A writer friend and I were discussing LinkedIn yesterday. She runs a popular writing group there, and she was telling me some of the post requests and connection requests she’s had to reject. I get it.
When I was first on LinkedIn, I saw immediately that it wasn’t like Facebook or Instagram. It was a site for professionals and business connections. I was looking to expand my network in my specialty area. So, when a connection request came in from a writer, I often politely declined. The few I did connect with were people I know and to/from whom work referrals had already been exchanged.
Later, when my network was established and as I continued this easing into retirement thing, I accepted a few writer connections. Inevitably, there would be one out of say 20 who would immediately send a message. It usually went like this:
Thanks for connecting! It’s nice to know another writer. By the way, please consider me for any overflow work you may have!
Oh honey, that’s never happening.
Which brings me to the topic of this post: Rookie Mistakes Freelance Writers Make.
#1: Proposing on the first date.
That hapless writer committed the cardinal sin of freelancing — asking for work from a fellow freelancer. Why is that a problem? Let’s replace “hapless writer” with say “unknown painting company.” There’s a chance that the painting company will turn out to be okay, but do you know that? Do you trust that they’ll paint that wall without getting paint on everything else? Show up to paint? Use the right materials? Upcharge you unexpectedly?
That speaks to another reason why this writer will never get work from me if I don’t know them (and shouldn’t from you, either). We have no idea what the skill level is, the professionalism, the ability to meet deadlines, and most importantly, how they interact with clients. I remember a freelancer we had when I was on staff at a magazine who blew every chance he got. He showed up late. Badgered the client. Missed deadlines by a week or better. Handed in sloppy work.
If you’re a new freelancer, don’t beg for others’ work from their hard-won contacts. Do the legwork. Better would be to ask pointed questions on what worked for that freelancer in gaining new clients. Likewise with your new client prospects — do not ask for work on the first contact. Ask for the conversation to get to know their needs.
#2: Foregoing your boundaries.
Hard fact — every freelancer will come across a client who doesn’t respect boundaries. The client who insists on calling after 10 pm. The one who wants endless revisions. The client who expects you to work holiday weekends. The one who yells or insults you.
Reality check — every one of these situations is under your control. No one calls after business hours unless you want them to. No one gets full control of your time (two revisions and then you charge per additional time spent). No one tells you when you’ll work. No one survives yelling or insulting you. Fire the ones who won’t respect you or your time and enforce your boundaries with those you think can be rehabilitated.
#3: Not following directions.
When I see how some writers respond to job postings or requests for proposals, I wonder how some of you made it through school. I had to hire a writer in the past, and I asked on a forum for simple stuff — a copy of your CV, samples, and a brief email explaining why you fit the gig. Only one person followed the directions. The others sent me direct messages, posted in the comments section of the forum, replied with “What do you need?” when the post said exactly what I needed, and the ultimate bad response: “Ping me.”
If someone takes the time to list what it is they’re looking for, do your best to provide that. It’s your first test. If you can’t bother, they won’t bother to hire you. Not all writers will have all the criteria, but if you’re honest in saying, “I haven’t written about eco-friendly products yet, but I have written a few pieces on how climate change is impacting households” you might be considered. That shows you’re paying attention and leaves a much better impression than, “Ping me.”
#4: Chasing the job, not the relationship.
This echoes my first point a bit. Be the person who builds a relationship, not secures a transaction. If you answer job ads and treat each client interaction like it’s merely Do X, Get Paid Y, you won’t have that job for very long. Think of it this way — it takes you hours to find potential clients. Then it takes about four or five contacts with someone to secure the gig. Once the gig is over, you have to do that all over again for the next contact. And the next.
If you focus on building a relationship — a partnership with a client — you can become a trusted resource. You can bounce ideas off each other, have their backs when they need a quick change, introduce them to something that could benefit them …. you get the idea. The steps are greatly reduced because this is no longer a one-off job. It’s now recurring work.
That may mean that the clients you’re targeting have to change. As they should if you’re only securing one-time gigs. Fish in a deeper pond. Don’t go on job boards or, if you do, seriously limit the amount of time you spend looking for work. Instead, look for ways to connect online with potential clients. Get that conversation going. Be seen as a resource.
Your turn.
What’s the one mistake you see freelancers making that is doing plenty of damage?