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Freelance Writing Advice: 6 Guidelines for Determining If a Client Will Pay – Use These to Assess Clients Before You Accept an Assignment

January 25, 2011

Back in December, in the post, What Payment Methods to Expect//Accept from Clients & How/When to Raise Rates without Losing Clients, a freelancer wrote in to ask me “Is it common practice that very large marketing firms do not use Paypal?”

After I wrote that post, I left a note to myself to do this follow-up post on how to determine if a client will pay. So, here goes . . .

I’ve been a freelance writer since 1993. And, I’ve never gotten burned on a writing job – ever. While some of this is luck, a lot of it is because I assess clients before I ever accept projects from them, using the guidelines below.

Note: While these guidelines are not infallible, they will go a long way towards helping you to know when to turn down a client, and when you might be getting a freelance writing scam run on you.

Did They Approach You or Did You Approach Them?

This matters because lots of times, scammers who have no intention of paying freelance writers reach out to a lot of freelancers, hoping to hook one. And, they invariably do. I wrote a few articles in last week’s Article Marketing Bootcamp on freelance writing scams.

In my research, I was unpleasantly surprised by how many freelancers seem to be taken advantage of by unscrupulous content thieves. So if someone contacts you out of the blue and won’t explain how they heard about you, especially if you haven’t been marketing a lot, be wary.

Lots of times, prospects who have no intention of paying find the contact info of freelancers via their website/blog and/or social media account. Then, they’ll contact you with offers of a large and/or ongoing “article writing job, blogging job and/or web content writing job.”

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Freelance Writers: How to Secure Your Financial Future & Never Have Money Worries Again – Starting Today

January 18, 2011

If you’re a freelance writer – full-time or part-time – you run the risk every year of owing good ole Uncle Sam (the IRS) if you don’t pay attention early on to your finances. I learned this the hard way.

Make Sure You Don’t Wind Up Owing the IRS Come Tax Time

One year, I found myself having to write a check for over $6,000! Another year, I was on the hook for $17,000+! This was when I ran my editorial staffing firm in New York and had employees.

When you deal with employees (as opposed to independent contractors), taxes get a lot more complicated. Needless to say, right after the $17K debacle, I got an “official” accountant who handled everything. Before, it had been on kind of an ad hoc basis.

So, how can you avoid my past mistakes? By getting on the right track from jump. Following is some advice to do just that.

Freelance Writers: Steps to Take Now to Avoid Owing Taxes Later (and Get on the Road to Financial Security)

Just in case you don’t know, independent contractors should pay taxes quarterly. Now, I don’t always do this. I usually wait until the end of the year and file all at once. This is because though, I’ve been doing this long enough to be able to calculate how much I’m going to owe* at the end of the year.

*Note: Owning a home has given me certain tax breaks, so now, I have about a 50/50 chance of owing.

This year I’ve decided that from now on, I’m going to start paying quarterly. I don’t want to write a check at the end of the year anymore.

Learn how to file quarterly taxes as an indepdent contractor (eg, freelance writer), ie, figure out what you owe and where to send your payments.

Next week, I’ll detail how I got even more financially organized this year so I won’t ever wind up owing the IRS again – ever!

As retirement looms closer every year, I’m really starting to pay attention to things like my money market accounts, my savings account, how much I save each month, how much more I could/should be saving each month, the major purchases I make/don’t make, etc.

Start Saving Now to Secure Your Future

If you’re reading this and you’re in your 20s especially, do one thing for me please. Start saving at least 10% of your gross salary. Trust me, you won’t miss it after those first few paychecks and those little amounts add up over the years. And, if you invest in a good mutual fund, compound interested will be your best friend as time goes on.

Please, please, I BEG you to do this.

I look back at some of the lump sums of money that have gone through my hands in past years (auto accident payout, monies from deceased parents, large projects/placement fees from clients, etc.) and I wish I could go back and redo some things differently.

Saving Over $500K Is Not as Hard as You Think

Consider this: if you start out saving nominal sums of money when you’re young (eg, 20, 23, 25, etc.) AND you invest for the long haul in solid financial instruments (mutual funds are one of my faves because they’re not complicated), you’ll never have to worry about what your retirement is going to look like – even if you never have a high-paying job.

This is building wealth is not about how much you make, but how much you save — on a consistent basis.

Look at the chart below. If you started out investing $100 and you added just $200 per month for the next 40 years, at a 7% return (less than what the S&P usually returns, which is around 10%), you’ll have over $514,000 in your account.

Use this savings calculator to see the magic of saving little bits of money – and have compound interest kicking in. Nothing like seeing in black and white what a few dollars saved today can grow to be in a few years.

This may not be enough to retire on for some, but if you have a paid-off home, no other debt, medical care (good health insurance (which gets more expensive the older you get)) and social security coming in (if it’s still around!), you could have a very nice, simple retirement.

And my belief is, this is all most of us want. While we’d like to be able to jet off to Paris for a month, if most of us could take a two or three-week vacation twice a year, visit the kids and grandkids once or twice a year, indulge in a favorite activity regularly, have our health and no daily money worries – hey, that sounds like a darned good retirement to me!

So, even though retirement is over 20 years away for me, THIS is the way I think now. And if I had kids, I’d pound it in their heads from Day 1 that this is the way they should think.

Freelance Writers: How Your Upbringing Affects Your Financial Outlook

I grew up in a poor, working-class family, so came to learning about money later in life that some of my friends. As I told one friend recently, being old and broke is my greatest fear in life. It’s one reason I’ve always been such a hard worker.

I don’t want or need a whole bunch of money because my life dreams are basic and I get the greatest joy out of the simplest things. But, I don’t want to have to penny pinch or worry about money either when I’m older; not even a little bit.

And time passes soooooo fast. If you don’t take the time to prepare for your future, it will be here before you know it – when you’re likely to be faced with a lot more (eg, age discrimination, possible health problems, maybe falling out of the loop of technology, etc.).

Don’t do this to yourself.

Freelance Writing Financial Advice: It’s NEVER Too Late to Start Saving for Retirement

I don’t care how old you are, you can take steps today to secure your financial future, as this post on GetRichSlowly.com illustrates.

Avoid Being Old & Broke

Again, in next week’s newsletter, I’ll detail how I got super-organized with my finances this year so I could not only “see” what my financial future is going to be like, but take comfort in the fact that I won’t face my greatest fear — being older and broke.

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How to Set Freelance Writing Rates for Online Writing Jobs: A Definitive Guide for Setting (and Getting) the Rates You Deserve

January 14, 2011

Wondering what to charge for blogging jobs, SEO writing jobs, social media posting jobs, etc. Now you don’t have to!

[See all Inkwell Editorial Work-from-Home Titles Here]

$19.95 (Instant Download)

I decided to write this ebook for two reasons: (i) because questions about rates for things like blogging and SEO content writing are questions I receive all the time; and (ii) because both of these are relatively new freelance writing niches where information on rates is scattered at best.

I’ve been a freelance writer since 1993, and have specialized in digital (online) content since 2007.

About the Author

My name is Yuwanda Black. I started out in publishing in New York City in 1987, working for one of the largest legal publishing firms in the world.

I’ve been on both sides of the hiring desk. I owned Inkwell Editorial, an editorial staffing firm in New York, from 1996-2004. All of the information dispensed within is based on my years as a freelance writer – as someone who’s hired hundreds of freelancers, and as professional who has been hired by all types of firms, from small one-person startups, to Fortune 500 companies.

Following is a complete table of contents. You’ll have all the info you need to properly set your freelance and online writing rates – for everything from blogging jobs to SEO web content.

You can learn more about me at Inkwelleditorial.com/about.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Page 3

INTRODUCTION: WHY DETERMINING WHAT TO CHARGE IS SO HARD: Page 7

Why So Many Freelance Writers Have a Hard Time Pricing Online Writing Jobs: Page 7

Blogs (and Other Online Formats) are Infants Compared to Newspapers: Page 7

The Fight Over Freelance Writing Rates: New Mediums vs. Old-School Mentalities: Page 8

3 Reasons Freelance Writing Rates for Online Writing Jobs Don’t Fit Into Traditional Freelance Pricing Models: Page 8

Why It’s So Much Easier to Start a Freelance Writing Career Nowadays: Page 9

The 2 Main Reasons So Many Freelance Writers Struggle with What to Charge: Page 9

ONLINE WRITING JOBS: WHAT FREELANCE WRITERS CAN CHARGE: Page 11

How Much Can Freelance Bloggers Charge? Page 12

How Much Can SEO Copywriters/SEO Content Writers Charge? Page 13

How Much Can Social Media Specialists/Posters/Content Providers Charge? Page 14

ONLNE WRITING: TYPES OF CLIENTS: Page 15

The 3 Types of Clients You’ll Most Likely Encounter as an Online Writer: Page 15

ONLINE WRITING JOBS: COMMON PRICING METHODS: Page 17

Beware of Online Writing Jobs That Use the Following Pay Models: Page 18

SMALL BUSINESS 101: PRICING STRATEGIES: Page 20

Freelance Writing Rate Rule to Always Follow: Page 20

Pricing Method I: The Cost Method of Pricing: Page 21

Rate-Setting Advice for Brand New Web Writers: Page 22

How to Figure Out How Long It Takes to Write Content – On Subject You Know About & On Those You Know Nothing About: Page 22

Pricing Method II: Competitive Pricing: Page 23

How to Find Out What Other Freelance Writers Are Charging: Page 24

2 Common Mistakes Most Freelance Writers Make with This Method of Pricing: Page 24

Pricing Method III: Perception/Position Pricing: Page 25

How to Figure Out Where to Price Your Services: Page 25

High, Low, Middle: Where My Online Writing Rates Fall: Page 26

HOW TO RESEARCH ON WHAT TO CHARGE AS AN ONLINE WRITER: Page 27

3 Areas to Cover When Conducting Research into How to Set Online Writing Rates: Page 27

WHY I DON’T USE BID-FOR-WORK SITES WHEN RESEARCHING RATES:
Page 30

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN PRICING ONLINE WRITING JOBS: Page 31

Factors to Consider When Setting Rates: Conclusion: Page 36

HOW I SET MY ONLINE WRITING RATES: Page 37

The 4-Step, “Quick and Dirty Guide” to Setting Your Online Writing Rates: Page 37

How to Calculate Your Hourly Freelance Writing Rate: Page 39

Why Experts & Many Freelance Writers Disagree with My Rate-Setting Formula: Page 39

Conclusion: How I Set My Online Writing Rates: Page 39

COMMON RATE-SETTING MISTAKES MOST FREELANCE WRITERS MAKE – AND HOW TO AVOID THEM: Page 41

Desperation Pricing: Page 41

The Problem with Desperation Pricing: Page 41

Negotiate-Rate Pricing: Page 42

The Problem with Negotiation-Rate Pricing: Page 42

How to Properly Haggle Using Negotiation-Rate Pricing: Page 43

INDUSTRY SOURCES ON FREELANCE WRITING RATES: Page 44

CONCLUSION: Page 46

ENDMATTER: Page 47

Alleviate the confusion of pricing online writing jobs once and for all — order today. $19.95 (Instant Download)

Freelance Writers: Here are Some Time-Saving Tools That Allow You to Make More Money‏

January 11, 2011

In last week’s newsletter, we discussed how to put in fewer hours, but still maintain and/or increase your freelance writing income. In order to do this though, you need some time-saving tools because time is your greatest asset when you work for yourself. You did realize this, right? 

Today, we’re going to discuss some specific tools to invest in to make (more) money as a freelance writer.   In tomorrow’s SEO Writing Jobs newsletter, I’ll outline the guidelines I use to determine when it’s time to loosen the purse strings. 

Time-Saving Tools of the Freelance Writing Trade

There are lot of things you can buy that will save you money. And, when you’re a solo entrepreneur (like most freelance writers are), you definitely want to get some of them. But, there’s no need to go overboard. You really only need a few.

To determine which few those are, you have to know where your business (indeed, your life) is going. I talked about this in last week’s post, stating: 

. . . what is your overall life plan? Where do you want to be in a year, three years, five years, etc.? . . . It is sooooo much easier to plan your day, your week and your month when you know what you want your year (and beyond) to be like.  

If you don’t have a life plan yet, it’s ok, don’t stress about it right now. I’m going to break the tools you need down into two groups – immediate investments and those to invest in a bit down the road (after you DO have a life/business plan).

Freelance Writers: Tools/Services to Invest in Immediately

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Freelance Writers: How to Cut Your Workday in Half (Literally!) and Still Increase Your Income

January 4, 2011

Reminder: The ebook writing tournament  starts next Monday. If you’re ready to write and publish an ebook in as little as 3 days, this is the way to scratch that goal off your list this year!
*******************************************************************  

First let me say, I hope you had a very happy New Year and are looking forward to what this year brings. I know I am. I brought in the New Year at a sports club dancing my butt off! For me, it was symbolic of the way I want my year to go — laughing, having a good time and enjoying life to the fullest.

In order to get this done though, hard work must be part of the equation (hey, dancing is hard work if you’re really boogeying — and I was!).   Seriously though, working hard does not have to mean putting in 8, 10 or 12 hours a day. If you’re  a long-time reader of my newsletters, you know that I’m a huge advocate of putting in long hours. Because I enjoy what I do, the long hours don’t bother me so much.

But, the older I get the more I value not HAVING to put in such long days. And, one thing has happened recently to help me crystallize the fact that I don’t have to.

Freelance Writiing Tips on How to Work Less and Earn More

As I told you in last week’s newsletter, I got a computer virus that put my laptop in the shop. It’s been in there since Christmas Eve (fingers crossed that I’ll get it back this Wednesday). I have an old desktop that I could’ve used, but it’s slow as methusala, so I’ve been using my sister’s laptop (lord bless her; she’s been sooooo generous).  

You see, she’s a writer too and uses her laptop as much as I use mine. Since my computer has been in the shop though, I’ve been using hers from anywhere between 2-4 hours a day.

This has forced me to be super focused when I am online. And you know what, my ebook sales and other online income has been as consistent (if not up) as when I’ve put in full days. And, I haven’t even been doing as much marketing as I normally would because of the holidays and the fact that I don’t have access to all of my files.

I talked about how being focused can allow you to get a lot of work done in a small amount of time in a post in my living in Jamaica series. I’ll be headed back to Jamaica soon and plan on spending more time on the beach than I have in the past.

So this idea of working less (while still growing my income) really appeals to me.  Following are some specific tips I want to share with you that I already practice on how you too can work less and earn more as a freelance writer.

Here goes . . .

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How to Make Money Placing Ads on Free Classified Ad Sites

January 2, 2011

How I Make $100-$150/Day Promoting Affiliate Products Using 
FREE Classified Ads Sites Like Backpage.com
An E-Book Excerpt
[See all Inkwell Editorial Work-from-Home Titles Here]

How would you like to consistently make $100-$150/day promoting affiliate products? And the best part — spend only a few hours per day doing it? I do and I’ll tell you exactly how so that you can easily duplicate my success.

I decided to write this e-report because I’ve been using free classified ads sites like Kijiji.com, Craigslist.org and backpage.com (my personal favorite), since January 2009. I started using these sites to sell one affiliate product. Sales were so brisk that I then started to using them to sell my own e-products.

Fast forward to 2011: I’ve sold tens of thousands of dollars worth of e-products (my own and others) using the free classified ad site backpage.

Note: You can use the formula I outline here to advertise on any free classified ads site, eg, Craigslist,Kijiji, etc. I just happen to be comfortable with backpage, so it’s become my “go-to” site to place free classified ads.

Get full details at http://FreeAdsSell.info.

Place Hundreds of Ads in No Time at All & Double or Triple Your Daily Income (Make $200-$300/DAY)

How?

With Backpage Auto Posting Software (aka Free Classified Ads Software)!

Post hundreds of ads daily in very little time using this software. The first day I used it, I went from placing 40-60 ads manually to placing like 500. The next morning when I woke up, I had multiple sales of a brand new ebook I had just finished writing two days before.

Consumer Alert:  Backpage Ad Posting Software Scam. 

If you know anything about ebook publishing, you know that it can take a week, two weeks or even a month or more to start seeing sales from a new one (depending on the subject matter and price). So it works! Get important info about this software in this ebook.

Learn more about backpage ad posting sofware. Note: Software only works on PCs; not MACs and can only be used when you post ads from the U.S. or Canada.

P.S.: Don’t forget to check out Access Inkwell Editorial’s complete line of freelance writing ebooks and e-courses.

 $19.95

Sell Ebooks Online: Free Ways to Market Your Ebook and Start Getting Sales Quickly

January 1, 2011

The following is an excerpt (a pullout) from the ebook, How to Write an Ebook in 3 Days, Market It & Start Getting Sales within a Week – Really!  Price: $9.97

[See all Inkwell Editorial Work-from-Home Titles]

The methods discussed in the marketing portion of this ebook are all free or very low cost. If you employ them, you are practically guaranteed to start getting sales quickly (eg, within a week), assuming of course that you’ve done your homework on your target market and that it’s large enough.

Yes, You Can Write and Sell Ebooks Online for a Living

FYI, I use all of these methods to promote my ebooks; I have since 2004, when I wrote my first one. I rarely (very rarely) spend money to promote my e-products. In 2010, I made over 50% of my income from my ebooks (and e-classes) — and this is growing every day.

I’ve been a freelance writer since 1993, wrote my first ebook in 2004 and this year (2011) is the first time that I’ll be able to devote the bulk of my time to my own writing projects. And, I’m able to do this because I planned for it — and I market my butt off using the methods I divulge in this ebook marketing pamphlet.

You can do the same!

Sincerely,
Yuwanda

Following is what you’ll find in this ebook marketing pullout.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECIDING ON A WEB PRESENCE: Page 7

What’s the Difference between a Minisite and a Landing Page?: Page 7

How to Decide Whether to Do a Landing Page or a Minisite/Website/Blog?: Page 7

When to Create Just Landing Pages: Page 8

How to Write an Effective Landing Page: Page 9

Where to Get a Professional Ebook Cover for Very Cheap: Page 10

Create Your Ebook Cover Yourself for Less Than $4: Page 10

Should You Use Free Blogging and/or Website Platforms: Page 11

Where to Quickly, Easily and Cheaply Get a Website: Page 11

THE IMPORTANCE OF LIST BUILDING: Page 13

Working Just a Few Minutes a Day & Bringing in Hundreds or Thousands of $: Page 13

List Building: What It Is and Why It’s Important: Page 13

3 Benefits of Building an In-House, Opt-In List: Page 14

How to Build an In-House List: Page 14

How to Build a Subscriber List – Fast! From 2,000 to 60,000 in Only 6 Weeks: Page 15

ARTICLE MARKETING: Page 16

Free Article Marketing Tutorial: Page 16

The Exact Marketing Plan I Use to Average $100-$200/Day in E-Book Sales: Page 16

List of Top 50 Top-Rated Article Directories: Page 18

More Resources for Promoting via Article Marketing: Page 18

One Final Thing to Keep in Mind about Article Marketing: Page 18

PROMOTING YOUR EBOOK VIA SOCIAL MEDIA: Page 20

How to Promote on Twitter: A Tweeting Formula for Success: Page 20

The 3 Most Popular Social Media Sites: Page 21

Step-by-Step Twitter Marketing Tutorial: How to Promote Your Ebook Using Twitter: Page 21

PROMOTING YOUR EBOOK VIA NEWSLETTERS: Page 22

What is Content Marketing?: Page 22

Why Content Marketing Works?: Page 22

4 Reasons I Swear by Newsletter Marketing: Page 23

How to Start a Newsletter: Page 23

Newsletter Marketing Tip to Remember: Page 24

PROMOTING YOUR EBOOK VIA FREE CLASSIFIED AD SITES: Page 25

How Often to Place Ads: Page 25

The #1 Tip for Getting Ebook Sales from Free Classified Ad Sites: Page 25

How to Write Effective Headlines for Your Free Classified Ads: Page 26

Huge List of Free Classified Ad Sites: Page 26

Ebook Marketing Tip to Always Keep in Mind: Page 27

The Difference between a Benefit and a Feature: Page 27

EBOOK WRITING AND PUBLISHING CONCLUSION: Page 28

ENDMATTER: Page 27

Price: $9.97

Start Your Own Ebook Writing and Publishing Empire

Need help getting started – and finishing – your ebook? Register for Inkwell Editorial’s next ebook writing and publishing tournament.

Get Sales Almost Immediately!

And, to learn how to start getting sales almost immediately upon completing your ebook (sometimes even before), register for Inkwell Editorial’s Article Marketing Bootcamp. for Ebook Writers and Publishers

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Recent Posts

• Freelance Advice: How to Transition from a Job into Freelancing Full-time and/or From Writing for Clients to Writing for Yourself
• Ebook Publishing, Internet Marketing and Freelance / SEO Writing: Questions from Readers
• Why I “Heart” My Freelance Writing Career: 6 Reasons I Wouldn’t Trade It for Any Other Job in the World
• How to Become a Freelance Writer: A Wannabe Freelancer States, “I Want to Make the Leap, but I Don’t Know Where to Start – Help!”
• Getting Online Writing Jobs: The One Thing Clients Seem to Be Wanting More of These Days & How to Offer It To Them

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