Freelance writing is not a career for everyone, but you may be surprised by just how easy of a career it can be for some people. Most people assume you have to have an English degree or a "way with words" in order to make money in this industry, when really all you need is an understanding of the English language. This may or may not be a career for you, but you won't know until you understand it a little better. Seeing that I am a freelance writer and have been for nearly three years now, I thought I would make a list of some of the qualities you may want to have to work in this industry. Read on to see if freelance writing is a good career for you.
Constant Communication
I probably go through 10 chats a day with web developers, internet marketers, and other clients that I work with for my writing. In this industry, you have to have a good sense of communication. This may involve anything from checking your emails regularly to being available to instant message when the time comes. Clients want to know the status of their work, and most of them have been burned by bad communication in the past. It is your job to keep them informed about your progress so they feel like their work is getting done.
Honesty
Clients don't like to hear false promises on the web. If you can't get to an assignment for three days, let your client know that ahead of time. That way he or she doesn't feel like you just threw his or her work on the backburner. If you were a CIA agent, you wouldn't tell dispatch that you caught someone that you really had no idea about. The same principle applies to internet writing. You need to be honest with your clients at all times if you want to get repeat work from them in the future.
Efficiency
Freelance writing is very much a volume-based career. You get paid more if you can do more. It is as simple as that. If you can handle a large volume of work in a short amount of time, people are more likely to give you work in the future. This is only true if you do quality work of course, so you cannot sacrifice quality for speed. Doing so will only anger your employers and make them assume that you are rushing through your work. Even if you work on hourly jobs, you need to try to get as much done as you can within an hour. That will make your employers happy, which will ultimately keep you in business.
Time Management
In freelance writing, you have to manage your time well. This will keep you on schedule and ensure that your bills get paid every month. It is easy to forget about your schedule when you work on the web because you assume you can work at any time. That is not always the case though. You need to manage your work just like anyone else would if you want to go a long way in this business. Staying on schedule sucks at times, but it is something you just have to do in this industry.
Marketing
In many ways, you have to market yourself in this business. The only way you will make more money as a freelance writer is by continuing to look for job opportunities that may come up. If you can do that and keep your current customers happy, you will have a better shot at making this a long term career for you. You are the one that determines how lucrative of a career freelance writing can be for you. If you market yourself well, you are almost guaranteed to make good money this way.
Constant Communication
I probably go through 10 chats a day with web developers, internet marketers, and other clients that I work with for my writing. In this industry, you have to have a good sense of communication. This may involve anything from checking your emails regularly to being available to instant message when the time comes. Clients want to know the status of their work, and most of them have been burned by bad communication in the past. It is your job to keep them informed about your progress so they feel like their work is getting done.
Honesty
Clients don't like to hear false promises on the web. If you can't get to an assignment for three days, let your client know that ahead of time. That way he or she doesn't feel like you just threw his or her work on the backburner. If you were a CIA agent, you wouldn't tell dispatch that you caught someone that you really had no idea about. The same principle applies to internet writing. You need to be honest with your clients at all times if you want to get repeat work from them in the future.
Efficiency
Freelance writing is very much a volume-based career. You get paid more if you can do more. It is as simple as that. If you can handle a large volume of work in a short amount of time, people are more likely to give you work in the future. This is only true if you do quality work of course, so you cannot sacrifice quality for speed. Doing so will only anger your employers and make them assume that you are rushing through your work. Even if you work on hourly jobs, you need to try to get as much done as you can within an hour. That will make your employers happy, which will ultimately keep you in business.
Time Management
In freelance writing, you have to manage your time well. This will keep you on schedule and ensure that your bills get paid every month. It is easy to forget about your schedule when you work on the web because you assume you can work at any time. That is not always the case though. You need to manage your work just like anyone else would if you want to go a long way in this business. Staying on schedule sucks at times, but it is something you just have to do in this industry.
Marketing
In many ways, you have to market yourself in this business. The only way you will make more money as a freelance writer is by continuing to look for job opportunities that may come up. If you can do that and keep your current customers happy, you will have a better shot at making this a long term career for you. You are the one that determines how lucrative of a career freelance writing can be for you. If you market yourself well, you are almost guaranteed to make good money this way.
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