Freelance Writing

There are two types of freelance writing clients: those who give specific directions on what they want and those who leave things up to the writer. Which type of client would you rather work with? Through my experiences I have found that there are pros and cons of each type of client. And since each client is unique, no two situations are ever the same.

I always find it helpful when a client gives me exact directions on what they want. In this case I know how to get started, what to do, and when the project ends. If you are the type of freelance writer who likes structure, it is safe to say that these clients will fit your career nicely.

The downside of this is that you will not have a lot of creative freedom. For instance, you may think that you have a good idea, but since your client has specific requirements in place, you will never be able to act. For some writers it can be difficult to take directions and stick to them without straying. How do you feel about this?

What about clients who offer no direction? The main benefit of this is that you are free to do whatever you want, within reason. For instance, a client recently asked me to provide them with 25 keyword articles on a specific topic. While they did supply the main topic, they are leaving everything else to me. It is my job to choose the length of the articles and all the finer details.

Of course, clients who do not give any direction may not get what they were hoping for. And unfortunately, this often times comes back on the writer. You may be told that you can do whatever you want, but upon completion the client is asking for changes because you strayed off the “proper” path. If this happens you will definitely be asking yourself why the client did not give you more direction at the beginning of the project. I have found this to be quite common.

Even when a client tells me to “do what I want” I always ask for some sort of direction. I have found that this helps to clear up most disagreements and extensive edits before they come into play.

If you want to be a successful freelance writer you need to learn to deal with both types of clients.

At least a few times a week I receive an email from a new freelance writer asking how they can jumpstart their career. Before I can answer this question I usually ask for some more information. How long have you been a freelance writer? What do you specialize in? What have you tried? The answers to these questions give me the chance to best address the problem.

In general terms, I have found that my answer usually contains the same three details time after time. 

Market your Freelance Writing Services

You cannot expect your freelance writing career to take off if you are not marketing your services. In fact, this holds true with every business. How would a home improvement company find work if they did not market through newspaper ads, the internet, etc? The answer: they wouldn’t. And the same thing holds true for freelance writers. If you want to jumpstart your career, start with a solid marketing plan. For many, this is the first big step towards future success.

Spend Time Writing

Believe it or not, I always hear from aspiring freelance writers who have decided to go at it full-time but only work three or four hours per day. Does this make any sense? Although I do not work as much I used to, at the end of the week I can look back and see that I put in at least 40 hours. If you are going to succeed as a freelance writer you need to write. This may sound like a mindless and almost juvenile tip, but it is the absolute truth. The more you write the better off you will be.

Whatever it takes to get started

Excuses, excuses. Many aspiring freelance writers make excuses as to why they cannot move forward with their career. I don’t have enough time, I can’t find any good clients, my computer blew up, etc. Although you may have legitimate reasons for being held back, this is not something that you should dwell on. You need to do whatever it takes to get started. If this means making major changes, so be it. Sometimes you have to change if you are truly devoted to making it as a full-time freelance writer.

For those who need it, I hope this post provides a boost. With the tips above you should be able to jumpstart your freelance writing career. 

One of the biggest benefits of being a freelance writer is that you run the show. There is no boss, no co-workers, and no office to report to. And while you have to work if you want to get paid, you must also take days off from time to time. Early in my career I found it difficult to take days off. Not only was I trying to get my career up and running, but I always felt like I was missing something when not at the computer. Soon enough I came to the conclusion that this was not the case, and in turn began to steal a vacation day here and there.

If you are a freelance writer and struggling with taking a vacation day, here are a couple of tips to keep in mind:

1. When you know you are taking off you should plan in advance. What does this mean? If I am taking a day off I will always work extra hard the day before to ensure that I am caught up across the board. This does a lot for my peace of mind, and it also ensures that my clients will not be left in the dark during my absence.

2. Always remember that a day off will make you a better freelance writer. Believe it or not, everybody needs to take time away from their job. Even a one day break will help refresh your mind and body. Simply put, there are benefits of taking a day off.

You would think that taking a day off would be an easy thing to do as a freelance writer. And while it is in theory, many find it difficult to drag themselves away from their desk.

Do you need to take your time when expanding your freelance writing career? This is a great question. After all, you do not want to bite off more than you can chew too early in your career. But at the same time you do not want to pass up legitimate opportunities to take your career to the next level. As you can see, there is a fine line between knowing when to expand and not jumping ahead of yourself.

The first question to ask is: do I have time to take on more freelance writing work? If you are already working eight hour days the answer to this question may be no. But before you make this decision you need to consider every detail that is in front of you. For instance, you may not have a lot of time to take on more work but if the right project presents itself you will probably want to make room.

Next, will expanding hurt your current business? There is nothing wrong with taking on new freelance writing clients as long as you can continue to serve those who are currently working with you. Adding more projects to your to-do list will mean more time spent at your computer. But this is not always a bad thing because more projects usually mean more money.

As you can see, the way that you expand is up to you. Only you know how much time you have available, and whether or not adding new clients would cause any issues. Your main goal should be to work as efficiently as possible as to increase your client base and income without overloading yourself with too much work. 

How do you sell yourself to potential freelance writing clients? The way that you answer this question will have a lot to say about the success that you have. Simply put, some freelance writers are better at sales than others. Those who are usually find it easier to build their client base in a short amount of time. But even if you are not skilled in the sales department you can still make a lot of headway in this area.

Here are four details to keep in mind when it comes to selling yourself to potential clients:

1. Do not be afraid of sounding cocky. Many freelance writers think that selling their services means talking about how great they are. This is not true. You can easily sell yourself to potential clients without being seen as arrogant. The best way to do this is by letting your past work do the talking. You don’t have to say much about yourself on a personal level. Instead, offer samples and talk about your experience.

2. You are good at what you do. Make sure that you are in the right frame of mind when you call on clients. It is important to know that you have a lot to offer, and that you would be an asset to anybody’s team. If you are thinking like this you will come across as confident. In turn, this will allow you to increase your chances of success while also throwing all fear out the window.

3. Selling your freelance writing services is not all about you. In fact, your main goal should be to give the client what they want. You will more than likely go into each “sales pitch” with an idea of what you want to accomplish. But soon enough this may change based on what the buyer is telling you. Make sure that you are open to change, and that you are always working to give the buyer what they want. 

4. Use all of your sales and marketing skills. Although the above tips will help when cold calling, they can be customized to suit any sales plan. For instance, if you are sending cold emails you can still use these tips. All you have to do is customize them to suit your style and the steps that you are taking.

As you can see, any freelance writer can learn to sell their services to potential clients. Just because you are new to sales does not mean that you will struggle in this area. Some of the most successful freelance writers I know started with no sales experience, but land client after client by using the tips above. 

Even the best freelance writers run into complicated situations that are difficult to overcome. If you are facing an issue with a particular project the best thing you can do is get in touch with the client. Many freelance writers will never do this, but they are making a huge mistake. I strongly believe in asking for help if need be. This does not mean that you should bother clients with questions that you can answer on your own, but if you are truly stumped you should ask for assistance.

Why are some freelance writers afraid to ask for help? Simply put, they are worried that the client will think less of them. In other words, the client will find somebody else who is more knowledgeable to complete the job. In most cases, from my experience, this is not the case. In fact, most of my clients are more than happy to clear up any complications. Remember, both you and the client want to do what is best. There is no reason to believe that your client will become upset and turn away if you ask a question. 

Think about it this way: it is better to ask for help when you run into a problem than to proceed and find out in the end that you made the wrong decision. In this case, the client may become upset because a lot of time has been wasted, etc.

This is a subject that I have talked about before, and one that will continue to come up time after time. It is very important that you keep an open line of communication with all clients, and that you are never afraid to ask for help when need be. Many of the students in my course were afraid to communicate with clients when they started. But guess what? After they asked a few questions and began to communicate on a regular basis, this changed. Once you ask for help one time it will become much easier to do so in the future.

All in all, you are a professional. You should treat your freelance writing as a business while also treating clients with respect. And in this case, respect to both parties means asking for help when you need it. 

So you want to increase your freelance writing income? As you can imagine, there are many ways to do this. That being said, one of the easiest is to ask your clients for more money. This may sound bold, but it will work in your favor time after time if you know what you are doing.

The number one reason that many freelance writers do not ask for more money is fear. In other words, they are afraid that their client will either tell them no or get so mad that they end the relationship. Could this happen? Sure. But the chances, if you say the right things, are slim to none.

As noted above, you need to know how to ask for more money. While this will change with each client, here are some basic tips that you can use:

1. Do not insult the client. You can ask for more money without being overbearing, and coming across as unappreciative. Try this: “At the beginning of next month my rates will be increasing. The increase is nothing major, but I wanted to make you aware so that we can work out a deal that will allow us to work together well into the future.”

2. Be open to negotiating. For instance, if you are earning $.10/word right now, you may want to increase this to $.20/word in the near future. You should ask for $.20/word, but be prepared to negotiate down if the client does not accept. At the very least, you should be able to meet in the middle which is still a nice increase when compared to your starting point. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with negotiating when it comes time to increase your rates.

One of the easiest ways to increase your freelance writing income is by working with the same clients but asking them to pay you more. It is common to get stuck in a rut with long term clients that pay you the same rate month in and month out. When you feel that you are worthy of an increase there is nothing wrong with asking. You may be surprised at how willing your client is to negotiate a higher rate.  

As you may have noticed, I have decided to open my freelance writing course to a few more members. More specifically, I am upping the maximum to 20 members as opposed to the previous cap of 10.

Over the past few months I have had a full class, as well as a decent sized waiting list. In order to give more people the opportunity to work with me one-on-one, I am going to cap the membership base at 20 for upcoming months. If this works out well, I may make another increase in the future.

The first few months of the course have been a learning experience. I have pinpointed what the majority of members want to learn, what they expect, and how I should move forward with the course to make it as beneficial as possible. Even though an increased membership base will mean more of a commitment, it will also mean more help for the masses.

With 9 members carrying over from last month and a waiting list of 15 to 20, I am confident that these additional spots will fill up quickly. For this reason, if interested, you will want to act fast and email me as soon as possible.

If you are interested in joining, but are unsure of the benefits, check out the freelance writing course link at the top of the blog. This should answer most of your questions. If not, feel free to contact me with any particular details or questions that may be on your mind.

All in all, I am anxious to take on new students. For those of you interested in getting started, send me a quick email and from there we will be well on our way.

I think the title of this post pretty much says it all. Lazy freelance writers will find it difficult to succeed. There is really no margin for error in this area. If you are not willing to work hard you cannot expect big things. Unfortunately, a good work ethic is something that some people simply don’t have. And when you are working as a freelancer this will become quite obvious sooner rather than later.

I want to compare my job as a sales manager to my current position as a freelance writer to illustrate this point. When I had a steady paycheck it was easy to take a few hours off from time to time, or cut out early. This did not mean that I was lazy; it just meant that I knew the money was coming one way or the next. But as a freelance writer this is not the case. If I become lazy it means that I won’t find new clients, current clients will go elsewhere, and subsequently my income will drop like a brick. This alone should be reason enough to show you how important it is to work hard, day in and day out.

There is nothing wrong with having a “lazy day” from time to time. Everybody needs a break, and this can be good for you. What you need to be careful about is letting this turn into a habit. It feels good to be lazy sometimes, doesn’t it? Since this is the case, you may feel inclined to take time off and procrastinate more than you should. Once again, when this happens you are putting your entire career at risk.

There is no easy way of saying this: lazy freelance writers will not last very long. If you are going to become a freelance writer make sure that you are ready to work hard everyday of the week. It is this work ethic and determination that will allow you to succeed in every facet of your career.

When I started my career as a freelance writer I made a few big purchases. One of the most important was a new computer and printer. I knew that to succeed that I needed to the right equipment from day one. But that was many years ago. Since then I have upgraded my equipment a few times. Listen up: if you need new equipment, such as a computer, you should buy. Of course, this does not mean that you should recklessly spend your money just because you have been craving the latest and greatest technology.

I use my computers and printers until they pretty much die or become so obsolete that I need to upgrade. Some of my units have lasted a few years, and some have disappointed me and hit the wall much sooner. At this time, I have two computers: one is a laptop that I purchased to start my career and the other a newer desktop.

You need to draw the line between knowing when to update your equipment and spending just to spend. If you have the money there is nothing wrong with splurging from time to time. But that being said, making a change, especially to something like your computer, is not always necessary.

To be honest, I hate changing computers. This means that I have to get used to a new setup, transfer all of my files, and take on other tedious tasks. For this reason, once again, I try to keep my computer and other similar equipment for as long as possible.

If you need to upgrade the equipment that you use on a regular basis, go for it. Just remember, there is a fine line between buying something that you need and buying something that you want.