It’s the end of the year and everyone is getting retrospective, including your editors and clients. What will they remember most? Your killer copy? That amazing lede (lead) you wrote? How many times you were late with an article? How hard you are to critique? If you’ve been naughty you can’t rewrite the past, but you can begin to repair your reputation with clients and editors by asking one simple question: How can I better serve you? Writing is a business and you provide a service. Good customer service will keep you in business for years to come so why [Read more…]
When a Client Doesn't Want to Work with You Anymore….
July 3, 2010. 1 Comment
This post was inspired by the thread I spotted on an online forum where a writer had been “fired” by a client and was asking whether to ask for her “job” back. The words “fired” and “job” have quotes around them because they don’t really apply in this situation. If you are a freelance writer, you are your own boss. You don’t have a job, you have assignments, and a client can’t fire you in the same way that an employer can. If you have received the, “this isn’t working out” message from a client, you have choices. You can [Read more…]
Why the S.Larson Approach to Customer Service Doesn’t Work
April 10, 2010. 6 Comments
S.Larson has been sending me customer service notes from Citibank for decades. At first I didn’t give “S” a second thought. Just a random worker on an impersonal form letter…nothing to see here. After several years, I began to wonder about “S.” This person, with the unchanging signature, was a long-time staple, handling my account for over a decade. What a good worker this person must be in order to have such longevity! But then I had some questions: Was S.Larson a man or a woman? S/he was starting to resemble a gender-netural “Pat” like person in my mind. If [Read more…]
Top 10 Freelance Writing Time Suck Tasks
March 9, 2010. 12 Comments
If you’re a newbie to freelance writing, you’re no doubt looking forward to getting down to the writing. I’m here to tell you most of running a successful freelance writing business has nothing to do with writing. We all spend a huge bulk of our day handling a bunch of time sucking tasks which doesn’t always make freelance writing seem like that attractive a career choice. Still, they’re necessary for success. Here are my Top 10 Freelance Writing Time Suck Tasks. 1. Email I’m sure I’m not the only blogger who receives hundreds of pieces of email each day. I [Read more…]
Rewarding Your Long Term Freelance Writing Clients for Customer Loyalty
February 18, 2010. 2 Comments
I just got off the phone with my Mom. We had a very interesting discussion about customer loyalty, which provides the inspiration for this post. You see, my mom’s contract with her calling plan is ending and she doesn’t want to pay the astronomical new rate. I suggested she contact the company and ask what plans they have in place to reward existing customers for their customer loyalty. She wasn’t aware she could do this, checked it out, and indeed received a discounted rate for the new package. It occurs to me we should also be rewarding long term freelance [Read more…]
40 Lessons Learned in Ten Years as a Freelance Writer
February 11, 2010. 13 Comments
As I was writing 40 Lessons Learned Over Ten Years of Blogging yesterday, I was inspired to also note my lessons learned as a freelance writer. 2010 marks my tenth anniversary as freelancer and while I may not have taken a traditional approach to my career, I still believe there are some important lessons to share. Don’t jump into it blind: When I’m asked to give tips for new writers, my first tip is always to research before beginning. It’s not enough for a writer to wake up one day and say, “I know. I think I’ll write. Yeah…that’s it.” [Read more…]
6 Tips for Receiving Feedback from Your Freelance Writing Clients
November 6, 2009. 4 Comments
Client feedback is essential for freelance writing success. Even though we may not want to receive constructive criticism, not to do so could mean the end of our business. Look at it this way, even negative feedback offers the opportunity for improvement. Soliciting feedback from clients is just good customer service. Some freelancers aren’t sure how to take criticism, or what to say to a client who offers unsolicited advice. What follows are some tips for receiving feedback from your freelance writing clients. 1. Say “thank you” When your clients offer feedback, say “thank you.” Don’t take issue, don’t take [Read more…]
Why Customer Loyalty is So Important
March 5, 2009. 9 Comments
I’ll say it again. There is no secret to freelance writing success. You work hard, turn in clean copy, rock the communication and you’ll do well. It’s the folks that are only going through the motions that seem to struggle.Even though the above-mentioned items are important, I one thing I learned over the last decade is that clients appreciate loyalty more than anything you have to offer. I’m going to use Jodee as a case in point. We began working together two years ago after I posted an ad at the WAHM forum. Since hiring Jodee she’s been a dream [Read more…]
5 Things About Freelance Writing Jobs I Wish I Knew When I Was Starting Out
November 22, 2008. 13 Comments
by Deborah Ng When I first began freelancing in 2000 I thought I had an edge. I spent a dozen years in publishing, after all. That experience should work to my advantage, right? Well…yes and no. It gave me some good ideas about customer service, what editors look for and more. There were some areas however, in which I was a little green. There are a few things I had to figure out on my own. I’d like to share them with you today. 1. There Are Different Types of Freelance Writing Jobs I was kind of surprised at all [Read more…]
10 Necessary Freelance Writing Multi-Tasks
November 18, 2008. 6 Comments
I write a lot of posts on things freelance writers need to do besides writing. When you think about it, we wear many different hats. Writing is a small part of what we have to do on a regular basis if we want to be successful at our jobs. Here are some of the jobs we need to do well if we hope to make it as a 1. Job Hunt Freelance writers have to take some time out each day or several times a week to hunt for new opportunities. You might do this by querying magazines or reading [Read more…]
What My Neighbor's Teen Can Teach You About Customer Service
November 13, 2008. 20 Comments
by Deb Ng My husband and I have a splurge we feel is justified. We pay local landscapers to mow own lawn. We’re both busy with our careers and our son and don’t want to lose precious down time spending an hour on the lawn tractor each weekend (not that we have one of those.). We recently employed a new landscaper because we felt he offered a good price and he came recommended. I have to admit, his lawn crew does an awesome job, but the customer service sucks. Every time I call, the landscaper’s wife (who runs the business [Read more…]
Who Are You Writing For?
November 12, 2008. 1 Comment
by Deb Ng When you accept an assignment, what’s the first thing you do? Depending on the task, one might assume you either begin writing or researching the subject matter. Perhaps you Google the topic or go to the library. You might even call a few experts to interview. Do you research the readership as well? If not, you might consider moving this to the top of your list. It’s not enough to simply write an article or blog post. Knowing who you’re writing for will help to set the tone and ensure you have the correct focus. Trust Me, [Read more…]
