Freelance Writing|Freelance Writer

Are you Comfortable with a Fluctuating Income?

For many, one of the most difficult parts of being a freelance writer is dealing with a fluctuating income. Unlike a more traditional job, working as a freelance writer means that your income will change from month to month. While it may stay in the same range, it will never be identical. Believe it or not, this is one of the main reasons that many people avoid freelancing. Personally, I do not see this as a bad thing but instead a benefit.

As a freelance writer you control your income. Yes, it will change from month to month but you have the ability to more or less control how much you bring in. The harder you work and the better you become the more money you will earn. This is not always the case when working a traditional job. Instead, you will find that your employer only wants to pay you so much no matter how much time you put in.

Even though you will have a steady income when you work for a company, you may reach your peak soon enough and find it hard to advance your career. There is no denying that it can be nerve racking to deal with a fluctuating income. This is particularly true if you have a family, a lot of expenses, etc. But remember the benefits as well. You do not have anybody capping your income. It may fluctuate monthly, but if you work hard you can increase your income over time. 

If you are not comfortable with a fluctuating income you may want to reconsider joining the freelance writing industry. Even though this can be a drawback, the potential to control your own income should be enough to keep you interested in a career as a freelance writer.

A Missed Deadline can Cost you a Client

As a freelance writer you have a lot of responsibility. Not only do you need to do what is best for your career, but you have to keep your clients happy at all times as well. If you have several clients, and you probably do, you know that juggling them can be difficult. That being said, you have to find a way to please everybody know matter what circumstances you face. One sure fire way to lose a client is to miss a deadline.

When you miss a deadline you are doing two things. First off, you are putting the client in a very bad position. They set the deadline for a reason, and will probably have to make some changes now that you did not come through for them. Secondly, you are harming your career. If you are not serious about meeting every deadline it is safe to say that your career as a freelance writer will be short lived. This is something that you have to take great pride in. If you say a project will be done by the deadline you need to stick to your word and make sure this happens.

Will a missed deadline always result in losing the client? A lot of it depends on your relationship. Have you worked with the client in the past? Do they trust that you simply made a mistake and that this will never happen again? Some clients will cut you slack. Others will part ways the second that you miss a deadline.

A missed deadline may not always cost you a client, but that doesn’t mean you should be tempted to take the risk. This is your career, and you need to make sure that meeting every deadline is one of your top priorities. 

Can anybody be a Freelance Writer?

I want to revisit this topic because it has been brought up to me via email a couple times this week. The question is: can anybody be a freelance writer? Some people say yes while others say no way. In my opinion, becoming a freelance writer is way more difficult than most people believe. There are some who think that being a freelance writer is nothing more than throwing together a blog, heading to the Digital Point forums, and landing some clients. Even though you can find low paying clients this way, it is not the path you want to take if you are truly interested in becoming a professional freelance writer.

There are three reasons why I feel not everybody can achieve success as a freelance writer:

1. Writing skills. Most people either have this skill or they don’t. Sure, you can learn how to become a better writer with a lot of practice. But through the years I have found that you are either good at writing or you are not. If you do not have writing skills you cannot become a successful freelance writer. Clients pay good money for quality content. Can you offer this?

2. Marketing. If you are going to become a top notch freelance writer you have to market your services. Again, there is more to landing clients than forums and bidding sites. You have to become skilled at marketing your services in a variety of ways including cold calls, cold emails, query letters, and more. Revisit my post on freelance writing marketing for more information on this. 

3. Courage. It is not easy to jump into the freelance writing game. If you quit your 9 – 5 to become a freelance writer you are giving up the security of a regular paycheck. While you are getting a lot in return, such as the potential to earn more money, you need the courage to take the leap.

If you want to become a freelance writer I strongly encourage you to research the industry before getting started. Courageous individuals with writing and marketing skills may be perfect for a career as a freelance writer. Those who do not meet these criteria should think long and hard before getting started. Freelance writing success does not always come easy.