tips for the freelance writer
As I’m giving a writing workshop at the Kenora Word Fest this weekend in Kenora, Ontario, I went through the material I have previously used for similar workshops and updated it. The result is a fairly lengthy list of tips that reflect the way I have done business and built my freelance writing carer over the past 17 years. I hope you find these tips helpful. Please feel free to share some tips of your own.
Making it as a Freelance Writer
By Doreen Pendgracs © October 23, 2010
Listen to your boss. (And that would be you!) The rewards of freelance writing are many — freedom to choose and satisfaction in what you’re doing — at the top of the list. As long as you can enforce some self-discipline, you can keep yourself busy with work, yet have time to go golfing, take a nap, or do whatever you’d like.
Plan ahead. Line up your assignments/projects several months in advance. That way, you are never scrambling at the last minute – looking for work and $$ to pay your bills.
Make them want you. If you specialize in a certain topic, you soon become known as an “expert” in that subject and get approached by publications to write for them. Write about what you’re interested in because that enables you to write with passion, flair and efficiency.
Know your strengths. My writing shines when I am writing about something for which I hold a great passion. So I’ve built my career writing about travel, wine resorts, the rural lifestyle, volunteerism, feng shui, and now … chocolate! Make an effort to find project you know you’ll enjoy completing.
Be diverse in your client list. Never place all your eggs in one basket, as publications fold, editors change jobs frequently and there is no guarantee that you and the new editor will hit it off — or that the publication you have been writing for will continue to run the type of articles you have been providing.
Establish alternate sources of income. In addition to writing for magazines and websites (which has been my primary source of income until recently,) I also have ongoing speaking engagements that help supplement my writing income. And I have held volunteer positions on non-profit boards that have paid honorariums to help compensate for my time.
Think outside the box. I take pride in being able to write about the topics that most interest me. But most of my markets are not big-name magazines. Most are trade or specialty publications that cater to a specific special interest group. Some pay well, others … not so well on a per word basis. Yet, the hourly wage I earn for my time from them often exceeds the payment rec’d from big name magazines when taking into account the number of rewrites and editorial changes often required by the larger publishing houses.
Learn how to write good query letters (e-mails.) The query letter is your letter of introduction to a publication and your sales pitch for an article idea or assignment. It is also what you would send to an agent you are trying to interest in your book. So the query is nearly as important as the story itself. The query must be well written, clear and concise, to the point (generally no more than four paragraphs,) and have a great hook to catch the editor/agent’s attention.
Get the most possible mileage out of your time and research. I rarely write any article with the intent that it will only be sold once. And I never write an article before I’ve found a market for my idea. The experience or idea comes first, then finding the appropriate market to publish the story, and then writing the piece to match the audience of that specific publication. But once you’ve sold that story to publication A, there’s nothing to stop you from re-tailoring it to suit the audience of publication B – as long as you’ve retained the right to do so. (i.e. don’t sign all your rights away to publisher A.)
I have made six trips to Churchill, Manitoba, and have been able to recycle my research into many stories for a wide variety of publications.
The same article can appeal to many diverse publications. I wrote an article on making apple cider for a small local newspaper back in 1996. The article was then reprinted in a farm newsletter in exchange for complimentary admission to a conference. I then resold the article to a national farming publication. I subsequently sold it to a national home-based business magazine. I later sold it to Farmers’ Almanac (published in the U.S.), and in 2005, sold it to a Winnipeg lifestyle magazine. All it takes is a 15-minute call to the source to confirm that nothing has changed, and if so, to incorporate the new information into the story.
Know your rights. When you create a written piece, you own the copyright to it – unless you sign it away by way of a written contract. Same applies to your moral rights. Protect your moral rights at all cost. A publication is prohibited from printing an article without your byline, from changing the byline or changing the content of your work without your permission – unless you have waived your moral rights to the work.
Retain your rights. That simple 800-word story has sold 6 times and netted me payment that far exceeds $1/word. But I was only able to do this as I hadn’t sold “all rights” to any particular publication. I’d strongly suggest against selling ‘all rights’ to any publication, unless they’re paying you $2 US/word – and yes, there are some magazines that pay that much! Try to sell one-time print rights (also known as serial rights) and if writing for the internet, sell non-exclusive electronic rights versus exclusive electronic rights. You’re then free to resell your work to the next buyer. That’s the only way to survive the challenges of this business – and there are many.
Stand up for your rights. There are organizations such as the Canadian Freelance Union (CFU) that have formed to fight back against abusive contracts and unite the countless voices of freelance writers across the country. Membership is relatively inexpensive, and it’s only through a concerted effort that we can make a difference. See: www.cfunion.ca to join or for more info. Please join if you care about freelancing.
Don’t write for free. Giving your work away reduces the perceived professionalism of our trade – to yourself and to others. If you choose to write something for a non-profit group or cause, request a tax receipt equal to the amount the article would have been worth if you had been charging for your time.
Get good tax advice. It pays to have an accountant do your income tax. He or she will know what you can and cannot legally deduct. It’s surprising how much is tax deductible for a freelance writer working from a home office. Find someone who has previously worked with writers and other cultural contributors, as they will understand our nuances a little better than someone who has worked primarily for Corporate Canada.
Be a pro at invoicing. Every client should receive a written invoice from you. Each invoice should clearly outline the rights you are licensing with the sale, as well as payment terms (i.e. preferably payment within 30 days of acceptance of the work by the editor) and interest rate you will charge if payment is late.
Membership pays. Access Copyright is the rights reprography agency that monitors public photocopying of printed material. (They’re also working on acquiring a digital repertoire.) Through my free affiliation with Access Copyright, I get an annual repertoire payment that I use to pay my membership in a number of writers’ organizations. If you have retained the copyright to your work (and in Canada, you do – unless you have signed it away in a contract) you should become an affiliate of Access Copyright. See www.accesscopyright.ca for more information.
Make networking work for you. Writing is – or can be – a lonely life. Take advantage of networking opportunities that will give you access to interesting things to write about, and also join writers’ groups like the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC). PWAC has taught me how to handle the many challenges of writing including how to protect my rights and resell my articles. See: www.pwac.ca for more information.
Find yourself a mentor. Profession writing groups often have a mentoring program. If you know where you want to be, but aren’t there yet … seek out a mentor who can help you achieve your goals. Be prepared to pay a modest fee for this service.
Display the image of a professional. Having nice business cards and your own website makes you appear like the professional you are aspiring to be. As soon as you have a few published clips to your name, get a website designed and put your clips on it. This makes it a lot easier for editors to read your work, know you have a proven track record and seem like a desirable commodity. It also increases your image of professionalism if you charge GST. Anyone in Canada who earns more than $30,000 MUST be registered with the GST. If you don’t charge GST, you are announcing to the world that you are not making much money from your writing. Besides, it is advantageous to be a GST registrant as you can then claim back the GST you have paid on any deductible business expenses (having a website designed, getting business cards printed, etc.)
Keep an open mind. Your feelings may change about certain projects as time progresses. In 2008, I was asked to collaborate on a non-fiction book project in which several writers would each write a few chapters. That worked out to be a great experience, as I learned a lot, had great fun writing my chapters, made a decent buck for my time and still felt the fluidity of magazine writing that I enjoy. That experience made me willing to pursue more book projects. I had a solo project come out in March of this year, and am currently working on another book that will come out in 2011.
Put some time and effort into building your “author’s platform.” I was told by an agent that a publisher won’t even look at you in today’s market if you don’t have a firmly established author’s platform, by which I mean an easy-to-find online presence. That means having a Facebook page for any books you may have, a Linked In account, being active on Twitter, a blog for any topics you write frequently about (I have a writer’s lifestyle blog in addition to a travel blog.) All of these are free and relatively easy to use.
Never lose faith. The life of a freelance writer is unpredictable, challenging (in both positive and negative ways,) but immensely rewarding – although not necessarily in a financial way. Following this tried and true advice will help you survive it. Good luck!
Please respect my copyright and do not copy or distribute this information without my consent.
Helpful tips! I have enjoyed this content as it offers good tips for freelancing writing. Your expert tips will help anyone who already has a freelancing career or would like one. You have a lot of knowledge about your niche and will get success from it.
Great tips for writers! Glad I stopped by your blog to check them out!
Thanks for your comment. Freelance writers often do use co-op space like your Ranch Office to meet with clients or collaborators as most of us work from home. Thanks for stopping by.
Doreen-
Thanks for this marvelous article; it gives me much to think about. I haven’t really given the legalities any attention, and obviously must.
Well then, off to ponder!
Laurel
Hi Laurel: Thanks for dropping by the blog. I hope you’ll subscribe, as we have lots of useful and interesting discussions here!
I think I will. I hope all is going beautifully up in Canada-lovely country!
L
Thanks for your comment, Jean.
Just this morning, I had an experienced high-profile writer tell me she's tired of writing for free. I was stunned to learn that she'd been doing all this writing for free – just to raise her profile. I think she now sees what a big mistake that was as it's hard to demand payment once you've shown you put no value on your work.
Doreen, excellent advice! Especially "Be diverse in your client list." In my years as a freelancer, I've seen four excellent publications I frequently wrote for fold. After the third one, I was determined to not be so complacent. "Don't write for free" is another great tip on your list. Too many writers, especially the newbies, are selling themselves short accepting "exposure" as payment–bad move!
This is a very helpful list not only for a freelance writer but for anyone with an independent streak! Thanks, Doreen, for continuing to inspire.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Bonnie. It does take a lot of time and effort to keep up one's profile on social media. But I agree. It's definitely worth it.
Great tips. I add my vote for the addition of social marketing. It is all about building relationships and that the trick to turning prospects into clients. Offer valuable and interesting information on Twitter, Facebook, blogs (like this one!), and LinkedIn and the business will soon follow.
Thanks for dropping in again, Irene.
Indeed, membership in professional assns definitely does pay. I was speaking to a young writer this morning and recommended to her that she join PWAC (as she is a freelance writer) and TMAC (as she writes travel.)
She said, "I can't afford to pay that much in dues." I replied, "Consider it an investment in your future."
So many times, writers feel they can't "afford" the membership dues. In my opinion, they can't afford NOT to join. Doing it on your own generally keeps you isolated, and continuing business practices that aren't moving you forward.
Cheers indeed to PWAC — a terrific writers' assn that has taught me much and introduced me to many, many amazing people.
Hello Everyone,
I can certainly vouch for Doreen's freelance tips — especially 1) Membership Pays and 2) Make networking work for you. Actually I know Doreen personally because we both belong to the same chapter of Professional Writers Association (PWAC).
Irene
Thanks, Irene. And thanks for dropping by the blog again. Always nice to hear from you.
Thanks for the notice, Carol. Yes, I'd love to participate in Blog Jog Day again. Have marked Nov 21st on my daytimer and will now sign up on your site.
FYI, Blog Jog Day will be November 21 if you're interested again. Last year was great! You can sign-up at http://blogjogday.blogspot.com
Great list! Thanks for sharing your wisdom~
Best,
Irene
Thanks, Heidi.
And for those of you who don't know Heidi, she has a great blog for freelancers at: http://thehappyfreelancer.com/.
Both Heidi's and Susan's blogs are listed in the roster of favourites on my blog. Check them out!
Fantastic tips, Doreen. Thanks for posting this. It can be easy to get in a rut and forget some of these very important points, but they're all vital to having a successful freelance career.
Wonderful!
Thanks, Patrick for visiting my blog. I believe it's your first time here. Hope you'll return soon.
Glad you enjoyed my tips, and good luck with it all.
Thanks for dropping in again, Susan. Always nice to hear from you. And congrats again on being named one of the Top 50 Women Bloggers Who Rock. Way to go! For those of you who don't know, Susan is the voice behind the Urban Muse blog. Find it at: http://www.urbanmusewriter.com/
Great tips! I especially agree with your tip on planning ahead. Even when you're busy, you need to keep querying and marketing so that you'll continue to have work when the current assignments wrap up.
These are such fantastic tips!
I'm returning to full-time freelancing after years of work for hire. My biggest error the first time around was, without noticing it, relying more and more on one writing gig. When that dried up I was in big trouble for a time. So yes, have many sources of income, work with multiple publishers, repurpose your work, and know your rights.
One thing I did then, and am seeking to do again, was to cultivate a few steady publishing assignments with a guaranteed income stream, which even if modest means you know you'll have X number of dollars each month.
Oh, and it's key I have a supportive wife who provides both encouragement and health care! 🙂
Excellent tip, Angie. The same online sites that we use to build our author's platform are also excellent resource tools.
By the way, Angie has an excellent site at:
http://freefreelancewritingtips.blogspot.com/
I've now added it to the favourites on this blog.
Hope we'll see you here again, Angie.
Excellent list! One more thing that might be helpful – social networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter, have helped me quite a bit. You can find thousands of resources AND get new business if you use your online profiles correctly.