Freelance Writing

If you are self-employed, the ability to work when and where you want is a huge benefit; at least for me. But at the same time, this flexibility can also cause quite a few problems. For instance, there is no boss telling you to get your work done. Generally speaking, the only motivation you have is that to make money and retain clients.

So how long is your workday? For me, this seems to fluctuate day in and day out. And at the same time, defining the length of my workday is never easy to do.

Take today for example. I started work on my first project of the day, a feature article, at 705 am. Four hours later, I have finished that project as well as many others. And guess what? This blog post is the last planned item that I have to complete today. This leaves me the option of doing several things until 5 o’clock rolls around.

First off, I could get started on my work for tomorrow. While I never like to do this, I will probably take an hour or so to get a head start. Another option, and the one that I have been taking advantage of, is to work on new business opportunities. As I have discussed, I am starting several new blogs that are taking up a lot of my time. But as long as I have several hours to work on them each afternoon, I should be able to keep up without any problems.

Of course, do not let these short workdays confuse you. Even though I have finished all my work today in four hours, there are other days when I work 10 hours or more; it all depends on my work load, as well as what I have going on in my life at any given time.

All in all, it is a great feeling to work half a day from time to time. But of course, being self-employed is not all fun and games. For as many half days that I work, there are just as many nighttime and weekend hours! 

There used to be a time when calling a client was pretty much the only option that you had. But in today’s day and age, email has pretty much taken over. With that being said, you do not want to become overly obsessed with using email as opposed to good old phone conversations.

Believe it or not, I have worked with some clients for a couple of years without ever talking to them on the phone. I initially touched base with them via email, or vice versa. From there, everything has been emails back and forth. And to tell you the truth, this seems to work out fine in most cases; especially if your client is based in another country.

I have also discovered that making a call to a client is not a bad idea; even if you have never spoken to them in the past. When you call a client you are doing two things. First off, you are giving them a voice to put with all of the emails that you send. This is a great way to personalize your email correspondence. Additionally, when you call a client it really shows them that you care. This is not to say that you need to carry on a long conversation, but calling to check in or say hello is a good idea.

As a freelance writer, my primary mode of communication is email; there is no denying this. Personally, I love communicating via email because it is quick, and sending work back and forth is a cinch. But in order to make your working relationship even more valuable, you will want to consider calling your clients sooner or later. They will definitely appreciate you taking the time to do so. And in many cases, this will help you to garner more work from the client in the long run!

Even the most knowledgeable workers in every industry do not know everything about their particular niche. The fact of the matter is that everybody has limitations no matter if they are a freelance writer, engineer, website designer, etc. It would be nice to have no personal limitations, but this is not the way of the world. Of course, you can cut back your limitations through experience and skill building, but even then you will find yourself hitting walls time after time.

As a freelance writer I am well aware of my limitations. In other words, I know what I can and cannot do. And of course, the things that I cannot do are the ones that I work hard on when time allows.

For instance, I am very limited when it comes to writing about the fashion industry. I have done this a bit in the past, but with little success. With that being said, I am interested in breaking through this limitation because it seems like a fun niche to get involved with.

Another example would definitely be my technical limitations within the field of blogging. As I mentioned a few posts back, I am starting several new blogs in the near future. Due to technical limitations, this has led me to hire a contractor for uploading WordPress themes and plugins, and also in the area of search engine optimization. As you can imagine, if this were a limit that I did not have, I would be saving a lot of money with this expansion into new blogs.

Once you are aware of your limitations, you will find that you work much more comfortably. Remember, there is nothing wrong with admitting that you are a bit behind in some areas. If I continually told myself that I could tackle the technical aspects of blogging, mistakes would be coming up time after time. Instead, I have owned up to this shortcoming, and am working to fix it.

The best thing you can do is to become aware of your limitations, no matter what they are, and then work to turn them in your favor. 

What do you do when your work starts to get boring? Even though I love my job as a freelance writer, there are times when I feel bored out of my mind. When this happens, finding a way to break out of this funk is imperative. After all, if I am in a bored frame of mind it is safe to say that it will show through in my work. And obviously, that is never a good thing for me or my clients.

Here are three things that I do when my freelance writing work starts to get boring.

1. Although blogging is still writing, it is a great way for me to get my mind off of my freelance writing work. It is nice to be able to stay in the “writing frame of mind” but escape from the direction of a freelance writing project.

2. When writing gets boring, I market my services for a few minutes. This includes everything from sending emails to past clients to checking job boards for new projects. I like doing this because it helps my freelance writing career, but has nothing to do with my primary job of cranking out articles for clients.

3. There are times when you will be facing a bout of boredom that is unbearable. These can be tough times, so instead of fighting them, simply walk away from the computer for a bit. There is nothing wrong with taking an early lunch, heading to the post office, or doing anything else that will get your mind off your writing. Just remember, you need to head back to the computer sooner rather than later. But remember, you do not want to make this a habit.

When your work gets boring, try the three tips above. They work for me, and chances are you can find some variation that works for you!

The majority of people who start their own business have a couple of things in mind. First off, they want to branch out on their own so they can quit working long hours for somebody else’s good. And of course, they are interested in making money. With that being said, there is one very important question to answer: are you comfortable with your online income?

As a freelance writer, my income fluctuates each month. But as you can imagine, this is something that every self-employed individual has to deal with. I do not mind a fluctuating income, and in most cases, it helps me to work harder in the future. But all in all, I am positive that I will never become comfortable with the money that I make online.

After my post earlier this month about making $5,000 in July through freelance writing, I received many emails asking me how I did this, if anybody can get started, and if I am happy with this income. While I knew the answers to the first two questions, I stumbled on whether or not this income makes me happy. If you are asking if it pays the bills, the answer is yes. But I know that there is much more money to be had.

I think that internet entrepreneurs are a special breed. Even if you are making tens of thousands of dollars each month, it is safe to say that you will want to increase this income in the near future. There is something about making money online that pushes people to want more and more. Some see this as selfish, but I see it as a great way to motivate. After all, money is the biggest motivator in the world!

Overall, I don’t believe that anybody should ever get comfortable with the money that they are making online. If you do, you will stop working towards reaching future goals. And when this happens, not only do you lose the chance to make more money, but you may also find out that you are earning less. If you are always pushing forward, there is no reason that you should be looking back!

The majority of people who are self-employed work at home. While this may seem like a great benefit of working for yourself, it also means that you need to set up a designated workspace. Sure, you could get away with sharing a room, but a place used solely for your business is always beneficial.

My workspace is nothing to be envious of. In fact, I am always looking to upgrade. Generally speaking, I have an L-shaped desk, a smaller table next to this desk, two printers, a USB hard drive, a desktop computer, and a laptop. This works out well for me because I have a spare bedroom that I use as an office.

But what if you don’t have any extra space? If this is a problem you are running into, there are some solutions. One, you may be able to clear out a little nook in your bedroom. Or maybe you can get creative and build an office in the attic or basement. Any place where there is extra space could serve you just fine. This is especially true if you have a career, such as a freelance writer, where you do not need much more than a laptop and a printer.

In my opinion, having a proper workspace is very important. If you feel comfortable and are proud of your surroundings, you will surely work better. In turn, this will pay off in the way of happiness, and of course, profits.

One of the most difficult things about being a freelance writer is earning a steady income. When I worked in the corporate world, a set amount of money would show up in my bank account twice per month. But as you probably know, self employed writers do not have this luxury.

Through my experience, there are three reasons that ones freelance writing income may begin to decline.

1. You may see a decrease in income if you decide to start working on other projects outside of your primary career. For instance, this blog has taken a bit away from my freelance writing income. Even though I made nearly $5,000 last month, this is several thousand less per month than earlier this year. While I am not happy about this, taking the chance to build this blog is something that I hope will pay off in the end.

2. Losing a big job can greatly affect your freelance writing income. For instance, if I were to lose a $1,000/month job, my income would drop to $4k/month right away. If this were to happen, I would immediately begin to search for a way to make up some or most of this money. My backup plan always has been, and always will be Associated Content. I know that I can write for them whenever necessary, and if I can do so in quantity, there is money to be had.

3. Simply put, when the quality of your work decreases, so will the amount of money that you make. This may not happen right away, but shoddy work will lead to clients dumping you. In turn, your income will suffer.

Some of these things are unavoidable, so it will not do you much good to worry about them. Instead, do your best to build your freelance writing income to a steady level. This way, you can at least have a ballpark figure of the money you will earn each month. 

One of the biggest benefits of being self-employed is the freedom that it offers. This means the freedom to wake up when you want, quit when you want, and oversee every last detail of your business. But at the same time, the biggest drawback of being self-employed is exactly the same. With so much leeway in what you can do, wasting time is something that every self-employed worker has to deal with.

Keep this in mind: even if you are self-employed it does not mean that you can slack off. In fact, the exact opposite is true. If you slack off you are not going to get paid. This is not the way that it works if you are employed by a company. You may get fired sooner or later for being a bit lazy, but until then, the paychecks will continue to roll in.

It is easier today than ever before to waste time during the workday. You can thank the internet for this. With so many distractions looming around every corner of the net, you could easily get off track and spend hours on end reading, gawking, and searching for useless information.

The way that I avoid wasting time is quite simple. Every night before I shut my computer down, I write out a list of what I have to get done the next day. When I wake up, I look at this again and devise a plan for working through the tasks. If I am lucky enough to complete them early, I will then allow myself a few minutes to scour the internet for information that is not related to work. This is more or less a reward that I give myself for working hard to complete my tasks list.

But even then, this is easier said than done. Yesterday, despite having a list of 15 things to do, I found myself searching the internet for information on dogs. I am interested in buying a dog, so of course, it was on my mind yesterday morning. Before I knew it, 15 minutes went by and I was still staring at pictures and reading about buying a new puppy. At that moment, even though I was having fun, I had to pull myself back to work. I bookmarked the page I was reading, and then made a promise that I would finish it after my work was done.

Although the internet may be the biggest way to waste time, if you work from home, you will be faced with even more distractions. This includes everything from television to radio to playing with your kids.

If you want to be successful as a self-employed worker, you need to learn how to resist temptation. Make a list, work through your tasks, and then reward yourself!

It is amazing how many people think that being self-employed as a freelance writer is a joke. They honestly believe that freelance writing is a career that anybody can excel at in no time at all. In fact, I have had more than one person say to me, “Freelance writing? I have been writing since I was in first grade!” True, these people probably did learn how to write that early in life. But it is amazing to me that they are so ignorant and clueless as to what it takes to be a successful freelance writer.

All in all, there is nothing easy about freelance writing. Although I would never trade in my career for another, it does not mean that I live the good life where work is a walk in the park everyday.

Below is a list of three things that a freelance writer has to handle that a corporate employee would never be able to sympathize with; unless they become self-employed of course.

1. As a freelance writer I am responsible for drumming up my own business. If I do not do this, I will not make any money. As you can see, this is quite different than somebody who works for a company and relies on others to keep the wheels moving.

2. When you are self-employed there is no way of escaping your work. While it does not bother me, some people have a major issue with this. Since I run my entire business alone, I think about work a large majority of the time. In other words, there is no leaving my work at the office. After all, my office is in my house!

3. Not only do I have to sell my services to obtain more work, but I am also responsible for collecting the money that is due to me. Unless you work as a collector or in the accounts receivable department, you really have no idea what this is all about. If I do not do a good job as a collector, once again, I do not get paid. This is far from the way that things work in the corporate world. Try telling an executive that their salary will be paid when the company’s clients decide to send some money. Trust me, it wouldn’t work; not even for a second!

The freelance writing life is a great one. I am the first to admit that I love everything about it. But when people think that being self-employed is a joke, it really irks me. The next time that you catch flack for living the “easy life,” point your critics towards this post. They will see where you are coming from right away!

There is no doubt that being self-employed has quite a few benefits. And of course, I would not have it any other way. When it comes down to it, I would never go back to working for somebody else; even if it meant more money. But with that being said, there are some drawbacks of being self-employed. One of the biggest ones that you will have to deal with is purchasing your own health insurance coverage.

Buying an individual health insurance policy can be a difficult process for even the most knowledgeable self-employed professionals. If you are making a decent income, you may not think twice about having to pay for your own health insurance. But on the other side of things, if you are new to being self-employed, and are yet to breakthrough, any money that you have to pay out can be damaging to your bottom line.

No matter what, you need to make sure that you purchase some type of coverage. Even if you buy a high deductible policy, you will at least be covered if something catastrophic were to happen.

Luckily, most people can find a reasonably priced policy that will give them coverage ranging from basic office visits to prescription drugs to hospitalization.

You may be wondering what type of health insurance policy I have, right? At this time, I purchase both by health and dental through Aetna; it is a PPO plan and offers a good level of benefits without too high of a price tag. I pay $155 per month for both; which I am pretty happy about. Some of the more important details of the policy include a $1,500 deductible, $3,000 out of pocket limit, and low co-pays. Although the deductible and out of pocket limit may sound high, I always make sure that I have at least $3,000 tucked away in case I need to max out for a particular year. This has yet to happen yet, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

Remember, if you are self-employed you will be able to deduct 100 percent of your health insurance premiums. This is something that you do not want to forget when it comes time to do your taxes. Make sure that you ask your tax professional about this so that you keep everything legal.

Freelance writers and other self-employed professionals do not have the luxury of getting health insurance from their employer. If you are in this boat, make sure that you buy your own policy. Despite the cost, it is well worth it.