As a freelance writer you need to protect yourself as much as possible. It is unfortunate, but there are many people “out there†who will try to scam freelance writers as well as many other online professionals. One of the best ways to protect yourself it to request upfront payment. There are times when this is a good idea, times when it may not work, and times when you don’t have to even think about it. Do you know what you are doing in this area?
The best time to request upfront payment is when you are working with a client for the first time. This does not mean that your new client is trying to rip you off, but by requesting payment upfront you can put your mind to ease. Remember, the client may be as apprehensive as you so they may put up a fight if you request 100 percent of the money. To solve this problem you can meet in the middle by asking for 50 percent upfront and the other 50 percent upon completion.
Although it is a good idea to receive upfront payment there are some situations when this is not going to be possible. For instance, most magazines are not going to pay you upfront for your work. In fact, it may take a few months to receive any payment at all. And while this may be a hassle it is not as bad as it seems because most magazines want to uphold their reputation. For this reason they are not going to scam you. It could happen, but it is not common. And since you don’t have a good chance of receiving payment upfront anyway it is a risk you will have to take.
Once a client proves they are reliable you don’t have to continue being paid in advance. Instead, you can get on a schedule in which the client pays when you complete the work. But of course, if they want to continue to pay upfront you shouldn’t argue.
Payment upfront is a good idea when working with a new client. Once you establish a relationship you can forget about this and know that you will get paid for the work you complete. There is nothing better than having clients that you can trust to pay on time.Â
No matter who you are it is common to get distracted during the month of December. After all, you probably have a lot going on outside of work. This includes everything from buying gifts to planning for the holidays to meeting with family and friends and much more. And while there is nothing wrong with taking time for yourself during the holiday you don’t want to lose sight of the direction you are steering your career. Even though it can be difficult you must not lose focus at the end of the year.
Why is it so bad to lose focus in December? The reason for this is simple: January is right around the bend and this is the most important month of the year for most freelance writers. You want to get off to a good start in the new year, right? If you lose your focus in December you may find it difficult to regain your positioning when it is time to get down to work in the new year.
To ensure you don’t lose your focus follow these tips:
1. Have fun but don’t stop working. Just because I am staying on target and keeping focused does not mean that I am working 20 hour days. During work hours I am getting a lot done, but at night and on weekends I am having fun for the holidays. Remember, you can do both.
2. If you know you are losing focus do whatever it takes to fix the problem. You may need to put in some extra hours here and there, or cancel a shopping trip to get some work done. This may sound like a sacrifice but if you are losing focus it is important to do. If you let things get out of control you may have a difficult time starting the new year in the manner you would like.
There is no denying that losing your focus and slacking off is easy to do at the end of the year. I urge you to avoid this at all costs while still making sure you are having fun and spending time with friends and family. You can have the best of both worlds!
A few weeks ago I made a post stating that one of my goals for the end of the year was to reach 500 RSS subscribers. Yesterday this goal was reached, and I wanted to thank all of my readers for helping me get there. While this number is sure to fluctuate above and below 500 for the next few weeks, it was nice to see this nonetheless.
Now that I have met this goal I need to set another. After all, I need something to reach for in the new year. By the end of January 2009 I hope to see my RSS count at 600 or above. While this would be a huge leap, with the help of all my readers I am sure this is more than possible.
If you want to help me reach this goal you can do a few things:
Why is your RSS subscriber base so important? The higher the number the larger your regular audience. And for me, this is important because it means I am reaching more people. As you know, the overall goal of this blog is to assist as many freelance writers as possible. With each new RSS subscriber I am reaching one more freelance writer. If you get around to it any help would be appreciated. The end of January 2009 will be here before we know it!Â
