Are you looking for a way to increase your freelance writing income? Instead of spending all of your time searching for new clients, you should put effort into making more money from the ones that you already have. Believe it or not, this is one of the best ways to increase your earnings each and every month.
How can you leverage current clients so that you earn more each month? One of the best ways to do this is by making suggestions. Not only will this work to your advantage, but it will do the same for the client.
For example, I recently completed a project that entailed writing 15 keyword articles. While this was a relatively small job, I really enjoyed working with the client. He paid on time, communicated his needs, and was simple to get in touch with. When the project was done, I suggested that his website would perform much better with a revamped FAQ and About page. The client quickly agreed, and immediately sent me $100 via PayPal to complete the work. If I would have never made this suggestion, this $100 would have never come my way.
When making suggestions to freelance writing clients, be sure that you do not come across as pushy. While there is nothing wrong with offering help, you don’t want the client to think that you are telling them what to do. Not only can this annoy them, but it may also keep you off of their short list should they have future projects. As long as you are courteous and respectful when making suggestions you will be just fine.
The next time that you complete a project make sure you give this a try. This technique will not be successful with every client, and in some cases it may not be appropriate to suggest another project. But remember, if you never try this you are going to be stuck attempting to increase your freelance writing income by seeking additional clients. Never forget that your current client list is one of your biggest assets.
Are you afraid to ask other freelance writers for help? If so, you are missing out on a great resource for high quality information and leads. Early in my career I spent a lot of time sending emails to other freelance writers, and of course, talking to them on the phone. This is not to say that you should rely on others for every step and detail, but there is nothing wrong with asking for help from time to time.
What do I do when asked for help by a fellow freelance writer? This all depends on what I am being asked, and how much I feel I can assist. Just last week I spent an hour on the phone with a new freelance writer who I had never met before. She sent me an email asking for help, and I answered as many questions as I could while also letting her know that I would be glad to speak by phone if she would like. Within a couple of minutes we were having a conversation, and I hope that I was able to help in more ways than one.
Many freelance writers do not ask others for help because they have no idea how to go about doing this. If you are stuck in this situation, keep the following tips and details in mind.
1. Do not feel like you are bothering a freelance writer by sending an email. The worst that could happen would be that you do not hear back. From my experience, most freelance writers will do what they can to help others. With that being said, you want to make sure that you ask precise and direct questions. Not only will this help to ensure that you get the answers that you are looking for, but it will allow the recipient to help you out without having to read too much into your inquiry.
2. If you are friendly and respectful you have a much better chance of receiving a reply. As I have mentioned in the past, many “freelance writers†send me emails telling me that my income is nothing compared to theirs. But guess what? Two lines later they are saying, “By the way, can you tell me how you earn so much?†If you want a response, make sure that you are friendly; it will go a long way.
You never know what type of relationship you are going to strike up by sending emails to other freelance writers asking for help. I have met many people this way, and have sent plenty of work to those who have contacted me.
Remember, if you never ask for help you are never going to receive it!
Sunday is the day of rest, right? If this is true, why do so many freelance writers work on this day of the week? While I would like to say that I am not one of them, in most cases it would be a lie. This is not to say that I work every single Sunday, but in most cases I put in some time in one way or the next.
What are the benefits of working on Sundays? For me, there is a couple. First things first, I can get an early jump on the week. By working a few hours on Sunday, my Monday work load will be much less daunting. Additionally, by cutting out some of the work that I need to do early in the week, I can spend that free time marketing my services, working on other projects, etc.
Another benefit of working on Sundays is the ability to move through my work without many distractions. During the regular work week there are emails coming in at a high rate, as well as phone calls from clients to answer. But on Sundays, since most people are not working, I can do my own thing without many outside distractions. I don’t mind answering emails or telephone calls, but being able to go through a day without having to worry about this is nice.
If you are going to do some freelance writing work on Sundays, make sure that you do not overdo it. Early in my career I was working seven days a week. Although I was getting a lot done and it helped me to get to where I am today, it was also difficult in many ways. Instead of working a full day on Sunday, try three or four hours. This way you can get some work done without having to give up your entire day. After all, everybody needs to rest!
As a beginning freelance writer, try this tip. Choose three markets that intrigue you, and then concentrate on finding work within them. By focusing on three topics, you will be able to take advantage of many benefits.
When choosing topics, make sure that they are ones that you enjoy. After all, you do not want to get stuck with projects that are not up your alley. Of course, you should never turn down work that you think you are capable of completing. This is why I suggest choosing three topics. By doing this, there will always be plenty of companies and publications to call on.
Even though I have been a full-time freelance writer for a few years, I still dabble in the topics on my list from early in my career. They include: sports, small business, and insurance. Within a couple of months of starting my career, I also added real estate to my list. This is a subject that has always been of interest to me, and since I landed a few jobs in this niche early on, it only made sense to expand.
I know it can be difficult for new freelancers to choose three topics that they want to write about. The reasons for this are well documented: you do not want to narrow down your choices so far that you cannot find work. And of course, you may not know which topics you want to write about.
Remember, this is not law. It is simply a solid suggestion that will give you some direction during the early days of your freelance writing career. By all means, do not feel like you can only take jobs that pertain to the three topics on your target list. I have accepted a large share of projects over the years on subjects that were not particularly interesting to me. But as long as I can learn something and the project meets my pay requirements, it is worth a shot.
As a freelance writer, your number one task is to produce high quality content. But with that being said, there are times when a client may want more out of you. One of the most common requests of freelance writers is to supply photos in addition to content. Have you ever been asked for images by a client?
For several months I have been attempting to break into a particular national sports magazine. A couple of weeks ago things finally broke my way, and the editor assigned me a story. At close to $.50/word, I was quite excited about finally breaking into this publication. Soon enough, my jubilation turned sour when the editor asked if I could take some photos as well. While I know some freelance writers who have no problem with this, I am not one of them. Not because I do not want to help out, but because I am not the best photographer. On top of all this, you need to have a high quality digital camera in order to supply high quality photos. Again, this is something I lack.
So what did I do? Simply put, I explained my position to the editor and she was more than willing to accommodate my situation. I got to keep the writing gig, and a freelance photographer is going to take care of the rest.
Another similar situation that I have run into is being asked to provide ideas for photos. This is more up my alley. I have no problems giving an editor ideas on what images would work best with my content. As long as I do not have to actually take the pictures, I can be quite helpful. This brings me back to a post that I made earlier this week on helping freelance writing clients in anyway possible.
Over the next few months I am going to look into expanding into freelance photography. From what I understand this can be quite lucrative, and as you can tell it may also help my freelance writing career. I have taken a few courses on this subject in the past, and hopefully I can pick up where I left off.
Overall, do not be afraid to negotiate with an editor. You may be surprised to find out that they will accept you as a writer, and assign the photography portion of the project to another.
Scott Wainner at wrevenue.com is offering $20 to any blogger who makes a post linking to his about living longer. Scott’s post on stopping the aging process really got me thinking, and it will surely do the same for you.
After all, the longer you live the more freelance writing projects you will be able to complete!
Many of my freelance writing clients turn to me for much more than content. They want me to lend advice on how to use the content, while also helping them to stay on track as the months go by. Although I do not charge extra for consulting work, I have had many clients send me a few hundred dollars for my help. I consider this a free bonus because I do not have any qualms with helping any of my clients. If they want my help outside of writing, I am more than glad to assist in any way possible.
You should definitely spend time helping your freelance writing clients if they ask. While I do not feel comfortable charging for consulting services, you may want to make this a big part of your business. Believe it or not, if you begin to sell yourself as a consultant there are a lot of people that will pay you. Just remember, there is a lot that goes into this. When you charge clients you will have a lot more pressure to provide concrete and valuable information.Â
What are the benefits of helping clients with tasks outside of writing content? First off, they will see you as an all around good worker and nice person. When you are seen in this light, a client is less likely to move in another direction. In other words, this can go a long way in helping with job security.
Additionally, when you offer consulting services you can show that you are more than just a good writer. Once again, this makes you much more valuable to the client; especially if you are not charging any extra money.
Finally, taking the time to help is the right thing to do. When I do not know how to do something, I love it when a professional gives me advice and walks me through the process. By being able to help clients, it allows them to move forward with their business, and makes me feel good by making a difference.
If a freelance writing client asks for help, never turn them down. Sure, your main job is to write content, but remember that you are a professional with a lot of knowledge to offer.Â
With most new freelance writing projects, the client will tell me how they prefer to pay. In most cases, they are open to negotiating this, but I usually move forward with whatever method they prefer. With that being said, I have worked with some clients that let me choose how to receive payment. This is always a difficult decision, and I usually decide on a case by case basis.
As outlined in my freelance writing income report, I receive payment in three ways during most months: PayPal, check, and bank wire. PayPal is the most common method, with check coming in second, and bank wires last.Â
The main benefit of PayPal is that you can request and receive payment within a matter of seconds. If you are not the type who likes to wait for checks in the mail or give out bank account information, you will want to rely on PayPal. Of course, this online payment service is not perfect. They take a fee out of each payment you receive, which can cut into your profits over time. For a basis of comparison, I usually pay somewhere between $100 and $200 month in PayPal fees.
By opting to receive payment by check, you will get the full amount that is coming to you. With that being said, are you willing to wait for payment to arrive? Some freelance writers have no problem with this, but it can be nerve racking to check the mail for payment everyday of the week. Did the client really send the check? Did it get lost in the mail? These are the types of questions that will be going through your mind until your money arrives. If you are lucky, you may find a client that is willing to overnight your check to ensure its safe and timely arrival.
Finally, the bank wire option is quite similar to PayPal. In order to do this, you will need to supply your client with information such as your bank account and routing number, name and address on the account, etc. From there, they can wire your payment directly to your account. This is a great option because it is quick, and fees are kept to a minimum. Of course, check with your bank to make sure that they do not attach high fees to bank wires; some do, some don’t. The downfall of a bank wire is that you have to give out personal information. Are you willing to do that? I would suggest that you only rely on the bank wire option if you trust your client completely.
So what option do I choose when presented with the opportunity? Despite high fees in most cases, I usually opt for PayPal. This allows me to receive funds quickly, and then transfer the money into my personal bank account when need be. While check and bank wire offer benefits, I personally feel most comfortable with PayPal.
How do you prefer to get paid by your freelance writing clients?Â
In my last freelance writing income report, I talked a bit about missing some of the income goals that I set for myself. In my opinion, it is very important for every freelance writer to set goals. While this may seem like a broad topic, there are actually three types of goals that you can consider setting for yourself.
1. If you are like most freelance writers, you probably dream of making a lot of money; I know I do. For this reason, you should set income goals that you can chase. You can break your income goals down by day, week, month, quarter, or year. Personally, I set goals in this area for each month, as well as the entire year. By having these numbers in front of me everyday, I can chart my progress to make sure that I am staying on track.
2. You should consider setting timeline based goals. For instance, you may want to set a goal of becoming a full-time freelance writer by the end of 2008. This is one of the most common time based goals, but certainly not the only one.
3. As I have mentioned in the past, day to day project goals are very important. This is why I always have a to-do checklist sitting on my desk. While getting through my daily work is not a huge accomplishment, it is a small goal that I set for myself each day. Even though I have been doing this for a while, I always feel a sense of accomplishment when the last item on my daily to-do list is checked off.
As you can see, not every freelance writing goal has to be based on how much money you earn. This is a common trap that many writers fall into, but one that you want to avoid. You will find that reaching smaller plateaus will allow you to reach your income goals in the long run.
No matter where you are at in your freelance writing career, make sure that you always set goals for yourself. It is very easy to slack off and get sidetracked if you do not have anything to work towards. Even if your goals are simple, you will still have something to strive for each day that you sit down at your computer.
Last month I was a bit disappointed with my freelance writing income. Although I broke the $5k barrier, I was hoping for a bit more as to get off to a good start in 2008. With a less than stellar January, I turned my eyes to February in hopes of getting back on track.
As you probably know, February is the shortest month of the year. Luckily, there were 29 days this time around; every little bit counts, right? Despite the shorter month, my income was better than January, and more on pace with what I hope to accomplish as the rest of the year wears on.
Number of Completed Projects: 24
Payment by PayPal: 21
Payment by Check: 2
Payment by Bank Wire: 1
Total Income: $5,679.97
When compared to last month, I completed four fewer projects but managed to earn $425 more. Anytime that I see a statistic like this it excites me. Obviously, my goal is to complete as few projects as possible while still increasing my income. By doing this it means that my average per project rate is increasing, and hopefully, the amount of time that I am spending on work is decreasing.
With the first quarter coming to an end after March, this is a big month for me. As I have preached in the past, it is always good to have both short and long term goals. One of my mid to long range goals at the end of last year was to set an income record pace during the first quarter of 2008. If I am going to meet this goal, I’ll have to break $6k in income this month. While this is more than possible, it is not a given by any means.
Did I reach my February income goal? No; I was hoping to crack $6k and possibly approach $7k. With that being said, it was still a solid month and one that I hope to improve upon in March.
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