The Creative Penn

Writing, self-publishing, book marketing, making a living with your writing

  • Write A Novel
  • Write Non-Fiction
  • Publishing
  • Marketing
  • Make a Living Writing
  • Author Mindset
  • AI and Future Of Creativity
  • Start Here!
  • Books
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • Audio
  • Courses
  • Tools
  • About
    • Joanna Penn: Author, Professional Speaker, and Creative Entrepreneur
    • Press
  • Contact

Consulting or Coaching

How to Make a Living from your Writing 3DThis is an excerpt from How to Make a Living with your Writing, out now in ebook, print and audiobook editions.

If you are regularly producing content on a topic that educates, inspires or entertains, you will attract people who want to pay for your expertise in person.

Service Sales for AuthorsOne of the easiest ways to make initial income online is to offer your services.

You don't need to write a book or learn video and audio skills. You can just put up a page with Hire me, or Book me, or Work with me and then include what you're offering and a button to buy now or directions to PayPal the money to you.

Here are some tips for coaching and consulting services based on my own experience:

Be clear what you're offering

On your sales page, go through what your session will include and how payment works.

  • Is this a one-off session or a series of sessions.
  • How long will each session last?
  • Is it recorded?
  • Are there extra components? What is the rate?

Here's an example of a coaching page from my friend Mark McGuinness: www.LateralAction.com/coaching

Include testimonials on your sales page

Thumbs Up TestimonialWork for free with your initial clients and get testimonials from happy customers as social proof that you know what you're talking about. If you offer super value, you'll also get word of mouth referrals over time.

If you're overwhelmed with too much work, put your rates up

I started out with consulting on self-publishing for quite a low hourly rate a few years ago but then it got too busy as my profile grew so I put my rates up over time. I no longer do consulting anymore but this principle is a good way to ensure that you get a high quality of client who is willing to put in the work.

Use a questionnaire and get the client to articulate what they want before the session

After payment, I used to send the client a questionnaire and use that to prep the session. It's important to find out what they want, what their expectations are, and how to provide value, although it's also good to question the assumptions within their request.

Don't be afraid to turn down a client if they don't fit your expertise. Recommend others in the niche who might serve them better instead.

Use Skype to record the call for a value-added experience

I used to do my consulting over video Skype. This brings a personal aspect to the call, and sometimes you need that body language view to really understand what's going on with people. You can also get a real rapport going.

I recommend using eCamm Call Recorder for Mac, which I still use for my podcast interviews, or you can use Pamela for PC to record the call. They are both reasonably priced and you can then send the client a recording of the call afterwards, as well as any extra notes.

What can you offer in terms of a coaching, consulting or other service?

How to Make a Living from your Writing 3DThis is an excerpt from How to Make a Living with your Writing, out now in ebook, print and audiobook editions.

fb-share-icon
Tweet
Share

Become a more successful author

Looking for something? Search this site with Google below

Subscribe to the blog by email, or connect with me on social media

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Get started right now with links to the best content below!

Need a professional editor?

Need a professional book cover design?

Inspiration and Information every Monday!

Need help with book marketing?

Want to make a living writing? Here are some ideas how you can

How to set up your own author website in under 30 mins

Useful Books on Writing, Publishing, Marketing and Making Money Writing

My J.F.Penn author blog, for fans of my thriller novels

Stronger together! I’m a proud member of The Alliance of Independent Authors

Topics

  • Author Entrepreneur
  • Creativity
  • Ebooks and Technology
  • Futurist
  • Healthy Writer
  • Intellectual Property Rights
  • Marketing and Promotion
  • Publishing Options
  • Writing

Recent Posts

  • The AI-Augmented Author. Writing With GPT-3 With Paul Bellow
  • Book Marketing On Podcasts: How To Be A Great Podcast Guest
  • Writing Tips: How To Structure And Write A Series With Sara Rosett
  • How To Sell Ebooks And Audiobooks Direct With Payhip And Bookfunnel
  • How To Write A Non-Fiction Book Proposal With Alison Jones
  • The Artist In The Machine: The World Of AI-Powered Creativity With Arthur I. Miller
  • Value Your Books For The Long Term With David Farland
  • Stop Worrying, Start Selling. Change Your Author Mindset With Sarah Painter
  • Turn Your Author Failures, Setbacks, And Mistakes Into Success With Joanna Penn And Orna Ross
  • A Techno-Optimist’s View Of The Creative Future For Authors. Joanna Penn On The Kindle Chronicles Podcast
  • Co-writing With Artificial Intelligence With Yudhanjaya Wijeratne
  • It’s Never Too Late. How To Achieve Your Goals At Any Age With Kate Champion
  • How To Be A Healthy Writer In 2021 With Dr Euan Lawson
  • Creative Business Goals For 2021 With Joanna Penn
  • Creative Business Review Of 2020 And Lessons Learned From A Pandemic Year With Joanna Penn

Archives

Thanks for visiting The Creative Penn!

Most of the information on this site is free for you to read, watch or listen to, but The Creative Penn is also a business and my livelihood. So please expect hyperlinks to be affiliate links in many cases, when I receive a small percentage of sales if you wish to purchase. I only recommend tools, books and services that I either use or people I know personally. Integrity and authenticity continue to be of the highest importance to me. Read the privacy policy here. I hope you find the site useful! Thanks - Joanna

Connect with me on social media

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
© Copyright Joanna Penn. The Creative Penn Limited. All rights reserved.

Looking for something? Search this site with Google below

Inspiration and Information every Monday in The Creative Penn podcast

Thanks for visiting The Creative Penn

Most of the information on this site is free for you to read, watch or listen to, but The Creative Penn is also a business and my livelihood. So please expect hyperlinks to be affiliate links in many cases, when I receive a small percentage of sales if you wish to purchase. I only recommend tools, books and services that I either use or people I know personally. Integrity and authenticity continue to be of the highest importance to me. Read the privacy policy here. Read the Cookie policy here. I hope you find the site useful! Thanks - Joanna

Copyright © 2021 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in