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The prospect of becoming a freelance writer is both exciting and a little bit scary. Let’s face it: the freelance writing community is a big ocean full of bigger fish (a.k.a. experienced writers) and you as a newbie have to somehow manage to take a deep breath, jump in and hope you don’t immediately sink or become a larger fish’s dinner. The mere thought is enough to make any newbie cower in fear of the unknown.
As someone who has spent a majority of time dangling my toes in the edge of that proverbial ocean, I can wholeheartedly say that the experience is well worth it. However, I have also spent a fair share of time in the freelance ocean struggling against the undertow. There are a lot of things I wish I had known before I started, that would have made my journey a little smoother. But I suppose that’s the blessing of hindsight.
If you are just starting out, I’d like to share with you some things that I learned that just might make your experience a little easier. Before you dive into that intimidating ocean of freelance writers, take some time to familiarize yourself with some life rafts that dot the water.
1. Freelance writing will not be easy, nor will you become rich. Every newbie freelancer has aspirations of becoming the next Carrie Bradshaw or the next assistant at Vogue. These are great fantasies for when you are standing on the line at the bank daydreaming, but they are not reality. Dream jobs do not fall out of the sky. An editor from Conde Nast will not call you at home and ask you to pen a piece on the new Manolos. Not going to happen.
What will happen is work, and a lot of it. You will work on copy for things you have never imagined writing about. Pieces on such varied topics as hybrid vehicles, male enlargement devices and rhinoplasty, will begin to fill your portfolio. You will be paid for these gems, but you certainly won’t be running out with your new found millions and quitting your day job (not yet anyway).
Expect to write about a wide range of subjects, and know how to use the internet to search for reputable sources of information (note: Wikipedia is not a source you want to rely on for your information).
2. You need to know your worth as a writer and you need to know what rates are acceptable. Sure, you’re excited to write and you will take on any project that comes your way. However, it is important that you know the going rates for particular kinds of freelance writing, editing and proofreading jobs so that you are getting what you are entitled to. You wouldn’t be willing to work at McDonald’s if they paid you $2 for every 200 hamburgers you flipped, would you? Well there are a lot of freelancers out there who sell themselves short by taking on writing jobs that require 10 articles at two dollars a pop.
We all have to start somewhere, but being taken advantage of is never a good way to begin. If you are worried about lack of experience or published clips, try writing for a site like Suite101. You will be able to get some web-published clips and some good experience writing for the web. Another good way to build up your portfolio is to offer your writing services to volunteer organizations. While these are commonly non-paying, they are quite reputable and will give you great clips and references for future projects. Even better, you will get to feel all warm and fuzzy inside that you did something nice for someone!
To get an idea of acceptable rates, check with the most current version of the Writer’s Market book. This book will become your bible and it is advised that you spend the $25 each year and pick up the newest version. The book offers a wealth of advice from market listings, freelance market rates and helpful articles pertaining to all things freelance.
3. Providing samples of work means you are giving away your work for free. Working hard to write a quality piece, only to have someone take it from you with nothing more than a thank you is unacceptable. Do not work for free. If a client wants to see how your write, provide him/her with clips of your work (see #2). Freelancing is a job, just like any job, and when you work you are expected to be paid for your services. If a potential client will only work with you under the context of a freebie, walk away.
4. It is much easier and satisfying to write about what you know and what you are interested in. Chances are high that the first piece of writing advice, solicited or otherwise, that you were given regarding your freelancing endeavor, sounded something like this: write what you know. This is a very good piece of advice and should be something you try to adhere to when you can. Of course there will be times when a client wants copy written about colon cleansing or forex trading, and of course you have to write about these topics that you no nothing about and have no particular interest in whatsoever.
However, when pitching ideas, stick to the things you enjoy. It is much easier to write about something that you are personally interested in, not to mention the research behind the piece will be less time-consuming. You are more likely to produce more work of a higher caliber when it is about something you know.
5. Freelance writers who are not organized and cannot manage their time should consider another career path. You will be juggling multiple projects at any given time. It is essential that you keep track of all your deadlines on one central calendar (I find the large desk ones work best). You also need to keep track of payments from clients. You should create a system, even if it is a simple notebook where you devote one page to each project/client, in order to keep up with billing out clients and recording payments.
I am working on two three separate articles for Suite101, both relating to books with a 9-11 theme. I am trying to form a best of list for both fiction and non-fiction. While I do have my favorites, I was hoping to get a broader perspective from a wider audience. Please leave your picks in the comments ASAP.
Thanks for your help!
1. The two interviews I did were in relation to the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. First was with this year’s winner (and fellow Suite101 writer) Garrison Spik. The second was with the founder of the contest, Professor Scott Rice. Both interviews were informative and really interesting. I cannot wait for my next interview!
2. Decided to drop down to a free account on Elance. It still maintains my profile and client feedback, but since I haven’t been using them much, there is no fee associated with this membership level.
3. Decided to go back to school and finish my BA in English. Have applied and will let you guys know the outcome as it happens.
4. I just got an Editor’s Choice Award on Suite for my article on Back-to-School Books for Adults.
Any questions?
As a side note, I apologize for lack of posts. Been serving Grand Jury Duty (had to previously postpone it) and I am so enthralled with the workings of the legal system. Seriously considering attending law school in future.
What if you have a subject (or two) that you’d like to write about for the web but you can’t find the right context? Here are some easy ideas to get your idea going:
1. How-To’s These are the most popular kinds of articles, primarily because the demand is so high. Think about it: Many people go on the web with the intention of searching for something, and a large percent of the time, that something is directions on how to do a certain activity. Think: recipes, how to change a flat tire, how to apply smoky eye makeup, how to know when your relationship is over and how to get the best deal possible when buying a new car,
2. Comparisions Another popular thing people do online is to compare two items. Whether they are considering making a purchase or if they just want to know the difference between both things, comparision-based articles can be very informative. Think: DSL vs Broadband, Toyota Prius vs. Honda Hybrid, All-Inclusive vacations vs Regular vacations.
3. Checklists Checklists are handy for all kinds of situations: moving, planning a wedding, applying to college, bringing new baby home. Basically any activity can be made into a checklist article with a little re-angling.
4. Overviews These are intended to give a very general synopsis of a particular topic. Just include the basics, and assume the reader has no experience with the topic and is looking for general information. Overview style articles can work really well for a lot of different subjects: History (an overview of the Civil War), Literature (an overview of the character Scrooge in A Christmas Carol) , Sports (an overview of the 2008 season). Overviews tie into wrap up articles as well, these work best for sporting articles and those related to politics and popular news items. Think: Looking Back on the 2008 New York Rangers season), News/Politics (Looking back on Hilary Clinton’s Campaign)
5. Reviews Anything can be reviewed. Not just movies, DVDs, music and books. Think restaurant, new pet product, new service, new automobile. Anything that you’ve just used or experienced first hand is material for a review.
6. Benefits The benefit article is always a great, easy read. These are usually short and contain lists. Think: Health benefits of green tea, Benefits of Yoga, Hidden benefits of sleep, benefits of changing your air filter, benefits of having health insurance.
7. Tips No doubt, you’ve seen this one everywhere: 10 Tips for a Bikini Body, 10 Tips to Financial Freedom, 10 Ways To Seduce Him, 10 Ways to Approach your boss about a raise, 10 signs that your ready to loose weight.
Play around with these and see if any of your topics/subjects could be used in any of these kinds of articles.
In case anyone is wondering, I have not been posting each time I publish a new article on Suite. It seems kind of time-consuming to do that. Just check out my Writing Sample link, as I am pretty good about keeping that current. It’s also very organized, so you can search by topic and not have to read through any articles that are not interesting to you.
I’ve added a main page called “My Writing” where you can access an index and link of all my articles. You know, in case you’re interested. It also serves as a handy place to keep a running list of my work, organized by topic by the particularly anal side of my personality. Think of it as my electronic writing portfolio. It will be updated as new articles are published.
I’m debating on whether or not to write articles based on seasonal/holiday events (ex. Valentine’s Day, Superbowl, etc.). While these can definitely have their good points: they can be recycled (“evergreen”), have a great amount of page views during their peak time of the year, they also have their negatives: when they are out-of-season page views will drop tremendously, thus generating no revenue.
What’s your take on this? Do you have any tips/tricks that has helped you turn “evergreen” articles into well-performing articles year-round?
