Welcome to the wonderful, wacky world of freelance writing. You will discover a newly found freedom to schedule your time and activities while earning money by penning articles, blog posts, white papers and more. To get started, take a few moments to develop a strategy based on some fairly simple tips.
1. Research a variety of writing platforms to find the ones best suited to your skills. Read reviews and definitely read the FAQs on the various platforms. Each site operates slightly differently, and it is best to understand their rules prior to investing the time to sign up and create a profile.
2, Create a base profile that can be adjusted to each site. List your strengths as a writer, and include the writing styles and your strongest topics to attract clients. Brevity and clarity should be your goal.
3. Research compensation rates for the type of writing you wish to do and keep a target rate in mind as you check out projects. For example, you might target $40 per hour. Thus, when you take on projects, keep in mind the pay for that article and how long it will take you to write it satisfactorily. If you cannot complete it close to a $40 per hour rate, then perhaps you should seek out a different project. Of course, as you get started, taking on a variety of jobs regardless of the pay will help you get established.
4. Research the negotiation, marketing and communication skills necessary to developing a solid clientele, submitting pitches, negotiating compensation and correspondence with clients and writing platform staff.
5. Maintain meticulous records regarding projects, negotiated rates, deadlines and contact information.
6. Design and create your own website to act as your electronic business card and develop a blog linked to it where you can post articles.
7. Never miss a deadline. That cannot be understated. Never miss a deadline.
8. Research various marketing techniques and utilize a variety of electronic and conventional methods of promoting yourself.
9. Keep a schedule. It is very easy to stray from the course when you have the freedom to manage your portfolio any way you like. However, the flexibility can quickly become a liability without developing the discipline to maintain some structure through the week. Newbie writers frequently discover that Friday has arrived and no projects have been completed.
10. Be gracious about revisions, whether it is to change the tone of voice, alter the formatting or any other request.
11.Finally, communicate clearly with clients about project expectations, goals and deadlines. This will help to ensure the clients will be happy with your results on the first submission.
Wendy H has been successfully writing professionally for over 20 years, and she enjoys the freedom of freelancing and working with her clientele.
