Freelance-Advice.com » Business Advice

The Writer And Contracts

Catherine Tully — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:45:11 +0000

Do you need a contract in order to write an article?

The short answer to that question is no, but in reality it is better for you if you can get one. Contracts spell out all of the terms, and give you a way to stand up for yourself if something should go awry. If you don’t have one, you won’t have much leverage if the publication decides they are going to do things differently than you discussed.

Better to protect yourself if you can.

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Tax Time Tip: Saving Receipts

Catherine Tully — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:25:17 +0000

With April 15th right around the bend, can you honestly say that you saved every receipt that you could have written off?

If not, try a simple technique that works. Grab a jar, a shoebox or another container and set it on your desk or by the door. When you come home, empty your pockets, purse or wallet and put your business-related receipts in the container immediately.

You can sort through it each week and enter your writing-related expenses, but this keeps everything from getting lost along the way…

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Blog Traffic

Yolander Prinzel — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:21:49 +0000

Looking up to pick up some extra traffic to your blog? Create a list of valuable resources for your readers. Not only will you attract traffic from the blogs you link to, but your post (if useful enough) could become viral.

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Your Pride and Your Prejudice

Yolander Prinzel — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:17:54 +0000

There is a difference between valuing your time enough to set reasonable prices for your work and thinking that you are some omnipotent ruler’s gift to the industry. There are many amazing writers nipping at your heels who simply don’t know how to value their own writing. Many of them are just as smart, talented and awesome as you are–and they are much less expensive.

That does not mean you have to lower your prices to compete with them–that would be a mistake. It simply means that you need a better reason than, “I’m awesome” to charge those rates. Remove your pride in your talent and your prejudice against newbies just starting out and get to the real value you offer.

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Put a Bull’s Eye on Your Target Client

Yolander Prinzel — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:34:46 +0000

Everything you do in your business should be to appeal to, attract, and score your target client. When you create a portfolio, network, market, query, whatever, your goal is to be appealing to your client. So before you make any decisions or take any action, try to think about how your target client will view it and whether or not it will be appealing to them.

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Free (or almost) Marketing Resources

Yolander Prinzel — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:19:09 +0000

Trying to market your business on a shoe string budget? Here is a list of free, or almost free, resources to help. Remember though, nothing beats elbow grease when you are trying to market your business.

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Nichify Your Niche

Yolander Prinzel — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:00:27 +0000

You probably know that it is easier to find clients, charge decent prices, and establish yourself as an authority when you choose a niche to write in. But did you know you can make your niche even…nichier? For instance, let’s say you are a science writer. What if you instead became an earth science writer? You could take classes, buy books, do some self-study and really become the authority for earth sciences. You also have further narrowed down your target client list making it much easier to find clients and reduce serious competition.

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Paypal Invoices

Yolander Prinzel — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:22:55 +0000

If you want to get paid quickly, use Paypal for your invoicing. It’s free, allows you to give a full breakdown of the charges, and the invoice is emailed to your client along with a big “Pay it now” type button that makes payment super easy. The only problem I have with them is that you can’t print the invoice (or see it) after it’s been paid—so make sure you PDF a copy in case of future disputes.

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Working Alone

Yolander Prinzel — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:19:11 +0000

Once a week, I meet a telecommuting friend at Panera or in my home and we work together for about four hours. We’ve been friends for almost 20 years and we’ve shared many jobs during that time, so we know how each other likes to work and we manage to get in a lot of chatting during that four hours. But it makes me feel a little closer to society after we meet and a little more like I’ve got coworkers than I might if I was home alone all the time.

So try to reach out to any telecommuters you know and see if you can set up a weekly or monthly work meeting. If you don’t know any, you could post a notice on the bulletin board of your favorite Wifi spot and see if any locals want to meet up. Just be sure you don’t take the person home or give them too much information if you don’t know them. Duh.

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Specialize

Yolander Prinzel — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:16:12 +0000

It’s almost universally agreed that writers who specialize have an easier time making more money than those who don’t. But how do you know what to specialize in? In order for your pick to be successful, you must be able to come into the specialty with authority. Think about your hobbies and your work history. Are there any subjects or activities you are intimately familiar with? If so, that’s probably your best bet for a specialty.

If you can’t think of anything you really bring enough experience to in your current education state don’t forget that you can always combine your work experience with some formal classes, certificate programs, or licenses to really round out your credentials.

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