Freelance Writing Myths covered two popular freelance writing myths. In this section, three new myths are examined.
Myth # 3: Freelancing Is Not a Real Business
Wrong! The freelancer is an entrepreneur, not a hobbyist. Working with professionalism and ethical standards, building long-term customer relationships, and ensuring that clients receive work that is on time, on budget and brilliantly executed are all part of a freelance writer’s job description. Since there is no third-party to be answerable to, the freelancer reaps all the rewards of work well done and also assumes all the risk of shoddy work.
Running a business means that clients have certain rights and those rights cannot be waived due to home life intrusions. Business working hours need to be communicated to clients and then strictly adhered to. Attending a client’s call with a wailing baby in one hand, or missing a deadline because of a social event are just as unacceptable in the freelance world as they are in a traditional office environment.
Part of a freelancer’s duty to their clients means providing timely status reports about work progress, ensuring that communication channels are always open, determining times and schedules for mutual correspondence and generally behaving in a professional manner at all times.
Myth #4: Anyone Can Become a Freelance Writer
While it’s true that there’s no specific degree offered for freelance writing work nor is there any work-at-home bible to adhere to, it’s still imperative for a freelance writer to have a certain skill set and talent. As the popular saying goes “Anyone can write; but few can write well.”
So while people can learn skills and train themselves to write well, the art of writing does not come naturally to all and not all who learn it will ever be really good at it. Freelance writers are a breed who is constantly learning and finding newer, better ways to express themselves.
The top two skills that all successful freelance writers employ are that they love to read and they love to write. The former helps increase vocabulary and exposure to different writing styles, while the latter is necessary for improving personal style and writing faster and better. Being passionate about writing forms the center-piece of a talented freelance writer.
Myth #5: You Can’t Ever Make Enough Money Writing For the Web
The term “enough money” means different things to different people! Since freelancing is a global game, one man’s dollar is another man’s penny. Generally though, a skilled and talented freelancer, who runs the business professionally and handles all aspects of it (from marketing to financial to administrative) well, can consider freelance writing a sustainable source of living.
The real secret to long term success though is by building long term relationships with clients. Any savvy businessperson who does this knows that more money is made through repeat customers than through new ones. In fact finding and marketing to new potential customers is a costly endeavor and all efforts should be made to find and keep long-term clients. This reduces the cost of doing business and increases potential for being viewed as a freelancer who invests in clients and has their best interests at heart.
Consider a freelance career by all means, even as a part-time gig, but always remember to execute it in a professional way. This paves the way for informed buyers and informed newcomers to freelance writing.
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