Freelancers are in a different category, since they are not applying for a job. I’ve been asked to do a personality test as part of a screening process twice and while I have complied both times, it did feel a bit uncomfortable to do so.

Why did I hesitate about sharing the results of the test? It seemed a bit intrusive at the time. I was of the mindset that I should be able to answer the client’s questions about my experience, provide samples and a resume and that should be enough information for the person to make a decision about whether to hire me. What difference would it make if the client found out what kind of person I am?

I now realize that it matters a great deal. The work that freelance writers do isn’t just about stringing words together. It has everything to do with establishing relationships with clients. For the relationship to succeed, the freelancer and the client need to be able to work together well. If their personality styles don’t mesh, then the professional relationship will flounder.

Part of the reason that I agreed to do the personality test was that I was curious about what it would reveal. The Myers-Briggs test that I took was very accurate, right down to my consistently messy desk.

I suppose it’s not possible to fail a personality test. There are some people who I probably wouldn’t be able to work well with, and it’s probably just as well to establish whether this is the case before the project begins. Whether you call it a personality conflict or creative differences, having to abandon a project after starting the work isn’t a good situation for either party.

Have you ever been asked to do a personality test for a freelance writing job? How did you feel about it?

One person interviewing me asked if I was married, and then caught himself and said that he probably couldn’t ask me that question. The other time was much more blatant and I was really shocked that it was a woman asking me if I planned to have children in the next year or two. She made it worse by going on to explain that it would “not be a good idea for me to do so.”

After a momentary flash in my mind’s eye of the Pregnancy Police checking to make sure all female staff members keep replenishing their supplies of feminine products in a desk drawer, I concluded that this was not the right place where I could do my best work.

Answering questions from prospective clients is a bit different. Since we are business owners, not job applicants, the line is a bit murkier about which questions may be considered illegal. If a prospective client is treading into territory that makes you feel uncomfortable before you start working together, then you probably shouldn’t expect that person to behave better once you have accepted the freelance writing gig.

While I don’t mind if someone asks me if Jodee is my real name (it is), I have to draw the line when someone wants to get too personal in their questions. No one who wants to hire me for a freelance writing job needs to know my marital status or if I have children unless it is relevant to the work we are discussing.

How do you deflect questions that may be overstepping the bounds without walking away from the opportunity completely? You answer the question the client is really asking. It could go something like this: “If what you are trying to find out is whether I can commit to your project, the answer is yes.” You still have the option of stepping back from your discussion and deciding whether you want to work with that client after all, but this type of non-confrontational answer gives you the time to decide what your next move should be.

How do you deal with inappropriate questions from freelance writing clients?

I watched a little bit of the show last night, but didn’t stay tuned for the whole thing. It just doesn’t capture my interest the way it used to a number of years ago. The bit of the show I did watch got me thinking about what freelancers can learn from the Academy Awards.

1. You can get all dressed up for the show and still not win.

How often have we made a pitch or applied for a freelance writing gig and not heard anything back? It comes with the territory in this type of work and most of us have come to accept it.

It’s more disappointing when we have heard back from the potential client, have had detailed discussions about the project and have discussed payment and other terms and we don’t get the gig. The client may have decided to work with someone else, funding for the project may have dried up or it may have been abandoned for a different reason.

Sometimes you can do all the right things to get the gig and still not get the nod. It doesn’t mean that you aren’t talented or hardworking.

2. Being nominated might be nice, but it’s not as good as winning.

Whether it’s an Oscar or a great freelance writing gig, getting picked is much better than making it to the short list. Just saying.

3. People will remember you for more than your work.

When you think of Cher, you may not immediately remember that she won an Oscar in 1987 for her work in “Moonstruck.” Instead, we are more likely to remember her rather unique fashion sense, including the black showgirl number that she wore to the ceremony in 1986. (The actress reportedly chose that outfit as a way to show her displeasure at not being nominated for her work in “Mask” the previous year.)

Get in the habit of remembering that every comment on a blog, blog post, Facebook update or tweet is something that a potential client can see. Yes, the entire Internet is one big job interview, and if you wouldn’t say something to a potential client directly, then you should think about whether you should be posting it at all.

4. There is something magical about getting paid to do something you love.

We tune in to awards shows for the fashions and to catch a glimpse of our favorite celebrities, to be sure, but part of the reason is that we admire those people who are able to take an idea and bring it to life to entertain (and sometimes educate) us.

As members of the public, we don’t see the amount of thought and work that goes into bringing all the elements together to produce a film of any length. All we know is whether the finished product moves us in some way. If it does, then all the people involved have done their job.

As writers, we get to use our creativity to help our clients reach their goals. We harness our creativity to bring all kinds of ideas to life, and have the opportunity to work our own type of magic while doing so.

Do you feel like a nominee or an Oscar winner in your freelance writing career?

Before I go on, let me share something about myself. I consider myself to be a generally friendly person, but I’m also very private. Back when I was working in an office, I never really knew how much personal stuff was OK to share with people so I erred on the side of keeping things to myself. If I wasn’t sure whether something should be said, I didn’t.

Once I realized that people would much rather talk about themselves, I make a point of getting them to talk. Very few people noticed that I listened much more than I talked. One person I worked closely with told me that I was doing the “still waters run deep” thing, and I suppose he was right. When you read my take on how much to tell a prospective client about your personal situation, keep in mind that it’s being made through that lens.

There are ways to let someone know that you are available without sounding desperate. If you are approaching someone in your network about picking up some work, all you really need to say is that some time has opened up in your schedule and you are available for assignments immediately. It’s simple and professional. You don’t need to share a whole lot about your personal situation, and doing so may not help you get hired.

I have approached clients about picking up some more work because my schedule suddenly got a lot less busy than I needed it to be. I’ve also had to talk to some of them about changing our payment arrangement when circumstances have warranted it, but the most I’ve ever said is that something has come up and it would help with cash flow if we could make a change (either on a one-time basis or as a permanent change). For the record, it has never been an issue.

I know that the Internet makes it much easier for us to share information with people we have never actually met, but that may not mean that everything should be shared. It may be old fashioned, or just a Jodee thing, but I think about whether the person I’m talking to really needs to know how I’m fixed financially if I’m trying to pick up some work quickly.

How much would you reveal to a prospective client and at what point does eager to work just look desperate?

For freelancers, it’s a different story. We have the freedom to work for ourselves (which definitely has its advantages), but we must perform a juggling act in our professional lives. Not only do we need to be able to keep up with our current assignments and produce high quality work, but we must also be constantly on the lookout for the next gig.

We can use a variety of methods to hunt for work. Putting up a web site, writing a blog to feature our expertise to a specific niche market and keeping in contact with people in your circle of professional acquaintances can all be effective strategies. Cold calling and passing out business cards are also good ways to find work.

If you have ever gotten to the point where you feel bogged down by this activity, you’re not alone. It’s easy to get into the mind set that looking for work is a chore. No one looks forward to doing chores, do they? These activities are things we have to do but that don’t really appear on the “want to do” radar at all.

Unless you can find a way to turn looking for freelance writing gigs into something that you can get excited about, it’s going to remain a chore and something that you will get bogged down in. It’s also very difficult to present yourself in the best way you can if you are not feeling enthused about communicating with a potential client.

In a situation where your freelance writing job search isn’t getting you the results you are hoping for, consider whether you are just going through the motions when you are looking for work. You would rather work with people who are enthusiastic about what they do and excited about a new opportunity than a person who is just not feeling it.

You have the power to kick start your freelance writing job search by adding some enthusiasm any time you choose to do so. Turn the process from a “have to” to a “get to”, as in “Today I get to talk to someone about how I can help their business.”

The best thing about this approach is that it isn’t dependent on outside circumstances. You can choose to look at talking to people about what you do and how you can help them as an adventure or a chore. Which one will you choose today?

I got the idea for the post from watching a medical show on television. I enjoy watching real life ones that show medical professionals as problem solvers. Since I’m always curious about what other people do for a living and why they were drawn to a particular type of work, I pay particular attention to any interviews that are included.

In one episode, an emergency room doctor was explaining why he chose to specialize in that area of medicine. He is the type of person who is interested in dealing with a specific condition, as opposed to providing continuous care to a patient. Dr. Marcus Welby this guy was not, but he was very good at thinking on his feet and dealing with the medical issue in front of him.

Writers are just as varied as people working in any other job category. Some of us write for others because we have to and for ourselves because we can, while others treat this as strictly business. We may write web content, web copy, print copy, white papers, technical manuals or blogs. Some of us are generalists while others have a specific niche that we focus on.

Some writers like to have several (relatively) small projects going, while others would ideally prefer to have a brobdingnag one that will keep them busy for a time. Once they finish it, they focus on the next one.

When you are looking for freelance writing jobs, first consider your work personality. If you are someone who enjoys the relative security of working with a client over the long term, then look for someone who can offer a steady gig (or the potential for a series of projects). If you are someone who gets bogged down working on large projects, move on and apply for something that is a better fit for your freelance work personality.

Knowing yourself well means that you will find it much easier to answer the question that all prospective clients want to ask: why should I hire you?

I don’t see self-confidence and self-esteem as being the same thing at all. Self-confidence has to do with the image that other people see, and self-esteem is something that comes from within.

If you know that you will show up to do the work that you have been assigned and follow instructions properly, you are demonstrating self-confidence. Prospective clients will be drawn to people who demonstrate this trait. You will be successful in your job search by showing a person who is looking to hire a writer that you are hardworking and dependable.

Your self-esteem is something else entirely. It’s your internal dialogue, and has to do with how you see yourself. It doesn’t necessarily have to match how other people see you, either.

As long as you have enough self-confidence to keep putting yourself out there and talking to prospective clients, whether you are answering ads or making pitches, you can find freelance writing jobs. When you do so, your focus should be on solving the client’s problem and what you can do for them.

As you achieve success, your self-esteem may start to catch up with your self-confidence. You may start to see yourself in a more positive way, and you may decide that you like yourself a lot better than you thought you did.

You can start your freelance writing career from where you are right now on the self-esteem scale. When you are looking for work, the person reading your resume and reviewing your samples has no idea how you felt when you wrote them. Low self-esteem doesn’t have to hold you back on your freelance writing job search, as long as you can gather enough self-confidence to keep looking for work.

Do you separate self-confidence and self-esteem when you are looking for freelance writing jobs, or do you think they are the same thing?

I don’t know if this technique works for anyone else, but when I get rejected I let myself feel the emotions that go with being told that you’re not quite what the client was looking for, or even worse that your work is what the client is looking for  (Ouch). Then I try to figure out whether it was  was something that was in my control or not.

Being a bit of a control freak, this is a helpful exercise. I need to spend a bit of time looking at whether I presented myself in the best way I would and still got rejected. In that situation, it was the client’s call and I need to let it go.

Sometimes the rejection is really about me. If I’m off my game on a particular day or at a certain time, I need to own part of the rejection. Does that mean I’ll never have an off day? Not at all – but I can show what I hope is a bit of class in the face of the rejection by thanking the client for the feedback and telling them them that I will keep it in mind going forward.

Do you see rejection as having two sides or is it all equally bad?

To provide the reader with more information about you, include achievements in your resume. What achievements, you may be asking yourself. Think back through the jobs you have had and try to find some way that your employer’s business was better off for having hired you.

When it comes to your freelance writing career, the information is a bit different. If your content has helped a client get a Top 10 ranking on Google, this is something you should be sharing. The fact that your copy has helped a client increase sales by X percent is also worth listing on your resume.

If you have ever won, been selected as a finalist for or judged a writing contest, include this fact in your resume. Any writing, spelling or grammar-related awards can also be listed.

It’s one thing to tell a prospective client that you’re good at what you do. Listing your achievements will show him or her and make you stand out from the pack when you are applying for freelance writing jobs.

Do you list your achievements on your freelance writing resume? Do you feel that this is an effective strategy for making a prospective client want to contact you?

However, I don’t spend a lot of time tossing my hat into the ring with hundreds of other applicants for advertised writing positions.  I’ll do it occasionally when a particular call for a writer really appeals to me, but it’s not my preferred way of generating business.

I know there are plenty of writers out there who would really like to be busier, so I thought I’d talk about an approach that has worked for me.  It’s not revolutionary or anything, but it doesn’t seem to get as much attention as other strategies.  I like creating my own gigs.

Here’s the plan, in its simplest form:

• Find someone who has a great product or idea–something that’s right in your wheelhouse or in which you see remarkable potential.
• Think about how your skills could help them.
• Pitch them.

Example One: Occasionally, I’ll watch press releases roll along the river of a popular distribution site’s RSS feed.  I’ll look for releases that involve interesting topics or ideas.  I’ll pay close attention to those that evidence a need for a much better copywriter.  The contact information is right there on the release.  The pitch is simple in terms of offering them more effective releases and it doesn’t take long to investigate their web presence and to see what else they might need.

Example Two: Have you ever been searching for something that you wanted or needed and then discovered a real diamond in the rough of a website?  Of course, you have.  When I find these sites, I will follow up with the owners, telling them how we might be able to work together to improve their business.

I know.  It’s pretty simple.

But here’s the interesting thing…  It works.

You might think that the percentage of contacts that turn into business would be minimal.  That’s not the case.  The conversion numbers are surprisingly good.  I’m relatively sure that my contact/conversion rate in these situations is higher than most people’s success rate when responding to “writers wanted” ads.

I believe that one reason writers aren’t in higher demand is our collective shortcoming in marketing our gifts and their value.  We have a tendency to wait until people see a need for us when we should be telling them why we’re so damned valuable.  When you’re rainmaking, that’s exactly what you’re doing.

The trick, of course, is the pitch.  You need to be able to show value to the prospective client.  You need to demonstrate an understanding of what they seem to be trying to accomplish as well as a vision for what they should be trying to accomplish.  You need to make yourself accessible and to let them know that you’re friendly, helpful and something other than a moneysucking mercenary with a keyboard.

I generally make contact with an email.  I’ll follow up with a phone call.  It’s not a chore.  It’s fun.  After all, I’m not hoping to find an ad for a job that would be tolerable.  I’m isolating opportunities that interest and excite me.

Give it a shot.  Take some time to find someone who isn’t necessarily looking for you but who could really use your skills.  Pitch ‘em.  See what happens.  You might be surprised.

I believe that success is based partly on having a certain amount of raw talent but it’s mostly about showing up, doing the work and developing good relationships with the people you work with. Part of having a good relationship with your clients is caring about them and their business.

You may be hired to provide a writing service, but what you are really doing is helping your client solve a problem. They may be looking to draw more traffic to their web site, increase sales by putting out a brochure that persuades a prospect to contact the company or put a human face on their company by asking you to write blog posts.

If you were the client and you had the choice between two writers of equal ability, would you hire someone who only did what they were asked to do (no more, no less) or would you give the nod to someone who took the time to ask about your business and what you are trying to accomplish?

Let’s not get so caught up in trying to be cool that we forget to care about the people we work with. They are the reason we’re in business, after all.

Be careful when you to go holiday-related events, though: chances are you are going to run into someone who will be less than encouraging about your career and your chances of getting your next gig. You know who they are: the people who tell you that there are “no jobs out there” and that you shouldn’t bother to look. That’s hearsay and you shouldn’t give it any more consideration than they do in a court of law – which is none.

Go with the evidence instead: Businesses don’t shut down completely at Christmas, and you may find that it’s easier to connect with decision-makers who are in a position to hire you at this time of year. Someone has to mind the store, after all, and the person who is most likely to be doing that is the one who has his or her name over the door (figuratively speaking).

The more often you do something to advance your job search, the better your chances of getting hired. Don’t ignore the Holidays; take some time to enjoy getting together with family and friends, but don’t be shy about telling people about what you do and telling them that you have a few openings in your schedule. You never know where your next gig is going to come from.

How do you deal with hearsay from other people? Do you find it challenging to stay focused on evidence?

Most of the time, we realize that we won’t get hired for every opportunity that we go after. Sometimes we can roll with the punches and shake off getting turned down for a gig, while at other times it can be upsetting to find out what the client didn’t feel that we were a good fit for the opportunity.

There isn’t any surefire way to conquer fear of failure entirely, but I like to use pictures in my mind to deal with it. I think of Failure as a creature that looks something like a dragon. Not sure why I chose that particular image, but the fact that it’s a mythical creature probably has something to do with it.

When I start to talk myself out of going after an opportunity that I know I am qualified for, I think about the thing that I’m afraid of – Failure – and I mentally start to stare it down. All I can do is present myself in the best way that I can, and after that point, the decision is out of my hands. The client decides whether I’m someone they want to work with or not.

I think it’s more challenging to deal with fear of success. It has to do with change. Deep down, people don’t like change. You may have gotten hired for the gig, but now you have to prove that you can perform at a higher level. When you pull it off, there may still be a part of you that doesn’t feel deserving of the money, recognition, prestige, or what have you. The success you have achieved is stressful.

I don’t have any magic solution to the issue of fear of success. I know that taking action is a way of dealing with fear. If there is an opportunity you want to go after, do it. If you get hired, give the client your best effort every time. And don’t let fear – of either failure or success – hold you back.

Now, I prefer to get one holiday out of the way before I start thinking about the next one, but apparently retailers don’t think that way. From the number of Christmas flyers that have magically appeared in the mailbox recently and the amount of times I’ve been hearing, “Mom, can I have…..” recently, the holiday season seems to be gearing up now.

At the risk of adding one more thing to your already jam-packed schedule over the next few weeks, you should make a point of pulling out your client list and reaching out to them at this time of year. You can send holiday greeting cards if you wish. A personal e-mail is also appropriate.

Your message doesn’t have to be a lengthy one, but you do want to thank the client for their business over the past year and invite them to contact you with their future writing needs. If you haven’t heard from some of the people you are contacting for awhile, this is an opportunity to get your name in front of them again. Your regular clients will also appreciate your reaching out to them in this way.

Your success as a freelance writer will depend, at least in part, on the relationships you establish with your clients. If you demonstrate that you value the people you work with, they will respond in kind by offering you more and better assignments and referring you to other potential clients.

Sharing good wishes is a simple thing that you can do to finish this year on a positive note and set the stage for a prosperous New Year.

Do you reach out to clients during the Holiday Season? Do you send traditional cards or communicate by e-mail?

In this situation, you do have some options. You can back off and focus on the work you have in front of you right now and give the client some space and hope that when the time comes to hire someone that you will get nod.

You have another option, though, and that is to assert yourself and get the client to make a decision. Even if the answer is No, you have an answer, and in that instance you are free to move on and consider other opportunities. Discussions with clients can get to the point where having an answer either way is less frustrating than waiting for someone to just get on with it.

Giving a client a nudge can be a simple matter of asking if they need anything else from you to make a decision about the project. This is a good tactic if your discussions have been going on for some time and you don’t seem to be getting closer to starting work or finding out that the client has decided to hire someone else.

If you are feeling a bit more bold (or just plain frustrated), you can say something like, “I have some time available to start on this on [X] date, would you like me to go ahead and schedule you in?” Then the client has three choices, Yes, No, or start on [X] date instead. At least you have an answer and you haven’t reduced the likelihood of getting hired at all by saying something like, “Would you make up your mind already?”

What strategies have you used to get a client to make a hiring decision?

The client may not say so, but he or she is in full WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) mode when hiring a freelance writer. If the client wasn’t looking to have a problem solved or to get some benefit from your writing work, they wouldn’t be looking to hire a writer.

Don’t try to analyze what the client wants to hear and use that as a way to frame the way you respond to the ad. Instead, focus on the what the client needs and what skills and abilities you bring to the table to help them meet those needs.

Don’t try to be anyone other than yourself when you are communicating with a potential client. There are plenty of places where you can get advice about how to prepare your resume and write a cover letter, and I know I’ve talked about these topics here.

Yes, you should take the time to prepare these important documents, but your resume and your cover letter should be unique – just as you are. Use them as an opportunity to let the client get to know something about you.

While it may be tempting to follow someone else’s example of what worked for them when trying to find freelance writing jobs, resist the urge. Let the prospective client hear your voice through the materials you submit when you apply for a job. It’s the only one you need.

I know your first instinct is to jump on this and apply within the first two minutes after you read the ad (if not sooner), but there are some things you need to do before you throw your hat into the ring. If you do them, you stand a much better chance of being hired.

1. Read the ad again.

You want to be sure that you have read it thoroughly and you understand exactly what the prospective client is looking for. Taking the time to read through the ad again will either confirm that this is a great gig or it will reveal something that will make you rethink the idea of applying for it altogether. The last thing you want is for the client to get in touch with you and you find out that you really aren’t a great fit or it doesn’t pay a rate that you are prepared to accept.

2. Make sure you understand the client’s instructions.

Answering an ad is a bit like a pre-employment test. The client will ask you for certain things and if you are unable to follow the instructions properly, your application will be tossed out. It won’t matter how talented you are or how well you would follow instructions once you are hired – ignore instructions in the ad at your professional peril.

3. Gather your materials.

Some clients want to see a resume and samples right away. Others would prefer to just focus on the samples. A third scenario you might run into is where the client wants to review a resume first and will ask for samples from the writers he or she is most interested in. Whatever the client has asked for, provide it. That means if the client wants to see a sample that is 300-400 words long, you don’t provide something that is twice that length.

4. Make sure you are sending your response to the right person.

Rather than retyping an e-mail address, copy and paste it instead. You want to be sure that your resume and samples are going to be seen by the person who placed the ad.

5. Read your cover letter again.

It’s easy to make a typo or a grammatical error when you are responding to an ad. The last thing you want is to make a mistake like this when you are trying to impress a prospective client with your language skills. Take a few minutes to go over your cover letter carefully to make sure that you are presenting yourself in the best possible way.

Once you have completed these steps, go ahead and press “Send.”

Start with what you know, and I don’t necessarily mean the fact that you have been writing for yourself for years. Working on your own projects is not the same thing as taking on client work. Both of them involve writing, but your own work is more of a free-range thing: you are not subject to the same restrictions that are in play when you are taking on work for someone else.

What I’m trying to get to here is that you should take some time to think about your past experiences, including paid work and volunteer work, your hobbies and general interests. All of them can point you in the direction of a niche that you can use to get freelance writing work.

Write down all the topics that come to mind, without editing them. (This can be a tough one; most of us have an internal editor that get in the way.) You should have a lengthy list of ideas when you are done.

Now you have something that you can use when you are apply for freelance writing jobs. I admit that at the beginning of my career, I used the shotgun approach to finding. I applied for anything and everything that I thought I was a good fit for, and it didn’t work out well at all.

When I changed my approach and started targeting gigs that related to my previous experience or a personal interest, it became much easier to get jobs. I wasn’t sending a prospective client a cover letter saying, ” I want to work for you,” I was saying, “I want to work for you because I have experience in or am interested in [X].” My guess is that adding more specific information made me a better candidate.

If you aren’t able to find an entry-level writing gig that reflects your prior work experience or your interests, you can still present yourself as someone the client would like to work with. Tell him or her that you are able to follow instructions to the letter and that you will give the project your best effort. In other words, work with what you have when you are looking for freelance writing jobs.

What approach did you use to land your first freelance writing job? Do you still use the same one or have you changed it over time?

I can also admit that I used to be intimidated by clients, both existing and prospective ones. There were a lot of gigs I didn’t apply for simply because I didn’t have the nerve to. When I got hired by people to write for them, I was scared to death I was going to make a mistake and get “fired.”

If you could have been a fly on the wall in my office back then, I’m sure it would have looked funny. I would receive an e-mail from a client that I was sure was going to contain something negative and I would hesitate to open it. I would behave as if the “Enter” key was hot and that I didn’t dare push down in it with my finger, so I would hit it quickly and then pull my hand back. Sometime it would take three or four times to open the message.

Guess what? A whole 99 percent of the time there was nothing to worry about. The other 1 percent of the time when there was an issue, the client and I worked it out.

On message boards for writers, I see a number of threads where the topic is something along the lines of, “Should I talk to/ask a client about X?” Yes, you should. If you need more information to do the work or you are having trouble accessing the client’s web site to get assignments or upload your work and the problem isn’t resolved after you try a few times, then send off an e-mail to let them know there seems to be a technical issue.

If your payment is past due, send an e-mail to follow up. If you want to be diplomatic (and I would recommend this strategy), ask the client if they need anything further on the project, which you delivered with your invoice on [date]. It may simply be an oversight, and the matter can be resolved quickly, and without having to post a thread on a message board asking if you should talk to the client. You are not asking for something you haven’t earned, after all.

It’s time for people working as freelance writers to get over the BBB (Big Bad Boss) Syndrome. You work with your client, not for them, so stand up straight and talk to them like you would a colleague. When you are responding to an ad or sending a pitch to someone, think of it as expressing your interest in an opportunity – not applying for a job.

Once you land that great gig, being polite, responsive and flexible goes a long way toward building a positive relationship where you feel more comfortable about dealing with any bumps that come up along the way.

Have you ever felt intimidated by a client? How did you deal with it?

Many people who are looking for jobs check employment web sites looking for listings for “freelance writer.” This is an effective strategy, to be sure, but you can also get some great leads by looking at postings for editors. Read through the job description to see if it mentions something about the client looking for someone who can “supervise the work of freelance writers” or something to that effect.

You now have a lead for a potential client and you are less likely to be competing with multiple applicants for a writing gig. Whether you choose to pursue the lead right away is a judgment call; you may want to put it on the back burner until the new editor has been hired before making a pitch.

Another way that you can mine the Internet for job leads is to check out the metasearch engines like Indeed.com. What I like about these resources is that they pull results from other search engines, but they also display where the ad originally appeared. These are the sites you want to check out.

Not all opportunities for freelancers or job seekers in general appear on the big job boards. Some clients are not prepared to pay the fees they charge for listings or prefer to post their ads on specialty web sites instead. You may not find your dream job posted in the first few minutes of your search, but if you are prepared to roll up your sleeves and do some digging, you can find some hidden gems that are worth applying for.

You Feel You Can Present Yourself Better

There are times when we apply for freelance writing jobs and realize afterward that we could have done a better job at presenting ourselves as a good fit for that client. If you sent off your resume and realized later that you haven’t updated it to include your latest experience and accomplishments, you may want to resubmit it.

You Have Gained More Knowledge or Experience

You may also want to reapply for a writing gig if you have developed more knowledge in the relevant subject area or type of writing the client needs. Before contacting the client again, take the time to rework your writer’s resume to draw attention to why you are a good fit for their needs now.

Tell the prospective client that since the last time you were in touch, you have completed/worked on/taken a course in X, Y, Z. Include relevant samples that support the information set out in your resume.

When You Really Want the Gig

If you have set a goal for yourself to work with a particular client and you have been turned down, you may want to reapply in a few months. It’s possible that the client’s needs may have changed and they need to hire more writers or the person who was hired for the gig didn’t work out.

There is a difference between checking in every few months and becoming a pest, though. If you were turned down because the client simply went with another writer, make sure that you have a reason for keeping in touch. When you send an e-mail, include a link to an article or news story you think the client may be interested in and then ask about available work. This step will help you develop a relationship with that person, which keeps you on that client’s radar the next time they need a writer.

Have you ever reapplied for a freelance writing gig after being turned down? Was the second time the charm in getting hired?

It may be tempting to assume that blind ads have been placed by shady individuals who are either looking to collect personal information or collect free samples from the people who respond. There are legitimate reasons why a business may not want to advertise the fact that it’s hiring for any position, including bringing in freelancers.

For one thing, the company may be doing some restructuring and does not want current staff members to be aware of its plans. Some companies that hire freelancers prefer to keep that information confidential, and use blind ads to get the help they need without making it common knowledge.

If you have decided to respond to a blind ad, go through it carefully to determine what the client is asking for. In a case where the ad is “Writer Needed. Send Resume and Samples,” or something equally brief, I would say you may be better off just letting that one go. A client who isn’t able to give you at least some kind of idea of what they are looking for may not be someone you want to work with.

You could always poke a stick at one of these vague ads, if you were so inclined, by sending an e-mail asking for more information. If you get a canned response within a short time asking you to sign up for something, then you know that you need to just move on.

On the other hand, if you have read through the ad and decided that the opportunity is something you are interested in, make sure that you are providing exactly what the client is asking for. That means if you are asked to provide a resume and samples, do so. Some clients ask for samples only, so don’t send extra information. If you aren’t able to follow the instructions in an ad, a client is not going to hire you for a freelance writing gig.

If the scope of the project is a bit vague, as can definitely happen with blind ads, do put yourself in the client’s shoes and think about what kind of traits you would be looking for if you were hiring freelance talent. Tell the client about your reliability, attention to detail, great research skills, or whatever you bring to the table that makes you stand out from the other people who will be responding as well.

Responding to blind ads can be considered a bit of a gamble, but you can find some great opportunities in the mix as well if you keep in mind that a blind ad doesn’t necessarily mean that you should automatically give it a pass. If you get a response and it’s not what you are looking for, you can turn it down and move on.

What does that mean for freelance writers? Clients are once again focused on projects. Corporate clients who are working with a set budget may be looking to get work assigned and completed before year end.

How do you tap into the freelance writing job market at this time? You start by making a plan. This doesn’t have to be an intimidating process, though. It’s your plan and you can make it as simple or ambitious as you like.

Decide how this endeavor is going to work. Are you going to measure success in dollars taken in, the number of new clients you pick up, or the number of people you approach each week? In order to turn your plan from a simple wish list into a goal, you need to be able to measure how well it’s working for you.

Part of your freelance writing job search should involve flexibility. As you work your plan, if you find that despite your best efforts, you aren’t getting the results you want, go back and make some changes to your plan. If you are actively looking for new clients, it may take some time for the people you are approaching to make the decision to hire you. That doesn’t mean your plan isn’t working; it does mean that it takes time to attract new business.

In the meantime, go through your list of previous clients and make a point of contacting the ones who you haven’t worked with for some time. It’s possible that they are (or soon will be) looking for a writer and by getting in touch first, you make it easy for them to decide to hire you.

If it’s been while since you have worked with someone, make a point of reminding them of what project you worked on when you call or e-mail them. This will help them place you and make it easier for you to ask for more work. When you do make contact, do take a moment to thank the client for their past business. Everyone likes to feel appreciated and this small detail may make the difference between getting a new assignment and hearing, “Thanks, but no thanks.”

What steps are you taking to gear up your freelance writing job search this fall?

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“working for different companies at different times rather than being permanently employed by one company”

A person who can’t hold onto a job for a time is generally looked down upon, since we value people who can commit to an employer for a time. Companies recognize long-term workers and may even provide them with gifts or bonuses in return for their years of service.

If you tell someone you are a freelance writer, what does that say about you? It certainly is an accurate term if you work for clients, as opposed to being an employee who provides writing services, but is it the best way to describe what we do?

I am not suggesting that “freelance” be considered one of the words that we no longer say out loud. It’s not the new “F” word, nor is it a put down like the “R” word or the “N” word. Since writers are all about words and we are usually very precise about the ones we choose to use, let’s consider for a minute other kinds of work that are performed independently that aren’t referred to as “freelance.”

Anyone who operates a business independently is technically a freelancer, but we don’t refer to our doctor, dentist or plumber in that way. We work for ourselves because we choose to do so, not because we can’t commit to a job or (horrors!) no one would want to hire us full time.

So instead of calling yourself a “freelance writer,” why not just say “I’m a writer.” Or an independent writer. Or a professional writer. Or a communications consultant. Heck, you can even call yourself a wizard of words, since there are times when a writer needs to work some magic to pull off some of the assignments he or she takes on. Let’s face it, any job title that implies you get to wear flowing robes and use a wand can’t be all bad….

How do you define yourself as a writer? Are you a freelancer and proud of it, or are there other terms you feel more comfortable with?

Here are some questions to get you started:

• What kind of business does your client operate?
• Do they have an online or brick and mortar presence, or both?
• What kinds of writing needs do they have now?
• What else can you offer to help your client expand their client base or improve the service they offer to existing customers?

Along with the type of writing that a prospective client needs or wants, to get a clear idea of who they are you will need to think about what they value. When I hear people who hire freelancers talk about the writers they work with, a word that comes up often is “reliability,” followed by “flexibility.”

No matter what kind of writing you are doing, being someone who the client can count on to show up and do the work is of prime importance. Many people can share stories of hiring freelancers who simply abandon projects without finishing them. You may know that you are someone who will stick with a project to the end, but unless you make a point of telling your client that, they don’t know.

Another part of knowing your clients is figuring out what their goals are. A corporate client will be on a different track than a non-profit organization. You can even break this idea down to think about how your contribution can help your client reach their goals. You want to present yourself as someone who can become a partner with the client for that specific purpose.

Once you have a clear idea of who your clients are and what they want to achieve, you can focus your search for freelance writing jobs on people and companies who fit the profile you have come up with. A targeted search means you are more likely to find clients who are a good fit for what you can offer as a freelance writer.