When I got my start as a freelance writer I thought I had one job and one job only: to produce high quality content. While this is very true, you need to consider that other things can and will come up from time to time. You may be surprised at how much you have to do for clients, outside of producing content.
Don’t get me wrong, writing is your main job and you should learn how to do it well. But as you begin to grow your business you will find that clients want more from you. While this may sound scary, it actually works out in the long run because it gives you the chance to earn extra money.
So, what other “tasks” may I be asked to take on? More and more of my clients are asking for help marketing their content – this is especially true among those who are posting online. While it is not something I specialize in, I have picked up some skills over the years. Do not be surprised if your web based clients ask for help in this area.
Other clients want basic advice on what type of content is best, how often they need fresh content, etc. With this, you become a “writing consultant” of sorts. In addition to producing content you are also in the business of advising clients on what they should and should not be doing.
Of course, what you do as a freelance writer comes down to your comfort level. If you don’t want to help with marketing, for example, you have the right to say no. I have found it is best to help when possible, but to also let clients know that I do not specialize in other areas. This helps to keep expectations realistic.
Your job as a freelance writer will change from client to client. Do you help with any tasks outside of content creation?
As a freelance writer I know how important it is to collect as much valuable information as possible. That being said, I have to be careful about how much time I spend reading blogs, etc. One that I never miss is: All Freelance Writing.
When it comes to freelance writing blogs this is truly one of my favorites. Jennifer Mattern is in charge, but she has brought on an entire team of freelancers, including myself, to write guest posts from time to time. If you want to see some of my work at All Freelance Writing, check out my most recent piece: What to Include on your Freelance Writing Website.
I don’t want to take anything away from this great blog by explaining every last detail. You would be much better off visiting yourself and seeing just how much valuable information it has to offer. Trust me, you will not be disappointed!
Talking about how much money freelance writers earn is never easy. The reason for this is the broad range of answers. Some freelancers are only earning a few dollars per month. Others are pulling in tens of thousands of dollars and still on the rise. So, when I am asked to discuss freelance writing income I always make sure to talk about both the good and bad.
One thing is for sure: new freelance writers have to start at the bottom of the barrel. Although you may dream of earning $10k or more per month, it is not something that you should expect in your first month on the job. If you set unrealistic expectations in terms of your freelance writing income you are going to find yourself disappointed soon enough. Don’t get me wrong, you need to have goals. But you must make sure that they are realistic and actually attainable.
Your expectations probably won’t be spot on. My first month as a freelance writer led to a whopping $52. By the next month I was closing in on $1k. Although these are modest numbers, I did not expect them to come. I honestly thought it would take much longer, at least six to nine months, to reach the $1k barrier – fortunately I was wrong.
The best advice I can give is to set goals, but also realize that they are going to change from month to month. Since aspiring freelance writers do not know much about the industry it is important that they are reasonable with their expectations. Once you have a few months of work under your belt you will have a much better idea of what you can earn now and in the future.
If you have any questions about “freelance writing income” please leave a comment. Of course, those who are not comfortable doing so can always send me an email. Either way, this is a difficult subject and I will do what I can to help.
Day after day I hear the same cry from freelance writers: I never have time to speak with clients on the phone. I know where you are coming from on this. That being said, making time is part of the job. If you are not good at time management you are going to find it difficult to succeed as a freelance writer.
One trick that I use is to “block out” time to call clients. What does this mean? Instead of making and taking random calls throughout the day, I try to lump this all into one time frame. This makes it easier to take time away from the computer, while also ensuring that every call is returned within 24 hours at the most.
There is no denying that taking calls throughout the day can be a time consuming effort. You have to decide when it is best to answer your phone, and when it is best to wait and subsequently return the call at a later time. Even though I try to return all calls at the same time, usually when I am done with my writing, this does not always work out. Simply put, there are times when a client will need to talk or vice versa. In this case I have to readjust my schedule and take or make the call on the spot.
Do you think this trick will work for you? If you block out time to speak with clients on the phone you may be able to better manage your day. At the very least this is a method that is worth trying.
Are you finding it difficult to set your freelance writing career in motion? In other words, you think about getting started but for whatever reason you never make any real progress. This is a common setback that many aspiring freelancers run into. The question is: how are you going to solve this problem so you can eventually move onto the next steps of your career?
If you can pinpoint what has been holding you back you will be in good position to fix the problem. Are you scared of getting started because you don’t have enough money in the bank? Are you worried about the time it will take to find your first few clients? These are just a couple of the more common reasons that slow down many freelance writers. It may take a while to dig down deep and determine what is really holding you back, but if you stick with the process you will eventually find what you are looking for.
Just like anything else in life, once you identify the problem you can then create a plan that will help you get past it. Sticking with the above example, if you are worried about money you should continue to work your current job until you have a large enough emergency fund. This will ease your mind and give you the time necessary for a proper start-up phase. No matter the problem there is a solution – even if it does not present itself right away.
Sometimes the first step is the most difficult to take. Once the wheels are in motion and you are working as a full-time freelance writer you will have the time and dedication to begin your ascent to the top.
When you work as a freelance writer you are tied to your business 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are anything like me you probably think about your job a lot – even on the weekends. Whether or not you work on the weekends, in any capacity, is up to you. In the early days of my career I was always at my desk on Saturday and Sunday. Recently, this has died down a bit.
Do you ever receive calls from clients on the weekends? This is something I have come to expect over the years. Believe it or not, a lot of people work on Saturday and Sunday and want to be able to speak with you during that same time period. You have to make a decision on if you are going to make yourself available.
While I never plan my weekend around receiving a call, unless the client tells me in advance, I am willing to answer the phone if available. After all, showing that you care about the client and helping them when possible will only make your relationship stronger. Of course, you may need to draw the line somewhere. Unless you are working a full day the last thing you want to do is answer call after call.
It is not easy for me to give advice on this subject. Some freelancers love working on the weekends, but others will not do this no matter what it means for their career. Where do you fit in? Do you ever take work related calls on the weekends?
Most freelance writers have run into this situation: they are excited about a new project but find out soon enough that the content is boring. Obviously, this is a situation that you do not want to face on a regular basis. That being said, you know it is going to happen at some point in time.
Here are three things you can do to deal with a boring project:
1. Make it fun. What can you do to make the job more exciting? This can be anything from adding your own spice to attempting to better connect with the client. In other words, don’t dwell on the fact that the job is a bit boring. Instead, do what you can to make the most of the situation.
2. Never give up. The last thing you want to do is run in the other direction and leave your client stranded. If you accepted a project you should have the pride and professionalism to finish it. Some freelance writers get into the habit of quitting on a job halfway through because it is not suited to their likes and needs. You should avoid this at all costs.
3. Ask the client for help. There is a good chance that you find the project boring because you do not understand what you are doing or the direction the client is headed. By asking for help you may find yourself with a better understanding of what is going on. This will allow you to see the project in a different light, and hopefully curb your boredom.
You can expect some gigs to be more exciting than others – this is part of being a freelance writer. If you take on a job and find it to be overly boring, use the three tips above to better your situation.
Through my freelance writing course I have the joy of working with many people who are just getting involved in the industry. While every writer is unique, the same mistakes are usually made by all of them. Even though this may sound like a bad thing, making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn. That being said, you don’t want to purposely make mistakes just for the learning experience – this is never a good idea.
So, what mistakes do I find to be most common among new freelance writers?
1. Spending too much time researching and not enough time on their own business. With the internet it is easy to gather information. Unfortunately, it is also easy to get distracted. There is nothing wrong with learning about freelance writing. But at some point you need to realize that working on your own career is the best use of your time.
2. Not marketing their services. How much time are you spending marketing your services? Are you making cold calls? Sending query letters? No matter how many clients you have the marketing process never stops. This is something that you want to get familiar with early in your freelance writing career. If you want to succeed as a freelance writer you need to be willing to market, market, market.
3. The wrong fee schedule. You need to set your fees based on your experience, and of course, how much money you are interested in earning. With that in mind, you should strive to find a happy medium. Price your services too low and you will not make any money. If your pricing is too high you are going to scare away many potential clients. It takes some time to find the perfect pricing structure. Experiment with many options until you find what works.
These mistakes are common among new freelance writers, as well as those who have been around. Try to avoid them at all costs.
Are you the type of person who has been thinking about becoming a freelance writer for many months or years? This is very common – you are not alone. I remember what it felt like when trying to decide if becoming a freelance writer was a good idea. You have to think about the good and bad, as well as whether or not this is really the best decision for you and your finances. With so much to think about there is no wondering why so many aspiring freelance writers struggle with making a final decision.
Instead of beating yourself up you may want to simply decide that now is the time to become a freelance writer. Think about it this way: you have to make the decision at some point in time. You either do it now, or you continue to freak out and wonder what could be.
Of course, this is not to say that you should jump the gun and become a freelance writer before you are ready. Yes, you need to think about getting started but at the same time you do not want to make a decision until you are 100 percent sure of yourself.
I guess this leads to the question of how you will know if you should move forward. Unfortunately, I cannot help with this one. Only you know if it is time to become a freelance writer. Some people have the time and money to take the leap right now. Others have to plan out their move more carefully. Even though it may sound difficult, as you continue to think about becoming a freelance writer you will begin to ask yourself the right questions. Your answers may or may not lead you towards a career as a freelance writer.
So, what do you think? Do you want to become a freelance writer in the near future? If you have been avoiding this for one reason or the next, let down your guard and get started. You may learn that the only thing standing between you and success is you!
Over the past few days a couple members of my freelance writing course have expressed concern over communicating with clients. Mainly, they are having a difficult time asking questions for one reason or the next. This is something that needs addressed at once.
If you are afraid to ask questions of your clients there is something wrong. You should feel free to ask anything that is on your mind. Along with this, you should be confident that you will receive an answer sooner rather than later. Clients that do not want to answer questions are not worth your time. In fact, they are setting you up for failure. Believe it or not, I ask questions time after time. In some cases this is the only way of knowing how to proceed.
Is there something else holding you back? For example, many people do not ask questions because they are afraid of looking dumb. Along with this, they do not want to admit that they need help. You should never worry about either of these situations. Most clients would rather you ask a question than move forward and do the job wrong. Along with this, don’t worry about admitting that you are lost. Every freelance writer needs help from time to time, and you are not going to be any different. It is part of your job to ask for assistance when needed. You should never have too much “pride” to ask questions.
No matter how long you work as a freelance writer you are never going to learn everything about the industry and your clients. Things change, and when dealing with people you never know what will come up next. For this reason, you should ask questions when you have them. Being afraid to do so will hold you back from reaching your goals.
