Keep Control of Your Freelance Writing Jobs

Freelance writing jobs really are the bread and butter of freelance writers all around the world. As a freelance writer, we won’t find work unless we go out there and get it. And what easier way to visit a freelance writing job website to get work is there?

It really doesn’t take much to score some freelance writing work within a couple of weeks maximum. In the time since I have been a freelance writer, I focused on mainly 3 sites out of my huge freelance writing job websites resource lists and each of these has allowed me to get various freelance clients. Some of which are long term.

Scoring a freelance writing job is really the easy part. What is a lot harder is to balance the various tasks and clients to keep them all satisfied. The worst thing that can happen to a freelance writer is for a client to get upset.

Not only will this tarnish the reputation of the freelance writer, but it might even tarnish the clients trust into the freelance writing job website that referred the client to the freelancer in the first place.

Sure, some circumstances are outside our control and whatever we try to do, we can’t change them. Therefore it is of out most importance to communicate with your clients at all times. Being a freelance writer means I work for myself. I don’t get paid unless I work and if I don’t work properly and my work ethic sucks, then I’m out of work.

To control this somewhat here is a checklist that I use to keep track of my various freelance writing jobs to help me keep control:

1. Having a clear view of my current rates (even if I have to turn some work down)
2. Establishing the deadline for the projected job and making sure I can deliver on time!
3. Using a diary of some kind to note down deadlines. Best is to keep them all on one page like a week to a page diary. This is much easier to oversee when you get busier.
4. All contact details of my client if possible in case of an emergency
5. Being 100 % sure of what exactly the client wants
6. Creating a rough timeline on each client and the time needed to give me an idea on how much else I can take on board besides my own blogging
7. I also make sure that my clients confirm with me to get started after we discussed payment issues. Don’t start work, unless you are both clear of the demands you and your client have.
8. Factoring time for emergencies and other unexpected fallbacks
9. I keep a folder for each of my clients with information related to the work
10. Discuss delivery methods with your clients upfront

These points are the main frame of my freelance writing control center. It allows me to see what’s happening and wether I have room to breathe.

I also don’t want to write more than max 6 hours a day otherwise my brain goes mushy. Unfortunately I’m still trying to get the hang of this as I write here.

You see, keeping control of your freelance writing jobs mustn’t be hard work. After the initial organizational setup, your freelance writing work should run like a well oiled machine.

Monika

The Writers Manifesto Blog

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