Being self-employed as a freelance writer offers many benefits. And while most people think that it is easy for a self-employed professional to take a vacation, this is not always the case. In fact, I think it is more difficult for freelancers to vacation than those who work for a company.
As a freelance writer, you only get paid when you work. To go along with this, you are not given a set amount of vacation days at the beginning of the year. Sure, you can take off when you feel like it, but if you do, you can be rest assured that you are not going to get paid. This is much different than somebody who works for a company and gets paid when they take a vacation.
Of course, this does not mean that you should never take a vacation from freelance writing. If you are ready to take a few days off, there are several tips that you can use in order to ensure that you do not get behind:
1. Make sure that your clients know that you are leaving. You do not have to go into detail, but if you regularly communicate with a client, tell them that you will be out of the office. This way, they do not think that you are avoiding them or putting them off.
2. Get caught up before you leave. There is nothing worse than taking a vacation when you are already behind on your work. Remember, the work will still be there when you get back. And by that time, it has probably doubled!
3. Check your email when you are gone. I know, this is a big no-no. Most people believe that a vacation is a vacation, and this means no work. And while I agree with this to a certain extent, I like to stay connected no matter if I am on vacation or not. This helps to ensure that no fires break out, and that my clients are getting taken care of to the best of my ability.
There is nothing wrong with taking a vacation from your freelance writing workload. In fact, I encourage that you do so. If you decide to take some time off, use the three tips above to help you along the way.
As a freelance writer, do you ever think about adding another income stream? If you are like me, this is something that you are always looking into. Sure, freelance writing is my main gig and probably always will be. But that being said, there is nothing wrong with expanding into other areas that may be able to bring in some extra cash each month.
For many freelance writers, a natural addition is income through blogging. Although I do not earn a lot of money through this blog, it does help to pay some bills each month. To go along with this blog, I have several others which bring in extra money. Since I enjoy writing, I do not have any problems updating these blogs on a regular basis. And as you probably know, the more that you update the more traffic you will receive. From there, the only thing you have to do is decide how you are going to convert your traffic into profits.
As you probably know, I decided to start a freelance writing course last month. This was a great way for me to add another stream of income while also helping others. After a day or so I had sold out 10 slots at $100 each. While this is only an extra $1k per month, it is a good start. This was an easy addition for me because I enjoy teaching freelance writing and connecting with others who have similar interests.
By adding new income streams, you will find that you are earning more money than ever before. As a freelance writer, you should be able to find time for other money making activities such as blogging, etc.Â
Most freelance writers want to earn as much money as they can. This pretty much holds true for most people regardless of their career. With that being said, you need to make sure that your freelance writing rates are good for both you and your client. In other words, if you are the only one benefiting from your rates you are not going to get far. Sure, you may find some clients, but in the long run it will become difficult to sustain your momentum. Remember, you want to give clients a reason to work with you. And while producing quality work is usually reason enough, fair rates can put you over the top and make you an important asset to any company or webmaster.
Setting freelance writing rates that are beneficial to both you and your clients is never an easy task. This is one area that most newcomers struggle. In fact, I receive emails every week about setting rates and this is one area that my writing course is focusing on in-depth. Obviously, your rates are going to change over time. I charge more now than I did when I started, but even then, my rates are far from set in stone. Simply put, different clients ask for different things. For me, having a set rate for each type of project would be next to impossible. After all, a 500 word article for one client could be much different than a 500 word article for another. Differences can be seen in the topic, research, sources, and much more.
You will know if your freelance writing rates are favoring you or your client. If you are getting a lot of work and being told that your rates are too low, they probably are. But on the other side of things, if every potential client is telling you that your rates are higher than others, you may want to consider a change.
When you find a happy medium, you will see that you are earning a solid income and that your clients feel that they are getting a good deal.
