As a freelance writer, I spend a lot of time thinking about what clients want. After all, giving clients what they want is the name of the game. Not only does this help you to pick up the initial project, but when you deliver what is asked of you, your chances of more work increases exponentially.
If I were hiring a freelance writer, there are three things that I would consider.
1. What type of experience does the writer have? If I was hiring somebody to compose a sales letter, obviously I would want a writer who has done this type of work in the past. This is not to say that the writer with the most experience would get the job, but it is always nice to know what you are getting to a certain extent.
2. To go along with number one, samples are a must. When I apply for a job or query a publication, samples usually come into play. Sure, there are rare circumstances when samples are not required, but it is not common. Just as I always send out my best samples, I would expect writers that I was hiring to do the same.
3. Communication is essential in the proper and timely completion of any freelance writing project. Personally, I always make myself available to each and every one of my clients. Not only do they know that they can reach me via email, but I always slip in my phone number just in case they want to talk in real time. It is always nice to be able to speak about the progress of a project, bumps in the road, changes, etc.
Over the past few years I have hired a few freelance writers by keeping the above considerations in mind. All but once I achieved a high level of success. The one time that I failed I ended up with a writer who was too pushy. She slacked on the deadline, but then wanted paid within five minutes of completing the job. Of course, I wanted to check over the work before sending payment.
Within the next month or so I am going to be searching for a freelance writer to team up with on a new project. By using the tips above, I am confident that I will find the right person for the job!
In today’s day and age, the most common way for freelance writers to communicate with clients is via email. Personally, I usually receive in excess of 25 emails per day. To go along with this, I send out just as many myself. This is not to say that I never use the phone or meet with clients in person, but these methods of communication are not nearly as common.
When sending email to clients, there are several tips that you will want to keep in mind.
1. Your subject should be clear and concise. Remember, you do not want the recipient to think that your email is spam. If you are not clear with your subject, this can and will happen. I like to use my name and a short blurb in the subject line. For instance “Your Name, Blog Project.†This will ensure that the client knows who the message is from, as well as what it is about.
2. You know your clients better than anybody else. If they usually respond with short emails, it probably means that they are busy. For this reason, you should get to the point as quickly as possible. This way you know that the client read your message, and that you did not take up too much of their time.
3. Just because you are using email does not mean that you should forget about etiquette. For instance, you never want to use curse words when communicating via email. Many people think that this goes without saying, but you would be surprised by how many emails I receive that are laced with curse words. Simply put, show respect to the recipient. You never know when your words will be misconstrued. Believe it or not, offending a client in an email could lead to them terminating your work.
As you can see, you need to put time into each email that you send. Follow the three tips above, and also make sure that you proofread your email before hitting the send button. Remember, once an email is sent, there is no getting it back.
Have you ever asked yourself why you became a freelance writer? If you cannot answer this question, there is a chance that you are not happy with your career. After all, you got into this line of work for a reason, right? Personally, there are several reasons that I decided to join the wonderful world of freelance writing. Here are just a few of them:
1. I love writing! I received my college degree in journalism, and even though it took me a while to get involved after graduation, I was always thinking about it. If something keeps coming to mind time after time, it is safe to say that you should find out why.
2. Even though I was always told that working as a freelance writer was a low paying job, I never really believed it. After all, there are many who are earning a freelance writing income in excess of $100k. I may not make that much money, but it sure beats sitting in a cubicle and working for somebody else.
3. I like to work independently, and call my own shots. This is not to say that I try to avoid others, but the flexibility of working on my own is definitely a huge draw of being a freelance writer. I get to set my own schedule, work at my own pace, and control my income to a certain extent. If you work in the corporate world, you are well aware that taking orders is a part of life.
The above are three reasons why I became a freelance writer. Of course, there are many other benefits of this career such as making friends with clients and colleagues, the opportunity to learn, and the chance to expand into other areas of business.
If you are thinking about becoming a freelance writer, decide why this is the career choice for you. It is much better to consider the pros and cons of this career before starting, rather than getting involved just to find that you made the wrong choice.Â
