Freelance Writers | Get Clients
The Blue Ocean Strategy For Freelance Writers
Fed up with the feast-or-famine hamster wheel? Sidestep the competition and charge premium fees starting today.

Feast or famine. Income roller coaster. You know what I’m talking about, right? You land a great new client, write copy for their website and maybe a few emails, then a few weeks later you’re back pounding the pavement for a new client. (And obsessively checking your phone to see if the last client paid their bill.)
Your bank account goes up and down, and you hope it’s up when the bills come due.
Most freelance writers live this relentless cycle year in and year out. I know I did — for nearly a decade. The worst part is these people are hard workers. They’re strong writers. They’re even pretty good at selling, when they can find good prospects. They deserve success. And so do you.
If you’re riding the highs and lows of the freelance hamster wheel right now, you may feel like there’s no escape.
If you’re not making the kind of money you want to make in your career, it’s paradigm-shifting time!
Here’s the secret. Are you ready?
Stop. Chasing. Clients.
Stop chasing clients and instead build a loyal clientele. That means just a few loyal clients who love you and hire you for long-term and ongoing projects like books and book promotions. Projects that easily command $25,000 to $50,000 and up.
Can I just lay it on the line? There’s no reason any experienced writer should be struggling. There is so much work out there. Every business, nonprofit, and organization is trying to get online right now. They only “sort of” know what they’re doing. And they all need words.

Know what I hear from business owners all the time? WHERE are all the good copywriters?!
I NEED someone I can depend on.
I have SO MUCH WORK for the right person.

Know what I hear from writers?
WHERE are all the clients?
It’s IMPOSSIBLE to make ends meet with freelance gig sites.
I HATE writing content I don’t care about just to have something to post. courtesy of the author
What Is a Red Ocean Anyway?
The term “red ocean” comes from the book The Blue Ocean Strategy, by Renée Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim. The concept in a nutshell is that when a market gets saturated and competition becomes fierce, the waters get bloody. (I know, gross!) It’s like a feeding frenzy for shark clients looking for cheap work.
Online job sites like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer are red oceans for writers. There’s so much competition that underpricing your work is often the only way to get noticed. And that competition is getting more and more cutthroat by the day.
Writers have become a commodity there.
There’s very little difference between you and the next guy — other than price. And that means that the only way to compete and win the job is to cut your price. Then the next guy cuts their price. And so on and so on… Until you’re writing 10,000 words a week for $75. That’s no way to live.
And nobody talks about the mental health aspects of working hard for ultra-low pay. Your confidence tanks. Your creativity shrivels up. The longer you work without being paid an exciting wage, the harder it is to get to the next level.
What if there were another way? What if you could stop chasing clients and bidding on low-paying gigs? What if the words “but you’ll get exposure” never even entered the conversation?
Hey, here’s an idea… What if you were a highly-prized member of a team that supports a business you love and truly align with? What if work didn’t feel like work? What if you felt deeply valued and appreciated for your skills? (Psst, that’s code for really well paid!)
The secret is to DE-commoditize yourself and become a premium brand.
Create your own blue ocean so you’re in a class by yourself. Competition is irrelevant when you swim above the sharks and the chum.
Here’s how…
Decide That It’s Time — Now!
In 30 years as a professional writer, I’ve found that the hardest part of making a change is just getting started. One of my favorite comedian/teachers, Kyle Cease, says that the human brain has a hard time letting go of the past and starting something new because it can only measure what we’re going to lose. We can’t measure what we might gain by striking out on a new path.
It might seem scary to remove yourself from the noise and struggle of the red-ocean if you have no idea where else to go. Do it anyway. Have faith that there’s a better way, and seek that way out. Actively devote time to prospecting for work in completely different ways.
Instead of hanging out and stalking the blood-red online job sites, find places where you easily land clients just by being yourself. Casual everyday conversations can turn into work once people understand what you do. (Do you understand what you do?)
Clients hire writers in part because of the know, like, trust factor. So the easiest thing to do is talk to people who already know, like, and trust you. Like, say, your friends and family.
Do they have businesses or run organizations? Talk to them about what’s going on at work. Maybe they have a project that’s perfect for you, but they didn’t even know you write for a living. (Or they thought “writer” meant “novelist.”)
What about places you’ve worked for before, or a current day job? Could the owner use some help? Again, do they know you write for clients? They may not be actively searching on Upwork for a freelance writer, but they have this new website project and the designer keeps asking them for copy. You could be the answer to their prayers.
Decommoditizing yourself means moving away from where all the job-posting action is and casually talking to people who don’t even know they need you (yet).
Align With Industries That Interest You
Writing is most rewarding when you love what you’re writing about. You’ve probably been told to “choose a niche” to succeed as a freelancer, but it goes deeper than just following the money. Choosing a niche that has loads of money, but that you have no interest in will only end in misery.
What are you truly interested in?
What kinds of nonfiction books do you read?
What lifestyle or lifestage do you naturally fall into?
Maybe you’re caught between raising kids and caring for your elderly parent. If you’re passionate about those issues, you might consider writing for the senior services market.
The trick is not to go “looking for clients” in these sectors, but rather to build relationships there. Read the popular blogs and post thoughtful comments. Share your favorite podcast episodes. Find out who the major and minor players are in the space, follow them, share their work, and build relationships.
I’ve written for all sorts of industries from health care to finance to software. But I landed all those projects because I made relationships in the digital marketing space. I attended the conferences. I made friends. And (shocker) they all needed work done.
It never felt like marketing because I was just hanging out and having a good time. But that’s where all of my best clients have come from.
The riches are in the relationships! And your clients are hiding in plain sight.
Sell Solutions, Not Services
Here’s the clincher if you want to stop being a commodity and start charging premium fees. The best clients out there aren’t actively looking for a writer most of the time. That’s why the ocean is so blue. There’s no competition. No other writers are circling the prey, looking for their shot at a gig.
So if they’re not looking for writers, what are those clients looking for? What do they really need?
You have to ASK THEM. Questions are your best friends when you’re building a relationship and getting to know someone. Find out what they WANT. And show them how you can GIVE it to them.
They’re not looking for a writer. They’re looking for lead nurture and conversions. They’re not looking for a writer, they’re looking for sales. They WANT sales. They NEED a writer who can provide the sales.
You are the expert. You know what words they need to reach their goals. You know what order those words need to be in. And you probably know a whole lot more. Like maybe, what photos should go with those words. And where those words should show up online — a blog or a social post?
The client is looking to you for solutions. So stop selling services.
You understand that you have a skill that’s in high demand everywhere. And the right opportunities will just naturally surface when you’re relaxed and being yourself.
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! I can’t wait to hear about your successes. I teach working writers how to level up and build sustainable, profitable, fulfilling careers. Want to connect with me? Find me on LinkedIn.
Let’s Recap:
Red oceans suck. They turn talented writers into commodities and perpetuate the feast-or-famine freelance hamster wheel.
Blue oceans are awesome. You get to build relationships, and get clients just by being yourself.
To make your own blue ocean, decide you’re going to do it, align with your natural interests, and sell solutions — not services.
Now about those $25,000 projects… Connect with me and let’s talk.