There is a big difference between a freelance writer, and a firm that chases as many clients as possible and then subcontracts the work. Personally, I do not believe in subcontracting. If I take on a job from a client, I give them my assurance that I will be working on the project from start to finish. To go along with this, the concept of subcontracting has never appealed to me. This is not to say that I have never hired another writer, but if I do, it is for special circumstances and my client is always aware of this.
There are many reasons that I am against subcontracting:
1. I like to do my own work! This is the number one reason that I will never look into subcontracting on a regular basis. Many people get involved with the freelance writing industry as a way to make money. While everybody likes to get paid well, I also enjoy the work that comes my way.
2. You never know what you are going to get when you hire subcontractors. And guess what? If the work is not up to par, it is not the subcontractor that the client is going to come after, it is you. If you must absolutely hire somebody to help you with a project, make sure that you carefully check their background, skills, and samples. There is nothing worse than receiving sub-par work, and then being on the hook with your client.
3. You don’t make as much money. Take for instance a project that entails 10 keyword articles at a rate of $25 each. If you were to complete this job on your own, you would earn $250. But if you contract this work out for half of the amount, or $12.50/article, you will only earn $125. Are you willing to give up a large chunk of your profits just so you don’t have to do the work?
There is nothing wrong with operating a freelance writing firm that hires subcontractors. In fact, I have several contacts who earn a lot of money doing business this way. But personally, I enjoy the writing process too much to hire subcontractors.
Over the past few days I have received five to ten emails asking the same question: what type of freelance writing work do you do? I assume that the majority of those asking this question believe that by taking on the same projects they will be able to earn more money. While this is true to a certain extent, the clients that you work with are just as important, if not more so, than the projects that you accept. In other words, some freelance writing clients pay much better than others.
Although my workload changes from month to month, here are three of my most common gigs:
Feature Articles
I have said time after time that Writer’s Market is a great way to find publications that accept freelance writers. Although I have not queried many magazines over the past few months, I plan on picking up the pace in the weeks to come. For an idea of what kind of features I write, check out my article Are you too Trusting? in Insight Magazine.
Corporate Blogging
Over the past few months I have began to pick up more and more clients in this area. Companies are looking to form a web presence, and for this reason many are hiring bloggers. At this time I work with several large companies in this capacity. My duties include everything from writing content to uploading images and increasing traffic.
Keyword Articles
As long as there is an internet there will always be a need for quality content. Keyword articles make up a large chunk of my business. Clients buy these articles in bulk hoping that they will help their sites to rank better in the search engines. Keyword articles can be a lot of fun if you enjoy the topic that you are researching and writing about.
Of course, I work on many other types of freelance writing projects as well. Generally speaking, I have experience in many areas and tend to accept jobs within all of them as long as they meet my specifications. What type of projects do you guys and gals prefer?
Starting a freelance writing career can often times be difficult because those around you may not agree with this choice. When it comes down to it, many people do not understand what a freelance writing career entails or how much money you can earn through this type of work. That being said, if you explain your ambitions and how you plan on achieving success you may have an easier time getting those around you to understand what you are doing.
When I first started my career as a freelance writer I heard the same questions time after time: can you really make money as a writer? Aren’t there a lot of creative types who have a hard time making ends meet? After hearing so many people put down my idea of becoming a freelance writer, it would have been easy to agree with them and stay stuck in an office job the rest of my life. You need to realize that there are always going to be people telling you that what you are doing is wrong. If you listen, it is safe to say that you may miss out on your dreams.
Instead of simply cutting the doubters out of your life, you would be better suited to explain what a career in freelance writing is all about. Not only do you want to tell them what you would be doing on a daily basis, but you should also let them know that this is a legitimate career that offers many opportunities. You will be surprised at how many of these doubters change their outlook on the freelance writing industry after you show them the details.
Remember, a career in freelance writing is not exactly common. For this reason, there are always going to be a lot of people who are not sure of this path; including your friends and family. If you want to move on with them on your side, take the time to explain your freelance writing ambitions as well as the basics of the industry. Â
