writing advice

Power Up: 5 Super-Charged Resources for New Freelance Writers

Posted by: Editor — Comments Off

Ever wonder what new freelance writers should do to ramp up, land clients, and start making money?

Some go with the slow-and-steady approach. But it could literally take years of trial and error to master essential marketing skills, get good clients, build a portfolio, and make good money.

Have you been trying to get your freelance writing business off the ground?

Most new freelance writers need a faster way to jump start their career. You know, like one of those rapid chargers for your phone that can get your battery to 100 percent…quick.

You don’t have to be one of those freelance writers who spends months or years waiting around for things to take off. In fact, that’s usually a sign of a bad battery plagued by fear, uncertainty, and a poorly-working, take-action mindset.

Fortunately, you can change that just as easily as you can replace or recharge a battery.

Ready to power up your freelance writing career? Plug into these five super-charged resources to get started:

Tagged with: new freelancer, new writers, writing advice

How to Avoid Overwhelm and Launch Your Freelance Career

Posted by: Carol Tice — 49 Comments ↓

The Internet has made some things about building a freelance career as a writer a lot easier.

You can investigate what a magazine has recently written, for instance. Or find an editor on LinkedIn.

But in other ways, our Information Age has caused problems for writers.

I know because I keep hearing comments from new freelance writers like this:

“There’s so much to know and the world of freelance writing is rapidly changing. I feel so behind and don’t know how I’ll ever catch up. Can you help?”

Does that sound anything like the voice inside your head?

Wondering if can really jump in and build a freelance career as a writer, even though you don’t know everything right now?

I do have a tip on that.

A Genius Tip for Getting Hired at Your First Client Meeting

Posted by: Carol Tice — Comments Off

Maybe it’s your first client meeting ever, and you’re petrified that you don’t know what to say. And you’ll come across like a dummy.

Or maybe you’ve taken scores of client meetings as a freelance writer — but you keep shooting blanks, and walking away without an assignment.

If you’re an experienced freelance writer, perhaps you’ve left too many first client meetings with the sneaky feeling that you’ve just been milked for an hour of free consulting. You could have charged hundreds for the advice, but you just gave it away, in hopes of impressing your prospect — and still didn’t get the gig.

If you’re any of these writers, I’ve got a piece of advice that’s going to save you time and help you land more clients.

You see, there’s a balance you need to strike in first client meetings between impressing the prospect that you’re smart, and being too helpful. So helpful that they get all the info they need in the meeting, and don’t have to hire you.

How can you impress clients fast, without giving away all your secrets? Here’s my approach:

Are You Looking for More Writing Motivation?

Posted by: Carol Tice — 22 Comments ↓

If you find it tough to get psyched up to write, this post is for you. I recently received a letter from a new writer hoping I could help her find more writing motivation:

I’m Sherin from Indonesia, it’s such a pleasure to find you as someone I can look up to. I’ve been saying to myself that, I really want to be a writer. And I’m very passionate about being a freelance writer, especially in content writing and maybe in proofreading. I know I need to plan how am I going to do that, but I feel lack of confidence and I don’t really know where to start.

I think this will be a good opportunity to make my own income too. I’m still a student supported by my parents. But I just love the image of standing independently. Anyway, I am so sorry to bother you. I know that I need to have some good skill to become a freelance writer, and to become skilled, I need to learn and practice. And I don’t know how to do that.

Can you give me some tips or maybe some motivation?

Letters like this make me want to cry. Because I’m dedicated to helping freelance writers earn more!

I want to have tips and useful info for you. (And ESL writer or not, writers write in every language and there are clients all over the world, so any grammar errors you spot above are not important here.)

What’s the trouble then? When you ask me to give you some motivation, I’ve got nothing.

Tagged with: motivation, productivity, writing advice, writing tips

Is Freelance Writing a Sure Thing? Scam Alert

Posted by: Carol Tice — 71 Comments ↓

Do you think freelance writing is a sure thing?

If so, there’s a newly minted online writing ‘expert’ who’d love to take your money.

You may have heard that if something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is.

Well, if someone tells you that freelance writing is an activity even a “broke, jobless dummy” can for-sure earn a middle-class income with, because “anyone can write” and “earn a safe, secure income” from home (all quotes from this pitchster’s website)…please be wary.

Here’s what I recently learned about the wild promises being made to online writers about the easy riches that supposedly await them…

Freelance Writing Lessons From a Rude Editor: 7 Takeaways

Posted by: Editor — 42 Comments ↓

For a while, I had a large client that hired many writers. My contact was an editor who managed the freelance staff. He was an abrupt man who spared no feelings.

At the time, I had only worked directly with clients. I could meet their goals, but my writing lacked force. I over-wrote, dismissed structure, and indulged my narcissism with unnecessary wit. I wasn’t bad, but I had that collegiate write-everything-you-can-think-of mentality.

My first experience working with a professional editor was heart-wrenching. It was a trial by fire: get better to get paid. But those lessons stuck with me and made me a better writer.

Want to improve your writing?

Avoid making the same mistakes as I did, and check out the seven hardest lessons this editor taught me: