This week has been a busy one for me as far as checking email is concerned. While I always receive a lot of email, it seems like this week was above and beyond. Of course, this is not a problem. In fact, I always give out my email address because I love hearing from other freelance writers, aspiring entrepreneurs, and anybody else who will take the time to touch base.
Three questions continuously pop up in my email account. I’ll never stop answering them individually, but I would also like to make the answers available to every visitor.
1. How can I market my freelance writing services? This is a topic that I talk about on a regular basis, but a question that will never go away. When it comes down to it, the way that you market your freelance writing services is up to you. Personally, I think you should try the following: cold calling, sending query letters, a blog, a service based website, and cold emailing. Chances are that if you add these things to your marketing plan you will secure some projects.
2. I am having the hardest time getting started – any suggestions? I have one good answer to this question: go for it! The more time you waste, the easier it will be for you to leave your freelance writing dreams behind. To build a successful career, you must get started. Sure, it can be scary and intimidating, but procrastinating is not going to get you anywhere.
3. Is there enough room in the freelance writing industry for me? Of course there is! Not only is the internet expanding rapidly, but there is always room to freelance for magazines and newspapers if you offer solid writing skills. Remember, there is competition in every industry. If you let this hold you back, you will never reach your freelance writing goals.
These are three of the most common freelance writing questions that are asked of me. Are they the only ones? Of course not! If you have anything else on your mind, feel free to send me an email. Like always, I’ll try to get back to you right away.
As of late, I have been thinking a lot about which months are best to me as far as freelance writing income is concerned. Obviously, some industries have particular times of the year where they do more business. But is this the case with freelance writing?
After a lot of thinking and plenty of number crunching, I cannot find a solid answer to this question based on my past income. For instance, last January I eclipsed $8k for one of my biggest months ever. But through three weeks of January 2008, I am nowhere close to that mark. Is this because January is a slower month, but last year I got lucky? Does the economy and fear of a recession have anything to do with this?
On the same token, you would expect December to be a traditionally bad month due in large part to Christmas, etc. But once again, comparing my last two years of income did not get me very far. In December of 2007, I earned $6,304.50. But in 2006, I only broke $4,500.
By looking at my freelance writing income stats, there is no trend pointing towards the best and worst months. Of course, this does not mean anything; it could just be me.
What do you think? Are there some months that are consistently better in terms of income? If you take a look at your past stats, you should be able to see if there are any trends. For now, I’ll go along thinking that freelance writing is a great money maker during all 12 months! Care to change my mind?
As a freelance writer, you have the ability to set your own schedule. But even though this is a benefit in many ways, it can also act as a drawback as well. Since you do not have anybody telling you what to do, you are responsible for staying on track and getting your work done on time. One of the most common ways to get yourself in trouble with clients is to send them work past deadline. Not only will this infuriate them, but it will probably force them to leave you and find a new writer.
For me, the best way to save time for writing is to cut out extracurricular activities during the workday. Personally, I like to work between the hours of 700am and 5pm. While all of this time is not spent on writing, most of it is for business related activity. Early in my career, I had a difficult time staying at the computer all day long. After all, I had never worked from home with the freedom to do whatever I wanted.
Some of the most common time wasters for freelance writers include:
1. Watching television and/or listening to the radio. Not only will this slow you down, but it will also mess with your concentration at the same time. In the end, this will result in lost time as well as sub-par work; both things that will bring down your freelance writing business.
2. Leaving your home office for personal reasons. While this is often times impossible to avoid, you should give it your best shot. For example, you may want to do your grocery shopping during the day, but if you are supposed to be working, you should fight the urge. Flexibility is a great part of being a freelance writer. Just make sure that you do not abuse this benefit.
3. Spending time checking email and/or browsing the internet. All in all, this is the number one time waster for freelance writers as well as other professionals. In fact, many companies are coming up with new and innovative ways to block employees from wasting too much time online. Of course, since you have no boss, you will need to exercise self restraint. It is entirely too easy to look at one website, which turns into two and then more. Before you know it, you will be losing valuable time without even realizing it.
As a freelance writer, your main goal should be to write as much as possible during your business hours. This does not mean that you should get rid of your flexible schedule, but you definitely need to cut back on any extracurricular activities that waste time and steal your attention.
