One of the biggest benefits of working as a freelance writer is that the costs are low. It does not take a lot of money to start a freelance writing career, and the same holds true as the years go by. Even though your expenses will not be large, there are times when investing in your career is the right thing to do. Do you know when to pull out your checkbook and reinvest some of the money you have been making?
1. When you need new equipment. If you need a computer, printer, or anything else for your office be sure to purchase it right away. The equipment and supplies that you use are essential to your overall success – don’t skimp in this area.
2. When you need help. There is nothing wrong with spending a few dollars to buy the latest version of Writer’s Market, or to hire a website designer. Everybody needs help at some point in time. When your time comes don’t be afraid to part with some money to get what you need.
3. When you need to market your services. There are some ways that you can market your freelance writing services for free. On the other hand, you may have to spend some money on this from time to time. This includes both query letters and online marketing. Even though you are spending money in the long run you are giving yourself the chance to earn it back, plus much more.
You may not want to spend money on your career everyday, but the three situations above call for some sort of investment.
Are you the type of person who is paranoid about losing their work? Hopefully your answer is yes. As a freelance writer you should get into the habit of saving your work on a regular basis. If you don’t do this it will probably bite you in the neck sooner rather than later.
I got a wakeup call a couple weeks back. My part of the country was hit with a giant snow storm. In turn, the power was going out from time to time. Since I made it through the large part of the storm unaffected I figured there was nothing to worry about. But of course, I was wrong.
I was in the middle of writing a feature article, had yet to hit save, and the power blew. After a few minutes it came back on and I rebooted my computer. While I was glad that everything was safe with my machine, you guessed it – all of my work was gone. At that point my only option was to start the project over.
It is so silly to not save your work. It only takes a second to hit the save button, but for whatever reason many of us forget to do so from time to time. I learned my lesson a couple weeks ago, and am now trying to make a conscious effort to save my progress every few minutes. Has anything like this ever happened to you?
The beginning of the year is always most busy for my freelance writing course. I attribute this to the fact that many people decide early in the year to find a new career. This year is no exception. My course has been hopping, and I wanted to give you all a quick update.
As of right now, I have two openings in my freelance writing course. That being said, I do have a waiting list of people who may be quick to act. If you are interested in joining, please contact me as soon as possible – the spots usually stay open for 24 hours or less.
I was glad to hear from three past members (all from November and December 2009) who have taken the leap from part to full-time freelance writing. It is always nice to know that I helped these people reach their first goal of many.
In the months to come I look forward to working with many more of you guys and gals! Do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.
