As of right now, I have one available opening. No matter if you are new to the industry or have been writing for a few years, I am here to help you move your career forward.
This year alone, I have helped several writers move from part-time to full-time. If you are willing to put in the effort, there is a good chance you could be next.
As always, I don’t expect the spot to stay open for more than a day or so. For those who are interested, send me an email as soon as possible.
Over the past few years, I have seen a sizeable shift in the number of clients that are interested in communicating with me on a regular basis. While this is not always the case, more and more of them seem to be staying in touch via email, phone, and instant messenger.
Personally, I like when my clients stay in touch. This keeps me on the ball and makes it easier for me to ask questions as they arise. However, many freelance writers shy away from this sort of regular contact. Instead, they simply want to receive their assignment, complete the work, and turn it over to the client before the deadline.
It is essential that you make yourself available to clients at all times. I have tricks for making this simple:
- Make sure every client has your phone number
- Answer each and every email as quickly as possible
- Take advantage of an instant messaging program
If you keep these tips in mind, you will find that you are more available than ever before. And of course, this is something that your clients will appreciate.
You never know why one of your clients will want to get in touch. This could range from changing project specs to assigning new work to asking you a basic question. The only thing that truly matters is that you are ready to provide a high level of service.
When you look at the current state of your freelance writing career, do you feel that you are making yourself available to clients? Or are you too difficult to get ahold of?
Every freelance writer has faced this situation before: you have several projects due on the same day (or around the same day) but not enough time to finish everything off. Even if you work longer than usual, you may still come up short.
Although this is a difficult situation to deal with, there are a few things you can do to make your way through this rough time without angering any of your clients.
1. Don’t run and hide. The last thing you want to do is miss a deadline with hopes that your client will forget and let it slide. Rather than do this, open the lines of communication as soon as possible. Once you let the other party know what you are up against, they may be more than willing to shift things around to accommodate your schedule.
2. Work in the proper order. If you have two projects due tomorrow and two others due in three days, it makes the most sense to start with those that are due within 24 hours. This will allow you to move forward with the chance of completing each and every job on time.
Note: if you are disorganized and lack a to-do list you are increasing the odds of working out of order.
3. Keep your cool. Contrary to popular belief, it can be stressful working as a freelance writer. This is particularly true when deadlines are closing in on you in a hurry. It is essential that you keep your cool, continue to work hard, and cross off tasks as they are completed. Don’t let yourself get stressed out.
Above all else, remember this: it can be a good thing to have a lot of projects due at the same time. This may increase your workload – sometimes beyond what you are hoping for – but it also means that you are doing something right and that you are going to get paid!
More so than ever, I am receiving emails from writers asking for advice on dealing with non-payment. Why has this become such a problem as of late? Is it the economy? Are there just more “scammers” out there than ever before? Whatever the reason, it is an issue that every freelance writer has to deal with at some point in time.
Before we go any further, let me tell you that you are not alone. I am owed thousands of dollars related to projects that I completed as long as five years ago. While I don’t expect to receive these payments, it is still frustrating to look back and realize that I put so much time and effort into each project.
If non-payment has become an issue in your career, try out these three tips:
1. Don’t jump the gun. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to get paid, your client may have a good reason for being a tad bit slow. Before you begin to pester the client for payment, give them a chance to explain their situation. In many cases, it may be nothing more than an accounting mix-up. This happens more times than you could ever imagine.
2. Start with email, move to the phone next. Although sending an email reminder is the first step in the process, at some point you may need to pick up the phone to inquire as to the whereabouts of your payment. Is this something you want to do? No. Is it something you should have to do? No again. Unfortunately, if you want to get paid this may be the next step in the process.
3. Don’t give up. Although I have had clients stiff me completely, others have paid up several months late. I didn’t want to wait this long for payment, but in the end the money came through and that is what matters most. However, if you stop your collection efforts the client will forget about you.
Dealing with issues of non-payment can be frustrating. Hopefully these three tips can make things easier on you.
Web entrepreneurs face an uphill battle from the start. With millions of websites on the internet today, the competition for viewers is incredibly stiff. Many web start-ups fold within a year of launching. Despite the odds, some young entrepreneurs over the last decade have managed to take nothing and turn it into some of the biggest websites in the world.
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg, at the age of 27, is one of the youngest web billionaires in the world thanks to his social networking site, Facebook. Zuckerberg started Facebook when he was still in college, with some of his classmates. Zuckerberg first launched what would become Facebook on Harvard’s network over the course of a weekend, but the website overloaded the school’s servers. He continued to work on the site and spread it to other schools, including Yale and Cornell.
Zuckerberg got his first investor, opened Facebook’s first office and launched the public website in 2004. In 2011, his fortune was estimated at $17.5 billion.
Simon Nixon
Simon Nixon, with Duncan Cameron, established the Moneysupermarket Group in 1993 while Nixon was a student at Nottingham University. The group’s website, launched in 1999, specializes in financial services, giving consumers access to information about a wide array of financial products, including loans and credit cards.
Nixon dropped out of school but managed to build the group into a leading online financial information provider. As of 2011, his estimated worth was $570 million.
Ariana Huffington
Ariana Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post, is a web news and blogging pioneer. The website was launched in May 2005 as a place for liberal commentary and an alternative news source.
The constant aggregate of news stories from around the world and the commentary flow drew millions of users and Huffington sold the Post to AOL Inc. for $315 million in 2011. Prior to the sale, Huffington’s net worth was already estimated at $115 million dollars.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin
You may not be familiar with the names, but you know the product. Larry Page is one of the co-founders of search giant, Google. While at Stanford in 1995, Page met fellow student, Sergey Brin and the two would form Google Inc. just a year later in 1996.
Page and Brin’s first investor, Andy Bechtolshei, gave them $100,000 and the pair used the money to lay the groundwork for Google as it is today. In 1999, the two entrepreneurs found themselves flooded with investor offers and finally took a $25 million investment from the Kliener, Perkins, Caufield and Sequoia Capital firm.
As of 2010, Page and Brin’s net worth was estimated at $15 billion each. Google has been valued at over $175 billion in recent years, with annual profits exceeding $800 million.
While I have kept in touch with many readers over the past couple of weeks, I have not made regular posts to the blog. I have a good reason for this, though. I have been in the process of starting a new website. Let me introduce you to:
As the name suggests, this blog is for anybody who telecommutes or works from home. From freelance writers to telecommuting sales professionals and everybody in between, if you work at home or have the desire to do so this blog is right up your alley.
What does the Content look like?
As of now, I am populating the blog with information regarding work at home efficiency, how to start a home based business, and other related topics. Additionally, I add news stories from time to time – you may be surprised at how hot working from home has become. With gas prices continuing to rise, I expect this trend to continue.
Subscribe to my Free Newsletter
One of the most exciting parts of my new blog is the newsletter. It is free to signup and upon doing so you will begin to receive weekly updates regarding job opportunities, product releases, hiring companies, and much more.
Although the blog is only about a month old, the number of subscribers has been pleasantly surprising. You can join the newsletter by visiting the site and typing in your email address in the “Free Newsletter Email Sign-up!” box.
That is all for now. I plan on picking back up with regular posts here while also focusing on my new blog.
Can you believe that March is almost here? It seems like just yesterday I was writing about setting freelance writing goals for the new year.
For the first time in a couple of months, I have a spot available in my freelance writing course. I am happy to say that the person who has decided to move on is now a full-time freelancer!
If you are interested in taking me up on this offer, send me a message as soon as possible. As always, I expect the spot to fill within a day or so at the most.
Anybody who needs help getting started or is interested in taking their career to the next level, can benefit greatly from the course.
Can’t wait to work with another one of you in the near future!
When you work as a freelance writer it is safe to say that you want to spend most of your time writing and marketing your services. But do you ever take the time to think about your finances? From your business finances to your personal situation, you need to keep your money organized at all times.
Note: finance related issues can quickly spill over into your career, holding you back from reaching your writing goals.
Basic Tips for Beginners
1. Read as much as possible. A lack of knowledge is no excuse for making poor financial decisions. From online advice on your favorite site to reading books, there is a lot of information out there. Where are you going to pick up the knowledge necessary to better your financial situation?
2. Stay organized. Early in my freelance writing career I found it difficult to keep my business and personal finances separate. As I began to better organize my money, I found this to be a much easier task. From financial software to the use of spreadsheets, there are many things you can do to keep organized.
3. Get help. Do you have a financial planner? How about an accountant? You may not need professional help from the very start of your freelance writing career. However, as you begin to make more money and your financial situation becomes more complex this becomes a necessity.
There is nothing better than being dedicated to your writing career. Just make sure you are not neglecting your finances along the way.
Over the past few months, I have noticed one thing to be true: the popularity of freelance writing is on the rise. I base this observation on a number of factors, including the large number of inquiries I have received for my freelance writing course. In short, more people than ever are interested in learning how to take their love of writing and turn it into a full-time career.
In my opinion, there are a couple of reasons for this:
1. Lack of “traditional” jobs. Let’s face it: the job market is down and unemployment numbers are quite high. For this reason, more and more people are finding it difficult to land a position – even one that they are not 100 percent interested in.
2. Interested in flexibility and less stress. When you work for somebody else you are always under their thumb. From your hours to your pay and much more, you have to do what you are told – and sometimes that isn’t even enough to keep your job. Along with this, the stress that is placed on you can become unbearable at times. As a freelance writer, you have more flexibility since you are in charge (for the most part). Along with this, once you get on the right track your career probably won’t be as stressful.
On the surface, it may appear that a career as a freelance writer is all “fun and games.” Although this is a great path to follow, there is still a lot of work involved. Remember, running your own business is nothing like working for somebody else. Writing will only be part of your job. To go along with this, you will be in charge of everything from sales and marketing to collecting payments.
If you want to become a freelance writer – full or part-time – I encourage you to follow your dream. Just make sure you know what you are getting into before you take the leap.
Most freelance writers are not “natural sales people.” Early in my writing career, I continually made the same mistake of never asking for the sale. Instead, I sat back and hoped for the best. While this worked out many times, there were surely situations in which I missed the boat.
Once you have a conversation with a potential client – via phone, email, or in person – you are in position to follow-up with a variation of this question: are you ready to move forward with this project?
At first, you may be intimidated and not want to ask for the sale. However, this will become second nature after you do so a few times.
Here are several tips that will make this easier on you:
1. Be confident at all times. The worst thing that could happen is the other party saying they need more time to think about it. In this case, you can wait a few weeks (approximately) to see if the person gets back to you. If they don’t, it is time for a follow-up.
2. Ask for the sale while explaining some of the benefits of moving forward immediately. For example, you could say: Are you ready to move forward with this project so that you have the material ready by the end of the week? In this case, you are doing two things: asking for the sale and adding another benefit. When adding a benefit, try to include something that will intrigue the client – this information should be based on your initial/past conversations.
3. Don’t come across as a used car salesman. The last thing you want to do is use high pressure tactics in an attempt to receive the contract on the spot. Hearing no does not mean the deal is dead – it just means the deal is being put off for now. You should respect this.
When you get into the habit of asking for the sale, the number of jobs that you close is sure to increase.
