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Tag: freelancing

  • How to Invoice International Clients Without Paying Tons of Fees

    How to Invoice International Clients Without Paying Tons of Fees

    A lot of people now do freelance work for overseas clients, or they’re traveling entrepreneurs who don’t have a permanent home base. This luxury is one of the great things about working digitally because you can connect with clients and customers all over the world.

    However, there’s one huge downside to sending invoices from different countries and receiving payment in different currencies: the fees that eat into your profits.

    So how can you stop paying a ton of fees for international payments?

    The best payment methods for overseas transactions

    When you’re being paid online for international services, you have to understand that you’re going to pay extra fees, in comparison to working with a local client. With that being said, there are still ways to keep more of your hard-earned money.

    PayPal

    If you’re in the U.S. and being paid through an online service like PayPal, you’re likely to pay 3-4% of the total transaction. If you live outside the U.S. the fees vary according to your country, with a fee of 0.5-4% based on the type of payment method used. Invoices paid with a bank account or PayPal balance have a much smaller fee, versus payments made with credit or debit cards.

    There is an additional fee to withdraw any amount under $150, and you’ll still have to pay currency conversion charges. Even so, PayPal is also the most commonly known and accepted form of payment.

    “If you’re dealing with North American clients, PayPal is usually the best way to go,” says Sarah Li Cain, who currently works as a freelancer in China. “Everyone has a PayPal account, and they are able to navigate it in English.”

    Wire Transfers

    Many overseas clients may prefer wire transfers. Send them an invoice as usual, then include your account number as well as your bank’s info in the “note to recipient” box at the bottom.

    Keep in mind that your client may have to pay fees to process a wire transfer. “You could take on the fee (instead of the client), and figure out your rate that includes this fee,” suggests Sarah.

    internationalclients

    Invoicing Services

    Invoicing services such as Freshbooks or Harvest are a great alternative. Many are free to domestic (and some international) users, and can connect with a variety of payment gateways for different countries.

    Additionally, you can easily track different currencies by changing the desired currency directly on your invoice. This allows you to create an invoice in a currency that’s different from your default.

    It gets a bit more complicated for overseas freelancers, as some invoicing services don’t cater to them, but there are some that are specific to a certain nation (like Alipay in China).

    International Bank Accounts

    If you’re processing a lot of payments, specifically as a Canadian or American freelancer, you could look into setting up an international bank account. (Important consideration: you may need a tax number or resident permit for the nation you’re living in).

    Using an international account circumvents many of the fees that come with wire transfers, allowing you to receive direct deposits quickly and easily. “This is helpful for both you and the client, especially if they aren’t comfortable using anything outside of PayPal,” suggests Sarah.

    Some international freelancers have multiple accounts in different currencies so they can transfer funds between their accounts for free, and have the ability to use local ATMs at no cost. Instead of paying a conversion fee immediately, keep the money in your international account, either for future expenditures in that currency or until there’s a more favorable exchange rate. (Click to tweet this idea.)

    For example, if you live in Canada and have an American client who pays you via Paypal in USD, try transferring those funds to a USD bank account without paying currency conversion charges — though it must be at a U.S.-based bank. Don’t want to cross the border? There are still some options.

    The best currency for your invoices

    The best currency to invoice your clients in is the one you discussed with them prior to starting work.

    That being said, the most widely accepted currency is U.S. dollars. Most, if not all businesses use U.S. dollars for international transactions, so it’s best to stick with invoicing clients in this currency.

    Escrow services and bidding sites

    If you want to guarantee payment, you could invite clients to a bidding site with escrow service. Sites like PeoplePerHour require payment upfront in an escrow account, and you won’t get charged a service fee, no matter what type of currency they use.

    Another option is a site like Upwork, where they knock $10 USD off payment fees. Of course with escrow services and bidding sites, you’ll pay a commission to find work through their services, but it might work out cheaper than paying a big transaction fee.

    Invoicing fees are tax-deductible

    As tough as it is to pay a fee to receive the funds you worked so hard for, at least these costs are tax-deductible.

    Any bank fees, PayPal charges or other invoicing expenses you pay on behalf of business transactions are considered qualified expenses. And since they are a part of running a business, you can write them off at the end of the year. At least there’s a silver lining!

    Your turn: how do you invoice your international clients? International freelancers, how do you manage working for American clients?

    This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!

  • 6 Ways to Make Life as a Freelance Writer Less Lonely

    6 Ways to Make Life as a Freelance Writer Less Lonely

    Just launched your freelance biz but didn’t realize working from home all day meant also being alone all day?

    Raise your hand if you’re an extroverted entrepreneur who has found it difficult to transition from being in an office full of coworkers to being in an office full of plants.

    It’s true that working from home has its benefits, but for so many entrepreneurs, it’s the camaraderie and daily interaction with other people that fuel them creatively. And the one thing that no one tells you when put in your two weeks’ notice to go out on your own:

    It can be excruciatingly lonely.

    From one extrovert who spends most of her days alone to another, here are six tips to combat the solo business blues.

    1. Plan out your day

    By the minute, if you can. The loneliest days are days where no plan is in place because “the inspiration will just come, right?.” Nope. In fact, those days are usually spent refreshing social media or watching Netflix.

    Even if you don’t have client work, make a list of nagging projects that are kept on the backburner (like “Write down 10 ideas for a newsletter opt-in” or “Get car registered” or “Pitch one new client”) and then SCHEDULE them throughout the day.

    With a daily plan, you’ll feel more energized and productive, and less “I wonder what everyone else is doing today.”

    2. Join a gym

    Every foray to the gym (or yoga studio, or spin class, or…) will provide you with a) a good excuse to run into friends that belong to the same gym or b) the opportunity to make new friends (aka the web designer that attends your yoga class every Thursday).

    Plus, any opportunity to get out of the house will make you feel like you’ve done something with your day AND you’ll get your sweat on. 3 birds, 1 stone.

    3. Find a coworking space

    This seems like a no-brainer, but as a brand-new, solo entrepreneur who is trying to keep a lean budget, sometimes it’s hard to justify the cost of a work space when there’s plenty of space at home. However, aside from being around other people, you’ll meet a lot of other entrepreneurs, get your water cooler conversations in, and maybe even gain a few clients.

    To keep costs low, see if you can share a desk with another freelancer (and split the cost) or ask a marketing firm if you can command one of their conference rooms for a few hours every week for a smaller fee. Working around other creative, driven individuals can make you feel more inspired and productive. (Click to tweet this idea.)

    4. Fill out your social calendar

    Though most of your friends may work traditional nine-to-five jobs, they need breaks from their desks just as much as you need a break from…well, yourself.

    Coffee dates, lunch dates, and the occasional 4pm happy hour (hey, we can do that because we’re freelancers!) mean that you have some human interaction to look forward to. It also requires that you get all of your  “Must Dos” done earlier in the day, which cuts down on Facebook-refreshing time. Less work, more play.

    5. Reach out to other freelancers

    It’s not an accident that many freelancers hang out together. If you’ve just started working from home, make “daytime” friends by reaching out to other writers, designers, photographers, and bloggers that you know will likely be working from home.

    Under the guise of “I’d love to get to know more about the entrepreneurial community around here,” convince another freelancer or two to have coffee with you. I do this often, and it’s led to three new clients, an invitation to a “Freelance Ladies” networking group, and two very solid friendships.

    6. Create networking goals

    Networking doesn’t have to be sleazy and forced. If you give yourself two networking goals a month (like “Join a networking group” or “Hand out my business card 10 times” or “Sign up to give a presentation to the Local Entrepreneurs Group”), you’re not only giving your business a kick in the pants, but you’re creating a project for yourself that practically requires human engagement.

    Even if you spend your time giving out business cards to the baristas at the coffee shops you frequent, who knows when they’ll need a writer to re-do their menu or revamp their website?

    What other strategies can solopreneurs use to stay engaged with other people?

  • 3 Game-Changing Ideas for Transitioning from Employee to Entrepreneur

    3 Game-Changing Ideas for Transitioning from Employee to Entrepreneur

    The day I scheduled my first business meeting as a freelance writer, I showed up early like I would for any interview. I ordered my coffee, pulled out my laptop, and picked up my favorite pen.

    And then I blanked.

    Until now, every moment of my interviewing life had been as a subordinate. Please, dear HR director, see something special in me and offer me the position, or, Please, CEO, just take a look at these prospective deliverables and consider what a great asset I’d be to your company.

    But now?

    Now I wasn’t here to ask for a job. Now it was up to me to negotiate the terms of my business. And while I probably confused the kind woman who met with me for my first business meeting as CEO of Greesonbach Creative, I was taking notes in my head the entire time.

    When you make the transition from employee to entrepreneur, you’re gearing up for a whole new conversation. And if you go into that conversation unprepared, it’s going to cost you. Here are three game-changing ideas that will help you make the transition more smoothly:

    No more memorizing mission statements

    This is not to say that you shouldn’t research your prospective client or business partner; you always want to know who you’re heading into business with, so do your due diligence (this may or may not involve LinkedIn stalking).

    But whereas in a previous life you might have spent the morning memorizing some mysterious Board’s mission statement to show what a hireable go-getter you are, it’s more important to show up prepared with your own mission statement.

    Who are you? What do you want? Why do you do what you do? These are the things that matter, and these are the things that will help you make real connections and get the business. Block out time to brainstorm your own mission statement so there’s never any doubt about what you want or where you’re headed.

    Stop hiding

    There are two secret shames of the side-hustler who wants to go full-time freelance. The first, and the first one that has to go, is the nagging sense that you’re not good enough to go full time. The second, more dangerous shame is the sense that you’re doing something wrong that’s going to get you in trouble.

    When you work for someone else, you start to see your time as “purchased.” You start to feel owned, like your time is not yours to spend on what you like. If you’re developing your freelance services or starting a business on the side, it’s probably with a mixed feeling of guilt. In some cases, it can feel like you’re cheating on your employer or hiding something by being successful and hardworking in your off-time.

    When you take your first leap into self-employment, it can be hard to escape the sense of guilt and shame that you shouldn’t be freelancing full time. Fight it! And most importantly, own it! You’re the breadwinner for the business of you. You’re putting time into a profitable and meaningful venture. And that’s nothing to hide from. (Click to tweet this idea.)

    business of you

    Your self-respect upgrade is imminent

    When you meet with a business contact as a self-employed small business owner, the new conversation is no longer about what a hard worker you are, or how punctual you’ll be for all the 9-5 shifts you’ll be working. That stuff simply doesn’t matter anymore, because it’s a given when you run your own business.

    Once you have let yourself come out of the self-employment closet, get ready for an onslaught of self-respect. The conversation now is What will I do with the talents I have and How will I make the most out of every day I have? What partnerships will benefit me, and Do I want to put my name on this work or product?

    And do you know what that makes you? A badass.

    Because showing up on time and meeting deadlines are the lowest minimums you know. As an entrepreneur, it’s over-deliver or die. It’s exceed expectations or sign up for unemployment. And while the stress might lead to a few sleepless nights, the real result of day-in and day-out awesomeness is a life of meaning and self-respect for all you’ve accomplished.

    Have you made the leap from employee to self-employed? What was the most surprising thing you learned in the process?

  • How to Make Money as a Freelance Blogger (and Actually Enjoy Your Work)

    How to Make Money as a Freelance Blogger (and Actually Enjoy Your Work)

    High-speed internet connection? Check. Laptop? Check. Dedication, ambition and a love for putting pen to paper? Check, check, check.

    You’re ready to make money as a freelance blogger and land blogging jobs. You’re just not sure how to do it.

    The good news is that other people have done it. These bloggers have made more than a buck or two by freelance blogging, which proves that it’s possible! You can make your living — and then some — in this field.

    How to prove your worth as a freelance blogger

    It’s time to learn from the best in the biz. We talked with successful writers who make money from freelance blogging to see what worked for them. Follow their tips to get started on your successful freelance blogging career.

    Here’s how to make money from freelance blogging.

    1. Find your niche

    If you’re a jack of all trades, master of none, you won’t make much money freelance blogging. Why not?

    Because you won’t stand out as an expert on anything.

    “You can demand higher rates if you are a subject matter expert. Your niche will help here – tremendously.”
    — Marya Jan of Writing Happiness

    2. Start your own blog

    Since you’re just starting out, you probably don’t have a writing portfolio. If you have nothing to entice clients to hire you, why would they? They’ll go with someone who already has some experience, which leaves you back at square one.

    But if you have your own blog and can submit samples of your own posts, you’ll be able to prove to clients off-the-bat that you’re hireable. (If you want guidance on this, here’s our step-by-step guide to starting a blog.)

    “If you want to become a successful freelance blogger then you should create a successful blog. It doesn’t have to be the next Mashable (when I landed my first job my blog was attracting just forty visitors per day), but a successful blog is practical evidence of your abilities.”
    — Tom Ewer of Leaving Work Behind

    3. Keep blogging on your own

    Once you start landing freelance blogging gigs, it’s important to keep up your personal blog — even though you aren’t paying yourself to do so. Focus on growing your community and providing relevant content. The next step is finding a way to monetize your personal blog so it can become another revenue stream.

    “Once you’ve built up a following, you can also sell e-books, courses, and other products to your readers — or market yourself as a writer in your industry.”
    — Linda Formichelli, formerly of The Renegade Writer

    4. Blog only for readers you want

    You want to be a freelance blogger so you can have the freedom to work from wherever — ideally from a sunny beach while sipping a Mai Tai. Although that isn’t a realistic vision of what it really means to be a freelance blogger, keep that vision in mind anyway. The idea is that a flexible job gives you freedom.

    If you’re working for a difficult client or writing a blog post on something you couldn’t care less about, it doesn’t matter how beautiful that beach is or how delicious that Mai Tai tastes. You’ll be miserable.

    “Every project you say “yes” to means you have less room to say “yes” to another project. So make sure everything on your plate is something you really want and can handle.”
    — Kelly Gurnett of Cordelia Calls It Quits

    5. Seek out regular clients

    Time is money, and every time you start working with a new client, you’ll have to spend (sometimes unpaid) time getting to know the client, their expectations and their style. With long-term clients, you’ll have a more steady income and can even negotiate a higher rate down the road.

    “I work with a handful of long terms clients and spend next to no time on marketing and administration. It is highly rewarding to know that the vast majority of the work I do on my freelance business is directly earning me money. My hourly rate really is my hourly rate.”
    — Tom Ewer of Leaving Work Behind

    6. Speed up

    Simply put, the faster you type, the more blog posts you can crank out and the more money you can make. So if you can’t type quickly or you make a lot of typing errors, get to work on improving your speed and become a more efficient typist.

    “It may sound trivial, but it really isn’t. If you are interested in writing for a living, learning to type faster is effectively a business investment.”
    — Tom Ewer of Leaving Work Behind

    7. Blog for free

    Wait, isn’t this a post about making money as a freelance blogger? Hear me out.

    Do you want to get your name out there and in front of clients who have potential to pay a lot? Do you want to prove you’re an awesome writer without having to beg clients to give you a chance? Writing for free is your answer to all of the above. Writing for free is how you make money down the road.

    “Writing for free helps you gain visibility and develop a network of people who will actually pay for something you offer, so long as you’re smart enough to monetize that opportunity.”
    — Alexis Grant, founder of The Write Life

    8. Be prepared to write quite a lot — and then quite a lot more

    Yes, freelance blogging is a cushy work-from-your-couch job that doesn’t even require wearing pants. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s still hard work.

    Freelance blogging can be a bit of a grind. So if you think this is about resting on your laurels, think again.

    “Yes, this isn’t that moonshot way of earning that so many are dreaming of, where you monetize your own blog and make six figures on autopilot. This is an everyday, working-class sort of way to earn from blogging. Simply helping publications and companies communicate powerfully with their readers and customers.”
    — Carol Tice of Make a Living Writing

    9. When the time is right, increase your rates

    When you land your first freelance blogging gig, it’s likely not going to pay lucratively. That’s okay. But as you gain more experience and know your clients want to keep you around, it’s time to raise your rates and start making more money.

    “Look, as a freelancer, there’s no boss giving you an appraisal and deciding that it’s time to beef up your paycheck. That’s up to you. Most experienced freelancers I know will raise their rates every year or so (unless the economy is tanking). If nothing else, raise your rate according to the rate of inflation. If you don’t, you’re effectively losing money.”
    — Mridu Khullar Relph of MriduKhullar.com

    10. Step the f*ck up

    You don’t know if you’re good enough. You don’t have tons of experience. You don’t really know what you’re doing.

    Enough with the excuses.

    If you want to be a successful freelance blogger, then you need to adjust your attitude, clean your slate of all those excuses and get started already. Because one thing is for sure. Your freelance blogging “career” will continue to make you zilch for the rest of your life if you don’t start somewhere.

    “Deciding that you simply don’t have the confidence to talk to people about your freelance blogging services, or to apply for an advertised gig, is like deciding that you’re too shy to call emergency services when someone’s lying wounded at your feet. Excusing yourself from freelance blogging because you don’t know where to begin is like excusing yourself from eating cake because you don’t know where to slice it.”
    — Sophie Lizard of Be a Freelance Blogger

    Excusing yourself from freelance blogging because you don’t know where to begin is like excusing yourself from eating cake because you don’t know where to slice it.

    How have you developed your freelance blogging career?

  • 5 Lies You Tell Yourself That Keep You from Becoming an Awesome Writer

    5 Lies You Tell Yourself That Keep You from Becoming an Awesome Writer

    Many writers are afraid of writing.

    As a blogger and writer, I’m approached quite often by friends and readers who are interested in starting to freelance, or to write on their own.

    The truth is that they’re all better writers than me, but they haven’t decided to start a blog, write a book, or begin freelancing, because they believe the bunch of lies that their mind tells them about writing.

    There are several myths that I’m tired of hearing over and over again, so today I’m going to debunk them. Here are five common lies writers believe — and why they’re all wrong.

    1. I have nothing to say

    This is a bald-faced lie.

    How many times have you been in a conversation, and simply said nothing the entire time? Unless it was a terrible date, the chances are that, when you’re out with people, you’re able to have a conversation. In fact, I expect you rarely end up going out with friends and saying nothing the entire night because you “have nothing to say.”

    Lies.

    • You don’t have an opinion on anything?

    • You don’t have domain knowledge of anything?

    • You don’t get excited about anything?

    Focus in on one of those — any of those — and then just start writing, and see what happens.

    You’ve got more things to say than you like to think. (Click to tweet this idea).

    2. No one will listen to me

    Well, it’s really hard to listen to someone who never says anything.

    That hurts, huh? Well, it’s true.

    If you write something, at least you give people the option of listening to you. If you keep everything bottled up, you don’t even give them the chance.

    This is easily the worst excuse for not starting. Even if nobody reads anything you write, writing will make you a better thinker, and will allow you to communicate your thoughts more clearly, simply by practicing.

    3. I’m not interesting

    You don’t have to be. I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but people aren’t interested in you. You know what they’re interested in? Themselves. Seriously.

    More than anything, people are interested in themselves and in their problems. If you write about things that affect them, it doesn’t matter if you’re the most boring person who’s ever lived. In their eyes, you’re going to be incredibly useful because you speak to their needs, and help them solve their problems.

    If you focus your writing on solving problems, your readers will find you more interesting than the Dos Equis guy.

    4. I can’t make money writing

    That’s not true. While you might not get a million-dollar book advance, you can make a pretty good income from digital publishing. If you don’t believe that, just look at Alexis — or Ali or Dana or Chris or Darren. If you’re into writing fiction, just take a look at Johnny: he’s made novel writing his full-time gig.

    Heck, I’ve managed to do it, and I’m not even that great of a writer.

    The fact is that writing is a medium of communication. If you can use communication to help solve problems, you’ll always be able to charge for it. While they might not look like the book deals of thirty years ago or the newspaper dynasties of the last century, writing careers certainly aren’t dead. They’re just changing.

    5. I can’t compete with CNN

    Good news! You don’t have to!

    The traditional media channels are dying. They’re becoming more and more segmented according to people’s interests. You don’t have to compete with CNN. You can create your own little media network, and be a miniature giant.

    Besides, with how ridiculous the news networks are becoming lately, do you really want to “compete” with them? You can do way cooler things on your own, without waiting for permission from the corporate politics and bureaucracy which plague huge media companies.

    Writing careers aren't dead, they're just changing.

    Did any of those excuses hit home? If so, good. They should.

    Get rid of your excuses, pick a favorite writing tool and start writing.

    Because, when it comes down to it, there’s really only one defining characteristic of a writer:

    A writer writes.

    What lies have you told yourself about writing? How did you move past them?

  • 5 Well-Paying Corporate Writing Gigs for Freelancers

    5 Well-Paying Corporate Writing Gigs for Freelancers

    As a freelancer there are a lot of ups and downs. You move from project to project and are always on the lookout for your next client.

    Corporate writing gigs offer freelancers a way to minimize these ups and downs with a more predictable and reliable income.

    In a world driven by content marketing, your skills as a writer are very much in demand by all kinds of organizations. One effective strategy for corporate work is to identify specific industries where you can develop subject matter expertise: are you a writing expert on semi-conductors or HR issues?

    Whatever your niche, you can build a reputation not only as a great writer but as someone who truly understands the trends, issues and challenges of that market.

    Finding and landing corporate writing gigs

    LinkedIn can help you connect with prospective corporate clients. Make it as easy as possible for corporate clients to find and connect with you. Be sure to optimize your profile to showcase your writing expertise by including samples and current or past writing assignments. Additionally, you may want to join relevant industry or professional groups.

    In pricing your time for corporate jobs, you have many options including by the word, a hourly rate or a set price per job. Be sure to carefully estimate your time including building in review cycles and edits as multiple individuals are likely to review your piece. Get an understanding of the approvals required for a project, how many individuals are involved and if you will be needed to handle the approvals. These factors can significantly impact your scope of work.

    Remember, these are corporate clients who have a budget for marketing and need your services. Do not undervalue your skills and experience as a freelancer.

    Here are five specific types of content that corporate clients often need freelance writers to support:

    1. White papers and research pieces

    These are staples of lead generation in the corporate world and your ability to produce well-researched and compelling content can quickly set you apart. White papers are typically a more intense writing assignment so ensure you spec out the entire project before you proceed, including creating an outline of content and finding out what resources will be provided for you.

    2. Corporate blogs

    The sheer amount of content that needs to be generated as part of the editorial process for a corporate blog means contract or freelance writers are often brought in. For this type of assignment you may play the role of blog editor or coordinator setting the blog’s editorial direction and editing and managing content, or you may be hired to simply write one-off posts as required.

    Writing for corporate blogs is a particularly desirable type of work as new posts are always required, which means ongoing writing support will be required.

    3. Case studies

    Most companies rely on customer proof for sales and marketing. Working with clients to set up a solid customer testimonial process including interviewing, gathering background and then writing and editing case studies can be particularly profitable. Case studies are in high demand and the sales team usually wants them done yesterday.

    Before any company provides you with access to their customers, they want to be 100% comfortable with you and your skill set. Consequently, when seeking this type of contract, you want to play up your background working directly with customers in similar programs and/or conducting interviews.

    4. Press releases

    Press releases offer a structured way to deliver news or updates about the company and continue to be a staple in the majority of organizations. When you work with your client to assess news, structure the information correctly and package it for the media, you deliver immense value.

    Organizations will be on the lookout for a track record of writing press releases that comply with standard conventions and provide clear messages. A PR background is particularly helpful for positioning yourself as a press release specialist.

    5. Annual reports

    If you’ve ever read an annual report, you’ll understand the significant amount of work that goes into producing one. Many writers specialize in writing annual reports where they write the summaries for different sections as well as messages from executives. Because of the importance and prominence of annual reports, companies are generally willing to pay a premium for expertise. (Click to tweet this idea).

    These are just a few of the corporate writing gigs that are up for grabs as a freelancer. Other possibilities include newsletters, employee communications, copywriting, speeches, presentations and more.

    If you can get your foot in the door, you’ll quickly find most organizations have writing needs you can assist with, helping create a more stable income for you as a freelancer.

    What corporate writing gigs have you taken on as a freelancer?

  • A Client’s Perspective: 3 Key Ways to Stand Out as a Freelance Blogger

    A Client’s Perspective: 3 Key Ways to Stand Out as a Freelance Blogger

    In December 2011, I quit my job and started blogging for a living. I blogged on a freelance basis for a variety of clients, eventually snagging rates of $150+ per hour.

    However, over the past few months I have switched over to a subcontracting business model, where I play a more editorial role, paying other freelancers to write blog content which I then review for quality and send on to clients.

    This situation puts me in the unique situation of seeing both sides of the coin. While I know what it’s like to be a freelance blogger, I also know what it’s like to work with freelance bloggers. Becoming a “client” to freelance bloggers has given me a far better understanding of the key characteristics of successful freelancers. Here are the three key lessons I’ve learned.

    1. Being a good writer isn’t enough

    Let’s start with the obvious: you need to be a good writer to succeed as a freelancer. Nobody will hire you if you can’t produce great content for their blog. But being a great writer is just the price of entry.

    You can think of freelance blogging as a fairground where you have to pay to get in but also pay to ride the attractions. You’ll need more than just your entrance ticket to have fun (i.e. get paid a good rate).

    What does this mean for you? Most freelance bloggers need to demonstrate a wide range of skills in order to earn the best rates. It’s simply not enough to just be able to write.

    For bloggers specifically, you must demonstrate that you can blog. By far the best way to do this is to run your own relatively successful blog. Doing so will give you valuable experience and serve as a source of samples to woo future clients.

    Clients often favor active social media accounts as well, as they like to see you sharing their content and giving it an extra boost. This fact just helps to illustrate the basic truth that you can always do well to think of freelancing in terms of what you can do to benefit the client.

    Additionally, copywriting and marketing skills are coveted. If you can write an article and help the client put together an effective promotion strategy, you’ll never be left wanting for work.

    2. Little things matter

    Clients don’t value your writing in a vacuum; they are paying you for specific services that they believe will increase their bottom line. That makes it an imperative that, as a freelance writer, you present a solution to the client — not a problem.

    In my experience, many freelancers don’t appreciate this. While they may offer a solution to some extent, that solution is often riddled with problems that take time to resolve.

    The most obvious example of this is a poorly edited post: one that contains typos and grammatical errors. You’d be surprised by how many submissions I have received where the writer simply didn’t bother to proofread.

    A client is hiring you so that they don’t have to worry about writing. If they have to go through each article you submit with a fine-tooth comb, it rather defeats the purpose of hiring a writer in the first place. You should always place a premium on quality in your work, because clients don’t want anything less. Taking that extra step to ensure that your article is fully polished may not seem like a big deal, but it makes a huge difference to a client.

    Personally speaking, I have only worked with a couple of writers who I simply know I don’t have to check. For the rest, I know that I have to make sure that typos, strangely-worded sentences and grammatical oddities haven’t slipped through the net.

    What I would give to receive a piece and know that I could just send it straight onto the client! I would happily pay more for that, but such qualities are extremely rare.

    The moral of the story should be obvious: if you focus on providing well-polished posts, you will be in high demand.

    I’m not saying that you need to be perfect; everybody has an occasional typo here and there, but you can certainly strive for perfection. If you work to make each blog post you pen as perfect as possible, your clients will be pleased and you will be paid.

    3. Poor professional skills can sink you

    Here’s the hard truth: how you conduct yourself is absolutely vital to your success. And here’s the sad reality: many freelance writers don’t fully appreciate that fact.

    As I’ve said, good writing can only take you so far, after which your momentum will peter out. So let’s put aside the whole writing thing for a moment and just focus on your “professional skills,” by which I mean things like your reliability, organization and communication.

    Remember that you should always aim to provide a solution, not a problem. If we consider this fact, it becomes readily apparent that being late on deadlines or failing to respond promptly to emails makes you a problem.

    Of course you can’t always be at your client’s beck and call. But you should be responsive to them and you should always deliver on what you promise (acts of God and the like excepted). One of many ways to effectively do this is to learn how to manage your time.

    If you can’t get organized, communicate well and remain a reliable writer, clients will become wary. Nobody wants to work with someone who constantly makes excuses and turns in assignments late. Don’t use an existing lack of organizational skills as an excuse — sort it out.

    Conclusion

    You may read through the above tips and consider them simple. Well, they are — I won’t apologize for that. Nobody ever said that success had to be complicated.

    At the end of the day, it’s about doing the simple things right.

    If you communicate efficiently, create quality pieces on time and bring more to the table than just a written article, you will be coveted by your existing clients and sought out by prospective clients. When that happens, you’ll know that you stand out.

    How have you endeared yourself to your clients?

  • 11 Ways to Doom Your Freelance Writing Career

    11 Ways to Doom Your Freelance Writing Career

    The realities of freelance writing can be daunting, and sometimes the challenges of creating a writing business can seem insurmountable. There has to be an easier way!

    Luckily, there is: aim low.

    Let’s take a closer look at strategies that diminish your chances of progressing as a writer.

    If building a successful freelance writing business is not on your agenda, pay attention and start taking notes.

    1. Write for content mills

    Their business model isn’t viable, and you’ll wind up earning peanuts and drowning in the deepest obscurity. You’ll probably turn up on Google’s umpteenth search results page. But won’t those clips look good in your portfolio? Unlikely.

    2. Waste your time and money selling yourself short on bidding sites

    If you want to avoid being paid a fair wage for an article, try lurking around sites like Freelancer, Elance, and oDesk. You’ll earn a fabulous $3 to $15 per hour regurgitating articles on topics you loathe. Do the math to see how many hours you’d need to work to make a comfortable living. Yeah…that’s what I thought.

    3. Procrastinate

    Since you’re aiming for failure, keep postponing the outlining of your next article and delay reading that blogging ebook you downloaded for free ages ago. Have yet another snack, watch another episode of your favorite show and leave it all for tomorrow. Lather, rinse and repeat.

    4. Expect to learn everything you need to know to grow your freelance writing business for free

    Why pay for an online training session? It’s way too expensive. None of those “online gurus” practice what they preach. You’ll never see the return on your investment.

    If you do go for it and pay for a webinar or course, and the trainer makes the effort to provide you with a recording, be ungrateful and never ever listen to it.

    5. Don’t hire a mentor

    Do you feel like you know it all? If you think you have all the answers, try writing a solid resource post with no research at all. Without consulting anybody else or asking for advice or feedback. You don’t need someone else’s guidance to help you with your strategy.

    Keep admiring your role models from afar. Daydream about eventually becoming one of them without ever having to lift a finger.

    6. Be a writer in a vacuum

    Ignore the writing community. Don’t interact with your fellow writers. Attending networking events? Too expensive. Connecting with others on social media? Takes time away from your Fruit Ninja routine.

    After all, other freelance writers are your competition, so what could you possibly learn from them? You sure don’t want to share any of your brilliant ideas, and they probably won’t either.

    7. Treat your business like a hobby

    Write only when you feel like it. If you’re not feeling inspired today, you don’t need to force your brain cells to produce any content. Nothing will come out of trying to brainstorm or free-write or using a prompt from another writer (see #6).

    If you go out to get some fresh air, leave your notebook at home. Why would you jot down any new ideas that might come to mind?

    8. Shy away from starting a blog to build your brand

    After all, if you started a blog, you’d have to deal with readers and work on building an audience. And then you’d have to engage with that audience.

    The commitment of starting a blog, updating it regularly and producing awesome content to attract subscribers is way more than you can handle.

    9. Complain about how hard it is to be a freelance writer these days

    You’re absolutely sure that none of the writers who’ve published their income reports are telling the truth. How can they earn that much when you’re still seeing nada in the bank?

    They must be using some trick. Make sure you criticize them publicly on social media and in the comments section of various blogs.

    10. Definitely don’t market yourself

    That guest blogging thing? Too much of a hassle. Pitching guest post ideas to bloggers you didn’t want to connect with in the first place is the worst idea ever.

    There are at least 100 ways to market your blog, but it’s easier to just ignore them all.

    11. Give up

    Earning a comfortable living as a freelance writer is impossible, so you might as well quit now.

    There you are: 11 strategies that will blow your chances of ever creating a solid freelance writing career. Putting them into practice would be pretty simple, and would free you from the constraints of the writing life so you could move onto other pursuits, like checking out what your old chemistry lab partner is up to on Facebook, or reading up on the latest celebrity scandal.

    It’s your call!

    What are some other surefire ways to fail at freelance writing? Share your ideas in the comments!

  • 5 Details That Will Make or Break Your Freelance Writing Career

    5 Details That Will Make or Break Your Freelance Writing Career

    Freelance writing can be an extremely enjoyable and liberating career choice, with more earning potential and growth prospects than many other online freelance services — if you go about it the right way.

    Opportunities to build your freelance writing career are increasing as more businesses look to enhance their online brands through content that gives value to their target markets.

    Becoming a freelance writer isn’t rocket science, but it’s not a piece of cake either. To move into the top tier of freelance writers, here are five things you should focus on.

    1. Brand identity: Develop your own following

    My mom cooks awesome food. All moms do!

    But will it sell as well as a burger at your local fast food joint? No way. It’s a simple marketing rule: brands sell better.

    As a freelance writer, focus on developing a brand around your services. If you’ve been waiting to start your own blog, now’s the time! Express yourself naturally and build a community of like-minded people.

    Be more than just an individual selling his or her services. Be a friend, a dependable guide and an honest mentor. Share your story and listen to what your readers have to say.

    Have a look at some of the top writers out there and you’ll find that most of them make money because of the community that has grown around their brand. People can relate instantly to them.

    Brands are about credibility, consistency, quality and relationships — four things your clients are looking for as well!

    2. Specialization: Focus on your strengths

    If you’ve been offering writing services on any topic, niche or industry, then I have bad news for you: that strategy is a dead end!

    As more businesses look towards content marketing for their online survival, they’ll need more subject experts. Trying to serve everyone means that you won’t help anyone!

    Identify your strongest areas: the topics you’re most passionate about, the ones that excite you the most and the ones that bring out the best of your writing skills. Once you identify them, stick to those areas and focus on the areas where you can deliver your best work. (Click to tweet this idea!)

    3. Marketing: Spread the word

    Many freelancers ignore this aspect of business either because they’re “too busy” with writing projects, or simply because they don’t realize how critical marketing is for their survival.

    Every top tier freelance writer is an excellent and aggressive marketer. None of them misses any opportunity to tell the world about their services and how they can help businesses grow.

    You need to do that as well.

    Be proactive in your approach. Study the top writers and notice how they make marketing a part of their content. Promote your work through social networking websites, forums, articles and blog comments. Use the power of LinkedIn to get in touch with your clients. Join discussion groups and add value through your comments.

    A lot of writers believe that content alone is enough to get them clients. That’s not totally inaccurate, but if you have a product or service that you believe can help your customers, why wait for them to come to you? Get out there and let them know about it!

    4. Networking: Meet people, have fun!

    As a freelance writer, networking is almost as critical to your chances of success as your writing skills are.

    Many people find networking challenging. Here are three strategies to help you successfully develop relationships with fellow writers, freelancers and bloggers:

    • Comment regularly on the leading blogs. It helps you share your knowledge and puts you in touch with a lot of talented writers.
    • Send an occasional email to other bloggers and writers to thank them for a particular post that resonated with you. Make sure this is genuine, though!
    • Give feedback to other bloggers and writers. Comment on their work and if there’s an area in which you feel they can improve. Yes, you can do this even with top tier writers! Make sure your ideas are constructive by politely sharing your perspective on how you believe they can increase the effectiveness of a particular post or product.

    5. Self Esteem: Know your value

    This is probably the most crucial part, but it can be challenging to put into action.

    As a freelance writer, you should know how critical your services have become for the survival of online businesses. The more emphasis search engines put on genuine high quality content, the more you will benefit.

    But many writers seem to suffer from an inferiority complex. They might feel that writing isn’t as important as some of the other skills required to run an online business.

    Reality check: every major website and online business is looking for skilled writers who can regularly produce quality content for their customers. And this demand is only going to increase as businesses try to attract more online traffic.

    Your content makes thousands of dollars for your clients, who need you and would suffer without your services. So start valuing your skills the way your clients do!

    Value your writing skills as much as your clients do

    What other tips would you give to a struggling freelance writer?

  • How to Handle Being a Full-Time Freelancer (Without Going Nuts)

    How to Handle Being a Full-Time Freelancer (Without Going Nuts)

    Drinking cocktails on the beach with your MacBook on your lap…

    Watching the robins singing merrily outside your window as you type away in your PJs…

    Composing works of brilliance from a Starbucks armchair while the suits of the “regular” world eye you enviously as they rush past…

    Chances are you had one or more of these visions as you worked to become a full-time freelancer. And chances are, if you’ve made the switch, you’ve realized just how unrealistic these visions were.

    Don’t get me wrong, freelancing has plenty of perks: the freedom to choose your own projects, the ability to work when and where you want, the unparalleled luxury of being able to schedule doctor’s appointments any time you need to see a doctor without having to ask someone else’s permission. And you do occasionally have those idyllic Starbucks moments when you realize “Holy crap, this is the life!”

    But more than one freelancer (this one included) has also experienced the full-blown, culture-shock panic that comes from realizing that, although you’ve heard “work is still work” a million times, freelance work really is still work. And make no mistake that full-time freelancing is hard work. (Rewarding, wonderful work, but hard work nonetheless.)

    So, from someone who’s been there and survived, to anyone who’s about to go there, is currently there, or got through it but is still feeling pretty close to melting down, here are some of the biggest things I’ve learned about how to keep your sanity and your business intact once you hit the full-time:

    Give yourself office hours — and obey them

    You’d think managing work-life balance would be easier when you work for yourself, but for many of us, it’s actually harder. That’s because there’s no 5:00 p.m. clock-punching, no leaving the office for the weekend and shutting your work brain off till Monday.

    Your office door is always right down the hall (or in a corner of your kitchen, or wherever it is). And there will always be more work you could be doing, at any hour of the day you happen to have some free time. More client outreach, more pitching your articles, more tweaking your sales page. Especially when you first start out, you’ll feel like you ought to be doing something every minute to grow your business.

    But all work and no life makes for a stabby freelancer. You need to set boundaries — not just for your clients and loved ones, but also for yourself — that clearly delineate when you’re open for business and when you’re off the clock.

    Make it clear to your business contacts when you won’t be checking your email. Make it clear to your family when you’re not available to run errands or answer questions about where their favorite sneakers have gone. And make it clear to yourself that although there will always be more you can be doing, you need to have personal time, for so many reasons.

    Schedule “personal time” into your calendar if you have to, but take some every day. Don’t let yourself get stabby. It’s no good for business or for happiness.

    Learn to work with your natural rhythms

    One of the great things about being able to set your own schedule is that you can work with your natural rhythms instead of against them. (Click to tweet this idea!)

    If you’re not a morning person, you don’t have to start working at 9:00 a.m., bleary-eyed and praying to the coffee gods for clarity. If you are a morning person, you can knock off half your task list before lunchtime and spend the 3:00 p.m. slump recharging or doing less-demanding work like invoicing or filing.

    Start paying attention to your mood and your energy level throughout the day, and you’ll learn your natural patterns. Structure your workdays in sync with them, and your productivity level will skyrocket (making projects feel less stressful as a result).

    Be picky about your projects

    You don’t start freelancing because you hate working in a traditional office; you do it because you want to do work that you love. So, do work that you love.

    In the beginning, you may need to accept a less-than-exciting job or two to get your business off the ground and keep the cash flowing. That’s not a sin; we’ve all done it. But as you establish yourself, you need to start getting pickier and pickier about what you take on.

    Every project you say “yes” to means you have less room to say “yes” to another project. So make sure everything on your plate is something you really want and can handle.

    Be picky about your projects

    Here are the key questions to ask yourself when contemplating a new gig: Do you have time for it? Do you care about it? Does it fit with your overall brand image and business plan? Does this seem like a client you’d be happy working with? Or will you find yourself, midway through the project, cursing the fact that you ever took it on?

    Remember: you’re the boss now. So call the shots the way you want to call them.

    Realize when it’s time to delegate

    At a certain point in your freelance career, you’ll find yourself facing a crossroads: either you can start turning down projects (and profit) more and more often, or you can find a reliable team to help with some of the less “you”-centric tasks on your agenda.

    If you’re a brilliant editor who’s wasting half his time inputting posts into WordPress for clients, can you hire someone to do the formatting, tagging, and other backend work so you can focus on doing what you do best — editing?

    If you’re a great brand strategist, but your billable hours are getting bogged down doing website tweaks and newsletter scheduling, can you find a virtual assistant to take care of the administrative stuff so you can focus on your big-picture magic-making?

    Outsourcing may not be for everyone, but if you’re really looking to scale your business, there comes a time when bringing on a team member can make real business sense. It allows you to take on more clients and focus on higher ROI tasks, and the cost of a virtual assistant or two could pay for itself twice over in revenue.

    If you’ve made the leap to full-time freelancing, what advice do you have for those just starting out (or those who may be feeling a bit overwhelmed)?