I saw an interesting discussion on a LinkedIn forum recently that got me thinking about the way we present ourselves to potential clients. The discussion was around the use of LinkedIn’s “Open to Work” banner that one can put on their profile picture. It is meant to signal to future employers that this is a…
Finding freelance work
Your Freelance Career Speed Bumps
If you look online long enough (two minutes), you’ll find ample evidence of why some freelance writers are still struggling with running a successful freelance business. I present Exhibit One here, a writer who, upon attempting to identify the roadblocks to their success: My credentials don’t align with straightforward career trajectories. (They go on to…
Your Freelance Writing Career: Finding work now, building for the future
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Freelancer asks the question: “How can a new freelancer become popular on freelance job websites?” Writers responded. “Create a strong profile.” “Post your portfolio.” “Get good reviews.” “Become a package designer.” Except for the obvious “Huh?” of that last one, these all seem like fair answers. Notice…
The Direct-Action Freelancer
I saw another tweet that echoed pretty much what I once believed — that persistence was the best tool for freelance writers to find new clients. I say I once believed that. Still do to some extent, but these days I know freelancers need more than just persistence to find and keep good clients. Notice…
3 Facts: Why You Lost the Freelance Gig
There was a great post on LinkedIn last week that every writer should read. Go on. I’ll wait. Why this post matters to every writer: It is written by a person in a position to hire a writer. He’s telling you exactly what he wanted and where most writers who applied failed. I’ll sum up…
Taking the “Gig” Out of Freelancing
It’s 2022. Do you know where your freelance writing career is? I’ll tell you where it isn’t — in the gig economy. You, my writerly friend, are not a gig worker. Ah, but far too many people writing far too many articles on gig workers tend to lump professional writers (you know, you) in with the…
The Biggest Freelance Myth of All Time
Know what I saw the other day? I saw a tweet by someone hiring writers. WriterS — plural. The ad went like this: UX Writer – Up to $35/Hr Copywriter (Health Science) – $25-$29/hr Movie/News Writer – …. The list went on, but the first two listings tell you everything you need to know about…
Finding Freelance Work: How NOT to Do It
This post is a lot like my This Job Not That Job posts. Only difference is that the offender — and ironically, the victim — is none other than the freelance writer. How many times have we seen it? How many times have I blogged about it? (Hint: several times. Several. Times.) How many times…
1 Strategy for Freelance Cover Letters That Don’t Say, “I can write anything”
Holy hell. It’s September. How did that happen? More to the point, how are you situated for ramping up your freelance writing business? Have you been good about marketing all summer, staying in touch with current clients, and reaching out to network with those would-be clients? If not, fear not. While it’s not ideal timing…
The Freelance Semi-retired Kinda Life
Did you just start humming this song? The lyrics are on target for those of us who are transitioning out of our freelance writing career and into a slower-paced one. I want somethin’ else To get me through this Semi-charmed kinda life That’s what I want to talk about today — how to get to…