While the opportunity is an amazing one, and I would never choose to do anything else, it isn’t always easy. In fact, keeping to a strict schedule so I can get to all of my work on deadline can be downright nightmarish at times–mainly, because it isn’t always so simple to keep yourself accountable and on track without a task master flicking the whip behind you.

In this post, I’ll share some of the techniques I use to find the time to write.

My Struggle with Time

Besides work there are the daily parts of life that also come around to distract and eat up time. There are budgets to be made, bills to pay, groceries to get, a house to clean, a social life to maintain–not to mention the general hobbies and relaxation time. All of that while maintaining my No. 1 work priority: writing.

Not only do I write for my job–and I am doing so right now, in writing this article–but I also write for pleasure. Every day I try to create something: a poem, a haiku, a short story, a chapter on something larger–anything that will keep my creativity flowing and the words coming. This isn’t always easy with my busy schedule and the fact that I write for work. Freelancing is wonderful, but it has a way of burning you out.

It isn’t surprising that this is one of my own personal challenges. But not everyone has that issue, and the question I am asked most by friends, colleagues and others is: When do you find the time to sit down and write? I was asked this just the other day by a friend of mine who also has two young children to care for.

If this is something you are struggling with, for any reason, take heart! You are not alone. Most of us have trouble finding the time and keeping on top of things. Here are a few tips on how you can make sure to always have a few moments to get those words on paper (or a computer screen), no matter how busy you might be.

Give Yourself a Goal and Deadline

The thing is, if you aren’t writing for your livelihood, you don’t have to do it. Even those of us who turn to creativity as a means of maintaining our sanity sometimes find it easier to slip away in our stress than give in to our need to write. That is why setting a goal and a date to complete it by is very important.

Depending on what it is you are working on, your goal will be different from what might work for someone else. For example, let’s say you work mainly with poetry and short stories. So, rather than go by word count, you could go by daily writings. Just make sure you write one thing every day or maybe a few times a week. Sometimes it might be something as short as a haiku, or if you have the idea and time you could write a short story.

My friend, however, is a novelist. She sets a final date (unless a deadline is set for her) to be complete. She then calculates how much will have to be written to meet that date, keeping in mind a few days off a week where she can relax and regroup. She averages 2,000 words per day, four days a week on average. Now, she can write on days off if she has an idea or the need, but she makes sure that she makes 8,000 words minimum every single week.

Use Positive or Negative Reinforcement

I keep reading about people who claim we should only reward ourselves and never punish for missing a goal. For some this is a good idea, because most people react better to positive reinforcement. Getting something special or doing something you enjoy for a job well done is a great motivator.

But not all of us work best this way when alone. I use negative reinforcement with myself because I know I will be even more motivated if I am losing something tangible than if I am losing the chance at something positive in the future. I set mini rewards and punishments along the way at each goal. I occasionally switch them up. Then, at the end of the month, I use a big reward to push through that final stage.

Be Reasonable with Yourself

Remember that anyone can get burned out or just run out of time. Be honest about what you can handle and don’t be hard on yourself if it isn’t as much as you would like. Take breaks and stay calm, because if you get too stressed out about it you will see your productivity–and creativity–go down.

We all struggle to find the time to fit everything in we would like to do a day. But you don’t have to sacrifice your writing, no matter how much you have on your plate. Anyone can find time if they try.

Your Turn

How do you find the time to write? Do you use negative or positive reinforcement, or both?

Image by bogenfreund

If truth be told, it may seem that anybody can write. This seems especially true for those with reasonable English comprehension (which is a given if English happens to be your first language).

And even if English is not your first language, chances are that you may still be pretty good at writing once you understand that it is the preferred business language all over the world. Don’t forget that English is also the language of TV shows, motion pictures, and an infinite supply of wonderful books and literature.

But, is writing really so easy that anybody who knows English can do it? To be honest, it is really easy if you think that the main purpose of web content is just to fill cyberspace. However, writing becomes quite a job if you understand how many purposes a simple page of text is really supposed to serve. The writing challenge applies to almost all forms of writing, including articles, blog posts, or sales pages. But this post focuses on content writing.

In this post, let’s take a look at the seven Cs of effective web writing.

1. Catchy

The very first job of the content writer is to think of a catchy headline. A good headline means that you’ve won half the battle. It is the title that determines whether your targeted readers will read the entire article, or not.

It doesn’t matter whether the reader looks for material through Google’s search results, by using some RSS reader, by taking a look at your newsletter, or through a link posted on social media. There are literally hundreds of options available online for the average reader, which means your title must be able to catch their attention.

2. Compelling

Coming up with catchy titles is an art that you can master by reading some online tips, and also by observing your own response to different titles scattered all around the web. If you do this soon you will be able to write better titles.

Your next job is even harder. You must start your article or post in a way that’s compelling enough that the reader will quickly be able to tell whether the content lives up to its title. Hence, the first few lines are very important.

3. Current

It doesn’t matter if you are writing an article, blog post or some marketing copy–you must use current information, facts and figures, and statistics. When you research, remember that Google results are not sorted by date (unless you specify a time frame). So beware. Try to pick up some recent supporting statistics, especially when you are writing on a topic that you’re not familiar with.

Being negligent about your research can result in a lot of embarrassment for both you and, more importantly, for your client.

4. Comprehensive

Your write-up must be comprehensive. This means you need to cover the topic from all aspects and different angles (unless you have gotten different instructions from your client). Don’t let your personal likes and dislikes, grudges or prejudices, take over.

One basic mistake that many freelance writers make is to aim for reaching a target of a minimum number of words. Instead, you should be aiming to be comprehensive. Providing complete coverage of the topic will make sure that your clients are happy and the next material you write on that topic will be a lot easier to write. A half-baked attempt at research will leave you barely understanding the topic.

5. Constructive

The information need to be constructive. While writing, assume that you are writing for your friends and trying to help them as much as you can. Make sure that the readers learn something and are not just entertained.

If you are sincere, the readers will feel that sincerity in your writing and the content will serve the most important purpose. That takes us to our next point.

6. Convert

The most important job that the content can serve is to convert a reader into a customer, subscriber, or a regular reader. The definition of conversion changes from client to client, but the method stays the same. The method is to put yourself in your reader’s shoes and try to connect with them. Remember, this is easier said than done. But a writer who can convert the readers into customers is worth a lot more than his or her peers.

7. Comment-able

If you are writing for a blog or social media, you must encourage your readers to comment and share their views on the topic. Encouraging comments keeps the readers hooked. Not to mention that comments, replies, or responses on social media offer free marketing and you should be able to make the most of social media power by using your writing skills.

Your Turn

Did I miss any content writing tips?

But, exactly what is ghostwriting? And, what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of doing this type of writing? Is it ethical? Are such jobs available?

If you’re like many writers, you’ve heard of ghostwriting, but you don’t really know a whole lot about it.

In this post, I’ll answer some of your questions about ghostwriting and invite you to join a discussion on ghostwriting ethics.

What is Ghostwriting?

As you’ve probably already guessed, ghostwriting is NOT writing about ghosts–despite the name. (Okay, that was a bit of humor…)

Rather, ghostwriting is writing under another person’s name. Usually ghostwriting is needed because the other person is too busy to write for themselves or lacks professional writing skills. As a freelance ghostwriter, you may tackle projects ranging from blog posts, to books and e-books, to biographies, to speeches, and more.

Ghostwriting has a long literary history. Many literary and historical figures have used ghostwriters to help them produce written material and speeches.

The extent of a ghostwriter’s involvement in a project also varies. A freelance ghostwriter could be asked to do anything from write a complete book from start to finish to help the client polish off and organize a mostly written piece of work. If you decide to do ghostwriting, be sure to get a detailed scope of work before you quote a price and always use a contract. One ghostwriting job is not the same as another.

Here are some additional resources to help you learn more about ghostwriting:

• Ghostwriter Dad–A blog dedicated to helping ghostwriters (and other writers) make a good living.
• Breaking Into the Lucrative Book Ghostwriting Business–Very helpful post from Allena Tapia at About.com.
• Working in the Shadows: Ghostwriting, Freelancing, and Work Without Recognition–Thoughts on what it’s like to be a ghostwriter from Dustin M. Wax at Freelance Switch.
• Of Copyrights, Derivative Rights, Ghostwriting and Contracts Oh My–Excellent post from Anne Wayman at About Freelance Writing that outlines some of the legal issues of ghostwriting.
• Getting into Character for Ghostblogging–Interesting post from Dana Prince at Get Paid to Write Online.

As you can see, there’s quite a lot of information available, and these references are just to get you started.

Advantages of Ghostwriting

The advantages of becoming a ghostwriter are many, including:

• Pay–Successful ghostwriters are well paid. Many of those who engage the services of ghostwriters are prominent individuals and are willing to pay enough to make sure the job is done well.
• Work–There is plenty of work available for a talented ghostwriter. Not only that, but the projects tend to be larger than other writing projects (such as writing web content, for example).
• Contacts–As a ghostwriter, you may have the opportunity to work closely with a prominent or even famous individual. Of course, not all of your clients will be celebrities.

Naturally, you also get the satisfaction of a job well done and the opportunity to continue to hone your writing skills.

Disadvantages of Ghostwriting

Along with the advantages of ghostwriting, come the disadvantages:

• No credit for your work–No matter how good your writing is, you usually can’t ever take credit for your ghostwritten pieces. Someone else will get the credit for your work. These aren’t writing pieces you can put in your portfolio.
• Scope changes–Depending on the project, ghostwriting tends to be very personal for a client. In fact, it may even be a memoir. For that reason, there may be multiple revisions and changes until the piece is “just right.”
• Ethical considerations–Some areas of ghostwriting have fallen under scrutiny. For more details, see the section on ethical considerations below.

Ethical Considerations

Is ghostwriting ethical?

Well, of course every writer will have a slightly different opinion about this.

In a few fields, ghostwriting is frowned upon. This is particularly true in the academic world where individuals are typically expected to do their own writing. In fields like this, ghostwriting may be looked upon by some as a form of cheating.

However, most industries do accept ghostwriters and in some fields (such as politics and entertainment) it is pretty much expected that the major players will get at least some help from a professional writer to write their books and speeches.

Your Turn

Is ghostwriting your freelancing business? Share a few pointers on how you got started. Did I leave anything out?

What do you think about the ethical concerns about ghostwriting? Are they legitimate, or not? Can you think of other concerns?

Image by S. MASH

Your business website positions you as an authoritative and skilled freelancer in your field. It captures leads into an automated email service or customer relations management software.

It provides information to visitors who may be interested in hiring you. It answers their basic questions, so you don’t have to do it yourself. It acts like your sales representative, working 24/7 to get you more leads and prospects.

But how do you make your website better, so it can accomplish all these things more efficiently and effectively?

That’s what I’m going to tackle in this blog post.

A Copywriting Approach

Now there are many ways to build a better website. You can look at it in terms of code–how to program it so your site loads fast, is search engine optimized, and is safe from hackers. You can look at it in terms of having the best content management system, themes, and plugins.

In this post, we’re answering this question in terms of copywriting. You know, the words that go into your website.

Of course, you want your website to look nice and to work properly. But it’s also extremely important that your site has the content you need to attract more leads and turn them into clients.

That’s why copywriting is important.

So from a copywriting point of view, here are my tips for building a better website.

1. Begin with Proper Preparation

Borrow this step from advertisers and prepare a creative brief for your website. A creative brief is a document that lays out the basic marketing considerations for your site. At the very least, it should contain:

• the goals and objectives of your website
• who your target clients are
• what your target clients’ main problems, predicaments, and pains are
• what products, programs and services you offer
• your core marketing message, including your unique selling proposition

Once you have all this down on paper, the rest of your marketing will be much easier and more effective. You can use the same creative brief to develop your business cards, brochure, ads, and other promotional materials.

2. Make It About Them

The biggest copywriting mistake of most freelancing websites is they’re all about the freelancer or the company. It’s all “I,” “my,” or “we.”

Prospective clients don’t want to read about you, even if they are on your website. They’re only interested in you to the extent that you can help THEM reach THEIR goals.

So write your website copy in terms of them. Make it about them. Even when you’re writing about your skills, expertise, and experiences, bring it back to how all that serves them. Remember the radio station everyone is tuned to: WIIFM (What’s In It For Me).

3. Go Beyond the Features

I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it again and again: go beyond talking about the features of your services (i.e., how fast you are, what you can produce, how much you charge) and dig deeper into the benefits of working with you, such as:

• What results do you get from your clients?
• How do you make your clients’ lives easier?
• How do you contribute to their bottom line?
• What can you do for their image and reputation?
• How will their personal and business lives improve by hiring you?

These benefits appeal to your prospects’ emotions, which ultimately is how human beings make decisions (no matter how much we argue for our rationality).

4. Address Their 3Ps

Jeanna Pool, author of Marketing for Solos, says our marketing should stem from our target clients’ 3Ps: pain, problem, and predicament.

Identifying and writing to address our prospects’ 3Ps is the easiest way to accomplish a client-oriented website. Everything on your freelancing site should position your and your services as the best solution to their 3Ps. With this in mind, you’ll also be able to identify which pages, articles or freebies should be on your site.

5. Have a Call to Action

Put a call to action on each and every page on your website. A call to action is simply what you want your website readers to do next. Do you want them to call you for a free consultation? Do you want them to sign up for your free special report or other buzz piece? Whatever it is you want them to do, be specific and direct about it. Don’t assume your website visitors know what you want them to do with the information on the site.

On Your Way To Better Copy

These are just a few of the ways you can make the copy on your website much more engaging, relevant, and effective. The key is to truly understand your ideal clients and create a website just for them.

Did this post inspire you to make changes in your freelancing website? If so, what?

Tell us about it in the comments below.

Image by Holger Zscheyge

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!

Office and Billing Tools

To start off our list, here are some office and billing tools:

1. OpenOffice. The free alternative to Microsoft Office, it provides all the features and tools you need as a professional writer. Don’t be discouraged by the fact that it’s open source: it’s well worth it. Also consider LibreOffice, which has branched off of OpenOffice.
2. RightSignature. Use it to get your clients to electronically sign invoices or contracts, without having to rely always on fax. It’s also available as an iPhone app.
3. Timeloc. This is a light tool that helps you keep track of ongoing projects done for different clients, with different billing rates. It includes plenty of useful little features like sound alerts.
4. Ora Time and Expense. This tool lets you keep a close account of current and completed tasks, run a timer, and track expenses.
5. BillMyClients.com. A powerful invoicing tool, BillMyClients allows to you save invoices whenever you want. It lets you customize the invoice template, and have invoices done automatically on set dates. It works with PayPal.
6. InvoiceMachine.com. This package helps you create invoices that look professional by letting you use colors and logos. It is a useful tool because it can save invoices as PDFs.
7. InvoiceJournal.com. InvoiceJournal lets you send invoices through the mail or email while using different currencies. Free.
8. GetHarvest.com. One of the best tools out there for tracking time spent on projects, it can be integrated into WordPress or used with the iPhone.
9. Rates Calculator on FreelanceSwitch.com. This helpful little calculator gives you an idea of how much you should charge for your work. After answering questions about your skills, goals, and qualifications, you get an approximate price per hour.

Storage Tools

Here are some tools to help with your storage needs:

10. DivShare. A great alternative for storage, it also offers 5GB storage for free.
11. First Backup. Powerful hard-disk backup tool, it helps you keep your essential working files protected. Different account plans are available.

Communication

The following tools can help with your communication needs:

12. Gizmo5 (now Google Voice). This tool helps you make international calls that are up to 98% cheaper than those offered by your network operator.
13. Skype. Skype is probably the most accessible tool for calling clients directly from your computer and discussing the projects with them.
14. Yugma. Yugma is amazing since it lets you video chat online for free.

Fonts

Are you you looking for more fonts? Look here:

15. Better Fonts. BetterFonts is a great resource for fonts. It provides thousands of fonts that are great for your documents.
16. Dafont. Dafont is another great online resource for fonts (probably the best?). It provides thousands of free fonts, in all shapes and sizes.
17. Urban Fonts. This is an alternative to Dafont. It features a smaller, but more provocative, selection of fonts.

Stock Photos

Writers often need stock photos. Here are some great sources:

18. Stock Xchng. It offers tons of free photos that you can use in your articles or blog posts.
19. Flickr. Of the many photos available for use on the Web, the ones featured on Flickr are some of the best you can get for blog posts. (Be sure to check the licensing since it may vary depending on the photo.)

SEO Tools

Here is an SEO tool freelance writers may wish to consider:

20. WordTracker. This is a potent tool that you can use to look up the keywords you plan to use in your next SEO articles.

Your Turn

This is just a partial list of the resources out there, made up of some of my favorites.

What are your favorite tools and resources for freelance writers? What’s in your writer’s toolkit? Share your answers in the comments.

Image by Neil T.

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

Lowered Expectations

When I started out, I was confident, arrogant even, completely sure of success, ready to straddle the world of freelancing with firmly planted feet, dazzle clients and fellow-freelancers alike. Of course, all these illusions were shattered within a week as I realized the going rates for freelancers without experience ran in the low single figures per article, and that finding (and keeping) clients was harder than playing pool with a pencil.

Humbled, I eventually settled for a low paying job writing keyword rich, SEO articles for an internet marketer. It was a far cry from delusions of month long paid assignments for Rolling Stone, but it got the ball rolling nonetheless. After a week of effort, I finally saw a $100 payment sitting in my PayPal account, which did wonders for my motivation. I was soon combing through listings, trying to catch more lucrative gigs.

Building a Business

Within two months, I had a solid roster of clients who would sometimes even refer their friends to me. Work streamed in, and I could now charge at least in the low double digits per article. Visions of grandeur were rekindled–paid articles for New Yorker dripping with grit and character, gigs for Vanity Fair, hobnobbing with celebrities for People!

Another Run-In with Reality

Three months later, however, I was rolling in fatigue, not hundred dollar bills. The work was too tedious, didn’t pay nearly as much as I’d hoped, and finding more clients was becoming more and more difficult. Worse, no matter what I did, I couldn’t get better paying clients. Exhausted, I took a week long break, concentrated on college, and let emails from clients go unanswered. Within ten days, I lost most of my clients, and was back to square one.

(Hard) Lessons Learned

I neglected my budding freelancing career for a month before I ventured on to job boards again. This time, however, instead of blindly jumping in with naïve assumptions of success, I took the time to analyze my first failure. Here’s what I concluded:

1. Loyalty Matters. My clients dumped me within a week of unanswered emails because I hadn’t taken the time to build loyalty. A loyal client will stick to you, cajole you, coax you and wait for weeks before flicking on the kill switch. I was, to them, merely a writer, not a core part of their business. They could fire me, and they would just as soon find another writer to fill the spot left behind.
2. Personality Matters. After analyzing the dozens of articles I’d written in the past six months, it was apparent why I couldn’t find better paying jobs: no personality. My writing was dry (and not in a good way), generic, lacking the width or the depth that gets top freelancers those hundred dollar projects. Each article opened with an over-the-counter introduction. The verbs were listless, and the adjectives lacked punch. Each article blended into the other, no matter the topic.
3. Be a Writer. I was a writer, not a content provider. There is a world of difference between the two (more on this later).
4. Where You Look for Work Counts. I was looking in the wrong places for the right jobs. Hit a job board frequented by internet marketers looking for cheap articles and it’s unlikely you’ll find gigs that will pay you what you’re worth.

Applying the Lessons Learned

In my second inning as a freelancer I decided to do things a little differently. Some of these changes were:

1. Establish Relationships. From a drone that shot off template-like emails to clients, I started working to develop relationships. Connecting outside of email, through Skype, LinkedIn or even Facebook helps to put a face and a personality behind an impersonal email exchange. Suddenly, for my clients, I wasn’t ‘Joe Writer’ anymore, but a living, breathing human who was extra polite in his Skype chats, and cheerful in his emails. Clients think thrice before firing someone like that (not that I’m advocating being late or unpunctual).
2. First Impressions Count. As a freelancer, your greatest assets are your clients. Bludgeon them with awesomeness from the very first assignment they send you. You want them to tell their friends, “Hey Fred, I found a great, enthusiastic, talented freelance writer. Maybe you should give him a try,” and not “Hey Fred, here’s a lousy, crabby writer with no personality who is hardly ever punctual. Give him a try, but don’t pay him too much.”
3. Pump in Some Personality. Nobody enjoys reading a dry, dead article by a no-name writer. Bring in a little zest of your own, pump in some personality, use words that you enjoy in a writing style that stands out. This is the number one reason why writers fail to jump to a higher pay grade: better publications simply don’t want a cookie cutter writer. They want someone whose writing jumps out, gets tweeted, liked on Facebook, and forwarded via email. Think of TechCrunch’s Mike Arrington. His voice had a certain ‘swagger’ (as Fred Wilson defined it) that attracted and retained an audience. It’ll take time to develop a unique voice, but once you do, stick to it, and push it into every article that you write.
4. Step Beyond Writing. Recently, a client contacted me for a dozen blog posts in the green tech space. After a couple of emails back and forth, I realized that this client knew very little about marketing, and even less about how content works online. I invited him to Skype and had an hour long chat with him. I learned about his objectives, the breadth of his knowledge and the future vision for the site. Instead of merely offering a dozen articles, I offered him a complete content strategy: what kind of articles to write, how to write them, and what voice to write them in. We ended up brainstorming a bunch of article ideas, and a couple of days later, I was in charge of the site’s entire content strategy with two other writers working under my wings. It pays to go the extra step and work with a client on things that don’t fall under his area of expertise. As a writer, you have to constantly find opportunities that leverage your skills. If you come across a client who doesn’t quite know what he is doing, take the time to help him out. Formulate a content strategy tailored to his needs. It never really hurts to ask a few questions.

What’s Your Story?

I’ve shared my story (and what I learned). What’s yours?

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 …

Reason #1: Difficult to Organize My Time

When I say, writing is less of a fuss that was meant to be a plus point. However, this plus point can actually turn into a minus if you are doing it full time.

Take, for example, my primary job, i.e. SEO. I plan and supervise the SEO work from my office where I’ve got a small team working for me. And even though I sit for long hours every once in a while, I can’t keep working all the time even if I want to, which is not the case with writing since I don’t need anything but a notepad to write a rough draft of sales copy or an article. Give me a pen and a paper and I will come up with a write-up that’s good to go after some editing and proofreading (I hope it doesn’t sound like I am trying to boast).

Coming to the downside, being a workaholic (and also, who doesn’t like to make some extra bucks), I know I’d be writing all the time, day in and day out, besides this convenience of being able to write at any time and from anywhere can actually make you get into a procrastination mode. The easiness often results in two different types of pitfalls, either the freelance writer gets too relaxed and keeps postponing work until the cut-off date arrives, or they accept more projects than they can handle and have to deal with the overload. That’s precisely the reason why, amongst many different types of freelancers, I find the freelance writers to be the most disorganized work-from-home guys (I am talking about the freelancers I personally know; the general reality might be different).

Reason #2: Too Stressful

Writing is essentially a mental labor, and there’s no physical activity involved. However, full-time writers suffer both from physical stress as well as the mental tiredness. What appears a very simple task of going through some articles on the web, taking notes, and then using that information to come up with an article can give you worse kinds of strain. It would have been understandable if it was limited to mental exhaustion; however, excessive writing affects you from head to toe. True that there are guidelines that you can follow to avoid such problems, but how many writers can think of taking a ten minute break when writing an article, or do those stretching exercises while trying to think of a catchy title?

After some time you get eye strain that extends to your head, your shoulders and neck follows suit, and then the entire back–thanks to your weird postures and even weirder working hours. You find yourself thinking of new titles at odd times, and lamenting to yourself on your low productivity at the end of each day. And this stress can grow manifold when the dreaded writer’s block occurs.

Reason #3: Competing with the “Rewriters”

A big majority of freelance writers are actually rewriters. I often joke about “passing the Copyscape test” as the litmus test of originality. Some writers might find it a little harsh, but completely rewriting an article from top to bottom is not inspiration, but plagiarism. It’s not that I never get inspiration from the web when writing, but man, do I hate the idea of rephrasing someone else’s work and calling it my own. However, the majority of freelance writers (especially those offering their services for peanuts) consider it their birthright to go out and rewrite existing material.

So the primary reason I don’t jump into this field is because I don’t want to compete with the rewriters, especially when the majority of clients are not able to understand the difference.

Conclusion

This post wasn’t meant to be a complaint. The truth is that I wouldn’t opt for freelance writing as a career even if these issues were non-existent, mainly because I feel more comfortable with internet marketing.

But if you are a writer (and you most likely are a freelance writer if you are reading this post on Freelance Folder), I’d like to know if my reservations are real. And if they are, exactly how do you cope with them?

Image by Alexandre Dulaunoy

While I’m definitely a more optimistic than pessimistic individual, I can’t help but look for dangers lurking in the weeds, hence the reason for discussing this matter.

As a freelance writer for more than 20 years, I’ve made my share of mistakes along the way, something I hope you can learn from. Whether it was taking on too much work at one time or not charging enough for such work, I’d like to think I’ve grown a little since venturing into the freelance world back in the late 1980s.

In this post, I’ll provide some tips to help you avoid some of those mistakes.

Avoid Common Business Mistakes

If you’re already doing freelance writing or thinking about giving it a shot, here are some thoughts to file away:

• Choose wisely–Do you carefully select the companies and individuals you want to freelance for or do you just wing it? It is important for freelancers to do their homework and make sure the companies or individuals they seek to freelance for are reputable, will pay on time, and have a history of having available work. Since many freelancers network with one another, take the time to get some background information.
• Don’t get ripped off–I can definitely say I’ve been guilty of this gaffe. Before you agree to take on a freelance writing assignment from someone, make sure to arrange a suitable rate for your services. Too many writers undercut themselves and end up not getting paid the proper amount for their services. My goal is typically charging a little more than I actually want to receive for the assignment, hence I would generally come in at the satisfactory rate when I say I’ll go a little less than my initial offer.
• Don’t forget the tax man–Initially, some freelancers will think that they can put away a nice chunk of change freelancing. While that can be true in some instances, don’t forget Uncle Sam. In most cases, freelancers will not have money deducted from their paychecks, so the government will want its piece of the pie come April 15th. It is important for freelancers to remember that and be prepared to pay the piper.
• Carry the proper workload–Like many freelancers, I thought I had an endless amount of time in my schedule to take on various assignments. As it would turn out over time, I discovered that was not the case. Along with burning themselves out, freelancers who take on too much work and then cannot deliver become viewed in some circles as unreliable. Freelancers should always pace themselves and not get themselves in too deep.
• The lack of self-marketing–When I first began freelancing, there was no social media to promote oneself. Today, freelancers can spread the word of their stories with links on Facebook, Twitter, and many more sites. Not only is this good self-promotion, but it allows writers the opportunity to network with others. For those freelance writers who fail to seize upon this free self-promotion, they are only hurting themselves.
• Buyers beware–As a freelancer produces and submits copy, it is important that they know the intimate details regarding their agreements with publishers. It is important to determine deadlines for copy and payments, find out if there are kill fees involved for stories one works on but that do not get published, and more. Never just assume the publisher is going to meet your requirements when it comes to payments. Get the details in writing so there are no misunderstandings.
• Home is where the office is–Lastly, we writers need our space when putting pen to paper (in most instances, thoughts to a laptop or desktop). While some writers like the feel of a Starbucks or library to bang out their articles, others like myself find home is where we are most productive. Wherever one finds their comfort zone, it is important that it is just that, comfortable. For those who have significant others and/or families, make sure they are reminded of the need for space when writing occurs.

Your Turn

Freelance writing can be a great opportunity to earn some money on the side or in a number of cases, supplant a full-time income, along with providing outlets for one’s thoughts.

When done correctly, freelancers have the ability to write a new chapter in their lives.

How do you keep from making business mistakes in your freelance writing business?

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How can you be a better communicator?

Below are some of the most common communication mistakes I’ve seen freelancers making. Read through the list, identify which errors you make, and make an effort to avoid making them again.

Top Common Communication Errors of Freelancers

Here are some communication errors to avoid:

1. Typographical and grammatical errors. Misspellings, run-on sentences, wrong use of punctuation marks are just some of the errors that make freelancers look less professional and less credible. Everything nowadays has a spell checker, even your phone, so there’s little excuse to misspell words. Spell checker notwithstanding, it’s still easy to use the wrong words and make other mistakes, so don’t rely on your computer to catch errors. The best way to find them is to proofread every piece of communication before sending it off. It’s even better if you can ask someone else to read through it, because your familiarity with something you wrote can make you blind to your mistakes.
2. Focusing on yourself rather than the client. Remember, it’s all about them, not you. Every piece of communication you write should be written from the point of view of the client. Anticipate their needs, questions and concerns. Respect their time by being as brief as possible and getting straight to the point. And always clearly state what’s in it for them, and what they need to do next.
3. Being too polite. I’m all for good manners, but sometimes we can go too far. The problem with being too polite is you can start sounding like you’re begging for something. For example, saying “I would appreciate it if you could sign this Terms of Agreement and send it back to me by Friday,” is polite but sounds too subservient. Simply say “Please sign this Terms of Agreement and send it back by Friday.” Remember you’re on an equal footing with your clients. You’re not their slave, employee or gofer.
4. Not asking for the sale. This is a common mistake freelancers make on promotional materials and project proposals. It can stem from being too timid to sell one’s services, fear of rejection, or disdain for selling. The thing is, whether you like it or not, as a freelancer you’re also now a salesperson–for your services. Nobody else is going to do it for (unless you hire sales reps for your freelancing biz). So get used to asking for a sale. Tell your prospect to sign the proposal or contract and make the deposit on your services. It’s not about being pushy, but it is about being confident of your ability to help your prospects and clients.
5. Using the wrong tone. Freelancers can go to the extreme of either being too formal or too colloquial. If you’re targeting corporate clients, the temptation is to use a stiff tone and corporate-speak. On the other end of the spectrum are freelancers who’ve heard the advice to use a conversational tone and write, literally, the way they speak. “Conversational” means an easy-to-understand style, but it doesn’t mean colloquial. In other words, we’re not aiming to write the way we would talk to a friend. Rather, we’re aiming for the way we would talk to colleagues in a business meeting or a presentation. You’d use complete, grammatically correct sentences and avoid both slang and highfaluting language.
6. Not listening to the prospect or client. We all enter a conversation with preconceived notions about what a prospect/client needs and wants. Sometimes this gets in the way of truly hearing what they’re saying, leading to miscommunication, miscues, bad vibes and loss of income for you. It pays to always confirm that we’ve understood what our client is saying. You can do this by saying things like: “Do you mean….” “What I hear you saying is….” or “In other words, what you’re really looking for is….”
7. Lack of details. Whether in a project proposal, contract or ordinary email, the lack of details can put a freelancer in a tight spot. Imagine, for example, signing a contract that doesn’t say how many revisions you’ll make. You’ll soon find yourself having to make countless revisions without recourse, because the contract didn’t put a cap on them. Double-check proposals (use this guide) and contracts before sending them off. Try to anticipate questions and concerns your client may have, as well as unexpected events that may come up.
8. Avoiding bad news. Nobody likes to hear bad news, and nobody likes to be the bearer of bad news. If you’re running late on a project, or if something came up that would mean more costs or other problems for the client, it’s natural to want to avoid mentioning it. However, sweeping problems under the rug can make things worse. Your client deserves to be kept informed of all progress on a project–good or bad. The key thing, to avoid having your client blowing his or her top on you, is to offer a solution along with the bad news. For example, you could say, “I just found out one of the plugins in your site is incompatible with the upgraded theme. However, I’ve found another plugin that does the same thing and is compatible. That plugin is $27.”
9. No follow up. Here’s another common freelancing communication mistake, and one I’ve made myself: not following up. As we’ve discussed in Freelance Folder before, the follow up can make all the difference between a proposal that goes unnoticed and one that leads to a paid project. Sure, you don’t want to be a pushy pest. But realize that most prospects are extremely busy and need a little reminder now and then. If you’re feeling intimidated about following up, using these steps, or adapting them to your situation, will make it easier.
10. Responding too late or not at all. Freelancers have told me they’ve gotten gigs, not because they’re necessarily the best freelancer out there, but simply because they responded to a prospect first. Now I’m not saying you should check your email inbox every ten minutes. However, do aim to reply to prospects and clients within 24 hours at the most. Remember what Woody Allen says: “80 percent of success is showing up.” Your communication is your way of showing up. If you’re late or absent, then you’ll lose out.

What can you improve?

Good communication is one of those skills that pay off, not just in freelancing, but for the rest of your life. By consistently improving your communication skills, you’re also improving the quality of your life.

Having read the ten most common communication mistakes freelancers make, what can you do to improve the way you communicate with prospects and clients?

And are there other communication errors I missed in this post?

I’d love to read about it in the comments below.

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Having been a journalist for 22 years, I have literally written thousands (I lost count many years ago) of articles to this day. While some have been short projects, others have surpassed a couple thousand words each.

So, while I work as a full-time content writer, I also freelance on the side.

You may wonder why I choose to arch my back and drain my eyes and brain cells in front of a computer for anywhere from eight to twelve hours a day, but it is all I’ve known since graduating college more than 20 years ago.

Avoiding Fatigue at All Costs

Whenever I tell someone I write for a living, they probably think either I’m really broke (writers are notoriously underpaid) or that I’m a news nerd, spending all his free time reading newspapers and watching television.

The facts are, while I do read papers and magazines and watch some television; I’ve become more of an online addict in recent years, always needing to have my hunger for news and information fixed.

In order to not burn out what remaining brain cells I have, I’ve had to force myself not to write at times.

Yes, I can always use the extra money I get from being a freelance reporter on the side, but is it worth my sanity? I cannot tell you how many nights I have gone to bed over the years with a deer in the headlights look from spending too much time on the computer.

So, I recently instituted a new freelance rule for myself–NO SATURDAY WRITING.

I admit at first it was hard, especially given the fact I’m on the computer writing eight hours a day at the full-time job, then heading home to write another two to three hours five nights a week, sometimes including weekends.

While the extra money from the freelance checks was/has been cool, I saw myself going down a path I didn’t like.

For me, I just had to hit the brakes and say no writing one day a week. So, I had to choose between Saturday and Sunday.

Although Sundays are generally regarded as a day of rest in many households, I opted for Saturday for several reasons:

• Saturday is my beach day during the summer and college football day during the fall.
• I sometimes try and get a jump on my Monday freelance requirements (I blog five days a week for a business site) and doing the work on Sunday nights relieves me of coming home to extra work on Mondays.
• I oftentimes will try and do some day trips on the weekends and Saturday is a good choice because if you get home late, you have the following day off.

More Advice to Keep You From Burning Out

So, if you’re in need of a little R&R time from your freelancing responsibilities, here’s some advice:

• Choose your assignments carefully and only those whose deadlines you think you can handle without interrupting a full-time job or personal activities.
• Get your work done ahead of time. I always try and set my deadline a day ahead so that I’m not left scurrying at the 25th hour. Not only will your work be better, but your stress level will thank you too.
• Utilize email to cut down on playing phone tag. I’m fortunate that much of my freelancing involves researching and not interviewing. That being said, if you have to interview a number of subjects on a regular basis, set up an email system with them so you’re not left playing phone tag all day and/or via different time zones.
• Finally, have fun with your freelance work. If you’re simply writing to earn a few extra dollars and not getting any enjoyment out of it, why are you doing it in the first place?

Freelance writing can not only bring in some extra money on the side, but it can open up doors to new experiences, new friends and an expanded portfolio.

With the right schedule, you can be free to reap the benefits freelance writing has to offer. Just avoid burning too many brain cells in the process.

Your Turn

Do you take a day off? Which day? What tips would you give a freelancer to keep them from burning out?

Share your answers in the comments.

Image by Bright Meadow