Good Work and the Freelance Writer

Freelance writers are often in high demand. They can be found on sites like Elance, Freelancer, and Odesk. Yet there is a lot of competition out there for freelance writing gigs. Freelance writing is a great way to make money, but it can be difficult to get clients. A freelance writer is self-employed and also termed as an independent contractor or 1099 contractor. You need to know what you’re doing if you want to get the best work available. Here are five things every freelance writer should know:

1. How to Find Work

The secret to finding good freelance writing jobs is to know where these jobs are. If you’re shooting blindly, you’ll never succeed at your job. You can find a lot of great gigs on Craigslist and other online classifieds, but these can take time because they aren’t always up to date or relevant. You can also find gigs by joining online forums and Facebook groups for writing. Sites like Elance, Freelancer, and Upwork are great for making personal connections with potential clients.

2. How to Charge for Your Services

You need to know how much you should charge if you want to make money as a writer. There is no “standard” dollar amount that you should charge. Every client is going to be different and it will depend on a lot of factors. Here are a few things to consider when thinking about price:

• How much experience do you have? How competitive is your field?
• If you get hired, how much time will the project take you? Will this be a full-time commitment?
• How much are you currently making with your freelance writing business? Can you afford to take a loss or can you increase your prices without too much trouble?
• Are you working with a client in person or are you only communicating through email? What will the work environment be like? Some clients may want to pay you hourly, while others are happy to make it a flat rate. You’ll need to consider all of these issues before you can decide on your rates. It’s best to determine how much you would like to make per hour. Aim high, but keep your rates reasonable for your experience level.

3. How to Communicate With Your Clients

Some clients are more difficult than others. There are some that are never satisfied with your work and there will always be problems with payment. Don’t let these issues get you down. If you have a bad client, just move on to another gig. It’s important to remember that not all clients are going to be like this, so stay optimistic!

Communication with clients is crucial to having a good freelance writing business. You need to know how the client behaves and what they expect from you before accepting a project. Try asking questions that will make you more comfortable with the client. Don’t be afraid to ask what techniques and writing styles they prefer. If you’re honest about these things from the start, you won’t have any communication problems in the future.

4. How to Do Your Job

If you want to make money as a freelance writer, you must be good at your job. This means that you should have the necessary skills for each project that you take on. If you’re not 100% confident in how to do the work, don’t take it. Clients need to be able to trust that you will deliver quality content in a timely manner. You can’t expect a client to pay for content that isn’t what they wanted, so you need to do your best from the start. If you’re not sure about some of the things you have been asked to do, ask more questions or try looking it up on Google.

5. How to Manage Your Time

Managing your time is important if you want to make money as a writer. It’s easy to take on too much work and end up working long hours for low pay. Make a schedule and stick to it. This will prevent both overworking and underpaying yourself. You must be realistic about how much time you have each day to dedicate to your work. If you don’t finish everything on your list, that’s alright! Just prioritize what needs to be done most and get started on them.

Freelance writing is a great way to make money in college, but you have to be organized with it. To get the most out of your freelance writing business, always plan ahead and do what you can to make your clients happy.