{"id":11633,"date":"2018-03-13T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-03-13T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/?p=11633"},"modified":"2017-12-08T12:37:16","modified_gmt":"2017-12-08T17:37:16","slug":"freelance-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/?p=11633","title":{"rendered":"6 Questions to Consider Before Accepting a Freelance Writing Gig"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a freelance writer, it can be tempting to take every gig that comes your way. <\/span><\/p>\n

Turning down a freelance gig can sometimes feel like you\u2019re tempting fate to take away all future opportunities because you said no to one. When you think about how hard you work marketing yourself and making connections and inquiries, something about turning down a viable gig feels wrong. Just know that you\u2019re not alone. I did the same thing when I first started out, and I still get tempted to do it now. But along the way, I\u2019ve learned that it\u2019s OK to say no sometimes. In fact, you should. Not every gig is worth your time or effort. The trick is to differentiate between one that has value and one that\u2019s more trouble than it\u2019s worth. <\/span><\/p>\n

Here are six questions to ask yourself before you say yes to a freelance gig.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Is it worth the money?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Think about the time required to complete a project. Is it worth the money they\u2019re offering? <\/span><\/p>\n

Money isn\u2019t everything, especially when freelancing, but it can go a long way to helping you decide if the gig is right for you. <\/b><\/p>\n

Remember that your time has value, and the time you put into something that doesn\u2019t pay well can mean less time for those opportunities that do.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"freelance2. Will it give you solid exposure?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sometimes the gigs that give you the <\/span>best exposure<\/span><\/a> are the ones that don\u2019t pay as well. <\/span><\/p>\n

Like I said, money isn\u2019t everything<\/span>. If you can get your name out there by doing a project or writing an article for free or next to nothing, it might be worth it. <\/b><\/p>\n

Then, you can move onto higher paying gigs once you\u2019re more established in your niche market.<\/span><\/p>\n

I once had a column where I wrote five articles a week for over a year because it was great exposure. It didn\u2019t pay well, but it helped to get my name out there and increase my credibility as a freelance writer. That was invaluable. <\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, because of this column, some of my work was featured on the New York Times blog.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Will it be the perfect addition to your portfolio?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The plain and simple truth is that to get high quality freelance gigs, a<\/span> strong portfolio<\/span><\/a> is an asset. <\/span><\/p>\n

So, maybe the gig you\u2019re considering doesn\u2019t pay well, and it doesn\u2019t give you a ton of exposure, but the piece will be a strong addition to your writing portfolio. <\/span><\/p>\n

If so, it just might be yes-worthy.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Are you comfortable being associated with the company\/website?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Perhaps the gig pays well and it will give you some exposure, but you\u2019re uncomfortable with the site or the company itself. <\/span><\/p>\n

Remember that your reputation is more important than money you can make.<\/b><\/p>\n

I recently turned down a gig as a regular contributor for a relatively well-known site. I was tempted to take it, and I tried over and over to convince myself that it would be fine, that I would make it work, but I had to be honest with myself. <\/span><\/p>\n

Their website\u2019s new focus was all about shock and fear. They wanted clicks instead of interesting or helpful content. I decided that I didn\u2019t want my name associated with that sort of site. <\/span><\/p>\n

As soon as I turned it down, I felt relief. I had made the right choice.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Will the client be too difficult to work with?<\/span><\/h2>\n

If the freelance job pays well and it would be great exposure, it still might not be worth it if the client is difficult to work with. <\/span><\/p>\n

The problem with this one is that it\u2019s difficult to spot in the beginning. It comes down to<\/span> looking for red flags<\/span><\/a>. If you see some red flags, consider if it\u2019s worth the time, the money and the stress. <\/span><\/p>\n

If not, move on and leave your schedule open for an even better opportunity. But if it\u2019s the best opportunity you\u2019ve had, the difficult client may well be worth the money and the exposure.<\/span><\/p>\n

When I wrote that column for a year (for the exposure), I was approached by one of the readers. He wanted me to write content for him, too. I was on board and ecstatic. Then I started noticing some red flags. For example, I hadn\u2019t even signed the contract yet, and he wouldn\u2019t stop calling me and emailing me. I soon learned that he needed a lot of personal attention, and that\u2019s not something I was interested in. I just wanted to do my job in peace, so I ended up turning that opportunity down, and I\u2019ve never regretted it. <\/span><\/p>\n

6. Do you have the time?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Freelance writers are notorious for overloading our schedules. <\/span><\/p>\n

Before accepting a freelance job, ask yourself if you have the appropriate amount of time to dedicate. <\/span><\/p>\n

Again, your reputation is important, and you don\u2019t want to sully it because you don\u2019t have the time to devote to doing your best work.<\/span><\/p>\n

Saying no to a freelance gig can be hard, but it\u2019s the only way to create the presence and reputation you want. Remember that you need something out of the arrangement, too, whether that\u2019s adequate payment, a boost in exposure or something strong to add to your portfolio. Don\u2019t overburden yourself with opportunities that won\u2019t meet your overall career goals. <\/span><\/p>\n

Leave time in your schedule for the best jobs, the ones that will help you pivot and lead you to a higher plane. <\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019re worth it.<\/span><\/p>\n

What do you look for before saying yes to a freelance gig?<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is taking on that new freelance writing gig a smart idea? Here\u2019s how to decide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":373,"featured_media":11957,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[208,215,1214],"class_list":["post-11633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-freelancing","tag-freelance-writing","tag-freelance-writing-jobs","tag-freelance-writing-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/373"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11633"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11633\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}