In my opinion, one of the biggest benefits of being a freelance writer is the freedom that it offers. I am not bogged down by reporting to a boss, or being required to show up at an office five days a week. Instead, I have the freedom to do what I please as long as I serve my clients.
I spent this past weekend, as well as last Friday, in Palm Beach. Although I am not big on vacationing, I decided to take a short trip nonetheless. Not only do I hate flying, but leaving my freelance writing work behind is always tough. That being said, I do have the ability to check email from the road, and since the majority of my trip was on the weekend, this helped me to stay on track.
Would I have been able to take this trip if I worked a 9-5 job? Probably. But of course, this would have meant taking a vacation day, explaining myself to the boss, and having to worry about the headaches of heading back to the office upon my return. As a freelance writer, I avoided all of this. Instead, I made sure that my clients were aware of my absence and then I took off. And despite the fact that my plane landed late Sunday night, I knew that I would be able to work the next day since my office is right down the hall from by bedroom.
There are many reasons to become a freelance writer. But if you had to narrow it down to just one, would freedom be at the top of your list? This is definitely something that I enjoy about the freelance writing life.Â
Are you destined to be a freelance writer? Do you think that you have what it takes? If so, you are not alone. Over the past couple of years it seems that more and more people are attempting to break into this industry. In fact, I have read many blog posts this month alone stating just how easy it is to make money as a freelance writer. Of course, I do not agree with this but everybody is entitled to their own opinion.
This leads to the question of what makes a successful freelance writer. Are there traits that you need in order to succeed in this industry? There are countless answers to this question, but in my opinion there are three things that you need if you are going to succeed as a freelance writer:
1. Are you willing to work hard? If you want to earn a living in this capacity you need to work hard. And this does not mean that you have to work hard for only a couple of weeks. Although most freelance writers work from home, the successful ones are always going strong and striving to reach the next level. If you are adverse to hard work, you probably won’t make it far as a freelance writer.
2. The ability to write quality content. More than one person has been ignorant enough to tell me that anybody can be a freelance writer. Of course, I have to shrug this off because it is nonsense. You need to be able to do more than write to achieve success in this career. Good freelance writers have the ability to put together quality content that is easy to read and free of mistakes. Do you fit this mold?
3. Writing killer content is just one part of becoming a successful freelance writer. To succeed over the long haul you must also be able to market your services, offer great customer service, and juggle many tasks. Your main task will be to write, but this is not the end all.
Do you have the three details above on your side? If so, you have what it takes to be a successful freelance writer. Now, all you have to do is move forward full steam ahead.Â
If you are a freelance writer it is safe to say that your main goal is to supply clients with quality content. With that being said, what else do you offer clients? Do you offer anything special that will put you in a better position than the competition? For many, this is a tough question to answer; but it does not have to be.
I feel that my customer service skills are top notch. I strive to offer great service, and most of my clients have thanked me for this at some point in time. This is something that I take great pride in, and over the years it has helped me to earn new business while also building long term relationships.
Of course, you can also offer clients other services in order to make yourself more valuable. For instance, many freelance writers offer to submit online articles to social bookmarking sites or directories. Others will supply images with their content. While I try to stay away from this, there is nothing wrong with offering these services if they will help you to earn more money.
The more that you offer clients the better. You do not have to go so far overboard that you begin to compromise your content. But at the very least you should mix in some intangibles that will give clients an added reason to work with you.
The rate that you charge as a freelance writer will greatly determine how much money you earn. Many aspiring writers do not know how to set a fee schedule because they are unaware of the details that go into this. When it comes down to it, setting your rates is not as hard as it sounds.
You are your own person. For this reason, you should set your freelance writing rates based on what you offer. Sure, you should consider what the competition is doing, but do not let this effect your rates too much. I know many freelance writers who charge twice as much as I do. At the same time, others charge half as much. This just goes to show you that the industry is full from top to bottom.
Many freelance writers think that lower rates will mean more work. While this can be the case, it also means that you will have to work more in order to earn a decent living. You may want to consider this option instead: charge higher rates so that you can do less work to make the same amount of money.
Of course, you cannot charge rates that do not align with your experience and knowledge. Far too often I receive emails from new freelance writers who are charging twice as much as me. While there is nothing wrong with reaching for the sky, they do not realize that clients that pay a lot of money want to hire somebody with solid experience. Remember, you can start your rates on the low end of the scale until you gain experience and build your portfolio.
I know that this post is not an exact “step by step†guide on how to set a fee schedule. The reason for this is simple: every freelance writer is different. Set your rates according to what you are comfortable with and what you need to earn in order to bring in a nice monthly income. Over time, as your experience grows, you can then up your rates to better match your new position within the industry.
This week alone I have received four emails asking what I charge for a 500 word article. And these emails were not from buyers interested in working with me. Instead, they were from aspiring freelance writers who want to know how much I charge so that they can emulate my rates. As you can imagine, there are many issues with this.
First off, just as I cannot charge as much as others, there are some who cannot charge as much as me. There are many details that go into setting freelance writing rates. I charge what I do based on my experience, knowledge and other benefits that I bring to the table. Some freelance writers charge much more and others charge much less. But no matter what, you need to set your rates based on your income goals and other related details.
Moving on, one 500 word article is not the same as the next. Take for example a 500 word blog post compared to a 500 feature article in a mid-sized, regional magazine. As you can imagine, I would probably receive more money for the article in the magazine. Is this always the case? Of course not. But it goes to show that rates can and will change based on the project. Keep this in mind: 500 words are not always the same when it comes to setting rates. You must base your price on the market, the project topic and complexity, the client, and much more.
My best advice is this: your rate for a 500 word article, and every other project for that matter, should be based on what you are comfortable with while also aligning with your goals. Just because I charge a certain amount for so many words does not mean that everybody else should do the same. If this was the case, some freelance writers would be compromising a lot of income whereas others would be priced out of the market.
Every so often I send out requests to other professionals for services such as web design, marketing, SEO, etc. And it never surprises me when somebody emails me back with a rude response. They may say something such as “I don’t have time to help you†or “Unless you have a big budget you are wasting your time.†And as you can imagine, as soon as I see something like this the service provider is marked off my list. After all, do I really want to work with somebody who cannot even communicate in a professional manner? The answer is no.
Simply put, you should never be rude to your clients or anybody who inquiries about your freelance writing services. If you come across this way, it is going to greatly hinder your chances of securing a long term relationship. It is not difficult to communicate with respect and professionalism in mind. This is why it simply boggles my mind when others are rude when responding to email inquiries.
Take for example an SEO “professional†that I emailed last week. I am working on some new projects, and need to find a new SEO to assist me. Well, the first reply that I received was something like this: “I absolutely CANNOT help you at this time. I have too much work to take on a new client.†They did not say thank you for getting in touch, or tell me to keep them in mind in the future. Instead, they jumped the gun, told me no, and killed any chance they have at future work. Would it have been difficult for this person to be a bit nicer? Of course not. In the amount of time that it took to be rude they could have sent a nice email that would have left open the chance of working together down the road.
As a freelance writer you need to be serious about customer service. If you are hard to work with, your current clients are going to run away and potential buyers are going to cross you off their list before giving you a chance. The bottom line is simple: treat others with respect and the way that you would like to be treated yourself. This will pay off big time in the long run.Â
There are many reasons that you need to believe in your freelance writing skills. If you are on the fence about your talent, you need to get rid of this mental block as soon as possible. When it comes down to it, the best freelance writers believe that they have what it takes to succeed. This is not being cocky or arrogant. Instead, knowing that you are skilled enough to succeed is a great way of ensuring that you are always in the right frame of mind.
The following are three circumstances in which you need to strongly believe in your freelance writing skills:
1. Are you going to make the leap and become a full-time freelance writer? If so, you need to believe in yourself from day one. You need to believe that you have the skills to find clients, and that you can service them properly when the time comes. Doubt can and will kill your career as a freelance writer if you let it.
2. Is your freelance writing career at a stand still? Have you lost a few clients? If so, this is when you really need to show trust in yourself and your skills. There are going to be times in your career when it is hard to move forward for one reason or the next. When things get bad it is not a time to give up. Instead, you need to realize that this is part of the game and forge ahead each day. When you believe in your skills you will always have the confidence needed to get your career back on track.
3. Your clients will know if you are not confident in your freelance writing skills. This will show through in the way that you write, as well as the way that you communicate. You should always feel good about the skills and experience you offer. By doing so you will not only feel better about yourself, but this will also show through when dealing with clients.
No matter what stage you are at in your career, you need to believe that you have the skills necessary to succeed as a freelance writer.
Last July, I posted my first freelance writing income report. That month, I earned $4,894.78. At the time I was quite comfortable with the income, and my goals have not changed much. That being said, I have had a bit more success so far in 2008.
As a freelance writer, it can be difficult to maintain a steady level of income month in and month out. I have found this out over the years, and it is safe to say that this is never going to change.
So how does my income in July 2008 stack up against the same month last year? Here are the income totals, first the stats from 2007:
Number of Completed Projects: 43
Payment by PayPal: 41
Payment by Check: 1
Payment by Bank Wire: 1
Total Income: $4,894.78
July 2008 Income
Number of Completed Projects: 31
Payment by PayPal: 21
Payment by Check: 9
Payment by Bank Wire: 1
Total Income: $10,134.23
A quick comparison shows that I earned more than twice as much in July of this year as I did during July of 2007. If you look even deeper, you will also see that I completed 12 fewer projects. This is the most important stat. It shows that I am working more efficiently, and that each project is paying at a higher rate.
Although my freelance writing income report has become quite popular, this is going to be the last one for the time being. Of course, this is not to say that I will never share income related details and stats in the future. Simply put, I have decided to keep this information private from here on out for a number of different reasons.
To stay up to date with my progress and learn how to earn a living through freelance writing, subscribe to my RSS feed via email. Additionally, if you have a spare second, I would appreciate a Stumble and/or Digg. I am pushing for 400 RSS subscribers by the end of August so any help would be greatly appreciated!
What is your freelance writing specialty? Is there one sort of project that you really like to take on? If so, you should follow this feeling and milk it for all that it is worth. That being said, you do not want to paint yourself into a corner. For instance, you can specialize in web copy but this does not mean that you have to limit your workload to these types of projects.
How can you find your freelance writing specialty? Once you begin to complete a variety of projects, you will find this question easier to answer. Of course, it may take a while to pinpoint a specialty that you can really sink your teeth into. I love writing sales letter. But even then, I would not consider this my specialty. These are projects that I enjoy, but I have yet to turn all of my attention to them. Instead, I help my current clients with sales letters but do not actively seek new clients in this capacity.
Do you really need to have a freelance writing specialty? The answer to this question is no. As noted above, I am still searching for what I would call my specialty. There are particular projects that I really enjoy, but unlike many freelancers that I know, I have yet to really dig in and specialize in one area. Right now, my career is moving in the right direction so I have not had the time or desire to change my focus. But this is not to say that I won’t begin to sell myself as a “specialist†in one particular area in the future.
If there is a project type that you really enjoy and you have found that you excel in that area, you may want to consider making it your specialty. From there, you can approach potential clients with this pitch in your back pocket.
If you are a freelance writer you should get excited about your work. If you do not, you may be following the wrong career path. One of the main reasons that I became a freelance writer was that I knew it would bring joy to my work life. And although I moved into this career a few years ago, I still get excited about my work.
What does it mean to get excited about your freelance writing work? To me, this means loving what you do and not dreading the workday. If you wake up in the morning thinking about how bad work is going to be, you need to find a new career. This holds true no matter if you are a freelance writer, CEO, or anything in between. When you do not get excited about your career and dread heading to the office, it is time for a change.
Don’t get me wrong, there are times when being a freelance writer is tough work. To go along with this, there are times when the excitement dies down for one reason or the next. But with that being said, a few down times should not chase you away. You should only begin to think about a change if all the excitement is gone and you are simply going through the motions.
All in all, the most successful freelance writers get excited about their work. If you enjoy your job, it will show through and in turn allow you to become a huge success!Â
