 |
Freelance Feast or Famine?
Sometimes a freelance writing career can feel very much like "feast or famine". At the very beginning, it's almost all famine. You spend more time looking for freelance writing jobs than you spend actually writing, and, quite apart from being utterly demoralizing, when you have a mortgage to pay and mouths to feed, it can be absolutely terrifying, too. Of course, once you get past those early days of struggling for work and start to build up a portfolio and a reputation, you move into the "feast" era of your freelance writing career and everything should be rosy. The problem is however, that those early days can be hard to forget. You can't help but remember the days of living off ramen noodles while trying to get your freelance writing career off the ground, and there's no way in hell you want to go back there. Like Scarlett O'Hara you vow never to be poor or hungry again - and so you accept every single assignment that comes your way, and end up working yourself into a greasy spot at the same time. Rather than a feast, it starts to become a binge, and before you know where you are, you're struggling again - albeit this time you're struggling to get the work done, rather than to find it in the first place. Your home life and health starts to suffer, and, if you're not careful, so does the quality of your work. So what do you do? Well, if you think you could be on the verge of a writing binge, here are a few tips: 1. Dump your toxic clients Toxic clients are the ones who cost you more in terms of time and effort than you ever get back from them in dollars. These are the clients for whom everything is a problem: they're not happy unless they're complaining, and you end up spending more time coddling and cajoling them than you do working for them. At the start of your career, you'll probably just put up with the toxicity. Once you start to get busy, however, it's time to get rid. If a toxic client feels like more trouble than they're worth, they probably are: so dump them, and stick with the ones who actually reward your effort. 2. Look carefully at your prices How much are you charging? Writers who are new to freelancing are often tempted to reduce their prices in order to secure work. This can work very well; once you're more established in your field, however, it can start to backfire on you, because once you have a reputation for being good and cheap, you'll end up with more work than you can reasonably handle. If this sounds like you, it may be worth considering accepting fewer projects, but charging a higher rate for them. That way the quality of your work and life remains high, and you still have the opportunity to increase your earnings. 3. Learn how to say no gracefully Turning down work can be frightening. No matter how successful you are, when you're a freelance writer there's always going to be a little voice whispering in your ear that although you're doing well this month, next month the work could dry up. While it's never a good idea to become complacent, you do need to learn when to switch this voice off. If you're good at what you do, and you've built up a strong portfolio and network of contacts, there will be more work. Sometimes it's better to turn a project down than to take it on when you don't have time for it - and risk your reputation by doing it badly. 4. Make friends with your competitors Yes, really. Your fellow freelance writers don't always have to be "the competition". If there's another freelancer in your area, or in your field of expertise, why not contact them when it's busy and offer to recommend them to the clients you don't have time for, on the understanding that they do the same for you next time they're busy and you're not? This kind of reciprocal arrangement can work out very well for both parties: it means that you're not having to flat-out refuse work, for one thing, and it also gives you something of a safety net if things suddenly get slow, but your competitor's workload is more than they can handle. Amber McNaught is a freelance writer and editor, and the owner of WritingWorld.org, an online agency for freelance writers, editors and proofreaders. Chat about all aspects of freelance writing in the WritingWorld forum! Amber is also co-owner of Hot Igloo Productions, a UK website design and marketing firm specialising in helping small businesses grow through the use of internet technologies and public relations.
MORE RESOURCES:
|
Writing's on the wall for McNabbESPNBy Ashley Fox | ESPN.com There is one franchise that would seem to be a perfect fit for Donovan McNabb, a place where he knows the system, the personnel, the expectations and the playbook, and he wouldn't have to mentor anybody.and more » |
|
Lisa Rinna on writing a book about sexCNN"The Big Fun Sexy Sex Book" is a fun and innovative guide to rejuvenating your sex life and libido, co-written with renowned sex therapist Ian Kerner (who writes about sex on CNN's medical news blog, The Chart). The vivacious 48-year-old actress is ...and more » |
ABC News (blog) |
Mexican Writer Carlos Fuentes Dies at 83Wall Street Journal (blog)By Jose de Cordoba MEXICO CITY – Carlos Fuentes, Mexico's most famous writer, and a world-known public intellectual, died Tuesday, depriving the nation of its most internationally recognized voice. Mr. Fuentes, a novelist, poet, diplomat, critic, ...In Writing, Fuentes Shed Light On Poverty, InequalityNPRCarlos Fuentes, Mexican Novelist Who Inspired Latin American Writing, DiesABC News (blog)Mexican author Carlos Fuentes diesABC OnlineLos Angeles Times -Reuters -San Francisco Chronicleall 941 news articles » |
|
Short story writer takes home Sophie Kerr AwardThe Star DemocratManion, an English major from Clarksville, took the prize with her submission of four short stories she considers to be works in progress, and excerpts of her thesis on the role of letter writing in literature a study that drew from the novels of Jane ...and more » |
Google News
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Write a Short Story
Everybody knows writing a story is not easy. Like the drama or the poem, it is imaginative literature that should appeal to the emotions of the readers.
Screenwriting, Screenplays, Screenwriters - Incremental Productivity
When attempting to understand Creativity and Innovation, it pays to import the vast range of research and knowledge that has been accumulated in these fields - most of it is to be found in the field of Business and Management.For example, Writer's Block is intimately related to Organizational Culture - the same principles that prevent people from generating ideas in the corporate workplace are also responsible for Writer's Block - evaluation apprehension in its many forms.
The Writing Club
Typically when falling asleep in bed at night great thoughts enter the mind, long stringed and meaningful sentences trip over each other to receive attention at the front of the brain alongside all the brilliant findings, results, meanings that speak volumes and hard hitting phrases that are just the ticket to open the door to success. The last thought in the brain before sleep overrides this brilliant future work is, "must use that tomorrow".
How You Can Find Freelance Editing Jobs
Freelance editing opportunities are out there, you just need to know where and how to look for them. As a matter of fact, there are hundreds of companies that are waiting for you, right now, to fill their job vacancies.
Writing with a Sense of Adventure
We've all been told that we need to use all five senses to bring our fiction to life. Sight, sound, smell, taste and touch all need to be invoked.
The Three Cs of Writing an Excellent all Purpose Headline
Since the headline is the first contact your readers have with your message, it must reach out to them. Promise them a benefit.
Writers Helping Writers - A Noble Legacy
It is satisfying to be a part of such a noble tradition and to know that as a whole, writers are still inclined to lend a hand and encourage others in their craft. I think it is an inherent trait in the writer's soul, to be so generous.
14 Tips On Writing The Short-Short Story
The short-short story has been likened by some as being closer to writing a poem than a story. And that makes sense-every word has to be packed with power; every line has to move the story along.
Imagine The Imagination
Imagine a three hundred page book was in the author's mind before it was poured out onto the pages of the book.Imagine all those words are words we all know and use but one person takes those words and arranges them in a certain way in the mind; the person fuses these words to form a story.
Overcome Writers Block with Snake Dancing
Writer's block! Even columnist Dave Berry has it. He admits that at least 30 times a day when writing his humor column, he gets up from his computer to sip his Pepsi to divert his attention when he can't think of what to write.
Top Seven Mistakes Writers Make and What to Do About Them
Writers often get stuck because they make assumptions about writing, finishing, publishing, and promoting their books. A recent client confessed that he thought a book was just too big a project.
A Plan
All writers should use a plan whether written or reflected. This includes the initial idea, the content or main points, and the conclusion whether it is an article, a short story, a chapter, or a complete novel.
Which Comes First - Short Story Or Novel?
A writer writes. Bet you've heard that one before.
Writing Made Them Rich #4: Paulo Coelho
Paulo Coelho was born on August 24th 1947 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.At age 17 he announced his intention to be a writer.
What Can Go Into A Plot?
Creative Writing Tips -We all tackle plotting differently. How you plot will be individual to you, as it is with every writer.
10 Best Writers Who Ever Lived
Compiling a list of the history's ten best writers is like skating on a heated swimming pool. Just when you get started, you find yourself in hot water.
Piecing It All Together
There's a little known secret we writers like to keep to ourselves, because we fear that if word got out, readers would immediately become disillusioned and abandon us. It's not as bad as a reviewer spoiling a twist in the plot of a book, I suppose.
Overcoming Writers Block
Do you suffer from writer's block? Is there a pending project you are putting off because you lack the inspiration to even get it started? You certainly are not alone. At various times you will go through extended periods of energetic writing as well as lengthy dry spells.
10 Tips To Help You Pack More Power Into Your Business Writing
1. Before you write anything down define not what you want to say, but what your message must achieve.
Making Money from Freelance Writing
Making Money from Freelance WritingIt's the question that every aspiring freelancer eventually finds themselves asking: is it really possible to make money from this? The kind of money that lets you keep a roof over your head and feed your kids occasionally, that is?Well, yes, it is. But let's be honest: it's not easy.
|
