Every time that I accept a new freelance writing project I get excited. After all, I love writing, and new projects give me the chance to get creative. With that being said, every project has to come to an end sooner rather than later. If not, your clients are sure to get upset with you! The question is: what do you do with a project upon completion? You may think you know the answer, but there are some details you may be forgetting.
The obvious first step upon completing a freelance writing project is to send it off to the client. But before you do this, consider the steps below instead.
1. Always, always, always proof your work before sending it off to the client. I made a big mistake with this in the past, and will never do so again. Upon completing a feature article for a decent sized publication, I proofed the work and emailed it to the client. Little did I know, I sent the wrong file which was full of mistakes. Although I usually don’t have two files, for this project I did. As you can imagine, the client was not happy when he saw all the typos, etc. Of course, I explained the situation and sent him the correct file a few minutes later. Even though I didn’t get burnt by this mistake, it did show me that proofing is an important part of the completion process.
2. You never want to email a completed job to a client with a note reading nothing more than, “Here is your project. Thanks.†Instead, put together a nice email saying how much you enjoyed the project, as well as any pointers and/or tips that the client may enjoy.
3. There is no better time to ask for more work, or pitch a new project idea. You do not want to be overbearing with this, but definitely add this somewhere. Remember, it is repeat work that will keep you busy while also keeping a nice flow of income.
Taking the three tips above into consideration, here is a sample email that you could send along with a completed project.
Mr. Tony Smith:
Attached is the project as we discussed. It came out great, and it was a joy to work on. This article is sure to elicit a response from all the readers who purchase your magazine for real estate related information.
While putting this project together, I came up with a few other ideas that may fit in well with your publication. Would you be interested in discussing them? Let me know when you get a chance.
If you see any changes that need to be made, be sure to let me know.
Thanks again, and as always it is a pleasure.
Sincerely yours,
Chris
As you can see, sending a completed freelance writing project to a client is more extensive than a few words and an attachment. If you play your cards right you may be able to earn another job.
When speaking with freelance writing clients, you need to listen and listen well. While you may think that this goes without saying, some people have a difficult time taking direction from clients. To be a successful freelance writer, you need to learn how to listen to clients and then translate what you hear into the successful completion of the project at hand.
Many freelance writers have a difficult time listening to clients because email has more or less taken over their business. When it comes time for them to speak on the phone or meet a client in person, they are either intimidated or so excited that they jump way ahead of themselves. As you can imagine, this can be an easy trap to fall into the first few times that you personally speak with a client.
The best thing that you can do is to calm down, keep your mouth closed, and listen to your client’s needs. Of course, when appropriate you will also want to lend your insight and answer any questions that are being asked of you. Generally speaking, you want to be a useful piece in the conversation without interrupting and making the client feel inferior. Believe it or not, this is easier said than done.
The first few times that I talked to freelance writing clients on the phone I was quite nervous. This led to jumpiness, speaking out of turn, and often times getting ahead of myself. Basically, it reminded me of all those bad public speaking classes that I had to take in high school. Over time I became more comfortable speaking with clients, and now I know exactly how to act.
All in all, it is important to listen to your freelance writing clients. If you are not communicating by email, it may take some time for you to catch onto your “part†in the conversation. But remember, everybody makes mistakes. Do your best to communicate well and listen to everything your client has to say. After a few phone calls or meetings you will be a pro!
From time to time, I am going to post miscellaneous freelance writing tips. They may not be full of in-depth details, but they will be quick, efficient, and helpful in your everyday career.
For today: make sure that you know your day’s work before you get started. When I began my freelance writing career I worked on projects from emails that I received from clients. As you can imagine, this got quite sloppy, and as I obtained more work, things got even worse.
Now, I always have a sticky note next to my keyboard outlining all of the jobs that I have to complete for that day. When a project gets completed I simply scratch it off the list. This is much easier than trying to remember what needs done, and hoping that I don’t forget something important.
If you are not already doing this, try it out on Monday. You will be surprised at how much easier it makes your job!
