If real-estate (and now, wealth-building) guru Robert Allen has made one lasting contribution to Western (make that World) Civilization, I would nominate the phrase I'm almost sure he came up with: "Multiple Streams of Income."
Entrepreneurs and those born into rich families have known the concept all along. But for many people, it is (or was) a brand-new idea.
The great copywriter Don Hauptman figured it out himself a decade or two ago. He learned how to generate between $2,000 and $10,000 extra for himself not writing copy.
He made this extra money several times a year.
Between writing record-breaking ads and sales letters.
What Don did (in addition to writing controls that make millions for clients) was perform copy critiques, consult to companies about their marketing, provide in-house training sessions, and present at conferences.
Don is a good friend and I have benefited handsomely from his ideas, advice and personal referrals. So, I'm biased. But in a good way. Because what Don has shared with me privately is now available in an ebook called...
THE VERSATILE FREELANCER: How Writers and Other Creative Professionals Can Generate More Income by Seizing New Opportunities in Critiquing, Consulting, Training, and Presenting
I was involved in reviewing the manuscript in several stages as a "friend of the author," so I know what's in the book pretty well. I can tell you it's solid. Details only those who have been there would know about, incredibly valuable and useful information. Not only is there step-by-step advice and voice-of-experience wisdom, but there are specific tools. (Too often, don't you find an ebook is some rush-to-publication stream of consciousness of some semi-literate entrepreneur who made a bunch of money and wants to charge you a bunch more to hear his breathless story? Sad to say, I have.)
Don, on the other hand, is hyper-literate.
And when a person like that writes a how-to business book (and I believe this is Don's first), it's a real plus for the reader. Because Don is a terrific, clear, simple and motivating writer, and he has left no stone unturned in giving you the information, the background, the context and the mindset you need to start reeling in, and cashing in on, those lucrative "extra" jobs.
Besides detailed, helpful, easy-to-undestand advice, THE VERSATILE FREELANCER contains practical tools that are real added value. Don includes a sample agreement for services, a four-step "Easy Presentation Planner," and a 31-point proprietary direct-marketing questionnaire, which you could use to create your own copy, or as a guideline for critiques you could sell yourself.
All in all, a valuable addition to every copywriter's library. I recommend it strongly. If I used thumbs or stars to rate things, I would give this book the maximum. But I don't, so I simply recommend that you get it!
Go to: http://www.davidgarfinkel.com/xtra
David Garfinkel
Publisher, World Copywriting Newsletter
Oh, by the way -- here's an example of how good the book really is. Notice this is not only excellent practical advice (i.e., it will make you money), it's also superb mindset advice (i.e., it will help you cultivate a wealth-building way of looking at things):
Note also that these activities can't always be pigeonholed into neat categories; they often overlap. A critique is in some ways a consultation. At company seminars, I often did one-on-one coaching and critiquing and consulting. The skills and the content appropriate for in-house training are very similar to those required for a talk at a business lunch or trade conference. Synergies exist in everything you do.
This phenomenon has an important, and happy, implication: You can often recycle content from one activity or assignment to another--and get paid for it over and over again!
For example, you might receive a fee for an in-house presentation-and then realize that it can be repeated almost verbatim at another company or at an industry conference. This is not unethical as long as you're not disclosing confidential information or duplicating material to which you've sold exclusive rights. Getting paid more than once is an established and accepted practice. It's simply the adroit use of leverage to expand your time and multiply your earning power.
Take a look: http://www.davidgarfinkel.com/xtra
