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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.
…if you happen to buy any books relating to freelance writing (including reference manuals) KEEP THE RECEIPTS. You can use them for tax deduction purposes next year.
So why am I reminding you of this little nugget of wisdom? Because I went on a shopping spree and bought a ton (literally, they are heavy!) of writing related books. I’ll unveil the full list in an upcoming post.
This question is two-fold. First off, it was posted on the Suite writers forum and had me thinking. On one hand, what I make (writing-wise) goes hand in hand with how hard I work and/or how much work I produce, therefore I should be proud of the money I make. However, on the same token, money is a very personal issue and is always a sure-fire way to cause problems to flare up with your co-workers and competition. Is there a happy medium? Is it acceptable when some one asks you how much money you made last week to answer “more/less than the prior month”? I can’t tell you how many emails I get from complete strangers asking me how much money I earn from writing on Suite. I consider that to be rude. I wouldn’t go up to a stranger in any working capacity and ask them how much money they make. However, I think it is helpful to either provide a ballpark figure (most average job salaries can be researched on the net anyway) or tell them things they can do to improve their likelihood of earning a high wage.
What’s your take on this matter?
Just out of curiosity, I wanted to see what other schools offered English programs where I might possibly be able to complete my degree online. I was comparing the cost of a single credit for undergrad, part-time students ans here is what I discovered (this is scary, be prepared to hold on tight to your wallets):
Dowling College (where I competed a good portion of my BA) $606 per credit ($1800 + PER CLASS)
Hofstra University $785 per credit (almost $2400 PER CLASS)
Mercy College $630 per credit (A little over $1800 + PER CLASS)
**Note that I did not factor in any State Schools because they don’t offer the caliber of English/Journalism classes that I am looking for, and I CANNOT learn in a lecture hall of hundreds of other students where I am only a number***
Factor into the equation that while my job does offer tuition reimbursement, it is capped at $3500 annually, which would mean I could take one class a year. Even worse is the fact that I would not qualify for any kind of financial aid since I am a part-time student AND according to financial aid rules, I earn too much money (I wish that I really did earn too much money!).
Just some interesting info for those of us considering higher education. If I do decide to return, I think adult education courses are the way to go.
As time goes on, I am noticing that being a freelancer is quite a challenging thing. I am working hard to build up my reputation which is paramount to me at this point in my career. However, there are certain aspects that are more challenging than I had expected. Two in particular:
1. Pay Range. This is by far the most unbalanced industry in terms of pay scale. I’ve encountered clients who were only willing to pay below minimum wage and clients who were willing to pay what I asked for. The problem is that as a freelance newbie, the question of pay is a touchy one. Part of you thinks no one is going to hire you for a project at the “going rate” because of your lack of practical experience. At the same rate, you quickly learn that you are ultimately only going to be paid what you are willing to ask for, so I’ve been doing a fair share of research regarding basic rates for freelance projects. At least now I have somewhat of a firmer idea as to what I should be asking for.
FYI- If you are looking for the rates for editing/proofreading projects, the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) has a great list of commonly charged rates.
2. Client Drama. Dealing with people is difficult. Dealing with difficult people is a nightmare. As a freelancer I am my own boss and so I have to defend myself, my work, my rates and my choices accordingly. I need to be aggressive as far as not allowing myself to be scammed into working low pay jobs and I need to be confident in rate negotiations.
Thinking back to when you started out in this freelance world, what were some of your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
This is a biggie in terms of questions. Most of the comments I’ve received are from readers (and I’m assuming freelancers as well) who want to know the “going rate” for various writing tasks. Honestly, that was my question too when I got started way back in October of last year (ha ha!). I in no way consider myself an expert on rates but I will give you guys some good information.
Good Information Source #1: The Writers Market. You know, I know, we sometimes use it, though not as much as we should. I’m not sure about prior years versions but the 2008 version has a very useful section on rates across the board. They provide an article in this years book called “How Much Should I Charge?” which gives the basics and several pages of useful charts that show the low, high and average rates for different kinds of writing projects. I like to use this as a jumping off point. It helps me get a number in my head and I go from there.
Good Source of Information #2: Independent Organizations Checking with sites like ASJA (www.ASJA.org) and the EFA (www.the-efa.org) will provide you with a general idea of rates as well. Also if you happen to pick up a copy of ‘08 Writers Market, there’s an entire list of useful organizations who provide pay range info.
Based on these two sources of information, I decide on my “base rates”. These are the not set in stone, but they give me a good starting point when negotiating with clients.
Before you can accurately quote a rate, you should also be looking at a few other things:
1. length of project (page-wise) and word count. Obviously more pages and longer word counts are going to cost more. This information will also help you decide if you want to charge by page/word.
2. scope of the project. Are you simply writing a 500 word article on something you are already knowledgeable about? Or are you asked to write a 1000 word article on something that is going to require extensive research? If you need to do research for a project, make sure to tack on the time expended in research, in addition to the writing price quote.
3. degree of editing/re-writes. Many writing/editing projects will not be clear about how much editing they expect from you. Make sure you know up front if they want light or heavy editing, along with any fact checking, as these will all increase the rate substantially. Also, if client expects 2-3 rewrites of the project, make sure that you account for the time needed to do those as well.
Rates vary more in this industry than any other one that I am aware of. There are people who will settle to write a 500 word article for $5. Know your worth and know your boundaries. Be flexible with your rates, but try to stay in a general range.
photo courtesy of Jupiter Images
First of all, allow me to apologize for the lack of posts as of late. I’ve been struck with an awful case of bronchitis that has all but kicked my butt! I haven’t seen any rooms of my apartment other than the bedroom & bathroom for the past 5 days.
So my predicament got me thinking. What would I do if I had gotten sick and my only source of income/health insurance came from freelancing? Pretty scary stuff. As is, it’s nice to know that my full-time employer pays my sick days and my doctor’s appointments and prescriptions. How does a full time freelancer handle the complications of health and medical insurance? What about work load? If you have deadlines, your clients are not going to care that your on death’s door. They want their work when it was contracted for.
If you are a full time freelancer, I’d love for you to share your take on this subject. I’d like to know what I’m in for down the road!
Because I made less than $600 last year in freelance work, I do not need to claim it on my taxes. However, this year I’ve already exceeded that mark so I need to start keeping good records. As I mentioned in an earlier post, all of the books that I buy for work related subjects, I keep the receipts. All the office supplies, business cards, stationery, courses taken and postage all keep the receipts. At the moment I have a file where I put all the business-related expense receipts, that way they are all in one place, ready for next year’s taxes (because I will make over $600 this year!).
Courtesy of Jupiter Images
Imagine that you needed to have your car serviced. You decide to choose a mechanic based on price as opposed to service reputation, thus after getting several quotes you choose the cheapest one. Would you expect to get the same level of service, had you chosen the pricer, but far more professional and experienced mechanic?
It’s fair to assume (for the most part) that in today’s consumer-based society, that you get what you pay for. So why is that people looking to contract a freelance writer are so hellbent on screwing them? Over the last several days I have come across a higher amount than usual of jobs looking for a writer to do “professional, high quality work” for an insulting amount of money. I’ve been declined on two projects already because my rates were too high (said potential buyer). I’m at the point where I am willing to compromise to a degree, but not to the degree where I am giving away quality work for what amounts to less than minimum wage.
As writers, we all need to start demanding higher standards for ourselves and for our industry. You can’t possibly put 2 hours of research, 2 hours of writing and an hour of revising on a 500 word article for $10, it’s just not feasible. Nor is it professional.
While negotiation is essential for any business to be successful, giving away your service can be equally detrimental (not to mention it can put you out of business fast).
Wow, I said I wasn’t going to do this and look, this is my second post with the word “resolution” in the title. But this one is a BIGGIE. Because I am learning as I go along, it has been brought to my attention that certain writing-related expenses can be claimed as tax deductions. Now I’m not a CPA so I am not privy to the specifics, but things such as business cards, books, courses, stationery and sometimes your computer (depending on certain factors which I don’t know enough about to put into writing) are tax deductible.
So today’s lesson is that from here on out, I will keep receipts for any and all freelance-related expenses. No matter how insignificant they may seem. If it can save me some money or net me a bigger refund, I’d be foolish not to!
photo courtesy of Jupiter Images
