Earn More Moneyas a

Freelance Writer

BY NICOLE DIEKER FOR

TABLE OF CONTENTSIntroduction ........................................................................................................................ 3

Featured Writers ................................................................................................................ 5

Chapter 1: Setting Goals ................................................................................................. 6 Nicole Dieker on Setting Goals ................................................................................... 8 Freelancers in Action: Kristen Pope ...........................................................................10

Chapter 2: Building a Presence Within Your Beat .....................................................11 Freelancers in Action: Arin Black ................................................................................13

Chapter 3: Making Connections With Editors and Writers .....................................14 Alexis Grant on Twitter ...............................................................................................15 Nicole Dieker on Getting Started With Conventions .................................................17 Arin Black on Becoming a Convention Panelist ..........................................................19 Freelancers in Action: Susan Shain ............................................................................ 20

Chapter 4: Improving Your Pitches ...............................................................................21 Susan Shain on Pitching the Right Editor ...................................................................24

Chapter 5: Negotiating (and Re-Negotiating) Rates .................................................26 Sharon Hurley Hall on Re-negotiating Rates ..............................................................28 Freelancers in Action: Sharon Hurley Hall ................................................................. 29

Chapter 6: Managing Your Time ...................................................................................31 Meg Dowell on Staying Productive ........................................................................... 33

Chapter 7: Becoming a Contributor ............................................................................ 35 Alexis Grant on Becoming a Contributor .................................................................. 36

Chapter 8: Saying Goodbye to That Low-Paying Client Holding You Back .........41 Freelancers in Action: Meg Dowell ............................................................................ 44

Chapter 9: Re-evaluating Your Goals and Setting New Ones ................................45 Kristen Pope on Setting Higher-level Goals .............................................................. 46

Conclusion .........................................................................................................................49

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INTRODUCTIONNew freelance writers often have a lot of questions. How much should you charge? How do you negotiate a contract? How do you make those connections the other writers all seem to have? How do you get your byline in that dream publication?

You might not know how to identify a good client, when it’s time to drop a client who’s holding you back, how to pitch a story, or the best way to connect with an editor on Twitter.

Figuring things out can be daunting. I know what it’s like because I’ve been there.

When I started freelancing, I was working those content gigs that paid three cents a word and didn’t give you a byline.

Four years later, I’m freelancing as a senior editor at an online publication, and I have a large portfolio of clients eager to book me for projects. I’m earning between $5,000-$10,000 a month, and I anticipate my income will continue to grow.

As I’ve added to my income, I’ve also added to my skills and experience, figuring out the answers to the questions above. In many instances, I did that by talking to other freelancers — so I’d like to serve as that same resource for you.

Consider this a conversation between the two of us, in which I share everything I’ve learned over the years I’ve spent as a full-time freelance writer.

This ebook includes nine chapters that’ll take you step-by-step through the process of setting freelance goals, finding your beat, making connections with new editors, negotiating higher rates, and many of the other tools freelancers use to — you guessed it — get better clients and earn more money.

I’ve also included advice from other freelancers in this conversation, because no two freelance careers are alike. Look for the “Freelancers in Action” sections to learn from these freelancers’ stories.

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When I get my hands on a new ebook, I tend to read the entire book at once. I hope you have the same experience here, and this proves to be the kind of book you can’t put down!

Once you’ve finished that first read, I encourage you to take some time to go back through the pages and identify specific tips or actions you can use to improve your career.

While you’ll learn a lot by reading, you won’t see results until you start doing the work.

Thanks for joining us,

Nicole Dieker

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FEATURED WRITERSNicole Dieker (@hellothefuture) is a freelance writer and a senior editor at The Billfold. She writes the Tracking Freelance Earnings and Pitch Fix columns at The Write Life, and her work has also appeared in The Toast, Popular Science, and Boing Boing.

Arin Black (@arinblackwrites) writes about writing, travel, fashion, and arts and culture. Her journalism has appeared in gonola.com, ARTVOICES, Turnstile, flypaper.com, and elsewhere.

Meg Dowell (@MegDowell) blogs daily at Novelty Revisions, dedicated to helping writers put their ideas into words. Follow her on Twitter to start learning how to live a smarter, healthier life.

Alexis Grant (@alexisgrant) is founder of The Write Life. She worked as a freelance writer early in her career, then hired dozens of freelance writers while running a content marketing company that specialized in managing high-volume blogs. She now oversees the editorial team at Taylor Media, growing The Penny Hoarder.

Sharon Hurley Hall (@shurleyhall) is a professional writer and blogger who has previously worked as a journalist, editor and journalism professor. Her work has been published on IBM Pivotpoint, CrazyEgg, Unbounce, Search Engine People, Search Engine Journal and elsewhere.

Kristen Pope (@Kristen_E_Pope) is a Jackson Hole, Wyoming-based writer and editor. Her work has appeared in Discover, Backpacker, Western Confluence, International Journal of Wilderness, and Planning Magazine, and she is the managing editor of JHStyle Magazine.

Susan Shain (@Susan_Shain) helps people shake up their lives through travel and adventure. If you’re sick of the daily grind, sign up for her free email newsletter.

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CHAPTER 1SETTING GOALS

Where do you want your freelance career to be six months from now?

Since you’re reading this ebook, I bet you want two big things:

1. Better clients2. More money

It’s great that you’ve set those goals for yourself, and the tips in this book will help you get there.

What else do you see when you envision your freelance life six months from now — or even just three months from now?

Do you see yourself researching a feature article? Or publishing a personal essay and sharing it on Twitter? Or perhaps you see yourself writing tweets for another company?

Go deeper: Are you working at home or in a coworking space? Are you taking on editorial responsibilities in addition to writing work? Are you a regular contributor to a publication, hopping onto Slack every morning to chat with a team before writing the day’s posts and articles? Are you working more — or less — than you’re working right now?

My goal with this ebook is to help you get better clients, earn more money and reach whatever goals you just pictured when I asked you to visualize your ideal freelance career.

What’s your goal?

If you had trouble envisioning yourself here, push yourself to set a few freelance goals as you start this book. You’ll refer to these goals throughout the book, so make them good!

Goal 1: Your Writing WorkFirst, consider the type of writing you want to do. If you’re the kind of person who’s writing low-paid content articles, for example, what would you like to write instead?

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What beat do you want to be known for? Do you want to work with a specific editor, or get published in a specific publication? If you have a dream, write it down.

I’d also like you to consider the types of writing you feel comfortable doing, even if they aren’t your dream gig. The feature articles that many of us enjoy writing might pay the bills, but they rarely pay all the bills.

How else might you earn that paycheck? Are you interested in writing advertorial? Product copy? White papers? How about ghostwriting?

If you don’t yet know what kind of writing you’d like to do, The Write Life’s ebook on 71 Ways to Make Money as a Freelance Writer is a good starting point. You could also talk to other freelancers you know. Either way, jot down every idea that sounds intriguing.

Goal 2: Your EarningsNow that you’ve set a work goal, I’d like you to set an income goal.

Take a look at my article on setting goals so you can learn how to make your income goal realistic.

If you’re earning $1,000 per month as a freelance writer, for example, you could set a goal to earn $2,000 a month. If you’re earning $3,500 a month, try setting a goal of $5,000.

You’ll work towards this income goal by building expertise, making new connections, pitching new clients, and saying goodbye to low-paying clients. If all of that sounds overwhelming, don’t worry — we’ll work through how to do all this, one step at a time.

Goal 3: Your Work StyleLastly, I’d like you to set a work/life goal. How many hours per week do you want to spend at work? It will be challenging to earn a full-time living as a freelancer without working full-time hours, but you don’t want to get stuck working 60- or 70-hour weeks, either.

Likewise, what do you want your workday to look like? If you’re the type of freelancer who works from home and can only get 30 minutes of writing done before you have to go pull a load of clothing out of the washing machine, maybe it’s time to think about working from a coffee shop or coworking space.

Identify whatever gets in the way of getting work done, whether it’s chores, lack of inspiration, or plain old procrastination — and then think about what you’d have to do to remove that obstacle from your workday. (Yes, for some of us, that means turning off the Wi-Fi for a while!)

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At this point, you should have a handful of solid goals.

Be as specific as possible, so a few months or years from now you’ll be able to tell whether you’ve achieved them. Here are a few examples:

1. I’ll get an article placed on The Write Life.2. I’ll pick up a new ecommerce client.3. I’ll earn $5,000 per month.4. I’ll write between 40 and 50 hours a week.5. I won’t do household chores while I write; I’ll save those for evenings.

Keep these goals in mind as you continue through this book.

MORE TIPS ON SETTING GOALS:If you’ve followed my Tracking Freelance Earnings columns since the beginning, you might remember that in my first column, I listed my annual freelance earnings in 2014 as $43,059.02.

In 2015, I increased my freelance earnings by $20,000. That’s the kind of raise you rarely get in a so-called “real job!”

How’d I do it? It comes down to two basic components:

I set the goalFreelancing is different from other types of jobs because it doesn’t have specific boundaries. I can take on as many or as few pieces as I want — my only limit is the number of hours per day I am willing and able to work.

So, when I decided at the beginning of 2015 that I wanted to earn $5,000 a month from my writing, I made a commitment to myself — and to you — that I would actively work to take on enough pieces to hit that goal. If I lost an income source (and I did), I would find another one. If I didn’t have enough work to fill out the month, I’d start hustling for more.

It’s important to note I didn’t hit my $5,000 goal every month. Setting a goal doesn’t guarantee it will happen.

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Sometimes your regular clients won’t have the budget to assign you an extra piece, and sometimes the pitch you send out will get turned down. (If every pitch you send out gets turned down, I offer suggestions in my other column, Pitch Fix.)

But since I was working to earn at least $5,000, that meant some months I earned $4,000 and some months I earned $6,000. It averaged out to a successful freelancing year, even though I didn’t always hit my monthly goal.

I had the freelancing background to achieve the goalI had two years of full-time freelancing experience before I set my 2015 income goal. I didn’t go from $0 to $60,000; I went from $35,000 to $43,000 to $63,000. Without two years of building my skills and growing my network, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this goal.

I also picked a monthly income goal close to what I was already earning; by the end of 2014 I was regularly earning around $4,500 per month, so I decided to see if I could bump that up to $5,000.

This goal was a stretch for me, but it was also a realistic stretch. If you want to set your own income goal, it’s important to choose a realistic stretch goal of your own, such as:

• Take your highest monthly earnings from last year and trying to match those earnings every month in the coming year

• Find one new higher-paying client every three months• Send one new pitch per week

Whatever goal you choose, make sure it’s a reach, but achievable enough that it doesn’t feel impossible. Then stretch yourself to make it happen.

As you work towards your goal, you’ll probably start meeting other writers, editors and clients who can help you achieve it even faster. That’s what happened to me.

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Freelancers in Action:

Kristen PopeHow did you get started as a freelancer?

I had always dreamed of becoming a freelancer, but it didn’t seem like an attainable goal.

Then I started pitching a variety of local publications. Over time, I was able to place a few stories in small local magazines. I kept pitching editors, both ones I had already worked with as well as new ones.

I also reached out beyond local publications and pitched larger markets. While I never heard back about many of my ideas, a few editors did respond and I slowly built relationships with them.

Before long, I had a number of regular clients. I was working full time, had a part-time job, and was also a part-time freelancer. Something had to give.

I decided to focus on freelancing and made the leap, resigning from my full-time job. A year later, I was able to build my business enough to quit the part-time job as well. Now, I work as a freelance writer and editor full time, and I love it.

What’s the best technique you used to level up and get better clients?

Go for your dream clients, but be sure to focus on your “bread and butter” clients as well. Make a list of your dream publications and spend some time each week pitching them, even if you think it’s a long shot.

What advice do you have for freelancers looking to build their careers?

1. Ask for what you want; that’s the key to getting it. If you want a raise, ask for it. If you love writing for a publication and want to be a regular contributor, let them know.

2. Be persistent. Even if you spend a whole day crafting what you think are great pitches and they’re not well-received by editors, that doesn’t mean it’s time to give up. Study the publication some more and try again.

3. Prioritize networking. Freelancing is really the business of building relationships, especially with editors and colleagues. Be reliable, dependable, friendly, and produce high-quality work, and you’ll be someone they remember.

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CHAPTER 2BUILDING A PRESENCE WITHIN YOUR BEAT

Now that you’ve taken some time to think about your big writing goals, how are you going to start working towards them?

One way to get closer to your goals is by building a presence — becoming known or recognized — in your writing beat or niche.

If you have zero presence in your beat, don’t worry. You can still become a journalist/blogger/pop culture writer/tech analyst/etc. All you have to do is make your expertise known, one story at a time.

I’m assuming you do have some expertise, by the way. You don’t need a lot of expertise when you’re starting out — you’ll learn it on the job, trust me — but it’s going to be a lot easier if you’re well-versed in the vocabulary, style and standards of your chosen beat.

Here’s what I mean: One of my first big “freelancing breaks” came when I started writing for personal finance blog The Billfold. I had little professional experience when I began writing for them, but I did have a personal blog where I regularly discussed my own finances, and I read a lot of personal finance websites.

That meant I went in knowing the vocabulary of personal finance, the style of writing that was appropriate for a blog, and the standards The Billfold expected from its writers. I was an avid Billfold reader before I made my first pitch, so I was able to offer something that proved I not only knew what I was talking about, but also knew what the site — and its readers — wanted.

You probably have a Billfold in your life, too. Think about all of the blogs, magazines and news sites in your beat that you read every day. (If you’re not reading blogs, magazines and news sites in your niche, add it to you to-do list immediately.)

Chances are, at least one of those sites has a submissions page.

That’s where you can pitch your first article and begin to build a presence in your beat.

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We’ll look at pitching more thoroughly in Chapter 4. Right now I want you to think about all the ways you can start establishing a presence in your beat.

If you need some help brainstorming, here are a few ideas:

• Develop a personal blog focusing on your beat.• Use social media to follow other writers, editors and publications in your beat.

Read the links they share, and engage them in conversation (more on this in Chapter 3).

• Use social media to share thoughts about your beat.• Use social media to share links to well-written articles in your beat.• Look for new publications in your beat that you aren’t already reading. Seek out the

smaller publications or blogs, since they’re more likely to accept pieces from new writers. If they have a “submission guidelines” link at the bottom of the website, you’ve found a good candidate. Get to know that publication, because you’re probably going to pitch it later.

• Think of your beat like climbing a ladder. Work your way up from smaller to larger publications. Shane Snow’s Hacking the Freelance Ladder is a great primer on this technique.

• Go to events related to your beat, and talk to speakers and attendees.

While you’re doing all this, continue to pitch articles related to your beat. As the pitches get accepted, you’ll build your presence and your expertise — which in turn will help you get even more pitches accepted.

One more thought on building a presence in your beat: Make sure you’re choosing the right beat for you.

Don’t tell yourself that you want to become an investigative journalist when what you really want to do is tally rumors about the newest Marvel franchise installment.

How can you figure out what beat might be right for you? Ask yourself: What publications do I read every day? What sections of the newspaper do I look at first? When I blog or share thoughts on social media, what topics do I usually focus on? Am I well versed in those topics — knowledgeable enough to write about them?

Getting really honest about who you are and what you’re interested in can help you find the right beat for you. After all, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to take writing gigs “just for the money.”

Make sure your beat is something you love.

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Freelancers in Action:

Arin BlackHow did you get started as a freelancer?

I started writing for my hometown newspaper when I was 17 years old and then went on to start my own zine in college.

I’ve always written, but initially journalism terrified me, and so, despite much encouragement from professors and others, I didn’t fully pursue it for many years.

What’s the best technique you used to level up and get better clients?

I’m not as good at this as I should be. I admire the moxie of so many freelancers who network, network, network. That’s really the best way to make a sustainable living as a freelancer: constantly build a portfolio and put yourself out there.

For me, many of my jobs came out of things I already loved — such as art — and so I had the connections built in from my passions.

What advice do you have for freelancers looking to build their careers?

In all things writing, it’s important to self-advocate. Put yourself out there for jobs, demand the money you want, and don’t let people bludgeon your voice.

I did advertorial copy for a few years, and I understood that what I was writing was for the client, so I approached it differently, but I also worked in documentary on a project where I felt the parent company distorted my source’s story. Because it wasn’t just about me, but also about the reputation of my source, I fought back.

Someone I used to work with would often say, “You’re always interviewing for your reputation,” and I take that very seriously. People who let you tell their stories are giving you a gift, so treat it with respect.

Similarly, when you put your words on the page for a publication, you’re doing so as an act of courage, so don’t disrespect yourself in that process either.

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CHAPTER 3MAKING CONNECTIONS

WITH EDITORS AND WRITERS

Pitching articles is great, but you’re going to get to the “better clients and more money” stage a lot faster if you start making connections with editors and writers.

At this point in my career, I rarely send out cold pitches. All my best-paying jobs come through my connections.

There are two ways to make connections with editors and writers: online and in person.

Online connections are nearly always made through Twitter, which is the social media service that most resembles a public conversation. (I can’t think of a single writing connection I’ve made through Facebook, although I did connect with one editor through Tumblr.) Read below for Alexis Grant’s great guide to building connections through Twitter.

There are many ways to make connections with editors and writers in person, especially if you live in a major city.

But these types of events are sometimes structured to make it difficult to have a real conversation — if you’re going to an author signing, for example, you probably won’t have much time to talk in the 30 seconds it takes for the author to autograph your book. (Also, being the person who hangs around until the very end in the hopes of getting more time with a writer or editor can come off as creepy.)

There are, however, public events that are structured entirely around helping writers and editors connect: conventions and conferences.

Not only can you use conventions and conferences to meet other people in your industry; as you move up in your career you can also become a panelist and continue to establish your expertise.

I’ve got two guides for you to read about getting involved in the convention scene: my guide to getting started, and Arin Black’s guide to becoming a panelist, both below. Who

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knows — maybe I’ll see you at an upcoming convention!

One more tip: As you continue to make connections, don’t be afraid to ask for referrals. Ask the editors and writers you know if they can connect you to other clients looking for work — or, if you see a job you want and you know someone with a connection to the client, ask if they’d be willing to offer a recommendation.

I find it’s best to ask for a referral after you’ve worked with another writer or editor; that way, they can speak to your writing style, your work ethic and your ability to hit deadlines and respond to revisions.

All this pitching and connecting and asking for referrals may sound difficult, but it’s an important part of a freelancer’s career.

If you don’t ask for the work you want, you’ll never get it — and if you don’t get to know other writers and editors, you’ll never get connected to the best-paying jobs.

ALEXIS GRANT ON TWITTERAdding @mentions is one of the smartest things you can do to grow your Twitter presence, the best way to get a big bang for your buck on this social media channel. For every single tweet you send, look for ways to incorporate an @mention, maybe even two.

Mention a blogger? Look up that person’s handle and include it in your tweet. Sharing a link from a publication? Add that @mention to your update. Notice someone is simply mentioned in the article you’re sharing? Find a way to work their handle into your tweet, too.

The @mention is your way of getting the attention of other people, of saying, “Hello! I exist, and I’m tweeting about YOU!” If you fail to include the @mention, that person or publication or organization you’re tweeting about will probably never see what you have to say… and in that case, is your time spent on social media even worth it?

After the @mention, lists are one of the best ways to get the most out of Twitter — and yet so many people don’t use them. Lists help you filter through all the noise on this platform and

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hear only the things you want to hear — so you can create connections that matter.

One of my favorite ways to use Twitter lists is by creating what I call a Notice-Me List. This is a private list that includes lots of people I’m hoping to form a relationship with on Twitter: bloggers, publishers, writers, social media strategists, etc. Anytime I come across someone who I want to know me, I add them to this list, which means the list is always changing.

But it’s what you do with that list that counts. Once you’ve created it, take a few minutes each day or week to scroll through that list and look for ways to interact with people on it. That could mean @replying to their tweets or RTing their tweets with a short comment, or even clicking through one of the links they share to their blog and leaving a comment on the latest post.

By interacting with these people, you’re opening the door to a relationship. If you respond in a smart way, they’ll hopefully write back. And even if they don’t respond, they might notice you and your work — which means they’re far more likely to respond to an email you send down the line.

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GETTING STARTED WITH CONVENTIONSWhy I’ve made writing conventions an important part of my career strategyConferences are kind of like school: You attend panels or courses with other attendees, you all go to the same hotel restaurant for lunch and dinner and — depending on the convention — you might end up at a dance or rock concert together.

It becomes relatively simple to start up conversations, whether you’re asking someone “What type of writing do you do?” before a workshop begins, or asking “Didn’t I see you at the pitching panel?” when you run into someone at the bar. (If you enjoy social drinking, the hotel bar is one of the best places to meet people at conventions.)

The fact that you’re all sharing a similar experience makes it easy to interact with people.

Remember how you made friends at school just because you happened to be in the same homeroom? Conventions are like that — and that’s why they are an important part of my long-term career strategy.

Which conventions should you attend?Now that I’ve sold you on the importance of attending conventions, which conventions should you attend?

It depends on a few factors, including distance, reputation and your interests.

If you’re in a major city, start with a convention in your city. If you’re in a small town, see what you can find in a day’s drive.

Sure, if you’ve got the time and the cash, you could drop everything and fly to New York for Bindercon in the fall, but it’s easiest to get your convention feet wet close to home. Plus, if you start attending conventions in your home city, you’ll get to know other local freelancers and writers — an invaluable resource.

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You also want to consider a convention’s reputation. Good conventions attract good people, and you should look for a convention that is likely to attract people working both at your current career level and at the levels above you. You don’t want to spend the money and time to attend a convention only to find you’re the most experienced writer in the room!

Look for conventions that reflect your interests. The people who attend FinCon are going to be very different from the people who attend AWP.

There are conventions for content creators, for novelists, for sci-fi and fantasy writers, and for bloggers. It’s your job to find the convention that is closest to both your interests and your career goals.

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ARIN BLACK ON BECOMING A CONVENTION PANELISTDon’t say, “I’m a great writer with a new book coming out and I’d like to come to your event.”

Instead, provide a brief bio (really, one paragraph should suffice) and then suggest a panel you think fits well with the organization’s programs.

Think like a journalist: Create a succinct pitch that compels organizers to see how your topic might work at their event. The more complete your proposal, the more likely you are to advance in the process.

Many literary festivals look for a wide variety of content, so if you don’t write mainstream fiction, don’t be dissuaded from pitching a great idea.

Some of The Tennessee Williams Festival’s most fascinating panels have come from academics exploring leprosy or literary theory. Remember, festival staff want smart, new ideas that come fully formed.

Cookbook author? Propose a session where you tell the stories behind a few choice recipes, offer tastes to the audience, and share tips on getting a cookbook published. Such an event appeals to foodies and aspiring Ina Gartens alike.

Think about what you would like to see at a literary event or conference and move beyond the staid and well-worn topics to offer fresh insight.

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Freelancers in Action:

Susan ShainHow did you get started as a freelancer?

Though I already had a personal travel blog, I didn’t have any clients — so when I saw that a successful entrepreneurship blogger was looking for a social media assistant, I jumped on the opportunity. She eventually gave me more writing duties, and with her as a reference, I started gaining other clients.

What’s the best technique you used to level up and get better clients?

Asking for referrals has been effective for me. Letting my clients, colleagues and friends know I’m open to more work has led to some fantastic new gigs.

What advice do you have for freelancers looking to build their careers?

Network your heart away. Even though we mostly work online, people are still the most important part of a successful freelance career. Make friends on Twitter and in Facebook groups, reach out to old colleagues, and attend conferences or meet-ups.

Let everyone know you’re a proven freelancer looking for more clients — and then kick ass when you get them.

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CHAPTER 4IMPROVING YOUR PITCHES

In Chapter 3, I warned, “If you don’t ask for the work you want, you’ll never get it.”

In this chapter, let’s look at how to improve the way you ask for that work.

We’re going to focus on pitching articles, blog posts and stories. Pitching isn’t the only way freelancers get gigs — I’ve gotten jobs by submitting a resume and clips, as well as by completing a sample assignment — but it’s one of the most common.

If a job wants you to submit a resume and clips, it’ll say so in the application guidelines. For everything else, including the majority of the blogs and online publications out there, you’re going to need to get really, really good at pitching.

How do you write a good pitch? If you’re pitching a publication with a set of submission guidelines, start there. A lot of publications tell you exactly what they want; The Atlantic, for example, offers extensive guides for pitching its most popular verticals.

Be aware that the submission guidelines are sometimes hidden under “Contact” or “FAQ,” and it never hurts to search “[PUBLICATION] submission guidelines” if you can’t find anything on the outlet’s website.

Sometimes editors write blog posts or tweets describing what they want in a pitch. If you’re interested in working with a specific editor, it doesn’t hurt to search their name plus words like “submission,” “submission guidelines” and “pitch me.”

Once you’ve figured out what submission guidelines to follow, the next step is to get really clear on your story.

One of the most common mistakes people make is failing to state the story they want to tell.

What do I mean?

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Well, writers often say they want to write about something. “I want to write about Famous Person X.” “I want to write about gender in the workplace.” That’s an idea, not a story.

(I’ve written about the difference between topics and stories both in 10 Mistakes That’ll Ruin Your Freelance Career for The Freelancer and in The Write Life’s Pitch Fix column, so take a look at those resources to learn more about this common pitch error.)

By the time you pitch, you should have enough background research to be able to pull the story out of your idea, as follows:

Hit Musical Hamilton Is Great — But Is It Addictive? Just about everyone I know is obsessed with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new musical Hamilton, to the point that we’re listening to the 2-hour 22-minute cast recording nearly once a day. What makes music like this feel addictive, to the point where the first thing we want to do after finishing the album is start it at the beginning again? I’d reach out to a musicologist and a psychologist for their thoughts on the nature of addictive music.

That’s a real pitch I sent to Popular Science, which they accepted. Notice how my pitch included not only the story, but also the method by which I plan to research the story?

Writers often skip this step, but adding a sentence or two describing your methodology shows an editor that you’re serious about your idea. It also lets an editor know that you have a plan of action, and that your finished draft will be backed up with both sources and substance.

Not all stories require research, of course. Personal essays, for example, don’t necessarily need a methodology statement. But too many writers pitch stories as if they were personal essays: “My thoughts on why Hamilton is addictive,” for example.

No editor cares about my thoughts on Hamilton. They care about a music expert’s thoughts on Hamilton, crafted into an eye-catching story that promises a reader an answer to a question they’ve probably asked themselves: Why can’t I stop listening to this album?

That bit about promising the reader an answer to a question they’ve probably asked themselves? That’s the pitch’s benefit. Whenever you craft a pitch, think about how it will benefit the publication’s audience.

Will it give them the answer to a question?Will it prompt a discussion in the comments?Will it ask them to think differently about a common experience?

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You don’t need to state your benefit directly in the pitch — in fact, please don’t write “this story will prompt a discussion in the comments” — but it’s important to consider the benefit as you put your pitch together.

After all, publications aren’t interested in what you want to write. They’re interested in what their readers want to read.

Lastly, my Hamilton pitch was only a paragraph long because I had already built a relationship with one of Popular Science’s editors. If you’re pitching a publication for the first time, put a short bio at the end with links to a few relevant clips that — you guessed it — establish expertise in your beat.

In a moment, we’ll look at Susan Shain’s tips on pitching the right editor. Those will help you start thinking about your next pitch and how you’re going to structure its story, methodology and benefit.

But before we do that, here’s a sample pitch, so you can see exactly what a solid pitch looks like.

Sample PitchWriting a sample pitch email is tricky because every publication has slightly different guidelines. With that in mind, here’s what a good pitch email might contain:

SUBJECT LINE: Check the publication for guidelines. I often write “PITCH: [HEADLINE]” in the subject, e.g. “PITCH: Are Dogs Better Pets Than Cats?”

SALUTATION: You can go with the formal “Dear [EDITOR]” here, although I often just start my emails with “Hi!”

INTRO PARAGRAPH WITH HEADLINE: Introduce your relationship to the publication, if relevant, and your pitch’s suggested headline. (I got the “always add a suggested headline” advice from Carol Tice.)

STORY AND METHODOLOGY PARAGRAPH: Briefly explain your story and the methodology by which you will tell it.

BIO PARAGRAPH: Share a bit about yourself and link to relevant clips.

NAME AND CONTACT INFO: Thank the editor and “sign” the email with your name and contact info.

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Here’s what your pitch might look like when you’re ready to send it:

Hi! I’m a huge fan of Dogs and Cats Daily — I comment as DogFan27 — and I wanted to pitch a story that I haven’t seen on the site but I think your readers will appreciate: Are dogs better pets than cats?

This story will look closely at three different families, each of whom have dogs and cats in the home. I’ll interview each family, asking them to share stories about their pets’ behavior and comment on which pets they enjoy interacting with most. I’ll also interview a veterinarian and a pet psychologist to learn more about animal behavior and discuss whether dogs or cats make better pets for certain personality types.

I’ve previously been published in Dogs Are Great Monthly and I Love Cats Magazine. My clips include: “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Puppies,” “Cats Are Purrfect,” and “Do Dogs or Cats Save More Lives?”

Thanks for considering my pitch!

Goldie RetrieverGoldieRetriever.com@DogFan27

SUSAN SHAIN ON PITCHING THE RIGHT EDITOR1. Get as specific as possibleUnless it’s a really small publication, avoid pitching the editor in chief; she’ll probably just delete your email.

Instead, try to find the editor who oversees your story’s beat.

If you’re writing about an up-and-coming clothing designer, for example, look for the fashion or style editor. The easiest way to determine this is to Google “Real Simple fashion editor,” or “Real Simple masthead” and then search for “fashion” or “style.”

If you can’t find that information, “Go for a senior, deputy, or associate editor,” says freelance-writing expert Linda Formichelli. “If that editor isn’t the right one, she’ll often send your query along to the correct editor.”

She says not to bother with contributing editors or copyeditors, as they’re not responsible for assigning stories.

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2. Call the publicationThis may sound old-fashioned, but it works. If your target publication has a phone number listed, call and ask to be connected to the relevant department. Once you have someone on the line, ask, “Who should I contact with a pitch about travel to Greece?” Easy peasy.

“I sound like a broken record… ‘Pick up the phone! Pick up the phone!’” says Formichelli. “Many of my students are pleasantly surprised that they get a quick answer.”

3. Ask your contactsIf you’re a member of any writing groups on Facebook or other social networking sites, ask your fellow members if they have a contact at your target publication. If they’re familiar with your work, they may even be willing to introduce you over email — bonus points!

“Be sure to supply your e-mail address on the forum or invite direct messages so respondents won’t have to share the info with the whole group,” suggests Formichelli.

4. Search TwitterSmaller websites and publications may not publish a masthead. One of the best ways to find otherwise-unlisted editors is through Twitter, since users often list their place of employment in their bios. In Twitter’s search tool, type in the word “editor” plus the @handle of the publication you’re targeting.

Some editors even prefer to be pitched on Twitter before moving the conversation to email, so it doesn’t hurt to send a direct message.

If you’re really keen to make a connection, you might even create what The Write Life founder Alexis Grant calls a Notice-Me List, then strategically interact with editors you want to write for.

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CHAPTER 5NEGOTIATING (& RE-NEGOTIATING) RATES

Your first few pitches may be for publications that don’t have a lot of wiggle room in terms of payment. (These are the outlets that are glad to take on new writers, but also state, “We pay $50 per piece” in their submission guidelines.)

It is possible to negotiate a higher rate starting with your very first successful pitch. But, as with most careers, your ability to negotiate grows alongside your experience.

The tricky part is knowing when you have enough experience to start asking for better pay.

Ideally, you want to open up the rate negotiation conversation at three key moments in a client relationship:

1. When the scope of your work increases (e.g., you go from writing 800-word pieces to writing 1500-word pieces)

2. When the amount of your work increases (e.g., you increase from writing one piece a month to turning in three pieces a month)

3. At the end of the calendar or fiscal year

Some clients will start the rate-negotiation process for you; you may get an email to the effect of “We’ve been pleased with your work and would like to bring you on for two pieces every month at $150 per piece.”

That’s your opportunity to reply with a counter-negotiation, such as, “Thanks! I’ve gotten a lot of new opportunities since we started working together and my typical per-piece rate is closer to $200; would that fit into your budget?”

If your client doesn’t start the rate negotiation process, you can open the conversation yourself using a similar template.

Start with a few sentences about how much you enjoy working for the client. List your biggest successes, note any increases in scope or amount of work, and then get to the point: “I’d like to talk about renegotiating rates for my upcoming work. Is there room in your budget to discuss this?”

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Let your client offer the first number, then counter the rate if necessary. (You don’t always have to counter-negotiate, either. If you like the rate they offer, there’s nothing wrong with accepting it.)

Two words of warning:

• Not every client has the budget to negotiate a higher rate. If a client offers you $125 per piece, you counter with $200, and the client comes back with “I’m sorry, we can only do $125,” it’s time to think carefully about whether you can afford to take on that client. At certain points in your career, $125 is going to sound better than nothing! At other points, you’ll know that spending time working for a low-paying client will lose you money in the long term, and it’s time to say goodbye to that client and move on. (More on this in Chapter 8.)

• You may be tempted to say, “My typical per-piece rate is closer to $200” before anyone has ever paid you $200 for your work. Clients can tell when you’re bluffing. I don’t know how they can tell, but artificially inflating your “typical rate” has never worked for me — and believe me, I’ve tried.

There’s one more piece of rate negotiation advice I’d like to offer.

As you progress in your career, clients will start to seek you out. You’ll get emails from people asking you to write for their publication or their company, and these emails will often ask you for your rate.

Once you’re clear on the project scope, give them a rate that’s slightly higher than what you usually earn for similar work. If you’re getting $300 per piece, ask for $400. That’ll put you one step closer to telling your other clients, “I’ve gotten a lot of new opportunities since we started working together and my typical per-piece rate is closer to $400. Would that fit into your budget?”

Sharon Hurley Hall also has some great advice on rate negotiation, including advice for freelancers who write their own contracts.

She and I both agree that rate negotiation is essential to successful freelancing — not only because it gets you better pay from one client, but also because you can use that increased rate as leverage to get better pay from all your current and future clients.

It’s a win-win for your wallet, and a must-must for your career.

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SHARON HURLEY HALL ON RE-NEGOTIATING YOUR RATESOnce you have an ideal rate in mind — a figure that makes you slightly uncomfortable is a sign you’re on the right track — you’re ready to have the conversation with your client about raising your rates.

A good starting point is to show clients the value you’re providing. When I looked at my work for one client, I realized I was doing way more than we originally agreed. I itemized the value I brought in terms of writing experience, research capability, subject matter knowledge, SEO, and technical ability and compared that with the rate offered by similar clients. I got a hefty raise with no questions asked.

Other ways to raise rates for existing clients include:

• Have a contract and state up front that rates will be renegotiated at the end of the term. It sets client expectations and makes the process easier.

• Give yourself a yearly raise. I used to do this every January. I’d give clients a few weeks’ notice, then bill at the new rate when the time came.

Look out for opportunities clients provide during your relationship. One of my clients updated their writing guidelines and sent an email to let me know. I replied and asked whether the update came with a pay raise, and I got one. It wasn’t much, but it covered the additional time needed to comply with the new guidelines.

There’s also a law of increasing returns with successful negotiations. Once one client agrees to pay more, you have more negotiating power with others so your overall income can get a nice boost.

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Freelancers in Action:

Sharon Hurley HallHow did you get started as a freelancer?

In 2005, I left my full-time job as a journalism lecturer to go freelance. Before taking up teaching, I’d been a full-time writer for trade magazines, so I was confident about my writing skills.

I spent a lot of time online looking for freelance work and connecting with other new freelancers, but my first freelance gig came via my old job. A former student of mine who was promoting a charitable cause needed a professional to do a write-up that he could publish. He called me, and I was happy to oblige.

After that, it was question of sniffing out opportunities for paid writing. I did as much writing as I could, looking at this as a way of honing my skills.

Eventually, I landed a few contracts blogging regularly about writing, blogging, WordPress and web apps and that set me on the road to financial stability.

What’s the best technique you used to level up and get better clients?

Once I had enough freelance writing work to be a bit more picky, I analyzed my client list to figure out which were my best clients and which ones I needed to replace. Factors that helped me work this out included:

• How easy it was to work with them• How much time, effort or research their writing jobs took• How much they paid

At the same time, I kept marketing my services and applying for writing jobs. When I applied, I quoted a rate slightly higher than the maximum I was charging my current client list. The way I saw it, I had nothing to lose because my client books were already full.

This turned out to be a good move, and resulted in increasing my income by about a third between my first and second full years of freelancing.

When I took on new clients, I parted from the old ones on good terms. This was also useful, as some of these clients came back to me later when they had bigger budgets for writing.

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What advice do you have for freelancers looking to build their careers?

My best advice for freelancers looking to build their careers is to pay attention to marketing. Look for opportunities to get your name out there, especially on sites that attract a lot of eyeballs.

But don’t be afraid to experiment, either, because you never know which opportunity will turn out to be a career builder.

I wrote my first paid blog post as a blogging competition entry. After I won, I used that sample to get myself another blogging gig writing four posts a month. And that gig led to three other lucrative blogging contracts. All that happened because I took a chance by entering the competition.

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CHAPTER 6MANAGING YOUR TIME

When you first get started as a freelancer, your biggest problem will probably be, “How do I earn enough money?”

Once you start bringing in a little cash, your problem likely becomes, “How do I make connections and get better clients?”

Once you have started to make those connections and land those clients, you will have a new problem: How do you manage your time?

If you’re a full-time freelancer, chances are you have a lot of work to complete. I write roughly 10,000 words a week, or the equivalent of a short novel every month.

All this writing is in addition to research, meetings with editors, emails, pitches, social media and promotion, and all of the other tasks that make up a busy professional’s day.

How do I do it all? Here are my time-management strategies:

1. Use a task-management system. I can’t remember everything I need to do unless I write it down, and I can’t manage my tasks unless they’re all in the same place. I’ve been using David Allen’s Getting Things Done task-management system for years, but even something as simple as an online to-do spreadsheet can help you corral all of your outstanding tasks in one place. Figure out a task-management system that works for you, and stick to it.

2. Turn my phone ringer off when I write. I don’t want to be disturbed by robocalls or texts from friends. I turn my phone ringer off when I write, and I often turn my phone face-down so I won’t see any new email or social media notifications. Every time I choose to look at my phone, I distract myself from getting my work done. So I make it easy to forget my phone is there.

3. Build in breaks. Every day I take a 30-minute walk after lunch. It clears my head and helps me get ready for an afternoon of work. On days when I tell myself I’m

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“too busy” for that break, I find it hard to focus in the afternoon. I’ve learned that taking those 30 minutes helps me work faster (and better) later in the day.

4. Have a designated end to my workday. My workday ends at 6:30 p.m. I don’t always finish all my work by then, but knowing that my workday should, in most cases, end at 6:30 p.m. helps me clarify that, when I continue working after that time, it’s a special case — not an everyday occurrence.

5. Turn off social media after work. It’s way too easy for me to spend my evenings responding to people on social media, so I close my tabs at 6:30 p.m. and try to keep them closed until the next morning.

Not all of my time-management tips will apply to you, but take note of how each of my time-management strategies solves a specific problem:

1. My task-management system solves the problem of “How can I remember everything I have to do?”

2. Silencing my phone ringer solves the problem of “How do I write without unexpected distractions?”

3. Building in breaks solves the problem of “How do I stay motivated in the afternoons?”

4. Having an end to my workday solves the problem of “When do I stop working?”5. Turning off social media after work solves the problem of “When do I stop

checking social media?”

When you set up your own time-management strategies, start with your biggest problems and work towards easy-to-implement solutions.

If you procrastinate by surfing the internet, for example, try using an app that prevents you from accessing certain websites while you get your work done. If you find your workday getting broken up by chores, write down “I don’t do laundry during my workday” and stick the note to your desk.

Whatever your time-management problem, find a solution that works for you.

Want some additional help? Take a look at Meg Dowell’s guide to staying productive below, and check out these productivity tools The Write Life recommends in its resources for writers:

• Harvest: This time-tracking software provides an easy way to measure the time you spend on each project, record expenses and generate invoices.

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• Freshbooks: This cloud accounting service makes it simple to track your time, manage expenses and create invoices.

• RescueTime: RescueTime runs in the background and tracks the time you spend on each app and website — giving you an accurate, detailed picture of how you use your time.

• Scrivener: Scrivener is a powerful content-generation tool for writers that allows you to concentrate on composing and structuring long and difficult documents.

MEG DOWELL ON STAYING PRODUCTIVE1. Shut down the internetThe quickest way to bring your writing productivity to a halt is to try writing with readily available internet access. Think you’re just going to do a little research? You might … after you check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and finally drag yourself out of the Tumblr black hole.

Search online for apps or plug-ins that will disconnect your Wi-Fi for a certain period of time or temporarily block you from visiting certain websites. Or write in a location that doesn’t have a good connection — or any connection at all!

Oh. And you might want to turn off your phone, too. Yes, seriously.

2. Create a “do not disturb” nookIt’s not always our own fault when our writing time gets interrupted. Sometimes others are involved, whether in person or through text messages. And we’re not always eager to turn down social interaction when it’s standing right in front of us (admit it!).

When it’s time to write, though, it’s time to write. If you don’t have an office or room to isolate you while you work, create your own space. Designate it as the space where you absolutely cannot be disturbed while writing.

And if you can’t turn your phone off (sigh), just shoot back a message telling the person your characters are holding you hostage and you’ll text them back later (maybe).

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3. Set a time, word or page-count limitSetting a specific milestone for yourself is another effective way to get a lot of writing done with minimal or no distractions. Thinking about how much writing you should be getting done when you’re just not into it is discouraging and leads to procrastination.

But if you sit down and know you only have to write for 45 minutes before you can move on to the next task, you’re much more likely to breeze through it in no time. And by the time you get to the end of your session, you might have a hard time convincing yourself to stop writing.

Tacking on a reward like “I can answer my text messages when I write 500 words” will help fuel your motivation to meet or even exceed your goals for the day.

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CHAPTER 7BECOMING A REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR

Pitching a lot of different clients every month is a great way to build a career.

Becoming a regular contributor with one or two of those clients is a great way to sustain a career.

Look at it this way: If you’re pitching every month, you never know if those pitches will get picked up. You’re never quite sure how much money you’ll make, and you don’t know how to structure your workload because you don’t know how many of your pitches will turn into jobs.

If a publication or a company brings you on as a regular contributor, you know exactly how many pieces you’ll be writing each month and how much you’ll get paid.

You may still have to pitch ideas to an editor, but since you’re a member of the contributor team, your editor will respond to those ideas much more quickly — after all, the two of you need to work together to publish a specific amount of work.

Becoming a regular contributor is, in many ways, almost like having a “real job.”

You may be asked to attend editorial meetings (which, in my experience, nearly always take place online). You may be required to turn in a piece at noon every day, Monday through Friday.

You’re less likely to be able to take those random “days off” that you see advertised as one of the benefits of the freelance life, because you’ll need to be available at specific hours.

On the plus side, you’ll get a steady paycheck and a steady amount of work to complete. You’ll also get to build relationships with editors and writers who may help you get additional work down the line. (You should also look for opportunities to help them. Referrals go both ways.)

Perhaps most importantly, becoming a regular contributor gets you a steady byline, which helps establish you as a professional. You’ll build an audience interested in your work, which will make you more attractive to other publications and clients.

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How do you become a regular contributor? Alexis Grant has a great guide, so check that out next.

Keep in mind that you can rarely ask for a contributor job. Sometimes publications post staff-writing job listings online, but most often these jobs go to the people who have already proven that they can write well, hit their deadlines and work with the publication’s editors.

In other words, do the best work you can, and you might get asked to do more of it!

ALEXIS GRANT ON BECOMING A CONTRIBUTORFor about five years, I ran my own business, a blog management company. We wrote all the content for a number of blogs, so we constantly hired regular contributors.

But we never advertised these openings. Why? Because we pulled from writers we already worked with; contributors who wrote a great first post for us, then another great post, then another.

When we hired a regular contributor, we wanted to know we could count on that writer to submit high-quality content on a regular basis. We might take risks when assigning just one post to a writer we’d never worked with before, but to bring on a regular contributor, especially one we planned to pay, we had to be absolutely certain the writer would pan out.

So how do you impress an editor to the point that they want to hire you for a recurring blogging job? Here’s what we looked for:

1. High-quality writingThis sound obvious, but it’s surprisingly difficult to find awesome writers. With so many freelance writers looking for blogging work, you’d think editors would be up to our eyebrows in quality contenders. But the truth is, every editor I know is on the hunt for people who write well.

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If you’re up for a blogging job though, you don’t just have to write well — you have to blog well. I’ve hired writers with excellent reputations and experience… only to find out they don’t know how to blog.

What’s the difference? Blogging requires a certain style, a conversational voice that’s fun and interesting to read.

And while we all hate to admit there’s a formula for good writing — because the best writers can deviate from it and still hit the nail on the head — most blog posts do follow certain guidelines. They include an engaging introduction that pulls the reader in, they talk to the reader in the “you” voice, and they’re broken down into sections or bullets that are easy to read and digest online.

If you’re able to deliver well-written blog posts consistently, editors will clamor to hire you!

2. Meet deadlines… every timeFor an editor to rely on a writer on a regular basis, she has to be absolutely certain that person will meet deadlines. When writers don’t file posts when they say they will, we find ourselves scrambling for content to fill that spot, and that makes our job stressful.

Guess what editors don’t like? Stress. Guess what we do like? Writers who make our job easier.

This deadline aspect is so important that I’ve declined to work with writers simply because they missed their first deadline. Sure, emergencies happen and things come up, but if you’re working with an editor for the first time, get your work done ahead of your deadline, so you’re not trying to finish it under the wire.

As a bonus, if you complete a piece and file early, that will most certainly put you on that editor’s list of writers he wants to work with again.

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3. Turn in your posts ready to publishTake time to do little things that make the editor’s job easier.

For example, look to see how the blog is formatted. Does it use H2s for subheads? Use those to format your post. Does each story include links back to other posts on that blog? Find relevant places to add those links. Is each author bio just two sentences long? Shorten your four-sentence bio before you file, so the editor doesn’t have to ask you to do it later.

Go out of your way to adhere to those little details, because it means less work for the editor.

You might not know all the rules the first time you write for a blog, but if you carefully watch all changes the editor makes, you’ll be able to make those same tweaks next time before you file the post. Believe me, your editor will notice!

On several of the blogs my team managed, for example, posts needed a two-sentence excerpt that showed on the homepage. First-time contributors don’t typically add this to the top of their posts, but sometimes, when we asked a contributor to write for us again… that writer added the excerpt without us asking for it. That’s always a sign of a mutually beneficial relationship!

Look for ways to self-edit and deliver the post so it’s completely ready for publishing, and you’ll make your editor very happy.

4. Be open to edits, and note the editor’s preferencesWriting a blog post is only half the job; you also have to be ready to make edits per the editor’s request. Contributors who are easy to work with are open to ideas for making their posts better and don’t take edits personally.

While I didn’t expect writers to know my preferences the first time they wrote for us, I did watch closely to see whether they tried to incorporate my changes on subsequent posts before they filed.

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For example, if I used track changes to add subheads to a writer’s post, I watched the next post he filed to see if he added them himself. If I asked a writer to trim a post to 500 words, I hoped she’d know to do that with the next post, without me pointing it out.

In other words, I like to work with bloggers who learn quickly and are smart and thoughtful enough to incorporate feedback. This not only shows your ability, it also demonstrates that you respect my time as an editor.

Time to ask for a regular blogging gig?Once you’ve proven just how great of a writer you are and how easy you are to work with, don’t be afraid to ask whether any regular contributor slots are available. But make sure you’ve strutted your stuff first!

Sometimes I got requests from writers who wanted to contribute to our blogs on a regular basis — and get paid — before they’ve even written one post. I always expected them to write for us at least three or four times before committing… and 90 percent of the time, that writer did not turn out to be the type of contributor we were willing to invest in. This post-by-post trial period saved me from spending money on a writer who wouldn’t turn in the quality we needed, and it also helped me spend less time editing blog posts that weren’t up to par.

Once you’ve proven yourself, let the editor know you’d love to contribute on a more regular basis. Some blogs want regular writers to contribute once a month, while others might look for posts from regulars twice a month or even once or twice a week. This varies according to the blog, so don’t be disappointed if a once-a-month column is all the editor can offer you.

If you’ve written for the editor several times and they still don’t bite when you ask for a regular gig, it’s probably due to one of these factors:

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• Your writing isn’t good enough. Keep practicing!• The editor doesn’t have space for another regular contributor.• The editor doesn’t have the budget to pay you regularly.

Even if you don’t score a regular blogging job, it isn’t a waste of time to ask. Budgets and blogging teams are always in flux, and if the editor truly likes your work, he’ll keep you in mind the next time an opening comes up.

Good editors have high standards. But if you check all of these boxes, you’ll put yourself in the position to land a blogging gig — or two or three! — as a regular contributor.

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CHAPTER 8SAYING GOODBYE TO THAT LOW-PAYING

CLIENT HOLDING YOU BACK

One of the hardest things you’ll ever do as a freelance writer is end your relationship with a low-paying client.

Why is this so hard? Freelancers know that jobs can come and go at any time. A publication can shut down a vertical, or a company can announce it’s going to focus less on writing and more on infographics and multimedia.

Why quit any job once you’ve got it, even if it’s a low-paying one? If you lost all your other jobs tomorrow, wouldn’t you be glad you still had that low-paying client?

And if you’ve been working with that low-paying client for a while, you probably have a stronger relationship with that client than you do with your newer, higher-paying ones. That low-paying client took a chance on you when you were just starting out and made you part of their team.

How can you quit a team?

The truth is that you have to quit. To move up as a freelancer, you have to figure out the right time to say goodbye to your low-paying jobs.

How do you know when it’s the right time? Ask yourself these questions:

1. Am I taking on more work than I have time to complete? Am I working 70-hour weeks, or putting less time than I would like into a project because I have so many projects on my plate?

2. If I dropped my lowest-paying client, how would it affect my income? Could I still pay all my bills and have money left over?

3. If I dropped my lowest-paying client, what could I do with that extra time? Could I ask a another client for more work? Could I pitch a higher-paying client?

There’s one more thing to keep in mind as you decide whether it’s time to say goodbye to a client: Are you sure your lowest-paying client is the one you think it is?

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Grab a piece of paper (or open up a spreadsheet), list all your current clients and rank each of them by the following:

• Payment per piece• Estimated number of hours to complete each piece (include research, revisions,

email conversations with your editor, etc.)• Payment per hour, based on the two items above

You may quickly learn that working with the client paying you $600 per piece means you earn less, per hour, than when you work with the client paying you $200 per piece.

There are two more columns to add to your list before you part ways with any clients:

• Does this job bring me additional clients?• Does this work bring me closer to my dream job?

I get a lot of emails from editors that begin “I saw your piece in Publication X. Would you like to write for us?” Publication X is not my highest-paying client, but it consistently connects me with more opportunities to make money.

Likewise, if Client A pays a little less per hour than Client B, but Client A is helping me build expertise in my beat, I might keep Client A and let Client B go.

It all depends on what’s important to you, and whether your clients are helping you get closer to what’s important. If they aren’t, it’s time to say goodbye.

Write a pleasant email, give ample notice if you deliver assignments regularly, finish any outstanding work, and let them know that you’ll keep them in mind for the future. That way, if one of your other clients suddenly cancels a gig, you can always double back and say, “I’ve got a free slot in my schedule — need any writing?”

But if you’re consistently pitching and building new client relationships, you shouldn’t need to do that. You’ll be too busy earning more money from your new clients.

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Sample “Saying Goodbye” EmailSubject line: Finishing outstanding projects and transitioning to new opportunities

I wanted to let you know that I’m taking on some new writing opportunities and will not be available to complete work after [DATE]. I plan to finish [OUTSTANDING PROJECT] and will of course be available for any revisions as we discussed in our agreement.

[OPTIONAL: If you are looking for freelancers for future work, I can recommend [NAME]. I’ve worked with [NAME] on [PROJECT] and can vouch [GOOD QUALITIES]. Email [NAME] at [EMAIL].]

I’ve really enjoyed getting the chance to work with you, and will let you know if I have writing availability in the future.

Thanks,

[YOUR NAME]

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Freelancers in Action:

Meg DowellHow did you get started as a freelancer?

I started out using a website called Upwork (formerly oDesk). Like a job bank, but for freelance work. It actually took a really long time for me to land a job there. I spent over a year building up my portfolio and learning through experience how to market myself as a writer. Once one client hires you, it gets a lot easier.

What’s the best technique you used to level up and get better clients?

Honestly? You just have to sit down and work. Before I started getting paid to write, I had a lot of experience, but not the right kind. So six months before I found my first client on Upwork, I started writing for free on as many websites and blogs as I could.

The way I see it, getting paid in experience is worth it. After I started working with one client, it seemed like a lot more proposals for work went through [with] other clients. The nice thing about Upwork is it categorizes your experience level the more hours you work. So I just kept working, and that pays off in both experience and what I call “student loan funds.”

What advice do you have for freelancers looking to build their careers?

It’s not just about writing; it’s about working with a client and giving them exactly what they need when they need it. You’ll have great experiences and you’ll have really tough ones.

I was lucky to sign on with two of my first clients within a week of each other. One was really great, he paid well, communicated often and gave me great feedback as we went. It was a partnership. The second one was the exact opposite in every single way possible.

I’ve learned something new from every experience, and that’s the best part about it. No matter how much experience you have, you never really stop learning. So just keep writing. It’s not always going to be fun. You’re going to make mistakes. That’s how you learn. As long as you keep going, it will get easier with time.

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CHAPTER 9RE-EVALUATING YOUR GOALS AND

SETTING NEW ONES

At this point, if you’ve been following the steps in this book — setting goals, building a presence in your beat, reaching out to editors, and so on — you’ve probably started to make connections, get better clients and earn more money.

This means it’s time to re-evaluate the goals you set in Chapter 1 and start setting some new goals that reflect your new (and improved!) freelance career.

Why do you need to re-evaluate your goals?

Here are two big reasons it’s important to reflect on previous goals:

1. To see how many goals you achieved2. To consider what got in the way of your other goals

Chances are, you achieved at least a few of the goals on your list. Congratulations!

But why didn’t you achieve your other goals? Was it because the goal became less relevant as your career progressed? Was it because the goal was based on something that was out of your control, such as getting hired by a specific client? (You can build your network and improve your pitches, but you still can’t guarantee that a specific person will want to work with you.)

Was it because you didn’t work as hard on this goal as you did on your other goals?

I’m a firm believer in the idea that we put effort into what is important to us.

If you didn’t put as much effort into one goal as you did into another, it might mean that goal wasn’t really that important to you. That’s great news, because it’s information you can use when you make your next set of goals.

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As with your first set of goals, take some time to think about the type of work you’d like to be doing, the amount of money you’d like to earn and whether you need to adjust your workday or your work-life balance.

And, now that you’re starting to get better clients and earn more money, it’s time to start thinking about setting higher-level goals. Kristen Pope has a great guide to help you get there.

KRISTEN POPE ON SETTING HIGHER-LEVEL GOALSIt’s easy to go too long without thinking about your higher-level goals.

You might spend hour upon hour cranking out $20 articles about pigeons when you really want to be writing $2,000 articles about new, cutting-edge dental procedures.

Taking the time to step back from your immediate deadlines and projects allows you to think about where you’d like to be — and chart a path to get there.

Ready to recharge with a goals check-in? Here’s what to do:

Step 1: Decide the types of goals you’d like to setThe first step in goal setting is to identify what categories of goals you’d like to set. Be as specific as possible.

Instead of setting a goal like “writing,” break your goal categories down into “non-fiction magazine writing,” “corporate clients,” “personal projects,” “career development,” and more.

Step 2: Choose your goalsNow that you know what types of goals you’d like to set, it’s time to come up with the goals themselves. Look at each category and decide what you’d like to achieve.

It’s helpful to set a time frame, since your one-month goals will likely be very different from your 10-year goals. I find setting goals for three to four months at a time works well. You might also consider adding a target income goal for each quarter or the entire year.

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When setting goals, it helps to set “SMART” goals: “specific, measurable, assignable, realistic, and time-bound.” By matching your plans with these criteria, you have a better chance of achieving what you set out to do.

For example, if you want to publish articles in women’s magazines, setting a goal of “publishing articles in women’s magazines” isn’t as helpful as planning to send five pitches per week to certain publications (specific, measurable, and realistic) by Wednesday of each week (time-bound). Assign yourself the task (assignable) and write it in your calendar to make sure you remember.

Step 3: Conduct a self-reviewAfter you’ve set your goals, it’s easy to set them aside and forget about them. The antidote to this is to conduct regular self-reviews.

First, decide how often you’d like to perform a self-review. I like to aim for quarterly reviews with some flexibility, but others prefer monthly or bi-annual reviews. Whatever schedule you pick, be sure to write it on your calendar and make your review a priority.

When you sit down with your goals, take a few minutes and write about how you are doing in each category. If you planned to send five pitches each week, see how often you’re actually doing it.

The point isn’t to feel bad if you’re not meeting your goals. Instead, use this knowledge to adapt your goals as necessary.

If you find yourself too busy with client work to send out five pitches a week, consider revising the goal to three pitches a week. It’s much better to send three pitches a week than to feel overwhelmed at falling short of your goal and give up entirely.

Alternately, if you’re not getting much traction and find more time in your schedule, consider upping your goal to a higher number of pitches per week.

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Step 4: Review your clientsWhile you’re doing your self-review, it’s also helpful to do a client review. Take an inventory of your clients to see which relationships you’d like to develop further and which ones it might make sense to put on the back burner.

This review is for your eyes only, so feel free to be brutally honest.

First, go through and make a list of all the clients you’ve worked with over the past month, quarter, or year. If your clients change from month to month, it’s often most helpful to evaluate clients over a broader period of time (such as quarterly or once per year), especially when you have a number of occasional or one-off clients.

Consider each client and calculate how much money you’ve earned from them during that period. Did they pay you on time and in full? Did you like working with them? Were the projects interesting?

Identify the top clients you’re most excited about developing or continuing your relationship with. Keep in mind these “top clients” are not always your best-paying clients. They could be new clients you’re looking to cultivate relationships with, or people you just enjoy working with.

You’ll also likely notice a few clients you’d prefer to avoid in the future. What adjustments can you make so you don’t feel pressured to work with them?

Step 5: Schedule your next self-review and goal-setting sessionWhile you’re finishing up your goal-setting and self-review session, be sure to mark your next session on your calendar.

Having a review every two or three months is a good place to start and you can always adjust the timing according to your needs — just don’t forget to keep a date on the calendar!

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CONCLUSIONNow that you’ve read these tips and strategies towards getting better clients and earning more money, let me offer you some final advice on how to put these strategies into action.

1. Follow the tips in order, but feel free to jump around. Each chapter builds on what you learned in the previous chapter, so following the guide in order is a great way to get started. However, there’s nothing that says you have to try every tip one after the other. Think of this guide as a map, not a straight line — because maps show you a lot of different ways of getting to your destination.

2. Plan when you’ll take action on each tip. This is something I learned from David Allen’s Getting Things Done: if I want to learn how to pitch The Atlantic, I need to add “look up Atlantic submission guidelines” to my to-do list, which in my case means identifying a day on which I’ll complete that to-do. So don’t just read the book and assume you’ll start doing what it suggests immediately. Select individual tips you want to take action on — such as “draft renegotiation email” — and plan them into your workday to get them done.

3. Talk to other freelancers. At the very beginning I wrote about how much of what I learned as a freelancer came from talking to other freelancers. (Yes, I count online conversations as “talking.”)

As you put these tips into action, reach out to other freelancers you know, share what you’re learning and ask questions. Think of other writers and editors as your greatest resource.

If you keep working hard, you’ll start learning what you do well and what you can improve. That, in turn, will put you on the path towards finding your beat, landing those pitches, building your negotiation skills, and getting better clients. And, in the end, of course, earning more money.