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.
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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!
Every freelance writer is capable of improving in one way or the next. This holds true for me as well as everybody else. The important thing is that you realize this to be true, and that you continue to improve as each day goes by.
What could you do better as a freelance writer? This is a question that you should ask on a regular basis – I know I do. Upon starting my career I was disorganized. Although I did not think this was a problem at first, soon enough I realized that I was only fooling myself. While this had nothing to do with my actual writing, in the long run it was holding me back from becoming as successful as possible.
Sometimes it is difficult to admit that you could be doing something better. We all like to think we are perfect, and that everything is falling in place exactly as it should. But is this really the case? Probably not. If you cannot find something that you can improve on, ask clients what they see. There is a good chance that your clients will praise you for the most part, but also point out some details that they would like you to improve upon. This type of feedback from clients is invaluable.
I don’t want this to be an overly long post that confuses you into thinking that you are not doing anything right. Instead, I want it to show you that there is always room for improvement. Even if you like the way your freelance writing career is going, you can always get better at certain things. In the end, this will mean even more success and profits.Â
Over the years I have parted with freelance writing clients time after time. Sometimes I was the one who broke off the relationship. Other times it was the client that decided to move on. Many writers feel that they did something wrong if a client stops sending them work. While this can be the case, it does not always hold true.
Here are three common reasons why a freelance writing client may stop working with you:
1. One and done project. Not every client is going to need your services time and time again. Instead, they have one project available and need you to complete that for them. From there, they have no clue if they will ever need to hire you again. The best thing you can do is stay in touch with clients like this so they think of you for future needs.
2. You did something “wrong.†It may not always be the case, but if you do something wrong there is a good chance that the client will stop working with you. This can be anything from not following their guidelines to missing a deadline. Do your best to avoid any and all mistakes. If something comes up that you do not understand, ask for guidance. Communication can solve a lot of problems and keep a lot of clients in your pocket.
3. Cut costs. There are always going to be clients that have a nice sized freelance writing budget to start, but cut back on this at some point in the future. This has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with the fact that the client can no longer afford you. It is up to you to decide if cutting your rates to work with a particular client would be in your best interest.
I have had clients stop working with me for many reasons, including the three detailed above. This is part of being a freelance writer!
