I enjoy reading internet marketing blogs that discuss how to make money online, build a business, etc. That being said, there is a trend that has been getting under my skin as of late. It seems as if more and more people are spreading the news about how easy it is to become a freelance writer. On one hand I agree that breaking into the business can be simple if you have the right skills and determination. But on the other hand, there are entirely too many people promoting the fact that anybody can make money as a “freelance writer.â€
Through my research it appears that most of these people feel that being a freelance writer is nothing more than churning out cheap content for online clients. In my opinion, this does not make for a freelance writer. Sure, it is a form of writing and there is nothing wrong with it. But there are two things that bother me: 1. Many of these writers don’t care about their clients or the quality of their work. 2. They feel that their low quality content is the same as what every freelance writer offers. While there is no rule saying you must care about clients and offer quality work, it is something that most true freelance writers realize is very important. Secondly, there is a big difference between writing cheap keyword articles and offering professionally copywriting services. I think that most professional freelance writers will agree with this.
This post is not meant to scare people away from freelance writing or to talk down on others. But it is meant to show the difference between those who write low quality content on the cheap and those who offer professional copywriting services.
In the end, I am glad for anybody who can make a living as a freelance writer. If you truly care about your clients and the content you produce there is no denying that this is a career that can be lucrative and exciting.Â
I always find it easy to work with clients who have been around for many months. In fact, I have some clients who have been sending work my way for several years. We have a good relationship, and it is always easy to ask questions, make suggestions, etc. But of course, breaking in new clients is part of the freelance writing business. If you want to expand your career you must be willing to work with new clients on a regular basis. Remember, every long term client started out at the same place.
The most important aspect of breaking in a new client is to get off on the right foot. In other words, you don’t want to start your relationship with a misunderstanding or a missed deadline. It is very important that you value every client relationship. If you forget to do this it is safe to say that many of your new clients will not be around for the long haul.
When breaking in a client it is essential to: 1. Show them how you work 2. Learn as much as you can about them. Remember that your client is going to be attempting to break you in as their writer. For this reason it is important to show the client how you work from day one. This includes everything from communication to progress updates and much more. Secondly, you want to learn as much as you can about your new clients. Where are they located? Who is your primary contact? What industry are they in? The more you know the better off you will be.
The way you break in one client may not be the same as the next. I have had some who want to get acquainted through a conference call, and others that send a quick email and tell me to get started. As a freelance writer you should be excited anytime you have the chance to work with a new client. This means you are expanding your client base and in turn earning more money. Does it get any better than that?Â
No matter what day of the week it is I always have a to-do list next to my computer. This more or less guides me through the day, and keeps me on track to ensure that I don’t miss anything that needs to be completed. That being said, many freelance writers feel that planning their day is a lost cause. In other words, they have found that this never works to their advantage because something is always coming around that knocks them off schedule.
There is no denying that your schedule can and will change on a moment’s notice. For instance, even though I have a to-do list it doesn’t mean that I will stick to it if something more important comes up. In the past I have had clients get in touch with an urgent project that needs completed the same business day. While situations like this don’t come up often, when they do it is important for me to scrap my to-do list and move forward with the new project first. Of course, I eventually head back to my list to complete the rest of the day’s work.
I have found that planning my day usually works out just fine. There are times when I may have to stray from my to-do list, but they are few and far between. Even though it is nice to stay on track, you never know what is going to come up. Make sure you have enough flexibility to adjust if need be.
All in all, you can and should plan your day as a freelance writer. I strongly believe in having a to-do list, and this is something that I will never change. Just remember there may be days when you have to tweak your list to satisfy yourself and/or your clients.
