Are you a freelance writer? If so, you have a lot to worry about. Okay, I am not trying to scare you. Instead, I just want you to know that worrying is part of becoming a freelance writer. This is something that I do from time to time, and you are probably the same way.
What are some of the most common worries of freelance writers? Here are a few:
1. Not making enough money. I list this as number one because I think it is the thing that bugs the majority of freelance writers; especially those who are new to the industry. When you work as a freelance writer you have to come to grips with the fact that you are not going to receive a paycheck every two weeks for the same amount – this is not how things work. Even though money can be a major concern, once you are established you will realize that this is not really that big of a deal. You will get on board with regular clients that are willing to pay you a good amount of money every month. This does not always come easy, but it will come in time.
2. Not finding work. As noted above, landing new clients is not a simple process. Just like every freelance writer I go through draughts in which I don’t close any deals for an extended period of time. Don’t let this get you down. Soon enough things will change and you will be back feeling good about yourself.
3. I will have to work too much. This is something I have never worried about because I love my job. In fact, I could work for 15 hours a day and never think twice about it. Of course, I try to avoid too many hours because it is not good for you from a mental or physical perspective. There is no denying that you will have to work long hours early in your freelance writing career. But remember, things will settle down over time.
These three worries are shared by many freelance writers. It is easy for me to sit here and say “you don’t have any reason to worry.” The fact of the matter is that you are always going to worry about something. As long as you work hard and are doing all the right things, you will see that you are moving in the right direction.
After several emails about my freelance writing course I wanted to give a quick update. At this time, there are two openings in the course. It seems that every month there is a one to three member turnover. Fortunately, those who are leaving always seem to be better off than when they started – this makes me feel good about the value of becoming a member.
If you want to grab one of these two spots, send me an email as soon as possible. Judging by the past, they will only be available for 24 hours at the most.
If you have any general questions about the course, getting started, or what we will cover, send me a quick note. I would be more than happy to help you decide if becoming a member is a good idea.
Looking forward to working with a couple more of you in the very near future!
The more clients you land the more money you will earn – this is usually how it goes. For this reason, every freelance writer should be doing what he/she can to find as much work as possible. Even though landing new clients can be difficult, there are things you can do to better your chance of making this happen.
1. Ask your current clients for help. This is something that many freelancers overlook. If you have a good relationship with a client there is nothing wrong with asking them to send your name out to others who may be interested in what you offer. Don’t be pushy. Just make sure that your clients know that passing your name along would be greatly appreciated.
2. Try something different. If you never think outside the box you are going to be stuck in the same position, day after day. For example, if you usually only send cold emails you may want to mix in cold calling, face to face meetings, etc. The more ways you market your services the better chance you have of adding new clients to your list.
3. Offer something better than the competition. Can you play up the fact that you have more experience than the rest? What about your prices? Are they competitive? Give clients a reason to hire you.
As you can see, it is quite simple to get on the right track to landing new clients. There will be days when nobody wants to talk to you; expect this to happen. But on the same token, there will be times when you are “on fire” and new clients seem to be flocking your way. As long as you are always looking to land new clients, something will break soon enough.
Although I have talked about freelance writing startup costs in the past, many questions have come my way about this topic over the past few days. Why this is happening I have not a clue. That being said, it is an important topic to revisit from time to time. If you are interested in starting a freelance writing career you need to know which expenses you will run into, as well as what you should and should not be doing with your money.
Here are three freelance writing startup costs to consider:
1. Computer and printer. It goes without saying that every freelance writer needs a quality computer and printer. Do you already have both of these? If so, you can forget about this expense and move on. Those who don’t have to purchase a computer and printer can really save a lot of money during the startup phase of their career.
2. Internet connection. This is something that many people forget about for whatever reason. For the most part, a computer does not do you any good unless you have an internet connection as well. Once again, you may already be paying for this for your own personal use. In this case, you are off the hook and are still doing well from a budgeting perspective.
3. Office supplies. What do you need in your office and on your desk to succeed? There are many office supplies you can purchase – some of them are more important than others. They include printer paper, staples, paper clips, notebooks, pens, and other items of the like. Fortunately, office supplies do not cost that much money. Believe it or not, I still have some of the same items I purchased during my first year as a freelancer.
Are there other freelance writing startup costs? There sure are. But these three are very important and cannot be overlooked. If you have any specific questions regarding startup costs and what you should be doing, feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment for all of us to read.
Starting a freelance writing career may appear to be a daunting task. But once you get your mind right you will begin to see that success is closer than you first thought. One thing you have to do is avoid common freelance writing misconceptions. If you begin to believe things that are not true, you will find it difficult to get your footing and gain ground.
I want to talk about a couple of misconceptions that I hear time after time:
1. Anybody can become a freelance writer. This one drives me nuts. I hear it all the time. Simply put, it is not true. It is unfortunate, but I know many people who have tried a career in freelance writing and failed miserably. They believed it would be easy, but found out soon enough that this was not the case. It is very important that you go into this industry with the right thoughts in your head. Believing that you are going to be on easy street is not a good idea.
2. You cannot earn a good living as a freelance writer. This misconception is every bit as common as number one. But once again, it is far from the truth. I know freelance writers who make a few hundred dollars per month, as well as those that pull in $15k or more on a regular basis. The sky is truly the limit when it comes to income potential.
Are there any other freelance writing misconceptions you should be aware of? There sure are. In fact, there are so many that it would take forever to list them all. That being said, the two above are the ones that I hear most often. They are also the ones that annoy me the most because they are simply not true.
By avoiding misconceptions and only dealing with the truth, you will be in better position to succeed immediately as a freelance writer.
Are you new to the wonderful world of freelance writing? If so, you probably know that getting on the right track early on is a big deal. Simply put, too much confusion can kill you as an aspiring freelance writer. There are going to be times when you don’t know what you are doing – this is to be expected. What you want to avoid is this happening too often.
It is not so much the confusion that will kill you; it is what comes next. When confused, some people will sit back, find an answer, and then move on. These are usually the freelance writers that achieve the most success. On the other hand, there are those who don’t know how to deal with confusion. Instead, they act like it does not exist and hope that it goes away. This is never the right thing to do. If you are confused about something you need to find an answer before you do anything else.
I will never be confused! This is something that most new freelance writers believe. Of course, they are usually wrong. I got confused by many details early in my career, and this still happens from time to time.
Everything from how to communicate with clients to receiving payments to sending invoices can be confusing. The good thing is that every situation, no matter what it may be, can be solved if you put your mind to it. Every question has an answer.
As a new freelance writer you will want to do everything right; the same will hold true as you gain some experience. If you are confused, find an answer before moving forward. A clear mind will help you reach all your goals soon enough.
I am always looking for ways to become a more productive freelance writer. Over the years I have found it very important to start my day off on the right foot. This may sound easy enough, but there are some things that get me into a lot of trouble time after time. Of course, I try to avoid these issues at all costs to ensure that my day goes smoothly from start to finish.
To start your day off right, get up on time. If I sleep through my alarm it throws my day into disarray. Not only will I feel bad physically, but my to-do list will be more difficult to follow. Yes, it can be hard to wake up on time but it is something you have to do if you want your day to start right.
What about breakfast? This is something I strongly believe in. That being said, I know many people who just don’t like eating in the morning – and there is nothing wrong with that. For me, eating breakfast is a very big deal. Even if I don’t do this right away, I try to get something in my stomach within a couple hours of waking up. This energizes me while giving a boost that helps me work through the morning without missing a beat.
Everybody is different so you will probably have to develop your own plan. Just because I get up before the sun does not mean it will work for you. As long as you know how to start your day off right, and follow through with this everyday, there is nothing that will stand in your way.
There are some jobs when working sick is not that difficult. For instance, when I was in sales and had my own office, I could easily work sick. Sure, my day would go by slow and I would have to take more breaks than usual. But for the most part it was easy to make calls and set appointments even if I was under the weather. Unfortunately, doing so as a freelance writer is not the same.
Over the years I have found that to work effectively as a freelance writer I need to be on top of my game. It is better to take some time off when sick than to stick with things and hope that you get through the day. If you do this there is a good chance that your work is going to suffer. You are doing more than making phone calls. If your work suffers you are going to be able to see it in the words you write. To go along with this, clients will recognize the poor quality as well. Is that something you want?
Where do I draw the line? There are obviously different levels of sickness. Working with a cold is much different than sitting at your desk with the flu. You have to know when to forge ahead, as well as when to pack things in and call it quits for the day.
My advice is simple: if your work is going to suffer you are best off staying away from your computer for the time being. On the other hand, if you can do your job without compromising quality you may want to give it a go. Simply put, working sick as a freelance writer is more of a judgment call than anything else.
