Everybody wants to “pay less and get more.†As a freelance writer, you will find this to be true more times than not. A client will want to pay as little as they can to get the best writing possible.
Although there is nothing wrong with delivering high quality, timely content, you must make sure that you are compensated accordingly. Along with this, you have to communicate with unrealistic clients to ensure that they know what you can and cannot do for them.
Last week, I had a client ask me for SEO and design work along with five previously commissioned blog posts. While these are services that I offer, there was one major problem: he didn’t want to pay any extra. Instead, he believed that these services should be included along with the content.
As you can imagine, I explained my point of view. Doing all this extra work for the same pay was clearly an unrealistic expectation. And to be honest, it was almost insulting.
Fortunately, after discussing the entire scope of the project he saw where I was coming from and agreed to pay my current rate for such services.
If you are not careful, some of your clients will begin to squeeze every last word (or other service) out of you – without paying the appropriate rate. Obviously, this benefits the client but does nothing for you.
Don’t let unrealistic clients walk all over you. Instead, explain what you can do for them as well as how much it will cost. If they don’t want to pay for the services they require, it may be time to part ways.
After a few months of not taking on new members, I now have one spot available in my freelance writing course. I am happy to say that the member who left is now working full-time. Not only is she succeeding in the area of freelance writing, but has also broke into the “social media marketing†industry.
Are you interested in joining? If so, contact me as soon as possible. I have had quite a few emails over the past month asking when the next spot will open up, so I don’t expect the opportunity to last very long.
Of course, if you have any questions feel free to shoot them my way. Even if you don’t end up joining, I love speaking with other freelance writers.
Have you ever faced this situation: you send a query letter to an editor, hope to hear a reply soon, and find yourself in the same position after a couple months? This is very common among freelance writers.
While I don’t make it a habit, there are times when following up on a query letter makes good sense. Whether or not you do this with every letter is your decision. Personally, I only follow-up when I am deeply intrigued by the prospect of writing for the publication.
If you are interested in following up on a query letter, follow these tips:
1. If possible, use email. As you probably know, editors don’t have the time to field phone calls from every person who sends a query. You have a much better chance of receiving an answer when you use email. It may take some digging, but if you search online and in Writer’s Market you should be able to find an email address.
2. Get to the point. The last thing you want to do is write a page long email, hoping that the editor reads the entire thing. Instead, only include basic information such as your name, contact details, and a brief overview of your query. As long as you provide your name and the title of your proposed piece the editor usually has enough information to identify you.
3. Don’t waste too much time on the follow-up process. There are thousands of publications looking for freelance writers. The more time you spend on follow-ups the less time you are spending on sending new queries.
One follow-up note is enough. If an editor doesn’t respond it is time to move on.
There is no easy way of saying when you should follow-up on a query. Most publications state how long it takes to respond, so make sure you wait at least that long.
