Freelancefolder

20 Useful Tools and Resources for New Freelance Writers & Others

Posted September 30, 2011 in Tools/Resources, Writing

The huge variety of tools and resources available that can be useful to a writer just starting his or her freelance career can be overwhelming.

The choice is so great that sometimes you just don’t know which tool to add to your writer’s toolkit first. This post should help with that problem.

However, it’s also worth noting that only a few of the software tools and other resources that are out there are unique. Most software packages are variations of already established solutions.

In my opinion the following list, grouped by categories, showcases some of the most useful resources of their kind. Some of these resources are even free!

[Click Here to Read More...]

Becoming a Better Freelance Writer–Lessons Learned from Failure

Posted September 29, 2011 in Freelance Stories, Writing

I started off with freelancing in college to pay the bills. The only jobs around campus paid too little, demanded too much. Since I had a minor in English literature, it was only fitting that I moonlight as a freelance writer (which also stoked my ambitions to become an author).

This is my story of how I became a freelance writer and of what I learned in the process.

[Click Here to Read More...]

7 Steps to Leaving Your Corporate Job

Posted September 28, 2011 in Getting Started, How-To

So, you want to leave your corporate job and become a freelancer, but you just can’t seem to get started.

You’re not alone. Many employees actually wish that they could leave their job. Some of them just aren’t sure of the best way to go about doing it.

In this post, I list seven simple steps that you can take to leave your corporate job and become a freelancer.

[Click Here to Read More...]

What on Earth Are You Doing Wrong with Your Freelancing Business? Find Out Here

Posted September 27, 2011 in Lifestyle

Freelancing sounds like an ideal “career,” one where you can earn six figures a year and never get out of your pajamas. That’s almost accurate–almost.

Let’s not gloss over the fact that freelancing is not a get-rich-quick scheme (far from it). You won’t become an overnight millionaire (I wish!). And even though you don’t have to shower before work, you will have to work hard.

And if you’re not careful, you could sabotage your own freelancing success. That’s because freelancing doesn’t come naturally. Just because you’re a brilliant designer or an outstanding writer does not guarantee your success in freelancing.

In fact, many freelancers make big mistakes that prevent them from succeeding in this business. There are ways to avoid the common pitfalls that cause freelancers to fail.

That’s what we’re going to examine in this post.

[Click Here to Read More...]

Is a Balanced Lifestyle Really Even Possible for a Freelancer?

Posted September 26, 2011 in Inspiration, Lifestyle

The three motivators that cause most freelancers to start freelancing are a search for balance in their life, a desire to build and expand a business, or a desire to earn more money.

All of these motivations can be achieved through freelancing, but it is often the first one–a desire for balance–that seems to be the most elusive for many freelancers. And often, balance seems incompatible with the other motivators. It may even seem impossible.

With the many hats that most freelancers must wear and the huge amount of online advice available to the typical freelancer, the goal of lifestyle balance can seem discouragingly out of reach. When you’re a freelancer, there’s no way around it. There’s simply a lot to do.

In this post, I’m going to focus on achieving balance as a freelancer. I’ll share a few questions that will help you determine if you’re really doing all that you can to balance your freelancing with your life. The answers may surprise you and ultimately, help you to find more balance.

[Click Here to Read More...]

3 Reasons Why I Am a Little Wary of Freelance Writing as a Career Choice

Posted September 25, 2011 in Writing

I am an Internet Marketing expert by profession and a part-time freelance writer (though I limit myself to writing sales copy or blog posts for reputable blogs only).

Even though I write just for the fun of it, when I compare the income and break it into hourly rates I find myself earning a little bit more as compared to what I’d get from an average SEO campaign for a small business (note that I am talking about hourly rates and not the overall earnings).

Now, writing is far from being a walk in the park, but it is a little simpler and less of a fuss than an SEO campaign that includes many different tasks like Keyword Research, Competitor’s Analysis, Link Building, Planning, and monitoring the search engine rankings for hundreds of keywords such as “123 company name discount” or “4companyname coupon.”

Still, if you ask me, I’m a little wary of choosing writing as my primary job. Here’s why …

[Click Here to Read More...]

How to Migrate Your Personal Facebook Profile to a Business Page

Posted September 23, 2011 in Social Media

When Facebook first began it was purely a social venture for many. It was a way to connect with family and friends, get to know others from all around the world, and just enjoy a way to get in touch with people from the past who were long gone. This is still a big part of having a social networking profile, and it has probably worked for you for a long time.

It wasn’t long, however, before a new use became apparent. It was (and is) a useful marketing tool and way of promoting yourself or your business online. Some have been able to incorporate it into a full image seller that can make up an entire profit-earning project on its own. But to do it, you have to take what was once a personal profile and convert it into a place representing your business interests.

Whether it is for promotion alone or you are looking to make important connections through online networking, follow these five steps:

[Click Here to Read More...]

6 People Freelancers Meet on Social Media

Posted September 22, 2011 in Humor, Social Media

We freelancers depend on social media. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and whatever else happens to be popular, can all help us to build our professional image, meet colleagues and prospects, and generally find out what’s going on in our field.

As we’ve said before, social media is about relationships–and at the core of relationship you find people.

For today, I thought it might be fun to take a lighthearted look at some of the people freelancers are likely to run into when they are active in social media. If you’re active on social media too (and I hope you are), you’ve probably already run into some of these characters.

[Click Here to Read More...]

Introducing Parallax: A Free Portfolio Theme for WordPress

Posted September 21, 2011 in News

Our sister-site MediaLoot has just released a new free WordPress theme for designers and other creatives. The theme, called Parallax, was designed and coded specifically for the needs of designers, developers, and other freelancers that need an online portfolio. Take a look below, and let us know what you think!

Preview and Download the Parallax Theme →