In the past I have talked quite a bit about being organized. To me, organization is essential if you are going to succeed as a freelance writer. You may not think that this is important, but you would be wrong. No matter what you are doing, writing, marketing, or accounting work, being organized will make it easier for you to achieve maximum success.
I have found that staying organized is not nearly as hard as many people think. I do this by using to-do lists, as well as a system for all of my paperwork. You do not have to spend a lot of money on software and filing cabinets to stay organized. After all, you are a freelance writer not a CEO of a large company. Since you are probably your only employee you can get by with a simple system of spreadsheets and folders.
If you feel that your career is getting disorganized you need to fix this as soon as possible. Ask yourself this question: what is causing my problems? Once you know this answer you can then begin to search for a better way of doing things. For instance, early in my career I was constantly disorganized when it came to sending and receiving invoices. But after making a few tweaks this came to an end, and I began to feel much better about my career as a whole.
Believe it or not, staying organized will give you a better chance of success while also cutting out a lot of day to day stress. If you are not 100 percent satisfied with your organizational system, there is no better time than now for making a change.
As a freelance writer you will get asked for many things by your clients. One of the most common inquiries has to do with your ability to complete a project with a quick turnaround. This can work in your favor in some cases, but against you in others.
There is nothing wrong with accepting a project with a quick turnaround. As noted above, this can be beneficial in many cases including when you do not have a lot of work on your plate at a given time. After all, if you have some spare time there is nothing like knocking out a project in a hurry and helping a client out. Not only will this make you some quick money, but you will be doing something good for your client which is sure to help you in the future.
On the other side of things, if you are loaded with work and a client needs a project quickly you are going to find yourself in a bind. You have to complete the work you already have, but at the same time you do not want to turn down a project. At this crossroads you have three options: 1. Turn down the project and apologize for not being able to help. 2. Negotiate a deadline that is more suited to your current workload. 3. Take on the project as is, and do whatever it takes to complete it. There is no way of saying which option is best. You need to base your decision on what you feel most comfortable with.
I do my best to accommodate every client, even if there request is a bit unreasonable. The way you deal with quick turnaround requests is up to you. You have three options, and it is important to choose the one that will work best for your career and client relationship.
Even though working as a full-time freelance writer is the best career move I ever made, I realize that this is not something everybody can do. For this reason, I wanted to lend some information and advice on working as a part-time freelance writer. If you don’t have the time or motivation to work as a full-time freelance writer you can always do so as a “side job.â€
Here are a few things to keep in mind if you are going to work in a part-time capacity:
1. If you are going to work a full-time job, in addition to being a part-time freelance writer, you need to have a lot of energy. I did this for a few months at the beginning of my career, and it was not easy. If you add other responsibilities to the equation, such as a family, you need to be careful that you do not burn out.
2. You can make money as a part-time freelance writer, but it will be difficult to pull in a full-time income. I am not saying it is impossible, because I know several part-timers who make big money. But for the most part you should realize that working less hours usually means making less money.
3. You need to leave time for other tasks such as marketing, accounting, etc. One of the biggest mistakes new part-time freelance writers make is believing they will only spend their time writing. Unfortunately, this is not the case. You need to become a professional at time management to ensure that you not only get your writing done, but that you leave time for drumming up new business, paying taxes, and all the other stuff that goes along with running your own business.
If you eventually want to work as a full-time freelance writer you may want to start out on a part-time basis to get your feet wet. In this case, keep the above information in mind. It should give you a good feel for what you will encounter as a part-time freelance writer.
