In the current job market, many editorial workers have turned to freelancing as a matter of survival. I receive many queries from applicants regarding how to go about freelancing.
Here I will address what, in my opinion, is the single most important asset you need to build a successful freelance career. See Part 2 for more.
EXPERIENCE:
You need a minimum of three years (five is ideal), preferably as a full-time employee. Clients will feel more comfortable in your knowledge and abilities if you can demonstrate that you've performed your duties in the past, full-time, at an established institution.
Each industry has its own "lingo". Experience in an industry allows you to understand it and communicate effectively with your clients. As a proofreader, a potential client [eg, a reference book publisher] might say:
"I have 300 pages that need to be proofed. The footnotes and illos will be sent separately. Please make sure there's a hole for each illo and that all footnotes run consecutive, beginning anew with each new chapter. The chapter title is the right running head, there is no left running head. How long do you think it will take to complete this job?"
With no experience in publishing, it would be difficult to begin to assess the job. Before giving an estimate, some questions you would ask are:
There may be four or five more questions that need to be asked before you can realistically assess how long it will take you to complete this job.
Experience in the industry allows you to have the necessary knowledge to ask the right questions to judge each project.
Knowledge of your industry will also enable you to decide how to charge for the job. Some jobs are billed on an hourly basis, others are billed on a project basis, and still others are billed as a page rate.
Again, if you know your industry, you will be able to effectively calculate how much time the job will take and what billing method to use.
See Part 2 for remainder of article.
About The Author
May be reprinted with inclusion of the following: Yuwanda Black is an entrepreneur, author, speaker and syndicated small business columnist whose focus is controlling your destiny through small business ownership. Her most recent e-books, How to Really Make a Living as an Editorial Freelancer and Advice from Successful Freelancers: How They Built Their Careers & How You Can Too! are available for immediate download at http://www.InkwellEditorial.com/bizguides.html Visit her on the web at http://www.EntrepreDoer.biz for a complete list of how-to, small business books and articles.
Whether you are writing a magazine article, composing a press... Read More
Just about every marketer on the Internet claims to be... Read More
|| Graphology & Graphotherapy ||Everybody wants to know more about... Read More
SO YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER?Many people have entertained... Read More
The first and final rule of quality writing is this:... Read More
Writing for the web is very different from writing for... Read More
"No one will ever know who I am, I'm a... Read More
When I was young, I used to talk to myself.... Read More
Picture this scene.Your hero is sitting in a bar. He's... Read More
It's important to have a space set aside in your... Read More
Chaos and confusion come when established rules and procedures are... Read More
Hundreds of writing contests tempt screenwriters with the lure of... Read More
Part 1 of this article discussed the experience you need... Read More
Paulo Coelho was born on August 24th 1947 in Rio... Read More
As writers, we initially tend to be either more cerebral... Read More
The following rules are essential if you want people to... Read More
There are so many ways for writers to make good... Read More
IntroductionSometimes it may be beyond a companies or individuals budget... Read More
'Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always... Read More
Based on the feedback that I have been getting from... Read More
As an editorial professional, I'm sure you're aware of the... Read More
Want to write an article or book, but are stuck... Read More
Welcome to the zany ideas of a productive writer. My... Read More
In his book, "Achieving Financial Independence as a Freelance Writer,"... Read More
Editorial guidelines, also known as writer's guidelines, are the rules... Read More
Simply put, it is the art of writing scripts for... Read More
More and more good authors are turning to the Internet... Read More
What is a freelance grant writer? These individuals have a... Read More
One of the best ways to blow someone's winning streak... Read More
EditingExpect, allow, and accept that every first draft will represent... Read More
Weather posting a page to your Website, writing a letter... Read More
So many clients come to me as a book or... Read More
If you are reading this article then you probably have... Read More
When one population in one century survived five wars, two... Read More
Using a ghostwriter to craft your free reprint articles and... Read More
According to one of my previous articles, whenever a Southerner... Read More
Story Structure Templates are the fastest way to write screenplays.... Read More
What a lack of research could do to you.When creating... Read More
Rejection. This scary word plagues virtually every writer this side... Read More
1 - Join a reading or writing group. Ask members... Read More
Being a great writer is no longer enough if you... Read More
My bookcase take up one whole wall in the family... Read More
Regardless of what sort of writer you are and how... Read More
People can't believe I did it, but I did. I... Read More
----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute,... Read More
All Writers need the press, especially new writers. As a... Read More
Great business writers combine narrative skills with sound judgment to... Read More
It would be very selfless or noble of me to... Read More
Working on my first humorous novel, I started with a... Read More
A good white paper is a paper that makes you... Read More
When my first book "Starting Your Own Business" was published... Read More
There is a lot of confusion about recommendation letters.Recommendation letters... Read More
You may not remember this, but in the early days... Read More
Have you given up on getting your book out of... Read More
|| Graphology & Graphotherapy ||Everybody wants to know more about... Read More
(excerpted from the "How to Use a Journal" audio series... Read More
Every hero has a seminal insight - the apotheosis. Once... Read More
One Saturday afternoon, I sat in a packed conference room... Read More
What is a freelance grant writer? These individuals have a... Read More
The Big IdeaOkay. So youve figured out that you would... Read More
"No one will ever know who I am, I'm a... Read More
Written communication is often the first impression you make on... Read More
Is it possible to improve your writing instantly? The answer,... Read More
Is your book nearly finished, finished, published, or even in... Read More
As a previous article ("Making Better Word Choices ? 4... Read More
Have you ever considered writing a book? If so, maybe... Read More
Writing |