As you know, last Thursday was Thanksgiving here in the United States. Although the holidays are a time for family and relaxation, I am sure that many of you could not stay away from your work. I am interested in knowing how many of you guys and gals worked over the holiday weekend. On top of this, how much time did you spend at your computer?
In the near future I want to create a series of posts focusing on the flexibility and freedom of being a freelance writer. Along with this, I also want to include information on how working for yourself can be a detriment during the holiday season.
Any information you can provide would be great. You can leave a comment for all of us to read, or send me an email if you are more comfortable doing so. Thanks in advance for the information!
A lot of you guys and gals have asked for more advice on tax related subjects. While I do know a thing or two about this through firsthand experiences, I am not a tax professional. For this reason, please note that my advice may not pertain to your situation.
In my opinion, it is a good idea for all freelance writers to hire a tax professional. Early in my career I was unsure of what this could do for me. But once I hired somebody to help with my taxes I quickly realized that it was one of the best decisions that I ever made.
With a tax professional on your side the money aspect of your career becomes much easier to deal with. Imagine how difficult it would be to file your own income tax return as a freelance writer. Is it possible? Most definitely. That being said, it is also very difficult. You may know the basic details of doing this, but a tax professional has the experience to help you save money in a number of different ways.
In addition to helping you file your year end return, a tax professional can also assist in many other ways. For instance, freelance writers have to pay quarterly taxes. After all, you no longer have a paycheck that money is being withheld from. Once again, your tax professional can help you set this up. Along with this, if you ever have any questions about your career and how it pertains to your tax situation you are only a phone call or email away from a qualified answer. There are always a couple times each year when I call my tax professional with a question that has me stumped. Once I get off the phone I feel much better about everything.
If you are new to freelance writing think about hiring a tax professional. This is one person that you definitely want on your side!
Starting a freelance writing career is a lot of fun. In fact, starting any new career is sure to excite you. Of course, the fun does not always last a long time. To ensure long term success, you need to start your freelance writing career on the right foot. What does this mean?
1. Know what to expect, both good and bad, from the start. If you have unrealistic expectations you will eventually find yourself in a bad spot. It is not easy to know what the future holds, but try to keep your expectations and goals in check.
2. Knowledge is power. The more you know about the freelance writing industry the better off you will be. If you think you know everything already, you are wrong. There is a lot more information to take in. After five years as a freelance writer I am still picking up new nuggets of information on a regular basis. Do not ever stop learning!
3. Be in control at all times. The last thing you want to do is let your freelance writing career spiral out of control. It is important to control the direction of your career, your money, the clients you work with, and anything else that is important to your success. As a freelance writer you are your own boss. You need to be ready to make all the decisions, no matter what they are.
It is never too late to change your ways and start moving in the right direction. Hopefully the three tips above will open your eyes to what you should be doing.
Members of my freelance writing course are always asking questions, sending suggestions, etc. While this is a good thing, not everybody is a member. For this reason, I want to get a better idea of what the rest of you are interested in learning about. Like all blogs, I am sure there are some topics you enjoy as well as some that do not suit your career.
As a freelance writer, what is most important to you? Surely there is something you want to learn about. The more information you send the more targeted I can make future posts.
So, if there is anything in particular that you want to talk about leave a comment or send me a quick email. Either way, let me know what is on your mind so I can make ChrisBlogging.com the best it can be in the months to come.
Lately, I have been making a lot of posts on how to save money as a freelance writer, what to buy early in your career, etc. This time around I want to give a quick tip: don’t buy something that you can get for free. This may sound simple enough, but it is something that many freelance writers forget.
Take for instance an aspiring freelance writer who is ready to start his career. Going out and buying a new desk, computer, and printer may sound like a great idea. And yes, these are all things that are needed. At the same time, he may already have one or more of these items. Why waste money on new stuff when you can use what you have for the time being?
As your freelance writing career grows there are things that you will need to buy. Don’t worry; you will get your chance to spend money. You just want to make sure you are established and earning a good living before you head out and begin to upgrade all your equipment.
If you do need to buy something, take a quick look around at free outlets before you do so. For instance, you may be surprised at how many items are being given away on a site like craigslist. Finding a free desk, or at least one that is very cheap, is more than possible.
It may not be glamorous, but if you don’t have to spend money you shouldn’t. Anything you can get for free should be able to hold you over for the time being.
If you are a freelance writer you should be serious about your business including how much money you earn as well as how much you spend. Some freelance writers have a difficult time being cheap. Others have a difficult time spending any money. Where do you fit in?
I have said many times in the past that one of the biggest advantages of being a freelance writer is the cheap cost of startup. This is the case right now, and probably will be for many more years to come. So in short, freelance writers can and should be cheap – especially when they are first starting their career.
Of course, there is a big difference between being cheap and not spending one dime no matter what comes up. You have to be willing to part with money if you are going to grow your business. I buy supplies from time to time, while also hiring others who can help me take my projects and career to the next level. For instance, I am always on the lookout for experienced designers and programmers. These types of professionals may charge a lot of money for their services, but in the long run it is well worth it.
Not only can freelance writers be cheap, but they should get used to this way of doing things. If you are spending money uncontrollably and blowing through all your profits something is wrong. Simply put, it is relatively inexpensive to become a freelance writer and sustain this type of career.
Every few days I will receive a note from an aspiring freelance writer asking for advice on whether or not they should move forward with their career. When deciding to start a freelance writing career there are sure to be doubts in your mind. Soon enough you have to make a decision for or against this.
There are some things you can think about to make your decision easier. For one, do you really love writing? This is the first thing you should look into. If you find that you have a deep love for writing you are at least on the right path. This does not necessarily mean you should turn this into your career, but it is a very good start.
At some point you need to look into the finances of becoming a freelance writer. How much money do you need to earn every month to pay your bills? Once you know this number you can decide if working full-time in this capacity is doable. The last thing you want to do is start a freelance writing career and find that you cannot pay your bills. This will send you back to a “nine to five” in no time at all.
In addition to the above points, I always tell people to try things out on a part-time basis before moving into a full-time capacity. This gives you the chance to keep your regular job while getting a better idea of what goes into working as a freelance writer. If you begin to build your career and find that you love all aspects of it, it may be time to go full-time. On the other hand, you may learn that you don’t enjoy this path and want to give up altogether.
So, what do you think? Are you going to say yes or no to a career as a freelance writer?
When you decide to become a freelance writer you need to take it seriously. You are now running your own business. No, you don’t have hundreds of employees but it is a business nonetheless. For this reason, you have to know a thing or two about your finances and how they will be affected by your new venture.
Here are three financial mistakes that all freelance writers need to avoid:
1. Spending too much money. Even if you are doing well for yourself you don’t want to spend too much on your career. One of the biggest benefits of becoming a freelance writer is the low startup cost. Along with this, once you have everything you need there are not too many expenses that come up. Does this mean I should never spend money? Of course not. Just make sure you are 100 percent comfortable with your decision to spend – no matter what it may be on.
2. Not tracking income and deductions. While this may sound crazy, I have had many freelance writers come to me with an issue based around this. From day one you should track every dollar you earn and spend. This is important for many reasons, and there is no way around it.
3. Not paying taxes. This goes along with number two above. If you do not track your income and expenses you will find it next to impossible to pay the proper amount in taxes. And as you know, messing with the IRS is not a good thing. As a freelance writer you have to be serious about your tax situation. This means paying the right amount on time (quarterly) and without making any mistakes. Tip: hire a tax professional early in your career. This is one of the best moves I ever made.
If you are not careful, these three financial mistakes can harm your freelance writing career.
Being a freelance writer can get lonely at times. You sit at home all day working without any interaction. Sure, you may talk one-on-one with a family member from time to time, but this is usually more of a distraction than anything else. For this reason, I enjoy talking to other freelance writers and encourage others in the industry to do the same.
There are many benefits of communicating with other freelance writers. As noted above, it can help to break up some of the boredom associated with working alone. A quick call or email to another freelancer can give you a break and make you feel that you are still associating with others.
You can also learn a lot. I love asking questions of other freelance writers. Along with this, anytime I am stumped, getting advice from a respected professional in the field is always a great idea. Over the years, I have built up a strong network of freelance writers who are willing to talk about whatever I want (within reason). Of course, I always return the favor.
You can communicate with other freelance writers in many ways. They include phone, email, and instant message. To go along with this, you can also use forums to get in touch with others. This may not be the type of direct communication you are looking for, but it is a good start nonetheless.
Don’t be afraid to talk to other freelance writers. Most of them, including me, are willing to open up and bring others into our circle. I believe that the more people I have in my network the better off we are all going to be.
The progress you make as a freelance writer is very important. This is particularly true if you are attempting to turn this into your full-time career. Some want to rush ahead and make everything happen at the same time. Is this the best idea? While it is important to make forward progress the last thing you want to do is rush.
Personally, I believe that slow and steady is the best way to build a freelance writing career. When you progress slowly you have the chance to see what is going on around you, while realizing what you need to do to keep the momentum. Those who try to speed through the process often times look back and wonder what happened.
Of course, I am not advocating that you slow yourself down just to do it. In other words, if you are landing new gigs at a high rate of speed you should continue doing this as long as you are comfortable.
Although I believe that slow and steady is a good thing, you may feel differently. The one thing to remember is that every freelance writer is unique. You may move faster or slower than somebody else; there is nothing wrong with this. It is best to do whatever will make you comfortable.
In short, I want this post to be a reminder that becoming a successful freelance writer does not happen over night. You have to put in a lot of work, and slowly build your career over the period of many months/years. If you slowly and steadily move forward you will eventually reach all your goals.
