Let’s talk about referrals for a minute.
When I took the EFA’s online course “Getting Work from Publishers and Book Packagers” three months ago, our teacher, the awesome Jennifer Lawler, suggested to me personally that I try to get referrals from people for whom I have edited. That is one of the many things I am doing now.
Getting clients through referrals is a lot like building a family tree. You begin with the roots, which are your current clients. Then you do some sleuthing and write down the names of, say, five people with whom one of your clients has collaborated or worked. These five people are your branches.
You contact each of these five people and say, “I know you have worked with [current client] in the past. Here is how I can help you.” Then you go on to show them your editing services. If you are lucky, at least one of these five people will respond and say that they are interested in your services. Then you go on and do a project for them.
If they like your editing work, you stay in touch with them (of course) and find five people with whom they have collaborated. Now the branch has five branches. You contact each of these people, and so on and so forth.
It’s a lot better than sending cold emails.