What do you do when your work starts to get boring? Even though I love my job as a freelance writer, there are times when I feel bored out of my mind. When this happens, finding a way to break out of this funk is imperative. After all, if I am in a bored frame of mind it is safe to say that it will show through in my work. And obviously, that is never a good thing for me or my clients.
Here are three things that I do when my freelance writing work starts to get boring.
1. Although blogging is still writing, it is a great way for me to get my mind off of my freelance writing work. It is nice to be able to stay in the “writing frame of mind†but escape from the direction of a freelance writing project.
2. When writing gets boring, I market my services for a few minutes. This includes everything from sending emails to past clients to checking job boards for new projects. I like doing this because it helps my freelance writing career, but has nothing to do with my primary job of cranking out articles for clients.
3. There are times when you will be facing a bout of boredom that is unbearable. These can be tough times, so instead of fighting them, simply walk away from the computer for a bit. There is nothing wrong with taking an early lunch, heading to the post office, or doing anything else that will get your mind off your writing. Just remember, you need to head back to the computer sooner rather than later. But remember, you do not want to make this a habit.
When your work gets boring, try the three tips above. They work for me, and chances are you can find some variation that works for you!
As a freelance writer you are responsible for not only writing, but also the organization of your work. After all, if you take a scatter gun approach there is a chance that you will forget an important client, and end up without the work in the future. And obviously this is not something that you want to happen.
The question is: how do you divide your time among clients? This is an important detail to consider, but one that a lot of freelancers never take into consideration.
Here are three tips when trying to divvy up your time.
1. Spend the most time with your top paying clients. But of course, this does not mean that you should neglect the others. Simply put, you should make sure that you never lose your high paying clients because they are the ones that you rely on the most. Obviously, you do not want to get so caught up on them that you neglect smaller jobs.
2. Set a schedule. This will allow you to make time for every client that you have. While you may have to stray away from your schedule from time to time, having a basic outline is better than attempting to complete all your jobs by memory.
3. If you feel that you have too much work to handle, start to phase out your lower paying jobs. This is a tough thing to do, but remember, it is your duty to treat each client with the respect they deserve. And to go along with this, each client will expect your best work. You need to deliver!
These three tips will help you to divide time among your clients. This may not sound important, but to run a top notch freelance writing operation it is essential.
Being a freelance writer does not mean that all I do is write all day. While I wish this was the case, it is far from the truth. I spend a lot of time on administrative tasks, and of course, trying to locate new jobs from time to time.
There are two ways that I get new work. A client either comes to me via my website or a referral, or I find them in one way or the next. But no matter what, I will have to work with them in order to come up with a mutually agreed upon price. The best clients are those who ask for my standard rates, and then do not attempt to negotiate them. Unfortunately, this does not always work out.
Weighing a freelance writing job offer can be difficult for a number of reasons. While payment is always something to consider, there are other factors that should go into your decision.
1. When it comes to payment you need to be careful. There is nothing wrong with taking a lower paying job if you have the time for it, but you do not want to find yourself in this habit. Remember, if you complete one low paying job for a client, they will expect the same treatment for each subsequent project.
2. Does the client come across as difficult to work with? If you get a bad feeling about a client from the start, you may want to walk away instead of accepting the work. Of course, make sure that your concern is valid. In the past few months I can think of two occurrences when I went against my gut, and then ended up burnt by an unruly client.
3. Anytime that you take on a new freelance writing job, you need to have time to complete it as specified. Even though an overloaded work schedule may sound like a dream to some freelance writers, take it from me when I say that this is not the case. I have done this to myself in the past, and the result has been 10 to 12 hour work days.
When you receive an inquiry to complete a writing job, use the tips above when deciding whether or not to accept.
