Freelance Writers: How To Get More Work Than You Can Handle
Editorial, eg, freelance writing, is a cyclical profession. Many are surprised by this. We’re about to head into the busy fall season, which kicks off right after Labor Day. For freelance writers who want to get more work than they can handle, this means getting a jump on the competition.
What are the Busy Seasons of Freelance Writing
Going in calendar order:
The beginning of the year is pretty slow. Starting about the third week of January heading into February, freelance writing assignments start to pick up again. It stays busy until late May/early June.
June, July and August are the slowest months of the freelance writing season. It picks up again after Labor Day, and stays busy right into November (before Thanksgiving). Early December tends to be busy, as editors assign freelance writing assignments they want to get off their desks before the end of the year.
That’s the freelance writing cycle.
How to Prepare for the Busy Freelance Writing Seasons
Now that you know when to expect the most work as a freelance writer, you can prepare to take advantage of them. Before every busy season, assess the following:
Services: As in, do you need to add more services and/or do away with others that aren’t profitable. Most freelance writers never stop to assess their service offerings. After all, you’re a writer, right?
But, are clients asking for blog posts, in addition to articles for their website. Do they need a marketing brochure for their upcoming trade show? Do they need press releases for the rollout of their new product? If you don’t offer blog posting and press release writing in addition to your article writing, you could be missing out on other, profitable revenue streams.
It’s important to update your service listings to keep pace with client needs. This will not only help you retain existing clients, but bring in new ones as well. When WAS the last time you assessed your service offerings?
Rates: Many freelance writers are notorious for not increasing their rates on a regular basis. But, you’re a small business. And, this should be a regular part of the way you do business. While you may certainly lose some clients, the vast majority won’t even blink an eye, if you do the following:
i) Notify them up front: Don’t make it effective immediately. Announce it a few months beforehand, eg, starting in January, our new rates will be . . .
ii) Explain to them why: Eg, we haven’t raised rates in two years and keeping in line with inflation, and to continue to be able to provide you with the best quality writers . . .
iii) Offer incentive packages: Eg, you can still get great savings by ordering blog packages instead of individual posts. By ordering a 20-pack of posts, you save 20% . . .
Just doing these two things can bring you more work than you can handle as a freelance writer.
FYI, see the resource box below for a free marketing tutorial on how to make more money as a freelance writer.
About the Author: Yuwanda Black is a successful freelance writer and the author of 10 ebooks on freelance writing, including the wildly successful How to Make $250+/Day Writing Simple, 500-Word Articles. Learn more about how to make more money as a freelance writer in this free writing marketing tutorial.
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