If you’ve made the decision to become a freelancer, or even if you’re still considering the pros and cons of your new career, there are a few basics of which I’m sure you’re aware. You know you’ll be setting your own schedule, finding your own clients, and determining how much to charge for your services—in short, it’s all up to you. What you might NOT know, however, is what those things entail; for example, do you know what SEO means? Have you ever written a white paper? How much SHOULD you charge for a 300-word blog? These are all details you need to know before diving in, and while it’s true there is always the dangerous possibility of over-researching the freelance biz, there are some basics you’re going to need to have in your knowledge base before you’re off and running.

Know Your Terms

  • There are a lot of industry-specific terms that make up most job ads and project descriptions, phrases such as:
    • SEO
    • White paper
    • Ghostwriter
    • Article spinner
    • Press release

Then there are the differences in terms: are you an editor or a proofreader? Do you write articles or blogs? Some freelancers choose to focus on being ghostwriters, or press release writers, or white paper writers, while others offer a variety of services and products. Before you decide what your portfolio is going to include, however, you need to know what everything is, and a simple Internet search can mean the difference between a long list of happy potential references and a short list of perplexed former clients.

Know Your Strengths

  • Right out of the gate, you already know some of the types and subjects of writing at which you excel. Maybe you’re a fantastic press release writer, or maybe you can ghostwrite the heck out of any subject a client hands you. Maybe you’ve worked in finance, and you plan to convert your money skills to writing-about-money skills. Are you going to specialize in marketing copy, such as Web content and sales letters, or are you looking for your piece of the entertainment writing industry? YOU know where your interests and your strengths lie, and you are the best gauge of what you can and can’t do. Don’t bid on and apply for every freelancing job you see, because you might just end up getting them, and some of them may hold no appeal for you, or may be way out of your skill set—believe me, it shows if your heart isn’t into it, and you’ll wind up wasting the time of everyone involved, including yourself.

Know Your Rates

  • What you charge as a freelancer can be a tricky puzzle full of weird algebraic equations where x = words per page and y = number of pages, but somehow you’re still working on an hourly rate, but then you have to add in a 12% transaction fee, and then … see how it gets complicated really fast? While it’s not always a confusing exercise in advanced mathematics, the work you do as a freelancer means you’ll most likely be working with a variety of clients, each of which may have a different way of paying and a different method of calculating what they owe you. Again, do some research on average rates for whatever service you’re offering, decide if that sounds about right for you, and keep it as a template for when you’re on the project hunt. It’s part of the very nature of freelancing that prices will fluctuate and negotiations will vary based on project details, but by having a solid basic understanding of what you want to charge per word, per page, per project, per hour, and any other “per” you might encounter, you build a foundation from which you can apply confidently for any project.

So it’s as simple as that—building a foundation. Sure, there is going to be hard work, and long hours, and in the beginning you’ll probably have to work on some projects that aren’t as fun as others, but if you know where your bones are from the start, fleshing out your business and bringing it to life becomes a much less daunting process.