Life Manual For Over the Hill Frenzied Freelancer?

Frenzied Freelancer

I was reading Life Hack today and have come to the conclusion that if there was a life manual for an over the hill frenzied freelancer then I should have a copy. My latest escapade was to post to the wrong blog.

Scribefire

I was catching up with my blogs this morning, entering text blithely and hitting publish once I'd checked for errors only I had clicked the wrong blog and the post that was meant for my creative writing blog ended up here. Only I didn't realise it had published but I did notice I had the wrong blog ticked, so I ticked the other one and clicked publish again. Voila, it is now on both blogs I hope Google doesn't string me up for duplicate content.

Getting Started as a Freelancer

Can Anyone Be A Freelance Writer?

If you are thinking about getting started as a freelancer then there are a few things you should know before you start. While I have to agree with Deborah NG that not everyone is cut out to be a freelance writer plenty of people think they can. Whether you can be a freelance writer only you can answer; only you know whether you write on a regular basis and only you know whether you are prepared to put in the hours that becoming a freelance writer takes.

Freelancing is fun but it is also hard work. Once you start getting writing work you can't just sit back and wait for the money to roll in - you have to look for more work. Freelance writers have to promote themselves as well as bid for work and complete the projects that they already have. If you only write a thousand or two thousand words a day then you may have a hard time making a living in freelance writing.

How Much Will I Earn?

Many beginning freelancers ask this question. How much you can earn depends on how much bidding and promotion you are prepared to do and how many hours you are prepared to put into writing. When you are writing for money you have to plan your work and proof read it - you may have to do some significant research on unfamiliar subjects; and you may get scammed by clients who just don't pay up.

Most of the freelance writers that I know started small and as their expertise and reliability was noted they got more work. Take a look at Sharon's blog and at Dana's work. Both of these are now successful freelancers with their own writing teams but they got there by dint of a lot of hard work. So if you are thinking of getting started as a freelancer be aware that you will need to work hard. You can begin with a blog; that's how I and many other writers got started. Then you can try places like get a freelancer or digital point forums, I have picked up a couple of repeat clients there. If you are still game then good luck; but remember it is not for everyone.

The Ups and Downs of Freelancing

Freelancers have good and bad times, the ups and downs of freelancing often take writers by surprise.

What To Do When There's No Paid Work

Most writers wonder what to do when there's no paid work and no money coming in. There are a few things that you can do to ease the pressure. Try paid blogging with blogitive, ok it is only $5 a post but they do pay weekly though paypal. You can also submit articles to Associated Content and Constant Content, both of these will publish your articles and visitors can then choose whether they want to buy. There is also pay per post, review stream and helium - although it can take a while with the last two before you earn any money. Comment on other people's blogs and leave a link to your website. These are all ways to try and beat the problem of slow work periods.

Freelance Foibles

Freelancers are strange creatures with their own foibles. For example, they love reading books about freelance writing and they enjoy talking with other freelancers. Most freelancers have their own foibles as well as the more general ones - for example I love to see what my friends have written on their blogs even before I start work. I suppose it provides me some sort of brain food when it comes to writing articles. When I have written forty or more articles on the same subject I am constantly reminded of the words of the song "life gets tedious don't it"- and then I feel ashamed because I should feel grateful for the fact that I am able to get freelance writing work.