Life of A Writer

I was supposed to write this post on February 8, which was the eighth annual Doing Business in Your Bathrobe Day. This special day is a time to celebrate the freedom home business ownership offers people, and it was created by Kristie Tamsevicius, co-founder of Webmomz.com, a site that empowers women who have chosen to work from home. My purpose for this post was to help aspiring writers who want to enjoy the freedom of working from home by finally beginning their freelance writing career. However, some family emergencies and fast-approaching deadlines kept me from posting on this day, but like the old saying goes, "It's better late then never." So without further ado, here's the information that will help all you aspiring writers who are ready to begin your freelance writing career.

Instead of reprinting two articles I've already written and published that will help you launch your freelance writing career, I'm going to provide the links to those articles. You can read them first and then come back here to discover the tips on what you should do after landing your first client. The links to my previously published articles will open in a new window so that it will be easy for you to return here for the final advice.

Setting Up Your Home Office

You'll need concentration, because noises may distract you, which is why it's important for you to set up your home office in an extra room or space that's quiet. After you've chosen a peaceful location to pen your novels and articles, you'll need to know how to shop for your home office.

Building Your Writing Portfolio

When you first begin your freelance writing career, you may find it difficult to land writing jobs. Yes, you may be able to write well, but the problem is your experience. Without a writing portfolio many companies may not take a chance by hiring you. In fact, if you try to gain exposure by offering your services free, companies may even turn that offer down. Read on to learn more on how you can build a writing portfolio that will attract potential clients.

Landing Your First Client

It will be an exciting moment when you land your first client, but during all the excitement and after your happy dance, it's important that you do your very best to build a great relationship with that first client. A happy client could lead to additional rewards: referrals, additional assignments, positive feedback to use on your website as well as in marketing materials and a whole lot more. Here are some tips to help you build that great relationship that could earn you many rewards:

• No matter how difficult or easy the client may be to work with, follow the client's directions and don't be afraid to ask questions about anything you don't understand.
• Keep the client updated on your progress with his or her project.
• Meet all the deadlines.
• Check the content you wrote for grammar and spelling mistakes before you send it to the client.
• Don't discuss personal problems with your client. Keep everything on a business level.
• Offer your client discounts. After you complete the assignment, offer your client a discount for additional content he or she may need. Also, consider offering your client a discount for referring others to you.

Keep in mind that it takes time to build a big enough clientele to support your household, but once you've conquered that, you too can enjoy a full-time career doing what you love. Just follow the aforementioned advice and you'll be a step closer to your dream, a dream that you should never give up on.

Additional Reading to Help You Get Started as a Freelance Writer

How to Make Freelance Writing a Full-Time Job
How to Gain Local Clients for a Writing Business
How to Discover Timely Topics to Write About
How to Discover Writing Jobs on the Internet
How to Request an Interview

Posted by Misti Sandefur, Christian author/freelance writer at 7:31 PM