Scott Oldford Site

Tag: freelance writing

  • You Can Do Both! 3 Ways to Balance Creative Writing and Freelancing

    You Can Do Both! 3 Ways to Balance Creative Writing and Freelancing

    For many creative writers, the yearning to live the write life feels more like a necessity than an option.

    This makes freelance writing an attractive option. Making money freelance writing for businesses and publications preserves a writer’s ability to tend to their craft. The freelance life affords us creatives the opportunity to make money while maintaining a level of flexibility necessary to keep writing our stories, plays, memoirs, novels and poems.

    At least, this is the ideal.

    Sometimes, navigating the balance of freelancing writing and creative writing looks a little different than we expected.

    As an 11-year-old poet, I dreamed of publishing my verses in books, magazines and anthologies. I wanted to make a living out of writing. As a college student, I found creative nonfiction, memoir and journalism, and I instantly fell in love.

    As a mother, writer and wife, I wanted to find a way to keep writing while doing my part to support my family financially so I started freelance writing as a side job while maintaining a full-time office job.

    Sooner than expected, my freelance side-hustle needed to become my full time job.

    Freedom!

    Or so I thought.

    Some of us creative-turned-freelance-writers, myself included, find ourselves in the endless rabbit hole the freelance life creates. Freelance writing and the potential for endless income is addictive.

    I need just one more client to make more money than I did last month. I have just one more blog post or case study to write at 11p.m. . I need to do just a little more marketing before bed. I need to take one more prospective client phone call while my baby boy naps.

    Before we realize it, the flexibility we once craved to pursue our creative writing dreams is gone, sucked up by freelance writing.

    I was thrust into full time freelancing before I was ready. As a result, I spent every available minute marketing, writing for clients, editing, sending proposals and negotiating contracts.

    My essays and stories fell by the wayside. My Evernote folder full of ideas dulled into the background.

    The freelance life is rewarding, and I’m thankful for the income and malleability it provides me. Still, writing for a client isn’t the same as writing for myself.

    So I’ve decided to take my creative life back and make it my own again. Here’s how I’m doing it.

    1. My agenda is my best friend

    I live by my agenda.

    I’ve always used my agenda to schedule interviews, time for invoicing, appointments and my oldest son’s tutoring sessions. I’ve never used it to schedule creative writing time, though.

    If something is scheduled, I make sure to work around whatever the event might be, and it occurred to me that scheduling a chunk of time for my essays and stories make them a priority as well, which means I’ll make time to write them.

    2. I’m limiting distractions while freelance writing

    I’ll be the first to admit it. I open and close my social media pages at least 20 times while working on an assignment.

    This costs me valuable time, and I decided to make a change. Through a little research, I’ve found a couple tools to help me focus and maximize my productivity:

    • The Pomodoro Technique: Using a timer, this technique uses time blocking: 25 minutes of work time with a five-minute break in between, and a longer break after a few productive sessions. I’m able to stay on task and figure out how much time different tasks actually take.This provides me insight so I can schedule my time a little more efficiently.
    • Cold Turkey Blocker: This distraction elimination app is a gem for increasing productivity. It is completely customizable, which is why I love it. I can set my work times in a calendar and the app blocks all of my social media habits for me so I can’t access them while working. And when I do try to access them, the app gives me a cute little motivational quote to help me get back on track.

    If I need to access a few websites for research purposes, I can add those to the app’s Whitelist, and I’ll be able to view those sites only.

    As if that wasn’t enough, Cold Turkey offers an extension specifically designed for writers. The free version allows me to set my parameters. I can choose a word count I want to meet or set a timer for, say, 20 minutes. Cold Turkey Writer brings up a blank page that I’m unable to deviate from, and I just write my heart out until I reach whatever parameter I’ve set.

    The app also offers a paid version, which provides a few more features like soundtracks specifically created to help people focus.

    3. Curbing my bills

    When I started freelancing full time, I felt pressure because I needed to replace a full time income. Now that I’ve done so, it isn’t completely necessary for me to market as hard I was before.

    Even when I wasn’t bringing in the kind of income I wanted, my creative writing was still important, which meant letting go of frivolous expenses so I could spend time on both freelancing and creative endeavors.

    Upon realizing this, I also came to the conclusion that if I wanted to keep up with my creative writing as well as my freelance business. Letting go of unnecessary expenses helps me in two ways: Fewer bills mean I don’t have to stress about bringing in more and more income. Less income needed frees up more time for creative writing.

    A couple of things I did to curb expenses include:

    • Cooking more
    • Cutting my cable bill down (next step is cutting cable all together)
    • Limiting shopping escapades
    • Finding free things to do with family and friends– beach outings, park visits, and the like

    With less expenses comes less worry, I don’t feel guilty when I choose creative writing over freelance writing.

    The balance between my writing lives is an ongoing, ever changing process, but I find it necessary to serve my creative self. When I take the time to focus on my creative writing, I am better at my freelance writing. More ideas come. I get better at my craft. My writing becomes more concise and clear.

    In short, my creative writing is just as important and necessary as my freelance life, and I encourage any writer battling with the need to freelance and the want to write creatively to do one thing: give in to the want. Let it become a part of your routine.

  • 4 Ways to Cope When Your Freelance-Writing Pitch Goes Unanswered

    4 Ways to Cope When Your Freelance-Writing Pitch Goes Unanswered

    Starting out in the freelance writing world, I was full of enthusiasm. I was eager to get my business going; I was pitching all over the place. Cold pitches, job boards, you name it.

    As much as I hoped to be an overnight success, deep down I knew it would take some time to really “make it.”

    Yet, the first days and weeks after sending a batch of pitches were spent obsessively checking my inbox. Now I’m not talking about the rational check-twice-a-day kind checking; I mean the refreshing-the-inbox-every-five-minutes kind.

    I was excited; I just wanted to land gigs and get writing!

    Then it happened.

    I hit refresh one more time, and there it was, “RE: Blog Post Writer” sitting in my inbox just waiting to be opened. I sat breathlessly excited and opened the email.

    “Thank you for your submission. We are not taking on new writers at this time.”

    You’d think I was crushed, but far from it! I practically jumped for joy. Obviously, I would have been MORE excited to see a job offer, but in my eyes, this rejection was a win.

    Fast forward to today. I’ve gotten my fair share of rejection e-mails. But I’m grateful for each and every one of them. To me, rejections mean someone took the time to read my ideas, thought it over and however disappointing to me, just didn’t believe it was a good fit.

    Best you can hope for in this worst-case scenario, the rejection comes with a little feedback that you can use to hone your next pitch. Rejection can sting at times; I’ll give you that. Your dream job, your most brilliant idea, all quickly shot down with a polite e-mail. But there’s a lot to be learned from those rejection emails.

    What’s really hard? The dreaded non-response.

    That’s where my self-doubt really takes off. A “yes” is a job. A “no” is “try again next time.” What do you make of radio silence? You worked hard on that pitch, and you hear crickets in return. What then?

    1. Make sure you did your research

    Does the potential clients’ submission page mention a timeframe? Sometimes companies will state their timeframe for responses to submissions such as “If you don’t hear from us in 5 weeks, feel free to send your ideas elsewhere”.

    Other times it’s written somewhere along the lines of “We typically get back to writers within two weeks.” Some potential clients will respond within a week, but it’s not at all uncommon for them to take much longer.

    Before you stress out about the lack of response, make sure your expectations are in line with theirs.

    2. Follow up

    Once you’ve scoured the publications’ website or posting for information regarding their timeframe, it’s time to follow up. A general guide of when to send a follow-up email is somewhere between ten to fourteen business days.

    A good follow up will be personal and informative. Cite the date you sent the pitch so they can easily find it in their inbox or voicemail. Remind them why you’re such a good fit for this position (without repeating your original pitch).

    According to writer Chad Dresden, it’s considered appropriate to follow up three times. After that, it’s up to you to simply leave it out there and hope for the best or continue to reach out.

    I’m by no means advocating for harassing editors here. I can’t imagine a “wear-them-down” strategy has worked in anyone’s favor. You’re more than likely going to hurt your chances of a future pitch being accepted by excessively flooding their inbox.

    More often than not, by following up two to three times, you’ll get a response, be it positive or negative.

    3. Recognize a dead end

    Sometimes following up is not an option.

    Many writing opportunities (especially companies looking to hire B2C-Business to Consumer- writers) are fielded through agencies that use pre-generated forms, leaving you without a contact person with whom to follow up.

    Armed with your well-researched knowledge on the company’s’ timeframe for response, you may have to leave this pitch up to fate.  

    4. Get tough

    Sometimes you won’t hear back, no matter how many follow-ups you send. Sometimes you’ll get rejected with zero feedback. “Them’s the breaks,” as they say.

    Being a freelancer is tough, and you need to get tough too. Being a writer, you probably know this by now; it’s all about the rewrite and second look.  

    Look over your sent pitches. See where you could improve. Maybe upon a second look, you’ll think of somewhere a particular idea would be a better fit. Keep pitching, but remember to pitch smart. Take the time to make sure you’re writing for the right audience.

    Ultimately, you need to remember that not all opportunities are the right ones for you. You have move on from the non-responses. But you also have to keep pitching and writing.

    Hopefully one day, you’ll come to see those rejections as small victories as well. Your “perfect fit” is out there, but you surely won’t find it by sitting around listening to those damn crickets.

    How do you deal with rejections — or lack thereof?

  • 6 Cheap(er) Cities Where It’s Great to be a Freelance Writer

    6 Cheap(er) Cities Where It’s Great to be a Freelance Writer

    One of the great perks of being a freelance writer is the possibility of taking your work with you, wherever you go.

    But a few conditions make certain cities more conducive to a productive freelance life than others.

    Good internet, a creative and innovative atmosphere, plenty of co-working spaces or other good places to eliminate distractions and write, and a low cost of living are essential elements for many freelancers considering leaving their home bases and starting somewhere new.

    From North America to Europe, Latin America and Asia, here are some suggestions for cheap places to live that are great for the freelance lifestyle.

    1. Medellin, Colombia

    Although once called the most dangerous city in the world, the situation has changed in Medellin. Colombia’s second-largest city has more recently been called the world’s most innovative city.

    Lisa Imogen Eldridge, a British travel writer, lived in Medellin and raves about it.

    She says you can share an apartment with views, a pool, sauna and security for around £200 (US$257) a month, and have an organic food delivery for £20 (US$25) per month. The WiFi connection is fast, and there are lots of great cafes for working in and meeting people during working hours.

    2. Chiang Mai, Thailand

    This city in northern Thailand is a favorite among travel bloggers and digital nomads.

    While this means you won’t be the only foreigner in town, it does mean there is plenty of support for the freelance lifestyle. Plus, it’s pretty, has a good climate and is cheap!

    Forbes Magazine cites rents in Chiang Mai as starting at just $100 per month. Food is also extremely cheap, and there is a large network of entrepreneurs in the city with whom to bounce ideas off. Meet-ups and conferences in different industry niches are frequent.

    3. Berlin, Germany

    While cities in Western Europe may never be as affordable as some in Asia or Latin America, for freelancers who want or need to be in Europe, the German capital is an excellent choice.

    Rent prices in Berlin are extremely affordable — cost of living index Numbeo lists a one bedroom apartment in central Berlin as costing around US$625 per month, as opposed to $2000 per month in a nearby European capital, London.

    And of course, if you have a European Union passport, there are no restrictions on living and working in Germany (although citizens of the UK may need to act fast if they want to make the most of this undeniable benefit of being part of the EU).

    cities to be a writer

    4. Portland, Oregon

    Portland is one of the best cities in the USA to embark on a freelance career, for many reasons. A large proportion of its inhabitants surely agree, as 16 percent of the city freelances for a living.

    Aside from the great outdoor and leisure pursuits nearby, the city has a low average cost of rent ($960 per month).

    5. Tel Aviv, Israel

    The Mediterranean city of Tel Aviv is known as one of the hippest cities in the Middle East, even being called “the essence of cool” by Forbes Magazine.

    While some areas of the city are cheaper to live in than others, American expat Jaclyn Mishal points out that Tel Aviv is known as one of the best start-up hubs in the world for good reason.

    The city is full of cafes and co-working spaces, and South Tel Aviv is the perfect place for freelancers on a budget. Health insurance is free, or nearly free (up to $50 a month for tourist insurance), which may be a massive draw for U.S. freelancers.

    It would be difficult for non-Jewish people to live in Israel permanently, but working there for a shorter period is not so hard, according to Jaclyn.

    6. Lisbon, Portugal

    A 2017 survey by Dutch freelance platform Hoofdkraan ranks the Portuguese capital as the best city in the world for freelancers.

    While such statistical surveys should always be taken with a necessary pinch of salt (one freelancer’s heaven may be another’s hell), is seems  Lisbon does have a lot going for it.

    It is cheap, the internet is fast and the environment is attractive.

    If Lisbon doesn’t appeal for some reason, the Portuguese city of Porto also featured on Hoofdkraan’s list, at number 10.

    It’s worth keeping in mind that depending on your passport, it may not be possible to stay in some of these destinations long-term. But that might be ideal if you just need a temporary change of pace, or if you need to reduce your cost of living while transitioning into a full-time freelance career.

    Bon voyage!

  • 5 Crucial Tips if You Want to Write for Local Publications

    5 Crucial Tips if You Want to Write for Local Publications

    If you’ve pitched stories to national outlets before, you know to expect a rejection within two weeks or so. That’s because these media organizations typically have larger staffs, and might call on another editor to look at your pitch.

    However, local publications are often much smaller and might not have as quick of a response time. That’s why the first pitch is so important.

    After freelancing for almost a year, I finally broke into an independent regional magazine.

    Now, I regularly contribute to city-specific publications, including an alternative weekly and hyperlocal, neighborhood-specific news blog.

    In addition to discussing my experiences, I reached out to a few editors and writers about breaking into local publications for the first time.

    1. Find a local angle

    You may be tempted to pitch a national story to a local newspaper or magazine, but think again.

    Although national issues affect the smallest of towns, you need to find a hook to make them locally relevant.

    “Do look for local angles on national stories,” explains Ken Schlager, editor of New Jersey Monthly. “Don’t pitch the obvious, like a review of a new restaurant. Do pitch local trend pieces that might not be obvious to the average observer.”

    For instance, in February, some local punk bands hosted a benefit show for a 24-hour LGBTQ suicide hotline. Although the story began as timely coverage of an event, the story was an opportunity to localize transgender rights and discuss bathroom bills in different states.

    “Get a good sense of what’s been done already and try to find uncharted territory, or perhaps a different angle on a story that’s already been told,” says Lindsay Lennon, who regularly contributes to regional publications. “If there’s a seemingly great story that hasn’t been covered yet, try to get the scoop on why.”

    2. Always look for stories

    If you’re truly committed to telling your community’s stories, try adopting a new mindset. For every event you attend, remind yourself that you are the storyteller in the room and rock it.

    “Walk your beat,” Lennon stresses. “Talk to people. Go to local government meetings. Pick up the phone. Do not just send out emails. Sit down and have a chat with the mayor or the town supervisor or anyone who is considered a local magnate.”

    While many journalists and writers search for sources on social media, especially those in the millennial generation, Lennon prefers to stay within her own network. When you’re working with strangers, including those you’ll never meet face-to-face, credibility could be taken for granted. That’s why she prefers to only interview those she knows.

    Personally, I have used the internet to get connected, but I usually try to contact sources to verify their interest in going on the record before pitching a story.

    3. Pitch far in advance

    Especially for print publications, you want to give editors a lot of leeway when it comes to timeliness.

    For example, in February, I pitched a local print magazine editor June, July and August stories.

    “A lot of times, local magazines have annual themed issues — top doctors, best & worst surveys, best new restaurants — and you can easily find out what month those issues come out, so you can time your pitches,” explains freelance writer Kate Andrews, who has been reporting on local issues her whole career and currently contributes to several publications specific to Richmond, Virginia.

    Andrews recommends pitching magazines three months ahead of time, as well as looking over the submission guidelines. “Of course, read the publication thoroughly before pitching so you know what they cover and know what they have written about recently, so you can avoid pitching the same story,” she adds.

    4. Know your competition

    If your community has multiple publications dedicated to local stories, it’s best to familiarize yourself with all of them. Likely, they’re all competing with each other.

    As a freelance writer, you might not have to commit yourself to one, but reading different publications helps you understand the tone and style of each one.

    “If there’s a competing publication, pay attention to what they are writing about, so you don’t pitch that story to the first publication,” Andrews mentions. “I guarantee the editors for both are paying attention to the other one. That’s not to say you can’t write for both, but it’s probably smarter to pick different subject areas so one publication doesn’t feel ‘robbed’ if you write a story for the other one.”

    The writing world is a small one, especially when it comes to local publications.

    “Be aware that if you’re in a smaller or midsize city/region, most of the editors/staff at local and regional publications know each other,” Andrews adds. “So, if you burn bridges in some dramatic way at one place, word will travel and you may not get any work. On the other hand, if you have a good reputation at one publication, you may get work at a second place.”

    5. Emphasize your familiarity with the area

    Show the publication you’re an expert, and make a personal connection.

    Shoshi Parks, a contributor to Hoodline who lives in San Francisco, contacted the publication first with her qualifications. In her introduction email, she explained her familiarity with the neighborhood —in addition to having lived there for a decade, she owns a small business in the city and is active in a few local nonprofit organizations. She also included a writing sample.

    “Your perspective on your city is valid and unique,” Parks elaborated. “Think about what’s in your world and use it to convince editors that you have a valuable point of view. Having a writing sample or two is also helpful, even if it’s self-published, so that editors can see your skills for themselves.”

    When reaching out to local publications, you should take pride in where you live. Promote yourself as a local authority who is qualified not only as a writer, but an expert, to report on regional issues that matter the most to the surrounding community.

    “I find writing for local publications to be so fulfilling as both a storyteller and a consumer of information and lore,” Lennon adds. “Having a sense of place is one of the warmest and most oddly comforting phenomenons I’ve experienced in my life, and I think writing about a place and its inhabitants only enhances this sense.”

    Challenge yourself as a writer to find interesting stories through events, people you know, and of course, everyday life. Ask yourself what your community needs to know through local journalism, using your insight as a community member.

    Chances are, you probably have a lead under your nose to break into local publications.

  • 10 Foolproof Tips to Make Your Freelance-Writing Proposal Shine

    10 Foolproof Tips to Make Your Freelance-Writing Proposal Shine

    It’s no secret: Finding clients who offer long-term work and rewarding income is hard.

    That’s why, when you do use proven strategies to find freelance writing work, you want every advantage when the time comes to seal the deal.

    Enter: the freelance writer’s secret weapon, proposals.

    To help you ward off “The Vanishing Client Phenomenon” that occurs after sending a proposal, here are 10 easy ways to make your freelance proposals more persuasive.

    1. Ask the right questions

    When you talk with a prospect, ask questions that allow you to connect their goals directly to the services you offer.

    Here’s my favorite question:

    “What do you want to accomplish with [the project]?”

    Then, in your proposal, describe how you will help the prospect achieve what they “want to accomplish.”

    For example, if a prospect with a blogging project wants to establish credibility in their niche, write:

    “Every blog post I write contains 5 cited sources so readers know they can trust the content. This instantly establishes credibility with your audience. Here’s an example of a post I wrote with 5 sources cited: [link to article].”

    2. Offer proof they need an expert (AKA, you)

    Compile a few statistics related to the prospect’s project to demonstrate that you are the “go-to expert” — and that their project is safe in your hands.

    For example, if you are drafting a proposal for a website content project, write:

    “According to Copyblogger, 8 out of 10 people read a web page’s headline, but only 2 out of 10 read the rest. So, to give you the best chances of converting traffic into leads, I will provide 5 potential home page headlines. We will test all 5 to determine the highest converting headline.”

    3. Use “Future Pacing”

    This is a technique to create positive mental imagery in someone’s mind.

    To use Future Pacing, offer a step-by-step plan that starts with what happens the moment they hire you, and continues to the close of the project:

    “As soon as we start this project, I’ll get to work on the first draft of [1st deliverable]. You will see it in your inbox within 24 hours. While you are reviewing, I’ll be developing [2nd deliverable] and then…”

    4. Make it all about the benefits

    In the hyper-competitive world of freelance writing, it’s not enough to pitch your services.

    Focus on the benefits to make your proposal stand out. Use phrases like “so that”, “because”, and “in order to.”

    For example, with a blog writing retainer project, write:

    “You receive 5 new articles per week for the company blog so that your business remains top of mind. Because the fresh articles consistently appear in your potential clients’ inboxes, they will come to know, like, and trust your perspective.”

    5. Build trust with testimonials

    Testimonials are “Social Proof” that you are the opposite of a risky hire — you are a seasoned professional with happy clients who trust you to deliver.

    To help yourself win a brochure copywriting project, for example, write:

    “Your project is similar to a brochure I created that rewarded my client with a noticeable uptick in sales. Here is what she said about the brochure’s effectiveness: [1-2 sentence testimonial].”

    6. Highlight unique qualifications

    Why are you more than a choice for the client’s project? Why are you the ideal choice?

    What experiences, hobbies, or insights make you a solid match for the project?

    Even if the client’s industry is one you haven’t worked in before, you still have the opportunity to offer reasons why the prospect should choose you.

    For example, I secured a nearly $10,000 project from one of the largest colleges in North America not because I had previous experience working with colleges (I didn’t), but because I had developed the skills required for the project in my first 9-to-5 job.

    7. Conquer doubts about ROI

    Ever encountered clients who fret about price? Most of us have.

    From a testimonial that mentions revenue increases or waste decreases, to a case study that shows how your work improved a past client’s life, you can slip a quick doubt-remover into your proposal to show that no, your services don’t “cost too much.”

    Then, quote based on value, and you’re set!

    8. Let your personality shine

    Show you’re a real person to keep prospects engaged. Work your sense of humor or amusing stories into your proposals.

    For example, when writing a proposal for a $4,500 editing project, I included with my quote a section focused on potential ROI titled:

    “3 reasons why this is a deal worth writing a letter to Mom and Dad about.”

    I won the project.

    9. Record your proposal

    Leverage the power of human connection by shooting a video.

    Use a free screen recording tool like Screencast-O-Matic to record your voice and your proposal on-screen.

    Go into detail on the services you offer or review portfolio projects on-screen to discuss how past clients benefited from your work.

    10. Validate, validate, validate!

    Validation is the innate need to feel accepted. It’s also one of the easiest emotions to cultivate in your prospect.

    With the first sentences of your proposal, offer authentic feedback on what you love about the prospect’s business or goals. This opens the door to the prospect knowing and liking you.

    With these 10 easy ways to make your freelance proposals more persuasive, you can write proposals with confidence.

    Have other ideas for making a proposal more persuasive? Let us know in the comments!

  • Freelance Writers: Join us for a Quarterly Check-In

    Freelance Writers: Join us for a Quarterly Check-In

    How has your freelance business gone this year?

    Are you earning what you hoped to be earning? Are you analyzing what you’re doing right and what you could do better? Do you have any goals for the next three months?

    Believe it or not, we’re already in the second quarter of 2017 — which means it’s time for our first Quarterly Freelance Check-In.

    I’ve put together five check-in questions and answered each of them below, and they really helped me clarify what I need to do career-wise in the next three months.

    As you read about my challenges and goals, think about your own — because I’m going to ask you the same five questions.

    1. How much money did I earn this quarter?

    This quarter, I earned $15,070.04 in freelance income, of which $14,555.25 has currently hit my bank account.

    These earnings meet my $5,000/month income goal, but just barely.

    In the fourth quarter of 2016, I earned over $10K per month thanks to a big, high-paying project. Now that the project has completed, going back to $5K/month is a significant income adjustment.

    It wasn’t just the project completion that halved my earnings. One of my clients no longer needed me as a freelancer — it was a budget thing, and we ended on good terms — and I stopped getting monthly Patreon income after I finished the draft of my novel. (If you haven’t yet read the story of how I used crowdfunding platform Patreon to fund the draft of my forthcoming novel, you should.)

    So I had some expected income losses as well as some unexpected losses this quarter. I still hit my bottom-level income goal, but I didn’t exceed it. At all.

    2. What was the best thing I did for my freelance career this quarter?

    I’m deep into production, marketing and promotion for my forthcoming novel, so I’d like to think that the best thing I did for my freelance career this quarter was hold steady.

    I knew going into 2017 that I’d spend the first six months hugely focused on my book, which meant that it wouldn’t be a good time to take on a brand-new anchor client.

    Building a strong relationship with a new group of editors takes more time and energy than maintaining a strong relationship with your current editors, so I elected to stay focused on my current clients — and on my novel — instead of adding the work of finding and building a relationship with a new client.

    3. What was my biggest mistake (or, what am I going to do differently next quarter)?

    My biggest mistake was not realizing how much a $5,000/month income might set me back. I’ve lived on $5,000/month before. At one point it was an income stretch goal.

    However, things have changed for me in the past few years:

    • I moved from a tiny studio apartment with no kitchen into a one-bedroom apartment, and my rent increased by $320 per month. (I currently pay $995/month in rent.)
    • I got out of credit card debt and never want to get back into it again. Putting items I can’t afford on credit cards is no longer an option.
    • I changed CPAs and now set aside 25 percent of my income for taxes, instead of 20 percent. (I always got huge tax bills at the end of the year when I saved 20 percent, so it’s not like I didn’t need that money for taxes.)
    • I want to put 15 percent of my income in savings, not the 10 percent I had been previously saving.
    • I’ve opened up a Roth IRA and want to make the maximum contribution every year.
    • The basic costs of living have gone up slightly. My health insurance premium, for example, costs $82 more than it did in 2014.

    So $5,000/month doesn’t feel like “enough” for me anymore. It feels like the kind of income that is going to prevent me from investing in myself and my career.

    4. What do I want to achieve as a freelancer next quarter?

    I want to earn more money.

    $5,000 per month meets my basic income needs, but it doesn’t allow for a lot of growth, either personal or professional.

    With more income I could justify going to more writers’ conferences, for example. I could also save more money, spend more time visiting friends, and buy a new sofa to replace the saggy, uncomfortable Ikea model I currently have in my apartment.

    The trick is to balance my income needs with my available work time. Last year, I had a very balanced work schedule and I’d like to maintain that. During the first quarter of 2017, I had a little more space in my workday; the goal for the second quarter of 2017 is to fill just that space — and no more — with the highest-earning projects possible.

    I’d like to increase my income by $1,000-$1,500 each month, and I’d like to do it by taking on just two more projects each month. That would give me both the income — and the balance — to live comfortably.

    5. What steps am I taking to get there?

    I’ve started reaching out to some of my highest-paying clients to either pitch additional articles or express interest in taking on more work. Ideally, these clients will have a few extra pieces I can take on and this problem will be solved.

    Right now I’m focusing on clients with whom I’ve already established a relationship, rather than cold-pitching new clients.

    If those clients don’t have additional work for me, I’ll reach out to a few clients who have expressed interest in the past, but whom I’ve had to turn down because of time constraints. If those clients don’t have work, then it’s time to reach out to my network and start figuring out who’s hiring.

    Now it’s your turn! Are you ready to tackle the check-in questions?

    Take the time to think about your own answers — and if you feel comfortable, share them in the comments.

    The more specific we get about what we want and how we’re going to go after it, the more likely we are to achieve our freelancing goals.

  • Cha-Ching! Here’s How This Freelance Writer Made 6 Figures in 2016

    From 2006 to 2013, I worked a stressful job that consumed nearly every waking hour of my life — and all for around $38,000 per year.

    I schlepped into the office for long hours, weekends and holidays, with little time left for “real living” after taking care of laundry and other chores.

    And, did I mention I had two small kids? I had them, but I rarely saw them. And the time I did spend with them served as a painful reminder of what I had given up.

    freelance writer

    Basically, my life sucked. I worked like a rented mule, yet never had time to enjoy life outside of my 15 days of paid time off. More than anything else, I was desperate to spend more time with my kids.

    Fast forward to last year — 2016. I earned $270,000 — $225,000 was from freelance writing alone. The rest was from my blog, ClubThrifty.com.

    I went on 11 vacations to places like Greece, Barbados, Grand Cayman and Mexico, mostly with my kids. I paid off a house, a rental home we bought in our early 20s.

    I barely got dressed, choosing to spend most work days in my pajamas on my couch. Best of all, I put my kids on the bus at 8 a.m. each morning and stood smiling at the bus stop at 3:40 p.m. each day. I also had ample time to be a parent and a wife, and to enjoy all that God has given me.

    How freelance writing changed my life

    Amazingly, I accomplished all this on my own terms without having a boss or staring at the clock until 5 p.m. And I didn’t have to hope and pray for some shitty three percent raise or an extra day of PTO.

    I’m sure you’re wondering what happened between 2006 and 2016. To be honest, it was a lot of work!

    My husband and I started our blog in 2011 as a hobby and money-making venture. But it turned out to be so much more.

    freelance writingSomewhere along the line, I learned to use my writing skills to land freelance jobs all over the web. Meanwhile, my husband learned to monetize our blog. I quit my job to write full time in 2013, and my husband quit his in 2015.

    These days, I have popular columns in publications like The Indianapolis Star, The Simple Dollar, Frugal Travel Guy, U.S. News and World Report Travel, Travel Pulse, Lending Tree and Wise Bread.

    It’s still a lot of work, of course, but now we reap all the rewards.

    Last year, I also took on another project that’s been on the docket for a while: I created an online course for freelancers who want to build a career like mine. It’s called EarnMoreWriting.com, and so far, it’s helped hundreds of would-be writers get their first writing gigs on the web.

    The course includes a bunch of video modules created by yours truly, plus a private Facebook group where people ask questions and get answers. And yes, it’s been a lot of fun!

    earn money freelance writing

    5 lessons freelance blogging taught me

    But that’s not all I’m here to talk about. These are my best tips for anyone hoping to build an awesome (and lucrative) freelance career on the web.

    1. Ignore people who don’t support you

    Whether you’re writing for a living already or trying to build a portfolio from scratch, some people in your life will think you’re nuts. It’s more comfortable for them to see you working a regular job than to watch you break out of your shell. For a lot of people, your success is proof of their failure — and they don’t like it.

    This is exactly why you should never listen to people who discount your efforts. When I started writing part-time, a lot of people rolled their eyes and said it would never work. Thank God I always ignored them.

    2.  Limit distractions and you’ll make more money

    A lot of writers I know want to make more money but really suck with their time. They secretly hope to boost their incomes, they say, but they also spend little time actually working. Instead, they opt to hang with their friends, run errands and enjoy their freedom.

    But, freedom is a tricky thing. It sure feels great to create your own schedule, yet running errands won’t pay the bills. If you want to make money, you have to enjoy freedom in moderation and work like your income depends on it. Because it does!

    No matter what your friends say, you will earn more money if you create a set work schedule and stick to it. My kids go to school from 8 a.m. until 3:40 p.m., so this is when I work. And no, I don’t go out to lunch, hit up Hobby Lobby at noon or sip fancy drinks at Starbucks all day.

    3. Don’t care what anyone thinks

    I’ve always felt like most successful writers have a superpower, whether that’s writing fast, having killer research skills, or something else.

    I actually have two superpowers — writing fast and not giving a single #@%#$$# what anyone thinks.

    If you worry too much what people think, it’s hard to create intriguing content or share opinions that might offend. But when you stop caring what people think, you gain the superpower to write the type of content people share.

    They may not like what you say, but that’s exactly what you should say it. Don’t be afraid to be yourself, no matter what anyone thinks.

    4. Perception is reality

    If you want to work as a professional writer, make sure you look the part. I see so many people building careers with a selfie they took on their phone.

    Please, stop this. It’s not that hard to go to Target and pay $9.99 for at least one professional-looking headshot. Trust me, it will help!

    5. Hard work trumps talent

    Through my course and my personal relationships with other writers, I’ve noticed a trend worth noting: The best writer does not always get the job.

    Most of the time, the most aggressive, fierce and hard-working writers get the bulk of the freelance work that’s out there. It’s not because they’re more talented – it’s because they are crazy-good at finding and retaining clients.

    I’ve said it a million times – hard work trumps talent in this business and many others. Being an awesome writer helps, but it’s just not enough.

    Throughout my writing career, I learned these lessons (and many others) the hard way. When I started freelancing, I had no idea websites like The Write Life existed!

    Fortunately, you have a leg up when it comes to building a freelance career you love. With resources for writers readily available, you can get questions answered and learn from other writers in your niche.

    And if you want my help working toward freelance success, make sure to check out EarnMoreWriting.com. I’m always available, and I love sharing my unique insights with other writers who craves success.

    Have any questions about how I earned $200K last year? Leave them in the comments below.

    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!

  • 5 Financial Realities of Being a Full-Time Freelance Writer

    5 Financial Realities of Being a Full-Time Freelance Writer

    Let me start by saying that working for myself as a freelance writer is one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time, for a whole host of unsurprising reasons.

    I set my own schedule. I have time and energy for creative projects I’ve long let languish. More often than not, I do the bulk of my work in my pajamas.

    But despite my carefully-laid plans — arguably too-carefully laid, given that one of them involved moving back onto my parents’ property at 27 — my first full month of freelance writing definitely came with some financial surprises in tow.

    Here are five things I wish someone had told me before I took the leap and became a full-time freelance writer.

    1. Nothing is a sure thing

    When transitioning from working on-staff at a publication to the freelance life, I did get one thing right: I made sure I had at least one solid, regular client who offered enough work to create a base salary before I left my office job.

    I didn’t want to find myself sweating profusely and pitching into the wee hours the week before my bills were due. Even though I’m fortunate enough to live rent-free right now, I need a reliable income.

    So I found a client who promised an essentially-unlimited amount of easily-written, pre-researched work, which would be paid out weekly (!) at a decent, per-word rate. It’s not glamorous to write; there’s no byline, and a lot of it is SEO landers and lead magnets. But it is easy to pump out, giving me great ROI for the time and energy required. And, as I mentioned, I was told I could pretty much write (i.e., earn) as much as I wanted each week.

    There was, however, no formal contract. Which I thought was awesome, since it meant I could write less for them if I had a busy, successful week elsewhere.

    Come to find out, the editor doles out assignments on Wednesdays…which significantly limits the theoretically “unlimited” amount of content I can write for them, since everything’s due Friday. And then I learned the company is in the midst of a big editorial shift…which translated to a couple of totally-dry weeks, which weren’t announced ahead of time.

    In short, although it’s easy money, the gig turned out to be less stable than I’d first imagined.

    And since I hadn’t anticipated dry weeks (and didn’t find out about them until they were already underway), I ended up spending some money I didn’t actually have.

    Don’t do that. Obviously.

    Also, try to negotiate some sort of formal contract whenever possible. If there isn’t one, don’t treat that client as a failsafe, no matter what kinds of verbal agreements have been made.

    2. You may write now, but you’ll get paid later

    One awesome thing about the above-mentioned client? They do actually pay out on a weekly basis, every single week.

    This, I’ve learned, is rare. Invoicing is an imprecise art at best, and some clients will commit to little more than paying “within a week of publication,” which is, um, vague.

    Don’t expect to see the payment for what you write today in your bank account tomorrow…or possibly even this month. And, again, don’t spend money you don’t actually have.

    It can be disheartening to hustle without seeing the fruits of your labor for a while, but keep at it. You’re still earning money, even if you can’t watch your bank account fatten in real time.

    3. Don’t get lazy with pitching

    If you are lucky enough to get a super-solid, breadwinning contract, it can be tempting to rest on that reliable income and ignore opportunities to pitch elsewhere.

    After all, pitching, as I’ve said before, is the worst. It’s time-consuming, labor-intensive and comes without any guarantees.

    But it’s also super important. Pitching is the only way to expand your portfolio and your professional network, which will help you land bigger and better clients down the line.

    So keep at it — even if you don’t absolutely need to do so right now in order to make ends meet.

    4. Poorly paid writing may still be worth doing, but you need to think hard about it

    You know that whole thing about “doing it for the exposure?”

    It really, really sucks. But it’s also an actual thing.

    When I (finally) started earning money for my work, I thought my days of writing for free were totally behind me. Not so.

    Some unpaid or poorly-paid placements actually do help expand your readership and earn you more paid gigs down the road. Huffington Post, for instance, famously doesn’t pay its guest writers, but it’s a crazy-recognizable name to have in your list of clips.

    That said, if you spend all your time on poorly-paid writing, you’re going to be poor, even if your portfolio is sparkling.

    Think hard about the specific markets you really want to break into, and consider writing unpaid work for big names in those spaces. But don’t go overboard.

    For example, when I pitched BUST and got an email saying the piece would work for the (unpaid) blog but not the print magazine, I was disappointed…but I agreed, glad to have the clip.

    When I saw freelance “job” listings for outlets I’d never heard of promising pageviews rather than paychecks, however, I simply closed the tab.

    5. Location independence is awesome, but traveling all the time can easily eat up your income

    One of the main reasons I wanted to move on from my admittedly-awesome office job was to achieve total location independence.

    However, the kind of travel I could afford to fit into my vacation days with my full-time salary is not the kind of travel I can afford now. (The fact that I’ve gone two months without taking a trip speaks to that reality — it’s been a long time since I’ve stayed still for so long!)

    I’ve only planned two trips so far this year, and I’m already considering canceling one of them. I could probably afford it, but not if I want to (finally) pay off my car this year, as I’ve been promising myself for months.

    Obviously, some of this is about learning how to travel as cost-effectively as possible. I am but a neophyte when it comes to remote nomadism, and lots of people have all the travel-hacking secrets to trotting the globe on a dime.

    But if you’re dreaming of freelancing from a different world-class beach every week, you may need to keep on dreaming — at least for your first month or two.

    Although I hope my own mistakes will help you, you’ll certainly encounter your own lessons along the way. But luckily, we’ve got lots of resources to help you get started on the right foot.

    Here are four steps to take before you transition your writing game from side-hustle to full-time gig, and four ways to protect yourself as a newbie freelancer. And while you’re at it, check out this list of ways to become your editor’s favorite writer — which can help you win a steady clients and augment your professional network.

    And when you do encounter your own inevitable snafus? Write about them! We all have the opportunity to help each other learn and grow in this whacky profession of ours.

    Who knows? Someone might even pay you to learn from your amateur errors.

    What did you learn in your first few weeks as a freelance writer? Let me know in the comments! Goodness knows I’ve still got lots of lessons left to learn.

    Jamie Cattanach (@jamiecattanach) is a (new!) freelance writer whose work has been featured at Ms. Magazine, BUST, Roads & Kingdoms, The Penny Hoarder, Nashville Review, Word Riot and elsewhere. She lives in St. Augustine, Florida.

  • Writing and Money: An Interview With Scratch Author Manjula Martin

    Writing and Money: An Interview With Scratch Author Manjula Martin

    With so many writers trying to make a living writing, why aren’t more writers talking about money?

    Manjula Martin seeks to break the silence with her new anthology, Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living, which was published by Simon & Schuster in January. The book features writers such as Cheryl Strayed, Jennifer Weiner, Nick Hornby and Jonathan Franzen reflecting on money and writing.

    Martin also writes a newsletter, and she edited and published a digital magazine about writing and money — also called Scratch — from 2013-2015.

    We asked her a few questions about her new book, writing, money, and of course, how much she made writing Scratch.

    The Write Life (TWL): Could you tell us a little about how you selected the authors for the book and put the book together?

    Manjula Martin: I had so much fun asking these amazing writers to work with me on the book.

    Mostly, I asked people whose work I admired — some people who I knew and some who I didn’t. I did some reporting, tracking down authors’ addresses and asking acquaintances for contact info, and cold-asking people to be in the book. With people like Jennifer Weiner and Susan Orlean, I’d never met them before but they were very generous with their time and talent.

    With some folks, I assigned them a topic — Colin Dickey was the perfect person to write on the history of writers being paid, and I asked him to do so. Other folks, like Sarah Smarsh and Jennifer Weiner, came to it with a very clear sense of what they wanted to talk about within this larger topic.

    It helped to have done Scratch magazine, which a few of the contributors had followed.

    TWL: Why did you divide the book into the three sections you did? Do you find those three phases define a writer’s life?

    MM: The sections in the book—“Early Days,” “The Daily Grind,” and “Someday”—came about after a lengthy process of looking at all the different essays and interviews and deciding what connected them thematically.

    It wasn’t something I set out to do from the start; I prefer, when editing, to let the content dictate the form.

    TWL: We’re fascinated by this line from the book’s description: “You should never quit your day job, but your ultimate goal should be to quit your day job.” Can you elaborate on what this means and why there is so much confusion and controversy around making a career as a writer?

    MM: There’s a lot of mixed messaging out there for writers. The “day job” binary is one such message; another is the “MFA or not” argument.

    Scratch is about telling all types of truths, and so I encouraged writers in this book to get away from platitudes and get to the real, complicated heart of their relationships with money and the publishing business.

    There’s a lot of confusion because creative work is not work that fits easily into the types of pay scales other careers have. It’s not work that’s necessarily valued in the same way by our culture or our economy. And writers come to this work from vastly different economic situations. We’re not all the same, so why should the answers to our questions be the same?

    TWL: Why do you think money is rarely discussed by writers?

    MM: We actually do discuss it, a lot, but in whispered tones, as though it’s a mystery or a secret.

    What Scratch is interested in is opening that discussion and making it louder and clearer.

    TWL: Why do you think it’s important for writers to discuss money?

    MM: Any person who does a job should understand how that job works—what it pays, what it costs, and what the benefits are. Writers are no different.

    It can also be an incredible way to build a sense of collectivity. This is a job that is often lonely and writers are often in different places and situations—there’s no common “workplace.” So, by talking to each other about money, we can get a better sense of what’s going on in our field and what we should be asking for or fighting for.

    Information is power, as the saying goes.

    TWL: Could you tell us a little about the digital Scratch Magazine? Why did it close?

    MM: Scratch was an online journal about writers and money offering practical information as well as personal stories from writers of all genres. It was a subscription-based publication, which meant that people paid an annual fee to access to website.

    I’ve spoken about its closure here and here; long story short, it didn’t make enough money to sustain itself!

    The book is a way of continuing that work, and also making available a few of the best pieces from the magazine, now that it’s out of “print”.

    TWL: What take-away message do you want writers to get from Scratch?

    MM: I hope writers can find a sense of community and solidarity in the book. I hope they can understand a bit more about how the profession works.

    And I hope they understand a bit more about how commerce affects not just the bottom line, but our work and our attitudes and our lives. I think it would be rad if writers were able to be more active in demanding better options for making a living.

    Curious about exactly how much Manjula made writing her book?

    Manjula shares all the financial details of Scratch on her website.

    While a $30,000 advance seems like a lot of money, Manjula describes where all that money went, from agent fees to taxes, subcontractors and financing her own book tour. At the end, she was left with a lot less than you might imagine.

    Do you plan to read Scratch? Let us know in the comments below.

    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!

  • Is Writing Your Side Hustle? 4 Steps to Take Before Going Full Time

    Is Writing Your Side Hustle? 4 Steps to Take Before Going Full Time

    Imagine a writing job where you get to choose when, where and with whom you work.

    You have the freedom pick your projects, and any money you earn goes right into your own pocket, because you’re the boss.

    Of course, such a job does exist: Being a freelance writer gives you all of these advantages, and it’s easy to understand why two-thirds of U.S. writers are self-employed.

    With so many companies relying on a contingent creative workforce, many professional writers dream of leaving corporate life behind and becoming a full-time freelancer. It’s an admirable and achievable goal — one that I actually have myself — but don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ll immediately start raking in the freelance money upon resigning.

    You’re ultimately running a business, and there are a lot of factors to consider beyond just writing and getting paid for it.

    If you want to start a freelance business, it’s wise to give yourself as much of a head-start as possible before you quit your corporate job.

    Here are four important steps to take while you’re still employed to get ready for a professional freelance writing career.

    1. Start freelancing in your spare time

    If you’ve never freelanced before, the time to start is while you still have steady income from another job.

    You don’t want to give up your paycheck only to find that no clients want to work with you because you’re too inexperienced.

    Sites like Upwork, Freelancer and other freelance job listing sites make it easy to find small, short-term projects that you can do after-hours or on the weekends.

    Some of them may even develop into longer-term gigs that you can continue to do on the side of your regular job. Just be sure to check your employment contract and make sure you’re not accidentally working for a competitor or breaching any employee agreements by freelancing.

    Remember, freelance work isn’t always stable or guaranteed, so you’ll need to continually work on client relations even after you’re self-employed.

    2. Keep meticulous income records

    Many first-time freelancers find themselves rudely awakened when they file their taxes for the year.

    Unlike your regular employer paychecks, no taxes are taken out when you receive freelance payments, so the IRS expects its cut of your earnings on April 15. CalcXML offers a great basic self-employment tax calculator so you can see what you’ll owe (plan to set aside about 20 percent of your freelance earnings for taxes).

    If you’re not sure how miscellaneous income reporting works, the IRS breaks it down on its website.

    Even if you’re not doing a lot of gig work right now, it’s still a good idea to track everything you’ve completed and earned from your freelance job(s) so you’ve got a complete picture of your financial situation. Keep an official log of your projects, clients and earnings. This might be in an Excel spreadsheet (or even a paper notebook) to start, but as you grow, you may want to invest in a formal invoicing system.

    Getting into good habits now will make it easier when you have multiple clients and income streams as a full-time freelancer.

    3. Calculate how much you’ll need to save to quit your job

    No matter how tempting it might be to quit your 9-to-5 once you’ve got a few freelance clients, do not do it until you’re sure you have enough stored in the bank to tide you over.

    You need to build up as much of a financial safety net as you can before you go full-time freelance.

    Sit down with your bank statements and write down everything you spend in a month — yes, that includes those morning lattes and “treat yourself” purchases.

    Build those non-essential items into your budget (you’ll thank yourself when an unexpected expense pops up!) and give yourself a bare minimum number that you need to be earning per month to cover rent, bills, groceries, going out, etc.

    Don’t forget to account for things you may not be paying full-price for right now as an employee, such as income taxes, health insurance and retirement plan contributions.

    From there, determine what you can reasonably charge your clients and how many projects you’ll need to complete each month to meet that number. It’s OK if your freelance earnings don’t even come close right now; you can grow your business over time and rely on your savings in the meantime.

    Most entrepreneurs recommend saving six months’ worth of living expenses in case business is slow at first, but if you’re itching to get out and have a fairly steady client base, you might be able to survive with three or four months’ worth saved up.

    4. Make a plan for scaling up

    Once you know how much you need to earn with your freelance work, it’s time to figure out how to reach that financial goal.

    Start researching websites and media outlets you think you might like to write for, and look into how much they pay their freelancers (if anything). If your current employer works with freelance writers and allows former staff to transition to freelance, that’s a great place to start. But budgets and assignment caps vary from site to site and policies can change at any time, so start thinking about how you’ll diversify your client base.

    You might not have time to start writing for all these publications right away, but it never hurts to send out “feeler” emails to editors or current contributors, just to inquire about their process and get yourself on their radar for when the time comes.

    Talking to other freelancers is also a great way to gauge current market rates for certain types of projects so you don’t over- or under-charge your clients.

    You’ll also need to learn how to prioritize your potential assignments.

    Some new freelancers think they should accept any and all assignments, even if it pays peanuts, just to build a portfolio (I see a lot of low-paying Upwork jobs with dozens of bids, for this reason).

    But your time is incredibly valuable, especially once you’re on your own, and you need to spend it working on projects that offer a payout that’s worth the investment. It’s not worth it to work with a client who wants one 600-word article each week at $25 each, when another one will pay you $100 for that same 600 words.

    Unfortunately, some people fall into freelance work by default after being laid off, and may not have much (or any) lead time to get ready for the leap.

    If you are going freelance by choice, take advantage of your situation and do everything you can today to secure your self-employed future.

    Do you plan to take your freelance writing full time? Tell us how you’re preparing in the comments below.