As a freelance writer, I have learned a lot over the years. That being said, one of the most important lessons to date is that time management is very important. If you are not efficient with the time that is available, you will find it difficult to excel. Fortunately, this is something that you will become better at as your freelance writing career moves forward. In my early days, I struggled with this much like many others. But today, I do a nice job of managing my time no matter what projects I have on my plate or what other tasks are on my to-do list.
Here are three time management tips that will serve you well as a freelance writer:
1. As I have said in the past, having a to-do list will allow you to more efficiently manage your time. In the past, I made the mistake of trying to handle my workload without a to-do list. Soon enough, I was forgetting about deadlines and running into other related issues. But as soon as I put a to-do list in action I found it easy to stay on track.
2. Make the most of every minute. No matter if you are a full-time or part-time freelance writer, you want to make sure that you are using every minute of your work time to complete essential tasks. There are many distractions that are sure to be calling your name. After all, it is easy to browse the internet or check your email accounts. But if you make a habit of wasting a few minutes here and there, you will find out soon enough that you are not making any progress.
3. Keep distractions out. I have found that managing my time is much easier when I am concentrating 100 percent on the task at hand. This goes along with tip number two to a certain extent. When working, make sure that you turn off the television and keep other distractions as far away as possible. In the long run, you will find that this makes you a much more efficient writer.
Time management skills will help you succeed as a freelance writer. If you are struggling with this, try to implement the three tips above. As you become better at managing your time, you will find that your productivity is on the rise. And when this happens, you should expect to see an increase in income as well.Â
Every freelance writer wants to have a stable of regular clients. This is something that can take time, and even then, you never know what is going to happen. I have several clients that I work with on a regular basis, but at the same time there are others that are “one and done.†That being said, you never know when one small project is going to turn into a large, long term gig. For this reason, you should always do your best work while also pushing to turn a client into a regular.
If you are interested in expanding your client base, and you should be, there are several basic tips that you can follow:
1. Do not limit yourself when you are starting out as a freelance writer. In other words, be open to different types of projects and topics. This will help you to get a good feel for what you like best.
When I started as a freelance writer I really liked web content. And while I still write for the web, I learned that corporate writing and feature articles are also very interesting. By keeping an open mind, I quickly found which areas I was most interested in. And by being willing to work on a variety of projects, it allowed me to expand my client base in the shortest possible period of time.
2. Network with as many other freelance writers and online entrepreneurs as possible. My friends in the industry are always sending leads my way. And when possible, I do the same for them. The more people that you network with the more clients you are going to find. It can take a while to build a network, but in the long run it will work to your advantage.
3. Use every possible marketing method. This includes a website, blog, cold calling, cold emailing, and query letters among others. Through marketing, you will find potential clients while also getting your name in front of a lot of people.
These three tips are basic, but they will go a long way in helping you to expand your client base. And as you expand your client base, you have a much better chance of finding buyers that offer regular work.
When I first started this blog, my main goal was to reach out to the freelance writing industry in an attempt to give something back. After only one year, I feel that I have reached a few of my goals. Traffic is currently growing, my RSS readership is hovering around 350, and my freelance writing course has taken off.
This past weekend I was surprised to receive an email from somebody who is interested in purchasing ChrisBlogging. Over the past few months I began to move away from personal posts and more into freelance writing information in general. That being said, I never thought that somebody would make an offer to purchase the blog; especially since it is not listed for sale.
I was not sure what to make of this offer, so I asked the potential buyer to contact me via phone; which he did. While I believe that the buyer is serious, I immediately turned down the deal. Simply put, I am not ready to give up the blog at this time. It has become a big part of my freelance writing career, and is beginning to generate more revenue than I ever thought possible; this is probably why the offer was extended to me.
This leads me to the question of whether or not you would ever sell your blog? The offer for my blog was not huge, but at the same time, enough to get me thinking. Of course, a lot of this has to do with the increasing RSS count as well as the $1,000 monthly income from my course.
Are you like me? Or would you jump at the opportunity to sell your blog if a solid offer was made?
