In previous posts I have talked extensively about the need for a freelance writing contract in particular situations. While this will always hold true, you need to make sure that the contract is mutually beneficial. In other words, do not sign something that is geared towards making the other party happy but does not do much for you. If you do, you will have to follow the contract, and will have no recourse if something goes wrong.
It is not uncommon to ask a client to make changes before signing a contract. In fact, many in the industry have come to expect this. You will find that most contracts within the freelance writing industry are pretty standard, but of course, there are always those details that will change from time to time.
Even if most freelance writing contracts look the same, you still want to read every word closely before signing on the dotted line. You may find that you need to ask for a change to the due date, payment amount, or delivery method; and that is only the tip of the iceberg.
Remember, do not sign a contract that doesn’t suit your needs just because you want to work on the project. Your client will probably be more than willing to change the wording and details to suit your needs as well as theirs. And if they do not want to make any adjustments, you are probably better off without them. The bottom line: a contract is meant to protect both parties.
If you are a freelance writer, there is a very good chance that you work from home. While this is full of benefits, there are also some downfalls to be aware of as well. Mainly, when you work from home you have to contend with distractions and time wasters that would never present themselves in an office setting. If you are going to be productive and efficient day in and day out, you need to learn early on how to avoid these potential setbacks.
1. Are you watching too much television during the workday? As you can imagine, this is a huge issue for many freelance writers, as well as others who work from home. If you cannot bring yourself to turn the television off, there is one easy solution to this problem: take the TV out of your office!
2. Do you check your email every five minutes? If so, you are not alone. With approximately 10 email accounts, I find it difficult to not check them every so often. Early in my career this was always a problem, but as of late I have settled down a bit in this area. Now, I only check my primary accounts regularly and leave the others to once a day or so.
3. If you are addicted to an instant messenger program you will have one of the biggest time wasters in the world available to you at all times. This is not to say that these programs are all bad, but if you are not using it for business purposes, sign off during work hours. If you don’t, you could find yourself losing hours on end chatting with friends when you should be working.
4. Do you take one break just to follow it up with another? If so, you are making a huge mistake. Breaks can cut into your workday unlike anything else. While it is fine to take a break from time to time, you need to control your urge to do so too often. With nobody to tell you what to do, you have to exercise self restraint in this area. To protect yourself against this potential problem, set a break schedule that you follow each day. This will allow you to get away from the computer when need be without going overboard.Â
As a freelance writer, you want to avoid these four time wasters at all costs.Â
Since posting my last freelance writing income report, I have received a few emails asking if I ever outsource projects. In other words, do I accept work from clients, have others complete the project, and then split the earnings? Generally speaking, I do whatever I can to avoid this. In fact, I have only outsourced two or three projects over the course of my career, and even then I didn’t want to do so.
Is there something wrong with outsourcing? While there is nothing “wrong†with this process, there are two reasons that I try to avoid it at all costs:
1. I like to write, and outsourcing would cut back on that. If you are going to outsource a lot of your work you will find that you are writing less, and managing others more. Personally, I only like to accept projects that I have time to complete on my own.
2. When you outsource you never know what you are going to get. Do you know how difficult it can be to find a good freelance writer? Although they are out there, and you can find them if you put your mind to it, it may take some time. Additionally, you never know what your workers are going to do, either right or wrong. For instance, if you outsource a project and your writer plagiarizes, who is on the hook with the client? The answer is you. By completing my own work I know exactly what I am getting.
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Over the next few months I am going to be working on a few projects in which hiring writers is essential to my overall success. I plan on taking this time to learn a bit more about outsourcing, the pros and cons, and what goes into finding quality freelance writers.
Do I suggest that you outsource your freelance writing work? If you do not mind managing others and have quality writers to work with, this is an option to consider. But if you enjoy the writing process and trust yourself more than others, you will want to personally complete 99 percent of the projects that you accept.
