As of late, I have been thinking a lot about how to become as productive as possible. Many freelance writers think that becoming more productive means working more hours. This can be the case for some, but not everybody. After all, you can only work so many hours before you begin to burnout.
I have found that one of the best ways to increase productivity is to start your day off right. Of course, this means something different to everybody. That being said, the three tips below can help any freelance writer to increase productivity by starting their day right:
1. Do not sleep-in. I know, I know. Some of you guys like to work at night, and sleep during the day. If this is the case, and it is working for you, continue with this lifestyle. But personally, I like to keep a more “normal†work schedule. Over the past few months I have been experimenting with what time I wake up in the morning. I have found that 630 am has led to the most productive start. While this may sound early to some of you, it works out perfectly for me. Simply put, you need to do your own experimenting in order to find what works best for you.
2. Don’t start working until you are awake! It is one thing to get up early, but another to be on top of your game. Trust me, if I was not capable of writing quality content at 630 in the morning I would not be getting up this early. For some, all it takes is some breakfast and/or coffee to get up and moving. No matter what, you need to be energized and in the right frame of mind when you begin to write.
3. As I have said in the past, you need to know what tasks you are responsible for in a given day. I keep track of this by putting together a to-do list at the end of every workday. This way, when I wake up in the morning and head to my office, I can look at this list and know where to start. This saves a lot of time trying to get organized, and in deciding a work order.
By starting your day off right, you will find that you are becoming a more productive freelance writer.
Imagine what it must have been like to be a freelance writer before the internet. Your only option was print projects such as feature articles, corporate material, etc. In other words, there was no such thing as web copy, keyword articles, and other projects that are exclusive to the web. To go along with this, freelance writers had to find clients the good old fashioned way: cold calling and query letters. After all, there was no email. Additionally, the lack of email meant that submitting completed projects had to be done via fax or mail.
Are you getting a better idea of the benefits of the internet to freelance writers? As you can see, the online world has forever changed the way that writers tackle their career.
This all leads to the question of: which is better, web or print freelance writing? The answer you get will depend on who you ask. I don’t take one side or the other. I enjoy writing for the web, but at the same time I never turn down a print job (for the most part). Simply put, I have found them both to be lucrative and enjoyable.
Most new freelance writers agree that finding web work is the easier of the two; and I have to agree with this to a certain extent. That being said, many of these aspiring writers never break into print projects because they don’t put in the time. If you want to write for a magazine it takes more work than finding a webmaster that needs a couple keyword articles. You have to put together a query letter, show samples, and of course, find an editor that has a need for you.
Do not feel that you have to choose between web and print freelance writing. You can easily do both, as I do, and make a nice living along the way. In fact, it is fun to take on both types of projects because it keeps things fresh. As you know, there are many projects that fall within the broad headings of “web and print.â€
Many freelance writers like to take on the label of writing “web only†content. While this is fine for some people, you are limiting yourself by doing this. Keep an open mind to both types of projects, and it will help you to secure more work and a higher income.Â
The more clients that you gain the more work you are going to be presented with. And this holds true with much more than writing related tasks. More clients also means that you will also need to spend more time on customer service. While there is nothing wrong with this, you need to make sure that you are ready for what you will be facing in the future.
One of the most important questions to answer is: how much time should you spend with each freelance writing client? Many freelance writers believe that every client should be treated the same, but I am not one of them.
Here are three ways to decide which clients should receive the most attention:
1. Which clients give you the most work? It goes without saying that a client that offers daily work should get more of your attention than one that only sends a few articles your way every so often. This does not mean that you should ignore others, but you definitely want to spend the most time with regular clients that make up a large portion of your income.
2. Deadlines often times determine how much time you spend with a client. For instance, some editors that I work with are always in touch, sometimes more than once per day, as a deadline closes in. The reason for this? If they do not receive the completed feature from me they are going to be in deep trouble. For this reason, they like to stay in touch, and in turn, I spend time with them to ensure that everybody is on the right track.
3. Simply put, some clients demand more attention than others. There are many reasons for this. Some of them need help because they do not know what they want. Others know what they want but are always adding additional work. You will find out soon enough that some clients will let you do your job, and others like to stay in touch and more or less micromanage.
With the three details above, it will be easier for you to decide which clients need and deserve the most time.Â
As of late, more and more clients have been asking me for help. In other words, they know that they need some content but are not exactly sure of how to move forward. Does this sound familiar? If not, you will more than likely encounter this situation sooner or later. The fact of the matter is that not every client knows what they want. And since you are the professional, they may lean on you for guidance. Are you ready to lend this sort of help?
Some clients need a bit of help, others much more. For instance, it is not uncommon for a client to ask you for a list of topics that suit their website and then to write the articles based around them. This is easy enough, right? In other cases, a client may want more than just a list of topics. They may want a total “plan†that covers everything from topics to types of articles and much more.
Should you charge for this guidance? This all depends on what you are being asked to do. I never charge clients that need help compiling topic lists or other related details. That being said, if things become more complex and in-depth, I may explain the situation to the client and ask for additional payment; these times are few and far between. If you are faced with this situation, and it will take up a lot of your time, do not be afraid to negotiate with your client. Most of them will understand that you are putting in extra time, and will be more than happy to pay you for it.
If you are asked to be more than a freelance writer, you should consider what you can bring to the party. By acting as a consultant you will be able to offer more benefits to your clients while also having the ability to earn more money.
No matter what type of marketing plan you have in place, there will probably come a time when you lose confidence in it for one reason or the next. The question is: what are you going to do when your marketing plan stalls? Are you going to give up, or will you make the necessary changes to ensure that your freelance writing career continues to move in the right direction?
Here are three tips that you can quickly employ if your marketing plan is letting you down:
1. Pinpoint the problem. What was working before that is not working now? In addition to answering this question, you will also want to consider what has changed. For instance, you may conclude that you are not generating nearly as many leads via query letters. This may be the case for a number of reasons including the letter you are using, the target market, and in some cases, downright bad timing.
2. Your marketing plan should not rely on only one method of lead generation. Some freelance writers only attempt to generate work through cold emails. Is this a good way to find new clients? It can be. But you should not rely solely on this method. Instead, make sure that you are always using at least three methods of generating leads.
3. Crank up the heat. Your marketing plan may be stalling because you have let up a bit. If you are only make two cold calls per day, double this number and see where that gets you. In many cases, all it takes is a bit more hard work to see your marketing plan producing results once again.
If your marketing plan begins to stall, use the three tips above. They will help to get you back on track to generating more leads, more clients, and more income.Â
Just as I set freelance writing income goals, I do the same when it comes to marketing. In my opinion, goals are very important if you are a freelance writer. They will help to keep your hungry, and of course, it is always a great time when you finally reach what you have been striving for. When it comes to setting marketing goals you should go all out. After all, the way that you market your services will have a direct effect on how much work you do and how much money you earn.
What are some marketing goals that you can set? For instance, you could set a goal based around making cold calls. Tell yourself that you are going to make at least two cold calls per day for the entire month. Is this is a daunting task? Some may say yes, and others may so no. But it is a good place to start. Of course, this is just one example. Your marketing goals should be based on the stage of your career, what works for you, and how much time you have available.
Even though you are a writer first and foremost, you need to market your services in order to keep a steady flow of work. By setting goals you will be less inclined to let your marketing strategy slow to a crawl. If you don’t have any marketing goals in place, take a few minutes to draw up a plan. Some basic goals will go a long way in helping your career to take off. Â
Some of you have asked whether or not a blog is a good marketing tool. In my opinion, the answer to this question is yes. Over the past few months I have received a few good offers through this blog. I am hoping that as ChrisBlogging continues to grow that this becomes more and more the case.
Of course, you need two things in order for your blog to generate leads. First and foremost, you need traffic. In other words, if nobody knows about your blog you will not receive many leads. It took several months of hard work for this blog to reach a decent level of traffic, and even then, it is nowhere close to some of the bigger ones in the industry.
Additionally, your blog should show that you are a capable writer. Most of my posts are far from masterpieces, but that being said, they show that I have a good command of the English language and that I know what I am talking about.
I strongly urge every freelance writer to manage a blog. Even if you don’t write on the topic of “freelance writing†you should still start a blog and contribute to it on a regular basis. This will help you to become a better writer while hopefully drawing in new clients.Â
I have always said that every freelance writer needs to treat their career as a business. Of course, this leads to many questions. One of the most important is whether or not you should spend money on freelance writing related items? These items can include everything from a new computer to a corner desk to memberships that may help advance your career.
There is no easy way to answer this question. The first thing that you must do is consider your income and budget. If you have enough money to buy an item that you need, you will want to consider moving forward. But if you are tight on cash and your income has been slow, you will be better off doing without for the time being.
But before you jump the gun and head to the store, you need to think about two words: want and need. You may want to buy a new computer, but the question is: do you really need one? These two words should come to mind anytime you are thinking of making a large purchase. Even though I earn a decent freelance writing income, I only buy the items that I absolutely need. For instance, I only upgrade my computer when it is absolutely necessary. I purchased my current desktop unit about 18 months ago, and it is my hopes that it stays in good shape for at least another couple years. This doesn’t mean that I cannot afford a new computer, but when it comes down to it, this is not something that I absolutely need.
You should most definitely spend money on freelance writing related items that you need. This is especially true for those of you just joining the industry. It is important to have all the items that you need to give yourself the best chance of early success.
Keep this one tip in mind: when shopping for any item related to your freelance writing career, ask yourself if it is a want or a need. If you absolutely can’t do without an item and have the money on hand, consider moving forward with the purchase.
As a freelance writer, it is not difficult to find excuses that will save you from completing certain tasks. For instance, if you don’t want to cold call it is easy to say that you have no time or that your cell phone has no minutes left. And while there are times when excuses are legitimate, they are few and far between.
Simply put, you want to avoid excuses at all costs. If you always have a reason of why you cannot do something you will find progress hard to come by. And when this happens, there is a good chance that your career will suffer and you will eventually decide that freelance writing is not the path for you.
Every so often I hire a professional to work with me in some capacity. This has been everybody from a designer to a coder and many others. And although I take my time when hiring these people, a few of them have been full of excuses. “I cannot turn in the work when promised because my computer broke.†“I got sick and I won’t be able to complete the job at all.†I have heard many excuses, including these two, time after time. As noted above, there are times when an excuse is needed because of a bad break. But of course, there are some who use every excuse in the book whenever possible; this is what you are trying to avoid.
There are two types of excuses that you may be tempted to use: those that allow you to lie to yourself, and those that you use when dealing with clients. In both cases, you are hurting somebody. In the former, you are not doing your career any favors. With the latter, you are not only hurting yourself but you are also damaging a client relationship.
Excuses can and will hold back your progress as a freelance writer. If you avoid making excuses you will find your career advancing at a nice pace.Â
It is not uncommon to come across freelance writing ads on sites such as Craigslist. That being said, many writers never apply for these jobs because they do not know what to say. Of course, this is silly. You should never pass up an opportunity to apply for a freelance writing job because you are at a loss for words. Sure, it may take some time to put together a good response, but it is well worth it.
The number one thing to remember when responding to a freelance writing ad is that you should do what you are told. Simply put, do whatever the ad tells you to do. If you are asked to send a cover letter, resume, and samples, make sure that you follow this down to every last detail. Remember, if you cannot follow simple directions you are going to put yourself behind the eight ball from the get-go.
If you are asked to include samples, make sure that you use ones that will give you the best chance of obtaining the job. For instance, if you are applying for a position as a “sports blogger†you will want to send samples that are associated with this topic. This will work out much better than samples on health, real estate, or another unrelated subject.
Do I really need a freelance writing resume? I get asked this question all the time. The answer is yes! Some buyers are going to ask for your resume before they hire you. If you do not have one, they are going to cross your name off their list. Creating a freelance writing resume is not a difficult task. For those of you who need help with this, send me a quick email; I would be glad to give you feedback on your resume, etc.
Responding to freelance writing ads is all about following directions. Send what you are asked for, and then leave well enough alone. From there, you will either receive a follow-up email or nothing at all. While there is nothing wrong with following up if you do not hear back, make sure that you give the recipient enough time to go through all of the applications that they receive. Believe it or not, a single posting on Craigslist for a freelance writing opening can bring in hundreds of replies.
Hopefully you now have the confidence needed to respond to any freelance writing ad that you come across.Â
