The Freelance Writer’s Survival Kit

I think it was as I was lying down to sleep, still talking about work at 11 pm, that I realized I have a problem.

I’m overworked to the point of not being able to shut it off at the end of the day. And for those of you who are new to freelancing or remote working, you know what I mean. There is no separation between work and home.

A writer friend of mine did something amazing two years ago that anyone ever stuck on a corporate hamster wheel would laud her as a hero for doing:

She walked into work and gave her two-week notice without any other job to go to.

She told me it was the most freeing thing she’d ever done.

She and I were talking last week about it. She said “I’m so glad I left that job before the pandemic hit — there was no separation then. Imagine it now.”

Yea, I kind of can.

The difference is that my friend had a choice — a hard one. We freelancers have a choice that isn’t quite so tough. We drop a miserable client, but we have other clients, so the fall isn’t so hard or so far down.

But we don’t do that, do we? We don’t do a lot of things we should, actually. We just continue to accept the conditions as is and motor through. But motors run out of fuel. I found myself in that situation three weeks ago. I was running on fumes, and I can’t be sure, but I think I was pretty close to a little bit of a meltdown.

Time to deploy the Freelance Writer’s Survival Kit.

[bctt tweet=”What’s in your #freelancewriting survival kit?” username=”LoriWidmer”]

Try these:

1. Raise the rates.

Gabriella said it here last week in the comments, and it bears repeating. My husband fed me this wisdom years ago when I found myself in a similar situation — too much work, too little time. “If you’re too busy, raise your rates.”

Boom.

So why does that work? It thins the workload. But Lori! I don’t want to lose clients! No, but clearly you have too much work. Some of your clients, in fact, may rethink their projects in light of your new rates. Instead of funneling you 6 articles a month, they might send you four. Yes, they could disappear, but it’s unlikely for this reason — they still need someone to write for them. And you’ve already passed their test.

Yes, you might lose one or two clients. But with the rate increase, you’re unlikely to miss them much. Plus, if they all stick around and are still pushing a ton of work at you, you’ll at least be banking more earnings for when the lean times hit again.

2. Organize the day.

Use your timers, your online to-do lists, calendar prompts, whatever it takes to keep you focused and ticking off the list. Oh, and if you’re wise, you’ll start with prioritizing by deadline. Once you see the things that need to be done first, find the easiest and put it at the top of your list. Accomplishing one small thing gives you the steam to get the rest of it done.

While you’re at it, shut down the email program and turn off the phone ringer. Schedule two or three times each day when you’ll check messages. No more. No one needs you that badly, and it’s time you set expectations. Along those same lines ….

3. Don’t respond after hours.

It’s so tempting to click on that email on your phone and dash off a quick response to your client’s request. Aren’t you such a connected, tech-savvy genius? Only you’re not. You’ve just signaled to your client, who is working way too late for their own health, that you’re available instantly at all times. Do you really want to be in bed and responding to urgent requests? No.

Again, set expectations. “Freelance” does not mean free to be pestered at all hours. I never regretted not answering my phone on a weekend (and one boundary-busting client cured me of that). I’ve never regretted waiting until Monday to respond to anyone’s late-Friday notes, nor have I ever had second thoughts about letting it all go unanswered until the next morning. Protect your free time.

4. Set expectations on your website.

I keep repeating this because dammit, it’s important that your clients understand that you are not at their beck-and-call at all hours and all days. Most clients get that, and are respectful of your time (and time off). For the rest, make sure they know when your working hours are, especially if they’ve given you any indication that they might call or write expecting a response at any hour.

List your hours. Seriously, if it’s as simple as Monday through Friday 9 am to 4 pm, put it out there. Also, make sure your contact form informs everyone that you’ll respond “within 24 hours” to any emails. No way you have to promise immediate responses. Anyone who can’t wait overnight isn’t worth working for because they’re going to be demanding.

5. Give longer time estimates and push back on deadlines when possible.

I just signed on with a few new clients. When they asked how long it would be before I could deliver the first projects, I doubled my expected timeframe. And I delivered just before that deadline. That does what? Say it with me: Sets Expectations. If the new client only knows you to deliver projects within a week that would take you twice as long should you have more work in front of you, they’re going to be disappointed when you’re busier.

Also, don’t finish that project ASAP and send it out. If it’s a new client, I tend to wait until the day before or day of the deadline for those first few projects. Again, it’s setting expectations. Most clients understand that getting it done faster is dependent on your existing workload, but some don’t and may adjust their own deadlines thinking you’re just going to crank that out in your sleep. And you may be doing just that if you don’t give yourself ample time at the outset.

6. Farm it out.

Freelancers, you need a strong network of writers. When you get slammed with work, you can refer to a writer you’ve already vetted and have seen in action. Build that network now, and pay attention to how professional they behave, how they write, what their focus is, and whether you’d hire them if you were a client.

If you’re subcontracting a lot, you might consider a retainer for your troubles. You’ve found the work, they didn’t have to market to find it, and you’ll still be reviewing everything to make sure the client will accept it.

Writers, what’s in your survival kit?
How do you make it through the busy times?