Freelance Writing

Many people are afraid of marketing their services because they think that they will fail. While it is true that you will have your setbacks from time to time, you should not get caught thinking like this. Instead, you should learn how to find more clients and then implement each strategy into your marketing plan.

Here are five ways that you can find more freelance writing clients next month. Believe it or not, it only takes a few weeks for a good marketing plan to kick in and begin to show results:

1. Contact clients that you worked with in the past. This is perhaps one of the best ways to obtain more work. While these may not be “new clients” they can help you to increase business and profits. And since you worked with them in the past, you know what you are getting yourself into.

2. Ask current freelance writing clients for referrals. Many freelancers are embarrassed of doing so, but you should never feel this way. Do not go overboard or become forceful when asking for referrals. Instead, explain your situation to current clients and ask if they could pass your name along when feasible. If a client loves the work that you do for them they will have no problem passing your name along to others.

3. Always keep your eyes open for jobs when browsing the internet. They can be found on job boards, classified sites, or through a basic email address on a random website. If you keep your eye opens for new opportunities, you may be surprised at what you find on a regular basis.

4. Have you tried getting in touch with local businesses? This is a great way to locate new clients in no time at all. In my experience, local businesses like to work with those in their area. You can use this as a hook, and as long as you have solid samples to back up your claims, there is a good chance of success.

5. Try different types of freelance writing. Have you been focusing mainly on website content? If so, getting involved with sales letters, feature articles, or other projects is a great way to expand your reach and hopefully find new clients.

Next month, why not put a lot of time into your marketing efforts? This can help you to increase your reach while also giving you the chance to earn more money. 

When you work for an employer, it is easy to take a day off from time to time. After all, you have vacation days as well as sick days that you can use when need be. But as a freelance writer, you are more or less self-employed. Sure, you have to answer to clients to make sure that they get what they want, but you do not have a direct boss. This leads to the question of whether or not freelance writers can take a day off from time to time.

On the surface, it would be appear that you could take off everyday of the week if you so desire. As noted above, you do not have a direct boss so there is nobody telling you that you cannot do this. That being said, if you never work you will never make money and achieve in other areas.

Even though taking off too many days is a bad thing, there is no reason to believe that you do not deserve a break. In fact, a day off here and there can help to protect against burnout. How often you steal a vacation day is up to you. I know some freelance writers who only work four days per week, and of course, others who haven’t taken off a day in years.

If I decide to take a day off, I usually try to plan in advance. This is not always possible if I am forced to miss work due to an illness or emergency. But in most cases, these are few and far between. By planning in advance, it gives me the chance to make sure that all of my clients have what they need, when they need it.

Although not the best idea, I always seem to wonder back to my computer or PDA during these off days. I hate the thought of leaving my clients with questions for too long, and this usually drives me to check my email and voicemail at least once during a day off. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with this as long as you do not go overboard.

The bottom line: freelance writers have every right to take a day off when they like they need it. 

No matter what industry you are in, trust between you and your clients is important. Not only do you need to be able to trust your freelance writing clients, but they should be able to do the same with you. Of course, it is not always easy to trust everybody that you work with. This is especially true if you are new to the freelance writing game, and still trying to get your feet wet. As time goes by, you will begin to find clients that you can trust while also knowing what traits to look for when seeking additional work. In other words, bad clients are not hard to spot once you become familiar with the way that the industry works.

By working with clients that you can trust, you will be able to take advantage of the following benefits:

1. Trust makes for a better relationship. This holds true for you, the writer, as well as your client. Remember, your client is every bit as worried about the “trust factor” as you. Keep this in mind every time you are communicating with a client, or setting up a new project.

2. When you have full trust in your clients it will help to cut stress out of your work related life. As you probably know, working for a client that you do not trust to pay you, for instance, can be quite stressful. Am I going to do all of this work for nothing? What if I do not get paid? Is this all a waste of time? These are all questions that you will probably ask yourself if you do not trust your client.

3. If you trust your clients you can move forward with each project quickly and with gusto. It is hard to fully get behind a project when you are not sure that your client is trustworthy. In the back of your mind you will always have doubt. In turn, this will slow down your progress immensely.

All in all, you always want to make sure that you can trust your freelance writing clients and that they can feel the same way about you.

From time to time, I work with clients who have no idea what they want. Well, they seem to know what they want when we first talk, but over time they change their minds time after time. While I can understand where they are coming from, most of these clients never take the time to think about the writer. Obviously, when a client decides to change direction mid-project it can cause major issues. Not only does the writer have to stop working, but there is a chance that many edits and complete revisions will be requested.

Here are two common “direction changers” that I have run into in the past. Although they may not be common, there is a chance that you will encounter these issues sometime during the course of your freelance writing career.

1. The project is going along just fine, and out of nowhere the client tells you that they are no longer interested in moving forward. I have had clients do this, and then pay me what they owe. But at the same time I have had clients who cancel a project and tell me that they do not have to pay because they don’t want the completed content. Of course, this is not fair to the writer in the least bit.

If you run into a situation where a client does not way to pay after canceling a project, the best thing you can do is explain your side of the story and hope that they will come around.

2. Midway through a project, you get an email or phone call from the client saying that they love your work but the entire scope of the project has changed. For instance, you may have been working on 10 keyword articles on general health when the client tells you that all 10 need to touch on diabetes, symptoms, and treatment. While a similar category, it will be on you to revise the articles. In many cases, a change of direction like this can put you back to square one.

Once again, if you encounter this situation you need to be open and honest with the client. State that you also like working with them, but that you put a lot of time into the initial project. They may offer you a “kill fee” as well as payment for the new project. If you don’t ask, but instead sit back and take it, you will run into this situation time after time without any monetary compensation.

Just like a lot of people in the business world, freelance writing clients have the tendency to change their mind from time to time. You need to make sure that you are as accommodating as possible but that you do not go so far that you put yourself out. Simply put, you should do what the original project guidelines state and then deal with any change in direction as it comes up. 

When I first started this blog I was not entirely sure in the direction that it was going. I wanted to offer tips and basic freelance writing information, and I feel that this goal has been attained to a certain extent. At the same time, my initial thought was to offer information on professional blogging, making money online, and other related topics. Although I post on these areas from time to time, they are few and far between.

At this point, I am looking to take ChrisBlogging.com to the next level. What does this mean, exactly? Well, I have some ideas of my own but at the same time I would like feedback from my loyal readers as well. After all, you guys and gals are the ones who keep the blog moving in the right direction. Without you, I would simply be talking to myself.

One of the first things that I plan to do is finish the site redesign. But before I do this, I must decide which direction I want to take the blog. Here are my thoughts:

1. I am definitely going to keep up with at least one post per day. This is the backbone of ChrisBlogging.com, and this is never going to change. Additionally, I want to make sure that this content is easy to find and view from the front page of the blog.

2. If you are familiar with freelancewriting.com, you are aware that they offer much more than tips. They offer detailed information on job openings, newsletters, and much more. In other words, they are a one stop shop for everything freelance writing. This is something that I am considering.

3. I also want to begin to offer more value to current readers and others interested in the make money online niche. Possible ideas for doing so include regular reviews of blogs, products, and services related to writing and earning online. I am also mulling around the idea of holding monthly contests in order to increase reader participation, and to give back to all of you who have helped to make ChrisBlogging.com successful.

Overall, my main goal is to expand from a basic blog to more of a full-blown resource center for freelance writers and other like minded professionals. What do you think of the ideas above? Is there anything else that you would like me to consider including?

Any thoughts would be a great help. I am looking forward to all of your ideas!

In many ways, being a freelance writer is much better than a traditional office job. But at the same time, writing is not always an easy thing to do, day in and day out. Every project requires special care and attention to detail. To go along with this, it can often be difficult to leave your freelance writing work behind and enjoy the rest of your life. In the long run, all of these potential downfalls can lead to burnout. Many writers never suffer from this, but there are quite a few who are going through this problem right now or will encounter this situation in the future.

Here are three reasons that you may begin to suffer from freelance writing burnout:

1. Do you feel like you have “maxed out” as far as your income is concerned? This can definitely lead to burnout. When you feel that you are stuck at a certain level of income, it is time to reassess your career and determine what you can do to increase your productivity. With all of that being said, this is not always a bad thing; especially if you are sitting at an income that you are comfortable with.

2. It is common for freelance writers to get bored because they feel as if they are doing the same thing everyday. There used to be times when I would run into this problem, but as of late it has not come up nearly as much. The best way to avoid this issue is to accept a wide variety of projects, while also working on tasks that are not 100 percent freelance writing related. For instance, I run this blog as well as my writing course. Both of them allow me to bring diversity into each day.

3. Are you feeling the pressure of working for yourself? Do you miss the security of a 9-5 job? These feelings can lead to burnout sooner rather than later. This is perhaps the most serious situation that you will have to deal with. After all, it will force you into deciding between continuing your freelance writing career or heading back to a job with more security.

As of late, more and more freelance writing professionals have been asking me for help overcoming burnout. Unfortunately, this is usually a problem that you have to deal with on your own. Even though there are some basic reasons for burnout, each writer has different feelings and unique ways of dealing with these problems.

Have you ever been told that your freelance writing rates are too high? If not, it is safe to say that you are not charging enough for your services. When it comes down to it, there will always be clients who do not want to pay you what you are worth. Instead, they will want your high quality but at a lower price. The question is: what are you going to do when a client tells that you that they cannot afford you?

Believe it or not, many freelance writers take this as an insult. In other words, they let clients dictate future rates. No matter what you are told, you are allowed to charge whatever you feel is fair for your services. Of course, if you charge too much you will never find any new clients, but this is still within your rights. Even if a few potential clients tell you that you are charging too much, it does not necessarily make them right. You may want to consider their suggestions, but in the end you need to make the call on whether or not you change your rates.

How do I know if my freelance writing rates really are too high? Simply put, if you are charging an enormously high amount you are going to find it tough to obtain even one client. The market will more or less tell you how much they are willing to pay for your services, as well as those offered by other writers. But to go along with this, keep in mind that the market is huge. One buyer may feel that $10 is fair for a 500 word keyword article. Another may have no problem paying in upwards of $100. This is what can make it so difficult to determine whether or not your freelance writing rates are reasonable.

You should never be afraid to experiment with your rates. If you are not obtaining any new clients because they all say you are charging too much, negotiate down a bit. Just make sure that you keep your overall hourly rate in mind when doing so. On the other side of things, if you are receiving a lot of new work and clients are telling you that your services are a “bargain” you may want to consider increasing your rates a bit.

One of the most difficult parts of becoming a successful freelance writer is learning how much to charge, and how much clients are willing to pay. Once you become comfortable in these areas you will find it easy to maximize profits while regularly signing up new clients.

As noted last Friday, I am now offering a freelance writing course to aspiring writers or anybody else who wants to earn a living online. At the time, I mentioned that the course was not yet “official” but that I would be accepting early entrants into the program. While I figured that there would be some interest, I was not prepared for nine people to sign up within a day or so.

While I am glad that these nine members are on board, I am also sad to say that there is only one spot left. If you are interested in this spot, please get in touch with me right away via email. I am expecting it to be filled by the end of the working day, so act fast if you want in!

If you do not get into the course this time around, there is no reason to worry. Simply send me an email stating that you are interested, and you will have first crack when a current member drops out or if I decide to expand the class.

For further details and regular updates, keep an eye on the freelance writing course page at the top of the blog. As details change or spots open, I will be sure to let everybody know. But as mentioned earlier, you would probably be best served joining the waiting list so that you are guaranteed your spot in line.

Thanks to everybody who has already joined. I am anxious to get started with all new members, and am still looking for my last trainee. The first person to send me an email and payment will grab the final spot!

To protect yourself against deceitful clients it is important to negotiate for upfront payment as a freelance writer. In fact, this holds true for every type of freelancer. If you are not going to ask for payment up front you are putting yourself out there to be disappointed. This is not to say that every client is going to take your work and run, but as of late I am hearing more stories about this than ever before.

How do you negotiate for upfront payment? After all, the person hiring you needs to stay protected as well. First off, you do not necessarily have to ask for 100 percent of the payment upfront. In most cases, I ask for half payment and then leave it at that. Most clients will agree to this, and in the majority of cases they will send the entire payment because they do not want to deal with paying two separate invoices.

You cannot be afraid to ask for some money upfront. Many freelance writers are afraid to do so because they think that it will scare the client away. As a general rule of thumb, if asking for payment upfront is going to scare a client you would be better off without them. This is part of doing business, and both parties should be willing to negotiate until a mutually beneficial payment is agreed upon.

Once you complete one project for a client you may not need to ask for upfront payment any longer. After all, you should know at this point if you can trust the buyer to pay you. In my experience, once you ask for upfront payment one time many clients will continue to do so with all future projects.

You may not always be able to negotiate getting paid before you start a project, but most clients will agree to accommodate you in this area.

Many people wonder how they can start a freelance writing career if they have a full-time, 9-5 job. This is a great question, and one that can scare the heck out of you if you are not careful. When I decided to become a freelance writer I never thought too much about the drawbacks. Sure, I was a bit scared, but that did not hold me back from leaving my day job. Of course, this is not something that I suggest; especially if you have major responsibilities such as a family, bills to pay, etc.

So what do I advise? If you want to become a freelance writer but are afraid to jump “all in” you should consider doing so on a part-time basis. This is something that I have discussed before, but I feel that it is important to do so again. After all, many people never chase their dream because they use their current job as an excuse. By becoming a part-time freelance writer you can avoid this excuse and instead get moving towards your real career.

Believe it or not, you can find time to work as a part-time freelance writer even when working another job. Most people I know in this position work in the morning, at night, and of course, on the weekends. But since you are only working part-time for now, there is no reason to kill yourself. Instead, start slow and see how much work you can get. As you begin to obtain more and more clients you will get a good feel for how much time you need to spend on your writing.

If you are lucky, you will come to a crossroads where you can no longer keep up with both positions because your freelance writing workload has become too much. In this case, you need to make a decision on whether or not it is time to move into a career as a full-time writer.

A part-time freelance writing career is a great way to get your feet wet without having to leave your current position.