Every week, I receive somewhere between 50 and 100 emails from potential partners, and of course, freelance writers who are looking for advice. Of these, a good percentage write the same thing, “Chris, I need to earn more money!â€
As you can imagine, approaching each and every one of these inquiries is not simple to do. After all, there is no magic bullet for earning more money as a freelance writer. Of course, there are some tips and tricks that can move you ahead of the competition. While I would love to be able to share personalized information with every person who sends me an email, there is not enough time in the day to do so.
If you are itching to earn more money there are two basic ways you can do this:
1. Raise your rates.
2. Take on more work.
Most people would rather go with number one because it allows them to complete the same amount of work, while earning more money in the end. Even though this is possible, there is risk involved. For example, you could ask current clients to pay more but this could lead to them jumping ship and never working with you again.
There is nothing wrong with taking on more work. In fact, this has many benefits in addition to being able to earn more money. With a larger client list you are hedging against the risk of one person controlling the majority of your income. Along with this, there is a better chance for long term projects.
Is this advice basic and uninteresting? Maybe, maybe not. One thing is for sure: if you want to earn more money as a freelance writer you can start chasing this goal by considering the two options detailed above.
Last week, three members of my freelance writing course contacted me with the same worry: they were burning out in a hurry. After so much work, day in and day out, they were beginning to dread spending time at their computer. This is not uncommon among freelance writers. Fortunately, I was able to help as I have burnt out several times myself in the past.
This holiday season it is important to remember that you are allowed to take breaks. This does not mean you should neglect your work and clients, but there is no reason to type until you hit bone. If you do, you are going to burn out in a hurry while also ruining your holidays. Is that a risk you are willing to take?
Personally, I am only going to work for a couple of hours Thanksgiving morning. The same holds true for the Friday following the holiday. Even though I plan on putting in a few hours each day, there is nothing wrong with taking both days off and giving your body a rest.
If you worry about taking a break during the holidays, because you don’t want your work to back up, try this tip: spend a few days working hard to get ahead of your workload. This way when you need to take time off you are able to do so without missing a beat. I use this “trick†time and time again and it never fails.
Don’t let the holidays pass you by as you sit at your computer. You may believe that all your clients are working, but you would probably be wrong. Just like you, they deserve a break during this time of the year.
There is nothing better than mentoring individuals who have a strong interest in becoming a full-time freelance writer. Through my freelance writing course, I have been lucky enough to work with hundreds of students. While many of them have moved on and never looked back, quite a few still send me updates on their progress.
Earlier this month, two of my students, both who were with me for three months, finally took the leap and went full-time. Even though they both decided to discontinue their membership, it was a thrill to hear them talk about how they finally realized their dream.
Now that these members have moved on, I have two spots immediately available. Those who are interested should contact me as soon as possible. As always, I expect the openings to last 24 hours at the most.
I hope to have the chance to work with a couple more of you in the weeks to come!
