Going Freelance: Things you should know before you dive in Monday, 08 March 2010 08:34 Written by Iris Jumbe

I wrote this entry primarily off the back of my experience with freelance copywriting and editing. It may translate across all industries. It may not.

1. Strip away the romance

Before you go into freelancing, think about what it is. Freelancing is a lot of things. But it is not:

-   The easy option for people who don’t have the discipline for a 9 – 5
-   A lifestyle choice so you can to go on vacation at the drop of a hat
-   For people who have yet to “find” themselves
-   Easy money

Freelancing is hard work. A lot of the time you will have to work against the misconception that being a freelancer, particularly if you’re a writer, you are just indulging a hobby until you decide to get a “proper” job. This is something you have to battle against. By “battle” I mean to dispel that misconception by being ultra professional. From something as pernickety as sending out only thoroughly spellchecked emails (with appropriate subjects lines!), to turning up looking crisp and sharp to client meetings (which should really be regarded as job interviews because you are only ever as a good as the last project you delivered).

So, get a proper sense of what freelancing is. Say goodbye to weekends and holidays (in the beginning at least) and be prepared to be on the go for a lot of the time as you build up your portfolio and customer base.

2. Have savings

Don’t except to make money right away. In fact, if, after the first few months, you are managing to cover your costs through your freelance income, consider yourself a superstar. It can take a while to get your feet firmly under the table. Having financial support, to keep you from disintegrating into a mangled clump of freaked outness, is huge. Don’t forget that there are no perks with freelancing: if you stop working, for whatever reason, so the money will stop coming in. Start off with a healthy buffer – at least a couple of months’ worth.

3. Be organized

There are three parts to this: have a plan, have realistic projections, and have a back-up plan. You can’t just jump headlong into “freelancing”. Questions need to be answered: What is my client base going to be? How am I going to market myself? How much money do I plan to make in the first 3 months / 6 months / year? What will happen if I fall short of these projections? How much will I charge? At this rate, will there be any money to put aside for a rainy day? Will it be enough for my health insurance? For a vacation? If Method A of drumming up business fails, what will be Method B? I have Excel spreadsheets for everything. And by that I mean absolutely everything. Color-coded spreadsheets that tell me who, what, when and how much. As a one-man band, you are your own marketing, PR department, accountant, business development officer and assistant. It’s a lot to keep track of. Don’t fall behind on keeping track and planning ahead.

4. Always be “on”

We know that networking is a big part of freelancing but opportunities for work don’t always come dressed as such. I’d say that well over half of the projects that have dropped into my lap, as opposed to the ones I’ve actively sought out, have been through unrelated conversations with people either in social settings or online . Being on is about keeping your ears pricked and eyes peeled for opportunities – wherever you are. If it sounds exhausting, that’s because it can be. But snoozers are losers, so it’s worth doing.

Of course it requires a little bit of finesse. I’m not talking about shoving your card down the throat of every single person you encounter at weddings and parties. I’m talking about, in the back of your head, carrying that awareness that says to you, ok, this guy, John, he’s a communications director, and he’s talking about a big international conference they’re going to be holding in a few weeks. I’m pretty sure he’s going to need all sorts of press releases, speeches, and marketing emails. Hey! That’s what I do! Note to self: get John’s card. And that’s the difference between the obtrusive opportunist and the smart opportunity recogniser (catchy, eh?).

Rather than give someone my business card, I prefer to take theirs. And I make it a point – within 48hrs – to send them an email. If I’ve met them in a social setting, I do not pitch them in that email. For me, it feels kind of discordant and…off to try and cobble together “Hey it was fun meeting you last night” with “Throw some work my way, why don’t ya?” . Instead I send a little: “Hey, really cool to meet you”. And I let my email signature – which has my website logo, my blog, my phone and fax numbers, links to my work and my testimonials incorporated into it – do the pitching for me. If that person is interested there and then, he’ll check it out. If not, i.e. if the subtle/conversational approach doesn’t work, then I can try again later.

Every quarter, I send out a mail shot to everyone whose cards I’ve collected over a 12-week period. Some of them I’ve met up with for coffee, others have inquired about my rates. I tweak the emails, to make sure that that they are not obviously generic and to include at least one unique thing I know about each contact’s work. I’m still not convinced this is the most time-efficient way of doing things but I do know that of the junk and goo that comes into my inbox, the emails I pay attention to are the ones that are targeted specifically at me, the individual; rather than me, the demographic. I get at least one email to convert with each mail shot. How many emails I send out depends on how sociable I feel in the preceding weeks but the investment in time is definitely worth it. So, be on, all the time. Until you’re on vacation. On the first day of Never. (Kidding)

5. Don’t be afraid to turn work down

Not everyone will want to pay you what you are worth. You have to be prepared to walk away from these gigs. I’m not talking about being inflexible with your rates. I’m talking about not closing yourself off from new opportunities by getting locked into a project that grossly underpays.

A couple of months ago, a writer asked me to look at a book he’d just completed. It was just under 500 pages long. The first thing I did was ask whether he wanted the book proofed or edited. He wasn’t sure of the distinction so I took a page of text and proofread it and then I edited the same page of text and showed him the comparison. He opted for the edit. I then estimated the time it took me to edit that one page. I did the sums, multiplying what I had done by 500 and figured that to edit the book would take over 100hrs. I quoted a rate that reflected this and the writer decided against working with me because the quote was too high – even after I’d offered a lower quote.

When that happened, I got unsure of myself and wondered if I should’ve dropped my price beyond what I consider my absolute floor. But had I done that, not only would I have been taking a huge cut on my regular hourly rate – I also would’ve been unable to source new projects, or take on new work during that time because the deadline was a tight one. To be stuck with one project that is paying you less than your break-even price is no good. When I looked at it like that, I was ok with the writer’s decision. Even though it’s a project I’d have loved to do.

6. Have a finely tuned BS meter

People will try to get you to do work for free by promising all sorts of frilly extras. Should you do it? No. Although with this point it’s hard to talk in absolute absolutes. In the beginning, to get your feet under the table and to give you that little fillip of confidence that comes with successfully completing a job, it can be worth doing non-paying work – as long as you get something from it. A byline. A link to your website. A testimonial. All of the above. Having said that, and without being overly cynical about things, do remember that when all’s said and done, the client will look after his bottom line; you need to look after for yours. So ask yourself: are the trimmings that come with this non-paying job going to convert, one way or another, to money in the bank. If not, run. Run for your life.

7. Always be a rock star.

For the most part, 9-5’ers don’t have to deal with this issue. By that I don’t mean that they can get away with shoddy work, I mean that when you are a freelancer, the last project is the only one that counts. If you mess it up, goodnight Vienna. There are a million other people waiting to take your place. It sounds awful to say but you, the freelancer, are dispensable. No HR karma for you. When you do a project, you want your client to feel that he has found “The One” to turn to when copy issues arise and, more importantly, you want him to recommend you to others. There is no more resonating endorsement than the one that comes from a satisfied customer.

8. When the going gets tough, make a list

I’ve said it before but it does bear repeating: Freelancing is hard, y’all. Why persist with it, then?

• You get to be your own boss.
• You choose who you work with, and who you don’t.
• You have complete control of the projects you get involved in.
• You can take a break when you need it, for as long as you need.
• You can work from absolutely anywhere, wearing absolutely anything and at any time of the night or day.
• You never have to attend another nightmare team-building event ever again.
• When you kick ass, all the credit goes to you. Score one for the glory hogs!
• You get to focus on doing what you are good at.

The lows are the bitter you have to suck on, in the beginning, to get to the sweet.

If you love it, stick at it. What I do, when the going gets tough, is make a list. The list always has two options. The same two options:

1) give up
2) don’t give up

When you look at it like that, in black and white, it’s a no-brainer. If you are struggling, the answer is rarely to just throw more hours at the problem. Us freelancers are already a pretty diligent bunch. The answer might not be work harder, but work smarter. Are you targeting the right people with your emails? Have you tried cold calling? Is your portfolio representative enough of the type of the work that’s in demand right now? Are you adding fresh skills to your resume on a regular basis to keep you ahead of the pack? All things to keep in mind when you are in a bit of a slump.

Don’t give up though. And enjoy it. You get to do the job you love, all day, every day. Good luck!

Source and copyright: artonym.com

Comments 

 

#3 RE: Going Freelance: Things you should know before you dive in — Iris 2010-03-17 09:32

Yeah, agree with both those things, Arianne. It is easy to underestimate how long it can take really get into your financial groove.

And communications-related work is tough that way: making the distinction between someone who actually trains and develops their language skills for a certain job versus someone who is just a native speaker. You could even argue that, in principle, second language speakers are more suited to a job like editing, for example, because they have to learn the rules of language before breaking them.

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#2 RE: Going Freelance: Things you should know before you dive in — ariannef 2010-03-15 17:42

You're preaching to the choir ;-)

I've been a full time freelance translator for 2 years now (just under 2 years in-house before that). What I have to struggle against is people who assume that being bilingual = being a translator (ie. it must be so easy because you're bilingual). I used to compare it to the difference between knowing your times tables and being an engineer... yes you need the former to become the later but having the former in no way qualifies you to work as the later ;-)

In China I've found it easiest to compare it to the 2-tier English teaching field - ie. some teachers' only qualification is that they speak English and others have a 4 year degree in teaching... I then add that I have a B.A. specialized in Translation and then people usually nod & get that I'm more than a chick who speaks 2 languages ;-)

If anyone else is also testing the waters - it took me about 8 months to hit the break-even point and this is with experience and a degree in the field - another 12 months making more than I spend and paying back the debts of those first 8 months. Now I'm finally in the black and building a nest egg. So 2 years is a pretty conservative estimate of how long it'll take until you hit your stride; you have no debts, you know how much work is coming your way, you don't need to compromise on rates, etc.

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#1 Spot On! — aLeGnaRoMa 2010-03-09 00:07

Very good article, with lots of valuable insights. Freelancing is both fun and challenging.

I have been [sort of] freelancing for two years already, although I kept my 9-5 job, and I love it!

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