Knowing When to Say "When"

I really enjoyed Catalyst Blogger's Friday post because it was truly something I could have written word for word. It might not have come out as nicely phrased as she managed to put it, but I am dealing with an eerily similar situation that also has me wondering whether or not the economy has me willing to put up with a lot more than I normally would. For me the honest answer is 'yes.'

Is it ever really worth it?

I read another writers blog a few weeks ago (sorry, I can't recall which blog right now) and something they wrote stuck in my head: "It's a lot easier to keep a client right now than it is to find a new one." Right then and there I internalized it and accepted it as true. No questions.

I won't bore you with talk of the recession, I'm quite sure you're getting an earful from much more reliable sources. Things are bad all over, the sky is falling, yada, yada, yada – all that. But I've been pretty busy and so have many of my other freelancing colleagues. So why would I blindly accept that blogger's statement as true? It all started with the client in question and the "big project" he'd been promising since last summer…

We've worked together successfully with no real issues for over a year now. So when the anticipated "big project" came, I was quite surprised to find it included a lot of big headaches.

There was a big lack of communication about what was required early on, and a few other culminating issues that resulted in numerous rewrites.

Where do you draw the line?

That's something to think about because a freelance writer's time is extremely valuable. I have gone back and forth with myself over whether or not to let the client go, raise their rates (because the work involved has changed) or just be happy and leave things as they are; but I'm NOT happy. I resent the fact that it is March and the project is still not complete. Reading Jennifer's post made me feel sad that another writer is experiencing anything similar to this.

A glutton for punishment

I have been suffering the circumstances of my own doing. Some writers are very confident in the services they provide, and refuse to lower their rates or their standards. I'm looking to them as examples.

This down period is an excellent time to break into a niche or increase rates because there ARE people out there searching for good writers. I've been doing a lot more marketing and am getting response. I'm also taking every opportunity to keep myself educated and have began to investigate a niche I'd never considered before.

What about you? Does the recession have you dealing with situations that you normally wouldn't?

Fun With Naomi & Havi

Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of "attending" Naomi Dunford and Havi Brooks' "This Whole Recession Thing and What You're Going to Do About It" teleseminar. I have to be honest and tell you I wasn't going to attend because I'm not really freaking out about the recession. Do I wish things were better? Yes, but I'm doing okay and feel pretty confident. Naomi and Havi were offering their business expertise at such a low rate (under 20 bucks!) that I just couldn't say no.
I found it encouraging and uplifting. Naomi's straight forward way of explaining things goes so well with Havi's "get-in-touch-with-your-inner-self" style. A lot of what they shared was really common sense, but I don't think anyone would argue that common sense goes right out the window in the midst of a panic; and let's face it – a lot of people are panicking. I did walk away with some really good advice that I hope to put into practice.

Don't be like everyone else

During this down time, now as people tighten their purses it's more important than ever to stand out and be different from the crowd. Don't set up the same old bland writer's website like everyone else (ehem, I am guilty of this…) and do what you can to stand out when marketing your services too.

Stop being afraid of marketing

I've said it here before, when you're first getting started, or don't have enough clients, you'll spend about 80 percent of your time marketing. Naomi confirmed this number last night. Yes, that's a lot, but it also shows just how important consistently marketing your services really is.
Don't be afraid of marketing – it's not the same as hard sales. When you're on Twitter, on forums, sending out emails or tweaking your website make sure people out there know what you do.

When it comes to existing clients who haven't been advertising as much these days, consider contacting them with a personal message to touch base and say hello. Depending on your relationship, you might even consider reaching out to them and asking if everything is okay. If they are having problems affording your services right now, you might even consider renegotiating your rate for a limited time letting them know that although you don't normally do it, you really want to maintain your working relationship and help them reach their business goals.

This solution isn't for everyone. The most important thing when marketing is to find something you like doing and stick with it.

Include an FAQ on your website

I was going back and forth with this one and had just decided against doing it until attending the seminar last night. Gah! Now guess what I'll be working on this weekend? Naomi suggested doing a bit of research to find out what the top questions are that people online have about your business. Then make sure to answer it in your FAQ's.

There were lots more precious gems tossed around of course, but I'm staying mum hoping that if Naomi and Havi offer another opportunity like this one, you'll jump on it.:-)

As Naomi said in closing, recessions always end. The important thing right now is to use this downtime to plan and position yourself NOW to reap the benefits fully when things turn around.

Do You Have the Attitude to be a Successful Freelance Writer in 2009?

I think this is a question every freelance writer should ask himself or herself. Times are tough, but it's possible to come out of this mess with a more solid, successful freelance writing business than before. Your attitude will have a lot to do with it.

I regularly spend time on a certain freelance writing forums, and have noticed threads popping up where writers discuss the dismal outlook for freelance writers in this economy. Here are a list of the main complaints I've observed:

1. There's not enough work

2. Now everyone will start freelancing to supplement their income which means even more competition in this troubled industry

3. I could always rely on www.xxx.com content site for my income and now they're cutting back on how much I can write.

Finding freelance writing work

There were more complaints, but these are the ones I typically see repeated. I don't buy it. Personally, I've never been busier. I had plans to start a few personal projects during December 2008 thinking that it would be pretty slow, but that didn't happen. Instead I worked non-stop, including weekends, for a month (this will be my first weekend off). I don't do bidding sites (and I don't knock those who do, so please don't take my words out of context), but I do apply for work on job boards and I do my own marketing. There is work out there, people. If you don't believe me, go here and here to see for yourself. They post plenty of freelance writing and blogging jobs regularly.

More competition

If you're worrying about all of the people losing their jobs that might become competing freelance writers, I say don't bother. If you continue providing your clients with excellent customer service and quality content, they will be satisfied. That's not to say that you shouldn't start seeking projects with companies that have more staying power in this economy. Download the FREE 2008 – 2009 Freelance Writing Jobs Report on the left side of this blog. In it Yuwanda Black has compiled some pretty useful research.

Many people who do try out freelance writing won't stick with it because it's not exactly a walk in the park. My philosophy is to worry more about perfecting my own game and less time worrying about the competition.

Diversify your income

Stop relying on one source of income for your financial security. This has never been good business for freelance writers and that goes double for now. Content sites can shut down without warning. A client could suddenly stop sending you work. Diversify your income with a mix of residual income and billable hours.

Now is the time to re-strategize your business operations. Don't waste time complaining and giving in to defeat. If you're dealing with confidence issues as a writer, admit it and commit to do something about it. Utilize your public library's fee classes and countless books, take a class online or at a local college. Find a writing buddy online and help each other by editing/proofing and offering feedback on your projects. Here is an inspirational post from someone refusing to participate in the recession. There are some businesses doing well despite the economic downturn. Your mindset has so much to do with your success.