So you have decided to take the leap and become a work at home freelance writer? If so, you already took the most difficult step, in my opinion. The act of giving up the rat race and heading for a career as a freelancer is a big step. And once you get past this you can begin to work towards a successful career that you will truly enjoy.
Of course, reality will set in soon enough when you realize that you must now make your dream of becoming a freelance writer come true. Your first week working in this capacity is not going to be easy. There will be a lot going through your mind, and some of it will be bad. But if you stick with your choice and continue to work hard you will get out of your first week unscathed.
During your first week as a work at home freelancer you may run into some doubt. Should I have made the change? Is this the best career path for me? Doubt is common, and you should not let this slow you down. Every freelance writer had to deal with this early in their career. The best thing you can do is face this doubt head on as to find a way to work around it.
Also, expect your work environment to be different. You will no longer be in an office with co-workers, but instead at home alone or with your family. Just like the doubt you are going to face, this is a big change. It took me a few weeks to become comfortable working at home. Even though it is a big change, it is one that you will probably enjoy once you settle into a routine.
This post is not meant to prepare you for everything you will face as a new work at home freelance writer. But it is meant to open your eyes to the doubt, uncertainty, and change that will be staring you in the face.
Once you make the decision to work at home as a freelance writer you are on your way to success. Don’t give up no matter what obstacles you face.Â
When giving a quote for a freelance writing project you should consider two things: your rate and the details of the job. With these two details in mind you will be able to offer a fair quote that should suit both you and the buyer. If it doesn’t, you need to decide whether or not to renegotiate. Some freelance writers will drop their price a bit to land a gig, but others stick to their guns no matter what. Which group do you belong to?
Obviously, your freelance writing rates are the most important detail when giving a quote. No matter the client or the project, if you follow your rates it should not take you long to give a quote. For instance, if you have a set rate of $500 for a 500 word sales letter you can pretty much tell the buyer right away what you charge.
I don’t want you to think that the project details aren’t important, though. Sometimes the details of a given project may change your rate. As I have said many times before, one keyword article, for example, is not the same as the next. Just because you have a base rate does not mean that you will use it for every quote. The difference from one keyword article to the next can be huge. Length, subject matter, and research time should all be considered. For me, a 500 word article on the game of basketball would come much easier than one on landscaping tips. For this reason my quote would be different for each article.
When giving a quote consider your rate first. From there, let the project details guide you when customizing the quote. You may be able to offer a slightly lower price if the topic is right. But on the other hand, you may want to charge a bit more if you know you will be spending extra time on the project. Remember, you don’t have to rush to give a quote. You can take your time to ensure that you quote the right price.
Even if you get along with all of your freelance writing clients there is going to come a time when a payment is taking entirely too long to arrive. This is not the most fun part of being a freelance writer, but it comes along with the territory. Remember, you are more than a writer. You are also in charge of many other aspects of running a business including accounts receivable.
If a payment is late you will know it. In this case you need to send a payment reminder to the client. That being said, you don’t want to go overboard and accuse them of trying to rip you off. Not only will this anger the client, but it may harm your relationship as you move forward. Remember, just because a payment is late does not mean the client is trying to stiff you. They may simply be running behind for one reason or the next; this does happen from time to time. In fact, I have found this to be the case more times than not with some of my larger corporate clients.
Since you probably send most of your invoices via email this is the best way to send a payment reminder. Believe it or not, you can be quick and to the point when doing so. Take the following, for example:
Good morning:
I wanted to send a quick note to checkup on the most recent invoice. I wanted to make sure you received it, and that there is no problem with processing my request. Please let me know if you need anything else from me.
Sincerely,
Your Name
As you can see, the above is friendly while also getting the point across. I never accused the client of holding out on me, or came across as rude and/r disrespectful. In many cases all it takes is a quick reminder to push the client to immediately send the payment.
Sending payment reminders is part of running a successful freelance writing career. If you customize the note above you should not have any issues sending a reminder if the time comes.Â
