How well off are you as a writer?

Ya if that writer can sell themself then they can make lots or have more potential to make lots. i know some freelance writers who earn quite a nice "passive" income

 

It could be very difficult a the first but if you made a plan on how to do it and learn new things everyday, it will be much easier to create a good content for you and for your clients.

 

@drjackson
No matter how talented a writer is, if she/he isn't any good at marketing themselves then the whole thing goes into the dumpster.

@actnews
Starting out as a writer is like anything else, there will be teething pains and hungry times until you develop a good reputation/client base. But once a writer gets those all important references, then it's off to the bank. (or at least one can hope)
I am a writer wannabee that didn't quite make it, so I know a little bit about hungry times.

 

As a freelance writer, I am continuously on the lookout for clients. This is because, my clients although they promise continuous flow of work none of them actually do! What is worse is the good clients simply vanish leaving me in the deep pool. The recent trend which I am facing is that clients ask for fresh sample and then simply stop communicating. The combination of all these factors makes the life of a freelancer really tough. But no one said that life is easy so battle away!!

 

@Expwriter
If I were in your shoes I would try to make some changes so that my clients would stop abandoning ship. Try to develop a writer/client relationship. There have been times in my worklife where I needed to contact a writer, and when given the choice between two equally talented writers I chose the one who made me feel the most comfortable. There are clients who prefer a writer to be 100% professional but others prefer them to be more personable. I guess you would have to properly gage your client in this.
Good luck to you with all.

 

@Spoiltdiva
The only time a good client of mine left me was when she stopped working! But I will keep your views in mind when dealing with my current as well as would be clients. Thanks

 

Create an online portfolio showcasing your previous work. When they ask for a sample, link them to your portfolio. If they insist that you must write a sample article on a topic they provide following their guidelines, tell them it is not free. You charge (x) amount of dollars and payment is received before you write the sample article. It will weed out a lot of the tire kickers and those looking for free content.

 

That's one of the oldest tricks in the book...asking for a free sample...proclaiming it unsatisfactory after it has been used...move on to the next victim.

Never give free samples. Even if it is a returning client. If they've come back, they obviously thought enough of your original work to entrust you with their next project.

 

@ TextServices and YMC

Thanks for your advice.

Now onwards this is what I plan to do as the freelance content field seems to be full of such clients who either want to pay peanuts or run away with free content.

 

Right now things are a bit slow for me, but I know the most important thing is building a reputation for getting the job done and getting it done right. Blogging does not always pay top dollar, but since my income is low I am willing to work for a bit less then top dollar, but not for free. Often the hardest part is finding reliable sites to work for so you do not end up writing for free, when they change the payment rules.

 

@Sweedy,
You might get critisized for writing that you are "willing to work for a bit less than top dollar". You see many on here are established copywriters who have built up a steady clientele over many years and have a good steady income.
But you have to start somewhere and bills do need to be paid in the meantime. And yes getting ripped off by sites and clients who will attempt to cheat new and upcoming writers is all part of it. Veterans cannot(almost never) be cheated as they are too savvy. It's all part of the learning curve......good luck to you and hang in there.

 

I think the writing jobs we do are completely different. My idea of copy writing is writing that requires considerable market research and studying trends to create copy that sells a product or a service. I do blog writing which is non-fiction articles. While what I write may bring people to a website and encourage them to join in on discussions and voting, and blogging, it is vastly different then copy writing. When first getting started being at the bottom of the totem pole I have to work my way up to top pay, just as any beginner in any new job would have to do. The main thing we all strife for is not to work for pennies on the dollar and not to work for free. Thanks for your comment thou Spoilt diva, I appreciate it!

 

For what it's worth, an idea for writers to ponder...

What I've found interesting is this trend that writing blog articles is somehow less work than writing web content. I've found many blog posts to be far more informative than many sites' standard articles.

Just because blog posts are released more frequently means they're somehow worth less?

I suppose it's because with paid to blog gigs you can get steady business but it seems a shame for any writer to get paid less for their work simply because it is going on a blog.

 

I am a freelance writer.

My Idea is to stick to quality and market my services well. DP is on of the sources that I use alongside other platforms. Never fell short of work in last 3 years.

It's like doing a business. You have to design a strategy and stick to it. Buyers are there for high quality stuff, as there are for quickly written few bucks seekers. So, it's choice to make. Quality or Quantity?

In my case, quality work at fair pace is just working great.

THanks.

 

Hello,
Writer's never get out of ideas. They never get tired of writing. (This is bullshit)
The simple approach is, if you write to run your kitchen, you will write anything that comes to you and if you are writing to maintain your drawing room, you will be picky.

Let me give you a simple yet effective tip, google everything that comes to you as "Articles space Topic/Keyword" and after getting quality information from 3-4 excellent sources, swiftly rewrite it.

Hope it helps. Thanks much!

 

@YMC
It does seem a shame that blog writing has a smaller premium on it but many clients look at it as free advertising for the writer.
@rachelsalmon
Marketing oneself is key to bringing in revenue. Unfortunatly many young and upcoming writers while talented, fail when it comes to any real marketing skills. They somehow feel that if they do a good job then their work will speak for itself.....it won't.

 

@Sweedy,
I have been doing freelance writing for over 5 years now and I definitely see changes from when I started. There are people that could make a solid income writing, but they are soured by a few bad experiences. And it seems like there are more people out to get something for nothing now. They try the "free sample" scam to get free content or they promise you a lot of work to get some quick work out of you.

The best thing to do is start with one or two clients and provide the best work to them that you can. Always be on the lookout for more work but ask questions of those that want to hire you. Inquire how much work there really is and what they expect of you. You will find that the scammers will disappear and the real people will stand up.