As a freelance writer you will be in front of your computer, hour after hour, day after day. With this in mind, it is essential that you are willing to take breaks every so often. If you think you can continue to work without any stop in the action, you will burn out sooner rather than later.
On a daily basis you should be taking breaks. Some freelance writers have a schedule, complete with breaks built into it. Others simply walk away from their work when they feel like they have hit a wall. Either way, make sure you are taking breaks throughout the day. This is a great way to keep your mind and body fresh. Personally, I always take a bit of a break at breakfast and lunch time.
What about long term breaks? Since you work for yourself, you may feel guilty if you decide to plan a vacation. This is crazy! It is very important that you take longer breaks from time to time. This does not mean that you should take off a week every month, but there is nothing wrong with extended vacations. Everybody else gets to take time away from the office, and you should not be any different.
There is no easy way of saying when you should take breaks from your freelance writing. Once you set a daily schedule you will know when this makes the most sense. Along with this, you should never feel guilty about long term vacations. A few days away from the office can do you a lot of good.
As you continue down the path towards freelance writing success, you will be faced with many questions. One of the most important is: when should I change my marketing strategy? It is the way that you market your business that will determine how much success you have, as well as the number and types of clients that you land.
It is not always easy to alter your marketing strategy. That being said, you should never be afraid to try new things. Believe it or not, a few simple changes could help you take your marketing efforts to the next level.
Most freelancers know when it is time to change the way they market their business. If you are not striking up many conversations with potential clients, something is wrong. This is when you need to consider what you have been doing, as well as what you can change.
Don’t jump the gun, though. The last thing you want to do is change your marketing strategy without any good reason. There is nothing wrong with considering all your options, but make sure you stick with your plan long enough to determine whether or not it is working. If you jump ship too soon, you may be missing out on something that could do you a lot of good.
Marketing is one subject that I discuss time and time again, whether it is on my blog, in my freelance writing course, or when speaking with aspiring writers in person. If you don’t have a solid marketing strategy it is difficult to reach all your goals.
As a freelance writer you will find yourself getting paid from a number of clients on a regular basis. This is a good thing, for the most part, but can also add stress and confusion from time to time. One of the worst situations you will face is a client who just doesn’t want to pay.
If you are attempting to collect a past due payment there are a few tips you can follow:
1. Don’t jump the gun. Even if you believe that the client is late, give them a chance to explain their situation. You may find that it is nothing more than a simple mix-up that can be solved in no time at all. Don’t ruin a client relationship by jumping the gun and making false accusations.
2. Call instead of sending emails. It is very easy for a client to ignore your emails. A phone call, on the other hand, is not as simple to put on the back burner. If you have your client’s phone number, give them a call – without warning. By catching them off guard you are putting yourself in good position to explain yourself and get their side of the story.
3. Become gradually more forceful as time goes by. As noted above, you don’t want to go overboard on your first attempt to collect. But by the fifth phone call you may be a bit fed up. There is nothing wrong with getting more forceful as you continue with your collection efforts. Just make sure you don’t “cross the line.â€
Collecting past due payments is one of the most difficult parts of being a freelance writer. Unfortunately, it is something that all of us have to do from time to time.
