7 Ways Freelance Writing is Like Acting

It has occurred to me more than once that people who act and those who write have a lot in common. Check out this list to see if you agree:

1. A lot of people think they can do the job.

How hard can it be to dress up and pretend to be someone else or put a few words on a page? Well, the truth is that neither one of these jobs is always easy. There is work involved, and it can be challenging.

2. There are many more people who want to do the job than those who are actually working.

The unemployment rate for actors sits at around 90 percent on a permanent basis. Writers are either working or pitching for their next gig – most of us are constantly on the lookout for our next assignment.

There are a number of people who want to write for money but change their minds when they find out about the the amount of work involved. The business part of this creative venture may be what turns them off, or they may underestimate how long it takes to get a group of clients who can give them steady work. The feast and famine that can be part of running a business may be what turns them off.

3. The public only sees the finished product.

When an actor gives a performance or the writer submits his or her work to a client, they only see what has been created. The prep work, whether it is time spent in rehearsals or writing drafts and tweaking it, isn’t shared with the person who is paying for it.

4. It takes more than talent to be successful.

Having some degree of talent is a must if you want to write for a living. It’s also important to develop good relationships with other people who can help you along the way. These include your existing clients, potential clients, and other writers.

5. You’re only as good as your last gig.

Unfortunately, the fact that people have hired you for writing positions in the past doesn’t mean that they will be lined up to hire you in the future. Turning in good quality work on time and treating your clients like gold are ways to increase your chance of having steady work.

6. A big ego can get in your way.

The minute you start believing that you are special and that no one else could possibly do what you do, you are sunk. Clients can always choose to hire someone else for their projects. You aren’t doing them a favor by agreeing to work with them; they are honoring you by choosing you.

7. It can be a satisfying and lucrative career choice.

Getting paid to do something that you love is wonderful. Like anything else, there are challenges and frustrations that go with the territory, but deciding to be a freelance writer was one of the best decisions I ever made.

How You Leave a Gig is Just as Important as How You Started

We talk a lot here at Freelance Writing Jobs about how to find work and how to treat clients at the beginning of your working relationship. How you behave at the end of the gig is just as important.

Sometimes your relationship with a client ends because you have decided that it’s time to move on. You may have found higher paying work elsewhere or you may have decided not to work with that client for personal reasons.

In other situations, the decision to end the working relationship is made by the client. They may not have any more work for you, or may need to stop handing out assignments due to economic reasons. It’s possible that the client may decide not to work with you any longer because they are not happy with your work.

Whether the decision to end the working relationship is yours or the client’s you have a choice about how you are going to behave. If there is any work outstanding that you have agreed to do, get it wrapped up. Prepare your final invoice and submit it.

If you are the one who has decided not to accept any further assignments and you feel comfortable doing so, offer to refer the client to another writer. Someone you know may be a great fit for the gig, even if it isn’t a good one for you anymore.

In a situation where the client has made the decision to end things, you can still behave with class. If the client is not pleased and you can’t work things out, you can tell him or her that you are sorry that you weren’t able to resolve the situation. The result may be the same, but there is no reason why you both can’t walk away with your dignity intact.

When the reason for the client ending your working relationship is due to economic reasons, tell him or her that you understand and that you are sorry that they are having a difficult time. If you would be interested in working with the client again when the situation changes, tell them that. You could also ask the client for referrals to other people who may be hiring.

How do you handle the end of a freelance writing gig?

Will Taking a Low Paying Freelance Writing Job Hurt Your Career?

I spotted a thread on a discussion forum in my online travels recently that caught my eye. The subject was whether taking a freelance writing job that pays at an entry-level rate is a good idea or if doing so will hurt your career.

I have always been of the opinion that it’s better to be working than not doing so. My family enjoys eating and living indoors, so that’s a prime motivator for keeping busy. Simply because someone takes on a project that pays lower than they would normally accept doesn’t mean that they have done the one thing that is going to mess up their entire career.

I’ve never had someone who has hired me ask how much I charge other clients for my work. I don’t discuss my clients with each other, and I consider that the work that I do for them is confidential. In some cases, I have been asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement that prohibit me from discussing anything about the work that I do and my rates.

When someone is looking to hire a writer, I doubt they have time to follow up with the candidate’s previous clients to find out how much they were charged for their work. A client cares about getting their own work done. Period.

In the brick and mortar world, people generally start their working careers in entry-level positions. Over time as they get more experience, they move onto more lucrative work. The same thing happens for freelance writers. Taking an entry-level gig means you get some experience and some green in your pocket. During times when more lucrative work is lean, taking on something at the low end of your acceptable pay scale keeps your skills sharp and some money coming in.

If you are concerned about your lower-paying gigs appearing on your resume, do some editing. You don’t have to list each client you have ever worked for if you choose not to.

Getting back to the original question, I don’t think that you can hurt your career by taking a certain gig. If the subject about rates you used to charge ever comes up, you can explain that you have gained some experience and honed your skills since that point and now you charge $X.

What do you think? Can taking a low paying freelance writing job mean the Kiss of Death for your career?

Is it Luck or Hard Work That Spells Success?

I’ve been thinking about luck and freelancing lately. I’ve noticed something that I tend to do, and I’ve decided that I need to give myself an attitude adjustment. Here’s the scoop:

I’ve caught myself explaining to people who have been kind enough to ask about my writing career that I’ve been very lucky. A friend of mine gently reminded me that I have worked very hard and that luck had nothing to do with it. She’s right.

When I was trying to get started, it took awhile for me to get to the point where I was working regularly. Rather than blame the situation on “bad” luck, I figured that I wasn’t working hard enough. That wasn’t true, any more than getting positive results has to do with pure, dumb luck.

Rather than assume that landing a great gig has to do with being lucky or in the right place at the right time, a better approach is to give yourself a pat on the back and tell yourself that your hard work got you the experience or helped you make the contact that led to whatever it is that is working for you now.

I’ve lost track of the gigs that I’ve applied for that I didn’t get. The irony of being paid to find leads and still not getting hired when I’ve applied for some of them is not lost on me. But I kept plugging away and developed contacts that have led to getting hired for freelance writing gigs.

Do I feel lucky when I get hired? You bet. It’s a privilege to work with a client to help them build their business in some way. Is it all down to luck? No way.

The next time someone asks me about my career (so far), I’ll tell them that I feel fortunate to have met some wonderful people and that I have worked very hard to get where I am. What are you doing to make your own luck when it comes to freelance writing?

Monday Markets for October 19, 2009 Are Up

You can see the October 19, 2009 edition of Monday Markets here.

Freelance Writer Rates: A Client’s Opinion

Recently, I had the privilege of chatting with Ryan Roberts, the founder of E1even, a web development agency. Ryan has hired a number of contractors, including freelance writers, and has given me permission to share his thoughts with our readers:

What is your experience with hiring contractors and negotiating rates?

“As someone who frequently hires contractors, I offer a rate for the work that is based on the person’s talent and skill set. It seems like most freelancers/contractors hit you by asking for the moon. Eventually they back down on the rate they are asking for in anticipation of getting at least some work. When I’m negotiating with the freelancer, I’ll offer a rate that is in keeping with our budget. I expect to meet the freelancer somewhere in the middle.”

How would you respond to a contractor who quoted what you thought was a reasonable rate from the outset?

“Unless they were below budget I would negotiate, regardless. Even if someone’s skill set directly reflects their rate, business is business and bottom lines are bottom lines. If we can cut costs in one area to free up finances for other things this is directly reflected in the end rate a client pays.”

If someone was easy to negotiate with and did their work well, would that would make you more inclined to hire them for future projects?

“Absolutely. I will be the first to admit that if you are on point when working with me, I have no problem offering a mid-to-high rate right from the start. Not only that, I’ll keep you busy.”

“However, the flip side to that is that if you are slow, not on point and your portfolio/interpersonal communication skills reflect this, any employer will be able to tell right away what you are worth.”

How would you respond to a contractor who told you that they aren’t prepared to work for anything less than, say, $100 an hour?

“Personally, freelancers who bill at rates like that I believe are focusing on their ego, not their skill set. Honestly, I only know two people that I’ve ever paid that rate to, and for good reason. They are the best in the world at what they do.”

“Simply put, freelancers, at least the majority of them, are not worth that kind of money. Their overhead becomes my overhead, which becomes our clients’ overhead. I’d have to bill at $320 an hour to consider that fair game and make a profit. Real world agencies don’t bill at these rates. You typically see agencies bill at $120 an hour, and making a gross profit of $20 an hour on a contractor/employee is just not enough to keep the lights on in most cases.”

—

Are there any surprises here, or did you already have a good idea about how clients set the rates they pay for the freelancers they hire?

The Letter-Resume: An Alternative to the Standard Resume Format

If you are responding to an ad or are preparing a pitch for a potential client but you don’t want to include a formal resume. There is are a way that you can tell the client about your experience without using one: the resume letter.

Here’s how it works:

1. Start your letter off in the usual way to introduce yourself and explain why you are making contact with the client.
2. Then include a list of points from your resume that show the client why you are a good fit for the ad you are responding to or the role that you are interested in filling for them
3. Finish with a good closing, thanking the client for taking the time to consider you and that you hope to hear from them soon or when you will be contacting them to follow up.

Why Use Bullet Points

Rather than use a paragraph style for your letter-resume, using either bullet points or numbers draws the reader’s eye directly to that section of the letter. Keep each point relatively short – two or three sentences will do. Make sure that what you list in your letter-resume is relevant to the writing gig you are applying to or hope to land.

I’m in favor of using whatever strategy works to present yourself in the best possible way to a client, as long as you are following the instructions in their ad. Part of doing so is giving the client all the information they need to determine if you are qualified for the gig and if they can work with you. If they don’t want to see a resume, that’s fine. You can tell them about yourself in this way instead.

The Freelance Writing World: Big Enough for Everyone

I consider myself to be a feminist, and have been since the ’70s. Not in the “women of the world unite; all men are evil” way, though. I like and respect men, and I think that gender shouldn’t be the reason why girls and women shouldn’t be able to define success in any way that they choose.

When it comes to the world of freelance writing and writers, I don’t think there is any “one size fits all” definition of success. When I started writing, I thought it would be wonderful if I could make enough money to buy groceries every week and help out with some bills. I achieved that first goal and much more, and now I get to work full time doing something that I actually love.

To my mind, there should be enough room in the freelance writing world for people who want to dabble in writing to earn a few extra dollars here and there, as well as those who want to (or have already achieved) a six-figure career. No choice is better than the other; they are just different.

Some people used to state that because women now have more opportunities that we should all climb on the high-powered career bandwagon and doing anything else is letting all of our sisters down. That wasn’t true then and it isn’t true now. Feminism should be about choices for women, even if we choose something different for ourselves.

How does this relate to freelance writing? Freelancing also offers choices. I say let’s throw the doors wide open and look at all the choices and the possibilities that the choice to freelance gives us. I, for one, love to hear about the kind of work my fellow freelancers do. It inspires me to broaden my own horizons and apply for gigs that I may not have considered before.

In much the same way that a symphony won’t sound right if everyone is playing the same instrument, there is room in the freelancing world for all of us, no matter what kind of work we choose to do. Everyone is invited to the party, and everyone is welcome.

The Elephant in the Room: Asking for More Work After a Mistake

One of our readers posted this question in comments and has kindly agreed to my answering it in a post.

“I missed a deadline with a client once because I was moving and my ISP was giving me the run-around. It was the worst. I can tell my client is now standoffish, but I’m not sure about how I should approach him to ask for more work. Keep in mind assignments with this client has went well and I completed projects sometimes weeks before the deadline. Should I just let him go or try?”

The short answer to this question is that you should try. Building and maintaining good working relationships with clients is the key to a successful business. Does that mean that everything is going to run smoothly all the time? Unfortunately, it doesn’t.

When you do all the right things for your clients, they appreciate it. The fact that you have done what was expected of you and met your deadlines was what you were being paid to do. Missing a deadline is never good for business and I hope that you turned in the work as soon as you could once the ISP issues were resolved.

Your client may have concerns that something may prevent you from going back to your previously good record of being reliable. I know that it may seem tempting to just write the client off and slink off to lick your wounds, so to speak, but you have an opportunity to show this person the kind of freelancer you are. I can’t guarantee that you will be able to re-establish your working relationship, but it will help to resolve things so you know where you stand.

Dealing With the Elephant

I was working on a project once where my role was more of a personal assistant than a writer. There was a mistake made and to be honest I don’t remember now what it was. The client was not pleased and let me know in no uncertain terms that he wasn’t happy.

I read his e-mail a couple of times. The first time through I admit that my back went up and I got angry. My first thought was to quit and run (not necessarily in that order). Then I calmed down and tried to address the situation like a professional.

Here’s how I handled it:

I acknowledged the mistake without making excuses. Then I apologized. Those two actions diffused the situation. Then, I explained that while I can’t change what has happened, I would like the opportunity to rectify the situation and I offered a couple of suggestions. He chose one and we got our working relationship back on track.

In the situation the FWJ community member is asking about, I would contact the client and explain that the ISP problem was an isolated occurrence and that I now have backup arrangements (a friend’s computer, going to Starbucks, etc.) so that any inconvenience to my clients will be minimized if something similar happens in the future.

I would tell the client how much I have enjoyed working with them in the past and that I hope that the incident in question will not affect future projects. Then I would ask what I can do to help rectify the situation so that we can get back on track.

Then it’s up to the client to let you know what they need from you. There is the chance that they will tell you that they aren’t willing to work with you anymore. It’s more likely that they will appreciate your professionalism and will consider you for other projects. My guess is that not knowing is worse than hearing the word, “No” in this situation.

So, FWJ community: What do you think? Is this the right approach, or is it better to walk away from clients who may not be happy with your working relationship?

Resume Roundup: Some Posts You May Have Missed

I’ve been getting some questions about resumes for freelance writers lately. Not everyone who you are interested in working with will want to see a resume. Some prospective clients will want to see it to get an idea of who you are and what kind of experience you bring to the table.

You can’t judge the quality of a gig that you are applying for by whether the client is asking for a resume. (I don’t remember if Deb has ever asked to see mine.) Some of them would rather see samples of your work to get an idea of what you can do for them. I started with one client when I received an e-mail asking if I wanted to work for him.

For those prospective clients who would like to see a resume, you want to make sure that what you show them presents your product, which is you, in the best possible light. Here are some links to previous posts on resumes:

Transferable Skills and Your Resume

Functional Resume Format for Freelancers

How Do You See Your Resume?

Listing Multiple Clients on Your Freelance Writing Resume

Do you have questions about resumes? Post them in the comments section and we’ll answer them. I bet if this community puts its collective heads together we can come up with some great answers. You can e-mail questions to me at freelancewritinggigs@gmail.com and I’ll answer them in future posts.

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