Once I started this freelance writing profession, I assumed the toughest a part of the job can be the writing itself.
I might continually fear whether or not or not my writing can be ok, or if my shoppers would really like my work and if I actually knew the subject I used to be writing about.
What I didn’t anticipate was how discorganized I used to be about protecting monitor of all the pieces surrounding the writing.
As a result of should you work with a number of shoppers, publications, or businesses, your job shortly turns into much less about writing and extra about switching between totally totally different worlds all day lengthy.
Simply this week alone I:
- Drafted an article for a SaaS enterprise that use the Oxford comma and edited for an additional one which completely doesn’t.
- Despatched invoices by means of three fully totally different methods.
- Wrote content material for one consumer who actively encourages the usage of AI instruments and one other who strictly forbids them.
- Submitted assignments in Google Docs, Microsoft Phrase and SharePoint.
And that’s earlier than contemplating formatting necessities, inside linking preferences, quotation types, picture sourcing guidelines, search engine marketing necessities and whether or not a consumer loves em dashes or needs them eliminated instantly.
After greater than a decade of freelancing, I’ve discovered that staying organized isn’t non-compulsory, it’s survival.
So let’s have a look at what the hidden work is behind freelance writing.
Each Freelance Writing Shopper Has Their Personal System
Look –
As a brand new freelance author, when you land a number of shoppers, you’ll have to study to juggle all of them and their content material necessities. Having a system or a contract writing planner can actually assist at first.
However for me, after doing this for greater than a decade, I’ve been set in my methods with how I plan and arrange all my consumer work.
That doesn’t imply issues can unravel shortly.
I’ve one consumer that sends assignments by means of e mail, one other communicates virtually totally by means of Slack and one other makes use of a challenge administration platform that I’ve by no means even heard of till the onboarding name.
The identical factor occurs once I’m invoicing shoppers. One will use Stripe and one other makes use of an accounting software program with its personal approval processes and one other consumer wanting me to e mail it to a particular individual. It’s rather a lot.
None of those methods are actually troublesome on their very own and, most of them are pretty simple when you’ve discovered them.
The problem comes whenever you’re switching between all of them a number of instances all through the day whereas additionally attempting to recollect every consumer’s preferences, processes and editorial tips.
This is without doubt one of the causes I deliberately attempt to restrict myself to working with solely three retainer or ongoing shoppers at a time as a result of I’ve discovered over time that that is the candy spot for me relating to staying organized and doing my greatest work.
In fact, freelance writing doesn’t at all times match neatly into these boundaries.
Typically an previous consumer comes again with a one-off challenge, an editor reaches out with an fascinating task that I don’t wish to flip down, or an advert hoc consumer pops up for a short-term engagement.
That’s often when issues can begin to get a bit of dicey.
Out of the blue I’m attempting to recollect which consumer needs drafts submitted by means of SharePoint, which one prefers Google Docs feedback as an alternative of inline edits and which SaaS content material tips completely doesn’t need an Oxford comma anyplace close to their content material.
The psychological power required to recollect the place all the pieces lives, how all the pieces will get submitted and what every consumer expects can generally rival the writing itself.
Model Voice Modifications Every part (And is Should Study Talent)
Some of the underrated freelance writing abilities is studying the best way to sound like another person.
When individuals take into consideration freelance writing, they typically assume the job is just sitting down and writing phrases on a web page.
What they don’t at all times understand is that each consumer has their very own persona, their very own viewers and their very own expectations for the way they wish to sound on this planet.
A SaaS startup might want conversational, punchy copy that feels energetic and approachable whereas nonetheless sounding credible sufficient to earn the belief of decision-makers.
A finance publication might want authoritative, data-driven content material that leans closely on analysis, skilled opinions and statistics whereas avoiding something that feels overly informal or opinionated.
A life-style model might choose heat, storytelling and a extra private type of writing that makes readers really feel like they’re getting recommendation from a trusted buddy.
Typically you’ll be able to write first individual content material on a B2B enterprise weblog whereas different instances, it is advisable write on a consise method for a way of life journal.
None of those approaches are proper or improper.
They’re merely totally different.
The toughest half isn’t studying a consumer’s voice.
Most skilled freelance writers can choose up a tone pretty shortly after studying sufficient examples and spending time with a model’s current content material.
The troublesome half is switching between three or 4 fully totally different voices earlier than lunch.
You would possibly spend your morning writing a LinkedIn thought management submit for a software program firm earlier than leaping right into a DTC e mail marketing campaign for an eCommerce model after which ending the day modifying a weblog submit for a publication with a wholly totally different editorial type.
By three o’clock your mind is attempting to recollect whether or not that is the consumer who loves brief sentences and contractions or the one who prefers longer explanations and a extra formal tone.
As freelance writers, we’re continually adjusting our tone, sentence construction, examples, vocabulary, pacing and even our humorousness to match the consumer in entrance of us.
If we’re doing our jobs nicely, readers shouldn’t even discover {that a} freelance author was concerned.
The content material ought to really feel prefer it got here straight from the corporate, the founder, or the publication itself.
Paradoxically, one of many indicators {that a} freelance author is exceptionally good at their job is that their very own voice turns into virtually invisible.
For a number of hours at a time, we turn into another person’s voice totally….and that may be draining, particularly when you’ve got greater than 3 shoppers at a time.
Editorial Tips Matter Extra Than Folks Suppose
Publications can have extremely particular preferences and one of many much less glamorous components of freelance writing is studying the best way to preserve all of these guidelines straight whenever you’re writing for a number of shoppers on the identical time.
Some publications are fiercely loyal to the Oxford comma whereas others take away each single one they arrive throughout.
Some need sentence case headlines whereas others insist on title case. And nonetheless some observe American spelling conventions whereas others choose Canadian or British spelling.
Even one thing as seemingly insignificant as whether or not to jot down “e-commerce” or “ecommerce,” “web site” or “site,” or “e mail” as an alternative of “e-mail” can fluctuate from consumer to consumer.
After which there are the preferences that by no means fairly make it into the type information. You would possibly encounter editors which have their very own private preferences with content material and can let you know once they edit your article.
That is what occurred to me with GoDaddy and Zapier’s editors. I spent extra time fixing my errors and weaving of their recommendations than I did really writing the content material.
One editor disliked em dashes and changed each single one with commas.
The opposite perfered shorter paragraphs as a result of “it appeared higher on cell.”
One web site wished a dek with each submission and the opposite that writes all of its personal headlines internally.
None of those selections are troublesome on their very own. In reality, most of them take only some seconds to regulate as soon as the principles.
The problem comes from protecting dozens and generally a whole bunch, of those tiny preferences organized in your head whereas shifting between a number of assignments, industries and shoppers all through the week.
I believe this is without doubt one of the causes freelance writing can drain you should you aren’t ready for this.
You’re continually remembering, adjusting, translating and recalibrating itself for whichever publication or consumer occurs to be in entrance of you at that second.
My System for Retaining It All Straight
Through the years I’ve constructed my very own system for managing shoppers, publications, editors and all the little particulars that come together with every relationship.
At this level, I truthfully couldn’t think about freelancing with out it.
Each consumer will get their very own set of notes that lives alongside their initiatives and people notes turn into my exterior mind for all the pieces I don’t wish to belief myself to recollect six months from now.
This may be digital with Trello or Notion, or it may be a planner you utilize.
I’ve GDocs of swipe information however I even have them for type guides and editorial preferences if want be.
I create a Google Sheet with invoicing directions, formatting necessities, submission processes and all of these small editorial quirks that by some means by no means make it into the official onboarding paperwork…for EACH consumer.
- Did they need information named a sure manner?
- Are photographs included or dealt with by their inside workforce?
- Do they need hyperlinks embedded naturally within the copy or collected on the finish of the article?
All of it will get written down.
When a brand new task is available in, I can spend a couple of minutes reviewing these notes earlier than I even open a clean doc, which saves me from making avoidable errors and helps me slip again into that consumer’s world a lot quicker.
With out this technique, I truthfully assume I’d spend half my day attempting to recollect whether or not Shopper A permits AI-assisted analysis whereas Shopper B prohibits it totally, whether or not Publication C needs each statistic linked again to an authentic supply, or whether or not Editor D prefers headline recommendations included within the doc itself somewhat than within the submission e mail.
The longer I’ve freelanced, the extra I’ve realized that group shouldn’t be some good bonus ability that makes life simpler. It’s a core enterprise ability.
They assist shoppers really feel like they’re working with somebody dependable and straightforward to work with.
Most significantly, they release psychological area for the a part of the job that really issues: writing nice content material.
The extra shoppers, publications and editors you’re employed with, the extra useful these methods turn into.
Freelance Writing Isn’t Simply Writing Anymore
And that’s okay!
Yearly there are new challenge administration methods, invoicing apps and content material writing instruments to study….and that’s okay!
As a contract author, we have now to study to adapt and study new issues yearly. This can assist us develop as a freelancer and over time your processes and methods will give you the results you want.
So be proud that you simply landed your first consumer after which the subsequent and the subsequent.
Be ready for various editorial tips and the best way to bill your shoppers.
And, as at all times, have enjoyable with it!
