I get asked a lot of questions about freelance writing. Some from people I know, some from people I have never met, and others from members of my freelance writing course. One of the strangest questions as of late was: when is the best month to start a freelance writing career? This is not something I have thought about a lot.
Is there one month that is better than another? I had to think about this question for a bit before answering. In short, I don’t think that you should wait until one month in particular to start a freelance writing career. This may be something you do for a personal reason, but overall I cannot think of any advantages. Sure, you may want to start in January so you can get off to a fresh start and make things as simple as possible from a tax point of view. But again, this is not a necessity by any means.
I think aspiring freelance writers should take the plunge when they are ready to do so. This is the case no matter what month it is. If you are ready to take the next step you should stop thinking and do it. Continually saying that you will wait until the next month is not going to do you any good. Instead, it will hold you back and soon enough you will realize just how much time has gone by.
There is no right and wrong month to start a freelance writing career. If you have a preference and don’t mind waiting, that is fine. Otherwise, start your career when you are 100 percent sure that this is what you want to do. The month won’t have much to do with the steps you take or the success you achieve.
Most freelance writers spend the majority of their days writing. This is a good thing because you are getting paid by clients for this activity. But you don’t want to spend all your time writing. You also need to think about other tasks involved with running a successful freelance writing business. One of them is staying organized. This may sound like a waste of time, but over the long haul you will realize that this is not the case.
This is not my first post on the importance of freelance writers staying organized. I keep bringing up this topic because many people ask me about how to better this part of their career. They are doing just fine in the writing and marketing departments, but for whatever reason they just cannot seem to stay organized. As you can imagine, this is a big problem.
Believe it or not, you can stay organized if you just take a few minutes out of your day to do so. Of course, organization means something different to everyone. Some people take great pride in putting everything in the right place and staying on top of every last detail. Others will let things get out of control before they take charge and reorganize their space.
The good thing about staying organized is that once you learn how to do so you will not have to worry about it in the future. In other words, good organization can become a habit over time.
Even though you will spend most of your day writing and marketing your services, don’t forget to stay organized. An organized career is a more successful one!
Have you ever taken the time to compare a freelance writing career to a 9 to 5? If your answer is yes, there is a good chance that you are well aware of the pros and cons of both jobs. If no, you may not realize that a career in freelance writing has so much to offer.
There are many details to compare. Where you start is up to you. Some people first take a look at how much money they can make. With a career in freelance writing you are in charge of your own income and how much you bring in. That being said, there is no guarantee of what you will earn. With most 9 to 5 jobs you are given a set rate of pay, and you have to wait for a raise if you want to earn more. That being said, you may have a bit more security.
Don’t forget about the freedom factor. When you work for yourself you get to call the shots and work when you want. With a 9 to 5 you are at the mercy of your employer from the first minute you arrive at your office until you clock out. Are you willing to give away your freedom? If you decide to work as a freelance writer you do not have to.
There are other details to consider as well. Where will you get your benefits if you decide to become a freelance writer? You have to pay for everything from health insurance to life insurance and much more. What about the fact that most 9 to 5 jobs don’t offer much in terms of potential for advancement? If you want to move onto bigger and better things, you may have to take control of your career and quit relying on a single employer.
When comparing a freelance writing career to a 9 to 5 it is easy to see the pros and cons of both. The big question is: which option wins out in your mind?
Moving into a full-time freelance writing position should be an exciting time. Unfortunately, many people never make it this far. For many reasons they get stuck working part-time, or worse yet, giving up on their career altogether. If something is holding you back from becoming a full-time freelance writer it is time to make the necessary changes.
One of the most common holdups is fear. Are you afraid to leave the comfort of your nine to five job? Are you scared that you may not earn enough money to stay afloat? These are all common concerns. Fear is definitely something you will face if you are interested in becoming a full-time freelance writer. But remember, this can also be a great motivator at the same time.
Are you ready? Some people do not feel that they are ready to become a full-time freelance writer. There is nothing wrong with feeling this way. Remember, you should be 100 percent comfortable with this career decision. If you are apprehensive for any reason, you may be better off sticking with a part-time career for the time being.
You should never listen to other people who tell you that becoming a full-time freelance writer is a bad idea. Trust me, there are going to be doubters. They may even be people who are close to you. Even though you want to hear them out, it is you who has to make the final decision on whether or not to follow this career path. You don’t want anybody else making the decision for you.
So what is holding you back? Once you pinpoint the problem you can decide where to go next. There is a good chance that the detail holding you back is one you can easily overcome.
Every so often somebody asks me why I love being a freelance writer. This is something I try to talk about from time to time on my blog. My reasons for being a freelance writer are probably different than yours. Below are three quick reasons why I love my career. Maybe you will agree with a few of these points.
1. Freedom. When you work as a freelance writer you do not have to take orders. This means you have the freedom to call your own shots on everything from when to work to how many hours you put in to which projects you take on, and much more. There is a downside to so much freedom, but it cannot outweigh the benefits.
2. I love to write. This is something that many aspiring freelance writers forget about. If you do not love to write, your career as a freelancer will probably dissolve sooner rather than later. Don’t get started with a career as a freelance writer unless you really love to write.
3. Earning potential. What sense does it make to work a nine to five job in which your earning potential is capped? To me, this is silly. As a freelance writer you are never told by anybody how much money you can earn. Working hard and landing the right clients will allow you to increase your earnings. Simply put, you never hit a wall as a freelance writer. If you want to make more money, go get it!
Many of you may agree with these reasons. Some of you may have other reasons for wanting to be a freelance writer. The great thing is that we do not have to be on the same page. As long as you love your career you don’t have anything to worry about.
As a freelance writer, having time management skills is very important. If you are able to manage your time you will find yourself achieving more success than those who struggle in this area. Simply put, time management skills are a must for every freelance writer that wants to succeed in the long run. This is something that you may not have a firm grasp on early in your career. Fortunately, this can and hopefully will change over time.
The way you manage your schedule is very important. If you are disorganized you will find that you are not getting your work done, and feeling that your career is out of control. On the other side, a freelance writer with great time management skills will move from one task to the next without thinking twice. At the end of the day these writers look back and can see just how much work they completed.
Are time management skills something I can develop? Most definitely. As mentioned above, you may not be the best at managing your time early in your freelance writing career; this is to be expected. You are new to this career, and are unsure of what you are going to encounter, what needs to be done, your priorities, etc. But soon enough you will have a hold on how to manage your time more efficiently.
Don’t take this lightly. Many people will read this post and think that time management is overrated. There are only so many working hours in a day. You have to make the most of every minute that you are sitting at your computer. If you learn to successfully manage your time you will have a better chance at reaching both your short and long term goals.
Being a freelance writer means that you set your own schedule. You can work anytime of the day that you please. I know freelance writers who work a normal nine to five schedule, as well as some who like to stay up in the middle of the night. It really doesn’t matter what hours you work as long as you are completing projects and servicing your clients. With that in mind, you may be contemplating extending your work hours. There are many benefits of doing so. But at the same time you may realize some drawbacks.
The main benefit of working more hours is that you can get more done. This holds true when working on client projects, marketing, and other tasks that you must complete as a freelance writer. If you feel that you never have enough time for all the work that goes along with your career, working additional hours may be the answer.
How many hours are you working right now? This is the main question to answer before you do anything else. For instance, if you are only working six hour days there is plenty of time to extend your schedule. But if you are putting in 12 hour days already, you may not have as much leeway to add onto this.
As you work more you are putting more strain on your mind and body. Even though you can benefit from extending your hours, you have to make sure that you are not harming yourself along the way.
If you are interested in extending the amount of time you spend in your office, give it a try in the near future. You may find that this works out nicely. If not, you can always go back to your old schedule.
There is no denying that freelance writing is a cheap career to start and sustain. This is not one of those jobs that will cost you a lot of money day after day. But remember, there are some freelance writing expenses that you are bound to encounter. Are you going to avoid them? Or will you spend money when you have to so that you can continue to move your career in the right direction? I never shy away from freelance writing expenses. This is not to say that I waste money, though. Instead, if something comes up I consider my options and then make the best decision for me at the time.
What types of freelance writing expenses are out there? Every month I spend money on my business phone line and internet connection. These are two expenses that are sure to come about month after month. Fortunately, I am used to paying them and they do not really effect me that much.
There are other small freelance writing expenses as well. These are things such as ink cartridges, printer paper, pens, sticky notes, etc. As you know, these are cheaper items and if you buy in bulk you will not have to worry about doing so again for many months.
Even though it can be difficult to part with money, as a freelance writer you should realize that this is a necessity from time to time. If you begin to feel bad about how much you are spending, think about all the other careers and businesses that cost much more to sustain.
Are you thinking of making the transition from part-time to full-time freelance writer? If so, this is a big leap that you are taking. But if you are ready, it is one that you need to take sooner rather than later.
Here are three tips that can help make your transition to a full-time freelance writing career more enjoyable:
1. Know what you are getting into. Working full-time as a freelance writer is different than doing so as a side job. Make sure you are ready to put in longer days, and that you have enough work to keep you busy. With no other income it is very important that your part-time career scales into a full-time workload as soon as possible.
2. Answer any burning questions before you decide to take the leap. Every freelance writer has different questions. Some want to know how to market more successfully as a full-timer. Others want to know how many hours they will have to put in. There is an answer to every question that is on your mind. You just have to go out and find it. Look online, in books, and talk to other freelancers with full-time experience.
3. Go all in. Some people are so scared of this move that they tip-toe around it and never really dive in. If you are truly ready to become a full-time freelance writer you need to move forward with gusto. When you don’t go all in you are making it more difficult to reach your goals.
The transition from part-time to full-time freelance writer doesn’t have to be overly complicated. The tips above should help you at least a little bit. This is a big career move. Even though you may be scared, once you settle into your full-time freelance writing career you will be glad that you faced your fear and took the leap.
I have found it to be weird, but as of late more and more people have been emailing me saying they are unhappy with the direction that their freelance writing career is headed. This is not something that I have ever personally dealt with. I love my career, and have felt this way for many years.
Why are so many people unhappy with their freelance writing career? Here are three common themes that I have been hearing over and over again:
1. I am not making enough money. This is an obvious reason for being unhappy with your freelance writing career. That being said, you should not let your income totally dictate the way you feel about your job. To combat this, set income goals. Once you have these goals in place you can then work diligently to reach them. When you are chasing income related goals it becomes easier to stay on track without getting distracted by miniscule details.
2. My clients are difficult to deal with. While this is common it should not be something that drags you down. As a freelance writer you have the right to work with whoever you want. If a client isn’t treating you right you are allowed to break off the relationship without giving an excuse. If difficult clients are making you miserable you can solve this problem easily enough.
3. I don’t know where to go next. Just like any career you may hit a wall. This doesn’t mean that you are not having success; just that you don’t know what you want to accomplish in the future. Again, this is when you should set goals so you have something to work towards. Your goals can be based around income, new clients, new personal projects, etc. Put something out there that you will have fun chasing.
Are you one of those people who are not happy with their freelance writing career? If so, one of the above themes may sound all too familiar. Use my advice to beat the doldrums and become happy with your freelance writing career once again.
