See? She forgot to include the deadline. We'll just claim she took too long. MUAHAHAHA!

QUESTION:

Hi Alicia!

I love your Ask Alicia posts. So I have one for you I have my first face-to-face prospective meeting coming up. Should I have a contract for them to sign? Or are verbal agreements the way to go. If I should have them sign a contract, what should it indicate?

Thanks so much for your time!

Tania

ANSWER:

Hey Tania!

First, I advise always using a written contract and never relying on a verbal contract with any client – even if you’re friends with the potential client.

(The two times I’ve gone the verbal route were the only two times I got burned – the first time, I didn’t get paid for four months, and the second time I was only paid 20% of what the client owed me. I lost $1,200. NEVER AGAIN.)

Second, don’t sweat having a contract to give them during the meeting. Unless you’ve already hammered out the details with the prospective clients (and I’m guessing you haven’t – what else would you be discussing during this first meeting, after all?), you won’t have anything to put on a contract just yet.

During your meeting, you and the clients will discuss the project. Some of these things can be plugged into a master contract (such as the deadline, your hourly rate or the project’s flat fee, and by what date the client must pay you), but some of them aren’t so easily plugged in (such as project details and information about revisions).

So, go to the meeting with a pen and paper in hand (or laptop – whatever you prefer) and a readiness to discuss all these issues with the clients. Once you all discuss and agree on each aspect of the project (and you’ve taken ample notes), you can mail, e-mail, fax, or hand deliver the contract to them at a later date.

As for the particulars of the contract, I highly recommend bookmarking and referring back to the following pages as you begin navigating the world of contract preparations.

• Do You Need a Contract for Freelance Work?
• Freelance Contracts: Do’s & Don’ts
• Freelance Writing: How to Write a Contract
• 7 Tips for Negotiating a Freelance Contract
• Sample Freelance Writing Contract (I don’t know Lee, but I’ve loved this sample since I first found and bookmarked it.)
• Tips for Freelance Contracts (I do know Kristen, have consulted with her on other freelance writing projects before, and will vouch for her overall awesome know-how.)

Good luck with your meeting Tania, and thanks!

This post is part of the Ask Alicia series at WritingSpark.com. Learn more, check out some other columns, or shoot me an e-mail directly at alicia [at] writingspark [dot] com (or click here) with “Ask Alicia” in the subject line to ask your own question.

Unless you're on vacation, I can't fathom why your to-do list is blank.

QUESTION:

Alicia,

Theresa

ANSWER:

Hey Theresa,

My answer is sort of two-fold: First, yes, it is somewhat normal for freelance writers to experience a drop in business during the holiday season. (This is actually the first Christmas season since 2005 that I’ve been up to my eyeballs in work; in years past, I’ve had a certain level of “free time” during this time of year.)

Don’t get me wrong – there are still plenty of clients and work out there – but some businesses slow down during this time of year (to put final touches on projects you’re not affiliated with, set goals for the upcoming year, etc. – things they need in-house employees or other types of professionals for), which means they don’t always need as many – or any – contractors.

Second, there are plenty of things you can do during this “slow” time – productive things that will actually benefit your freelancing career.

List time!

1. Spruce up your resume.

2. Keep applying for jobs.

3. Keep your blog updated. You can also get that editorial calendar moving into the new year, as well as go ahead and write and pre-post a few blog posts.

4. Stay active on social media. Keep schmoozin’ it up on Facebook and Twitter (and Google+ if you’ve made that leap yet). First of all, you have friends on there who deserve it, and second of all, you never know when your networking is going to introduce you to a new client.

5. Send “touching base” e-mails to former clients. 2010 was one of the most lucrative years for me as a freelance writer, and it’s because of one – ONE – e-mail I sent out wishing a former client a Happy New Year and inquiring about upcoming projects. If I remember correctly, I wrote something along the lines of, “I have some availability coming up and was wondering if [The Company] has any projects in the works?” Seriously, that simple.

6. Scope out a few blogs you’d like to write guest posts for, and query the owners.

7. Write articles for your Ezine, Hub, or other article distribution sites.

8. Draft letters to local businesses you’d like to provide services for in the new year. I don’t recommend actually sending them until January’s had a little time to get underway and everyone’s on track again.

9. Come up with a column for your local newspaper. Contact the editor with the idea, and maybe even a few samples.

10. Catch up on your reading. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: You need to keep studying your craft. (That “To Read” folder in your e-mail inbox counts, too.)

11. Work on your online presence. Tweak your website or blog to finally get it just the way you want it, or look for Web and graphic designers to create a logo for your freelance writing business. You might even find designers offering holiday specials or end-of-the-year discounts.

12. Think of a magazine article or two you’d like to write, or finally query that editor with that idea that’s been bouncing around in your head since last spring.

13. Re-evaluate your rates. Maybe now’s the time for a rate increase, or to create those product/service packages you’ve been thinking about.

14. Clean up and get organized. Your desk, your internal and external hard drives, your filing system – all of it.

15. Have some fun! Spend some time with your family and friends, playing with your new gifts, and just taking a break from it all. A fresh, rejuvenated brain is better than a tired, burnt out one any day.

FINANCIAL TIP:

If you already know the holiday months will be slow, set aside some money each month leading up to the season. Anne Wayman of About Freelance Writing provides five solid ideas for solving freelance writing’s uncertain income.

How about you, readers? What ideas can you add? What do you do when “business” is slow, but there’s still plenty of work to be done?

This post is part of the Ask Alicia series at WritingSpark.com. Learn more, check out some other columns, or shoot me an e-mail directly at alicia [at] writingspark [dot] com (or click here) with “Ask Alicia” in the subject line to ask your own question.

Chalkboards are better. Period.

Welcome to Day 6 of the 7-Day Mini Course, “Free Tools for Freelance Writers: Save BIG While Starting Your Writing Business.”

Today’s focus is on how you can find free learning tools to help you sharpen your writing and editing skills, learn how to create a new-to-you product, or even learn a new service to offer your clients.

Before you launch into this list, note that as you become familiar with other writers, and experts in your field or area of interest, you’ll run across free courses, webinars, teleseminars, ebooks, and other learning tools fairly regularly. You’ll also learn what you like, what you don’t, and who is and isn’t providing what you need.

(For example, over the last year or so I’ve discovered I really benefit from Karon Thackston’s Marketing Words Copywriting Blog, and she often provides free webinars and teleseminars. I haven’t caught them all, but the ones I have listened in on have been great.)

For now, though, you can jump start your writing training with these learning tools.

College and University Courses

• The Open University: The Open University, or OU, provides Open Learn, a section of the university’s website that offers more than 600 free online courses. Search the database for writing classes online like Start Writing Fiction, What Is Good Writing?, and Writing What You Know.
• MIT: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, better known as MIT, provides free online courses in a variety of subjects, including writing and humanistic studies.
• RMIT University: This school’s online learning lab provides writing skills tutorials related to topics like business writing, editing, and summarizing.
• Yale University: Via its Open Yale program, Yale University provides several free online courses in literature and poetry.
• Purdue University: Although not technically a course, Purdue’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) is from Purdue and really is your one-stop shop for damn near all things writing related – and free.
• The University of Warwick: From its Podcast Browser, you can download numerous writing challenges presented by David Morley, Director of the Warwick Writing Programme.
• Poynter’s News University: NewsU offers several free writing classes online in formats like self-study and webinar. Search the site’s course section, making sure to check the topic and price (free) you want, and you’ll find courses like Multimedia Reporting: Covering Breaking News, Cleaning Up Your Copy: Grammar, Style and More, and The Writer’s Workbench: 50 Tools You Can Use.
• University of Massachusetts Boston: UMass Boston’s OpenCourseWare offers courses in Critical and Creative Thinking and Critical Reading and Writing.
• Steven Barnes, UCLA: This UCLA instructor modified his Introduction to Screenwriting course so he could offer it for free from his website, lifewrite.com.
• Utah State University: USU’s OpenCourseWare provides a handful of free English courses.
• Wikiversity: Okay, I know a lot of you are iffy about anything beginning with “wiki,” but if you “shop” cautiously, you can find tons of valuable – and free information from these sites, like these technical writing courses, for example.
• E-Zine University: “E-Zine” might inspire the same kind of hesitance as “wiki,” but this school offers several free online writing training within its Content Development and Writing program, such as classes on conquering confusing writing, cleaning up your writing, and writing materials people understand and respond to.

Ebooks, Webinars, and Other Writing Courses

• copyblogger: Lately, I’ve been picking up all kinds of cool freebies from copyblogger. For example, right now you can get How to Create Compelling Content That Ranks Well in Search Engines, a 27-page ebook to learn about topics like why SEO matters, how search engines work, and areas to focus on when writing SEO copy, and Internet Marketing for Smart People, a 20-part Internet marketing course – both for free.
• Lousy Writer: Lousy Writer is a learning tool unto itself, but the website also publishes a number of free ebooks for learning skills like writing website content, writing with clarity, and even how to write sales letters.
• Freelance Writing: Visit Freelance Writing’s Free E-Books for Writers and find books on everything from creative writing to SEO.
• write it sideways: In 2010, write it sideways listed The Top 5 Free eBooks for Fiction Writers, and the books’ evergreen topics are sure to keep them high on the list for years to come.
• Writer’s Helper: This site provides several free online courses, including web writing training.
• Writer2Writer: Writer2Writer provides a nice round-up of free writing training courses covering topics like magazine writing, copywriting, and writing short stories.
• 1-language.com: This site aims to help people who speak English as a second language. Some of the real gems are the online English courses.
• free-ed.net: The Free Education Network provides numerous courses in subjects like journalism, media studies, and language and linguistics. You can search the database, or check out these writing training courses.

Educational Blogs and Websites

• Writer’s Digest: Sure, you can get a paid subscription, BUT you can also get tons of free writing articles and you can join the forum to get help from other writers.
• copyblogger: Yes, copyblogger makes the list twice. Subscribe to this blog and get daily tips on everything from email marketing and content marketing to keyword research and SEO copywriting.
• ProBlogger: ProBlogger’s Darren Rowse is THE go-to source for everything blogging. From using your blog to make money to finding freelance writing jobs with your blogs, Rowse covers it all.
• Freelance Writing Jobs: FWJ is SO much more than a site just for finding freelance writing gigs. Several freelance writers and editors work together to teach you a wide variety of aspects related to the freelance writing life – from grammar to taxes.
• FreelanceFolder: FreelanceFolder can stand on its own as a fantastic site for freelance writers to learn tips and skills, but its post 15 Sites for Learning and Mastering SEO is especially important to today’s Web writers.
• About Freelance Writing: I’ve been following Anne Wayman of About Freelance Writing pretty much since I started my own freelance writing career. From her you can learn more about setting your freelance writing rates, dealing with money, and searching for freelance writing jobs.
• Freelance Switch: Freelance Switch is a great site for learning about finding and dealing with clients, pricing your services, and getting gigs.
• Men With Pens: Men With Pens offers a full range of services for people who need writing services – and tons of free info related to writing, blogging, and business for those who’re performing the services.
• The Renegade Writer: From this site you can find lots of for-pay educational tools – e-courses, e-books, phone mentoring – but you can also find free help in the form of teleclasses and information packets.
• The NextGen Writer: Ali Abbas left his career as an IT professional to become a freelance writer. He owns and manages The NextGen Writer, which features a regularly updated blog and a writing resources section.

What Now?

There are A LOT of opportunities here. I recommend bookmarking this post, or the links within this post that jump out at you, and visiting them at your leisure, deciding what to take on now (such as a blog subscription) and what to plan for (such as committing to a course).

Missed last week’s class? Head over to Free Tools For Freelance Writers: Reference And Research.

This is me, pondering. Get it?

When I first started freelance writing and editing, I had thousands of questions.

(Hell, I still do. Lifelong learner right here.)

Fortunately, after some digging around and learning things the hard way (which, life undoubtedly still has a lot more of in store for me), I found fellow freelance writers who’ve become mentors and friends; people I’ve helped and people who’ve helped me along the freelance writing career path.

Now, I aim to do the same for you.

Do you have a question about:

• How to choose your freelance writing rates?
• Where to look for quality freelance writing jobs?
• Whether you should provide free writing samples to prospective clients?
• How do deal with a client who won’t pay you?
• What to do if a potential client won’t sign a writing contract?

This is why I’ve launched “Ask Alicia” (snazzy name, I know), a new WritingSpark.com question-and-answer column that will provide advice for writers dealing with everything from getting writing samples and crafting a freelance writer resume to setting freelance writing rates and knowing when to stick to those rates and when to get a little flexible.

We can even talk about the importance of taking a break, if you want, or ideas for inspiration.

First one with your hand up? Shoot me an e-mail at alicia [at] writingspark [dot] com (or click here) with “Ask Alicia” in the subject line.

Will write for MONEY.

I’ve mentioned before (and plenty of other established freelancer writers will tell you the same thing) that I can’t tell you what to charge for your freelance writing services. I can help you figure out how to determine your freelance writing rates, but that’s about it.

Each week, I gobble up Angela Hoy’s WritersWeekly.com newsletter (go ahead – sign up). Among several other fantastic features, Hoy’s website and newsletter provide expert advice, success stories, and listings for paying writing markets and freelance jobs.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, one of Hoy’s readers wrote in to ask for her advice on how much to charge for ghostwriting a non-fiction book and, for the first time – ever, I think – I disagreed with Hoy, who advised the writer to charge by the hour:

These types of projects can go in all different directions and, if you’re not charging them by the hour, you may find, in the end, that you were earning pennies per hour. Whenever a lengthy project is being directed primarily by the client instead of the writer, you should charge by the hour.

Actually, I don’t entirely disagree; rather, I think the answer could be fleshed out a bit.

You see, to me, telling a client you charge by the hour for something as large and involved as a book is kind of like asking that client to write a blank check.

Don’t YOU feel more comfortable hiring contractors who give you a flat fee up front?

Of course, coming up with that flat fee can be challenging. Below are five steps I use to determine ghostwriting rates (and you can even use your regular hourly rates).

1. Get ALL The Ghostwriting Job Details

I’m serious: Find out EVERYTHING you possibly can about the project. For example:

• What IS the project? Not all ghostwriters write books. For example, some do article ghostwriting, and others provide ghostwriting services for businesses that need to send out regular newsletters to customers. Since those kinds of projects are a bit easier to set ghostwriting fees for, though, we’ll focus on the book ghostwriter for now.
• How much of the research will be in your hands? All? Some? None? Understanding this part of the job upfront will help you determine both how long the job might take and how much effort it will involve.
• How familiar is the topic? For instance, if you typically write about home improvement and the project is about the various methods for refinishing floors, you’ll probably be in your element; however, if it’s about the latest scientific research regarding the brain’s production of oxytocin, you might find the project requires more effort.
• Do you have to work with anyone else? Is there an illustrator you need to meet with periodically, or a researcher you need to hear from on a weekly basis? What about an editor? Find out whether your schedule will reflect interaction with others, too.
• What is the client’s deadline? (HINT: For big ghostwriting jobs like books, it’s unlikely you’ll complete and present the project in its entirety; you’ll most likely work on it in chunks and provide those chunks for approval at various intervals. The client might prefer this, or his editor might require it. Whatever the reason, if this is the case be sure to find out each of those deadlines, as well.)

Don’t forget to take a look at YOUR schedule. While it might not help you determine your ghostwriting fees, it can help you figure out whether taking on certain writing jobs is even possible – or worth your while.

2. Think About Your Regular Hourly Rate

Here’s where you can consider your hourly freelance writing rates.

Use the information you gathered above to determine (read: estimate) how many hours a day, week, or month (however you want to do it) you will need to complete the project to the client’s specifications and within the deadline. Tally up those hours and come up with a flat fee.

NOTE: That sounds ridiculously simple. It’s not always. Take your time on this. When I first started working as a freelance writer, a client advised me to “measure twice and cut once.” He saved me from charging a week’s worth of pay for what turned out to take a month to complete.

Thus, this is invaluable advice. Heed it.

3. Determine The CYA Fine Print

Now’s the time to work out the details that could, at some point during the project, cover (and save) your ass – both financially and work-wise. Think about factors like:

• The number of free revisions you’re willing to do before the client must pay extra.
• How involved those revisions can be.
• How much extra the client will have to pay.

Your flat fee can include the [X Number] of free revisions, and your contract can include the additional costs, should they arise.

Keep in mind these are just a few suggestions. Depending on the type of ghostwriting services you’re dealing with, you might have other CYA details in mind.

4. Create A Scope Of Work

If you aren’t sure what a scope of work is, don’t worry; I’m going to explain it next week. For now, note that a scope of work is document that outlines and explains:

• The project’s purpose and intended outcome.
• Your responsibilities.
• Your client’s responsibilities.
• Individual deadlines.
• Overall duration of the project.

Note: Some people use “scope of work” and “statement of work” interchangeably; that’s fine, if everyone within ear shot knows what they’re talking about, but typically a statement of work is much more involved (and actually includes a scope of work).

5. Write And Sign The Contract

Ewwww, contracts. The only things that ensure we get paid (most of the time), but they’re a bitch to write, yes?

Well, in the beginning. Eventually you’ll get the hang of it and probably develop your own file of various contracts for various projects that require only a little tweaking here and there.

In addition to the agreements set forth in the scope of work, your ghostwriter contract also will cover issues like:

• Ownership, copyright, and credit.
• Confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements.
• Payment (include methods and schedules) and royalties.
• Termination terms and an escape clause.

Need help drafting a contract? I recommend checking out:

• Anne Wayman’s The Ghostwriting Contract (which also provides a sample contract) and Ghostwriting – 9 Elements Of My Contracts Or Letters Of Agreement.
• Ivan Hoffman’s The Ghostwriter Agreement. (He’s an attorney who has been practicing law for 35+ years, so…yeah.)
• PrintableContracts.com’s Writer/Ghostwriter Agreement. This is a nice template you can use to plug in all the details and legal information specific to you, your client, and the project.

There you have it Of course, this method won’t work for ALL ghostwriting jobs, but it will work for most. Too, there are times when charging straight up hourly rates IS best (say, you’re a full-time freelancer for a Web development company who dumps about eight hours of work a day in your lap, would rather pay you by the hour, and quotes you a high hourly rate before you can even think about an awkward negotiation period – it happens, trust me).

How have you determined what to charge for ghostwriting jobs?

Last elevator-related picture for a while - I promise.

Have you been practicing your elevator speech?

Have you given it any thought at all?

During my last post, I might have made elevator speeches seem intimidating.

Really, they’re not.

(Keep in mind, we’re talking about the kinds of 15-30-second elevator speeches we freelancers, sole proprietors, contractors, etc. need to give to help people understand what we do; not the kinds of elevator speeches (or elevator pitches) people give when they’re pitching themselves or a service. Although the one speech can work interchangeably, this particular post focuses on the first kind. For more information about pitches, check out About.com’s Job Searching by Alison Doyle.)

Admittedly, the first time I ever heard of an elevator speech (which was when I received Chris King’s How to Craft an Effective Elevator Speech about six months after I started freelance writing), I freaked out. I didn’t have one, I didn’t really know how to create one, and I Just Knew that because I was aware of their existence, someone would call me up and make me wish I had one.

The reality is, as long as you can identify three specific elements, writing an elevator speech (or at least hammering out a working draft) is easy.

Those three elements?

1. Who you are and what you do.
2. Your typical clients.
3. A feature unique to you.

After the jump, check out the three steps to writing an elevator speech.

Note that these are three guidelines on how to write an elevator speech. They are neither set in stone nor the only three elements you should ever consider including. Actually, you’ll end up tweaking your elevator speech many times as you get more comfortable with its elements and as your situation changes.

1. Identify who you are and what you do.

Typically, this is how you’ll begin your elevator speech. Of course, it will depend on the question the person asks, or whether you’re introducing yourself on your own.

For example, if someone asks you, “What do you do?” or “Where do you work?”, you can begin with “I’m a freelance writer, and…” (This opening can also work if you’re involved in a group conversation and the timing is appropriate to talk about your day at work.)

Yet, if he already knows you’re a writer (or editor or web designer or underwater basket weaver) and asks about the kind of writing you do, you could begin with a simple, “I specialize in writing content for websites, but I also…”

2. Identify your clients.

You don’t have to say, “I write all the website content for Johnson’s New & Used Cars. You know, the one downtown next to the 7-11.” (Actually, depending on any privacy disclaimers, you might not be allowed to.)

You don’t even have to say, “I write the sales copy for pretty much every new product Apple comes out with.” (Though, if you’re contractually allowed to, this might be a horn you want to toot. )

What you should say, however, is that your typical client base consists of small business owners in need of newsletter and blog content, Internet marketers who need copy for their sales pages and editors for their e-books, or online-based companies who utilize article marketing.

Stating exactly who your clients are isn’t necessary (or allowed, in some cases), but blending in your services with what your clients do and need helps paint a clearer picture.

3. Identify your personal.

Finally, add a little something personal. It might be about the volunteer writing you provide for a non-profit you’re passionate about. It might be about the super cool gig you Just Landed that’s right up your alley in terms of interest. Whatever it is, make sure it’s personal to your freelance writing and editing business.

So, based on those three elements, here’s my elevator speech:

Typical Tom: “So Alicia, what do you do?”

Me: “I’m a freelance writer. I do everything from promotional materials like sales letters to information items like press releases. Most of my clients are mid-sized companies I’ve worked with for years, and writing and updating content on their websites takes up most of my time. Still, I do take on individual clients whenever something interesting comes along and I have the time. For example, just a few years ago I helped Psych Central launch its Celebrity Psychings blog. I’m really passionate about mental health awareness, and it’s been great using celebrity goings-on to help start discussions about mental health issues.

It tells who I am, what I do, who my typical clients are, and something unique about me – and, it’s just under 30 seconds. Plus, it’s fairly conversational, so people won’t feel like I’m spouting off something I memorized or trying to sell them something.

Now, let’s hear yours!

Image Credit: Matt Johnson per these Creative Commons Licenses.

They're just cooler.

Are you ready to enter some writing contests and create time for creative writing?

Maybe just one? Yes?

Great

It’s not difficult to find short story and poetry contests (a quick Google brings up more than four million results!), but hashing through them all and finding the right ones for you can be the tricky part.

Because we don’t always have that kind of time (ahem), regularly checking certain websites and signing up for newsletters or other e-mail updates might be the best options.

To get you started, I’ve created the following list of 10 websites that can help you find writing contests for short stories and poetry. Some of these sites post contests, and others hold their own contests. A few of them even provide information about current screenwriting contests and journalism competitions.

Keep in mind these contests cover a wide variety of genres and publications. If you don’t immediately find one that interests you, keep looking.

1. Writer’s Digest: Competitions
2. Gotham Writers’ Workshop: Contests
3. Freelance Writing: Writing Contests
4. Poets & Writers: Creative Writing Contests & Competitions
5. About.com: Freelance Writing
6. About.com: Fiction Writing
7. WritersWeekly: Quarterly 24-Hour Short Story Contest
8. firstwriter Poetry/Fiction Contests
9. Freelance Writing Jobs: Writing Contests
10. Winning Writers (Free newsletter or paid access to a database of poetry contests.)

REMEMBER: Always be cautious and do a little research before entering a writing contest – especially one that charges an entry fee. Entry fees aren’t bad things, necessarily, but you don’t want to lose money just as you don’t want to have your writing ripped off by a scam contest. For tips on weeding out the scam contests, check out Moira Allen’s Writing Contests: When Winners Are Losers. Be sure to scroll down for her list of scam-busting sites, too.

Do you need a witty caption? Really? I think it's pretty self-explanatory.

One of my goals for 2010 is to stop working so much on the weekends. I was fairly good about that during the first few years of my freelance writing career – when I did work on the weekends, it was generally because I either A) took a day off during the week, or B) just wanted to. Over the last year or so, though, life got in the way and I found myself working almost every weekend.

It stops in 2010.

However, before it stops (I’m such a junkie), I’ve decided to spend the first few weekends of 2010 doing some housekeeping – of the writing career variety – and this past weekend, my task was to tackle my freelance writing rates.

I knew I was going to have to do it sooner or later, and the beginning of the year seemed like a much better time than, say, mid-June. Plus, Deb Ng’s recent blog post about making a profit with your freelance writing business provides some solid information about setting and raising rates and proved to be just the kick in the tail I needed.

Setting Your Freelance Writing Rates

I’m not going to pretend I’m qualified enough to advise you on how to set your freelance writing rates. I’m not. When it comes to setting your writing and editing rates, you have to think about things like flat rates and hourly rates; how to use your hourly rates to come up with projects that require flat rates; your rates and how they line up with your expenses, your cost of living, and your profit goal; how your rates compare to the rates of others in your business; and how it all relates to the ever-tricky “How much are you worth?”

However, I’m not saying there aren’t veteran freelancers out there who are in a position to help you do this. There definitely are. If you’re just getting started and haven’t set your rates yet, or if you have but think it’s time to reevaluate them, check out these resources:

• Anne Wayman of About Freelance Writing has an entire blog category dedicated to Dealing With Money. Also be sure to check out her Setting Freelance Rates series and guest post by John Carpenter, How Much Should I Charge?
• The Money Matters section within the Business Tips for Writers part of the FWJ Network includes posts about setting fees, getting paid, and managing your money.
• Allena Tapia’s How Much Should I Charge looks offers several tips for setting your freelance writing rates and includes resources like FreelanceSwitch’s Hourly Rate Calculator and the Editorial Freelancers Association’s rates page.
• Jennifer Mattern’s Guide to Setting Freelance Writing Fees breaks down the difference between writing goals and salaries, working and billable hours, and how to diversify writing income streams. Also take a look at Mattern’s Setting Freelance Writing Rates: Working Hours vs. Billable Hours which, in addition to explaining the difference between working and billable hours, offers a good explanation about setting hourly rates to achieve your desired yearly salaries.

Increasing Your Freelance Writing Rates

How have your skills sharpened since you started freelance writing and editing? How has your cost of living and expenses increased? Do your current rates allow for the profit you want, or are you just making ends meet? Once you’ve brushed up on the rates you’ve been charging, it’s time to think about whether you need to increase those rates.

The thought of increasing rates usually brings about two reactions from freelancers: Excitement about potentially making more money, which is easily handled, and fear of losing clients, which is not-so-easily handled.

Deb Ng’s article I linked to above about making a profit with your freelance writing business is a good resource for those freelancers who wonder if it’s time for a rate increase but afraid of losing clients; so are financial writer Yolander Prinzel’s Associated Content article How to Increase Your Freelance Writing Rates for Existing Clients and Jennifer Mattern’s Raising Freelance Writing Rates: Demand Isn’t Enough.

Sticking To Your Freelance Writing Rates

You might think that sticking to your freelance writing rates is an easy thing to do. Admittedly, for many freelance writers and editors, it is. However, no matter how new or seasoned you are, situations arise when you might be tempted to lower your rates or offer a discount that’s not exactly conducive to your financial goals or representative of the quality and quantity of your services. A nonprofit or charity approaches you, your friend is starting her own business and needs some help, you’re in a bind and really want to land a gig you just read the advertisement for but don’t usually charge what the advertiser wants to pay – you know the situations.

While pro bono work or discounts can be good for your business (and morale), there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Too, although there are times when accepting a figure less than what you normally charge is okay overall, constantly doing it doesn’t help you get to where you want to be financially.

Consider these tips to help you stick to your freelance writing rates as well as make adjustments when you see fit:

• Put it in writing. Some freelance writers post their rates on their websites; some don’t. Regardless of where you write (or, type) them, make sure you have them somewhere so you can quickly refer to them when you’re replying to job advertisements or clients requesting rates. (Having your current rates in black and white right in front of you will also help you determine your rates for a project that might be new to you.)
• Predetermine your discounts. While you’re “putting it in writing” is a good time to go ahead and figure out – and also put in writing – any discounts special to nonprofits and charities.
• Consider offering packages. Some services lend themselves to being fit into packages. Blog posts and marketing articles, for example, are services you can group into packages and offer at prices slightly less than if the client ordered that many separately.

Do you have any other tips or resources to share for setting, increasing, and sticking to freelance writing rates?

I know I can't have been the ONLY writer having trouble with them.

We’re eight days into 2010, and a major trend I’ve noticed this year is that more job advertisers than ever before (at least, in my experience) are requesting writing resumes. Fortunately, producing a copy of my writing resume doesn’t aggravate me as much as it used to.

Since I started freelance writing, I’ve spent the first few weeks of every new year following exactly the same routine: Telling myself this is the year I will consistently apply for new writing jobs (no need to put all my eggs in one basket again, right?), sticking to that goal with fevered excitement, and then finally realizing I have to take a break to update my writing resume.

Here’s the deal: I used to hate updating my writing resume. I mean, I really loathed it. (Sure, I never ran into a ton of job advertisers who required them, but all it takes is one, right?) I’ve had tons of clients – big companies, small companies, individuals – I can’t include them all! What makes the cut? What goes unmentioned? How do I organize it all?

Then, last year, I sat down with a pen and a pad of paper and made an outline – a very old school, to-the-point outline of headers, subheaders, and even squiggly doodles when my mind started wandering. What I ended up with was an outline that looked very much like what the resume for a traditional, 9-5 job would look like – with a few tweaks, of course.

Well, that was easy. Maybe I’d been overthinking it the whole time? Maybe I just needed a visual? Probably both.

Whatever the case, below is the cleaned up version of the outline. It’s nothing new for seasoned freelancers, but it might help those of you just getting started.

No-Brainer Information To Include

There are certain bits of information every resume must include – no matter what job you’re applying for – and this information generally appears at the top or bottom of your resume depending on the template you use.

Make sure your writing resume includes:

• Your name. (Regardless of the template, this usually is always at the top.)
• Your website name and address if you have one – and really, you should.
• Your contact information such as your email address, your physical or mailing address, and your home, office, and/or cell phone number. Some freelancers also include information such as their Skype or Yahoo Messenger names. (Note that if you’re applying for jobs via the Internet, feel free to omit any information you’re not comfortable handing out to strangers.)

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the meat of the thing.

Start With An Objective

Depending on the job advertiser, this objective might be as specific as “To obtain employment as the Senior Editor at Rock Out Company” or as generic as “To provide search engine friendly web content and copy that will help improve the look, usability, and visibility of small businesses websites.”

Actually, don’t copy that last one. I might use it myself in the future.

List Your Specialties

Press releases? Newsletters? Sales copy? Here’s where you’ll include a brief list of all the kinds of writing in which you specialize.

If you’ve noticed, many job advertisements call for writers who are “proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Express” or “know how to create PDF documents,” so you might also want to include any programs or software with which you’re experienced.

Move On To Your Work Experience

Really, this is the only difficult part of the whole resume-writing process you’ll have to deal with (and who knows – it might not be difficult for you). This is where you decide what stays, what goes, and how to organize it all.

Making it no easier is the fact that freelance writers have such wide variety of experiences under their belts. Long-term contracts with companies, brief liaisons with individuals,

I handle this section by breaking it up into subsections. For example, one copy of my resume includes a subsection about the companies I’ve contracted with, a subsection about the various kinds of web content I’ve provided, and a subsection about my blogging experience.

It’s also important to make sure that you include subsections, and jobs under those subsections, that are related to the job you’re applying for.

NOTE: Remember when you listed your specialties? Now’s a good time to elaborate on those, if you can. For example, if you write spectacular sales copy, this is the section to mention the sales letter you wrote for Whatever Company more than doubled said company’s sales that month.

Link To A Few Writing Samples

One of the best things about resumes you can email or post on your website is the ability to link. Clips of articles archived in online versions of magazines, copy you wrote for the front page of a website, a client’s About or Bio section – you can link to all these.

Be careful to uphold any privacy policies you have with your clients, of course; you might have an agreement with some clients about not disclosing the nature or results of your work with them.

Tell About Your Education And Training

Some job advertisers specifically call for people with “at least [this degree] in [this or a related area]“; some don’t care.

If you have a degree or some sort of special training (if it’s related to the job), go ahead and include it.

Show Off Your Awards, Achievements, Etc.

This one’s pretty self-explanatory. Just be sure to keep your list succinct and stick to awards and achievements that are related to your writing career. I’m willing to bet the job advertiser looking for a copywriter doesn’t care if you won the neighborhood award for Most Original Use of Red Christmas Lights back during the winter of 1997.

Tips to Consider:

• Create a “master copy” of your writing resume – one that includes everything but goes out to no one. Having this copy will help you keep up with all your jobs, skills, etc. and act as a quick reference for when you’re creating the resumes that do go out.
• Don’t shy away from having multiple writing resumes. Different jobs call for different experiences, and pretty soon you’ll have a nice stock of resumes you can make simple tweaks to and use over and over.
• Regularly update your writing resume. Whether it’s your master copy or the more targeted versions, make a point to update your resume(s) as you gain new experiences in order to prevent scrambling and trying to remember what happened six months ago for a job you’re applying for today.

Look at all my pretty eggs! This basket will hold them forever! Muahahaha!!!

One of the best pieces of advice I received when I first started freelancing was: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Really, it’s pretty common sense advice for any freelancer or self-employed person. If you put all your eggs in one basket – in other words, if you devote all your time and attention to one particular client and job and come to financially depend solely on that job – you’re left with nothing when something happens to that basket.

Notice how I’ve used “when” instead of “if”; it’s been my experience that, eventually, something always happens to the basket.

Yes, this was one of those lessons I had to learn for myself, unfortunately.

Within my first few months as a freelance writer, I landed a cushy writing gig with a stable company (of the reliable, and not equine, variety). Work was plentiful (nearly 24 hours a day if I chose – and, as a newbie, sometimes I chose), the company paid well, and life was grand. I continued writing for this company for about two years, very rarely taking on additional writing gigs. Why should I? That weekly check certainly didn’t require additional jobs.

Then one day, the well dried up. Or, someone stole my basket. The company had no more work for its freelance writers because the project was complete. I felt an amazing sense of accomplishment – after all, I’d been working on the project for a long time – but that wasn’t enough to squash the feelings of fear and being lost.

Obviously, the story has a happy ending – I’m still here and freelancing, aren’t I? – but it didn’t come without some serious scrambling and the vow that I would never, ever, put all my eggs in one basket again.

Oh, the pain we can avoid if we would just listen to the advice of those who are experienced.

If you’re just starting out as a freelance writer, or if you’ve been freelancing for a while and just looked around to see that yes, all your eggs are indeed in one basket, here are a few ways you can ward off disaster before it strikes:

Regularly Apply for Writing Jobs

Applying for writing jobs when you already have a writing job might not make sense now, but the benefits will definitely be crystal clear when your big basket disappears. Set some time aside in your daily (or weekly) schedule to do nothing but search and apply for new jobs. You won’t get hired for every single job you apply for, so as long as you’re careful to only apply for those you can juggle with your current workload, you should be fine.

Of course, there are other good reasons to frequent the writing job boards. Deb Nj of Freelance Writing Jobs published an excellent post yesterday explaining why. Check it out.

Spread Yourself Out

This goes right along with regularly applying for new writing jobs. Having a big basket full of many eggs is a little safer if you also have a few small baskets full of a couple of eggs. Not only do having these jobs on the side help you in case your big basket disappears, but they also help build your portfolio, skill set, and contacts.

Just be careful to avoid spreading yourself too far out. It’s possible to have too many jobs that take up too much of your time and the finished products of which don’t accurately reflect your skills (i.e., you end up producing crap and having no life outside of writing).

Keep a Money Cushion

Many freelancers are familiar with the phrase “feast or famine,” and this should go without saying, no matter how many baskets you have, how long you’ve been freelancing, or really even what your job is: You need a savings account. Not just a savings account, but a savings account specifically for paying your bills and feeding yourself in the event you lose your big basket.

So, how about you? Have you ever made the mistake of putting all your eggs in one basket? What’d you do to survive it? What do you do now to avoid it?