Going on the hunt

May 27, 11:12 AMWriting ExaminerTiffany Colter

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  Spending time pursuing opportunities can reap huge rewards

     This is part 5 of a seven part series on getting readers to pick you and your writing. If you missed the previous posts, or would like to read them again, you can by following the links below:

Getting readers to pick you
How readers decide 
Presenting yourself well 
Getting noticed by readers

Today we are going to move away from book length work and focus on freelancing. For the purposes of this article, freelancing will be writing that earns money but will not always be “published” writing. This means writing content for newsletter, websites, blogs and other things.
 

    So if you’d like to earn a living as a writer while you wait for publication, or instead of publication, you need to figure out what might be available to you. This will require a bit more cold calling and “old fashioned marketing” than other forms of writing, but it also gives faster returns on your investment. I have broken this process down to four steps. For a more in depth discussion of this particular topic I urge you to read [or even purchase] The Well Fed Writer and The Well Fed Writer: Back for Seconds. I own both books and reference them regularly.

Determine your rate

     To determine what is an appropriate rate look at the value of what you can offer, what others are charging, your experience and any added benefit you may be able to provide the client. Remember, if you have a great deal of experience you can charge more because they are paying not only for your services but for the benefit of your acquired knowledge [within marketability]. If you have limited experience you will need to charge a bit less.

Find your client

     Despite the economic downturn now can be a great time to freelance. Many businesses are cutting staff but still have things that need to be done. All of these are things that can be done far less expensively by a freelancer. There are no health benefits, social security payments or worker’s comp to pay. Your $10/hr fee from home could be a substantial discount over what they would have to pay an employee.

Deliver on your promises
 

    This is crucial. Do not make inflated claims. Do not turn in poorly executed or rushed work. If you think it will take 3 days tell them 4 and deliver early. This is how you’ll develop a reputation and clientele.

Ask for referrals

     If you have a happy client, ask for referrals. I encourage you not to sound desperate. When I was starting out I still tried to control my calendar. I didn’t take on extra jobs for fear that I’d might lose a job or that no job will be there next week. Doing consistent marketing and delivering on your promises for a reasonable price [based on your ability. My reasonable price may be higher than yours because of my experience] will get you clients. Then when you contact referrals you have someone to offer.

     While you may not have clients jumping in your lap or begging you to work for them, consistently delivering quality work will build you a steady freelance business that can help fund your writing dream.