They say that the best way to learn is by doing. They also say that hands-on experience is the most memorable and valuable. Lastly, they say (who is “they”, anyways?) that if you want to know how a man feels, walk a mile in his shoes. That’s why I think every writer out there should write 500 words for $2.
Adding Real Life to Your Work Schedule
December 5, 2008. 16 Comments
How well do you schedule real life into your workflow? If you’re like me, you may not be the best at it. I start every day planning what I’m going to do, when I’m going to do it and how much time I’ll spend. Invariably, each day goes to hell in a handbasket about an hour after I get into my schedule.
Preparing Yourself for Better Writing Rates
November 21, 2008. 10 Comments
Once you’ve decided to establish rates for writing that compensate you fairly for your time and effort, you need to start standing up for yourself and putting your foot down. That’s not easy. Many freelancers hold themselves back from setting better rates because they’re afraid of what people will say. But remember, fear holds us back from getting us what we want in life.
Taking Baby Steps for a Better Pay Rate for Writing
November 14, 2008. 11 Comments
Many writers struggle with the decision of pay rate. What is a good pay rate for a writer? What amount is my work worth? What can I get paid for my writing? What are others getting paid? How do I compare? What rates for writing should I set? Oy. That’s a bunch of questions and they can be stressful ones to answer, creating a situation of doubt, worry and a dip in confidence. I say, forget that. Instead of deciding your own pay rate, let your clients decide for you. How? Using baby steps and the ‘no’ point.
Figuring Out A Good Pay Rate for Writing
November 3, 2008. 16 Comments
by James Chartrand This is the third post in a series on increasing your rates and getting more money writing for a living. We’ve already discussed when you shouldn’t ask for a raise and how to find the confidence to ask for a raise. Today’s post covers figuring out what you should be paid for your work in the first place. Feel free to ask your questions in the comment section, and we may cover the answer in an upcoming post. The pay rate of writers is a hot topic. With the wide range of pay rates for various types [Read more…]
How to Find the Confidence to Ask for a Raise
November 3, 2008. 2 Comments
by James Chartrand This is the second post in a series on increasing your rates and getting more money writing for a living. Feel free to ask your questions in the comment section, and we may cover the answer in an upcoming post. Last week we discussed circumstances when you shouldn’t ask for a raise, but there are definitely times when you should seek out that pay hike to better compensate yourself for a job well done. The problem is that many people feel very uncomfortable discussing the subject of pay increases and money with their clients. Most writers don’t [Read more…]
Why You Shouldn't Ask for a Raise
November 3, 2008. 6 Comments
by James Chartrand This is the first post in a series on increasing your rates and how to get more money writing for a living. Feel free to ask your questions in the comment section, and we may cover the answer in an upcoming post. We all want more in life. More freedom, more fun, more money… It’s perfectly fine to want these advancements and a better life, and it’s perfectly acceptable to ask for these “mores” from others. We could ask a partner for help to lessen our workload. We could find a friend and ask if that person [Read more…]
Figuring Out A Good Pay Rate for Writing
October 31, 2008. 28 Comments
by James Chartrand This is the third post in a series on increasing your rates and getting more money writing for a living. We’ve already discussed when you shouldn’t ask for a raise and how to find the confidence to ask for a raise. Today’s post covers figuring out what you should be paid for your work in the first place. Feel free to ask your questions in the comment section, and we may cover the answer in an upcoming post. The pay rate of writers is a hot topic. With the wide range of pay rates for various types [Read more…]
How to Find the Confidence to Ask for a Raise
October 24, 2008. 9 Comments
by James Chartrand This is the second post in a series on increasing your rates and getting more money writing for a living. Feel free to ask your questions in the comment section, and we may cover the answer in an upcoming post. Last week we discussed circumstances when you shouldn’t ask for a raise, but there are definitely times when you should seek out that pay hike to better compensate yourself for a job well done. The problem is that many people feel very uncomfortable discussing the subject of pay increases and money with their clients. Most writers don’t [Read more…]
Why You Shouldn’t Ask for a Raise
October 17, 2008. 27 Comments
by James Chartrand This is the first post in a series on increasing your rates and how to get more money writing for a living. Feel free to ask your questions in the comment section, and we may cover the answer in an upcoming post. We all want more in life. More freedom, more fun, more money… It’s perfectly fine to want these advancements and a better life, and it’s perfectly acceptable to ask for these “mores” from others. We could ask a partner for help to lessen our workload. We could find a friend and ask if that person [Read more…]
Three Tips and a Bonus to Market Yourself
October 10, 2008. 9 Comments
Today’s tempting tidbit of freelance business advice comes to you from James Chartrand of Men with Pens, a featured Freelance Writing Gigs blogger. Enjoy! Marketing yourself to land new clients can be an overwhelming, frustrating task. How do you do it? Where do you look? What do you say to people to convince them they need you? Sometimes it just seems easier to do nothing and hope for the best. Well, instead of doing nothing, why not try to write a few pitches and send them out? Here are a few tips to help convince people to hire you: Believe [Read more…]
Hate Bookkeeping? Why You Should Learn to Love It
October 3, 2008. 7 Comments
Managing your bookkeeping is one of the most vital aspects of staying on top of your business. Still, many people don’t particularly like number crunching and others don’t even know what to do to maintain their records. What’s the point, anyways? We can all just stuff receipts into an envelope and hand it over to an accountant, right? Well, you could – but it certainly wouldn’t be very smart to depend on your accountant to sort out your mess. Here’s why: How Much are You Really Making? Many a freelancer believes that because of the low overhead of remote working, [Read more…]
