Real Words

A slew of writers from around the web have contacted me out of the blue recently asking if they can guest post here on this blog. I’m always happy to help other good writers spread the word about their work if I can. Here’s the most recent of those posts – an article on getting freelance writing jobs written by Maya Richard.

Freelance writers all face a common dilemma; how can you get more
business, and still find the time necessary to actually get your work
done.

Managing your time and attempting to maintain a steady schedule and
workflow is hard enough as it is when working for yourself, let alone
trying to find the time and resources to grow your business and bring
in new customers. If you spend all of your time working, then you will
have trouble finding new business and thus running a successful
operation.  On the other hand, if you spend all your time marketing
your services, you will never get any work done.

So how do you find the perfect balance, which lets you keep your
business profitable and reputable, and still keep new business coming
in? How do you take the scarce free time you have and make it work for
you?

Here are 5 ways that can usually help you accomplish this if
implemented correctly.

1.  Network with Other Freelance Writers

One of the best ways to solve problems and learn new tricks and tips,
especially when it comes to handling your workloads, and reaching new
customers, is to network and share ideas with other people that do the
same thing you do.

Every freelancer out there is trying to make a living on their own
terms, and this is never a simple task. When you network with others,
not only do you have someone to talk to when you have an industry
specific question, but you also have someone to help you find leads,
advertise effectively, and simplify your workflow and project
management.

Aside from simply networking with freelance writers, building a small
network of web and graphic designers, photographers, coders, and more,
can really pay off in the long run. Doing so will simplify the task of
finding people to take on specific parts of a project you may
encounter which require you to further outsource, such as designing a
website for a customer.

2. Keep it Simple

There are literally tens of thousands of other freelance writers
available on the internet, and while there will always be plenty of
work to go around, you need to stick out from your competition, and
show potential customers that you do what you do well.

One of the best ways to do this is to simply under promise and over deliver.
When it comes to writing a sales pitch, or responding to an inquiry,
it really does pay to understate your services and skills. When you
find the urge to explain in detail, your skills to a potential
customer, simply stop yourself and narrow this long list of skills and
accomplishments down to a simple, quick statement. Think of a resume
when you are doing this, because you never want to send out a 20 page
resume, and the same goes for explaining why you are a good fit for a
freelance project.

3. Make Templates for Common Projects

If you are a writer, or nearly any type of digital entrepreneur, you
will undoubtedly have a copy of Microsoft Office (or Open Office) that
you use nearly every single day of your life. The first thing you need
to do is make sure you have the most up-to-date version, as new
features are added each year or two which can really benefit you.
Now, you should aim to create an entire collection of templates, using
numerous platforms (Word, Excel, Etc.), which can all save you time by
helping streamline some of the more common tasks and projects you do.

Creating a custom billing template in Excel, for instance, can take a
decent amount of work, but once it is done, you will never have to
calculate your final costs. From word and page counts, pricing
structures, and additional services, to taxes, payment processing
fees, and nearly everything else you frequently factor in to your
billing, you can really reduce repetitive tasks, and thus save time
and money.

This doesn’t only apply to Excel, however. Common document formats,
such as sales letters, email sales templates, and even press releases,
can all be recreated as a template which helps you get to each project
more quickly and efficiently, and thus helping you make more money,
and deliver your services in a more timely manner.

4. Constantly Look for Opportunity

Don’t think that you will ever get where you want to be in your
business, if you simply expect customers and clients to come to you.
Sure, advertising your services publicly, whether online or off, can
really bring in a steady stream of work for you, but you are hitting
maybe 15% of your potential market.

Every time you go shopping, to a conference, to a meeting, to a
function, or anything else you could really imagine, you need to keep
a keen eye out for the opportunity to offer your services. As a
freelance writer, you are providing individuals and businesses with a
service that can be detriment to their success. Marketing materials,
pamphlets, brochures, emails, web copy, sales copy, and more, are all
a huge part of each businesses success, and you are their key to
tackling these aspects effectively.

Never be afraid to market yourself in person, and pitch ideas freely,
because you never know who might bite.

5.  Find Local Business Organizations

Finally, you need to take advantage of local business meetings. Nearly
every city and town has numerous local business meeting events weekly
or monthly.

These meetings are typically held so that local businesses and
organizations alike can share new ideas, and discuss current events
and trends in their local market. Attending these events will get you
comfortable with some of the regular individuals, and you will have an
opportunity to not just learn from these people, but to explain to
them how your services work and benefit others, which can open new
doors that you never knew existed.

Be sure to have professional, informative business cards. A business
card with a fancy design, and a simple phone number or website can
work for you in most cases, but when it comes to building solid
networking “buddies”, it is always good to have a second set of cards.
Name, office phone, personal phone, website, fax, email, and any other
means of contact, should all be listed on the card. If you need to,
get yourself double-sided cards, which appear as normal cards on the
front, and feature extra contact methods and details on the back.

Never leave home without a pocket full of cards, and be sure to hand
2-3 out each time, because they might not be the only person they know
that could use your services.

This article is by Maya Richard (mayarichard@gmail.com) who is
currently a content writer writing about cell phones.