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Combining freelance writing and news journalism with Caroline Riches

The Content Byte

Release Date: 05/20/2024

RE-RELEASE Working as an agency copywriter with Damien Whelan show art RE-RELEASE Working as an agency copywriter with Damien Whelan

The Content Byte

RE-RELEASE. Continuing with our summer series of re-running our favourite and most popular podcast episodes, we are sharing an episode from August 2022, with agency copywriter Damien Whelan. If you're as Mad Men-obsessed as we are, you're probably keen to know how copywriting on the agency side differs from other types of writing that copywriters do.  In our chat, we talk about: How did he get into agencies?  How does he come up with clever one-liners? What's it like working on an ad campaign for a billboard? How do pitch meetings pan out? Do they often pull all-nighters? How can...

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RE-RELEASE Grant Writing with Martina Donkers show art RE-RELEASE Grant Writing with Martina Donkers

The Content Byte

This week, we are starting a special summer series, repeating some of our most popular episodes. First up is our most successful episode ever - with grant writer Martina Donkers.  In an inspiring talk, Martina shares her story about finding her niche, how grant writing works and why she loves being a digital nomad - all from a hammock in regional Western Australia! We chat about:  How and why she decided to specialise in grant writing The different sorts of grants available What makes grant writing different Why the criteria really matters How to price this sort of work The...

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Writing for purpose-driven brands with Carmen Hawker show art Writing for purpose-driven brands with Carmen Hawker

The Content Byte

In what is probably our last episode for 2024, Rachel and Lynne chat with copywriter, campaigner and brand strategist Carmen Hawker. Carmen writes for purpose-driven businesses and B Corps from sustainable fashion to ethical finance. She talks about how she found her niche, why she loves doing this sort of work and how she makes it pay a reasonable wage. In this revealing episode, she talks about: The difference between not-for-profit and purpose-led organisations Where and how she finds her clients Why she likes project-based work and how she balances her workload The challenges behind...

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Why You Might be Your Own Worst Enemy When it Comes to Landing Dream Clients show art Why You Might be Your Own Worst Enemy When it Comes to Landing Dream Clients

The Content Byte

This week Rachel and Lynne are chatting with Amy Posner, also known as The Client Whisperer, talking about the mistakes many of us make when working with clients, especially at the beginning of our freelance career. Amy is a business coach for freelancers and has some great information on how to find good clients who will pay good money for your work. She talks about: The different types of clients you might encounter How to find the clients right for you How to make more money and deliver value for clients Mistakes freelancers make, including not stepping into your expertise Why better...

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What it’s like to be a B2B tech writer with Rosalyn Page show art What it’s like to be a B2B tech writer with Rosalyn Page

The Content Byte

This week Rachel and Lynne chat with a good friend and colleague - B2B tech writer Rosalyn Page. Rosalyn talks about her background in IT and tech magazines, how and why she transitioned to freelance work and all that involves. During our chat, Ros talks about: How she got into tech writing Where she finds her work The pros and cons of writing for agencies Whether tech writing is a lucrative niche Covering conferences in her tech niche Writing thought leadership pieces and white papers How AI can help her brainstorm Connect with Ros at her website:   Here's the link to her article about...

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Building a Sustainable Freelance Career in a Gig Economy with Lizzie Mulherin show art Building a Sustainable Freelance Career in a Gig Economy with Lizzie Mulherin

The Content Byte

This week Rachel and Lynne are chatting with Lizzie Mulherin, a freelance writer, brand strategist, and travel author. Lizzie shares her career journey and chats about: Having a business mindset when it comes to freelancing How to mix content work and journalism How to boost your confidence as a freelancer Whether you need to build a personal brand to make good money Common mistakes she sees writers making How to get the most out of AI Whether it is possible to make a good living through Substack Connect with Lizzie via her website:   or through Substack on     Find Rachel...

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How to be paid well with Sue White show art How to be paid well with Sue White

The Content Byte

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne are chatting with freelance writer, journalist, consultant and media trainer Sue White. As a highly successful freelancer, Sue is all about knowing your own worth and charging accordingly. She shares her career journey, why it's important to grow and adapt as time goes on and why you should never accept underpaid jobs. She talks about: Where and how she finds her clients Why journalists need to do copywriting and content to make a good living How she secured a long-running column in prestigious newspapers Whether securing retainers works for...

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How to earn more as a freelancer without ruining your life with Sarah Greesonbach show art How to earn more as a freelancer without ruining your life with Sarah Greesonbach

The Content Byte

This week, Rachel and Lynne chat with B2B writer and coach Sarah Greesonbach. We reached out to her after seeing her great comments and funny posts on LinkedIn and we love her approach to freelance writing. We should point out that Lynne had some Internet issues near the end and had to drop out. Luckily Rachel and Sarah were able to complete the chat! During our chat we talk about: Why she loves B2B content work How she came back from burning out Why you need to master three parts of the client-getting process How writers can use LinkedIn better (without posting all the time) How to charge...

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How to use community to grow a freelance business with Jenn Donovan show art How to use community to grow a freelance business with Jenn Donovan

The Content Byte

This week on the podcast Rachel and Lynne are talking about how to grow your businesses with Jenn Donovan. Jenn is passionate about small businesses (which is what a freelance career essentially is) and she talks about how you can use community to find clients and get support from your peers. In our discussion we cover: Her interesting career story, from lawyer to retailer to marketer Why she loves working in rural and regional communities How the power of community keeps small businesses alive How AI can save you hours of time, so you can focus on doing what you love How podcasts can be a...

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Creating personality-driven email newsletters with Steven Lewis show art Creating personality-driven email newsletters with Steven Lewis

The Content Byte

And we are back! After a short post-Summit haitus, Lynne and Rachel are back with a new season and a great guest. And it's all about personality-driven email newsletters. Emails are having their moment in the sun right now - they don't rely on algorithyms that could change quickly or at the whim of a social media mogul and, when done well, can create a powerful conversation between companies and their clients. This week, journalist and content creator Steven Lewis talks all about creating email newsletters for yourself or clients. He talks about: Moving from editorial work to copywriting...

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More Episodes

We just love to meet freelancers who have managed to combine different types of writing into a successful career. This week, Rachel and Lynne chat with Caroline Riches, a news journalist for 25 years who works in the SBS newsroom part time and then does freelance writing work for the rest of the week. We talk about:

  • Balancing the two roles
  • Why she loves the flexibility of casual work
  • What newsrooms are looking for from casual journalists and how to get a foot in the door
  • The stress of covering big news stories
  • How great it is to be part of a newsroom and being surrounded by the big news stories of the day
  • Where and how she secures agency work

Connect with Caroline at LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-riches-978656113/ 

Caroline's website is: https://www.carolineriches.com/ 

This is your last week to secure Early Bird tickets to The Content Byte Summit, from September 12-14, 2024. The Early Bird discount ends on May 31. Sign up for updates for the Summit (or snap up tickets) at our website: https://thecontentbytesummit.com.au 
Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au    
Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com 
Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au

Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au ), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: [email protected] for the details.

Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co