Just like most careers, when you work as a freelance writer there are going to be “busy times†and “slow times.†When things are busy it is safe to say that your head is spinning as you move from one project to the next. On the other side, when your writing slows down you may find yourself looking for something to do.
The last thing on your mind should be taking a break. Instead, you should use this downtime to your advantage. Here are three ways to fill empty time as a freelance writer:
1. Get ahead on your work. For example, you may have a project that is due three weeks from now. Why wait to finish it off? If you have downtime now, finish the project and send it to the client early. Not only will this clear the work from your plate, but it will give your client a sense of satisfaction. On top of this, they may immediately send you more work.
2. Market your services. If you have nothing else to do, this is one task that can always keep you busy. From making cold calls to working on your website and everything in between, when you market your business you are doing what you can to take your earnings to the next level.
3. Work on a blog. It does not matter what you write about, as long as you write something. Although most people are familiar with my freelance writing blog (the one you are reading right now) I have many others spanning a variety of subjects. In addition to giving me another place to publish my thoughts, several of these blogs earn good money through advertising.
When you have time to spare, don’t sit back and wait for things to pick up. Instead, work on one or more of the tasks detailed above.
As I have mentioned before, my freelance writing course stays relatively full throughout the year. While students come and go, many of them are well on their way to a full-time freelance writing career when they bow out for good.
This past month, two members decided to leave my course behind and head out on their own. Even though I had a lot of fun working one-on-one with these students, there is no greater joy than hearing these few words:
“Chris, thanks for your time over the past three months. With your help, I was able to realize my goal of becoming a freelancer – full-time!â€
This was the email that I received from one of my top members this weekend.
When a student leaves a spot opens up. At this time, there are two available openings. If interested in joining, shoot me an email as soon as possible. As always, I don’t expect the spots to stay open for more than a day or so at the most.
Chris, where have you been? Over the past week or so I received this message time and time again from my readers – thanks to all of you for checking in. Although I went a couple of weeks without making a new post, I was still working. But instead of working from my home office, I was on the road.
As you may have found out for yourself in the past, there are both pros and cons of being a freelance writer on the road. In my opinion, though, the advantages far outweigh any potential drawbacks.
One of the main benefits of being a freelance writer is that you can work from pretty much anywhere in the world. As long as you have your computer and access to the internet, you are good to go.
Not only did I work from my hotel while out of town, but I was able to respond to email while driving in the car. In fact, I was connected so much that I never missed a beat.
I know what you are thinking: who wants to work while they are vacationing? This is definitely a negative. Since you are able to take your work anywhere you may be tempted to do so. But even though I was working, I found a happy medium that allowed for the best of both worlds. I did not get behind on my work while still being able to enjoy my time away.
There is no denying the job flexibility of a freelance writer. I plan on touching more on this topic in the near future. Do you have any stories from the road? Do you have any tips on how to balance your time?
In 2011, more clients than ever have been calling me on the phone as opposed to communicating solely via email. Of course, I don’t have a problem with this. I would often rather take a quick phone call than send several emails back and forth – hoping to get everything out in the open.
This leads to a very important question: why do so many freelance writers avoid phone conversations at all costs? Here are three common reasons:
1. Scared of saying the wrong thing. With email you have time to think before answering or asking questions. The same cannot be said with a phone conversation. Instead, you have to “go with the flow†and “think on your feet.†This is one of those things that you simply have to get used to. With a little bit of practice you will settle in soon enough.
2. Don’t want to get caught off guard. Again, you never have to worry about this on email. On the phone, though, there is always the chance that a client will ask a question that you are not expecting. What will you do? What will you say? This is linked to the details listed in number one above. You are scared of what could happen if you are caught off guard.
While a valid concern, there is not much you can do. As long as you are open and honest and provide answers as you see fit, you are doing your job.
3. Fear that you will get sucked into a long conversation. This is a different type of fear. You don’t mind speaking with clients, but every time the phone rings you have to worry about how much time it will take out of your day. The best thing you can do is get to the point, without being rude, and then attempt to wind down the conversation as quickly as possible. Chances are that your client is just as busy as you. If they get the feeling that you are in a hurry the conversation will move forward at a much faster pace.
Do you avoid phone conversations due to one or more of these reasons? Don’t let this hold you back any longer. There are solutions to every problem.
As a new freelance writer you probably have big plans for the future. Among the most common is taking control of your career, earning more money, and having a more flexible work schedule. While it is great to dream big, you don’t want to get ahead of yourself.
In my freelance writing course, I always tell students to take small steps. It may not seem like you are getting anywhere, but soon enough you will look over your shoulder and realize just how much progress you have made.
I want to earn $10k/month as a freelance writer. This is something I hear time and time again. While possible over the long haul, you should not expect this to happen overnight. Instead, you must take small steps day after day.
Which steps should I take? This depends on many factors including your current standing as a freelance writer, your future goals, and the amount of time you are devoting to your career.
As you can imagine, a full-time freelance writer has a better chance of reaching his/her goals quicker than a part-timer. However, this does not mean that part-time freelancers are at a disadvantage. Instead, you will have to take smaller steps spread out over a longer portion of time.
During my first month as a freelance writer I earned $52 dollars. By month three my total eclipsed $2k. It would have been nice to earn this much during my first month, but doing so was not possible. After 90 days, I looked at how far I had come and realized that small steps, one after the next, helped me reach one of my first income goals.
No matter if you are new to the world of freelance writing or some other career, you have to take small steps in order to achieve big time success.
For several months, my freelance writing course was full. As you can imagine, this made me a very happy person – I love helping people who are interested in following the freelance career path.
However, late last week a spot opened unexpectedly. For this reason, I wanted to make a quick post.
I don’t expect the spot to stay open for more than a day or so at the most. If you have any interest, feel free to shoot me an email. As always, it is “first come first serve.â€
Looking forward to working with more of you guys and gals in the future!
As a freelance writer you are running a business. Your primary responsibility is to write compelling content, but this is not the only thing you should be worried about.
Are you sure that each and every one of your clients is satisfied with the work you are completing for them? If not, you need to check in with them to see where you stand.
It may sound bold, but there is nothing wrong with asking clients how they feel about your relationship with them. This will quickly give you a better idea of whether or not they are satisfied.
Is there a problem? Or is your client 100 percent satisfied? No matter the answer, you can always do better. Ask if there is anything, big or small, that you can do to strengthen the relationship. You may find that there are minor things you can do here and there to ensure an even higher level of satisfaction.
Finally, if you say you are going to do something make sure you follow through. There is no point in asking clients if they are satisfied if you don’t have any intention on working towards a solution.
It is easy to assume that every one of your clients is satisfied with your work and overall approach. But do you really know for sure?
There is no better time than now to ask clients how they feel about you. Hopefully you will hear that you are doing a great job.
As a freelance writer, you must know exactly how much you charge for specific jobs. On top of this, it is every bit as important to stick to your guns. There is nothing wrong with negotiating, but “going too low†is a mistake that you will only make once.
Last week, I was knocked off my chair after reading a message from a potential “client.†Without copying the email word for word, here were some highlights:
·Articles should be at least 500 words long.
·Must write at least five articles per day.
·Payment of $1 per 500 words.
Do any of these points stick out in your mind? While the first two are reasonable enough in most cases, the third detail is a bit perplexing.
As you can imagine, I never responded to the email and simply moved on. There is nothing wrong with doing whatever you can to make money as a freelance writer, but taking on this type of project is not going to get you anywhere.
You need to know your “minimum wage†and stick to it, no matter how much it hurts at times. If you don’t, you could find yourself writing for hours on end just to earn a couple of dollars.
Almost every freelance writing project comes with a deadline. No matter if you get one day to complete the job or longer than a month, you must keep your deadline in mind and do whatever it takes to submit the final piece on time.
But what if I miss my deadline? This is a common fear among freelance writers. Regardless of how organized you are, there will probably come a time when you get behind and miss a deadline. In some cases, you may not even know what happened until the deadline has come and gone.
Here is the best thing you can do: contact your client as soon as possible to apologize. Don’t make excuses. Instead, tell them that you got caught up with other work and you are going to be a bit late with delivery.
Of course, the next step is simple: finish the job as soon as possible. Yes, this means putting all other projects on the backburner for the time being.
If you play your cards right, a missed deadline may not be the end of your relationship with the client. Although I make it a point to never miss a deadline, this has happened to me a few times in the past. With each instance, I was open and honest with the client about what happened. From there, I sent the completed project as soon as possible. Fortunately, these clients were understanding and did not hold my “screw up†against me.
If you miss a freelance writing deadline it is essential that you apologize to the client and then do whatever it takes to get up to speed as soon as possible.
As a freelance writer you will quickly learn that some clients don’t do a good job of communicating their wants and needs. This is not the case with every client, but you are sure to run into your fair share.
As a general rule of thumb, I never start a project until I am 100 percent clear of what is being asked of me. In the past, I made the mistake of starting before I asked questions. As you can imagine, this often times led to a lot of mishaps due to the initial misunderstanding.
Why are so many freelance writers afraid to ask questions? Some think they will look stupid. Others are too stubborn and want to show the client that they grasp everything the first time around.
Regardless of why you don’t ask questions you are making a big mistake. It is well worth your time. You may think that your client will look down on this, but nothing could be further from the truth. They would rather you ask good questions upfront. This way they can be confident that you are moving in the right direction from the get-go.
Sometimes I have questions about a project. Sometimes I don’t. If anything is on my mind, regardless of how big or small the detail, I always ask for clarification. This has saved me many hours over the years, and will continue to do so well into the future.
Open your mouth and ask questions. When the lines of communication are open there is a better chance that both you and your client will be happy in the end.
