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Erica Holthausen
Let's get you published!
We help you unearth the one BIG idea upon which you will build your career and reputation. We give it form and substance through solid research. We write the copy, craft a pitch letter, and get your article published.
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A few months ago,
Charmaine Dymond
invited us to share some information about our hobbies for one of her blogs.
I have come to believe that hobbies and other forms of play are absolutely critical for creatives.
Play helps us connect to our work, giving it more meaning and purpose. As a writer, play helps me see connections between what I originally thought were disparate ideas. It helps me get out of my head and into a state of flow. When I make time for my hobbies on a regular basis, I find it's easier to get into that same state of flow when I sit down to work.
A couple of weeks ago, I finally responded to Charmaine's questions about bookbinding. I picked up bookbinding last year and now have a never-ending supply of journals! Here's the piece for a bit more context: https://hobbiesarefun.substack.com/p/so-now-i-want-to-be-a-bookbinder.
What gets you out of your head and into the moment?
I have come to believe that hobbies and other forms of play are absolutely critical for creatives.
Play helps us connect to our work, giving it more meaning and purpose. As a writer, play helps me see connections between what I originally thought were disparate ideas. It helps me get out of my head and into a state of flow. When I make time for my hobbies on a regular basis, I find it's easier to get into that same state of flow when I sit down to work.
A couple of weeks ago, I finally responded to Charmaine's questions about bookbinding. I picked up bookbinding last year and now have a never-ending supply of journals! Here's the piece for a bit more context: https://hobbiesarefun.substack.com/p/so-now-i-want-to-be-a-bookbinder.
What gets you out of your head and into the moment?
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I recently refined my client onboarding checklist and thought it might be a helpful resource! If it's helpful, please feel free to steal and modify to suit your purposes.
Without further ado, here it is in all its just-a-checklist glory:
Without further ado, here it is in all its just-a-checklist glory:
Client Onboarding Checklist
The purpose of this checklist is to create a process around welcoming new clients. Our goal is to make sure that everyone involved in the engagement is aligned with one another so that we can work together effectively. It is also a way to exchange information, set up meetings, and start building the relationship.
Preparation
- Connect with the client on LinkedIn.
- Enter client details into CRM and PMS.
- Prepare an agenda for the kickoff meeting.
- Send the agenda and confirm the date and time of the meeting.
Project Kickoff
I am looking forward to working with you! Today’s call is designed to set the stage for our work together. It is an opportunity for us to get some clarity around our goals and expectations, to gather information, and schedule our next steps.
- Introductions
- Review administrative matters
- Confirm contact information
- Microsoft Word or Google Docs
- Style guide (House)
- Summary will be emailed
- Managing expectations
- Responsiveness and deep work
- Availability limited to office hours
- Review project summary and define success
- Review the project summary and discuss scope creep.
- What would make this a successful project for you?
- Review past experience
- Have you worked with a writer in the past?
- What was that experience like for you?
- What worked well? What would you change?
- Any questions?
- Review the editing process and discuss limits
- Send a polished draft to the client.
- Client tracks changes and reviews for tone, voice, accuracy, and style.
- Client returns copy deck with tracked changes and comments.
- Schedule a review call to review the draft, changes, and comments together.
- Writer makes edits, tracks changes, and sends the revised copy to the client.
- Client reviews and approves edits, comments on those they question, tracks all changes, and returns the copy deck to the writer.
- Next steps and timelines
- Deliverables, responsibility, and timelines.
- Schedule all meetings for the roadmap.
- Q+A
Follow-Up
- Update CRM and PMS
- Email the client
- Summary of the meeting
- Tasks, responsibilities, and deadlines
- Scheduled meetings
- Deliverables
- Send a welcome letter by mail.
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My friend Kevin Monroe is hosting a free gratitude challenge starting December 7. I participated in the last one and will be doing it again. As many of you already know, something powerful happens when we tap into gratitude. I'm trying to develop a daily gratitude practice, so this challenge has been especially helpful. A few of the things I love about this particular challenge? Each prompt is accompanied by a lovely illustration, which immediately made me think of
Jenni Kowal
's self-care card deck. The prompts are practical, simple, and actionable. In just a few minutes a day, your entire perspective can change. It made me think of
Mary DeRosa Hughes
Gratitude Adjustment book (and Mary, I think you and Kevin would get along famously)! Finally, the community is global and generous and kind. Very much like this community.
Anyway, if you're interested you can sign up at http://thegratitudechallenge.community/.
Anyway, if you're interested you can sign up at http://thegratitudechallenge.community/.
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A lot is being shoved into these last two months of 2020!
I've mentioned elsewhere that I am pivoting my business a bit. In some ways, it's a small move from more traditional content marketing for consultants to ghostwriting articles for subject matter experts who wish to be published in industry trade journals and on association websites. In other ways, it's a huge shift that allows me to focus on the work I love most: writing research-based articles, position papers, and reports.
I've been working on a new way to introduce myself, and I'd love your feedback:
I've mentioned elsewhere that I am pivoting my business a bit. In some ways, it's a small move from more traditional content marketing for consultants to ghostwriting articles for subject matter experts who wish to be published in industry trade journals and on association websites. In other ways, it's a huge shift that allows me to focus on the work I love most: writing research-based articles, position papers, and reports.
I've been working on a new way to introduce myself, and I'd love your feedback:
A published writer with research skills honed as a litigation attorney, I help subject matter experts become industry leaders by ghostwriting articles that allow them to claim their space in the most influential publications in their fields.
That's the neat and tidy version. Owning the fact that I am an attorney, trained at the University of Virginia School of Law (something a lot of people think I should make explicit), is something I am just now becoming comfortable sharing. The truth is that I use the skills I learned in law school and as an attorney every single day. But it still feels show-offy. Also, I've been in marketing for the last 20 years. Is that also worth mentioning? This change and the editorial framework I developed for my writing projects will be a major part of the website re-write. A less neat-and-tidy version follows:
My name is Erica Holthausen. I am the founder of Catchline Communications and the creator of the CORD editorial framework. I am a published writer with 20 years of marketing experience and stellar research skills honed at the University of Virginia School of Law and while practicing as a litigation attorney in Boston. I help subject matter experts become industry leaders by ghostwriting articles that allow them to claim their space in the most influential publications in their fields.
In tangentially-related news, I am moving to New London, Connecticut, next month! This is a huge move for me because I will have an office to support my business and a little back yard to support my love for gardening. And the front porch is wicked cute.
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In a week filled with anxiety and uncertainty,
Charmaine Dymond
is a constant source of light! Her email newsletter is all about doing good in the world. She even includes tips for solo professionals, because every little bit matters. She also shares some great resources on LinkedIn and introduced me to The Noun Project this morning. It's a source for stock images and icons that are actually diverse and inclusive. So, thank you, Charmaine! For spreading a little good into the world!
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A colleague is looking for a social media manager to guide a start-up technology company's social media efforts. I don't know a lot of details, but I suspect it would be a fairly robust project. A lot of the technology revolves around mobile. Is this you or someone you know? Drop me your contact information (either in the comments below or DM me through messages) and I'll send it along!
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A colleague of mine is building out a website and wants to aggregate content from a number of different platforms (industry websites, associations, and possibly social media). Is there a tool you use that you love to do this work? Is the question way more complicated than I think it is?
Any help on this is greatly appreciated!
Any help on this is greatly appreciated!
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A post from one of my other networks:
Does anyone know a good Webflow designer/developer?
Does anyone know a good Webflow designer/developer?
The ideal person will have immersed themselves in Webflow, know the platform inside and out, and be able to push it to get the most out of it. Open to a design/developer combo as well as a developer only.
The person could be at an freelancer or indie agency.
The person could be at an freelancer or indie agency.
I'm looking to add someone with these skills to my network, and hopefully feed them business.
Let me know if this is you (or if you know someone), give me your contact information, and I'll pass it along!
Let me know if this is you (or if you know someone), give me your contact information, and I'll pass it along!
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I think it was a week or so ago that
Brandon Osborne
recommended Quoters to help manage the proposal process. I picked up a copy from AppSumo (If you're interested, Brandon has a code that will get you $10 off and get him $10 towards his next purchase), and ignored it.
Until this week.
I just finished putting together a proposal on Quoters. I tested it out by sending a copy to myself. It is a game-changer and is going to make this entire process sooooo much easier!
So, thank you, Brandon!
Until this week.
I just finished putting together a proposal on Quoters. I tested it out by sending a copy to myself. It is a game-changer and is going to make this entire process sooooo much easier!
So, thank you, Brandon!
