Freelance writing is a great career for many, partly because of the freedom that you will enjoy. Among other things, you now have control over your success, rather than having a boss determine it for you. Be aware though, with that freedom also comes responsibility. Management becomes critical, not just for what you do, but when you do it. Here are some success tips:
1. Manage Your Workspace. When you enter into the career of freelance writing, you're bound to wind up with a lot of paper in the form of press releases, product information, emails, PDF files, etc., and it's really important to keep it all organized.
It's really important to categorize the information and put it in folders where it's readily accessible. Likewise on your computer. In addition, you'll want to safeguard your data by backing it up. There are several ways that you can do that, by using external hard drives and by taking advantage of online storage. Whichever solution(s) you use, it's wise to do backups once a week.
2. The 80/20 Rule of Marketing. More than anything else, marketing is the one thing that will make or break you as a freelance writer. It has to be done consistently, every day. To put this in perspective, at the beginning of your career, you'll probably find you'll be spending 80% of your time marketing and 20% writing. This is necessary, partly because you won't have too many clients and you'll need to spend time finding them, making pitches, etc. Over time, you'll find this formula will shift in your favor and you'll be spending 80% of your time writing, which is what you want.
3. Never Write Articles in Advance. Many freelance writers write an article in advance, then try to pitch it to an editor. This is one of the worst mistakes that you can make and is a major waste of your time. Never, ever write articles in advance. If you do and the editor(s) don't like the story, you've wasted your time.
I recommend that you write a quick paragraph that summarizes what you have in mind. Here's an example: "Compressing Images for the Web. In this article, the reader will learn how to compress images for the web. This will cover the most popular formats, including: JPEG, PNG and GIF. The article will deal with the different types of compression for photographs, art and type."
4. Use HTML programs for writing web copy. If you're writing copy for the web, the best idea is to use a program specifically designed for that purpose, such as Notetab or Dreamweaver. This will give you the best results. Don't make the mistake of using Microsoft Word. The program inserts undesirable characters into the text. It's even worse if you output your documents to HTML. You'll drive the editor crazy on the other end.
5. Creating a Following. When building a business, be aware that it will take time to generate a client base. Assuming you have a solid marketing plan, you need to stick to it and work it every day, every week. Success comes as a result of cumulative consistent effort. It's important to keep chipping away at it, even when you're tired or would rather be doing something else. Your business is a discipline and needs ongoing effort. Working sporadically, or only when you feel like it will set the stage for failure.
The occupation of freelance writing creates many opportunities. Using these tips will help guide you in the right direction, now and for the future.
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