Freelance Writing

Freelance Writer is Not Code for Unemployed

I pounced on that and told them proudly that I was a freelance writer. The usual raising of eyebrows and looks of interest made me feel like I was the house cat that had been dyed pink to make a conversation piece.

After answering the questions that flow from the status of being a freelance writer; “What do you write about?”; “Where is your work published?”; “How did you get started?”; I overheard amidst the hubbub some cynic mutter “Freelance writer is another way of saying unemployed…chuckle, chuckle, chuckle.”

I didn’t spot the offender though I had my suspicions and concentrated on chatting to my suspect’s girlfriend and making her laugh so hard she was going to wet her knickers (my preferred form of seduction). Nothing like arousing the green-eyed jealousy monster to extract a measure of revenge and a point not lost on my host with whom I had a good chuckle about it all after the event.
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It’s About Your Client, Not You

When you are talking to someone about what you want, what do you want to hear? You most likely want to hear that they know what you’re saying and they know how to get it accomplished. Doesn’t it make you feel better when someone can communicate those things to you?

When you have asked for a very technical process or you think it’s a very technical process, what do you want to hear?

“I no the job you ask and I can do. Luk at my resume. Give me a call.”

Note: Spelling errors were added for effect.

Or:

“I have worked as a business consultant for several companies and I understand that you need an expert in online promotion. There are several techniques I have mastered that will enhance your online promotion efforts. The first thing I would like to do is…”

Exactly! The second project proposal makes me feel like I’m in good hands. But, like I’ve said before that the hardest part of writing a project proposal is changing your mind around. When you wrap your brain around what the client wants and you learn to address those needs, now you are writing an effective proposal.
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Writing the Professional Project Proposal

If you are competing in the freelance market, you will need to know the basics of a professional project proposal. No matter where you find yourself, you have to carry your business presentation in a very high manner. You cannot afford to drop your professionalism just because everyone else around you is wasting their efforts.

GetAFreelancer.com

For instance, I view GetAFreelancer.com as a site where you get to cut your teeth in the professional freelance market. There aren’t that many “Professional” writers bidding for projects and you get to see how terrible amateurs write their proposals. But, GetAFreelancer.com is where you can learn the building blocks and build your resume.

You’ll see plenty of jobs that require one hundred articles a day that are completely error free and can pass copyscape.com. They pay about a dollar fifty an article and they won’t pay at all if you don’t meet the deadline. But, there are also some pretty decent writing jobs where you can work with great clients and build your resume with legitimate work. Then, you’ll be ready for a step higher. [Read more…] about Writing the Professional Project Proposal

Getting a Portfolio Started

Building a professional writing portfolio is rather difficult when you try to break through into publishing. Magazines turn you down left and right. Publishers won’t even look at you most of the time without an agent. You’ll soon learn that in this industry, you’ll get so many rejections before you get one acceptance.

But, that comes with the territory. You have to put on your coat of armor and learn not to take too many things personal. To learn a little bit about getting published, it’s somewhat like becoming a model. Watch shows that are designed to educate the public about the modeling industry.

When you watch a model get prepared for a shot and then go through the shoot, you see an individual being told how to look and how to act. Later, after the shots are developed, she gets both criticized and praised at the same time. One critic says that the look in her eyes just doesn’t sell the product, it isn’t about the client at all. Another critic says that the look is special, it has all the emotions the client wants. Which one should she believe?
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Read This Now – It’s for YOU!

Read this because it’s for you – yes, YOU!

You’re here because you write and are looking for some perspective and resources. I know that because this is a writing site and blog – easy enough for me to know who you are.

Now ask yourself this question – Why are you reading this NOW?

It’s a dominating, eye-catching headline for this post so you read the first line above – the first line reiterates this post is for you again. Now we are getting into why you’re still reading this post.

You’re still reading this post because the headline caught your eye, you managed to get engaged with the first line of the post and you became intrigued or hooked just enough to continue reading.

My Point is Simple!!

Helium – A Writers Marketplace?

Helium has just turned one year old. You may have seen the Google adsense marketing blurbs when you are researching writing and resources for writers, and I think they are probably the number one writing services advertiser at the moment.

Helium is a site that allows you to submit your articles in anticipation that they will be sold (by them) and you get a percentage of the fee. You can also earn a share of advertising revenues generated by the site and there are writing competitions which may can earn you extra pay as well. The big issue is that you are not being paid for the time you spend crafting an article and getting paid any realistic amount is totally dependent upon the article being sold.

I’ve never contributed to Helium as I always shied away from submitting work with no guarantee that I’ll be paid for my efforts. I wrote for a short while for a similar site Suite 101, but nothing ever really came of it and I stopped as work with upfront pay began to dominate my working time. The buzz on the various writing blogs regarding Helium is very mixed in terms of the effort required for no certain return but like almost everything else in life, it is a gamble.
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