How to Look Like a Dweeb to Potential Freelance Writing Clients

There’s plenty of freelance writing advice out there to help you get clients.

But not a lot of it is telling you what not to do.

I cruise around social media a lot. That’s where many of the worst offenses occur because, for some reason, people do not realize that everyone and his Uncle Fester can read what they’ve written, whether they intended it for the general public or not.

It’s where plenty of potential clients are getting their fist impressions of who you are, too. And if you’re doing any of the following things, you’re looking pretty dweeby to your intended customers.

Looking Desperate.

Should you put out a tweet offering your writing services? Sure. Should you put out one that conveys that you’re desperate? One that you repeat every damn week? Only if you enjoy being lonely or worse, attracting the bottom feeders. We’re writers. We’re supposed to be able to write much, much better than some of the attempts at self-promotion that are being put out there. I know one writer who insists on sending out the same, bland tweet every week. It doesn’t include any call to action, no excitement, and no reason why any client could possibly care, particularly because the writer is using the worst possible hashtags. You should be sending that puppy out using hashtags your potential clients follow, not ones that other writers follow.

Giving the Appearance that You’re High Maintenance.

I know one writer who likes to organize her days — and the people in it. And she struggles to get/keep clients. Wonder why? When the organization includes directives to clients such as the “you must” or “you need to” — well, it’s not going to get you hired/rehired. The “I require” demands, or any request that doesn’t start with “please” is going to piss someone off. It may not happen right away, but somewhere along the line, someone is going to come to the conclusion that you’re just a demanding jerk.

Being a Pain in the Ass in Public.

It should be tattooed on the forehead of every writer by now: [bctt tweet=”What you write in public on the internet lasts forever. #freelancewriting” username=”LoriWidmer”]That fight you had with that writer from eight years ago. The bitching you did on Twitter about that awful client. That forum’s worth of publicly accessible info in which you repeatedly bashed clients, bitched about pay, complained about other writers …. Guess what still shows up on a Google search?

Think twice — no, maybe three times — before posting anything.  That shit can come back to haunt you. And because potential clients will avoid you like you’re infected, you’ll never know how many opportunities you missed because you wanted to complain or because you thought anyone cared about your political opinion.

TMI.

That includes personal details and photos. Dear gawd, the photos, people. Can I just say it? If you want your first impression to be one that suggests you’re color blind, don’t possess a mirror, or enjoy flouting your chest in public, then continue what you’re doing. If you’d rather leave an impression that you’re a solid pro who won’t let a client down, skip the photo or put a ton bit more thought into how you present yourself visually. Ratty hair, purples with hot pink, and cleavage just isn’t saying “I’m to be trusted with your money.”

Bragging.

Seriously, it’s okay to toot your own horn once in a while, but to praise yourself wildly on social media is just tacky. In one case last week, someone actually posted how surprised he was by the depth of his talent. I know another writer who found himself avoided at an event by a famous writer because he couldn’t stop bragging and acting like the next Tom Clancy. What did he lose? A valuable connection. And he probably became an unflattering story she’d tell and laugh about with friends.

Oh, and let’s not forget the humble-brag, which goes something like this: “My stupid move of the day: using car wax on the seats of my Maserati.” Or “It’s so tough owning a Porsche — people are always wanting to key the paint.” You poor bastard. Don’t do it. Just. Don’t.

Writers, how are you seeing people looking like dweebs to their potential clients?
What should they be doing instead?