I had the great pleasure of interviewing fellow freelancer, Julie Cortés, also known as the CopyDiva. Read how Julie came into the world of freelancing and the amazing things she’s working on to help people who are new to freelancing as well as people who have done it for years and years!

When asked how she originally became interested in freelancing, Julie let me know she originally started out as a copywriter for an agency where she worked until she lost her job. Julie’s first couple years of freelancing were not the best. She felt as though her heart wasn’t in it and she was still continuing her search for another agency job. After some time had passed, she wrote out a business plan for freelancing, got serious about marketing, and turned freelancing into a full time job. As a freelancer, she’s done work for all types of clients such as H&R Block, Sprint, and Hallmark just to name a few. She’s dealt with different types of work, such as copywriting, proofreading, and advertising (she has a fantastic portfolio located on her website).

Like all of the freelancers I’ve spoken with, Julie says there is no such thing as a typical day for her. Whether it’s just a day at home getting work done, at a client meeting, or a networking event, each day is different from the last. When it comes to locating new clients, Julie prefers going to professional networking events in order to meet new people. She believes it’s best to always be on the lookout and not turn down new business.

As a 14 year veteran in the freelancing industry, Julie has run into some issues in her time as a freelancer. After 9/11, work became sparse and she took on a part-time job until business picked back up. As she stated also, there are always pros and cons to every job. Sometimes it can be hard to find clients who understand the freelancing industry and how it works. On top of this, new freelancers may not be aware of their legal rights as a freelancer or about the importance of making sure there is a contract in place before beginning a working relationship with a client. Julie, along with her partner Jacob McDaniel, have founded a website called Freelance University to help new freelancers learn how to start, run, and succeed in the freelancing world. People are able to learn about filing taxes, software, and other tips that were not readily available when Julie originally started freelancing. She is also the founder of a fantastic non-profit professional trade organization in the Kansas City area called The Freelance Exchange, which helps bring local freelancers together. As she stated The Freelance Exchange ‘takes a competitive market and turns it into a learning experience.’

Julie has won awards locally, which helped her gain recognition, and also a reputation, in her area. Here are some great tips she picked up along the way that can help people who are new to freelancing as well as veteran freelancers:
1.    Surround yourself with other freelancers.
2.    Remember, you are your own boss and can set your own hours or work normal business hours. During the hours you set, make sure you are working. If there is nothing to work on, try keeping busy by cleaning your office or getting organized.
3.    Learn to lay down the law with your clients. Make sure they are aware of your hours of operation and do not take calls outside of normal business hours. This includes checking emails, which can be especially hard because of the wonderful invention of smartphones!
4.    Make sure to get out of the house every now and then. Also try to maintain a professional AND personal life away from work.

To learn more about Julie Cortés (a.k.a. the CopyDiva), come visit her amazing website http://www.juliecortes.com/. You can also check out Freelancers University and The Freelance Exchange.

photo credit: osseous

Our Featured Freelancer this month is Sara Fischer. Sara is the first freelance medical writer and editor that I’ve had the joy of interviewing and her work sounds extremely interesting. Read how Sara got into her line of work and what her everyday life is like by checking out our interview below.

What originally peaked your interest in Freelance writing?

I have always loved writing, and even in my high school days I dreamed of being a writer. But I really wanted to be a scientist, and took that route at first.

Being a scientist sounds like a really cool career choice. How long did you work as a scientist?

I started working in a plant genetics lab as an undergraduate, and did an internship as an environmental chemist. I started my PhD 3 months after graduating college and worked in a biomedical research lab for 4 years until I recently finished up my PhD in August 2011.

How did you originally get started in the freelance world?

About half way through my PhD, I found that I really did not enjoy lab work that much, and with the current funding situation I did not think that pursuing the typical academic career path would be a good fit for me. What I most enjoyed was communicating about my research- through presentations, writing grants and manuscripts, and teaching. I found some articles about freelance medical writing and this seemed interesting to me. About a year ago, I had the great fortune of being hired as a subcontractor by a wonderful freelance medical writer, Emma Hitt. She gave me a few small jobs to work on, and everything snowballed from there.

After I received my PhD, I began freelancing full time on my own, and recently launched my own business, Fischer Medical Communications.

It sounds very interesting! I’ve been told that there is no such thing as a typical day for a freelancer. Would you agree with that and if not, what is a typical day for you? What different kinds of work have you done since you started as a freelancer?

Thank you! I definitely agree that no two days have been the same for me thus far. Some days I spend most of the day “prospecting” for new clients by sending out targeted emails, or I work on marketing or my website. Other days I am swamped with work or meetings with clients. I try to work during “regular” work hours of 9-5, but some days I go out to lunch with a friend or visit family, and then work the night shift. I have worked on many projects, including manuscript writing and editing, slide decks, publication planning, creating dossiers and white papers, and editing for non-native English speakers. I have worked on projects mostly focusing on immunology and cancer, but also some in pulmonology, cardiology, and psychiatry.

Do you have a fairly solid base of work? And when you look for new clients, what tools or websites you use?

Right now I have a very solid base of work, and it has been wonderful so far. When I am looking for new clients, I mostly target key people at medical education or communication companies. These companies create deliverables for the larger pharma companies, and often are overwhelmed with work. To begin, I did a Google search of all of the medical communication/education companies that I could find, and tried to find contact information for medical or editorial directors. Then I sent this list of people information about the type of work I do, and received many positive responses. There were many people who either didn’t respond or did not have work at the moment, but this strategy has allowed me to have a steady stream of work.

I’m sure they find it very impressive that you reach out to them directly! I’ve heard many freelancers talk about how hard it can be to find work. What are some other issues that you have encountered working as a freelance writer?

Yes, many people seem to be impressed with a direct, targeted email. It has been the best marketing tool for me, certainly. One issue that I have had has been some slow-paying clients. I now make sure that the payment terms are agreed upon before I start working on a project, and this has solved the problem. Another issue is fighting the perception of some friends/family that I am a “dabbler” and don’t really have a career! Some people think that if you work from home, then you must be sitting around eating Cheetos all day and watching TV. Yes, I can watch TV all day, but I am working harder than I ever have before!

Was there ever a point when work became sparse for you? If so, how did you make ends meet?

For me, I have always been one to make sure that I had enough money to last at least 3-6 months, in case of emergencies. Also, as a graduate student, I was paid so little that I think I learned how to live well below my means! Now I make sure that I “pay myself first” by putting a large percentage of my pay in the bank. This way, if in the next few months I find it hard to find work, I am covered until I can find jobs again.

That’s the best way to do it. Always prepared for anything! What would you say your greatest success has been so far as a freelance writer?

I recently had a client tell me that I am his “favorite freelancer.” Deciding to become a full-time freelancer was such a gamble for me, and I often wondered what would happen if my clients didn’t like my work? This compliment made me feel very gratified and solidified my decision to continue with this career for the foreseeable future.

Do you have any tips for people who are looking to get into freelance writing, as well as people who have worked as a freelancer for years?

For people who are looking to get into freelance writing, I would say to try and get as much writing experience as you can. If you are an undergraduate or graduate student in science, gain experience in writing abstracts, papers, grants, and slide decks. All of these things can be used as writing examples for potential clients. For long-time freelancers, I would say to take a step back and evaluate if you are satisfied with your clients, workload, and overall lifestyle. You can always fine tune these things, and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try out new projects or subject areas.

Are there any other comments you would like to add?

For anyone interested in making the leap out of the lab and in to medical writing, do it! It is such a rewarding and interesting career, and I love that I get to continue learning and using my “science brain.”

To learn more about what Sara does, visit her website: fischermedicalcommunications.com or your can learn more about Sara on the following websites:

Sara’s LinkedIn

Sara’s Business Facebook page

Sara’s Twitter: @yogisaraphd

photo credit: AJC1

This month our fabulous Featured Freelancer is Virtual Assistant, Susan Allen. She taught me a great deal about what Virtual Assistants do and much more. Check it out below!

How did you become a virtual assistant?

I have been in the administrative field for over 20 years in varying roles – secretary, office manager, executive assistant – but last year, when my employer began instituting cutbacks and layoffs, I was forced to make some tough decisions about my career. I put my profile up at a freelancing website and started sending out proposals for job listings, and within 2 weeks, I had my first client. A month later, after building my client list by 10 more clients, I was able to leave my employer and start freelancing full-time.

Do you have a solid client base or are you always looking for new clients?

I feel a successful freelancer is always on the lookout for a new opportunity. However, I do have a small list of clients that I have worked with since I first started freelancing. I like to keep my client base small, to ensure every client receives the quality of work they deserve. It is my goal to make every client feel like they are my only client, and to only take on additional work when I feel certain my schedule will allow for it.

Was there ever a time when you started as a virtual assistant that work became sparse? If so, how did you make ends meet?

There are definitely some dry spells in freelancing, regardless of the field you’re in. When the work starts to slow down, I take advantage of that time to redirect my marketing aim, contact previous clients or check in with dormant clients to see if they need anything. I also use that time to work on a newsletter or email blast to my clients, offering a discount on services or highlighting a service I offer. If work becomes very sparse, I have some sideline work I can fall back on a few times a year to make ends meet.  With the current economic situation, it’s vital to have a skill you can put to immediate use to generate income when your main source of income falls short.

What kind of work do you specialize in?

Research seems to be my niche. I enjoy researching restaurant and food-related data, such as menus and recipes, as well as college and university data – but I’m always open to research on any topic. I have developed several extensive lists of data in those fields that I maintain and update on a regular basis for use in other projects. I also handle all aspects of office management – anything you would ask of an office manager or executive assistant can be done remotely, for the most part. I provide receptionist services, appointment and employee/contractor scheduling and timekeeping, prospect research, job leads, address book updates, minor bookkeeping and invoicing, procurement of office supplies, organization of year-end tax records and receipts, database updates, article and sales copy writing. I also provide live chat support for a large web-based conference on a semi-annual basis.

What would you say is a typical day for you?

I have to say, I work longer hours now that I’m freelancing than I ever did when I worked for someone else. They say that self-employed people have the worst, most demanding boss – themselves – and I’m finding that’s true! I am usually up and at the computer by 7 am, and a typical work day starts with email review and response, a review of the day’s schedule, and then up to 10 or sometimes 12 hours of work on various projects for my clients. I can be involved in research, web content, article writing, project research and management, invoicing for clients and QuickBooks data entry – all in the course of one day. I have clients from around the world, so covering a variety of time zones is important. It means being at my computer pretty late into the night most of the time.

What skills have you learned since becoming a virtual assistant?

I’ve learned quite a lot since beginning my freelancing journey – mainly time management, which is a huge factor for anyone working on a freelance basis. It is very easy to become distracted or to allow the interruptions of daily life to interfere with your schedule. Organization and attention to detail have always been my strong suit, and those skills have been further sharpened by my freelance work.

I can imagine the variety of different work keeps things from being boring. Do you have any tips for anyone who is interested in becoming a Virtual Assistant?

Oh, yes – I love the variety! I’m never working on the same thing for very long, so it keeps my mind sharp. It’s so easy to become bored with your work if you’re performing the same tasks day in and day out – that’s why being a Virtual Assistant works so well for me. It keeps me on my toes!

Tips for becoming a Virtual Assistant:

-Research, research, research! Learn about what you’re about to enter into before you make the leap. Freelancing is not for the faint of heart. It can be a wonderful experience, very freeing and a great confidence builder – when you succeed. But there will almost certainly be failures and bumps in the road that will make you question your decision along the way.

-Start out small – part-time, while working another job, if you can – and build your client base slowly.

-Find a niche, and build on it. If there is a particular field that you are certified in, or that you especially enjoy, focus on that when looking for clients.

-Remember all the tax implications of self-employment. You alone are responsible for your payroll taxes now – you no longer have an employer taking care of it for you.

-Don’t expect the work to fall into your lap – you have to seek it out. There are many websites available to help you obtain work.

-Don’t expect success to occur overnight. When you are self-employed, you will work longer and harder in the first few years than you ever have in your life – and you may or may not succeed – you need to be prepared for the fact that your endeavor may not be successful, and you may have to go back to the 9 to 5 world. Doing so is not really a failure. Freelancing is not for everyone, and if you find that you’re not able to make it, there’s nothing wrong with doing what is necessary to support yourself and your family.

Are there any other comments you would like to add?

Just that the Virtual Assistant field is quickly becoming a vital force in the working world. Companies are realizing that they can save money and still have the services of a qualified assistant, without all the overhead of having an in-office employee.

If you’d like to learn more about what Susan does, visit her website http://supsvcmi.com/ and her Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SupSvcMI.

photo credit: Alex E. Proimos

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down for an interview with fellow freelancer, Megan Harris.

What originally peaked your interest in Freelance Writing? Well, I’ve always enjoyed writing and kind of “fell into” it this June when friends of mine that freelance knew editors that needed a writer to cover their topics. Since then, I’ve grown my business and love it! I’m trying to move towards doing it full time but it is a challenge in some ways because I am also a graduate student.

What kind of work have you had to do so far? I started out writing articles, and now offer editing and social media management along with writing. I’m working with a fellow freelancer on wording for her website (About pages, Mission Statement, etc.) I’ve focused a lot more of my business now on behind-the-scenes work rather than just article writing.

I’ve been told that there is no such thing as a typical day for a freelancer. Would you agree with that and if not, what is a typical day for you? What different kinds of work have you done since you started as a freelancer? I would agree there isn’t a typical day for me! I always have something different going on and try to stay flexible. I think that’s what has kept it interesting. I have written blogs and articles, helped with client research for their company, managed a company’s Twitter account, and written and edited projects for people. Some future projects I have coming up include editing short fiction stories for an e-book publisher for which I am a copy editor and doing some research for a client in the wedding niche to help market their business.

Do you currently look for new clients or do you have a solid base of work? If you are looking for new clients, what tools do you use to locate new clients? I’m always looking for new clients. I have been in a position in the past where a client suddenly did not need me to work for them, so I had to struggle to find that lost income. A freelance expert once used the term, “be hungry, not starving” when it comes to working as a freelancer, and I like to adopt that when it comes to looking for work. I usually try looking on Twitter through searches or I try oDesk. I receive a steady amount of work from oDesk clients and have had good success on the site. I try Craigslist posts once in a while, but nothing has manifested from those. I also have profiles on Task Army and Guru.com from which I have received clients or try for bids on projects.

I’ve heard many freelancers talk about how hard it can be to find work. What are some other issues that you have encountered working as a freelance writer? I have had trouble receiving payment on time. This happens less frequently in the beginning, but it is something you always must keep in mind. Also, early on there were many people that scoffed at my rates. I think freelancers should never be pressured to lowering their rates to please clients. It’s difficult because you might want the work or need the money, but keeping that integrity is always a good idea for your business, especially if you want to be taken seriously!

During those times when work was sparse, how did you make ends meet? Well, I was not the only one working in my household at the time. I am married and my husband was in the Army, so we were still relying on his paychecks. My income was supplemental for us so it was not as big of an impact. Of course, if that happened now, it would be a bigger problem for us because he recently separated from the military and is unemployed but has yet to receive unemployment insurance.

What would you say your greatest success has been so far as a freelance writer? I would say my greatest success has been the rebranding of my business. It was a huge endeavor and I did it just after we moved from Texas to Missouri, but I feel really accomplished with it. I feel like having a professional company behind my name has helped me to gain clients and more exposure. I actually just received some feedback today from a well-known freelance consultant on my site because he wanted to re-tweet a blog post I wrote. So, I’m pretty happy with the results of the rebranding process!

Do you have any tips for people who are looking to get into freelance writing, as well as people who have worked as a freelancer for years? I think some tips I would offer might include to always surround yourself with positive, motivating people or things. It can be easy to get discouraged if someone turns away your query or if you are not selected for a project bid, but never give up and keep trying. That goes for seasoned professionals, too, because although I’ve been doing this since June, I know people can feel a little burned out as time goes on. Try to learn something new every month, make new contacts or try new projects to keep your business thriving and keep your passions for freelancing high.

You can visit Megan’s awesome website at http://www.meganwrites.com and learn more about her services, read her blog, and check out her portfolio.

photo credit: Vee-vee

This month our Featured Freelancer is Wendy Hughes. I had the great pleasure to learn about what her life as a freelancer is like on a daily basis and some great tips for aspiring freelancers.

What originally peaked your interest in Freelance writing?

I’d been working in marketing and communications for many years, and once my children were born I wanted to find part-time work which I could fit around the family, but which also allowed me to use my skills and experience, as well as giving me a sense of fulfillment.

It was a bit of a big task! But the freelancing world has been great as it’s enabled me to build the right balance for me, my career, and my family.

I’ve been told that there is no such thing as a typical day for a freelancer. Would you agree with that and if not, what is a typical day for you? What different kinds of work have you done since you started as a freelancer?

One of the things I love about being a freelancer is the variety of work. It’s amazing to be working with so many different clients every week.

A typical day for me at the moment includes copywriting for a new website which I’m helping an Australian tourism business with, then a bit of maintenance and analysis for a client’s Google Adwords account, followed by some social media posts for a restaurant and a tour company who I regularly work with. I’m also working on developing a marketing plan for the launch of a new fashion outlet.

Do you currently look for new clients or do you have a solid base of work? If you are looking for new clients, what tools do you use to locate new clients?

Right now I have a solid base of work, but I always keep an eye and ear out for interesting projects as well. A lot of my new work comes from pre-existing business contacts and word of mouth, but I also use freelancing websites such as freelancer.com and Elance.

I’ve heard many freelancers talk about how hard it can be to find work. What are some other issues that you have encountered working as a freelance writer?

My specializations are marketing and writing, and I am very fortunate to have several long-term marketing contracts at the moment for clients who I really enjoy working with.

I know starting out as a freelancer can be pretty rough due to lack of work. Was there ever a point when work became sparse for you? If so, how did you make ends meet?

Starting out was quite difficult at times, but it definitely gets easier as time goes on and you start to build a reputation. Perseverance is a great virtue!

Having 14 years of solid industry experience before I started freelancing helped enormously, as did studying for professional marketing qualifications. This meant I had developed all the right skills to get me started.

What would you say your greatest success has been as a freelance writer?

I mentioned before that the reason I became interested in freelancing was my goal of balancing a fulfilling family and professional life. As my husband often tells me, I want to “have my cake and eat it too”! I feel very fortunate that I’ve been able to achieve this.

Do you have any tips for people who are looking to get into freelance writing, as well as people who have worked as a freelancer for years?

I’ve found that with any type of work, you get out what you put in.

I always choose which projects I bid on very carefully, so that I know my skills match what is needed and I make sure it’s a company or product which I will feel very passionate about and want to be involved in. If you target your projects carefully you’ll always do a great job for your clients – and you’ll always feel very fulfilled in your work.

Check out the links below to learn more about Wendy Hughes.

 
photo credit: Raoul Luoar

Our featured freelancer of the month is none other than Mr. Anthony Hewson. Anthony’s interest in writing started during childhood. He was always naturally talented when it came to English and any other writing based subjects. Although he did originally decide to study drama in college, he eventually came to the conclusion that this would be a rather unrealistic career path. With the world in recession at the time, he was forced to drop out of university. Anthony began working at his parents’ technical recruitment company and eventually got a step in the door of writing for a living by taking a job in PR and corporate communications at one of UK’s leading construction and engineering firms. He describes this as a stepping stone which taught him a lot about big business and gave him a wide and detailed understanding of all manner of employee communications, writing for and dealing with the media, and helping to structure his writing skills which until that point had only been exercised in a creative way.

Anthony first took the plunge into freelancing when two opportunities arose within a week of each other. The first was a two-month stint onsite at one of the UK’s leading electronic and electrical retailers, working on web and product copy, and the other was an approach from a creative design agency who wanted a copywriter to help them with a variety of writing projects. He did attempt cold calling people a couple of years ago, but did not care for this means of locating business. “Cold-calling, that other sales staple, is a pretty vile experience. You have to be remarkably resilient to do much of that. I don’t, as a consequence. I flirted with it for one day, about two years ago, and gave up after 8 calls or so.” Fortunately, one of those eight calls resulted in a long-term relationship with a design house; “I’d targeted local companies, but called this particular firm, which was a little further afield, just to point out a mistake on the front page of the company’s website. A few months later the chap I’d spoken to called me back to ask for heIp on a client project.”

Much of Anthony’s work now comes from ongoing partnerships with PR firms and creative/marketing agencies but he’s always keeping his ear to the ground for new clients. He’s even made some good business relationships just sipping coffee at his usual coffee house. “I am, however, terribly bad at face-to-face networking. Some people can work a room, introduce themselves to anybody, and feel no fear. That’s not me. I’ve tried it a couple of times, but I do think networking organizations such as BNI can be a slightly unnatural and, dare I say it, cliquey set-up.”

After freelancing for awhile and dealing with different clients and different types of work, Anthony says a big issue he’s had to deal with is the uncertainty. “You don’t KNOW you’ll get £x amount of work next month, you don’t KNOW you’ll be able to accept every job you do get, you don’t KNOW your client (particularly new clients) will pay on time…” But he says it’s all worth it just due to the fact that the work you’re doing doesn’t feel like work at all. “If I’m up early on a Sunday morning, I can do some admin, research, a bit of social media updating etc., but it doesn’t feel like so much of a chore as if I had to sit in an office and be paid to do it.” He has stated that although he has not changed the world, he believes his greatest success so far is when a client will refer him, without any prompting, to another client.

Anthony is among the many freelancers I’ve spoken with that agree there is no such thing as a typical day. Everyday can be entirely different from the last. And the work can vary greatly. “I’ve written web copy, articles, press releases and suchlike for a baby yoga specialist, careers and personal impact trainers, personal trainers and gyms, various software and technology firms, a helicopter chartering firm, estate agency (who hasn’t?), and all sorts of business services companies.” One thing Anthony does suggest is getting out of the house at least once a day. Whether it’s to meet a friend, take a stroll, or go out for coffee, it’s best to take some time for yourself.

To finish off, I asked Anthony if he had any tips for any aspiring or long time freelancers out there. “Face your fears (says the hypocrite who avoids networking meetings). You may make, in time, much more money than you did or would in full-time permanent employment, but there’s every chance it could take a long while to reach that stage. Really, in my view, your work-life balance, your quality of life, has to matter more than money if you’re to go freelance.”

photo credit: khelvan

Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing a very dedicated & ambitious freelancer, Jake Poinier. Some of you may have been to his website Dear Dr. Freelance or read one of his yearly Freelance Forecasts. According to Jake, his adventure in freelance writing began 12 years ago (or as Jake stated ‘back in the 1900’s) and business has been excellent ever since!

Jake’s first glance into the world of freelancing occurred while working at his previous job as a magazine editor. After working with several freelancers and seeing the perks (i.e. flexibility, good pay, etc.) and feeling fed up with the corporate world, he began to plot his escape. After 9 months of saving every penny he could, Jake handed in his letter of resignation and thus began his journey into the world of freelance writing.

“The main thing is to think of yourself as a business, and to position yourself as a businessperson.”

In the beginning, with his wife busy being a stay at home mom for their 3 and 4 year olds, it was a matter of taking any kind of work that would come his way. Being the breadwinner of the family, Jake was under an extreme amount of pressure. He found some of his earlier clients around 2001 by ‘cold-calling people like a madman’. He has several of his original clients from those days, but still adds new ones all the time. Once he began to establish himself as a freelancer, two things became clear for maintaining a profitable business: 1) You must price yourself correctly and 2) Take only jobs that make sense.

Unlike a lot of other writers, Jake doesn’t necessarily “love” writing. “It happens to be a skill, but it’s a skill many people have, and many of them are more talented than I am. But what I enjoy most about freelancing is the business side: solving communications problems. That takes more than writing.”

“Life is too short to work for pennies–leave those projects for others.”

When questioned about his greatest success so far, Jake was very optimistic in saying he feels that it hasn’t happened yet. Upon looking at his portfolio, he can hardly believe the amount of different projects he has completed over time. “I vividly remember my first video script, my first ghostwritten book. But, what’s funny to me is that then it’s just something you accomplished, and then I’m on to what’s next? I always joke that my Mom is the only one who cares anymore if my name appears in print.”

In closing, Jake gave out the following advice for becoming a successful freelancer if you’re just entering the business or a seasoned freelancer who’s been at it for years: “If you’re just getting into the business, you need to be mentally prepared that it’s not just about being a good writer. If you just want to write or edit, and the idea of going out and hustling for business gives you hives, you honestly might be better off taking a regular job. And there’s nothing wrong with that! There are several good freelancing sites listed in my blogroll, and I’m a huge fan of Peter Bowerman’s “The Well-Fed Writer,” which was instrumental in getting me out of an early rut.”

“For those who’ve been in the industry for a while, I think it’s a matter of taking an occasional 30,000-foot view of what you’re doing. Do you like the work you’re doing? Are you happy with your clients? Are there any that are more hassle than they’re worth? It’s not easy to let someone go, and you need to do it as nicely as possible, but if a client is absorbing too much of your time and energy, you have to recognize that your efforts could be spent better elsewhere. That can feel a little like jumping off a cliff, because who in their right mind would turn down paying work? But the fact is, freelancers don’t have anyone to dictate to them what they’re supposed to do. You have to take action–which can be a little daunting, but it’s also the ultimate freedom.”

Jake Poinier also has an eBook coming out around mid-December. The book will focus on pricing and estimating for freelancers. He will be keeping us updated on a name and release date. You can find more written by Jake Poinier by clicking these links:

Blog: http://DearDrFreelance.com

Twitter: @DrFreelance

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DearDrFreelance

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jakepoinier

Portfolio: http://BoomvangCreative.com
photo credit: derrickcollins

I would like to share a talk I recently had with one of our freelancer colleagues, Fletcher Martin. Fletcher is a freelance copywriter who struck out on his own last year.

What Kind of Freelance Writer are you? I am fairly eclectic, I write almost anything. I currently write mostly for blogs and website content.

How long have you been a freelancer? Since August of last year I have been full time.

How did you get started? I was home on break between classes. I wrote something for my parents, and my Mom who is a Virtual Assistant suggested I become a freelancer. My prior sales experience helped me really get started. I was able to quit my retail job after one month of writing.

How do you market yourself? I submit proposals and samples based on ads on guru, and I usually win jobs off of that. I now have enough samples to show people that are similar to what they want.

Did you go to school to learn writing? I was originally going to school for Chemical Engineering, but I fell in love with freelancing and writing in general. I switched to English, and my goal is to earn a Master’s in Creative Writing.

What challenges have you had as a Freelancer? Things have gone fairly smoothly since the beginning. My friends thought I should keep my retail job for a few months, but I did not need it. Honestly the hardest thing has been keeping up with my own blog, as I am constantly writing for school and for clients.

Do you have any wisdom or advice for prospective freelancers? Real sales experience helps to land projects. You must be dedicated and stick with it, be self disciplined and get projects done by the deadline. As I complete one article in a list, I send it to the client so they can make sure it is what they want before I write the rest, which saves me from rewriting and lets the client know I am working.

Fletcher Martin’s blog can be found at http://www.unbelievablywritten.com/.  He can also be found on Guru and occasionally on Twitter. He is currently writing a satirical piece for L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest. His goal is to one day write for the video gaming industry, since gaming is one of his hobbies.

photo credit: caseywest

Today I am going to take a break from some of the news to share an interview I recently did with Ivan Novak, a freelance web developer from sunny California.

So what exactly do you do? I’m technically a Front-End Engineer.  I work with HTML, Javascript, CSS, Ajax, php, and ruby.  I like using jQuery with javascript, CodeIgniter with PHP, and Rails with Ruby.

What kind of services do you provide? I work with talented graphic designers who do the visual design and I execute the vision provided in the visual design and make the program fun and easy to use.  I develop custom web applications and WordPress themes. Graphic Designers use artistic programs to design (like photoshop, illustrator and the like) and I use code to design.

So how much of your training is from school, and how much is self taught? None of my training is from school.  I went to Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA to earn a Bachelors in Economics.  While there I was introduced to Photoshop for photo re-touching and DreamWeaver *very* rudimentary web work. That was 6 years ago. I’ve been working full-time as a freelancer for the better part of two years now.

How do you market your services? Anymore, I don’t.  I rely on the long-term clients that I have and my designer partners for my work. When I started I used Elance exclusively. I worked with around two dozen clients on Elance working up from below minimum wage (though I wasn’t full time at that point) up to where I am now.

How do you like being a freelancer? I love being a freelancer.  Mostly because the “real jobs” that I’ve had in the past, management was so attached to “this is how we do things” and completely against trying anything new or different.  I like being a freelancer because it allows me the freedom to explore new ways of doing things and frequently finding ways to do things 10 or 20 times faster than I could before.  It allows me to choose my own schedule. That’s not to say I’m totally against working full-time somewhere, which I’m totally open to.  I just need to be in an environment that allows, or even actively encourages that exploration. The act of discovery is rewarding.. and so much fun!

What are some of the challenges you face as a freelancer? That one’s easy.  The work/life balance is excruciatingly hard to maintain. My day typically consists of: 6am wake up, feed the new baby girl, try to sit and eat breakfast with the Wife, ‘help’ my 4 year old son wake up and get him going, head off to the gym around 7:45, head back home to shower and start work around 9, work until lunch at noon, back to work after lunch, break for dinner around 6… and hopefully relax and hang out with the family after that.  BUT that doesn’t always happen.  I have weeks where I have to put in 10 and 12 hour days to get all the work done.  Lately I’ve been able to keep that to a minimum in order to focus on the work that matters.

Do you have any best practices, or perhaps wisdom or advice for budding free lancers, who people yearning to break out of corporate and strike out on their own? Do not (!!) over value your time, especially when you’re first starting.  To me, my first clients paid me to learn how to to my job.  It’s a very different and powerful notion relative to how College works.  I felt like I was getting value, because I was being paid, and my clients felt like they were getting a good value because they paid, say, $50 (Elance minimum) for a few hours of work. I was willing to work for very, very little pay just so I could learn.  A lot of other people getting in to this have no portfolio and little work experience think they can get away with charging a ludicrous amount just because they can determine their own rate. I now have a thick portfolio and a fairly high profile client list so I can back up my rates with documented experience and great reviews.

When he is not furiously coding, Ivan also designs themes for WordPress, which you can check out at his Theme Garden store. You can also find him on Github, Twitter, and at Ivannovak.com. Ivan is also a dedicated husband and father of 2, and has a passion for Economics.

photo credit: yellowcloud

To sum everything up, we will conclude with Ali’s recommendations of the top three things to do and not to do when utilizing her provided knowledge.

As mentioned previously, a lot of visual action or wild patterns are not necessarily your friend when it comes to design and layout. A focal point to cement itself in someone’s memory is your goal. This is something that is very important to remember when working on a website also.

Finding your own individuality is the key to longevity of your brand.

A great example is the design of kid’s rooms; the latest fad of say, a particular cartoon character. The child absolutely MUST have that be the theme of their bedroom. Let’s look down the road a few years…
More often than not, that child has moved on to a different focus and is pestering the parents to redo the theme.

The same principal applies to catchy phrases or references to trends and fads. You need to think in the future tense of your business when designing branding logos, websites and identifying phrases.

Don’t outdate yourself or your business without realizing it. People are a fickle breed and our attention span is getting shorter every day.

Another thing that falls into the novelty and cliché category is background music on your website. You don’t want to ‘force’ the marketing experience on the recipient, and having music start to play when your site is opened does just that.

For someone working quietly at their desk, it can be a sure fire way to prompt them to quickly close the page, never to visit it again. When working with a client on website design, Ali often finds herself explaining this.

To recap, remember these important points:

• Do work with a professional. Design schools are in existence for a reason. The knowledge of a professional will greatly enhance your design and finished product.
• Do take advantage of the free online resources available. Some of Ali’s favorite design blogs to follow are: Just Creative Design and David Airey
• Do network with other creative types. Twitter is a great resource to find others with your same interests and allow you to corroborate. Be sure not to over–do, though. Getting carried away with several lines of input from others will soon get you an overload of information to work with.

Now for some definite Don’ts

• Don’t get hung up on the latest fad or trend. Remember, fads and trends are both generally short lived and you can outdate yourself quickly. Take the best features of an idea and make it your own.
• Don’t feel ‘shiny and pretty’ are necessary. You want to convey your message with colors and design that best represents the tone and message of your business.
• Don’t use your first immediate idea. Take that first initial thought and set it aside. This will allow you to explore some more ideas, avoiding the chances of someone with the same business having a similar branding logo. Your first thought, while exciting, is probably the first thought your competition will have. Sometimes you end up coming back to your original idea; most times you come up with something phenomenal that has your original thought within it.

Ali Rowan is a freelance graphic designer in the time that fits around her being a student, writer, crafter, girlfriend, daughter, sister, Canadian, and the various other things that keep her busy—not that the Canadian bit entails a lot of effort on her part, Olympic spirit aside. To embrace cliché, art and design have been a part of her life since she was little—she was temporarily ambidextrous around the age of 3, just so that she could continue colouring when one hand grew tired. To this day, she deeply regrets not keeping up with that, because come to think of it, being fully ambidextrous would be quite awesome.
Brief tangents aside, it was only in 2009 that Ali embarked on her freelance career, and admittedly, she’s still got lots to learn, just as she always will—if there’s one piece of advice she’s got, it’s that there’s always something left to learn, so never stop.
For more on Ali, don’t hesitate to follow her on Twitter, or check out her website, Avian Function.

photo credit: bjornmeansbear