client management

Obey These 7 Natural Laws of Freelancing to Make Money Writing

Want to make money writing, but your freelance writing life sometimes feels insanely difficult?

You know…like you’re trying to roll a big, greasy ball up a steep hill.

You may be working too hard because you’re working against the natural order.

To make money writing, you need to understand the fundamental laws under which all freelancers operate.

Much like Newton’s laws of motion, there are some basic laws that govern the world of freelancing. Understand and work with them, and it’ll be easier to grow your income. Ignore or remain ignorant of them, and it’s hard to get any traction.

What are these basic laws of freelancing to make money writing? I have seven (and a handy, downloadable infographic version you can keep — scroll down to the bottom of this post):

Tagged with: business of freelancing, client management, upsell

Had Enough? What to Say in Your Farewell Email to Clients

Posted by: Carol Tice — 10 Comments ↓

It happens to nearly every freelance writer at some point. You need to drop a client. But how do you break the news? What do you say in your farewell email to clients?

There’s usually at least one main reason you’ve got a bad taste in your mouth for a client.

They don’t pay enough. Their people aren’t appreciative. Their deadlines are too crazy. Or maybe all three. Sound familiar?

Maybe things started out great, but now the situation has changed. There’s a new editor or marketing director. You find yourself putting off their work. And you may not be doing the best work you possibly could on their account.

You know the client has got to go. But what do you say in that farewell email to clients?

“Sayonara, sucker,” “See you in hell,” “It’s been great working with you,” or something else?

I spent a lot of time thinking about this before I dropped two steady clients. Ready make it happen? Here’s what to say in your farewell email to clients.

Picture Perfect: 10 Sites for Writers to Score Free Images

Posted by: Evan Jensen — Comments Off

Where do you find free images for your writer website, your blog, or maybe a client?

You could just do a Google search for a free image based on a key phrase. But that could get you neck-deep in legal trouble fast.

When I did this for a post about trout-fishing, I found one pretty easily. But I couldn’t use it. The photographer who snapped the fisherman earned copyright protection the nanosecond he or she pushed the camera’s button.

So where do you find free images (or affordable images) for a blog, website, or client project?

If you know where to look, you’ve got plenty of options that won’t cost you anything.

You might be surprised to know government agencies can be a rich resource for free images. And there’s a growing number of sites where you can find free images.

Looking for free images? Here’s what I recommend:

The Ultimate Antidote to Stop Attracting Bad Freelance Writing Jobs

Posted by: Carol Tice — 41 Comments ↓

Bad freelance writing jobs. It’s a problem I’ve heard from other writers ever since I started this blog and first wrote this post. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s the antidote. Enjoy! —Carol.

Nearly every freelance writer I’ve ever met has had some bad freelance writing jobs.

And for some freelancers, it’s practically a chronic disease fraught with some of the worse offenders:

You know the types:

The control freak who wants to instant-message you 24/7.
The dreamer who wants the moon, but doesn’t have time to tell you how to fly there and get it for them.
The dysfunctional nutjob who doesn’t really know *what* they want…until they see what you wrote. Then they know, that’s not it.
The fly-by-night who disappears with your final payment.
Last but certainly not least, the super-low payer.

If you’re sick of bad freelance writing jobs, sick-in-the-head clients, and pay rates that make it hard to breathe, here’s the antidote:

Tagged with: client management, LinkedIn, marketing, overcome fear

Essay Contest: Tell Me About Your Most Hellish Freelance Writing Jobs

Posted by: Carol Tice — 35 Comments ↓

Ever had a client who was a total nightmare? If you do even a handful of freelance writing jobs, it’s bound to happen.

They don’t know what they want. Their deadline is yesterday. You’re getting gang-edited by a team of five.

Since I’ve been at this a long time, I’ve pretty much had every flavor.

But what’s your worst story? I’ve decided to collect them all here on the blog comments (yes, they’re open again for this post!), so other writers can learn the red flags to watch out for.

What’s in it for you? You could win a free year in my freelance writer community, among other goodies.

Contest rules

How do you win? Here are the rules:

Keep your essay to 100 words or less

Describe your worst client experience

Post in the comments below, or on Facebook or LinkedIn (look for the post graphic from this post on both social-media platforms and comment on that thread). Rules and prizes…

Tagged with: client management, Den basement tapes, essay contest

Pitch This Exceptional Breed to Get the Best Freelance Clients

Posted by: Carol Tice — Comments Off

Are you tired of working teeny, one-off writing jobs for small publications and one-horse businesses? To get the best freelance clients, you’ll have to stop wasting time on the small fry and target a whole different category of prospect.

These terrific clients aren’t in one particular industry, but spread through every type of business and organization. These are clients where the amount you earn from them tends to grow effortlessly over time. Unlike most of the solopreneur types, who tend to sputter out and go bust. Right?

The best freelance clients all have a single trait in common. Target only organizations that have this trait, and it will help you find ongoing work at great rates.

Let me introduce you to one of the best client types out there, no matter what type of freelance writing you do.

Tagged with: client management, marketing, move up and earn more, templates