Freelance Writing

Are you surprised by the title of this post? Day in and day out I talk about how to become a full-time freelance writer. But when it comes down to it, this is not an attainable goal for many people. Some like their job and don’t want to leave to work as a full-time freelancer, and others simply don’t have the nerve to do so. There is nothing wrong with becoming a part-time freelance writer, and by following the tips below you will be well on your way.

1. To become a part-time freelance writer, set aside some time to work either before or after your regular job. If you are really interested in excelling, you may want to find time in the morning and before retiring for the night. Also, many aspiring part-timers have found that they can do some freelance writing work while at their day job. While there is nothing wrong with this, make sure that you are not violating any rules set forth by your employer.

2. You never want to wear yourself out. If you do, you will find out soon enough that your dream of becoming a part-time freelance writer has died. It can be quite difficult to work eight hours outside the home, and then sit in front of the computer at home for several more. You want to make sure that you get your work done and that you are growing, but at the same time, you can afford to start slow and feel your way through the process.

3. If being a part-time freelance writer ends up being more fun and profitable than you had thought, you may want to consider moving into a full-time gig soon enough. But once again, this is not right for everybody. You need to make the decision based on your full-time job, home life, and available time.

There is no rule that says all freelance writers have to work at this job full-time. If you aren’t up for leaving your day job, find a few hours here and there to write.

As a freelance writer it is easy to stay to yourself, and not communicate with others. While this can be a perk of the writer’s life, this is not something that you want to take too far. By networking with other freelance writers, you will be able to take advantage of many benefits. And of course, these benefits can go a long way in helping you to become a better writer, and hopefully increase your income.

The following are three of the top reasons for networking with other freelance writers:

1. As mentioned above, being a freelance writer can be a lonely and solitary career. If you make friends and network with others, you will find people who you can communicate with via email, instant messenger, phone, and maybe even in person.

2. Even the most experienced freelance writers have questions from time to time. When you have friends in the industry, you can contact them on the spot anytime that you need help. This sure beats having to rely on a message board. Remember, this is a two way street. Make sure that you are always available to help others.

3. I have received numerous referrals from friends that I have made over the years. If you want to increase business, and there is no reason you shouldn’t, increasing referrals is a great way to do so. When you have others marketing on your behalf and sending clients your way, you will find that it is much easier to succeed.

As you can see, there are many reasons that you will want to network with other freelance writers. Take a few minutes each day to attempt to make friends in the industry. The more creative you get, the more contacts you will make!

Lately, I have received numerous emails asking how I earn so much money without killing myself. Others have suggested that I must work 10 plus hours each day in order to keep up my current income level. But when it comes down to it, if you learn how to increase productivity, you will have more time for writing and will find it simple to move from job to job without wasting a lot of time.

Productivity is a topic that I have been covering a lot lately. Although I like to keep posts fresh, this is a subject that is very important and one that many readers seem to be struggling with.

Here are four easy ways to increase productivity. These tips will help you if you are a full-time freelance writer, or just trying to break into the industry.

1. Make sure that you work at least eight hours. Once you become established and more comfortable with your workload, you can then tweak your hours in order to do what is best for your personal life and career. Personally, I try to work eight hours, five days per week. Sometimes I go over and other times I have short days. But all in all, if you want to increase productivity you need to work a full day.

2. Do you have a to-do list? If not, this is a big mistake that can negatively affect your freelance writing productivity. Before I shut everything down for the day I always put together a to-do list so that I know where to start the next morning. There was a time when I thought I didn’t need a list, but soon enough I found that this was only confusing me and leading to a disorganized day full of wasted time.

3. Make sure that your desk and all related files are organized. If you need to pull an invoice do you know where to find it? Some people are naturally more organized than others. Even if your home is always a mess, you need to make sure that your office is the one space where organization takes priority.

4. As silly as it may sound, taking breaks is important if you are going to increase your productivity. Many people feel that when they are on a break they are not getting any work done. While this is true, you need to keep in mind that taking a break from time to time will allow you to stay fresh throughout the workday. When you get tired, both mentally and physically, your productivity is going to suffer.

By increasing your productivity, you will find that your freelance writing career is moving forward smoothly. 

Are you aware of the many common freelance writing myths that circulate the industry? If so, some of these have probably worried you a bit in the past and may still be eating away at your mind. But remember, a myth is just that: it is not the truth. By learning about these common myths, including why they are not true, you will be able to move past them and continue building a successful career.

The following are three common freelance writing myths that you should never believe:

1. Let’s start off with the most common and widely known freelance writing myth: you cannot make any money now, and there is no chance of this changing in the future. This is absolutely a myth. If you do not believe it, check out my freelance writing income report from last month. And guess what? The money that I earn is small change compared to other freelance writers out there. This does not mean that making money as a freelance writer is easy, but it is possible.

2. There is too much competition to succeed as a freelance writer. Once again, this is nothing more than a myth. What industry do you know of where there is no competition? No matter what career path you take, you are always going to be up against others who are vying for the same jobs. When it comes down to it, there is plenty of freelance writing work out there for anybody who is willing to search for it. You can write for magazines, newspapers, websites, large corporations, small companies, and much more.

3. It takes too long to become a full-time freelance writer. This is a myth for two reasons. First off, “too long” means something different to everybody. Additionally, there is no saying that it will take you years on end to reach your goal of being a full-time writer. It only took me a few months, and with so much work available, you may be able to build your income to full-time status even quicker.

No matter who tells you these myths are true, you should never believe them. If you do, it will slow you down from achieving your freelance writing goals. 

Even though every project is unique, there are several steps that I follow with each job that I take on. As a freelance writer, it is very important to stay organized, and to also know how to proceed when a new job comes across your desk. If you a new to this industry you may have yet to perfect your project timeline. Hopefully by taking a look at how I complete projects from start to finish, you will have a better idea on how to proceed.

1. After a client awards me a project, I ask for any details that may be needed. This includes the length of the article(s), keywords, topics, and perhaps most importantly, the deadline. If you forget to ask about any details up front, you can always touch base with the client as you move forward.

2. Either the same or next day after accepting the work, I take the time to set up the project in a separate Word document. This allows me to have a blank slate to work with, and helps to keep my organized. Some freelance writers like to work on paper first, but this is not something that I usually do.

3. If no further research is needed, it is time to work on a first draft. During this step I am not obsessed with being perfect. Instead, I simply attempt to gather my ideas and get an outline for the end result.

4. Once the first draft is complete, I read it over and make notes on changes that jump out at me. As you can imagine, some drafts need changed quite a bit and others are almost ready to send off to the client. This all depends on the type of project, and how much I know about the topic.

5. When putting together the final draft you must always strive for perfection. After all, this is what you are going to be sending the client. Make sure that you take your time during this step; it is always nice if you can catch mistakes as you write.

6. Proof the final result before attaching it to an email and sending it to the client. If you are worn out from a long day, you may want to proof your work the following morning. This will go a long way in ensuring that you do not miss any silly mistakes.

As you can imagine, this timeline is not set in stone. With that being said, I always follow these steps in one way, shape, or form. If you are still working on a freelance writing timeline that you are comfortable with, consider adding a few of the steps that have helped me throughout the years.

Are you the type of person who likes to avoid risk at all costs? If so, you are just like many others. But at the same time, if this is the way that you run your life you are going to have a tough time becoming a full-time freelance writer. Every freelance writer takes some level of risk at the beginning of their career in order to get things moving in the right direction. While there are some ways that you can reduce the amount of risk that you have to take, it is next to impossible to get rid of it altogether.

What are the main risks of attempting to become a freelance writer?

1. Many quit their job in order to chase the dream of becoming a full-time freelance writer. This is what I did, and in the end things worked out nicely. But of course, this is not the case for everybody who has taken this leap. There are two things that you can to do lower your risk level in this situation. 1. Before you quit, build up an emergency fund that you can draw from while you are getting your career up and running. 2. Keep your current position while working as a freelance writer on a part-time basis. Then when you begin to earn as much freelancing as you do at your job, you can make a smooth transaction.

2. Another big risk of being a freelance writer is that your income is not steady from month to month. If you follow my income reports, you know that some months I earn around $5k, but other months I exceed $7k. With such a great fluctuation in income it can be difficult to plan for the future, and make certain financial decisions. With that being said, once you have a steady amount of work things do get easier.

3. When you work as a freelance writer you are relying on yourself and nobody else. There is no boss to call if you get in a bind, or somebody making sure that you have enough work to stay busy. Is this a risk that you are willing to take? If you have never been in complete control of your career in the past, this may scare you a bit. But when you take this risk and succeed, you will realize just how good it feels to call all the shots.

Remember, risk may seem dangerous on the surface but there are rewards to be had if you forge ahead and work hard. As a freelance writer, once you get past the initial risks listed above, you will have the freedom to work at your own pace from the comfort of your own home. And of course, the biggest reward is that you control your income! 

There are many reasons as to why you may not be earning as much money as you should. When you know why you are on the low end of the totem pole, you will find it much easier to reach the top.

Here are three reasons why you may be stuck in a rut and not earning as much as others in the freelance writing industry:

1. Are you quoting too low when a new client gets in touch with you? This is a common problem, especially amongst freelance writers who feel that they have to lower prices in order to garner business. This is why it is important to have a firm rate sheet in place from day one. When you quote a fair and reasonable price, you will find that plenty of clients want to work with you and that you are earning a nice wage.

2. You may be spending too much time on the projects that you accept. This is not to say that you should rush through jobs just to get paid, but you do not want to spend too much time on menial tasks when it is not necessary. You should have a good idea of how long a project will take when you accept the job. Additionally, make sure that you track your hours, even if only roughly, so that you stay on track from start to finish.

3. To become a high earning freelance writer you need to expand your client base from time to time. You can do this through an extensive marketing plan that includes everything from cold calling to managing a website and/or blog. As you gain more high paying clients, you can get rid of those that do not pay as well. Once you get this cycle started, you will see your freelance writing income climbing as the months go by.

Do you want to earn more as a freelance writer? If so, consider if the above is causing you any problems. As you can see, all of the potential issues listed are easily remedied if you put time and effort into resolving them.  

First I would like to thank Chris for letting me make a guest post. He has been writing off and on for me for close to two years and he is an excellent example of doing what it takes to develop an ongoing professional relationship with a customer, leading to more freelance work. I know I can count on him for quality work delivered on time, and he is easy to work with. Any aspiring freelance writer would do well to pay attention to his advice and follow his example.

I was a full time freelance writer for more than a year before switching to full time Internet marketing, and follow this blog regularly. One area where I excelled that I feel may be of help to aspiring freelance writers is what I am going to tell you about today.

The tactic I used as a freelancer was to find a market where there was a great deal of money and start writing in it for anything I could get. In other words, I accepted low paying assignments to break into the market but I wanted a market that could financially support a high-end freelancer as I moved up.  It helps if you find a market that interests you, but it is not required. I concentrated on this single market and built a name for myself. As I became better known, I was able to charge more for my freelance writing. When I left the market, I only had a handful of clients who I was willing to work with who kept me busy, always paid on time and were easy to work with.

I realize as an aspiring freelancer it is sometimes tough to find any work, much less work that pays well, but by focusing your efforts on one or two industries at the beginning you will have a much better chance to build a name for yourself. This is a type of personal branding, and is very important when you hope to make more than a few cents a word for your writing. Do not get in the trap of being the “cheap freelancer”. Always work to improve not only your writing, but also your rates.

Of course for this plan to work well, you must have the basics covered first. You have to write well, make your deadlines and be relatively easy to work with. Beyond that, the more specialized the knowledge is that you write about, the better. As you start to top out in one industry, consider adding a second industry to make a name for yourself in. Once you are well known for quality work in two or three industries, you can start to only work with the people you want to work with and receive higher payments for the work you do.

Wes Young is a full time Internet marketer, SEO expert, coach and consultant. He recently launched a series of free Internet marketing lessons, available at www.internetmarketingcodex.com/free-lessons/

In previous posts I have talked extensively about the need for a freelance writing contract in particular situations. While this will always hold true, you need to make sure that the contract is mutually beneficial. In other words, do not sign something that is geared towards making the other party happy but does not do much for you. If you do, you will have to follow the contract, and will have no recourse if something goes wrong.

It is not uncommon to ask a client to make changes before signing a contract. In fact, many in the industry have come to expect this. You will find that most contracts within the freelance writing industry are pretty standard, but of course, there are always those details that will change from time to time.

Even if most freelance writing contracts look the same, you still want to read every word closely before signing on the dotted line. You may find that you need to ask for a change to the due date, payment amount, or delivery method; and that is only the tip of the iceberg.

Remember, do not sign a contract that doesn’t suit your needs just because you want to work on the project. Your client will probably be more than willing to change the wording and details to suit your needs as well as theirs. And if they do not want to make any adjustments, you are probably better off without them. The bottom line: a contract is meant to protect both parties.

If you are a freelance writer, there is a very good chance that you work from home. While this is full of benefits, there are also some downfalls to be aware of as well. Mainly, when you work from home you have to contend with distractions and time wasters that would never present themselves in an office setting. If you are going to be productive and efficient day in and day out, you need to learn early on how to avoid these potential setbacks.

1. Are you watching too much television during the workday? As you can imagine, this is a huge issue for many freelance writers, as well as others who work from home. If you cannot bring yourself to turn the television off, there is one easy solution to this problem: take the TV out of your office!

2. Do you check your email every five minutes? If so, you are not alone. With approximately 10 email accounts, I find it difficult to not check them every so often. Early in my career this was always a problem, but as of late I have settled down a bit in this area. Now, I only check my primary accounts regularly and leave the others to once a day or so.

3. If you are addicted to an instant messenger program you will have one of the biggest time wasters in the world available to you at all times. This is not to say that these programs are all bad, but if you are not using it for business purposes, sign off during work hours. If you don’t, you could find yourself losing hours on end chatting with friends when you should be working.

4. Do you take one break just to follow it up with another? If so, you are making a huge mistake. Breaks can cut into your workday unlike anything else. While it is fine to take a break from time to time, you need to control your urge to do so too often. With nobody to tell you what to do, you have to exercise self restraint in this area. To protect yourself against this potential problem, set a break schedule that you follow each day. This will allow you to get away from the computer when need be without going overboard. 

As a freelance writer, you want to avoid these four time wasters at all costs.