Most people don’t plan ahead for the week after Boxer Day. Suddenly all activity stops in many businesses and homes where freelance copywriters are working. If you plan to hire web writers to write New Year blogs or web content, how can you make sure they will be available when you need them?
Unlike the average worker with a 8:00-5:00 job, a freelance content writer must work as often as possible to meet expenses. This gives you a little better shot at finding a writer during that blank week just before New Year Day. But freelance writers also have families who gather around during that week. They have to squeeze assignments in between family activities. The best way to make sure you have someone available is to announce your need ahead of time.
- Hire ahead – Give yourself and the writer plenty of time to complete an assignment. Hire before Christmas and give the maximum time period that you can to still make your New Year deadline.
- Hire internationally – Where writers have different holidays from your own, make sure they write well in English, if that is your language of choice.
- Crowd-source assignments – Although many writers will be taking a vacation, others may not be. Crowd-sourcing sites are a good place to find many different types of writers, some of whom don’t have families or do work odd hours.
- Ask for ideas, rather than actual copy – Some crowd-sourcing sites let you ask writers for ideas, before actually choosing someone to hire. This is a good way to announce that you will be hiring someone during the week after Boxer Day. Ask before Christmas, then wait until after to actually select someone. Those who responded will be checking during the week to see if you chose them.
That week is also one of the best weeks for revamping your website for the New Year. To minimize confusion, it’s a good idea to know exactly what you want ahead of time, so you can secure a web designer or web writer who knows about how much work you will require. Securing someone ahead of time helps them plan their work/play time better, and makes sure you get your web content in good time for the launch deadline. Being clear with your expectations also helps writers meet deadlines, even during normal slow weeks.
Susette H is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
