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Topic: How long does it take to "succeed" at freelancing?
| Author | Message |
| snappiness | Posted – 4/29/2008 3:02:13 PM | show profile networking All that. |
| reporterwriter | Posted – 4/29/2008 3:35:47 PM | show profile >>Specifically, how do I know if I'm basically doing everything right and just waiting for lady luck to smile upon me or if something is off in my approach? Should I be looking for a 10% positive response rate? 60%?<< I haven't read the responses so far to know how far off they've pulled the thread. So I'm responding to the original post. First, define what success will be for you. You should have a budget by now and know what you need to bring in per month (not what you need to put out the door each month). What beyond the basics will constitute success for you? This varies from freelancer to freelancer. Then map out a plan for reaching your rock-bottom per-month goal. That's where to start. The gravy comes later, when you're up to speed. Your network will be your most valuable tool. Work it. Hit up all the viable editors you've worked with, asking them if they need a writer. Beyond this, work your network for referral business. Referrals to editors mean you don't have to pitch and hunt and dig for new work. This is how I built my freelance business -- no pitching at all. The first three months or so were rough; then came Sept. 11, 2001, and a couple of more rough months. I took a minimal part-time job to pay for the utilities and some groceries, but after a while I didn't need it anymore. Some freelancers recommend specializing, and that's something to consider. Whatever you did before can lay the foundation for your freelance business. You can move out of the old specialties once you're on your feet. Specialties put you in a position of strength in that type of writing, even if it's not your favorite thing at the moment. Anyway, keep your chin up and work that network! |
| reporterwriter | Posted – 4/29/2008 3:44:08 PM | show profile >>chucho asks: PS: Does any full time freelancer here break $40K a year? I'm curious. How many monthly assignments does this entail, roughly speaking?<< Oh, yes. It's not the number of assignments that matters, but the pay. If I can't get at least a certain per-hour return-on-investment of time, I negotiate up or say no. It's not as mercenary as it sounds; I take some nice high-total stuff, and some other pieces pay peanuts but have a high hourly ROI. Today I'm knocking out a couple of little ones at $200 and $300, about four hours' work total. That's how to do it, not by volume. |
| chucho | Posted – 4/29/2008 4:52:39 PM | show profile Wordy: I have lived in NYC on less than $53K, with debt. It was tight (at $42,500) but manageable, albeit I saved very little money. But now I'm debt free. But that $325 a month health insurance? Ouch. I wonder if I should estimate 40% off the annual income to cover taxes, FICA and health insurance. I'm not sure 35% would cover it all in NYC if over $300 a month goes for an individual health plan. |
| chucho | Posted – 4/29/2008 4:55:30 PM | show profile reporterwriter: Does this include a basket of gigs at trades, corporate pubs and consumer pubs, or do you stick to one area? (In other words: those small $300 gigs: are they for advocacy pubs or consumer pubs?) I'm curious if freelancers specialize in different types of pubs or pick from wherever they can get them, or if editors prefer you specialize in one type of publication (either trade, corporate or consumer). |
| reporterwriter | Posted – 4/29/2008 8:29:46 PM | show profile >>reporterwriter: Does this include a basket of gigs at trades, corporate pubs and consumer pubs, or do you stick to one area? (In other words: those small $300 gigs: are they for advocacy pubs or consumer pubs?) << I do one monthly gig for a consumer mag, another monthly gig for a newspaper syndicate. Those are the tiny ones. I did a story last week for a trade, and I have one due this week for a custom. In summer, I'll write again for the Web -- and I'm currently hunting for two more customs! I *want* my basket to be full of different outlets, in case one segment begins to suffer -- like if consumer dips again, custom can sustain because it doesn't need advertising. I've also done book chapters, SEO copy, an e-newsletter; the more writers and editors you know, the wider the variety of referrals you get. I've had my newest client for two years now; the oldest, for 15. Referral and repeat business is how I like it, with a base of monthly gigs for dependable income. I'd encourage anyone starting out to find at least one regular gig for some peace of mind. |
| caitlinkelly | Posted – 4/29/2008 10:30:02 PM | show profile A mix of small and large, fast and slower and anything you find acceptable - even at 50 cents a word if it's quick and easy -- works best. If you ever find your income coming more than 30% from one client, I'd say, like an investment portfolio, diversify and quickly. I had 50% from one source last year but the pay rates are too low so I have gone in search of better pay and found it. I still do some for them but a lot less. I also think having a steady part-time job, even $300 a month, is a big help. Having any totally reliable source of income will relieve stress. |
| rivkie100 | Posted – 4/30/2008 12:00:36 AM | show profile Thank you Thanks so much for all the responses. I think my original title was a bit misleading; it might have been more appropriate to ask how you know you're "doing it right." Those who said it took them a year (or more) or who started with a small response rate and have worked their way up were particularly reassuring. The beast of perfectionism and high expectations works its way in so easily... it's helpful to know that a few positive responses and a few near misses aren't too bad for my first few weeks. And everyone has said it but it bears repeating: most of the positive responses are coming from contacts, friends of friends, etc. I see now how important it is to follow up with everyone you meet at a party/conference/etc--not pestering them for work, but just building relationships. It's sounds so obvious, but I wish I had internalized this earlier. Anyway, in general, it sounds like the summary of advice is: If you're starting from scratch, be persistent and expect it to take a while. |
| chucho | Posted – 4/30/2008 9:00:21 AM | show profile I am really digging the information in this thread, esp. Caitlin's advice and the others who have outlined some nice details of the freelancer's life. I'm sitting here doing the math, and it seems t well-paying writing assignments per month ($500+), I don't see how people are hitting above $50K. I did a hypothetical monthly spreadsheet, with a balance of assignments ranging from $50 to $550: and to be able to afford: - $900 rent - $700-$800 groceries/entertainment/other expenses - $350 a month private health plan - $300 savings - $100 to a month annuity payment - $200 car insurance - $100 gas money - $90 Utilities - $90 Telecom You'd have to bring home $2,630 after deductions ($3,550 pre 35% deductions for taxes, withholdings and any other expenses related to having private health insurance, like co-pays and deductibles). That's 10 writing assignments a month averaging $350 apiece (in other words, for every $50 gig you need a $650 gig to cover the average). Do full time freelancers have 10 pots on the stove at a time like this, or is the average assignment over $350? I used to pay out to freelancers $700 for a feature (1,200-1,500 words) for a small consumer magazine, sometimes $1,200 if the writer was reliable, talented and had worked with us for a long time and provided pics. And this hypothetical budget accounts for $42,600 per year. And one person here was talking about $75K and $100K! That's over $7000 a month (to get to $84,000). The highest paid gig I ever attained was $5,000 for a 1,200-word advertorial. That would make up 71% of one month's salary for a freelancer earning $84,000 per year. I dunno. I'm just trying to get to a realistic set of goals. Right now I have: 10 gigs a month at an average of $350 with the expenses listed above, including the extra needed to cover taxes, withholdings, etc. |
| snappiness | Posted – 4/30/2008 9:13:58 AM | show profile big salary The years I cleared the big bucks were due to having either regular corporate work or a monthly big feature at a high-paying magazine. So, I'd have one steady $6000 or higher assignment each month, then I'd add in a few other features around $2000 or less. That's gross income, so doesn't factor in taxes etc. As I mentioned, the workload is staggering -- I am really efficient and write very quickly (for me, the writing is the easy part, it's the research that takes up the time). I can write a feature in half a day if I have the concept figured out. But that pace also leaves almost zero margin for error in terms of sick days and other unexpected developments. It's grueling, but at the time I was supporting our whole family on my income so I had little choice. |
| snappiness | Posted – 4/30/2008 9:22:15 AM | show profile Also, I've been freelancing for years, have a specialty, have written books, and was on staff at a national magazine. My rates are high. |
| caitlinkelly | Posted – 4/30/2008 10:31:48 AM | show profile snappiness makes the important point again -- no room for error. Please understand how serious an impact that "error" can have on your income. That "error" might be your illness or injury or that of one of your children or your partner or your aging parent(s); an editor quits or is fired; a budget is suddenly cut; you're working for a deadbeat publisher; they pay "in 45 days" or on publication -- which never arrives. Or, my favorite double whammy ever, you've turned in the piece that is that month's keystone payment -- are heading into surgery 3 days later -- and your piece is capriciously killed, paying you 25% of what you "earned." So you have to be ruthlessly efficient in your ability to get a lot of well-paid work; report and write it quickly and well (to avoid questions and revisions). Always have savings, low-to-no debt, a low-interest line of credit to allow room for reality to intrude into your best-laid plans. My mother's brain tumor (she's fine) showed up in the middle of researching my book, when I was already halfway across the country. That meant a month away from the book and away from paid work -- and the costs of getting to her city and staying at the Y near her hospital, then getting home across the country again. All those costs were unplanned and unexpected. I cannot imagine churning out 10 $350 assignments a month; i.e. 2+ every week. Focus instead on assignments worth $1200, $1500, $2500 and do one of those with $500 or $700 or even $300 gigs tucked in around the edges, things you can easily complete within 2 or 3 hours. You can burn yourself out on little stuff (each of which still demand quality work) -- and what good are too many of these micro-clips in the long run? The freelancers I know who are making real money are focused on longer, better-paid pieces wherever and wherever possible. But it's also true that people with higher-level/greater experience can command more money so we can work in a different way. Writers with serious credentials can ask for and get better pay, contracts and kill fees. To use a really awful analogy, to "succeed" you have to step to the plate and -- in the quality of your reporting and writing - swing for the fences every single time. This is not a business that tolerates bunts when others can, and do, have the skills and the work ethic to hit it out of the park. I admire chucho's thoughtful planning. Best of luck wherever you land. |
| rhino writer | Posted – 4/30/2008 11:37:53 AM | show profile I just wanted to thank everyone participating in this thread. It's amazingly informative and helpful to a newbie like me. I appreciate it! |
| reporterwriter | Posted – 4/30/2008 12:13:11 PM | show profile You're on the right track, chucho, but caitlin's right: aim higher. There's a theory for any business, not just writing, that the way to grow is to dump your lowest-paying client every year. Keep in mind that low-paying work can be a time suck, keeping you from getting better-paying work. On the other hand, there can be great merit in holding onto a lowest-paying client who's a dream to work with and who pays on time and gives you assignments every month! You might even give up a part-time job to keep a client like this when the money's equal. I put my business together with a business plan. It's a half-formed plan compared with plans that other businesses take to banks to get loans, because it's just for me. In it, I outline my financial goals, new markets, components of my business and where I expect to be in the next five and 10 years. A biz plan remains flexible, changing with market conditions and new opportunities, but there's something about writing it out that keeps me on track. Also, I think my business has grown because of contact with other freelancers who do it for a living. They opened my eyes to writing possibilities beyond newspapers, magazines and the Web. Even within newspapers, magazines and the Web, other freelancers led me to higher-paying clients. Your business will be unique to you. Listen to other freelancers, but don't let them tell you what's so-called "right" about who to work for and what to earn. Everybody's different. That income over $50,000 is attainable without a lot of effort but *with* a lot of planning. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 4/30/2008 2:09:17 PM | show profile That's good advice. You can get by on the low-paying volume work for a while, but you can't sustain that. Generally, anyone who sticks with freelancing for the long haul tends to constantly move up to paying types of work and clients. The key thing isn't to simply market yourself all the time, but to have a clear plan of how much you want to make and how you going to achieve that. --I cannot imagine churning out 10 $350 assignments a month; i.e. 2+ every week. Focus instead on assignments worth $1200, $1500, $2500 and do one of those with $500 or $700 or even $300 gigs tucked in around the edges, things you can easily complete within 2 or 3 hours. You can burn yourself out on little stuff (each of which still demand quality work) -- and what good are too many of these micro-clips in the long run? The freelancers I know who are making real money are focused on longer, better-paid pieces wherever and wherever possible. But it's also true that people with higher-level/greater experience can command more money so we can work in a different way. Writers with serious credentials can ask for and get better pay, contracts and kill fees.-- |
| rivkie100 | Posted – 4/30/2008 2:11:19 PM | show profile What's become interesting to me is how my own newbie mind phrased the question. People are talking about earning over $50k and getting $5,000 assignments... for me, succeeding is, well, getting published by someplace that feels like it "counts." And then getting published by one of the Big Guns in the business. On one hand, thinking in terms of hard dollars is going to become important, undoubtedly sooner than I'd like. On the other hand, I know that someday, the idea of Conde Nast/Time Inc./Hachette/Etc. being the end-all be-all to me as a fresh, wide-eyed freelancer will be amusing, and so I should probably relish it while I can. It's about the journey, or so I hear. ;) |
| snappiness | Posted – 4/30/2008 2:32:54 PM | show profile "On one hand, thinking in terms of hard dollars is going to become important" This is a critical point that not many freelancers realize. Well, the successful ones do. It's all about sales and profitability. You are a small business and you must focus on income and expenses. You start learning ways to minimize your effort and expense for the most income, which maximizes your profits. Writers who just focus on "getting work in" without thinking about profitability don't stay successfully self-employed as writers. My absolute most favorite days are those I sit down to actually write a story! I focus hard on my profitability so that I can have as many of those days as possible. |
| chucho | Posted – 4/30/2008 3:49:00 PM | show profile That's one of the down sides I think to the freelancing career: you end up writing a lot of stuff just to pay the bills. But it is basically a business. I don't think many freelancers ear the freedom to write whatever they want. Also: Th thought of planning on having regular high paying gigs is scary. I know people who write regularly and they're not getting too many $2,000+ gigs. It seems the high end is $1,500 or so. Three $1,500 a month jobs woudl be nice, but Caitlin makes an excellent point about depending too heavily on one source for a large portion of your monthly income. Although to me that would be a good problem to have. I really would like to spend at least a year in New Orleans (or outside of the city, but close to it), but looking at the job market there. . . I'd have to relay on getting a lot of work from outside of the region: airline mags, trade mags (ports, construction), outdoor mags, maybe some local newspaper string and design work. It all seems very scary to figure out and sometimes I just feel like I'd be better off moving back to NYC and just getting some staff position, or moving wherever I can find work before I relocate. |
| caitlinkelly | Posted – 4/30/2008 4:07:04 PM | show profile This *is*a business we all run, no matter how fun or creative it can allow us to be. The people purchasing our copy have budgets and plan to pay x for y product, whether printing or photos or us. I remember my first bylines and how thrilling it was to know they were in magazines I could see being read on the subway...but even from the very beginning that income was money to live on, not buy Prada bags or amusement. So from the age of 19, when I began, I asked for raises and treated negotiating with editors like going to the dentist -- not fun or something you looked forward to, but necessary. Shout your delight to the rooftops when you score those coveted by-lines -- but don't sell yourself cheap because it's soooooooooooo exciting. Watching gas and grocery costs shoot through the roof - and still today having many pub's offer the rates I made in 1980s -- yes, kids, many rates are not much higher -- is &^%$@@!*. Plan for the worst, as well as the best. |
| sofisays | Posted – 4/30/2008 4:12:07 PM | show profile How do you obtain corporate work? It is so nice to read postive and realistic advice. Can someone please expand on the corporate work thread? What is it? How do you research these companies? And what sort of fields are these corporations in? Thanks! |
| snappiness | Posted – 4/30/2008 5:17:24 PM | show profile Yes, this is one of the few threads I've seen in this forum stay positive, and it's delightful! Also very good advice, I am learning things myself. I keep saying "corporate work" but I think I should really be saying "copywriting." I always thought of copywriting as the ad guys coming up with snappy one-liners and ad concepts, which I don't have the skills to do. But I do write for companies that have internal publications, or publications they send to clients, also company Web sites that need some researched/reported content but that content is controlled by the corporate entity and its agenda, not an unbiased editor. All that is copywriting. I have found jobs by networking, mostly. I am only just now trying places like ads here and on Aquent to see if that gets results. |
| HisGirlFriday | Posted – 4/30/2008 6:08:34 PM | show profile Really great advice! I love the goal of dumping your lowest paying client every year. I'm thinking about letting one of my low-stress clients go because even though the stories are easy (about an hour of work for $100) - I'm just bored with it and I think that hour could better be spent aiming higher. I'd also really like to pursue more corporate work. Can anyone who does that type of work give some suggestions? How did you land your good corporate writing gig? For example, I know someone in PR - while I don't think it would be kosher for me to work for her (since she pitches stories to me, which I pitch to pubs) could I ask her if she has big biz clients who need in-house writing? That kind of thing? Does it work like that? |
| candylilacs | Posted – 4/30/2008 9:56:50 PM | show profile Be careful, the PR folks like to promise a lot, but don't often deliver. I've gone that route before. Now, meeting with her boss .... maybe that would be better. Also, keep the low-stress $100 editor around. You will need all the low-stress you can get, especially as editors get reshuffled and freelance budgets get cut. good luck, c. ------ http://www.mswritesguide.blogspot.com |
| writesonwater | Posted – 5/1/2008 1:26:48 AM | show profile | email poster Sounds like most folks on this thread, like me, wouldn't turn down a $1,500 piece or $1 a word. I've had some of that, but while you're feeding your family, you take what you can get. Agree with those who have kept good terms with $100, no-hassle editors. Between one of those, a couple trade/regional mags and the occasional national piece from two particular editors,I cobbled together the same bucks I make right now as a FT weekly editor in newspaper. I've had a steady gig with two different trade pubs from the same company, and they pay the same - 40 cents a word -- but the assignments are vastly different. One is VERY labor intensive, one's a couple calls and some paint and paper and you have a nice piece. Bear in mind, I write my behind off now I'm back FT office -- I doubt there's anyone on this thread who's working my crazy hours but I could be wrong. But I went back to work for reasons other than money. Good luck to all reading and contributing to this thread. |
| sophiesMOM | Posted – 5/1/2008 10:09:28 AM | show profile corporate work entails many things. I do a lot of this. I produce content for a variety of company's websites, write case studies, white papers, and articles for in-house magazines which are distributed to the company's customers. i have a long background in tech so that's where a lot of my clients come from. this work is more lucrative (I'm getting $1.50-2 per word) than straight up journalism. to maintain my journalism chops, i typically do one or two feature stories per quarter. it pays less but it keeps me in the game. |
