Dear Jodee, Most of the time when I submit my work to a client, it is accepted the first time. There are times, though, when I have a run where several pieces are sent back. During these times, I start to wonder about the quality of the work that I do and I feel a bit insecure about continuing to do work for clients. What would you suggest? R.J. Dear R.J., I think that to be involved in creative work always involves a certain amount of insecurity. You can’t just show up and expect to get paid; instead, you have [Read more…]
Getting Through a Slump in Your Freelance Writing
February 9, 2011. 13 Comments
Dear Readers, I wanted to share a comment with you that was posted here the other day: I have been in a bit of a dry patch since Christmas! I worry more about how I’m going to get the payment off my client than how I’m going to get the job. There are so many people out there that are ignorant, cheap and lousy. They don’t pay enough, they want the best possible work for $5 and then when it comes to payment they sneak off. I fully appreciate being concerned about whether or when payment is going to be [Read more…]
How To Deal with the Salutation in an E-mail to a Prospective Client
Why You should Err on the Side of Being Too Formal when Making Contact
January 19, 2011. 15 Comments
Dear Jodee, When I’m responding to freelance writing job ads, I don’t always have a contact name for the client. How do I handle the salutation? Will Write for Money Dear Money Writer, E-mail is a little different from sending a letter by regular mail. People tend to be a little less formal when communicating in this manner. While that may be acceptable when you are sending a note to a friend or a family member, you will want to be more formal when you are communicating with a potential client. If you have the name of a specific contact [Read more…]
Saying No After Receiving Deposit
How to Deal When You've Miscalculated Your Skills, Availability
December 22, 2010. 4 Comments
This question was left in comments recently on the subject of saying No to a client gracefully and I thought it was a great one to address in a column. Dear Jodee, I wonder what if there’s money involved already – Let’s say you got a 50% down payment for the project that you can’t simply do because you’ve miscalculated your time, skills and effort for the job. Is it okay to return the payment and say no? I think it will be very unfair for the client who expected you to work on the project already — as you [Read more…]
How Can I Say No to a Client Gracefully?
This Time it is You
December 15, 2010. 2 Comments
Dear Jodee, I’ve applied for gigs where there isn’t a lot of detail given in the ad. When the client gets in touch with more information, I realize that I’m really not interested in going any further; the pay is either less than what I am prepared to accept or the subject or the scope of the project isn’t what I’m looking for. How do I say No with some class when the client is clearly interested in getting started and this is not the right gig for me? Tongue-tied Dear Tongue-tied, Your issue is not about not being able [Read more…]
How to Deal When a Client Drags Their Feet
Do You Wait it Out or Move On?
November 10, 2010. 5 Comments
Dear Jodee, What do you do when a client wants to hire you but then drags their feet getting you the necessary material, putting you behind on schedule on their project AND others? Dawn Dear Dawn, When a client wants to hire you but doesn’t finalize the arrangement by giving you a deposit and/or providing you with the materials you need to get started, you don’t really have the gig yet. You’re still just talking. At the risk of sounding sexist, it’s like the man who tells a woman at the end of a date, “I had a nice time. [Read more…]
Rejected by Company with One-Application Only Rule
Should I Reapply Anyway?
September 22, 2010. 3 Comments
Hey Jodee- Nice to have someone other than my husband to ask- he has no clue obviously being a watch commander/Lt law enforcement. Writing all my life whenever possible, I jumped in the blogging arena six months ago. Because I have a background in varied, high profile subjects, I submitted my resume, as well as a sample of my writing to On Demand Studios. Having not been creative enough on my resume, what stood out was the ten years since I retired; Those years were filled with topics readers are fascinated with, yearning to find more information on (other than [Read more…]
Difference Between a Resume and a Portfolio?
Where You've Been and What You Can Do
August 25, 2010. 5 Comments
Dear Jodee, I’ve actually been wondering, what differentiates a portfolio from a resume? As a new freelancer, I’ve put any writing done in my portfolio, and it feels less like a presentation of work and more like an info dump. Thanks! Ashley Dear Ashley, Your portfolio is made up of your writing samples. If you are a new writer, it may look mostly like an info dump, as you say, but over time you will be able to update them to feature not only your best work, but ones that are relevant to the opportunity you are applying for or [Read more…]
Help Me Break Into Medical Writing
August 18, 2010. 6 Comments
Dear Jodee, I have been a nurse for many years and have been looking to transition into writing, (either full-time or freelance). I do have a few clips under my belt (I write for About.com, and I have a book due to be published in January). I have been applying for many, many positions (both freelance and full-time work) all in a medical writing capacity, to try to leverage my nursing experience. However, because almost all of my professional experience has been clinical, I’ve been finding it very difficult to find anything. Is it worth going back to school to [Read more…]
Nervous About New Freelance Writing Gig
August 11, 2010. 3 Comments
Welcome to the first installment of FWJ’s freelance writing advice column. We invite your questions about anything to do with freelance writing, and will strive to provide you with helpful information. Here is today’s question: Dear Jodee, I’ve just been hired for a gig that I’m really excited about and I’ve received my first set of instructions. I have to admit that I’m nervous about this; I don’t want to miss anything and ruin this opportunity. What can I do to get rid of the jitters? Dear Jittery Writer, First of all, congrats on getting the new gig. The first [Read more…]
Introducing the New Freelance Writing Advice Column and a Call for Submissions
August 6, 2010. 13 Comments
I’m very happy to announce that Freelance Writing Jobs is launching a new weekly column called Freelance Writing Advice. Think of it as the Dear Abby of the freelance writing world, and our “Abby” will be none other than Freelance Writing Jobs veteran contributor Jodee Redmond! Jodee currently writes in the job hunting tips section of Freelance Writing Jobs where she covers topics like developing good relationships with clients, how to know when to say goodbye to a client, and much more. Do you have a freelance writing question? Jodee’s new Freelance Writing Advice column will debut on Wednesday, August [Read more…]
At What Stage Should a Writer Start a Freelance Writing Blog?
March 8, 2009. 33 Comments
So I have a gripe. And just like the (now defunct) post “Freelance Writing is Not a Work from Home !!!! Job”, it’s about the folks who just wake up one day and decide they’re going to be a writer. Specifically the folks who have been freelancing for two weeks and feel they’re qualified to give advice with their own freelance writing blog. I hesitated before writing this post. When you think about it, what makes anyone (me included) qualified to write a blog offering freelance writing advice? This blog didn’t start out that way, however. It was just a [Read more…]
