One of the most significant advantages of working as a freelancer is the ability to choose a work schedule that suits you. Working for yourself allows you more time, flexibility, and control over the projects you take on. Indeed, 53% of freelancers say they feel more secure as independents than they did in traditional employment. However, the advantages of self-employment are significantly reduced if you accept every job opportunity offered to you.
Do You Want Small Clients or Big Ones?
When I started freelancing, it just seemed so obvious.
Small businesses are everywhere – and most of them need things written. So start here, pay your dues to earn money and experience. [Read more…]
7 Reasons You Should Specialize in a Writing Product, Not a Niche
Standing out in a sea of freelancers isn’t always easy, which is why many writers fill a niche by focusing on a specific style or genre of writing. Another path to follow is to specialize in a specific product instead. This involves targeting a particular area of writing, such as online catalogue descriptions, SEO content, short ad copy, white papers, contract writing, or newsletters. [Read more…]
Why Freelance Writers Should Learn the Art of Doing Nothing
As I was looking into existing articles about “The Art of Doing Nothing, ” I came across two phrases how they described it in Italy and in India.
The Italians call it “La Dolce Far Niente” which means “the sweetness of doing nothing.” And it was a concept one author learned while watching Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love. The scene was set in a barbershop in Rome. Julia and her newfound friend are scarfing down napoleons while the men of Italy are educating them on the ways of the Italian. [Read more…]
Writers Should Be SEEN and Not Just Heard in the Digital Age
Have you lost yours yet? Maybe you just used it as a coaster for your morning coffee or to wipe your windows on a writing-procrastination cleaning binge (we’ve all been there.) Whether you bemoaned the pages full of adverts or enjoyed the old school approach to romance in the classifieds, research from the Press Gazette found 40 local print newspapers closed in the UK in 2017. The local newspaper for my home town – a clipping of me holding a certificate was cut from this paper and remains to this day on my mother’s fridge – has just announced its end. [Read more…]
How to Effectively Attract Clients: Create a Genuine Connection
Landing new gigs – whether by actively pursuing clients or letting your website do the work – can be a tricky thing. A myriad of factors come into play, and sometimes, we can’t even identify all of those factors. It’s not like acquiring clients is a one-size-fits-all deal.
While there are strategies that increase your chances of getting new jobs, I believe that the bottom line is being able to establish a connection from the get-go. A genuine, solid connection.
That’s what I’m going to talk about in this post – how to effectively attract clients by creating a genuine connection. [Read more…]
Why One-Third of Those Freelancing Put Children Ahead of a Traditional Career
It’s an established fact that freelancing became more popular after the 2008 financial crash, and the US self-employed population reaches 15.5 million today. This trend was led by Generation X (also known as the people who got stuck between the Baby Boomers and the Millennials). As it was shown in a Toptal survey recently, a significant proportion of those who are new in freelancing, followed this route almost entirely for their children.
This would also end the notion that people choose freelancing simply to be their own bosses. The freelance community is being increasingly overrun by family. But what leads to this change of motivation while the freelance economy grows? [Read more…]
Telling Your Stories: Tips for Using Personal Narratives in Your Writing
As freelance writers, we encounter many different types of assignments; and while some leave no room for creative personal narratives, there are other cases when your stories could be a centerpiece or valuable example for readers.
Personal stories are also a great way to plant a hook at the beginning of a story, something to grab the readers’ interest. When it comes to the sharing personal details, however, there are a few things we need to take into account, particularly the privacy of others who may be involved in our stories. [Read more…]
Use Writing Procrastination to Your Advantage
Every writer has complained about procrastination at some point. I could be wrong, but even the most prolific writers have had to deal with the urge to put things off. If you think about it, there’s nothing wrong with that as long as you don’t make it a habit.
Additionally, there are ways to procrastinate productively. You can read about that in an article I wrote last year.
Believing that procrastination won’t go away – it will keep coming back – I think that it can be beaten if you prepare yourself for it. So, how do you beat writing procrastination?
12 Quotes From Children’s Books Every Author Should Know
“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” ― C.S. Lewis
I may be biased since C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite authors, but when it comes to children’s books, no truer words have been spoken. I believe that if there is one thing children’s books authors should always remember, it is this quote.
While the children’s book market is shifting, with sales numbers going up and down, the market is still strong. Factors such as reading an eBook instead of a paperback, parents choosing a personalised children’s book instead of a mass-published one, and preferring hardcovers bought in brick-and-mortar bookstores all come together to continue boosting the children’s book industry. [Read more…]
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