8 ASPECTS TO AVOID AS A FREELANCE WRITER

Freelance writing can be an exciting career for those who want to work in a stress-free environment with their own working hours, being their own boss and don’t have to commute for long hours on day-to-day basis.

Therefore, it would seem that becoming a freelance writer is the career of everyone's dreams who is fed up with the 9 to 5 grind. The issue is that many new freelance writers have the misconception that their line of work is glamorous when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. In order to achieve in the freelancing career there are 8 aspects that are required to be avoided.

1)      FREELANCING WITHOUT A CONTRACT: Never start your freelancing career without preparing a contract as it may lead to many disadvantages for your career. A contract not only prevents you from being taken advantage of but also helps you to strategize and finish your work on time without any delays. Creating one wouldn’t be any difficult. You don’t have to be a lawyer or a legal writer to draft a contract. Just write in a simple language including all the important clauses like pricing, payment, deadlines, copyrights etc.

2)      SELLING YOUR WORK VERY CHEAP: There are 2 different types in pricing scale for freelance writing. Some writers charge on hourly-basis for their work while some charge for completing the whole project with the deadline. If you are working on hourly-basis then ask them about minimum and maximum work-hour rates.

But if you can write fast then avoid hourly rates since writers who are able to complete an entire project faster are better advised not to charge by hourly basis because it will definitely be a loss project. While setting rates you also need to consider other factors like your experience, length of the project, amount of effort you have put in etc.

3)      NOT BEING ABLE TO HANDLE CRITICISM: Clients always criticize freelance writers they hire and they aren’t doing this out of habit since they got a genuine reason for doing so. And the most common reason is most of the writers write content that is subpar with lot of grammatical and spelling errors.

And they often use some kind of software to rewrite a previously written article many times and submit it to different clients.  So, for this reason, freelancers come under flak from their clients.  But always learn to provide your work in a standard format and learn to be thick skinned and digest their criticism. However, if you really believe their criticism is uncalled for then you can respond respectfully with a well thought of a response.

4)      FAILING TO MEET THE DEADLINE: In the freelancing world trust between you and your client is everything. Freelance writers can strengthen their relationship by submitting their work on time. It’s because most of the freelance work is time sensitive. You must be able to finish and submit the task prior to the deadline after you and your client have established one.

 How frequently you fulfil deadlines will have a huge impact on how successful you are as a freelance writer. However, if your client requests that you complete the task by a specific date and you believe that you won't be able to do so, don't give in and instead, decline to accept in the first place. One benefit of the deadline is that it enables you to plan and organise all of your work before you even begin working on it.

5)      FAILURE TO BUILD YOUR OWN BRAND: Today, there are countless numbers of freelance writers available online who are eager to work for less money. Because of this, it's extremely difficult to make a livelihood as a freelance writer. A freelance writer must therefore differentiate themselves from the competition. The best way to accomplish this is by developing a personal brand.

New freelancers can sell their services, establish an online presence, and set themselves apart from competing content online by developing a personal brand. But regrettably, the majority of independent writers never even think about developing a brand. Making a blog or website and maintaining a consistent presence on social media sites like Twitter and LinkedIn are the greatest ways to develop a personal brand.

6)      FAILING TO GO BEYOND FREELANCE WRITING: You must write outside of work if you want to be more than just a freelancer. Freelance writing is a means, not an end in itself. Simply told, you may currently be a freelance writer, but in the future, you would like to develop into a fantastic writer.

You must make time to write outside of your usual freelance writing in order to maintain your imagination and originality. You should also allocate some time to developing new talents and staying up to date with technology. Similar to developing a personal brand, the majority of independent contractors stop at just writing.

7)      COMPLACENCY: Be proactive and ready to market yourself for finding new opportunities. Never become complacent on your career and assume that you’ve done enough on your job. Just keep hustling on your career as a freelance writer.

8)      ANY UNPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR: There is no face-to-face interaction between freelance writers and their clients in this field of employment. There are only online points of contact. As a result, there isn't a workplace with strict rules and regulations like there is in corporate jobs.

 As a result, new freelance writers may occasionally behave in an unprofessional or disrespectful manner toward their clients. They must distinguish between being cordial and being unprofessional. You can reach us at www.writers.exchange or give us a call at +91 9840226301 or +1 914 598 8133 for further queries.

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