Successful freelance writer Campbell Mattinson talks about how he secured the perfect gig - wine writing. In his chat with host Lynne Testoni, he also shared: How he copes with the delivery of 30 bottles of wine a day The changes in wine writing over the years How he finally published the novel that had been in his bottom drawer for 30 years How photography has made him a better writer Get in touch with Campbell via his website: https://www.campbellmattinson.com/...
Mar 20, 2022•26 min•Season 10Ep. 6
This week, Rachel & Lynne chat with successful freelancer Emma McMillan about creating quality website content that brings results. We chat about: What is different about writing for websites Whether it's a good niche to be in What key elements that people forget to include in their websites How to price website content Emma's website is https://www.emmamcmillancopy.com/ Emma's podcast is Not Just About Copy LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-mcmillan-copywriter/...
Mar 14, 2022•55 min•Season 10Ep. 5
Does everyone have a book in them? It's just one of the questions we put to editor and publisher Rebecca Kaiser from Allen and Unwin, who joins us on the podcast to talk about ... so much! Including: + How book publishing has changed in 30 years + Her biggest publishing successes, what 'success' in book publishing actually means + The books that have gone gangbusters and what it's like when you think a book will do well and it doesn't + Tips on finding an agent for your book + Do you need a publ...
Mar 06, 2022•35 min•Season 10Ep. 4
How good are you at following up on story pitches or with new clients? If you could do better, you're in good company: apparently, 48 percent of us never make a single follow-up attempt. Another 44 percent follow up, but give up after one follow-up call. And yet, 80 percent of sales require FIVE follow-ups! In this episode, we talk about: + why we struggle with following up + what we do when following up + best practice in reaching out + when to leave it Resources ~ RL's famous lead generation t...
Feb 28, 2022•17 min•Season 10Ep. 3
Collaborating with other freelancers or small businesses can be a rocket-launcher to growth you couldn't achieve otherwise. Trouble is, it's tricky to get it right, and to know how to approach other brands you might like to team up with. In this episode, we chat to Jess Ruhfus from Collabosaurus, a match-making, marketing platform that connects brands keen to collaborate. Tune in to hear about: + How Jess started Collabosaurus + Why she feels collaboration is the future + How to get started coll...
Feb 21, 2022•33 min•Season 10Ep. 2
If you’re a writer thinking about edging into UX, you’ll find this episode with UX copywriter Susan Reoch both fascinating AND super helpful. We chat to Susan about: + What UX actually means and how this emerging area is a great one to consider if you’re a writer looking to upskill + Where microcopy fits in to the UX bigger picture + How Susan got started in UX and the resources and groups that have been most helpful in growing her business + The kind of work out there for UX copywriters, and wh...
Feb 13, 2022•33 min•Season 10Ep. 1
How do you go from freelancing to running your own content agency? Great question - and in this episode it's one we put to Crucible Content's Jac Taylor, who talks us through why she decided to scale her business, how she did it, the challenges she faced and the digital tools she swears by.
Feb 07, 2022•40 min•Season 9Ep. 12
This week's guest is Laura Simpson, the digital director of mass food at News Corp AU, working across taste.com.au and Australia's Best Recipes, where she oversees digital content commissioning, social media and content strategy. She chats with Rachel and Lynne about creating content using data and analytics and what it takes to stay number one in a category. Great insights about insights!
Jan 31, 2022•29 min•Season 9Ep. 11
Many writers are scared of sales - and the hustle. In this week's episode, the first of 2022, high-level salesman Richard Gray takes hosts Rachel and Lynne through the sales process, shares his tips about selling, plus talks about cold calls and how to close a sale without sounding desperate or sleezy. If you want to connect with Richard reach out via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-gray-57040318/
Jan 23, 2022•36 min•Season 9Ep. 10
You asked, we delivered... this week Rachel and Lynne have a LinkedIn Ninja on the podcast. Expert Jillian Bullock talks about LinkedIn's new newsletter feature, whether a premium subscription is worth it as well as great lead generation strategies using the platform. Find Jillian Bullock at https://linkedinninja.com.au/ Read her blog about LinkedIn tips and strategies at Rachels List: https://www.rachelslist.com.au/blog/your-guide-to-using-linkedin-as-a-freelancer/...
Dec 22, 2021•41 min•Season 9Ep. 9
Let's face it, we are all human - and we are likely to make a mistake (or two) over the course of our freelance career. But how do you recover from a big stuff-up? Long-time freelancer John Burfitt joins us this week to chat about how to come back from a mistake and regain trust with editors and clients.
Dec 13, 2021•54 min•Season 9Ep. 7
When you freelance, the lines between home and work can easily blur - and burnout can be just around the corner. So if you feel like you need to tweak how you run your business, tune in to our chat with executive coach Elana Robertson from foundher, who shares strategies for refining your work rituals and building a more sustainable freelance business. Learn how to: + Adopt new morning rituals (rather than going straight to social) + How 90-day planning can help you meet your goals + Setting bou...
Dec 06, 2021•40 min•Season 9Ep. 7
We typically tend to think of CVs as something you use in order to get your next permanent role - but what about freelancers? Do they need a CV too? Many say no, and want to move away from the CV to simply showing clients an online portfolio instead. But there are cases you'll be asked for a CV (especially if you do agency work) and it's a good idea to have one ready to send. In this short episode, we chat about: + What freelancer CVs are + How they differ from traditional CVs + Creating a freel...
Nov 29, 2021•16 min•Season 9Ep. 6
Overwhelmed with the amount of time you spend on screens? Jocelyn Brewer talks to Rachel and Lynne about digital nutrition and how freelancers can find a way to live with technology without it taking over our lives. Jocelyn is a cyberpsychologist and a digital wellbeing expert, who talks to us about conquering our love-hate relationship with technology. For freelancers and writers, she gives insight on how to be an 'intentional influencer' and have healthy boundaries around tech She shares pract...
Nov 22, 2021•36 min•Season 9Ep. 5
Digging deep into freelance communities in London after she’d lost a lot of her work during the pandemic inspired freelance marketing strategist and copywriter Sophie Cross to do something no one’s ever really done: start a magazine by freelancers, for freelancers. In this chat with Sophie, she shares how the idea came to her, how it’s taken over her life (and her work!) and much more. Listen to find out: + How the pandemic affected Sophie’s work and caused her to start becoming more embedded in...
Nov 15, 2021•35 min•Season 9Ep. 4
Freelancers who start to do a lot of client work will soon realise they’ll be taking lots of briefs - and while you can do it in person, on Zoom or over the phone, you can also send a client brief template to your clients as well. In this episode, we chat about: The various ways to take a brief and what works for us What you need to consider when taking a brief Your briefing template, or the client’s? Key things you need to ask about (budget, target audience, goals, style + tone etc) What happen...
Nov 07, 2021•17 min•Season 9Ep. 3
This week on The Content Byte, we’re talking to Sarah Townsend, a UK-based copywriter and the bestselling author of Survival Skills for Freelancers, a book that’s fast becoming THE bible for anyone starting out working for themselves. (There’s lots to learn too even if you’re a veteran freelancer, just quietly). We chat to Sarah about: What inspired the book, and how she essentially wrote it for her ‘younger self’ The strategies she used to get the book out there and create word of mouth The pit...
Nov 01, 2021•48 min•Season 9Ep. 2
Do you live in terror of asking for more money? Many freelancers do, and end up undercharging as a result, or charging the same rates for years on end. In this episode we cover why we need to get to grips with raising our rates (regularly) and the best way to do it. We also talk about: Why we're so nervous about raising our rates Why most clients prefer to pay you more than replace you The best times to start thinking about raising your rates The best ways to do it (and why it's not on the phone...
Oct 17, 2021•23 min•Season 9Ep. 1
This week, Rachel and Lynne chat with Rachel's List gold member, colleague and long-time freelancer Monique Butterworth, who shares behind-the-scenes tales of celebrity interviews, the huge budgets of magazines in days gone by and why being professional and meeting deadlines still matters. We chat about: Monique's start in journalism and moving from a country town to Sydney Why developing relationships is the key to securing continual work Why a financial safety net is essential when you start f...
Oct 11, 2021•35 min•Season 8Ep. 12
Are you a freelancer with a sneaky suspicion that you could be managing your social media better, or more effectively? Join the club: there are a lot of us out there. And in this episode, we ask Sam McFarlane from social media management consultancy, Sam Says for her tips on what we SHOULD be doing. She talks about: + Choosing platforms to focus on + Common mistakes freelancers make on social media + Creating a social media content calendar and why it's important + Best practice - including time...
Oct 04, 2021•31 min•Season 8Ep. 11
If you endear yourself to a content agency that pays well, and offers you regular, interesting work, you're onto a good wicket as a freelancer. But how can you get your foot in the door in the first place? It can be a challenge for some writers, but in this episode, we ask Clare Brundle, managing director at Hardie Grant's Heads and Tales Content Agency, for her tips. She shares: + How agencies love freelancers with a specialist niche, and how it can set you up as the go-to person for that topic...
Sep 20, 2021•36 min•Season 8Ep. 10
There’s always so much to learn from successful freelancers, and our interview with freelance writer and editor Michelle Bateman is a case in point. Michelle specialises in beauty, fashion and culture – but she’s quick to point out that there’s a lot of joy in generalising too, simply because you can cover so many topics that interest you. In this bumper chat, we talk to Michelle about the following: How she fell into writing about beauty What having a niche and expertise can enable you to do mo...
Sep 12, 2021•35 min•Season 8Ep. 9
By design, freelancers do have more freedom to live and work in other locations - even if you worry you might lose clients or become 'out of sight, out of mind'. That wasn't the case for editor and journalist Sara Mulcahy, who decided to move her family and freelance business to Far North Queensland just after Covid hit. And as it happened, she enjoyed her best financial year yet. In this episode, Sara talks about: The journey crossing the borders just before they closed How her work has changed...
Sep 05, 2021•24 min•Season 8Ep. 8
Do you struggle to get paid as a freelancer? Need some strategies to ensure clients don’t ignore your invoices? You’re in luck: in this episode, we’re talking to Collectmore’s Paul Metcalf, a nationally renowned debt collection expert. In this episode, Paul shares: Some of his most memorable debt collection stories Red flags about clients who may be problem payers How to set boundaries with clients from the get-go Strategies for protecting yourself as a freelancer Paul's #1 way to get paid (that...
Aug 29, 2021•38 min•Season 8Ep. 7
As freelancers, we all want more lovely leads coming to us - right? Enquiries popping into our inbox. Potential clients approaching us on social media. Ringing us straight from Google. And if things have been at bit barren in your business lately, we've got a heap of great things to try to get things moving again.
Aug 22, 2021•31 min•Season 8Ep. 6
Ever thought of using a virtual assistant (VA)? This week on the podcast, Rachel Smith and Lynne Testoni chat with Fiona Campbell, who runs Thought Penny, an Australian team of VAs, as well as the VA Lead Network. Fiona talks about why you might not need a VA and how to automate your processes instead, all about opportunity cost and how to find the perfect assistant for your creative business. We cover: How to be more efficient with your time Automating processes When you don't need a VA Types o...
Aug 16, 2021•44 min•Season 8Ep. 5
Freelancers are essentially small businesses - even if we don't typically think of ourselves that way. And this episode with journalist and community manager Lucy Kippist, sheds so much light on being a small business AND working with other small businesses. We chat to Lucy about: Tips she learned from successful business owners Mistakes we commonly make along the freelance journey The differences between men and women business owners Getting customers / clients, and building a community How wri...
Aug 08, 2021•40 min•Season 8Ep. 5
Making the bulk of your living from magazine commissions is a rarity for most freelancers these days, with many of us mixing it up with content marketing, copywriting and corporate work. But writer and author David Smiedt still works mainly for magazines and other media outlets. He's currently contributing editor at GQ Australia, list editor at escape.com.au and a columnist at The Rake and Home Beautiful. Plus, he's a stand-up comic! In this episode, we talk to David about: How he started out in...
Aug 02, 2021•26 min•Season 8Ep. 3
Becoming disillusioned with a staff job has been the springboard for many a freelance journey, including that of US-based healthcare writer Melanie Padgett Powers. In this week's episode, Mel chats to us about what prompted her to start her own writing and editing business, and how her fab podcast, Deliberate Freelancer, soon followed. Tune in to find out: - How Melanie lost an anchor client during the pandemic and what she tried to picked up thousands of dollars in new business - What she learn...
Jul 25, 2021•47 min•Season 8Ep. 2
Freelance writer Lindy Alexander didn’t start out as a writer, but she has carved out a $100K+ freelance writing business that’s made her the envy of freelancers everywhere. We chat to her about how she started, some of her systems and processes, and her tips for success. Listen in to find out: How Lindy moved from being a social worker and AUSLAN interpreter to becoming a hugely successful freelancer What prompted Lindy to share her earnings, successes and strategies (and what made people start...
Jul 18, 2021•40 min•Season 8Ep. 1
