Freelance Writing

As a freelance writer it is only natural that I enjoy reading. Do you? In my opinion, every freelance writer should read as much as they can. Personally, I read everything from books to magazines to the newspaper; this is something that I enjoy. But to go along with the enjoyment that it brings, I also learn a lot. I pick up on other writing styles, and come up with new ideas that I can follow through on.

As of late, I have been reading a lot of books on business and investing. But what about books on freelance writing? In the past, I was reading as many books on freelance writing as I could get my hands on. Recently I have moved away from this for a couple reasons. First off, I like to give my mind a break from my career when reading. Additionally, there are only so many freelance writing books out there. I have not read them all, but the majority of them are on my bookshelf.

If you work as a freelance writer and hate reading, you can still be successful; there is no doubt about it. That being said, most writers I know like to read. If this sounds like you, read anything that you find enjoyable. You may be surprised at how much you learn.

As a freelance writer, you need to do more than work. When I first started in this industry I was working almost everyday of the week. And in most cases, my days were much longer than eight hours. Fortunately, I realized soon enough that this was a mistake and that I needed to have fun outside of work.

Do you work too many hours? If so, you should do two things. First off, find a way to cut back. If possible, cap yourself at 40 hours per week. Is this always possible? Of course not. But once you settle into your career, you should be able to make this happen. Secondly, you should have hobbies outside of work. I love to read, but as of late I have been trying to stay away from books on freelance writing. Instead, I have been reading more books on business in general and money related topics such as investing. Of course, you should also consider hobbies that can get you out of your home. After all, working inside all day everyday can be tough on some people.

For one reason or the next, many freelance writers tend to work too much and cut out areas of their life that bring enjoyment. While I try to avoid this trap, it can be difficult at times. If you cannot answer the question of what you do for fun, it is time to reevaluate your life outside of your freelance writing career. Simply put, you do not want your career to dominate your entire life. Believe it or not, if you have fun outside of work you will find that your mind is fresh when it comes time to sit down at your computer and get to work. 

When you are hired as a freelance writer it is because you are good at what you do and you can guide the client from start to finish. That being said, you need to avoid the “do it my way or else” attitude. Although a client comes to you for help, you need to remember that they are not looking for somebody to boss them around. Believe it or not, this is a huge problem that I am asked about time after time. It is your job to help clients in whatever way you can. But this does not mean that you should tell them that you are right, and that your ideas are the only ones that matter.

There is nothing wrong with guiding your client during a project. But if they ask for something that you do not agree with, you don’t want to stick to your guns for too long. At the most, tell them what you think and ask why they feel the way they do. A bit of conversation can go a long way in clearing up this type of situation. If the client continues to persist on doing things their way, by all means go along with them. Remember, they are paying you to write. As long as you can comfortably complete the job for the agreed upon price, you should listen to what the client is asking for.

There is a big difference between making suggestions and telling a client that it is your way or else. You are a writer first and foremost, but at the same time you need to exercise good customer service. Your client is paying you to do what they ask. If the client does not agree with the direction that you are heading, ask them what they want and then give it to them.

As a freelance writer you want to offer guidance to every client that needs it. But remember, a “do it my way or else” attitude is not going to get you far. In fact, the only thing that it will lead to is an angry client. And who wants that?

For the past few months I have been contemplating whether or not ChrisBlogging needs a new design. Well, if you are reading this you can see that I took the leap. Simply put, the old theme was getting stale. It was not unique, and it limited what I could say and do to a certain extent.

If you are interested in a new theme for your blog, I suggest Blue Wave Solutions out of San Diego, California. They may not be well known within the blogosphere for blog designs, but trust me when I say that they know what they are doing. Not only does Blue Wave offer top notch designs, but their customer service is high class. We have worked together a few times, and this will not be the last.

As you will notice, the design is pretty much a complete change from the old one. I added two “blocks” at the top of the blog so that I could offer further information on my freelance writing course as well as my writing services. To go along with this, you will also notice that the sidebar is completely redesigned with a more modern, cleaner look.

Thanks again to everybody who has helped ChrisBlogging come this far. I am closing in on my goal of 400 RSS subscribers, and I hope that the new theme will help me to reach this mark soon enough. If you the get the chance, spread the word. With a new design I have the freedom to add more features, and a better overall reader experience.

Time after time I talk about how much I love being a freelance writer, and this is the truth. That being said, there are downfalls of a freelance writing career as well. Simply put, I do not want you guys and gals to think that everything is fun and money day in and day out. There are times when I really enjoy being a freelance writer and times when I am frustrated. But as you probably know, this is the case no matter what type of job you are working.

Here are three drawbacks of working as a freelance writer:

1. Working at home can be difficult. While my morning commute is short from my bedroom to my office, it can be tough to work alone all the time. This is why I always make time to speak with clients on the phone, or meet with others when they ask to do so. Some people think that working at home is easy. This is definitely true in some cases, but it can be a drawback at the same time.

2. Like you have probably heard before, freelancers do not have a steady income. For some, this is a definite drawback. Even though I agree that this can be a drawback, I usually don’t look at it this way. Instead, I see it like this: no, I don’t have a steady income, but at the same time my income is not capped. I could earn $5k one month but work harder the next and earn $7k. Could I do this at my past sales job? Of course not. I was paid a set salary no matter how much or how hard I worked.

3. You have to do it all. When you decide to become a freelance writer you will be responsible for everything that has to do with your business. Most of the time you will be writing, but to go along with this you will also be responsible for collecting payments, organizing paperwork, customer service, and much more. Can you multi-task with success?

These three drawbacks are not meant to scare you away from a freelance writing career. Instead, they are here to show you that there are downsides to this career, just like any other.

Imagine this: there is a client that you have been dying to work for. But when you finally get close to receiving an offer, you find out that they want to negotiate with you on payment. What would you do? Believe it or not, this can happen time after time. Just as you want to get the best deal, the buyer is trying to do the same thing. The question is: should you negotiate to get your foot in the door?

On one hand, you may want to take a lower price so that you can become established with the client. This is especially true if you know that the potential for long term work is there. Sure, you may not earn as much as you would like, but long term clients are very important to your continued success.

Of course, there are other freelance writers who will not settle for anything but their “set rates.” In this case, you will have to be firm when negotiating. Tell the client what you bring to the table, and why you think that you are worth your fees. You may be surprised to find that sticking to your guns will pay off in the end.

What do I do? There are times when I will negotiate with certain clients in order to get my foot in the door. Of course, I make sure that I first do my research. If I am going to accept a lower rate for my work, I make sure that I am receiving other benefits such as a long term relationship, etc.

My advice: deal with these situations on a case by case basis. If a client wants to negotiate, you should hear them out. Just remember, negotiating is not a one way street. In other words, do not let the potential buyer push you around. Instead, put yourself in their shoes while also doing what is best for you.

If you can reach a mutual agreement through friendly yet professional negotiations, you may want to consider working for a lower fee. In the end, you may earn less money but your foot will be in the door for bigger and better things in the future.

The more clients the better, right? Is this the way that you think as a freelance writer? Believe it or not, more clients is not always a good thing. Sure, you want to obtain as much work as you can and build your network when possible, but you must also know that there are times when adding a client is not the best idea.

Can you have too many freelance writing clients? The simple answer to this question is yes. While this may sound silly, is it the truth. If you are stretched to the limits right now, you may not want to consider adding new clients. Of course, if you can find time for them you will definitely want to do so. There is no denying that more clients equal more work. And in most cases, this will probably mean a higher income as well.

You do not want to stretch yourself too thin for one important reason: it will affect the quality of your work, as well as your customer service. If you have too much work on your plate, there is a chance that you will begin to slack off in certain areas such as proofreading, editing, etc. Additionally, you must also realize that you need to service each and every customer. Do you have the time to communicate via email and/or phone with each client, while still leaving enough time to complete your work?

With all of the above information in mind, you need to also consider that turning down clients could backfire. This could lead to a situation in which all of your current clients no longer need help, and you are left bored and confused. This is why you need to be very careful when turning down work. Again, if you can comfortably fit a new client into your schedule, you should do so.

As you can see, freelance writers face a difficult balancing act. On one side you want to complete as much work as possible so that you can maintain a high level of income. But on the other side of things you cannot afford to stretch yourself thin. Have you found your happy medium?

Are you interested in joining my freelance writing course? If so, you are in luck. After last month, two members did not renew. There loss is your gain. Just like the past few months, I do not expect these spots to last long. Generally speaking, they usually stay open for a few hours and that is about it. So if you are truly interested in joining us on our trek to freelance writing success, be sure to send me an email of interest right away.

If you are not familiar with my freelance writing course, you can find further details by visiting the “Writing Course” link at the top of the blog. After running the course for the last few months, I have received a lot of feedback. The following are the benefits that most members seem to be enjoying the most:

1. One on one feedback. Once per week I ask members to send me some projects that they have been working on. From there, I offer feedback while also opening up dialogue to discuss everything from possible changes to potential future projects.

2. Any work that I do not accept from interested buyers goes to my members. For many, this has meant a quick leap in income. While not a guarantee, this is something that most members have thanked me for time after time. After all, it never hurts to generate leads in new ways.

3. Daily emails. Every morning I send an email. They range in topics from how to find high paying work to marketing tips and much more. This is more or less a way to get members thinking about their career so that they can open up.

If you want to take advantage of these benefits and many more, send me an email right away. I am confident that the two spots will be filled by day’s end.

Generally speaking, I do not hire writers to help with projects. In fact, when I take on a job I ensure the client that I will be working on the project and that I will be their main point of contact. That being said, there are times when I receive work inquiries that do not suit my needs. When this happens, I most definitely point the buyer towards writers in my network.

At this time, the work that I cannot complete is sent to members of my freelance writing course. This is just one benefit of the course, and over the past couple of months it has helped a couple of members go from hundreds per month in income to thousands.

Last week, I received an email from a potential buyer looking for a blogger for a science related site. While I have experience in this field, I had to pass on the work nonetheless. In turn, the buyer hired a member of my course. The job entails 20 posts for a total of $500 per month. This is not the biggest project, but for a newcomer to the industry, it is a nice boost.

If you want to get on my list, you will have to join my freelance writing course. Unfortunately, spots are limited and I do not know just yet how many will be available for the upcoming month. Like always, if interested, you can send me an email and I will put you on the waiting list. I should know by early this week whether or not all my current members have renewed.

There are many writers who believe in hiring subcontractors. While I do this from time to time, I try to avoid it at all costs. Instead, any work that I am not going to take on I pass to members of my course.

As a freelance writer, you need many things to succeed. Some of these details you think about everyday, but others may slip through the cracks. One thing I found out early on is that you need a reliable phone and internet connection in order to succeed. While this may not be 100 percent true for everybody, it is in most cases. Simply put, most freelance writers communicate with their clients via the internet. That being said, I talk on the phone with clients, freelance writing course members, and other professionals a few times per day.

If you do not have a reliable phone and internet connection, you should do something right away to change this. If you live in the United States, it is not difficult to get your hands on both of these. Of course, there are other parts of the world where it is a bit more difficult to find both services at an affordable price.

Can I use my personal phone line for business use? For about one year, I used my personal cell phone for freelance writing business as well. Soon enough, I wanted to take my business to the next level so I purchased a separate line. Although this costs more, it gives a professional look and allows me to better separate my personal and business lives.

If you do not have a reliable phone and internet connection, start shopping for a solution right away. As a freelance writer, it is essential that you have access to the internet for finding jobs, communicating with clients, and much more. And even though you may not use the phone as your primary means of communication, you never know when a client or potential buyer will want to speak with you in real time as opposed to email.