As a freelance writer, it is not difficult to find excuses that will save you from completing certain tasks. For instance, if you don’t want to cold call it is easy to say that you have no time or that your cell phone has no minutes left. And while there are times when excuses are legitimate, they are few and far between.
Simply put, you want to avoid excuses at all costs. If you always have a reason of why you cannot do something you will find progress hard to come by. And when this happens, there is a good chance that your career will suffer and you will eventually decide that freelance writing is not the path for you.
Every so often I hire a professional to work with me in some capacity. This has been everybody from a designer to a coder and many others. And although I take my time when hiring these people, a few of them have been full of excuses. “I cannot turn in the work when promised because my computer broke.†“I got sick and I won’t be able to complete the job at all.†I have heard many excuses, including these two, time after time. As noted above, there are times when an excuse is needed because of a bad break. But of course, there are some who use every excuse in the book whenever possible; this is what you are trying to avoid.
There are two types of excuses that you may be tempted to use: those that allow you to lie to yourself, and those that you use when dealing with clients. In both cases, you are hurting somebody. In the former, you are not doing your career any favors. With the latter, you are not only hurting yourself but you are also damaging a client relationship.
Excuses can and will hold back your progress as a freelance writer. If you avoid making excuses you will find your career advancing at a nice pace.Â
It is not uncommon to come across freelance writing ads on sites such as Craigslist. That being said, many writers never apply for these jobs because they do not know what to say. Of course, this is silly. You should never pass up an opportunity to apply for a freelance writing job because you are at a loss for words. Sure, it may take some time to put together a good response, but it is well worth it.
The number one thing to remember when responding to a freelance writing ad is that you should do what you are told. Simply put, do whatever the ad tells you to do. If you are asked to send a cover letter, resume, and samples, make sure that you follow this down to every last detail. Remember, if you cannot follow simple directions you are going to put yourself behind the eight ball from the get-go.
If you are asked to include samples, make sure that you use ones that will give you the best chance of obtaining the job. For instance, if you are applying for a position as a “sports blogger†you will want to send samples that are associated with this topic. This will work out much better than samples on health, real estate, or another unrelated subject.
Do I really need a freelance writing resume? I get asked this question all the time. The answer is yes! Some buyers are going to ask for your resume before they hire you. If you do not have one, they are going to cross your name off their list. Creating a freelance writing resume is not a difficult task. For those of you who need help with this, send me a quick email; I would be glad to give you feedback on your resume, etc.
Responding to freelance writing ads is all about following directions. Send what you are asked for, and then leave well enough alone. From there, you will either receive a follow-up email or nothing at all. While there is nothing wrong with following up if you do not hear back, make sure that you give the recipient enough time to go through all of the applications that they receive. Believe it or not, a single posting on Craigslist for a freelance writing opening can bring in hundreds of replies.
Hopefully you now have the confidence needed to respond to any freelance writing ad that you come across.Â
In my opinion, one of the biggest benefits of being a freelance writer is the freedom that it offers. I am not bogged down by reporting to a boss, or being required to show up at an office five days a week. Instead, I have the freedom to do what I please as long as I serve my clients.
I spent this past weekend, as well as last Friday, in Palm Beach. Although I am not big on vacationing, I decided to take a short trip nonetheless. Not only do I hate flying, but leaving my freelance writing work behind is always tough. That being said, I do have the ability to check email from the road, and since the majority of my trip was on the weekend, this helped me to stay on track.
Would I have been able to take this trip if I worked a 9-5 job? Probably. But of course, this would have meant taking a vacation day, explaining myself to the boss, and having to worry about the headaches of heading back to the office upon my return. As a freelance writer, I avoided all of this. Instead, I made sure that my clients were aware of my absence and then I took off. And despite the fact that my plane landed late Sunday night, I knew that I would be able to work the next day since my office is right down the hall from by bedroom.
There are many reasons to become a freelance writer. But if you had to narrow it down to just one, would freedom be at the top of your list? This is definitely something that I enjoy about the freelance writing life.Â
