Through my freelance writing course I have the joy of working with many people who are just getting involved in the industry. While every writer is unique, the same mistakes are usually made by all of them. Even though this may sound like a bad thing, making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn. That being said, you don’t want to purposely make mistakes just for the learning experience – this is never a good idea.
So, what mistakes do I find to be most common among new freelance writers?
1. Spending too much time researching and not enough time on their own business. With the internet it is easy to gather information. Unfortunately, it is also easy to get distracted. There is nothing wrong with learning about freelance writing. But at some point you need to realize that working on your own career is the best use of your time.
2. Not marketing their services. How much time are you spending marketing your services? Are you making cold calls? Sending query letters? No matter how many clients you have the marketing process never stops. This is something that you want to get familiar with early in your freelance writing career. If you want to succeed as a freelance writer you need to be willing to market, market, market.
3. The wrong fee schedule. You need to set your fees based on your experience, and of course, how much money you are interested in earning. With that in mind, you should strive to find a happy medium. Price your services too low and you will not make any money. If your pricing is too high you are going to scare away many potential clients. It takes some time to find the perfect pricing structure. Experiment with many options until you find what works.
These mistakes are common among new freelance writers, as well as those who have been around. Try to avoid them at all costs.
Are you the type of person who has been thinking about becoming a freelance writer for many months or years? This is very common – you are not alone. I remember what it felt like when trying to decide if becoming a freelance writer was a good idea. You have to think about the good and bad, as well as whether or not this is really the best decision for you and your finances. With so much to think about there is no wondering why so many aspiring freelance writers struggle with making a final decision.
Instead of beating yourself up you may want to simply decide that now is the time to become a freelance writer. Think about it this way: you have to make the decision at some point in time. You either do it now, or you continue to freak out and wonder what could be.
Of course, this is not to say that you should jump the gun and become a freelance writer before you are ready. Yes, you need to think about getting started but at the same time you do not want to make a decision until you are 100 percent sure of yourself.
I guess this leads to the question of how you will know if you should move forward. Unfortunately, I cannot help with this one. Only you know if it is time to become a freelance writer. Some people have the time and money to take the leap right now. Others have to plan out their move more carefully. Even though it may sound difficult, as you continue to think about becoming a freelance writer you will begin to ask yourself the right questions. Your answers may or may not lead you towards a career as a freelance writer.
So, what do you think? Do you want to become a freelance writer in the near future? If you have been avoiding this for one reason or the next, let down your guard and get started. You may learn that the only thing standing between you and success is you!
Over the past few days a couple members of my freelance writing course have expressed concern over communicating with clients. Mainly, they are having a difficult time asking questions for one reason or the next. This is something that needs addressed at once.
If you are afraid to ask questions of your clients there is something wrong. You should feel free to ask anything that is on your mind. Along with this, you should be confident that you will receive an answer sooner rather than later. Clients that do not want to answer questions are not worth your time. In fact, they are setting you up for failure. Believe it or not, I ask questions time after time. In some cases this is the only way of knowing how to proceed.
Is there something else holding you back? For example, many people do not ask questions because they are afraid of looking dumb. Along with this, they do not want to admit that they need help. You should never worry about either of these situations. Most clients would rather you ask a question than move forward and do the job wrong. Along with this, don’t worry about admitting that you are lost. Every freelance writer needs help from time to time, and you are not going to be any different. It is part of your job to ask for assistance when needed. You should never have too much “pride” to ask questions.
No matter how long you work as a freelance writer you are never going to learn everything about the industry and your clients. Things change, and when dealing with people you never know what will come up next. For this reason, you should ask questions when you have them. Being afraid to do so will hold you back from reaching your goals.
As a freelance writer you are going to spend a lot of time alone. The only thing that you will see is the computer in front of you. While this may sound like a dream come true, especially for those who are escaping the politics of an office, it can become a drain from time to time. I enjoy working alone, but at times I desire outside interaction. There are many ways to deal with this loneliness before going crazy.
First things first, before you become a freelance writer you should realize that you are pretty much going to be on your own. If you are the type who needs face to face interaction with coworkers and/or clients, this may not be the career for you.
Even though being a freelance writer can get lonely, there are plenty of ways to deal with this. For example, I call my clients from time to time. Although I do not regularly meet with any of them in person, a quick phone call can go a long way in breaking up the day and making me feel like there are others around. You may find that some of your clients enjoy a nice phone conversation as much as you. This is particularly true if they also work at home alone.
Speak with other freelance writers. In addition to clients, I am always interacting with other freelancers – and not just writers. A lot of my online friends are writers, but at the same time I am always in touch with developers, designers, etc. They know what it is like to work alone, so a quick conversation here and there is something they enjoy as well. Believe it or not, there are many others in the same shoes as you.
There are times when being a freelance writer can get lonely. This is to be expected when you work alone for at least eight hours a day. That being said, I don’t believe this is a reason to stay away from freelance writing. There are many ways to cope with this potential issue.
One thing I have found over the years is that every freelance writing client is different. Even if a project appears to be the same on the surface, every client has their own way of doing things. You should never assume that you know what a client wants. Instead, it is important to know for sure that you are on the same page.
How can I make this happen? The best thing you can do is ask for clarification if there are any details that you do not fully understand. Even though I have been around the freelance writing industry for many years, with every project I make sure that I know what the client is asking for. And in many cases this means asking question after question. A good client will want you to do your best, so there will not be any issue with them communicating their wants and needs.
Some clients are going to rely on you to show them the way. In fact, this happens more times than you may expect. You are the freelance writing professional, and many clients may tell you to take the bull by the horns and do your own thing. Even if you are given the power to make decisions, be sure that you still have a basic outline from your client. It is your job to explain that there are many different ways of completing a project. Although you may be given full control, you have to involve the client to a certain extent.
It is exciting to see how a client is going to approach a project. Over the years I have found that every client and project is unique. This is part of what makes freelance writing so much fun. As long as you understand what a client is asking of you, everything else should fall into place as you move forward.
Any career can get boring at times – this even holds true in the wonderful world of freelance writing. Although this is sure to happen at some time, there are some things you can do to keep your career as exciting as possible. Here are three ideas:
1. Talk to clients on the phone. When you do not have any outside communication it is safe to say that your career can lose some of its luster. By speaking with clients on the phone or in person you will find yourself having a much better time. I know some freelance writers disagree with this, but I strongly urge you to give it a try.
2. Start your own projects. As a freelance writer you control your schedule. For this reason you should be able to clear enough time to start and work on your own projects. This can be anything from a blog to niche websites to an ebook or anything else that comes to mind. I have found my projects to keep me on my toes and energized, day after day.
3. Write on subjects you enjoy. One of the quickest ways to get bored as a freelance writer is to consistently take on jobs that are no fun for you. It is very difficult to only work with topics that you enjoy. That being said, you should try to focus on your areas of interest as much as possible.
Do you have any other tips for keeping your freelance writing career exciting? When you have a smile on your face it will keep stress out of your life while also giving you a better chance of success within your career.
I strongly believe that good customer service is very important. The way you treat clients will have a lot to do with whether or not they rely on your services moving forward. With so many ways to go the extra mile for a client, there is nothing that should hold you back in this area. Here are three basic ideas that can make a big difference:
1. Turn in your work before the deadline. Over the years I have found that clients love when you do this. The last thing they want is to have their backs against the wall because you decided to turn in your work a minute before it was due. The quicker you can finish the job, without compromising quality, the better off you will be.
2. Throw in something extra. This is not something that you should do all the time, but a great idea every now and then. For instance, if a web client orders 10 keyword articles you may want to do an extra one or two just to show how much you care. Of course, make sure you tell the client that they are free – you don’t want them to think you are trying to squeeze money out of them.
3. Don’t hide. Many clients have told horror stories of hiring a freelancer just to have him disappear for days or weeks on end. Even though you know you are working hard on the task, your client cannot read minds. It is a good idea to check in from time to time. And if your client calls or sends you an email, make sure you answer as quickly as possible.
The above three ideas are just that – ideas. You can use them in your own freelance writing career, or decide on other ways to go the extra mile. No matter what, keep in mind that customer service is crucial to the development of your business.
When I was first starting out as a freelance writer I distinctly remember how intimidated I was by all of the information available online, in books, etc. The learning curve for getting started as a freelance writer appeared quite massive, and this was a very scary situation. While there is a lot of information out there, I want you to know that the learning curve is not nearly as scary as it looks. In other words, if you want to become a freelance writer do not let this hold you back.
Moving at your own pace is essential. Even though there is a lot to learn and many others who know more than you, there is no good reason to rush forward and get ahead of yourself. The learning curve is only scary if you bite off more than you can chew. Sure, every freelance writer wants to move from one stage to the next as quickly as possible. This means more success and profits in a shorter period of time. But if you rush forward and do not take care of the tasks at hand you will find yourself backtracking and trying to pick up the details and knowledge that you missed the first time around.
Every time I get involved with a new venture I look at the learning curve and wonder how I am ever going to catch up to the industry. At first it seems like progress is so far away, but soon enough everything begins to fall into place. As long as you avoid paralysis by analysis you will be just fine.
Aspiring freelance writers find out soon enough that there is a lot to learn. Take your career one step at a time so that the details never overwhelm you.
There are many ways to find work as a freelance writer. One that is often times overlooked is sending query letters to print publications. Although some freelancers believe that this is a thing of the past, I can assure you that this is still a great way to grow your client base.
Simply put, a query letter is one that you send to an editor pitching a story. I use WritersMarket.com to find contact information for editors, as well as a comprehensive list of publications. As you begin to search for publications and markets you will find that there are many options out there.
Some editors prefer to receive queries via snail mail. Others allow freelancers to get in touch via email. This information is provided by WritersMarket.com – another good reason to use the service.
There is no denying that magazines and newspapers are not nearly as popular as they once were. More and more people are using the internet and staying away from print publications. That being said, magazines are still looking for freelancers. Some of them will not pay you a dime for your submissions. Others have no problem paying in upwards of $1/word.
If you have stopped sending query letters you should have a good reason. The same holds true for those who never tried this method in the first place.
To find new clients you need to consider all your options. Sending query letters is still a great idea. Do not overlook this form of marketing your freelance writing services.
Many members of my freelance writing course share the same goal: to become a full-time freelancer. While this is a great goal to have, it is one that you need to chase with caution. You want to be smart when deciding on a full-time freelance writing career. In my opinion, this is much different than working in a part-time capacity.
If you are thinking about going full-time the following advice should help you make up your mind:
1. Is now the time to make your move? This is based on many factors including your current career. If you are unemployed you have nothing holding you back from chasing this dream. After all, it is better to work on your freelance writing career than to do nothing at all and hope another job comes around.
On the other side, you may have a steady job. In this case you need to decide if you are willing to give up a “traditional income” to chase a career as a freelance writer. This is a big risk; there is no doubt about that. Weigh the pros and cons of making this move.
2. Do you have the money? It is a very good idea to have enough money in the bank to cover your bills as your freelance writing career gets up and running. By having backup reserves you do not have to stress as much if your career is slow getting off the ground. Of course, the more bills you have the more money you need in the bank. And if you have a family, this number could get quite large.
3. Be honest with yourself. Do you have the skills to become a full-time freelance writer? Have you had past success that points you towards this career path? It is better to be honest right now than to lie to yourself and hope that things work out.
It is important to consider all details including the pros and cons of becoming a full-time freelance writer. If you feel that now is the time to chase your dream and you are being smart about your decision, go for it!
