Listen up: finding freelance writing projects is hard work; especially if you are just getting started. Obviously, I had a more difficult time finding work when I first started than I do right now. But guess what? Even established freelance writers can find it hard to locate clients that they are willing to work with.
One of the main reasons that the majority of aspiring freelance writers fail is that they are not expecting to run into any issues. In other words, they think that earning a healthy freelance writing income is a piece of cake. Yes, it is possible to earn a solid living as a writer, but far from easy. If you are not willing to put in the time to find projects and grow your client base, you will simply become another statistic.
Of course, it is easier said than done, right? Well, you are definitely correct in thinking this. I can sit here all day and offer tips on how to find clients, such as through cold calling and query letters, but it is you, the writer, who has to get moving in the right direction. It is one thing to know how to find projects and clients, but another thing entirely when it comes to getting out there and doing it.
My post yesterday, The Legitimacy of Freelance Bidding Sites, is a perfect example. Why do most freelancers, writers or not, like to use these sites? Some of them see it is a great way to add some new clients when not marketing in other ways. But the majority of people using these sites do so because they are simple. It is much easier to bid on a job than to cold call a local company, find the right contact, and then give them your sales pitch. But guess what? While using bidding sites may be easier, it is probably not going to help you reach your goals anytime soon.
Simply put, finding work as a freelance writer can be a long, hard, time consuming road. This is something that you should be aware of when you decide to enter this industry. This is not supposed to scare you away. Instead, it should show you that if you are willing to work hard, results will follow.
Day in and day out, I receive emails from aspiring writers who want to find all of their work via freelance bidding sites such as GetAFreelancer, Elance, etc. While this is a good place to start your search for work, it should not be the end all. The fact of the matter is that high paying, high quality clients do not usually hire freelance writers via bidding sites. Sure, some of them do, but there are not many. I can count on one hand how many quality clients I have found through these sites.
Are bidding sites legitimate? The short answer to this question is yes. These sites are not a scam; you can secure work through them if you know what you are doing. But that being said, there is a lot of competition, and as noted above, it can be difficult to find clients that you are going to want to work with on a long term basis. In my experience, especially as of late, more and more buyers on these sites are looking for the freelance writer offering the lowest rate; even if they do not have good writing skills.
If you are going to use a bidding site to find work and new clients, make sure that this is not the only technique within your marketing strategy. There is nothing wrong with bidding for jobs, but if this is your sole means of finding work it can be a major problem. Instead, mix cold calling and sending query letters in with bidding on jobs. This way, if things begin to run dry in one area you can always rely on finding work in other ways.
The earlier in your career that you begin to stray away from relying solely on freelance bidding sites the better off you are going to be. Yes, there are some jobs that are worth winning and some buyers that are of high quality and integrity. But at the same time, it is important to remember that bidding sites should not be used as your only way of finding work. It should simply be one part of your marketing plan.
Last month, my freelance writing income totaled more than $9,200. This was my highest earning month of 2008. And while it would be nice to earn this much money each month, it is quite difficult to keep up the pace. Going into June, I was thinking that an income of $7k to $9k was a reasonable goal. While my income goals are never that high, with some new clients on board I felt that it was more than doable.
So how did June shape up? Was my freelance writing income more than it was in May?
Number of Completed Projects: 30
Payment by PayPal: 26
Payment by Check: 3
Payment by Bank Wire: 1
Total Income: $10,073.34
Although I did not see it coming, I ended up earning approximately $800 more in June than I did in May. The main reason for this was simple: I completed eight more jobs while also adding a few new clients to the mix. As I mentioned last month, completing more jobs usually equals more income as far as my career is concerned.
June was the first month of 2008 in which I broke the $10k mark. Again, this is not what I strive for but it would surely be nice to keep this up for the rest of the year. Is this possible? Sure it is. That being said, I don’t see it happening. As a freelance writer you have to get used to the up and down flow of the business. Last month I earned more than $10k, but in July this number could slide back down to the $5k range. It all depends on how much work my clients need, and of course, when they send payment. As always, I will be happy with $4,500 or so.
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