3 Characteristics of a Successful Freelance Writer

You may have heard it said that anyone can become a freelance writer. While this may be true to an extent, the ones who make it for the long haul stand out from the crowd. Outside of having writing skills (a MUST), these are the 3 key characteristics that will help ensure your greater success. If you don't have these skills perfected, there are steps you can take to improve them and we've included tips for you below.

Successful Freelancers Stick to Their Schedule

As a freelancer it's tempting to play hooky. When you're the boss nobody knows if you're working or playing. In fact, your client doesn't really care as long as you get your work done and respond to them promptly.

However, as you already know, things happen. If you wait until the very last minute to work on a project chances are that's the day you're going to be sick. That's the day your internet is going to go down. It's very stressful and often puts you in a situation where you have to ask the client for more time. That's not a good way to earn repeat business or referrals.

Sticking to a schedule accomplishes a few things. The first is that it helps you stay relatively stress free. This is important or you're going to get burnt out quickly. Your schedule also helps you plan for play time. Finally, sticking to a schedule helps you remain professional.

Make sure you schedule your work hours and prioritise client work. Figure out which times of day are your most productive and take advantage of that. And most importantly, don't take on more than you can manage and make client satisfaction a priority.

Successful Freelancers Know Their Market

It's very important for you to know your customer inside and out. What do they need? Why do they need it? How can you offer them the best value possible? When you understand your market, your customer, then you can offer them exactly what they need. It makes being a freelancer much easier and more profitable.

But more than that, they know how to target their IDEAL CLIENT. The client who is going to be easiest to work with, value your time and pay you well. We include detailed training for you in our WriterHelpWanted membership to help you identify those best clients for you.

Successful Freelancers Actively Market Their Skills

Rather than sitting back and waiting for new clients to come to them, a successful freelancer markets their services and seeks customers and projects. Marketing isn't something everyone loves to do. However, if you want to make money as a freelancer it's important to market your services. Additionally, if you enjoy your freelance specialty and/or niche then marketing is actually quite fun.

It's easy to get busy with clients and then forget to continue to market yourself, but marketing is an important part of your business. Make sure you:

* Help your client identify the ongoing needs they have for your service and show them how it will help them grow their business.
* Ask for referrals and actively follow up with those referrals.
* Build relationships with other freelancers, so you can refer work to one another

It can be very rewarding to be a freelancer and if you're already freelancing, you know it can also be quite challenging. Approach your freelance career as if you were creating a business...because you are creating a business. Plan your business. Create policies and procedures. Establish a system of working that balances work and free time. The more professional your freelance business is, the more successful you'll be.

Want to Write for a Living? Here Are the Obstacles to Overcome

WriterHelpWanted.com co-founders, Ron Douglas and Alice Seba, recently got together to discuss the 5 obstacles that keep most writer from earning a good living from their writing. Click here to access this eye-opening recording.

Getting Your First Writing Client and Then Some

Your first client may be your most important one. They may also be the toughest client to get. As a freelance writer, clients want to see that you have experience. However, if you're new to freelancing then you may not have any experience to share. It's a frustrating circle.

The good news is that there are several ways to gain your first client and that valuable experience that you need. Let's talk about how to get your first clients and then help you step things up and gather even more valuable clients for your business.


Getting Your First Clients


1 Freelance Job Sites

Job sites provide you with the opportunity to gain a freelance job. The downside to many freelance job sites is that they often don't pay well. However, if you're looking to build your portfolio and your experience then the fee is secondary. You can quickly get the experience that you need through sites like Upwork, Freelancer and others.

#2 Non-Profits

Non-profit organizations need help. Your valuable skills can benefit them and give you the experience you need. And people who work for non-profit organizations are generally very good about paying it forward. When you do a great job for them they may become your best referral source.

#3 Spec

Some freelance providers can benefit by doing work on spec. This means the client doesn't pay for the work unless they like it. If they use your work then they pay you. It seems risky, but whether you get paid or not, you're getting material for your portfolio. Ask for referrals from people you know to get work like this.


Getting More Clients As You Get More Experience
How many clients do you want to have? Do you want a full schedule, 40 hours or more a week? Or do you want just a few clients annually? Part of building a freelance business that meets your goals is to focus on marketing your business and getting more clients. Here are a few tips and strategies to get more clients for your freelance business.

Network

Networking both online and off is a fantastic way to build a solid freelancing business. Online and off you can connect with potential clients and potential partners. Partnerships with other freelancers can be extremely profitable.

For example, if you're a web content writer, you might partner with a graphic designer to create complete website packages for your clients.

And when you know other business owners and build those connections, you never know where work or referrals will come from. And speaking of referrals, that's the next point.

Referrals

Word of mouth is excellent. It truly helps build a freelance business because the testimonial for your business is coming from someone else. You can encourage word of mouth by offering a referral bonus. For example, any client that sends a new client to you gets a percentage off their next project. You can maintain your referral business and track referrals by simply asking each new client how they've heard about you.

Showcasing Your Freelance Portfolio or Resume

One of the best ways to get more clients and to establish your credibility is to have a winning portfolio. You also have to make sure your portfolio is available to view. The easiest way to accomplish this is to place your portfolio on your website or blog. 

If you're a writer then you can easily post writing samples, but make sure you have permission from clients to do so. List the companies you've worked with. If they have websites, then link to them. Your portfolio or resume helps establish credibility. It gives potential prospects some confidence that they can count on you to satisfy their needs.

Build Your Website

Many writers start with freelance sites and rely on their profiles from those sites, but don't get stuck there. Have your own website where clients can come to you when they need you, instead of you chasing down work all the time. A website allows you to showcase your specialty, grow your mailing list of potential clients and gives your clients an easy place to refer new clients to.

Make sure your website includes:

* Your portfolio
* Testimonials/References
* About Me Page
* Services
* Pricing
* Contact information
* Policies and procedures
* FAQs

But most importantly, make sure it shows why you're the go-to person for your type of writing service. Stand apart from the crowd and you're more likely to attract the precise client you're looking for.

As you've probably gathered, there are abundant opportunities for freelance writers online. You just have to get out there and get them.


What to Do Next: Download This Free
If you're ready to start brainstorming on the writing markets you might explore, we've got a free guide called 34 Ways to Profit from Your Writing. It's a sneak peek into our Writer Help Wanted membership (see more here ) that gives you the training, resources and handy tools to help you write for a living.

Get the free guide here: 

How To Raise Your Self Esteem

How Raising Self-Esteem Makes You Independent

Many swear by the effectiveness of raising their self-esteem in establishing their independence. Have you been curious as to what this could do for you and how you could work to boost your self-esteem? Let us help!

In this article, you’ll learn the following:
● How raising your self-esteem can help establish your independence
● How raising your self-esteem can help ensure you retain your independence
● How to raise your self-esteem - basic practices to get you started

Raising Self-Esteem Boosts Your Confidence
The major way that raising self-esteem can make you independent is by boosting your confidence. The more confident you are, the more independent you’re going to want to be.
It will inspire you to not only insist on your independence but demand you get it. As you boost your self-esteem and you become more confident, you’ll find that you have more of a command over your independence.

Raising Self-Esteem Establishes What You Deserve
With higher self-esteem, you’ll find that you have a better understanding of what it is that you deserve. You’ll find yourself settling less and less and truly going after what it is you want in life.
You won’t let others control you, treat you poorly, or take advantage you. Understanding what it is you deserve in life will help you become more independent.

You deserve to make your own decisions, live your life how you want to, and enjoy your independence.
When you have higher self-esteem and a better understanding of what you deserve, you don’t settle for anything less.

Having Higher Self-Esteem and More Confidence Helps You Retain Your Independence
When you have higher self-esteem and the influx of confidence that comes along with that, you demand that you retain your independence. You don’t stand for people taking control over what you want, what you do, or any part of your life.
You demand the independence you worked so hard to gain. Working to raise your self-esteem helps to not only affirm your independence but also ensure that it doesn’t go anywhere, and no one infringes upon yours.

How to Raise Your Self-Esteem
Now that you know what raising your self-esteem can do for you, it’s time to put the work in to actually raise it. The following are great starter practices to turn into a routine that will boost your self-esteem in no time: Affirming Your Worth Throughout your day, give yourself a pep talk in the mirror.

Tell yourself what you’re worth, who you are, and what you deserve. Remind yourself that you are strong, incredible, and valuable. You’re a unique person with great, unique things to offer this world; remind yourself regularly.

Refusing to Settle You deserve nothing but the best in life. You don’t deserve to be treated worse, have less, or be in any way lesser. You must absolutely refuse to settle for anything less than you deserve if you ever hope to affect a change in your self-esteem, confidence, and independence.

Sticking to Your Guns You have to stick with these efforts and routines for a longer period of time if you ever hope to accomplish your goals in raising your self-esteem and claiming your independence once and for all. Don’t let yourself back-petal.
Maintain the progress you’ve made and continue pushing forward.

Raising your self-esteem can most certainly help you boost your confidence, claim your independence, and retain it.
Through the efforts made to improve your self-esteem, you will see a vast improvement in your quality of life and mental health.

So, what are you waiting for? Get started today.

How To Design A Plan For Your Life

Life is to be savoured and enjoyed. Each person on earth deserves to have a wonderful life. However, in order to live a life you love, it’s important to consider a Life Plan in which you’ve formulated everything you want out of life.

•  Your Home. This chapter encourages you to consider whether you’re living in the place you want and the type of home you prefer. Also, setting up your home to fit your wants and needs is addressed.
• Career and Work. In this chapter, you’ll be asked to ponder your career and ask yourself if you’re getting everything out of your work that you’re seeking. Also, you’ll be encouraged to think about whether you’re doing the type of work you want.
• Love Relationships and Family. What are your desires about your love relationship and family? Reflect on your current love relationship and whether your wants and needs are met in the relationship.

• This section covers how you feel about your friends. You’ll think about whether your current choice of friends are the kind of friends you want.
• Physical and emotional health issues are explored in relation to your wants and needs. Consider any changes you want to make in these areas and include them in your plan.
• Because each person has his own list of desired character traits, this chapter asks that you consider your own character traits — those you have and those you’d like to have or alter in some way. Desirable character traits can be developed and therefore, should be written into your Life Plan.
• Hobbies and Activities. This chapter prompts you to explore your use of spare time. As you think about the hobbies and activities you seek to do, you can make them a part of your plan for life.

• Intellectual and Cultural Pursuits. People vary widely in terms of what they seek intellectually and culturally. This chapter addresses these subjects and asks you to include these areas in your Life Plan, if you deem them important and valuable in your own life.

Designing your own Life Plan can be an enjoyable experience. In order to create your own plan, think about the various areas of your life: your home, work, relationships, family, friends, health, character, use of spare time, and your desire for intellectual and cultural activities.

Your life will become more fulfilling when you write and follow your OWN Life Plan!

If you need help designing a plan, then speak with a mentor or coach.

How to change your energy to change your world!

Change your energy, change your world Discover how every alteration in your thoughts affects your energy. This is not about using your mind to change behaviors. It is much easier. It is about using your mind to influence your energy so the behavior automatically changes. The same holds true for all aspects of your life. This is part of what you will experience during the upcoming Enlightenment Fest. You can listen to the program free of charge beginning December 2. You will learn how the Universe works, how your energy interacts with it, what your energy is doing or not doing right now, and how to change it for the better. You’ll be able to apply this understanding to everything: Creativity ... finance ... visualization ... relationships ... productivity ... stress management ... parenting ... success … the possibilities are limitless.