Jennifer Lancaster

February 7, 2018

Signs You’re Falling into an Author Support Solutions Trap

Lately, there have been a couple of client tales about the neverending saga of BP. Let’s just say BP, for legal reasons… they of the permanent Google advertising. So I want to talk about how to spot the signs before you fall into an author support solutions trap. In case you’re unaware, many of those holding top spots of Google for “book publishing support Australia” or “author support services Australia” are actually American companies with Australian sales machines. (Except for me, ha ha!) These provide a publishing package but then if you want editing, that’s more. If you want help with marketing, that’s more. Then some of them take in 50% of the author royalties… This split is not a given as there are perfectly reliable author support businesses on our Australian coastline who provide a service without taking royalties. Read more about Author Solutions Inc…

November 7, 2020

Book Editing

Why Trained Editors Make Your Book Sing

As the latest edition of OffPress (from Queensland Society of Editors) says: “The work of a good editor is often invisible.” That is, without it, you would surely notice topic jumps, inconsistencies or a change in point of view, but with it, you are drawn into the story or work. I go on to explain why Brisbane editors are on par with the best. What do Editors Do? In our editor bag of tricks are these tools: removing redundant words (called tautology) checking for consistency — in people’s names, acronyms, and verbs in bulleted lists. reviewing tone and clarity of language — at development stage ensuring the grammar and spelling is in the correct style for the author’s or publisher’s needs advising to ensure that the book takes the reader on a logical, progressive route (substantive editing). …

September 18, 2019

Home-Based Business

Freelancing in Australia – infographic

I’ve compiled this ‘freelancing in Australia infographic’ from statistics found at professional freelancing sites, like Kate Toon’s ‘Clever Copywriting School’ and InsiderGuides.com.au. Please link back here if using the image. (C) 2017 Jennifer Lancaster. How to Start a Freelance Business is a concise guide for those interested in starting any freelance endeavour in Australia, including how to set up a micro business properly. Full Statistic and Source Links: 32% of Australian workers had freelanced (2014/5) (InsiderGuides.com.au) The most common freelance roles are copywriting, freelance writing, graphic design, photography, web design, tutoring, and account management. (Money Connexion) 65.9% of freelancers work part-time (21-30 hrs); 34% work full-time (CleverCopywritingSchool 2017) Aussie copywriters tend to charge $61-90 per hour(41%). Just 4.5% charge over $120 per hour. (CleverCopywritingSchool 2017). 72% of Editors earning $50,000 or less from editing in 2015–16. (IPEd National Survey of Editors,…

October 30, 2017

Home-Based Business

Freelancers: Be Your Own Agency

Freelancers, you could be limiting yourself (and your income) if you try to only score work in one skill area and only through your own marketing. Yes, you can get known for excellence in a niche skill, but if you want to score big projects (e.g. tenders on TenderLink or consulting projects on Expert360), then Mark Fromson from LocalSolo has some advice for freelancers. We have a saying at LocalSolo that we try and impart to our freelancers: “You’re already your own agency.” What this means is that we encourage our freelancers to go after full client projects where multiple team members with different skill sets are needed to execute. Don’t just focus on finding work for only your particular skillset. Try to be the sales person and project manager for your client, and assemble your own team of freelancers to do the work. If you’re…

December 23, 2020

Book Marketing

Author Interview: Donatas Jonikas Talks about Marketing his Book

Recently Jennifer interviewed Dr. Donatas Jonikas, Lithuanian author of Startup Evolution Curve, about his new book that scored many natural 5-star reviews on Amazon. You'll find many 'secrets to book success' within. Q. I noticed you give away 100 pages of the book, plus 20 templates based on the book. Did this move seem to lead to more book sales and interest? I did this at the very beginning, so I don’t have firm data about sales before sharing the excerpt and the set of templates. I can’t prove whether it was worth it or not, but generally, yes – it helped, but that was not the single factor. I would even say this was important, but not a vital success factor. A set of 20 templates was initially planned as an added value for book readers. To tell the truth,…

July 7, 2019

Home-Based Business

Tools of the Freelance Trade

Whether you consult or freelance full-time or part-time as I do, certain freelance business tools can help to keep you on track. But which tools (i.e. software)? After eight years of freelancing, several software applications became my ‘go to’ apps. Now that I’m expanding my business to include author training courses, books, and book support services, it’s even more important to pick the best tools of today. My Six Best Freelancer Tools and Why Harvest Chosen by The Freelance Collective members as the time tracker of choice, I have used Harvest as an invoicing tool and tracker for five years. It offers project time control with inbuilt reminders. In settings, you’ll find and tick “Estimates” – for years I didn’t know this existed, but it’s helpful for turning a quick quote into a deposit invoice. Price: 1 user, 2 projects…