When is writing for free worth it for freelancers?
I’m not going to kid you, writing for free usually gets a bad press because nobody wants to give away a solid piece of writing without a tangible return. And sometimes, all the effort you put into your guest post, never gets picked up.
You hear it all the time:
Go where you’re target clients are.
This is the usual advice we hear from experts. But if you’re just starting your freelance writing career, it can be tricky to figure this out.
When you launched your freelance or author business, you put a lot of thought into it. You thoroughly considered what services you would offer, what domain name you would buy, and what courses you would invest money in to help launch your career.
But how much thought did you give on how to take a professional headshot as a professional author?
If the answer is “Not much,” it’s time to change that.
Are you tired of the feast and famine cycle?
Would you like to open up your email and see a subject line that says, “I want YOU to write for me, what do you charge?”
I bet you do!
The state of the About Me page on your writer’s website can often be the difference between a potential client getting in touch or clicking away. It’s a tricky one to get right too.
You need to achieve a tight balance between showing off your personality and keeping the focus on reeling those clients in.
Social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter can be the greatest tool in your freelance writing arsenal; however, if used incorrectly, they can cast a negative shadow over your career that will be very difficult to avoid.
Statistics show that 78% of traditional employers check the social media pages of prospective employees. Since freelance writers typically deal in the digital realm, it is safe to assume that percentage is even higher.
It is very rare that a freelance writer will work face-to-face with clients. With that in mind, it is imperative to make your online presence shine – this is your first impression, after all.
Are you stuck writing for pennies?
Writing $5 articles won’t get you far in your freelance writing career. Not only are you pumping out fluff articles by the dozen, but it isn’t enough to pay your bills and you’re probably working non-stop unable to enjoy what you’re doing.
Freelance writing can be a very lucrative career. But, do you feel you keep landing the wrong clients and don’t know why?
If you’ve decided to become a freelance writer, you want to get paid for your efforts.
Unfortunately, too many writers feel, or get told, that they have to pay their dues. That means work for free or churn out five articles per hour for content mills to make ends meet. I remember doing it, and it did me no favors.
The good news is that you don’t have to write for free forever, nor do you need to slave away at content mills.
