Six Months Full-Time, Six Things I’ve Learned

I have been freelance writing full-time for six whole months. When I take a step back from all the work, it feels like I’m living a dream. It takes work to make your dreams come true and more work to keep them alive. At the end of the day it’s worth it. Here’s a list of six things I’ve learned in my time as a full-time freelance writer.

Customers are THE most important aspect of business.

My ex-day job’s slogan was “Consumer is boss.” In some ways, that’s better executed in a product-oriented business, but it’s still true of a service business. When I freelanced on the side, it was mostly about doing what I loved - writing. I’m still doing what I love, but now my focus is on making my customers happy. Without them, I’d have no business.

Business first, writer second.

When my computer crashed last week, I tried explaining to someone how important is was that I have a way to check my email. “I have a business to run,” I said. I think those words made it a lot clearer than if I’d said, “I have to do my writing.”

I need a new hobby.

Writing used to be the thing I did for fun. In a way, it still is. But, I do it all day long. When I want to do something creative just to relax, it’s not writing (unless it’s writing for fun). I enjoy doing a lot of things, but I’ve yet to find that second-place passion that I can’t wait to get to at the end of the day.

Starting a bookkeeping process from the beginning is the best thing any writer could do.

I have to admit, I didn’t completely organize my finances when I first started. I kept track of all my income. Now that tax season has come, I see that I didn’t do as good as I should have with tracking business expenses. It would have made tax preparation much easier. So, this year, I’ll be a lot more meticulous. I need all the tax write-offs I can get. A word of advice to all freelance writers: take the time to learn tax write-offs that apply to you. That way, you’ll know which receipts to save and which to toss.

A financial cushion is a must.

When I made the transition from part-time to full-time, I made sure I had a sizable savings to lean on. It was very much appreciated during the first couple of months as I balanced my spending with my income. By the third month of fulltime writing, I didn’t need the savings anymore and now I’m to the point that I can begin contributing to it again. I’d like to build up a sizable emergency fund (six months of living expenses) because this business can be unpredictable.

Sometimes it’s better to say no.

Before I went fulltime, I accepted all types of jobs. Quite a few of them made me miserable and I couldn’t wait to get it over with. I have the tendency to say “yes” to jobs because I could definitely use the extra cash. But when it comes to choosing gigs, I always second guess myself. I ask as many questions as I need and I only take the jobs that meet my criteria.

Here’s to six more months of the writing business.

Have some wisdom you can share? Let us know in the comments what you’ve learned in your time as a freelance writer, either full-time or part-time.

New Year’s Resolutions for the Freelance Writer

In the tradition of the new year, I have a few things I’m going to change about the way I do my freelance writing business. Starting with better record keeping. I’ve been using an Access database to manage my projects, invoices, and expenses, but I’m thinking about upgrading to Quicken this year. It’s a tax-deductible business expense, so there’s one benefit if I don’t get any other from it.

• Market more. You can never do too much marketing. It’s a good idea to keep your name in front of your target customers so you never have a shortage of work.
• Look for ways to make money. I look for freelance writing jobs on a daily basis, even if I feel like I already have enough. It paid off when one of my clients had to take a break from orders. Look for other revenue streams, too. The most successful freelance writers make money from more than just writing.
• Charge what you’re worth. The new year is a good time to evaluate your current rates and increase them if necessary. If you have trouble making ends meet in 2008, it’s time to charge a rate you can afford.
• Network more. Other freelance writers are your colleagues. Not only does staying in touch help you through some of the obstacles of freelancing, you can also get some pretty good gigs just by talking with other writers.
• Keep a consistent blogging schedule. I’m very much guilty of the sporadic blogging schedule. This year, I’m resolving to have a regular blogging schedule on my top blogs.
• Read more on your niche. No matter how experienced you are in your niche, you can always stand to know more. Make it a habit to read up on your niche this year.
• Say no to jobs you don’t have time for/charge too little/you won’t like. It’s ok to turn down jobs, within reason, of course.
• Make a business plan. Every business needs a plan. It doesn’t have to be fancy. In fact, my business plan is written on a 12×12 piece of cardstock with markers. It’s a plan, nevertheless, and it’s better than no plan at all.
• Write for fun. You know what they say about all work and no play… I’m planning to spend at least an hour each week writing for fun. Make sure fun writing doesn’t distract you from doing client work though. You might even use it (fun writing) as an incentive for meeting a goal.
• Make time for you. You are your business’ most important asset. Treat yourself like it. Spend some time, even if it’s just 15 minutes a day, doing something for you.

Resolutions are no good if you don’t follow them. Write your resolutions on a piece of paper and put them in a place where you’ll reference them often.

5 Signs You Won’t Make it as Freelance Writer

Out of every 10 people I tell I’m a freelance writer at least 4 of them ask me how they can get started freelance writing. Could 40% of people really be cut out for freelance writing? Somehow I doubt it, but who am I to judge. Don’t think that because your 8th grade English teacher loved your book report on To Kill a Mockingbird that you’re cut out for freelance writing. Here are 5 signs you won’t make it as a freelance writer.

You can’t write well. When people ask me how they can become a freelance writer, I always ask, “Can you write?” The answers always “yes” and I come back with a “Can you write well though?” Not many people realize it, but there’s a difference. Writing well is more than putting a few sentences together in a coherent order. It’s about using words to engage the reader and many times to get them to take an action - buy the next issue of the magazine or purchase the advertiser’s products.

You don’t read. I never feel more inspired to write than after I’ve read a good book. To me, reading is learning. It helps a writer hone his or her skills. You can’t write well if you don’t read. How would you know what to say and how to say it well?

You don’t know how to sell yourself. Writing is just part of the work of being a freelance writer. A big (humongous, even) part of it is convincing people to pay you to write for them. It is imperative that you have some sales and marketing skills if you want to make it as a freelance writer.

You’re not resourceful. Very few of the answers are laid out there for writers. You have to go digging for information. I mean, flipping over rocks and digging in the grass to deliver information that hasn’t been repeated ad nauseam. You also have to know how to create relationships with people, especially other freelance writers and media contacts, and leverage those relationships.

You’re not persistent. There was no way I could have made it on the money I made in my first few months of being a freelance writer. But, I didn’t let that stop me from pursuing a freelance writing career. Being self-employed period is tough and if it’s something you really want, you have to stick with it. If you’re the type to give up, a freelance writing career might not be for you.

Still thinking about being a freelance writer? Check out this list of freelance writing blogs that have a wealth of information to get you started. I’d also like to point to The Web Writer’s Guide to Launching a Successful Freelance Web Writing Career, a great guide to for every freelance writer who does business on the web.

I’m Thankful To Be a Successful Freelance Writer

I was a little bummed that it’s nearly 4 A.M. here and just got finished with a project I needed to turn in before my short holiday break. I’m pulling an all-nighter on Thanksgiving and I still have a ton of non-writing things to do before dinner. Then, I saw a post in my RSS feed from All Freelance Writing. Jenn talks about being thankful for being a freelance writer.

Though, I’d much rather be sleeping now, I think about all the days I spent in a cubicle wishing I was doing something else. Now, I’m doing that something else and, late night or not, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Well…except a lottery win. Even then, I’d probably still freelance write, but you know what I mean. I’m living my dream and that I am extremely thankful for. I agree, Jenn, we are lucky!

Prep for Your Holiday Work Schedule

While I’m sure no client expects you to be working at 2:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day, you might end up working at that time if you’re not careful. The portability of our jobs makes it hard to break away, even on the holidays. So, set your holiday work hours well in advance. Write it down if you have to, just make sure you stick to it.

I’ve blocked out my calendar for the days I’m not working. That way, when I look at my calendar to schedule deadlines, I know not to schedule anything during or shortly after those days. I’m going to stop working mid-day Wednesday (pre-Thanksgiving) and probably work a few hours on Saturday and Sunday mornings before I go back to “full-time” work on Monday.

Make a must-do listof things you absolutely have to get done before you stop working for a few days. Prioritize your list and indicate which things can wait until after the holidays. If you have a long list or some time-consuming tasks, get started on them earlier so you’re not rushing to get them done at the last minute.

Set your blogs to drip. Wordpress’s drip feature is the best thing that ever happened. I’m going ahead and writing my Thanksgiving day & day after posts this week and setting them to drip. It’s one less thing I’ll have to worry about Wednesday as I prepare to completely shut down my laptop for a few days.

Send assignments to your clients. If you happen to have deadlines that fall during your planned offtime, send that work in early. That way you won’t have to try to remember it after you’ve entered “off” mode. Some email clients will delay message sending to a preset time, but you might have to have your computer on for that to work. Make sure you understand how that function works deciding to use it.

Let your clients know you’ll be away. If you have clients who you correspond with on a regular basis, you might let them know how often you’ll be checking emails and IMs (if you’re going to be checking them at all). That way, they won’t think you’ve disappeared.

Set your out of office auto-responder. Don’t take for granted that everyone who contacts you will know there are holidays. Remember, we work in a global market and not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving. You don’t want client prospects to go away thinking you’re not responding to emails. Make sure your OOO message says when you plan to return and when you plan to return email messages.

Enjoy your time off! When you work for yourself, time off is a rarity. You’ve managed to workout a few hours to yourself, so make sure you enjoy it!

Are you planning to take time off for the holidays? What things are you doing to get your business ready for the break?

One Thing That’s Vital to a Freelancer’s Business

I’m not supposed to be typing right now. A week ago, I mistakenly bent my left hand backward in some weird way. Now, my knuckles are swollen and swore. I can’t even make a fist. Every time my hands are close to getting better, I type something and it just gets worse. I’m addicted to my laptop and my livelihood depends on me working.

Windows Vista has gotten a lot of negative feedback and, though I’m ok using it, I didn’t really care for it until this incident happened with my hand. I realized Vista has built in voice recognition software! Yes! I can talk my articles instead of typing them. The only drawback. I’m new at this and there’s a learning curve. It takes 2-3 times as long to talk an article than it is to typing it. So I went back to typing, just long enough to warn you guys not to take your hands for granted. Oh, and if you have voice recognition software, get acquainted with it before you actually need it.

10 Things I Don’t Like About Freelancing

I’d be remiss if I made it seem like freelance writing was all gold and required no dirt digging to get to the gold. There are some drawbacks to being a freelance writer.

1. I’m the entire business. I don’t have a boss to run ideas by or keep me in line when I don’t know what to do next. There’s no accounting department to send and followup on invoices. There’s no IT to fix my computer problems. No food services to get lunch ready. It’s all on me.
2. No employer paid health benefits. Group-like health insurance (like what employers offer) is expensive. The plan I have now has significantly less coverage at a higher monthly cost than my share of the premium under my previous group plan.
3. Double the medicare and social security taxes. Self-employed people have to pay their share and their “employer’s” share of Medicare and social security taxes. It’s called the self-employment tax. On the bright side, half the tax can be deducted from your taxable income.
4. No corporate credit card and expense account. Ahh, the days of corporate Amex and expense reports. Of course, the reports were a pain to fill out, but at least I didn’t bear the cost of expenses. Self-employed individuals can deduct business expenses on their income, but the expense still cuts into your profit.
5. Extra paperwork. I can’t say that I didn’t have to deal with paperwork in the corporate world, but there seems to be more of it now that I’m freelancing. And it’s all important, otherwise, I’d get rid of it.
6. The work involved with getting work. When you work for someone else, you jump through a lot of hoops of front then you have the job. Freelancing, you’re continuously jumping through hoops. Well, until you’ve built a  name for yourself so the gigs flow with minimal work on your part.
7. Some days I don’t have a reason to leave the house. Since I’ve started freelancing, 80% of my trips outside the house result in me spending money (besides the gas it takes to get there). Now, I have to force myself to do something outside rather than shop.
8. My grocery bill is higher. I eat all three meals plus snacks at home, so I spend more money on groceries than I would otherwise. I’d like to think it balances it out with the reduction in fuel costs.
9. Following up with clients who don’t pay. It’s hard to imagine a large corporation not sending your paycheck. With individuals, it’s different. Thankfully, I haven’t had to deal with very many nonpaying clients, but it does happen, it’s a real pain.
10. Friends and family fail to recognize it as a real job. Statements like “I wish I could just sit around on the computer all day” absolutely infuriate me. People seem to think that I just lolligag around surfing the internet while they slave away under “the man’s” watch. Not so. I work just as hard, if not harder than anyone who gets up everyday and punches the clock.

Don’t be shy. What are some of the things you don’t like about freelance writing?

10 Things I Love About Freelancing

I spent a total of 7 years at someone else’s job. While there are some benefits to working outside the home - like health benefits, paid vacation, paid sick days - I would much rather freelance. Here are 10 of the things I love most about freelance writing.

The flexible work schedule. You can set work hours if you want to make your day more structured, but when and how long you work is totally up to you. You can work 5 hours a day, 20 hours a week if you want to.

Freedom to choose my own work. One of the things I liked least about having a boss was being given assignments I didn’t feel were good fits for me. Well, not anymore. I choose the work I do and if I get stuck with a gig I don’t like, it’s my own fault.

There’s room for all my creativity and imagination. When I started freelancing fulltime, there was a noticeable change in my thinking and writing. My vocabulary improved. I came up with tons more ideas. Hey, I even got Writer’s Brew back up and running.

I have the ability to break any income ceilings. At a 9-5, you wait for a performance review to get a raise and even then your income will only go up so much each year. As a freelance writer, I set my rates and I can increase them anytime. I have the freedom to additional revenue streams to maximize my income.

I don’t have to get up and go to work every morning. I am not a morning person. Thanks to the flexibility of freelance writing, I don’t have to force myself to be one.

I don’t have to buy “work” clothes. I still keep business casual clothing my closet because I never know when I’ll be meeting clients face to face. Maybe one day I’ll get brave enough to do some cold visits.

It’s challenging. Working for yourself isn’t the easiest thing to do, but I’m no stranger to hard work. In fact, hard work is a friend of mine. I have always loved a challenge and freelancing definitely keeps me on my toes.

It’s rewarding. There’s nothing better than getting compliments from a satisfied client. Doing work for some many people, I can easily see that my efforts are appreciated. You may get shown appreciation for your work at a 9-5, but it’s far less often.

People are impressed to find out I’m my own boss. Sometimes I’m hesitant to tell people that I’m a freelance writer because I’ve already assumed they have certain perceptions of me. When I do talk about what I do, most people are intrigued. It makes me more comfortable discussing my job.

I am location free. I can pretty much work anywhere there’s an internet connection. Sometimes, I don’t even need that. As long as I have my laptop, I can work outline some articles or blog posts

What things do you love about freelance writing?

Don’t freelance like a full-time employee

There’s a big difference between working full-time for someone else and freelancing for yourself, and I’m not just talking about being your own boss.

When you work full-time, you’re pretty much guaranteed to get a paycheck. So you seldom work the entire 8 hours. Actually, it’s probably more like 4-6. You spend the day chatting with co-workers, taking coffee/smoke breaks, browsing the internet, or other leisure things.

You can’t do that when you’re a freelance writer.

Your income directly depends on the amount of work you get done. If you have some downtime between gigs, you can’t afford to spend it perusing the internet or chatting on the phone. You have to spend your downtime doing other things related to your business - marketing, networking, organizing, and planning - especially when you’re just starting out.

That’s been the biggest change for me. I’m not used to working consistently throughout the day, so I find myself taking frequent breaks. What helps is having a to-do list and reminding myself that I have to get through it by the end of the day. It just takes some old-fashioned discipline to break the naughty habit of browsing the internet every few minutes to see what’s going on.

Full-Time Writing is More Than Writing

For the past few months, I’ve been freelance writing full-time and let me be the first to tell you that freelance writing full-time is more than just typing articles on a computer. A freelance writer is, in essence, a business owner. As a business owner, you’ll be doing things that business owners must do if they want to be successful.

Marketing. I’m not working in a Field of Dreams and putting it out there that I’m a freelance writer doesn’t mean that clients will come flocking to me. In fact, if I didn’t market myself, I’d get just about as many jobs as I would if I was not a freelance writer…none. So, I challenge myself to do one thing to market myself daily.

Bookkeeping. Sounds boring, but it’s a necessary part of being a business owner. You have to know what’s coming in and what’s going out. If you have enough money to make ends meet or not. By the way, here’s an article I wrote on variable income budgeting - something that freelance writers should know given the fluctuating budgeting.

Communications. I get questions and comments from clients and prospects that must be answered. I don’t spend the entire day on email, but I do take 10-15 minutes at the beginning, middle, and sometimes end of my day to respond to clients.

Planning. You know what they say, “failing to plan, is planning to fail.” I have a to-do list everyday that includes things I need to accomplish and things I want to accomplish. I use my Outlook calendar to schedule out my time. I don’t always stick to it because schedules are sometimes restricting to me, but I make sure to complete everything that should be completed. It’s a good idea to plan by day, week, and month. That way you always know what’s on the horizon.

Idea Generation. When I’m not doing work for clients, I’m working on some of my own projects. It requires some thought. I spend time coming up with ideas for blog topics and information products to offer. It’s a “how can I generate more income streams” type of thinking.

Writing. Then, after I plan, schedule, and get the work, it’s time to actually do the work. This is actually my favorite part. There’s nothing more refreshing to me than sitting down at the computer screen and typing away.

Are you freelancing full-time or moving in that direction? What’s the work you find yourself doing outside the actual writing?