{"id":7807,"date":"2016-04-26T06:00:25","date_gmt":"2016-04-26T11:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thewritelife.com\/?p=7807"},"modified":"2016-12-09T14:31:28","modified_gmt":"2016-12-09T19:31:28","slug":"30-resources-turning-writing-business-money-making-machine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/?p=7807","title":{"rendered":"30 Resources for Turning Your Writing Business Into a Money-Making Machine"},"content":{"rendered":"

To be a successful freelancer, you have to understand money. <\/span><\/p>\n

Being your own boss means negotiating your own rates, tracking your own invoices and managing your own freelance taxes. <\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be honest with you: <\/span>The financial side of freelancing can be hard to master, <\/b>especially if you\u2019re the kind of freelancer who doesn\u2019t like to remind clients about late payments or ask editors for more money. <\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, there are a lot of resources out there, whether you\u2019re a first-time freelancer or a regular contributor at a major publication. We\u2019ve got a list of 30 essential financial resources to help you <\/span>manage your finances and earn more money. <\/b><\/p>\n

Articles<\/span><\/h2>\n

1. <\/span>Starting a Freelance Business<\/span><\/a> (The Penny Hoarder) <\/span><\/h4>\n

If you\u2019ve never freelanced before, I\u2019ve written an article detailing <\/span>everything you\u2019re going to need to think about to ensure your business is successful.<\/b> The article touches on how to make a profit, but it also looks at marketing, dealing with licenses and taxes, and more. <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Consider it a brief overview of how freelance businesses work. <\/span><\/p>\n

2. <\/span>A 7-Day Plan for Starting Your Freelance Writing Side Gig<\/span><\/a> (Creative Class) <\/span><\/h4>\n

Here\u2019s how to put your freelance dreams into action.<\/b> If you\u2019re thinking about freelancing but don\u2019t know what first steps to take, start with Day One — and yes, this seven-day plan does put you on the path to earning money as soon as possible. <\/span><\/p>\n

You might send out your first money-making pitch by the end of the first week!<\/span><\/p>\n

3. <\/span>10 Money-Making Tasks Successful Freelance Writers Do Every Day<\/span><\/a> (The Write Life) <\/span><\/h4>\n

Now that you\u2019ve started your freelance career, it\u2019s time to boost your income. Michael Ofei has <\/span>10 money-making tasks to add to your daily routine.<\/b> I do several of these tasks every day, and I can vouch that they do help you earn more money! <\/span><\/p>\n

4. <\/span>How to Calculate Your Hourly Rate<\/span><\/a> (Freelancers Union) <\/span><\/h4>\n

Ian Balina takes you through the <\/span>step-by-step process of calculating your ideal hourly rate.<\/b> It\u2019s a useful number to have at hand, whether you\u2019re negotiating rates with a client or trying to decide whether a freelancing gig is worth your time.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. <\/span>Is it good for your soul, career, or wallet? How to decide if you should take a gig<\/span><\/a> (Freelancers Union) <\/span><\/h4>\n

While you\u2019re thinking about <\/span>whether a freelancing gig is worth your time:<\/b> this is one of my favorite freelancing articles, and it\u2019s something I think about every time I consider taking a new assignment. <\/span><\/p>\n

Read it and take its advice to heart.<\/span><\/p>\n

6. <\/span>How to Negotiate Better Rates Even When You Don\u2019t Think You Can<\/span><\/a> (The Freelancer)<\/span><\/h4>\n

I interviewed Katie Lane of <\/span>Work Made For Hire<\/span><\/a> to discuss <\/span>strategies and tactics every freelancer can take to negotiate rates<\/b>, even when negotiation feels impossible. These tactics have absolutely worked for me, so consider them highly recommended.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"moneymachine\"<\/p>\n

Courses<\/span><\/h2>\n

7. <\/span>30 Days or Less to Freelance Writing Success<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

Gina Horkey of <\/span>Horkey Handbook<\/span><\/a> has a course designed to <\/span>jumpstart your freelance career in just 30 days<\/b>. If you follow her steps, you\u2019ll define your niche, create your writers\u2019 website, pitch your first potential clients and more. <\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also get access to a private Facebook group where you can share experiences and learn from other freelancers.<\/span><\/p>\n

8. <\/span>Creative Class<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

Paul Jarvis\u2019s Creative Class teaches freelancers the<\/span> business of being creative. <\/b>You\u2019ll study sales, marketing, how to price by value, and more. <\/span><\/p>\n

Take the class by itself, or pay a little extra to join the Creative Class Slack channel and join a community of freelancers working to grow their businesses.<\/span><\/p>\n

9. <\/span>IttyBiz Growth Guidebook and Free Marketing Courses<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

I have learned so much from Naomi Dunford\u2019s <\/span>IttyBiz<\/span><\/a>, so I love recommending her stuff — especially when it\u2019s free! The Growth Guidebook and Free Marketing Courses are designed to help you <\/span>grow your small business and earn more money.<\/b><\/p>\n

Dunford has free marketing courses for both writers and bloggers, so check them out to see if you learn a few things, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ebooks<\/span><\/h2>\n

10. <\/span>The Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

Here\u2019s another resource I love recommending. Chris Guillebeau\u2019s Unconventional Guides are packed full of useful information, and the Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing includes tips on <\/span>making budgets, pitching clients, growing your business and more. <\/b><\/p>\n

11. <\/span>71 Ways to Make Money as a Freelance Writer<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

Freelance writers talk a lot about pitching articles, but that\u2019s only one of the ways writers make money. You could write product copy. You could create email campaigns. You could manage a company\u2019s social media account. <\/span><\/p>\n

This Write Life guide — which I helped create — gives you <\/span>71 different ways to make money,<\/b> as well as tips to help you get started.<\/span><\/p>\n

12. <\/span>Find Your Freelance Writing Niches: Make More Money for Less Work<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

John Soares created this guidebook to help freelance writers find lucrative writing niches. Some types of writing pay more than others, and<\/span> learning how your skills and interests match up with high-earning niches<\/b> will help you grow your career and your income.<\/span><\/p>\n

13. <\/span>The Mint Manual<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

Tim Murphy\u2019s Mint Manual isn\u2019t about freelance writing — instead, it\u2019s about mastering the financial tracking program <\/span>Mint<\/span><\/a> so you can understand how much you\u2019re earning, <\/span>where your money is going<\/b> and how to manage your cashflow more effectively.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tools<\/span><\/h2>\n

14. <\/span>Mint<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

I mentioned The Mint Manual, so we should also talk about Mint. You\u2019ve probably already heard of it, if you\u2019re not already using it. <\/span><\/p>\n

This popular finance-tracking program helps you<\/span> create budgets, set goals and track your income and expenses.<\/b><\/p>\n

15. <\/span>Level<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

Like Mint, Level helps you quickly track your finances and see where your money is going. I like Level because I can easily <\/span>sort my expenses into categories<\/b> — food, bills, business and so on — and compare spending in each category over time. <\/span><\/p>\n

16. <\/span>Harvest<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

Harvest provides both <\/span>time-tracking and invoicing <\/b>tools<\/span> for freelancers who want to get paid for every hour they work. The program also helps you track expenses and even sends out automated payment reminders to clients who don\u2019t pay on time!<\/span><\/p>\n

17. <\/span>Freshbooks<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

Like Harvest, Freshbooks helps you track your time and expenses and <\/span>quickly prepares invoices<\/b> for clients. Freshbooks also includes automated payment reminders.<\/span><\/p>\n

18. <\/span>Toggl<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

If you just want a quick way to <\/span>track the amount of time you\u2019re spending on a project<\/b> — or want to compare \u201ctime spent writing\u201d to \u201ctime spent answering email\u201d — Toggl is the tool for you. <\/span><\/p>\n

I used Toggl as part of my <\/span>Tracking Freelance Earnings<\/span><\/a> column to determine how much time I spent writing versus time spent doing other administrative tasks. <\/span><\/p>\n

The more you know about how much administrative work it requires to complete each writing assignment, the better you can determine whether a freelance rate is worth the time it\u2019ll take to complete the gig.<\/span><\/p>\n

Groups<\/span><\/h2>\n

19. <\/span>Freelance Writers Den<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

Carol Tice of <\/span>Make a Living Writing<\/span><\/a> also runs the Freelance Writers Den, a members-only online forum in which <\/span>freelancers discuss everything from who\u2019s hiring to how to renegotiate rates.<\/b><\/p>\n

I was a Den member when I was starting out as a freelancer, and it was great to have a space in which to ask questions and learn from other writers. The Den keeps its membership small, so you might have to join a waiting list — but don\u2019t let that discourage you from applying.<\/span><\/p>\n

20. <\/span>The Write Life Facebook Group<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

The Write Life has a Facebook group, and you should join! The group regularly discusses <\/span>how to earn more money as well as how to improve our work<\/b> — both win-wins, financially.<\/span><\/p>\n

21. <\/span>Calls for Submissions<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

This Facebook group is exactly what it sounds like: a place for people to submit <\/span>calls for submission.<\/b> Check it out and see if any of the calls catch your eye. Then, submit!<\/span><\/p>\n

22. <\/span>Careful Cents Freelancers Club<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

Carrie Smith\u2019s Careful Cents Club is designed to help freelancers <\/span>\u201covercome all the obstacles that come with being your own boss.\u201d <\/b><\/p>\n

Check it out and see if it helps you overcome a few obstacles of your own.<\/span><\/p>\n

23. <\/span>Ideas Words Empire<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

Laura Shin calls her Ideas Words Empires community \u201ca Genius Bar for your freelance life.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

She\u2019s got amazing resources at her site, including <\/span>an entire section on earning more money,<\/b> so give it a visit and consider joining the community.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other useful tools<\/span><\/h2>\n

24. <\/span>Who Pays Writers<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

When I need to know how much a publication pays, I turn to Who Pays Writers. This site allows writers to <\/span>anonymously submit rate information<\/b>, as well as word count, who kept the rights and other important details.<\/span><\/p>\n

25. <\/span>The Freelancer\u2019s Rates Database<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

The Freelancer has another great rates resource, so check it out if you\u2019re looking to find out how much a site is likely to pay. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you can\u2019t find a publication\u2019s rates info on Who Pays Writers, it might be in The Freelancer\u2019s database — or vice-versa.<\/span><\/p>\n

26: <\/span>Freelancers Union<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

I know I linked to a couple of Freelancers Union articles above, but I want you to <\/span>add this entire website<\/b> to your resource list. I turn to Freelancers Union for information on tax deductions, rate negotiations and more. <\/span><\/p>\n

They\u2019ve got a job board, regular meetups and an online community you can join. <\/span><\/p>\n

27. A task-tracking system<\/span><\/h4>\n

Every freelancer needs a good task-tracking system — otherwise, how will you know which of your clients still owe you money? <\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been using David Allen\u2019s <\/span>Getting Things Done<\/span><\/i><\/a> system for years, and I have a master spreadsheet I use in combination with <\/span>Basecamp<\/span><\/a> to keep track of all my action items and things I\u2019m waiting on. <\/span><\/p>\n

Figure out what task-tracking system works for you, and use it to keep on top of both your deadlines and your income.<\/span><\/p>\n

28. A CPA <\/span><\/h4>\n

Don\u2019t put off getting a CPA because you think you can\u2019t afford it.<\/span> A good certified public accountant will handle your freelance taxes — and tell you how much to set aside for estimated taxes — for a few hundred bucks, which is more than worth the cost! <\/span><\/p>\n

Plus, once you start <\/span>building a relationship with a CPA<\/b>, you\u2019ll have someone to turn to with those other business questions like, \u201cShould I become a LLC?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

29. A good network <\/span><\/h4>\n

Build your freelance network now, and it will pay you back later. <\/span><\/p>\n

Follow your favorite writers and editors on Twitter. If you had a good experience with an editor, pitch that editor again. If you know someone who\u2019d be a great fit for a gig, recommend that person\u2019s work. <\/span><\/p>\n

The more you connect with other people in your field, the more they\u2019ll help you out — and the more you can help them out in return.<\/b><\/p>\n

30. A savings account<\/span><\/h4>\n

I put <\/span>10 percent of every freelance check <\/b>into a savings account, and it\u2019s one of the smartest financial moves I\u2019ve made. A savings account helps buffer you through freelance lulls, and it also allows you to take on bigger, higher-paying projects that might take a few months to complete. Just make sure to pay your savings account back once you get paid!<\/span><\/p>\n

Which of these resources are you excited about exploring? Let us know if you\u2019ve tried any of these courses or joined any of these groups, and add your own financial resource recommendations in the comments!<\/b><\/p>\n

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you\u2019re supporting The Write Life \u2014 and we thank you for that!<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Even if you\u2019re not a numbers whiz, freelance writers still need to be good with money. Here\u2019s a guide to get you started.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":7808,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[659,609,208,658,657],"class_list":["post-7807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-freelancing","tag-financial-resources","tag-freelance-writers","tag-freelance-writing","tag-money-management","tag-personal-finance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7807","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\/117"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7807"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7807\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7807"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}