It is important to have a freelance writing resume that can be quickly forwarded to potential clients. Along with this, you must make sure your resume is perfect in terms of grammar and accuracy. And of course, it should be updated from time to time – this way you are giving out the best possible information.
Despite the fact that it is often times overlooked, it is essential that you update your freelance writing resume on a regular basis. How often you do this depends on your personal situation, the types of jobs that you are applying for, and what you are trying to accomplish.
Every time I add a new client to my list, I consider changing my resume to reflect this. Sometimes I make a change, other times I don’t – it all depends on how things play out. As you begin to consider the same, you will see what I mean. There are times when making a change just isn’t worth it. But at the same time, some things must be included on your resume no matter what needs done to make it happen.
If there are any major changes to your resume you should make them right away. For instance, did your phone number or address change? Did you recently have a book published? Anything that could greatly affect the decision of a potential client should be considered as top-notch importance.
As long as you are open to updating your freelance writing resume, nothing should stop you from making the proper changes when they are called for. Once you do this a few times you will become familiar with which updates are important, as well as those that you can overlook.
As a freelance writer, there are many tools you can use to market your services. Obviously, anything you can do online is going to be beneficial. This leads many aspiring writers to asking this question: do I need to start a freelance writing blog? The answer is no! Every time I tell somebody this they look at me perplexed and wonder if I made a mistake.
If you are going to work as a freelance writer you definitely need a website with information on yourself including a bio, services, testimonials, and anything else that you find to be important. But this does not mean that you also have to blog about freelance writing. There is nothing wrong with having a static website that can help you attract and inform clients and prospects.
Just because you are not blogging about freelance writing does not mean that you have to stay away from this entirely. Many people are stunned when I tell them that ChrisBlogging is not my most popular blog. Sure, it brings in a lot of traffic and I like to think that it helps many people. But over the past few years I have started blogs on other topics, from pets to business, which have become more popular.
Of course, if you want to blog about freelance writing there is nothing wrong with this. Maybe this is your passion, and you enjoy writing about it on a regular basis – I know I do!
In closing, you do not need a freelance writing blog to succeed as a writer. While it can be used as a marketing tool, it is not essential to your overall success.
Every so often a freelancer will contact me with a tough question: is it okay to work for free? Believe it or not, I also receive inquiries from companies and webmasters that want me to work free of charge for a specific period of time. While there are two sides of this story, it is important for you to use your own common sense when making a decision.
It is not difficult to see the downside of working for free. You are spending a lot of your time and not getting compensated for it. Instead, you are making money for somebody else. If you look at it from this point of view, it goes without saying that working for free is a bad idea.
Additionally, when you work for free you will have a more difficult time getting that “client†to pay you in the future. After all, they already know you can do the job without charging. For this reason, they may find it difficult to justify paying your rates when the time comes.
When does the free agreement end? This is something else you have to consider. If you do decide to work for free, you need to have an agreement in place. How long will you do this for? Is there a chance to make real money when the initial time expires? The last thing you want is to provide free services for an indefinite period of time.
What about the benefits? For one, you can build up a nice portfolio. Over the years, I have found this to be the number one reason why some freelancers will offer to work without pay. Although you have to be careful of the arrangement that you agree to, being able to collect some clips and work experience is a definite benefit.
Along with the above, you can also forge some great relationships. But again, make sure the setup is mutually beneficial. It is not in your best interest to work hard, without pay, just to make somebody else money. You have to benefit in some way, shape, or form.
It is impossible for me to say that you should or should not work for free. Instead, you need to consider your situation and decide on a case-by-case basis.
