercillo of MoKa House Writers

MoKa House is a media company that provides freelance writing services to both individuals and businesses. We make use of the diverse talents of our pool of freelance writers and our own skills as writer-editors to craft the perfect message for furthering the creative and professional endeavors of others.

WOW: Kathryn, how did you start MoKa House Writers?

(Photo of MoKa House partner: Kathryn Vercillo)

KV: MoKa House was one of those things that happened slowly and then suddenly. As a freelance writer, I had always thought that collaborating with other writers would be an excellent way to provide better services to my clients, but I wasn’t quite sure how to make that happen. Then I met Moniqua. In our first ever conversation, we tossed around our individual ideas for eventually starting a writing company. We’re both highly driven women who do more than we talk about doing, so the next thing we knew we were running a company together.

WOW: That's funny you should say that, because it sounds quite familiar! (Like a WOW! story) Can you tell us about the kinds of services that MoKa House provides?

KV: We provide freelance writing services of all kinds to both individuals and businesses. This includes professional, creative and academic writing and editing services. Specifically, our services include writing of newsletters, articles, web content, business plans, artist bios, reviews, e-books, and business profiles.

WOW: That's quite impressive. You seem to cover the full spectrum of freelance writing. What makes your company unique?

(Photo of MoKa House partner: Moniqua Lane)

KV: The two of us have very different writing backgrounds, so we are able to apply our experiences in order to oversee a wide range of different projects. Additionally, we employ a staff of approximately forty writers who all have different types of experience. This means that we have the ability to select a writer with appropriate experience for each project, providing our clients with a professional writer who has knowledge in their field. For the client, this is different from working with an individual freelance writer who may have general writing skills but may lack the specific knowledge required to best complete the requested work. Additionally, working with a company (as opposed to working with an individual) offers the client a stronger guarantee of professional quality.

WOW: That's wonderful that you're employing writers from various avenues, which in turn, lends the most qualified writer for your clients' project. What are some of the recent projects your company has been involved in?

KV: It seems like we’re always working on something different which is one of the things which we both love about this industry. It gives us a chance to apply our past experiences to broadening our horizons on a regular basis. Some of our recent projects have included travel advice columns for foreign country travel, profiles of up-and-coming musicians, real estate articles, and a series of technical internet blogs.

WOW: How diverse! Kathryn, I read somewhere that you created a unique non-profit quarterly magazine for inmates. What a revolutionary idea! Can you tell our readers what the magazine is about, and how the idea was conceived?

KV: In 1999, I started a small (now-defunct) non-profit organization called Create Me Free which was based upon the idea that creative self-expression can lead to both individual and societal growth. I worked with incarcerated artists and writers, using creativity to foster change. The literary magazine, which was published from 1999 – 2003, published the completed works and works-in-progress of those individuals involved in the program. Although Create Me Free is no longer an active organization, I do hope to eventually return to this type of non-profit work which would ideally be focused on forming a similar program for incarcerated youth.

WOW: That's an inspirational idea, and a needed one. Your heart shines through in your caring for others.

Speaking of others, you and your partner Moniqua Lane apparently work very well together. I'm always interested in women who collaborate on a higher level. There seems to be a real supportive energy that makes a business work...

KV: We were really lucky to find one another, because our backgrounds are very different but we seem to have nearly all of the same goals. We compliment each other really well. It seems that nearly everything that I don’t know how to do is something that she has experience with and vice versa. Additionally, our work processes are different so we balance each other out really well. It’s a benefit to our clients, because we double-check each other’s work so that they get the best of each of us. And it’s beneficial for us because we challenge each other to develop new skills while supporting each other in doing so.

WOW: There seems to be a fabulous balance between the two of you, yet I'm sure, considering your diverse backgrounds, there are different projects you would most like to take on. Could you tell us what kinds of projects you're interested in?

KV: I, personally, prefer projects which allow me to work with creative professionals in other fields. Music journalism and working with artists to create bios and press releases are areas which interest me because I believe that they allow me to use my talents to help further the creative talents of other individuals. I place a lot of emphasis on developing creative connections. Alternatively, Moniqua prefers projects that allow her to make use of her legal background. She enjoys making arcane aspects of the law accessible to the average reader. We are lucky to have a staff of excellent writers which means that we are each able to develop these areas for ourselves while providing our clients with the services of professionals whose areas of interest and expertise differ from our own.

WOW: After you decide to take on a project, what comes next?

KV: We work with the client to identify his or her exact needs and goals. This allows us to determine which one of us is best suited to overseeing the project. From there, we can determine which writer or writers may be most qualified to complete the project. We work closely with the writer to make sure that the work meets the client’s specifications.

WOW: It sounds like you've got a very 'hands-on' approach. How do you manage to maintain this ongoing working relationship with your client?

KV: We believe that regular, clear communication is the most effective method of maintaining a positive working relationship with our clients. We place a strong emphasis on collaboration and truly enjoy working to help our clients further their own endeavors, and I feel like that genuine interest in their work comes through in all that we do, encouraging continued partnerships over time.

WOW: Do you think attorneys should use freelance writers, and if so, why?

KV: Moniqua tells this story about how on her first day working for a large firm her supervising attorney told her to do as little writing as possible because she was not being paid to write. She says that what she came to realize was that attorneys are paid to know the law and use that knowledge to further their clients’ interests. Writing is an important part of that, but there is a lot of writing that attorneys do that is incidental to that – a lot of marketing and non-legal writing. Moniqua thinks that this is the kind of writing that attorneys can, and often do, hand off to freelance writers. She thinks, though, that for ethical reasons and for the sake of writing quality, it is best for attorneys to have non-practicing lawyers do their hired writing. She says there are lots of them out there like her, so it should be no problem to find one.

WOW: I think everyone could use a freelance writer like Moniqua! That's wonderful that she has that background to bring to the table. (Moniqua, we'll be in touch!)

The two of you sound like an unstoppable team, I'm sure all of our readers would love to know what you're working on right now, either personally, or for your company.

KV: Personally, I’m working on a number of small projects related to music journalism, including collaboration with several local musical artists in the development of online promotional content. I’m also collaborating with my brother (an artist and business owner in Los Angeles) in the development of a magazine relevant to the work that he is doing. Furthermore, I’m in the process of completing a book entitled Ghosts of San Francisco which is to be followed by a book about ghosts specific to Alcatraz Island.

Moniqua is working on a real estate practices book, answering user-submitted questions about real estate and finance at a mortgage lenders’ portal, and researching trends and breaking news in digital music for a daily digital music news journal out of England. Moniqua also maintains a small legal practice focusing on tax and estate planning and real estate law.

Together, Moniqua and I are collaborating on several small creative endeavors, with particular emphasis on writing pro-female erotica which supports the sexuality of women within a framework of diverse situations.

As a company, MoKa House is branching out in to a number of different areas. We are working on a two-pronged approach to immediate development, expanding our client base to include both more creative work and more business-professional work.

WOW: It sounds like you've got a lot on your plate! Where would you like to see MoKa House in the future?

KV: The short-term goals for MoKa House continue the aforementioned two-prong development approach. On my end, I want MoKa House to be providing more direct services for artists and musicians, working closely with emerging artists to assist them in furthering their goals as they grow in popularity. On Moniqua’s side, MoKa House is looking in to expanding our options for improved services to our corporate clients as well as for involvement in regular work with government contract writing.

Within the company, we want to see increased opportunity for our writers to expand their own opportunities. MoKa House operates on the core belief that following our own inspiration in collaborative efforts leads to overall success for all people involved in a project. It is our goal to work with our writers in assisting them to develop the skills they each would like to develop in order to improve their writing careers as well as to offer improved services to our clients. We would like to see some of our high-level writers eventually overseeing and editing for other staff members.

As far as long-term goals, we have discussed the possibility of eventually opening a publishing arm for the company. We would be interested in being involved in more creative works and I would like to see development of a non-profit area for the company. However, we’re open to seeing where things go from here. I have always worked through a process which combines drive and motivation with a willingness to take chances as they are presented to me. This is what allowed Moniqua and I to immediately recognize the opportunity to work with another and I believe it is what will continue to allow MoKa House to succeed.

WOW: I don't doubt that one bit. I'm sure you two will go far.

Thank you so much Kathryn for sharing your inspirational story with our readers. I'm sure they'll all want to visit MoKa House and check out the wonderful services you provide!


SPECIAL PROMOTION: (You won't want to miss!) MoKa House is happy to offer 10% OFF of their standard rates to anyone who mentions reading this interview.

Additionally, MoKa House is always happy to consider website link exchange with other creative and professional people.

http://www.mokahousewriters.com/

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