Two Simple Rules Of Successful Freelance Writing
Posted on 14 January 2008 by Sharon
When it comes to making a success of freelance writing, two simple rules will take you far.
Rule #1: Follow The Brief
The brief is there for a reason. It’s meant to tell you how the client wants the job done. It’s true, not all writing briefs are as detailed as you might like. Some people don’t know exactly what they want until they don’t get it. With experience, you learn (most of the time) to spot the briefs with large holes or potential pitfalls. Then you move onto the second rule.
Rule #2: Ask Questions
I ask lots of questions before I start a job. Sure, I’m an expert writer, but I am not a mind reader. The purpose of asking questions is not to tell me how to do my job, but to make sure I know what job the client wants me to do. Questions you might ask include:
- Is this a rewrite of the example you supplied or is the example just source material?
- What length should the article/ebook be?
- Do you want me to stick to your outline or to add content I think is necessary?
There are many other questions to ask, depending on the actual writing job. I find that most clients appreciate the fact that I take the time to ascertain what they need. For them, it provides the security of knowing that I understand the job. For me, it prevents me from wasting time writing something that doesn’t meet the brief.
Read more on freelance writing at Inspired Author.
Welcome to Get Paid To Write Online. If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed or get email alerts about new content. Thanks for visiting.
Tags | freelance writing, get paid to write, ghostwriting, help me write
January 14th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
People that don’t ask questions, are the people who don’t know what questions to ask. I like that you’ve listed a few for us. I like to list all my questions out before contacting anyone. That way, I don’t get all scatterbrained and hang up before getting the info I need.
January 15th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Hi Sharon - I read your blogs about free lance writing and other important things to know. I was wondering if you have any experience with content editing tools.
One of my clients just launched a website editing tool called Easy WebContent at http://www.easywebcontent.com.
I would great appreciate your professional opinion and like to offer you a free week to check it out and let me know what you think.
Thanks for your attention. Best Regards, Jamie Hoffman
January 15th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
There is definitely truth to rule #2. I’ll often receive assignments from new clients with missing details such as word count, preferred style, and due date.
January 15th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Asking questions is a great one! People too often think that because I’m the writer they don’t need to provide me with all the details…kind of goofy. I don’t like to feel pushy, but I do like to know what their expectations are before I start working on a project.
January 15th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
@ Derek: Sometimes it’s difficult to know the right questions, but once you’ve had something go wrong. It helps you remember. I wrote an article on clarifying the writing brief on Garden and Hearth. Hope it helps.
@ Jamie: Yes, I’d love to try out that tool and perhaps review it on the blog.
@ Valencia: Me too, and if you don’t ask those questions, you can fall foul of the hidden brief.
@ Chad: finding out what clients expect helps you to improve the work you do and your reputation. What questions do you ask?
January 22nd, 2008 at 10:58 pm
This is good advice, and something that can take some practice. Sometimes people are afraid to ask questions but I’ve learned the hard way that unless I do, I may not know what’s going on and can’t complete the project!
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Yes, I’d add that to ‘things I learned the hard way’ too, Katherine, though sometimes even if you ask questions, you might not get helpful answers.