When putting together a freelance writing query letter, you are more or less attempting to sell yourself to a particular editor. If you do this with success, you have a good chance of landing a gig. The question is: where do you draw the line between selling yourself and going overboard? Remember, you are writing a query letter not a sales letter.
Here are five details that you want to include in your query letter. By touching on these areas, you will be able to sell your services without being overbearing:
1. Show your experience first and foremost. This can be tricky if you are new to freelance writing, but even then, if you are creative it is possible. Editors want to see that you have experience as a writer; this will put them at ease when assigning you a project.
2. Although writing experience is important, if you can show that you have relevant experience you will be in a much better position. For instance, when querying sports publications I always include information on my two in-print sports books. This shows that I have worked within the niche in the past, and that I am more than capable of doing so again in the future.
3. Do you have connections that you can call on to spice up the piece? This is a big plus, and one that may get you the nod over your competition. When you can include an interview or quotes from a big name in the industry, editors will definitely consider working with you. Don’t think you have any connections? Chances are that if you think long and hard you can come up with a few people who you can easily get in touch with; it just takes some creativity.
4. For more in-depth pieces, you will want to sell your research skills. You can do this once again by talking about past projects that required extensive research, interviews, etc. This will not always be a benefit that you want to include in your letter, but more times than not it will help your situation.
5. Feel free to add information on past accomplishments such as awards. If you are going to do this, make sure that you don’t go overboard or come across as if you are bragging. This can be hard to avoid, but you must make sure that you resist the temptation.
Does this seem like a lot of information to include in a query letter? If so, you are right. Remember, your letter should be no longer than one page. Although it may seem impossible to include all of these details, you can make it happen if you take your time and put your mind to it.
Freelance writers often times struggle when it comes to setting fees. Just like any other business, you need to have a fee schedule and then stick to it day in and day out. This is not to say that you can never change your rates, but you do need a schedule to fall back on when a potential client gets in touch with you.
One of the biggest issues that you will face as a freelance writer is getting clients to pay the rates that you set. Even if they think that you are being fair, most clients will ask for a discount just to see if they can get it; this is common in almost every industry, not just freelance writing. The question is: what are you supposed to do when your freelance writing fees are contested by a prospect?
1. Many freelance writers are of the school that they give their fees and only work with those who accept them. In other words, there is no negotiating. While there is nothing wrong with this, and I know many freelancers who feel this way, I am not one of them. With that being said, I do not lower my fees for just anybody. In order for this to happen, a special situation has to present itself. If you feel that your fees are fair and inline with what you offer, you have every right to stick to your guns and only do business with clients who are willing to meet this demand.
2. Should you have to explain yourself to potential buyers? This is a highly contested question among many freelance writers who I speak with on a regular basis. It is not uncommon for a prospect to ask why you are worth what you are asking. No, you do not have to answer this question, but if you decide to move in this direction there is a very small chance of you receiving the project. Instead, you may want to use a “canned” response such as: My rates are on par with others in the industry. Additionally, I bring X amount of experience to the table, and have completed several projects within your niche in the past. With two quick sentences you can show that you are not overcharging, and that you are more than an average writer with no experience.
Early in my freelance writing career, I always got annoyed when a prospective client would tell me that my fees were outrageous. In fact, I heard this so much that I almost began to believe it. Listen up: do not let others tell you how much to charge. You know how much you are worth, and it is your business. Just as your client sets their own fee schedule, you have every right to do the same.
Nowadays when a prospect tells me that I am overcharging, I briefly explain myself (as noted above) and then wait for their response. If they want to move forward at my agreed upon price or negotiate a bit, that is fine. But for those who still think that I am out of my mind, I tell them to keep me in mind for future work and then move on.
If your freelance writing fees are not being contested you may not be asking enough money. Although that may sound silly, it is the truth. Remember, you are the one who runs your business. Set your freelance writing fees as you see fit, and then work from there.
Although you can earn a lot of money as a freelancer, you should consider moving in this career direction for the “fun of it” as well. When it comes down to it, being a freelancer in any capacity can be a fun and exciting position in many ways. Personally, I would never consider continuing my work as a freelance writer if I were not having a good time.
The question is: how is being a freelancer fun? There are three things that come to my mind when I think of fun and freelancing:
1. It is fun to work with a wide variety of people. As a freelance writer, I have clients all over the world. One second I may be speaking on the phone with a client in Ireland, and the next via email with somebody in a bordering state. Additionally, freelancing gives you the chance to learn about many different industries. There are some days when I write one article on the insurance industry and then another on travel. This diversity keeps my days fresh and fun at all times.
2. I find that it is a lot of fun to work at home and set my own schedule. Can this ever be a pain in the neck? Sure can. But for the most part, having my office a few feet away from my bedroom is a great benefit of being a full-time freelance writer. Many may not feel this way, but until you give it a try you will never know for sure.
3. As a freelance writer I have the chance to wear many different hats. To me, this may be the most exciting part of freelancing. Writing content takes up the majority of my time, but my responsibilities definitely do not end there. I also enjoy other aspects of this career such as marketing, accounting, client communication and much more. The chance to “do it all” is a huge benefit of being a freelancer.
As you can see, becoming a freelancer (writing or not) can be a great career thanks to the fun that you can have. And of course, the money is not bad either!
When you work as a freelance writer, there are no sick days. This is not to say that you can’t take off, but if you do, you are not going to get paid. This is one of the downsides of working for yourself as opposed to receiving a paycheck from a company. This brings me to the question: do you work when you are sick?
The reason that I ask this question is that I was under the weather a bit last week. While I wanted to take off and lay in bed all day, for some reason I felt guilty doing so. Simply put, I want to make sure that I am available to my clients everyday so that they feel comfortable working with me. Most clients would more than understand taking a day off because I was sick, but even giving this impression is something that I try to avoid.
Personally, I always try to work even if I am sick. With that being said, the line has to be drawn somewhere. After all, it can be difficult to churn out high quality content when you are suffering from flu like symptoms. If I don’t feel great, I try to work for as long as possible and then take breaks when need be. This may not allow me to get all of my work done for the day, but making any progress is better than none at all.
On the opposite side of things, as a freelancer you have endless sick days in a sense. You do have to get your work done, but at the same time, you do not have to worry about a boss getting mad because you stayed at home a few days in a row. Even though you won’t get paid if you don’t work, you do have the benefit of taking time off at your discretion.
All in all, if I can make it to my computer and complete quality work, I usually do so when sick. But sometimes this is not possible, and taking a day off, even if it means getting a bit behind, is more than necessary.
Over the past week or so I have received a few emails from aspiring freelance writers asking if it is a good idea to start a blog. Although there is no right or wrong answer to this question, I always tell them the same thing: blogging is a great way to express your personality, while also making contacts. To go along with this, it is a form of writing so it is something that should come semi-naturally.
Many freelance writers do not have enough time to blog on a regular basis. This is a common problem, and one that can be frustrating. I think it is important to make time for this blog for two reasons:
1. It is a great way for me to give back to other freelance writers. Even if every post does not help, hopefully a few of them lend tips and advice that can be useful to a large number of readers.
2. I enjoy blogging because it helps to break up my day. Hour after hour I am working on freelance writing projects for others, but when I blog I am writing for myself. There are no guidelines to follow or clients to please; I can do what I want.
If you do not have a blog and are an aspiring freelance writer, you should take the time to start one right away. You do not have to post once per day like I do, but it is definitely a great way to help others and express your opinions while working on something that you can call your own.
Within my freelance writing career, I work with clients ranging from individuals to book publishers to large corporations. One thing that I always hope for in a client is that they will be able to give me help if I ask for it. With that being said, some clients are better at this than others. You need to make sure that you are never afraid to ask clients for help if need be. If you are, you need to get over this right away.
Why are so many freelance writers afraid to ask for help? Simply put, they think that this shows a sign of weakness or a lack of knowledge. When it comes down to it, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, your client will more than likely be happy to answer any questions because it allows them to make sure that you are on the right track.
If you neglect to seek answers when need be, you may continue with a project just to find that you took the wrong path. In the end, your client is going to be mad that you missed their intended target, and you will have wasted a lot of time. In many cases, asking a few simple questions is all that you need to get a better idea of how to move forward.
Coming across clients that are not willing to answer questions or lend assistance is uncommon, but it does happen. Some of them will think that you are the professional, and that since you are being paid you should figure things out on your own. While this is true to a certain extent, it is no way for anybody to run a business. If you are working with a client who has this mindset, you should do whatever it takes to explain your situation to them and get a bit of assistance. If you make them feel wanted and as if they are a part of the process, you should be able to get them to jump in and help; even if just a little bit.
You cannot afford to be afraid to ask any client for help. If you are, there is something wrong. Either you need to change your approach to the freelance writing industry, or your client is being overly difficult. It is up to you to get past any barriers to ensure that you complete the project efficiently the first time around.
Confidence is an important trait that every successful freelance writer shares. If you are not confident in your own abilities, why would you think that others would be? When it comes down to it, there are three major issues that can and will occur if you are not confident in your freelance writing skills:
1. If you are not confident, it will show through when communicating with clients. You may not want to believe it, but this can put doubt in the mind of those you work with. On the other side of things, if you are confident in what you are doing your clients and prospects will always feel as if you are in control and ready to help them at every turn of the road.
2. If you are not confident, you will lower your prices when asked and sometimes without any prompt at all. Over the years I have found that writers who are not confident in their work feel that they are not worth a lot of money. In the end, this results in smaller earnings and often times a shorter career. Be confident enough to set reasonable prices, and then stick with them when negotiating with clients.
3. If you are not confident, some clients will walk all over you. While this is unfortunate, it is the absolute truth. Many people in this industry look for those who they can push around, and then do so as often as possible. When you get pushed around you will lower prices, and attempt to live up to unreasonable demands. Freelance writers who exude confidence do not get singled out in this capacity nearly as much.
As you can see, it is very important to be confident if you are hoping to achieve freelance writing success. And remember, you do not need years of experience to be confident in your skills. This is a mindset that anybody can take advantage of!
There is nothing wrong with trying to expand as a freelance writer. After all, this is one of the best ways to make more money, and hopefully break into new markets. But with that being said, you should do what you are good at a lot of the time. This is not a new concept, or one that you should have a difficult time coming to grips with. When you work with subjects and projects in which you excel, you will find that success comes much easier.
For me, this means sticking to certain topics as well as certain types of projects. Although I am open to learning new material and taking on unique jobs, I try to stick with those with which I am most comfortable. As far as project types are concerned, I like to work on sales letters, keyword and feature articles, and marketing material. Does this mean that I turn down other work? Of course not. In fact, I am ghostwriting a book at this time and am working on a long research project of my own. But for the most part, I like to spend the majority of my day on projects that I know I can handle in an enjoyable way.
But how do I decide what I am good at? This is a question that is asked of me time after time. The only way to answer this question is to take on a wide variety of projects, and then reflect back on them when complete. When I first started working as a freelance writer, I though that I would only want to write feature articles and books. Of course, this changed a couple of months into my career and is still morphing as each day goes by. As you complete more projects you will get a better feel for what you like, and what you would rather avoid.
When you do what you are good at, you will find that you are having a lot of success and that you are happy with your progress as a freelance writer. Just remember: this does not mean that you should be afraid to think outside the box and take on new projects.
As a freelance writer, one of your main responsibilities will be to research the topics that you are writing about. In most cases, a client will expect you do to a bit of research on your own in order to get a better feel for the subject matter. Of course, if you only work within niches that you know a lot about, your research time will be kept to a minimum. But even then, you will have to collect some information from time to time.
When researching information for any freelance writing project, you need to keep one very important detail in mind: accuracy is important! Remember, the information that you find will be used when you begin to write. If you are relying on inaccurate information, it is safe to say that your client is not going to be satisfied with the end result. For this reason, you should only compile your research from areas that are offering accurate information.
The internet is a great place to research any freelance writing topic. In fact, this is by far the best way to find information on any topic; no matter if you are a freelance writer or not. With that being said, there is a lot of inaccurate information online. After all, anybody can start their own website and fill it with their opinions. You need to make sure that the information you are gathering comes from sources that you trust. If you have any doubt as to the accuracy of a specific source, it is time to move onto another.
Another great way to research is to conduct interviews. For instance, I am currently working on a high school sports feature article. Although there is a lot of information online, and I know quite a bit from past experience, I am still going to call a few local coaches. This will not only give me a fresh perspective, but it will also give me a few quotes to use in the piece as well.
If you are unsure of how to research a particular project or topic, there is nothing wrong with asking the client for help. You may be surprised at all of the information they can send you on the industry; this is especially true if you are working with a company. By asking for help, it is more than possible to receive all of the information that you will need without having to search far and wide.
The ability to research with success is an important trait of a successful freelance writer. With the help of the internet, as well as the ability to conduct interviews with industry personnel, you should always be able to locate plenty of reference material.
If you want your freelance writing career to move in the right direction, you need to plan for the future. While there is no way of knowing what the future holds, if you set goals and think about where you want your career to go you will be in a much better position.
Here are three tips for planning your freelance writing future:
1. Set big goals! Although you may not reach every goal that you set, big goals will keep you reaching for the stars day in and day out. It is nice to have small goals along the way as well, but these can only take you so far. What is a big goal, you may ask? This is different for everybody, but a couple common ones may be reaching a certain level of freelance writing income or becoming a full-time freelance writer.
2. Be realistic about where you want your career to go in the months and years to come. As mentioned above, there is nothing wrong with having big goals. But with that being said, you need to stay realistic. For example, it would not be realistic to say that you want to have five novels published by the end of 2008. But it would be realistic to set a goal of completing one novel in this time frame.
3. Plan out the small steps that will allow you to reach your end goal. If you take small steps along the way and can see that you are making progress, you will have a much better chance of staying on track. This is why I suggest that you have a to-do list to work from everyday.
The great thing about a career in freelance writing is that you are 100 percent in charge of your future. When you work for somebody else, you can only move up in the company and make more money if they say so; this is not the case if you are a freelance writer. You can call all the shots, and in turn reach all your goals if you are devoted to doing so.
