Do you take the time to speak with other freelance writers when you get the chance? Or do you run the other way because you don’t think they have anything to offer? Over the years I have found that there are many benefits of staying in touch with other writers. Below are just a few:
1. No matter how much experience they have, you can learn something from every freelance writer. You should be interested in advancing your career, day in and day out. Ask questions of other writers, and take their advice to heart. You don’t have to listen to everything you hear, but you may be surprised at how much you can pick up from others.
2. Teach. It is great to learn from other freelance writers, but you should be willing to return the favor if at all possible. If somebody asks you a question, make sure you answer them as best you can. When you help somebody else they are more likely to do the same for you in the future.
3. Ask questions. Instead of beating around the bush when speaking with other freelance writers, come out and ask questions that have been on your mind. This gives you the chance to dig down to the deep details that have been bugging you. An experienced freelancer can probably answer all your questions – no matter what they may be.
4. Make new friends! Through my years as a freelance writer I have learned a lot from others. And along with this, I have come to make many new friends. This alone is reason enough to open up and speak with others anytime you get the chance.
By now, you should be able to see why it is a good idea to speak with other freelance writers. Do you make a habit of doing this?
As a freelance writer, it is safe to say that you work from home. Sure, I know a few freelancers who have “outside†offices but this is not very common. One thing I have found to be true over the years is that you must keep your home office organized if you are going to achieve long term success. If you are worried about this you are not alone. Just like most people I have a difficult staying organized. Fortunately, there are some tips that have helped me in this area over the years.
1. Give yourself space. With a big enough office you will always have room to store anything and everything that has to do with your career. It is much better to put things away than to leave them out in the open. Do you have a closet in your home office? How about filing cabinets or other furniture with drawers? No matter what it may be, try to put away items that you will not be using on a regular basis.
2. Don’t be a pack rat. This is a problem that I have suffered from for many years. Simply put, I hate throwing anything away. In the back of my mind, I always think that I will need to use the item again in the future. Of course, this is very rarely the case. Take it from me – don’t become a pack rat.
3. If you take it out, put it away. How many times have you taken out a file, worked on it, and set it on your desk instead of back in your filing cabinet? This happens to me time and time again. While I am getting better at putting things away, this is still an issue that plagues me.
These three tips should help you keep your home office better organized.
One of the main goals of this blog is to help other freelance writers solve their problems. While I don’t know everything (far from it) I have faced many situations in the past. So, when you have a problem there is a good chance that I have dealt with it myself.
Of course, I cannot read minds. Most of the time my blog posts are based around a personal experience, or a question/comment that is sent by a reader. If you are facing any problems, I would love to hear about them. This can be anything from a small issue on how to get started to something more advanced concerning a client.
Feel free to leave a comment or email me direct. Either way, let me know what type of issue you are facing and the steps you have taken thus far to deal with it. From there, hopefully I will be able to help. Along with this, I may even be able to turn your problem into a blog post so that we can all learn from it.
I hope to hear from many of you in the near future!
