Articles & News About Jobs & Employment
Develop Your Domain Names
How To Build A Successful Freelance Editorial Career
In the current job market, many editorial freelancers have turned to freelance work as a matter of survival. I receive many queries from applicants regarding this part of the market. Addressed here are the key building blocks necessary for a successful freelance career.
EXPERIENCE: You need a minimum of three years (five is ideal), preferably as a full-time employee. Clients will feel more comfortable in your knowledge and abilities if you can demonstrate that you've performed your duties in the past, full-time, at an established institution.
Each industry has its own "lingo". Experience in an industry allows you to understand it and communicate effectively with your clients. As a proofreader, a potential client [eg, a reference book publisher] might say:
"I have 300 pages that need to be proofed. The footnotes and illos will be sent separately. Please make sure there's a hole for each illo and that all footnotes run consecutive, beginning anew with each new chapter. The chapter title is the right running head, there is no left running head. How long do you think it will take to complete this job?"
With no experience in publishing, it would be difficult to begin to assess the job. Before giving an estimate, some questions you would ask are:
There may be four or five more questions that need to be asked before you can realistically assess how long it will take you to complete this job.
Experience in the industry allows you to have the necessary knowledge to ask the right questions to judge each project.
Knowledge of your industry will also enable you to decide how to charge for the job. Some jobs are billed on an hourly basis, others are billed on a project basis, and still others are billed as a page rate.
Again, if you know your industry, you will be able to effectively calculate how much time the job will take and what billing method to use.
EQUIPMENT: Working from home means you must to have all the necessary equipment. Minimally, a phone, computer and fax machine. Ideally, a [color] copier, modem, fast Internet access, scanner (if your field requires it) and separate work room in your home would complete the picture.
CONTACTS/REFERENCES: The most obvious place to start building your customer base is previous employers. Remember the saying, "Don't burn your bridges." It has never been more true than when trying to build a freelance career.
As companies cut back, employers like to use former employees because they already know the work, routines, and systems of the company. Therefore, very little, if any training is needed.
These same industry contacts also make great references as you continue to expand your customer base. There is no better assurance to a potential new client than an ex-employer who says: "I'd hire her back if I could. She does great work for us as a freelancer. One of the reasons we use her as a freelancer is because she did such excellent work as an employee."
Wouldn't you feel confident if you were a potential client?
SAVINGS: In utopia, six months expenses (rent, food, cleaners, credit card bills, student loans, travel expenses, etc.) will be in the bank before you embark on your freelance career. In our experience, it takes about two years to build a solid base of clients that will (hopefully) keep you busy.
If this is not possible, try to plan as much in advance as you can. The "fear of the first blues" [when rent is due] can be frightening if you have no income and no prospects on the horizon.
PART-TIME JOB: I suggest that instead of going from a full-time job into a freelance career, get a steady, part-time job for a while. This will allow you to: 1) transition between the two without taking the financial hit (especially if you haven't planned); and 2) get a feel for how to organize as a freelancer.
Freelancing usually means intense periods of work, eg, four 12-hour days, and then maybe a week with "nothing" going on. Nothing is in quotation marks because as a freelancer, just because there's no client project on your desk, does not mean that you should be idle.
During these down times is when you should be organizing your books, re-stocking supplies, prospecting for new clients, tracking advertising — in short, running your business. If you think of freelancing as a business and organize yourself accordingly from the beginning, it will make this existence infinitely easier (especially at tax time).
PERSONALITY: Freelancing is an enjoyable experience for some, a painful existence for others. Do a personality check to see if you can ride the roller coaster of this up-and-down existence. Do you like working alone; can you handle economic uncertainty; are you naturally motivated; are you organized — all of these, plus other elements are key traits in successful freelancers.
If you don't take one other thing from this article, remember this: No matter how talented you are, what your background is, or how well connected you are, there will come a time when work just seems to dry up. At this point you may start to question your abilities, seriously consider a full-time jobs, and/or wonder if freelancing is for you.
If this is the existence you've decided you want, stick with it. Continue to advertise, even when it seems that no one is interested. The average consumer has to see your advertisement at least 7-28 times (depending on what article you read) before they will act on it. So, be confident that if you advertise consistently, when they need a service/product that you offer, you will be at the forefront, rather than the hit-and-run advertisers.
After all, the quickest way not to succeed is to quit.
Good luck!
Original, copyrighted material. May be reprinted only if the following is included in full: Parts of this article are excerpted from the e-book, How to Really Make a Living as an Editorial Freelancer, by Yuwanda Black. It is available for immediate download at http://www.InkwellEditorial.com/bizguides.html.
About The Author
Yuwanda Black owns Inkwell Editorial, an editorial temporary staffing agency in New York City. She is an entrepreneur, author and syndicated small business columnist. Yuwanda has been an entrepreneur for 11 years and has over 16 years experience in the editorial industry. Contact her at info@InkwellEditorial.com for interviews and/or a link to the book for review.
Other Article Sites
findabook.com moneycd.info a-mortgage.info
about-lemon-laws.info aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info auctions-articles.info bestcollege-university.com bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com blogger-website.com books-used.info brokers-guide.info buywindows.info cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com carpel-tunnel.info cashinaflash.info cashloanreviews.info casinobell.com chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info collegeloantips.info crones.info depression-articles.info
dirnic.net dishguides.info
divers-below.com expodog.info
financewizz.com fire-insurance.info getgood.info handleit.net
it-idea.info
health-supplies.info hosting-right.com insidealert.com insurance-facts.info jobs-employment.info
justgood.info lookgold.net
lowcost-travel.info money-source.info myhostzone.info numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info pr-articles.info realeas.com
refinancing-guides.info spyware-remove.info
telelot.info the-law.info
toppaid.info travel-deals.info travelcorrect.com wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info your-credit.info
Legitimate Work At Home Jobs - Become Wealthy Working From Home
It all started when I was franticly going from company to company passing out my resume, needing a job so bad it hurt I had a college degree but could not get hired no matter what for the life of me
Being A Work At Home Business Opportunity Seeker And Finding Work From Home Jobs
The problem with work from home jobs is simply that so many people want to have them Because of this, there are lots of people who want to take advantage of people who truly want to be able to have the freedom of a home business
Work at Home Agent - Job Ideas For a Work at Home Agent
Are you interested in jobs that require you to spend hours on the phone talking to customers If you like personal relations work and have good interpersonal skills, then do consider the opportunity of being a work at home agent
Legitimate Work at Home Jobs Career - 4 Amazing Tips to Increase Efficiency
When you have picked one of the many legitimate work at home jobs career and are ready to settle down and make some money, it helps to make your home based business as efficient as possible
One of the most important benefits resulting from obtaining legitimate work at home jobs career is the ability to improve income levels through increased efficiency in performing the tasks associated with the jobs
At Home Work - Find Your Next Work At Home Job
At home work is easy to find these days thanks to the internet Work from home jobs are a form of self employment, which is hitting today's society in huge numbers
Work at Home Data Entry Jobs Career Are Available Now
Work at home data entry jobs career allow you the freedom to spend more time with your family It is perfect employment for someone who is looking for a job they can control themselves
Work From Home - How To Prepare For A Work From Home Job
Surely, you must have already heard about the perks of working from home Not only do you get the opportunity of being with your loved ones, but also the chance of earning good money doing what you like
7 Benefits of Owning a Computer Work at Home Job
Computer work at home jobs are growing in numbers Some cost very little to start-up and others are completely free to start
Work From Home Jobs For Moms - Jobs You Can Do at Home
A Legitimate Work from home job is a desire that many moms have, and being able to generate a great income while working from home is very possible
I created this work from home jobs for moms lens to give you information about legitimate work from home jobs for moms, and for anyone looking to make part time to full time income
Work at Home Jobs Vs Self Employment
Work at Home Jobs vs Owning a Home Based BusinessNot everyone is interested in owning their own home business, but a lot of people are interested in dropping out of the rat race a little bit. More and more jobs are available where you can work from home.
2 Major Reasons to Get a Computer Work at Home Job
It surprises me how many people are still skeptical about putting their computer to work Thousands of people earn work at home incomes via the internet
Work At Home Job Versus Work At Home Business
I often hear people complain about how they shouldnt have to pay for a business opportunity because "you wouldnt have to pay to get a job outside the home." It irritates me when I read that. Not because I think you should have to pay for a job - even a work at home position - its because they think that their should be no investment to start up a work at home business.
Job Work From Home On My Computer
In my long quest for a job, work from home on my computer seemed to be the best available option Especially, since I needed to work around the many schedules of my family
On Campus Interviews - A Chance For Your "First Job" As Well As Career Employment
During the course of training or secondary educations some organizations - companies, firms as well as major non-profit organizations of great status and reputation will offer campus interviews to graduating students in such fields as engineering, electronics, business management, law accounting, computer information systems and marketing
Work at Home Businesses Versus Work at Home Jobs
Is a work at home business better than a work at home job? You bet. Hands down. But each option has pros and cons. It may be that for right now you're just not ready to start a work at home business. Its a big committment. That's OK. But if you're dedicated, smart and willing to work harder than most, settling for a work at home job could be selling yourself short.
