Are you the type of person who likes to avoid risk at all costs? If so, you are just like many others. But at the same time, if this is the way that you run your life you are going to have a tough time becoming a full-time freelance writer. Every freelance writer takes some level of risk at the beginning of their career in order to get things moving in the right direction. While there are some ways that you can reduce the amount of risk that you have to take, it is next to impossible to get rid of it altogether.
What are the main risks of attempting to become a freelance writer?
1. Many quit their job in order to chase the dream of becoming a full-time freelance writer. This is what I did, and in the end things worked out nicely. But of course, this is not the case for everybody who has taken this leap. There are two things that you can to do lower your risk level in this situation. 1. Before you quit, build up an emergency fund that you can draw from while you are getting your career up and running. 2. Keep your current position while working as a freelance writer on a part-time basis. Then when you begin to earn as much freelancing as you do at your job, you can make a smooth transaction.
2. Another big risk of being a freelance writer is that your income is not steady from month to month. If you follow my income reports, you know that some months I earn around $5k, but other months I exceed $7k. With such a great fluctuation in income it can be difficult to plan for the future, and make certain financial decisions. With that being said, once you have a steady amount of work things do get easier.
3. When you work as a freelance writer you are relying on yourself and nobody else. There is no boss to call if you get in a bind, or somebody making sure that you have enough work to stay busy. Is this a risk that you are willing to take? If you have never been in complete control of your career in the past, this may scare you a bit. But when you take this risk and succeed, you will realize just how good it feels to call all the shots.
Remember, risk may seem dangerous on the surface but there are rewards to be had if you forge ahead and work hard. As a freelance writer, once you get past the initial risks listed above, you will have the freedom to work at your own pace from the comfort of your own home. And of course, the biggest reward is that you control your income!Â
There are many reasons as to why you may not be earning as much money as you should. When you know why you are on the low end of the totem pole, you will find it much easier to reach the top.
Here are three reasons why you may be stuck in a rut and not earning as much as others in the freelance writing industry:
1. Are you quoting too low when a new client gets in touch with you? This is a common problem, especially amongst freelance writers who feel that they have to lower prices in order to garner business. This is why it is important to have a firm rate sheet in place from day one. When you quote a fair and reasonable price, you will find that plenty of clients want to work with you and that you are earning a nice wage.
2. You may be spending too much time on the projects that you accept. This is not to say that you should rush through jobs just to get paid, but you do not want to spend too much time on menial tasks when it is not necessary. You should have a good idea of how long a project will take when you accept the job. Additionally, make sure that you track your hours, even if only roughly, so that you stay on track from start to finish.
3. To become a high earning freelance writer you need to expand your client base from time to time. You can do this through an extensive marketing plan that includes everything from cold calling to managing a website and/or blog. As you gain more high paying clients, you can get rid of those that do not pay as well. Once you get this cycle started, you will see your freelance writing income climbing as the months go by.
Do you want to earn more as a freelance writer? If so, consider if the above is causing you any problems. As you can see, all of the potential issues listed are easily remedied if you put time and effort into resolving them. Â
First I would like to thank Chris for letting me make a guest post. He has been writing off and on for me for close to two years and he is an excellent example of doing what it takes to develop an ongoing professional relationship with a customer, leading to more freelance work. I know I can count on him for quality work delivered on time, and he is easy to work with. Any aspiring freelance writer would do well to pay attention to his advice and follow his example.
I was a full time freelance writer for more than a year before switching to full time Internet marketing, and follow this blog regularly. One area where I excelled that I feel may be of help to aspiring freelance writers is what I am going to tell you about today.
The tactic I used as a freelancer was to find a market where there was a great deal of money and start writing in it for anything I could get. In other words, I accepted low paying assignments to break into the market but I wanted a market that could financially support a high-end freelancer as I moved up. It helps if you find a market that interests you, but it is not required. I concentrated on this single market and built a name for myself. As I became better known, I was able to charge more for my freelance writing. When I left the market, I only had a handful of clients who I was willing to work with who kept me busy, always paid on time and were easy to work with.
I realize as an aspiring freelancer it is sometimes tough to find any work, much less work that pays well, but by focusing your efforts on one or two industries at the beginning you will have a much better chance to build a name for yourself. This is a type of personal branding, and is very important when you hope to make more than a few cents a word for your writing. Do not get in the trap of being the “cheap freelancerâ€. Always work to improve not only your writing, but also your rates.
Of course for this plan to work well, you must have the basics covered first. You have to write well, make your deadlines and be relatively easy to work with. Beyond that, the more specialized the knowledge is that you write about, the better. As you start to top out in one industry, consider adding a second industry to make a name for yourself in. Once you are well known for quality work in two or three industries, you can start to only work with the people you want to work with and receive higher payments for the work you do.
Wes Young is a full time Internet marketer, SEO expert, coach and consultant. He recently launched a series of free Internet marketing lessons, available atwww.internetmarketingcodex.com/free-lessons/
