Last July, I posted my first freelance writing income report. That month, I earned $4,894.78. At the time I was quite comfortable with the income, and my goals have not changed much. That being said, I have had a bit more success so far in 2008.
As a freelance writer, it can be difficult to maintain a steady level of income month in and month out. I have found this out over the years, and it is safe to say that this is never going to change.
So how does my income in July 2008 stack up against the same month last year? Here are the income totals, first the stats from 2007:
Number of Completed Projects: 43
Payment by PayPal: 41
Payment by Check: 1
Payment by Bank Wire: 1
Total Income: $4,894.78
July 2008 Income
Number of Completed Projects: 31
Payment by PayPal: 21
Payment by Check: 9
Payment by Bank Wire: 1
Total Income: $10,134.23
A quick comparison shows that I earned more than twice as much in July of this year as I did during July of 2007. If you look even deeper, you will also see that I completed 12 fewer projects. This is the most important stat. It shows that I am working more efficiently, and that each project is paying at a higher rate.
Although my freelance writing income report has become quite popular, this is going to be the last one for the time being. Of course, this is not to say that I will never share income related details and stats in the future. Simply put, I have decided to keep this information private from here on out for a number of different reasons.
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What is your freelance writing specialty? Is there one sort of project that you really like to take on? If so, you should follow this feeling and milk it for all that it is worth. That being said, you do not want to paint yourself into a corner. For instance, you can specialize in web copy but this does not mean that you have to limit your workload to these types of projects.
How can you find your freelance writing specialty? Once you begin to complete a variety of projects, you will find this question easier to answer. Of course, it may take a while to pinpoint a specialty that you can really sink your teeth into. I love writing sales letter. But even then, I would not consider this my specialty. These are projects that I enjoy, but I have yet to turn all of my attention to them. Instead, I help my current clients with sales letters but do not actively seek new clients in this capacity.
Do you really need to have a freelance writing specialty? The answer to this question is no. As noted above, I am still searching for what I would call my specialty. There are particular projects that I really enjoy, but unlike many freelancers that I know, I have yet to really dig in and specialize in one area. Right now, my career is moving in the right direction so I have not had the time or desire to change my focus. But this is not to say that I won’t begin to sell myself as a “specialist†in one particular area in the future.
If there is a project type that you really enjoy and you have found that you excel in that area, you may want to consider making it your specialty. From there, you can approach potential clients with this pitch in your back pocket.
If you are a freelance writer you should get excited about your work. If you do not, you may be following the wrong career path. One of the main reasons that I became a freelance writer was that I knew it would bring joy to my work life. And although I moved into this career a few years ago, I still get excited about my work.
What does it mean to get excited about your freelance writing work? To me, this means loving what you do and not dreading the workday. If you wake up in the morning thinking about how bad work is going to be, you need to find a new career. This holds true no matter if you are a freelance writer, CEO, or anything in between. When you do not get excited about your career and dread heading to the office, it is time for a change.
Don’t get me wrong, there are times when being a freelance writer is tough work. To go along with this, there are times when the excitement dies down for one reason or the next. But with that being said, a few down times should not chase you away. You should only begin to think about a change if all the excitement is gone and you are simply going through the motions.
All in all, the most successful freelance writers get excited about their work. If you enjoy your job, it will show through and in turn allow you to become a huge success!Â
