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Rank: Guest
Groups: Member
Joined: 1/9/2015
Posts: 455
Location: johnny@zerys.com
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New to Zerys? Or are you just looking to increase your workload and make more money? Here’s what you need to know — based on years of experience and plenty of advice that we’ve heard from Zery writers:
Take more jobs: This is especially true for brand new writers. You have to start somewhere, and that means taking jobs to show clients what you can do, even if the job seems imperfect or the rate is a little lower than you’d like. We say that for several reasons, including 1) many clients are marketing agencies that order content on a variety of topics, so it’s good to get your foot in the door; one job can lead to a variety of work from that client. And 2) you can negotiate a higher rate for future work.
Always do your best work: Your primary goal when writing for a new client is to get on their list of favorite writers. You also want to convince them to pay you your preferred rate if it is higher than what they’ve offered on the board. And just as important — you want to get rated 5-stars as often as possible to increase your average rating and potentially open up access to more jobs.
Be polite, professional, and communicative: It helps to open up the lines of communication. Even if you don’t really have a question or comment for the client, you might send a note along with your first job to say why you’re interested in their work, that you’d be interested in long-term assignments, etc. And if you do have questions or concerns, always be polite and courteous.
Avoid missed deadlines: Some clients are in more of a rush than others. It’s good to submit your work in a timely manner. If you’re frequently missing deadlines, asking for last-minute extensions, or asking for multiple extensions, the client might think you’re unreliable. Even if they love your writing, you might be missing out on more orders from them if that client prioritizes timeliness.
Ask questions when you’re unsure: It’s also good to be proactive with communications. When you take on a job, read all the instructions and ask questions sooner rather than later. Your clients will appreciate that you are being diligent and that you want to make sure you understand what they want. Some clients don’t respond to questions very quickly, but that’s why you can put a job on hold when asking a question on the document message board.
Proofread and format: Don’t just submit your work as soon as you are done writing. Run the spell check, then read your work out loud to find awkward sentences or misused words that a spell check won’t catch. Then make sure that your content is formatted appropriately, depending on what type of content it is. For example, blog writing typically calls for short paragraphs with some subheaders and maybe a bullet list if appropriate. The less your client needs to edit, the better! You are more likely to get direct assignments if the client trusts you to submit polished work that they can publish with very little editing.
Got some more tips for other writers? Comment here and we’ll keep this thread updated with the most useful advice!
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Rank: Member
Groups: Member
Joined: 1/25/2013
Posts: 6
Location: Bocas del Toro, Panama or Texas, U.S.A.
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Johnny, I've had the same Direct Assignment rate for quite some time. I want to raise it - ever so slightly - but I want to let my customers know that while a pay increase would be appreciated, they may continue using their previous rate if necessary. First, I want to be sure that's true - they can OFFER whatever rate they want, no matter what my Direct Assignment rate is. As always, thanks for your help.
Sharon-25151
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Rank: Guest
Groups: Member
Joined: 1/9/2015
Posts: 455
Location: johnny@zerys.com
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Sharon-25151 wrote:Johnny, I've had the same Direct Assignment rate for quite some time. I want to raise it - ever so slightly - but I want to let my customers know that while a pay increase would be appreciated, they may continue using their previous rate if necessary. First, I want to be sure that's true - they can OFFER whatever rate they want, no matter what my Direct Assignment rate is. As always, thanks for your help.
Sharon-25151
Hi Sharon,
Great question. When you update your "Standard Rate" on your profile, the new rate applies to all new clients (any client who adds you to favorite writers afterward). Your current clients will still see your old rate, and you would actually need to set a client-specific rate for them to increase it. So, feel free to send messages to your favorite clients to ask about the rate increase if you wish. And then you can set a new client-specific rate on their profile after negotiating.
The client can send you a direct assignment at a different rate, and then it would be up to you to accept or decline the assignment. But they have to change it manually each time, so it's really best to get on the same page with them and then set a client-specific rate as needed.
Let me know if you have any follow-up questions. Thanks!
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/5/2013
Posts: 86
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Hey Sharon,
Just another "idea" along that line. I think most clients who use us read our bios, so you can always include a line in your bio that states you are willing to negotiate your rate.
Also, when I take a new job in a niche that I KNOW doesn't pay anywhere near my stated rate, but I know the topic well and can churn things out quickly (thus sort of making my ideal "per hour rate," if that makes sense...) I wait and see if they accept the piece and give it 5-stars.
If they do, I write a thank you note for their acceptance and high rating, and I let them know that while my stated rate is high (because I write quite a bit for medical/legal/marketing industries), I am willing to lower my rate to XX/word for their pieces.
I feel like this tactic has allowed to get me some bread-and-butter clients, while still allowing me to make "the big bucks" with higher-paying clients. People seem to like the idea that they are getting a normally "expensive" product for a bargain because you like them so much :-)
Hope that helps!!
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Rank: Member
Groups: Member
Joined: 6/1/2011
Posts: 2
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On the topic of maximizing your income, can you not take an order from the new clients job board if you have a finished article pending review? I haven't seen stipulation anywhere so I thought I would ask.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member
Joined: 1/25/2013
Posts: 546
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As long as you have finished your job and sent it along, you can grab another. I usually have 20 to 40 pending review at any given time.
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Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member
Joined: 10/11/2016
Posts: 1
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Kristin-26658 wrote:As long as you have finished your job and sent it along, you can grab another. I usually have 20 to 40 pending review at any given time.
Now this is an answer i have been looking for. 
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member
Joined: 10/4/2013
Posts: 10
Location: The Poconos, Pennsylvania
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Does anyone know where "legal issues" appear on the lists of expert categories? I have been successfully writing divorce blog content for a very valuable client, and now feel competent enough to offer those skills to other clients, but I can't find a category or subcategory of divorce, legal issues, child custody, separation, etc.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Administration
, Member, Moderator
Joined: 2/6/2013
Posts: 68
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Hi Malcolm,
Great question! Legal doesn't have a category of its own. You'll find the categories you are looking for under the main category Relationships - just keep drilling down until you see the related categories, like Divorce. Each legal type is under the category related to it, so all Business Law is under Business and Finance, for instance.
Hope that helps!
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