Bob Bly’s latest email to his Direct Response Letter subscribers about how to stand out in a crowded market reinforced something I needed to remind myself. It’s a message I also try to articulate to other writers.

That is, we shouldn’t be so worried about competition. We all have competitors. No matter what your writing focus, whether it’s business books, YA fiction, ghostblogging, content creation, speechwriting, Wikipedia editing – whatever – there are almost always other people offering the same service.

Don’t be Afraid of Competitors

This fact makes some writers downright anxious. The concept of competition puts them on edge. They worry that they’ll have to fight it out with others in order to win business. They get nervous when they hear that others are specializing in the same niche or writing on similar topics.

And they shouldn’t be. Because competition isn’t scary.

The truth is, no one can do what you do exactly the way that you do it. You are unique, and that can be a source of competitive advantage – what helps you come out on top in the hunt for clients.

Be Generous with Your Expertise

Now, while Bly presents nine ways to stand out, I offer my own list of three ways to gain a competitive advantage:

1. Have an abundance mindset. That is, believe and accept that there is enough work for everyone. Refer work to others when opportunities that come your way aren’t a perfect fit or aren’t of interest, secure in the knowledge that in doing so, you’re attracting work that makes better use of your skillset. This is in contrast to grabbing every single assignment that lands in your inbox, for fear that you’ll never get another one. That’s a scarcity mindset, which can lead you to jump at every potential project, thereby filling your schedule with work you don’t love, so that when the perfect gig comes along, you’re too busy to take it.
2. Share what you know. Similar, or related, to Bly’s recommendation to establish yourself as an authority, by sharing your expertise you position yourself as a leader in the field. You may develop a reputation for your knowledge, which can attract clients. Being generous with your advice and sharing what you know will endear yourself to other writers, many of whom will want to return the favor in some way. That can lead to new connections and new work.
3. Focus on one or two niches. As Bly also advises, developing specialized expertise in 1-2 topics can serve you well. By becoming well-informed about a couple of topics, you can research and write about them faster than generalist writers. You are also able to generate pitches that are timely and relevant, because you stay active in the subject area. And the assignments are more profitable for you because you don’t need to do much background research to get up-to-speed. You have a running start when you get an assignment in your area of expertise. Earning a reputation for being an expert in an area will attract clients in need of content in that same area, and will encourage colleagues to refer related work to you when they hear about it.

To gain a natural advantage over your competitors, simply put a stake in the ground, so to speak, to claim your niche – the topic that you’re going to know more about than any other writer.

Then, pass along leads that aren’t a good fit for you. That might be due to the subject matter, the pay, or the project scope. If it’s not a good fit, give it to someone for whom it is.

Know that there is work out there and other writers can’t deliver the same quality product that you can. What makes you different makes you better.

Make sure the market understands that and you’ll have a bulletproof competitive advantage.

Any writer registered on Upwork to search for freelance ghostwriting projects should be thrilled to know that, as of July 9, skill tests will not be part of your record.

Upwork was one of the few job sites that offered online skill tests as a way for registered writers to demonstrate familiarity with common writing rules. The idea was that the more tests you took, the more you could reassure potential clients that you were a good writer.

Tests ranged from editing to proofreading to basic spelling and grammar, including U.S. English Basic Skills, U.S. Word Usage, Content Writing, Online Article Writing and Blogging, and several others. You could even become certified in Business Writing or Technical Writing.

Of course, most professional writers will tell you that a multiple-choice test is unlikely to predict writing or editing skills. Knowing the rules and applying them are two completely different skill sets.

Upwork explained, “Skill tests were launched as a way to measure expertise in a skill against a common standard so freelancers could better market their services. However, we’ve heard from our community that these tests aren’t an accurate measure of their talents.”

Part of the problem was that answers were regularly shared in online forums, Upwork reports. Or you could also pay someone to take the tests for you if you were nervous you wouldn’t do well on your own.

Perhaps more importantly, however, the site reported that “We’ve also heard from clients that multiple choice tests do not help them reliably predict future job success.”

According to Upwork, “Beginning July 9, we will be retiring all skill tests and removing the option to take them on Upwork. As part of this change, results from previous tests you’ve taken will no longer display on your profile.”

This is good news for professional writers, who would presumably prefer to be judged on the quality of their work, their track record and client list, or even educational background than timed online tests.

Many ghostwriters aren’t sure exactly what to do after a promising phone discussion or email exchange with a ghostwriting client.

Should they send an email expressing thanks for the prospect’s time? Would mailing a handwritten note be more effective to keep them in the running for the work? Should they check back by phone after a few days? What’s the best approach?

There seems to be a lot of anxiety and doubt about the ideal follow-up process. Probably, because the frequency and timing of follow-up message varies by writer and by client.

However, in general, I would recommend following up at least three times.

First Follow Up

Within 24 hours of a phone discussion, video conference, or in-person meeting with a prospective client, you should send a note of thanks. It’s considered common courtesy, though today so few people send thank you notes that, if for no other reason, you should do this to set yourself apart.

If you had a phone call or video chat, a short email the next day reiterating your interest in the work, restating why you’re intrigued, throwing in an idea you may have had about the project, and saying that you’ll check in next week (unless the prospect has shared their timeline for a decision already) is a smart idea.

If you met in person, a handwritten note mailed to their office or home is a nice touch. Take two minutes to drop it in the mail.

Second Follow Up

If during your conversation the potential client shared when they expected to be making a decision about their chosen writer or agency, make note of that and follow up by email the day after you thought you would hear back. For example, if you’re told that you’ll hear something by next Friday, send a follow-up email the Monday after.

Your message can be as simple as, “Dear Mary, thanks again for the opportunity to be considered for the ghostblogger role at your firm. I know you were considering several candidates for the work and I wondered if you’d made a decision yet. Sincerely, Robert.”

If no set date was mentioned as the deadline for choosing a ghostwriter, wait a week or two and then send a follow-up email to inquire about the status of the project.

Third Follow Up

If you don’t receive a response, or if you hear back that no decision has been made, I’d wait another week or two and send a similar follow-up email inquiring about the status of the project.

Some people may have taken a vacation, been out of the office at a trade show, or had a deadline to contend with that interfered with the process of selecting a ghostwriter. You probably have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes at your client’s business or home.

Meaning, don’t assume the worst. Sometimes, no news simply means there is no news.

Whether you follow up a fourth, fifth, or sixth time should depend on what you know about the project.

For example, if you were being considered for some time-sensitive article-writing that needed to be done by the end of the month, you could follow-up after the end of the month to see if there were any upcoming writing projects for which you could be considered. But once that date passes, you can probably safely assume you didn’t get the work.

On the other hand, if you were speaking with an aspiring author who had no particular deadline for the release of his or her book, you might follow up once a month until the client told you they have given up on the idea or chosen to work with someone else.

Case-in-point: I spoke with an aspiring author more than a year ago and I check in about once a month to see if he’s ready to get started on his book. I’m fairly confident at some point he’ll want to move ahead, so I don’t want to stop checking in with him.

In some respects, follow up should be a cycle. Check in a minimum of three times, or until you learn whether you’ve been selected or not. Whether you decide to check in more than that will depend on how interested you are in the work and how likely you think it is that you may be selected.

Sometimes the issue really is timing and not uncertainty about choosing a particular writer. That is, the client may have a full schedule for several months and won’t be available to get started on a new project until the fall.

If you continue to follow up, to remind the prospect that you’re available, when they’re ready to get started on their white paper, article series, blog posts, speech, or book, you should be top-of-mind and more likely to get the work.

How often do you typically follow up?