When a client (or any employer) puts out an ad looking for help, they are usually swamped with responses. It’s not uncommon for a single ad to generate 200 responses (or more). How do you stand out from the crowd of other people (in a positive way) who are trying to get the same freelance writing gig? Follow Instructions One thing that will set you apart from the rest of the pack is to follow the instructions in the ad to the letter. If the client is asking for a resume, send your most recent version. On the other hand, [Read more…]
Attitude Counts When Looking for Freelance Work
December 30, 2009. Leave a Comment
Is looking for freelance work a necessary evil to you or something that you take in stride as part of the life of a freelancer? No matter how busy we may be at any particular point in time, we need to keep in mind that things can change very quickly. A client who was keeping us busy with steady work may not have much for us at a particular point in time. We may decide that it’s time to move on from a client or a type of work we have outgrown. The gig may be for a specific project [Read more…]
No Jargon Allowed: Keep it Simple When Applying for a Writing Gig
December 24, 2009. 1 Comment
Have you ever visited a company’s web site and been left in the dark about what it actually does after reading through the copy? If your reaction after checking out the “About Us” page is to say “Huh?” to yourself, it’s definitely not a good sign. Some people resort to using buzz words that sound impressive but which don’t really mean anything. For example, the expression “taking [something] to the next level” sounds impressive, but unless you know what the current level is, how do you know what the next one should be? When you are applying for a freelance [Read more…]
You Have a Full Plate: Do You Still Look for Work?
August 26, 2009. 8 Comments
The short answer to this question is “Yes.” Marketing your writing business should be an ongoing activity. Many freelancers have peaks and valleys in their work load. It goes with the territory. If you want to keep the work coming in, you should be constantly doing activities that will grow your business. Even if you are at the point where your time is completely booked and you couldn’t possibly squeeze one more thing in, do it anyway. Find a few minutes to check out job boards, the job leads we post here at FWJ, to make a couple of cold [Read more…]
