On Increasing Your Freelancing Workload

Source: www.freelancefactor.com

Remember last week when I mentioned that in all the struggle, a major issue was being offered additional work when I didn't have regular internet access needed to do it? Well, today I'm joining to share the internal struggle involved in not only the thought process (and freak out, in a mostly good way) that went into my decision to do so. I'll also give you a list of things to consider before you increase your freelance workload.

How I Decided

Up until a few weeks ago, I was plugging away as a blog writer and social media contributor for three clients. We'll call them I, C, and D. I was working about 8 hours per week at $12.50 per hour. I'd call this "helping out" wage, working just enough to help practice writing and bring in some additional funds while my husband was in school.

Then all the craziness of the real work hit, and I realized that not only did I need to make a more substantial income but that being hidden away on deep, limited service property made everything take more time. Not to mention frustrating. I applied to local part-time work, but no one would hire me.

Then client C offered me a part-time virtual assistant work on top of the 2 hours I was already working at a slightly lower per hour rate. A lot of the work was doable offline, so I took it on and ran into town 30 minutes or 1 hour away a couple days per week for research and emails. It sort of, kinda worked and thankfully I wasn't quite doing the full 10 hours as we eased into it.

But client D called and said the current work wasn't enough and he also needed to gobble up as much of my time as he could get. I knew there was no way I'd be able to accommodate until we moved into town closer to my husband's work and told the client as much. Plus, working full time required a whole new level of commitment and scheduling. I asked for some time to consider and asked for his patience.

Then came the hard questions, things every Mommy probably considers when they work. Would I be able to schedule and commit to full-time work? What would I be willing to give up in order to make sure I wasn't distracted? Would working from home make focusing hard to do? Would my children handle the transition well? Could I afford a mommy's helper through the summer? Would my children be scarred if I wasn't with them all the time? (That last one stemmed from guilt, and I had to push it aside.)

At the end of the day, it came down to some lists and some planning. 8-5pm wasn't realistic for my family, so that meant my husband had to understand if I worked a few hours in the evening after the kiddos went to bed, or even after he did. I'd have to be better prepared, commit to house cleaning and meal prep on the weekends, and still carve out time for editing my novel manuscript and my other WIPs.

In the end, the best decision was to take on the work. After all, we're still recovering (and paying) for my husband's school and trying to pay down debt. But most importantly, it feels wonderful to have clients request my skills and expertise.

Things to Consider

If you are thinking about increasing your workload, consider each of the following things.

Time: How much time are you willing to commit? What, if any, are the time requirements for assignments? Be sure to include phone calls/emails of duties, as well as research time. If you're realistic about it, then your clients will know what to expect.

Getting paid: Be upfront with any clients about pay. Its often an awkward situation, but its important for both of you to be on the same page. Offering invoices will help you keep track of work hours and budget by knowing what to expect when. Your clients get the added bonuses of a paper trail, work monitoring, and an easier time come tax season.

Family Dynamics: If you have a family like me, it's really important to not only make sure everyone is on board, but to also to consider the pulls and requirements of time to care for them and your home. If you're taking on a lot more work, it may be time to divvy up some chores or ask for help from your partner. Don't be afraid to do it, and don't worry if things are a bit unsettled at first. You'll get into the swing of things. (At least, that's what I tell myself.)

What sort of things have you considered as you take on freelancing work? Have you ever had to consider whether you need to increase your workload and what it might cost you personally? Please tell me in the comments below.

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Pppsss... check out my eBook giveaway on twitter, TONIGHT 9PM PST.

Two Necessary Traits in Writers, plus Contest Period Extended

Hi All!

I warned about high emotional content in this blog post, but I'll reiterate it. I don't often talk about my personal life on here, but the last month has taught me a lot that I'd like to share. Expect choking up, frowns, smiles, and probably some venting because, well, moving sucks.

Just before April, my husband graduated from his tech school. He had high hopes for a quick job, as two big companies showered him with interest at the school job fairs and had even set up phone interviews. He convinced me to pack up everything we owned in a livestock trailer we bought so we could head out to Idaho, where both companies were located. We'd go have a quick week with my in-laws, stop by both companies and see which one offered the better job package.

You guys, they both turned him away. Devastation, confusion, and frustration ensued.

This lead to a frantic and massive job search in five states, and all from a 35 foot RV where our family of four, a ferocious cat, and an energetic terrier dwelt for going on 33 days. It took three weeks to find work, but the depletion of funds kept us there until the first paycheck and our previous rental's deposit came in the mail. My husband is currently commuting an hour each way.

Now those of you that know me personally (or for longer then a few months via twitter or facebook) know that I'm a glass-half-full type person. My faith and my family keep me afloat, and years as a navy wife have made me resilient.  But this was tough. The property we're staying on is in the armpit of some Northern Idaho mountains, where the fastest internet available moves slow as molasses in a cold February. I'm not over exaggerating. Of course, it is during this limited accessibility that I'm trying to maintain our only income, and that two of my freelance clients ask if I can take on more hours. Hours I need to keep my family from floundering. Oh and did I mention that I have an agent now, one who thankfully wasn't as demanding of edits as I was making myself of work?

Okay, venting aside. All this to say that as writers, especially cooped up and strung out amateurs (moi), we need to be completely and utterly okay with being patient and optimistic. That's really the only way to get through life, but especially in the writing industry. Without creating our own happy moments and staying busy when waiting takes forever, we'll spiral into a deep and dark place. I know, I've been there. Recently.

If you are the praying or finger-crossing kind, please do so for our family. We look at a rental much closer to my husband's new employment place today. Less commute, more internet access, it all adds up to settling down. And then I can be online with all you wonderful, writerly friends more often.

By the way, I'm not sure why but my book giveaway last Monday had ZERO entries. I was in complete and utter shock. So I've extended it another week. Please, please, please check out the interview, book review, and info to enter here. It's for a wonderful cause and an awesome read!

Ghostwriting Series #3: My Learning Curve

Hello and Good Monday everyone!

A quick, shameless plug before we dive into the meat of this post: my first ever blog interview after hooking my agent just went live over on Brenda Drake's blog, so please go check it out! It's me and my super secret Pitchwars mentor, now revealed, chatting about the experience.

Today is the final post of the ghostwriting series I've had going as my family moved cross country. If you haven't had a chance to see post 1 and post 2 with Marcia Layton Turner, be sure to check them out! She has great tips and experience to help you break into and succeed at this unique faucet of freelance work. I'm not nearly as accomplished in ghostwriting as Ms. Turner, but I thought I'd share a little bit about what I have learned as I meandered this part of my short freelancing career.

Source: www.laustel.com

Unlike the sort of projects Marcia accomplished in 30 days, I started on much smaller projects. I wrote a fun bath book to accompany a bath toy, and got raving reviews from the client. (This was a small step that later lead me to writing picture books, but that's a topic for another post.) In addition to this project, I also took on half a dozen 25-page recipe eBooks. Most of the focus on these books was formatting, but it still required some research and creative writing before each recipe.I also did sporadic articles and short eBooks in between these, all with a clause in contract that these were ghostwriting and I would never have a public claim on them.

The first significant ghostwriting project came from a current client that had already tested me out on several of these smaller ghostwriting projects. She approached me after having hired and fired another ghostwriter, who from what I could understand, didn't have the same voice or conviction on the topic that she could tell I did. The client had a better grasp of what she wanted and felt confident in me (even though I didn't). But at that precise moment in my life, finances were tight and the big number offered was too tempting. I reasoned that the research was done, that I simply needed to rewrite it in her style and format all 40,000 words. That could be done in a month, no problem.

However, my lack of experience didn't prepare me for the depth that ghostwriting goes compared to other freelance writing I'd been doing. There were hours of additional research I needed to do, and it was harder for me to focus on the topic and write then cranking out some content articles. Thankfully, the client was gracious with deadlines and willing to pay for my additional time.

Through this experience, I learned a few key things that I want to share with you. These may reiterate some of Marcia's suggestions, but that just means their even more relevant.

1. It's really important to understand the project before you take the job. It's expected that you ask lots of questions and understand the client's audience, intentions, and needs. Break down the time period you'll need to complete the project and make sure you're getting paid accordingly. If you are taking the project on alone, give yourself some leeway hours just in case.

2. Once the project starts, communicate regularly with the client. If you've preproposed deadlines or check-in days, be sure to stick to them. In my case, the communication kept her in the loop and led to more pay when I made her aware of every step and why it took so much longer then originally planned.

3. Loving or knowing the topic well ahead of time makes the project go smoother. Most freelancers have one or more niches that they write within, and often those topics are what they are passionate about. Those are the ghostwriting topics you should consider, especially when you will be working on it for a month or for thousands of words. In my case, this big project called to my passion for natural health care and treatments.

In the end, this ghostwriting endeavor taught me a lot about deadlines and my time's worth. I also discovered that if I'm going to write that many words for one manuscript, I'd rather it be mine and fictional. But it was a wonderful learning experience, and I still chalk it up to extra writing practice.

Have you done any ghostwriting work? What was your experience like? Please tell me in the comments below!

Ghostwriting Series #1: The Pros and Cons of Ghostwriting with Marcia Layton Turner

Source: www.laustel.com

 Ghostwriting seems to be a lessor discussed facet of freelance work. It's been an important part of the launching of my career, but I don't consider myself an expert. So for this series, I'm going to let an guru share her wealth of knowledge and experience with my readers in a two to one ratio with my own. Her 30 plus pieces speak for themselves. Please welcome Marcia Layton Turner to EG Moore Freelance and Fiction!

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If you’ve thought about getting in to ghostwriting, you’re not alone. After all, with magazine and newspaper work disappearing and web content writing often paying paltry rates, the higher pay that ghostwriting often offers looks mighty appealing. At least that’s what I hear from friends and colleagues who are on the hunt for new writing income sources.

What some don’t realize, however, is that ghostwriting is different from writing magazine articles, authoring books, or crafting blog posts for your own blog. You have your own distinctive voice. That voice might be casual and conversational or it might be scholarly, or it might be opinionated and peppered with expletives. We all have our own style and tone that we’re most comfortable with.

The biggest preconceived notion about ghostwriting is that it’s just like any other kind of writing for money. It’s not.

Ghostwriting requires well-honed writing skills on top of the ability to adopt someone else’s voice. That means writing to match another person’s tone, style, rhythm, vocabulary, and word preferences. A friend should be able to read something you’ve written in another’s voice and believe your client wrote it. That’s what a good ghostwriter does. It’s a skill that can be learned, of course, but it does add another element to writing assignments that can make it tough for some writers to do well.

There are a number of pros and cons with respect to ghostwriting.

Figuring out how to match your client’s voice is perhaps the biggest con. That is, it’s a challenge that must be overcome to be good at ghostwriting and to build a solid base of clients. Being able to mimic how another person communicates is just as important, maybe even more so, than mastering the topic. Writing articles or blog posts as a freelancer in your own voice is simpler.

Another con, or challenge, in ghostwriting is that some clients misunderstand the role of a ghostwriter. They may think that hiring a ghost means they don’t have to participate at all in the development of their book – they’ve turned that over to you. They’re wrong, of course, but clients who hadn’t planned to make time to be interviewed or to brainstorm how best to approach the topic of their book may become irritated at your request for their time. That’s why they hired a ghostwriter, they think.

Finally, whether you’re writing blog posts, an article, or a book for a client, you’re dependent on their being available to provide input and feedback on your work. Unfortunately, not all clients understand that. Finding time to connect can be difficult when dealing with very busy people, as most ghostwriting clients are.

Despite these factors to consider before striking out as a ghostwriter, there are plenty of pros as well.

For those of us who struggle to come up with our own ideas to sell to publishers, clients who want to hire us to write about their topic makes life much easier. As a ghostwriter, you don’t have to come up with ideas yourself, though sharing your perspective and feedback with clients regarding their ideas is essential.

And when it comes to research, a ghostwriting client typically has background information and opinions to share that can lead you to sources and material you might never have come across. Having access to clients who have expertise on a subject can make research so much faster and easier.

The reason many freelancers decide to explore ghostwriting has more to do with money than anything else, however. This is the biggest pro of all: ghostwriting projects often pay well. And by comparison to publisher advances today, ghostwriting fees look very attractive.

Yes, the money is good. But where it’s easy to identify outlets who might buy your written work, it’s more difficult to identify who might need your ghostwriting services. Many clients prefer not to reveal their need for professional writing help, making it hard to determine who, exactly, is in your target market.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aim to be a ghostwriter, only that there are a few barriers you’ll need to overcome and some challenges inherent in the job to be aware of.

As someone who earns close to 80% of her income from ghostwriting, I think the best part of being a ghostwriter is the opportunity to explore new topics, guided by the leading experts in their field. I certainly learn something new every day.

Marcia Layton Turner is a ghostwriter and freelancer who focuses mainly on business topics. She has authored, co-authored, or ghosted more than 30 non-fiction books. She is also founder and executive director of the Association of Ghostwriters. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Thanks again Marcia! This ghostwriting series will continue in mid April, where Marcia will give you an example from her career and how to use ghostwriting to further your freelancing career.

Keeping Freelance Work Untangled

One of my regular freelance clients emailed me this week. Her first sentence was: "I am jealous of how organized you are. Not to mention the time management!" I scoffed, and my husband lifted an eyebrow when I read her note out loud.

Why'd we respond this way? Organization is not my strong suit. This is something I've always been aware of. My college room mates used to gawk at how I managed to pass my classes, as my studying routine usually consisted of cramming before tests and cranking out essays the night before they were due.

I'm happy to report that life has taught me the dangers of this type of procrastination since then. This is especially true in my freelancing career. However, I still don't keep a calendar, spread sheet, or pocket book full of notes. Just as my younger self didn't organize like a traditional student, my working self has a different approach to keeping my jobs and deadlines straight.

I've found the best way to keep my freelancing project's timelines untangled is simply in trusting my mind to keep things in order. I know a few of my readers just gasped or shook their heads. Believe it or not, this works for me! Hear me out; I broke it down below.

Firstly, I like to take life, and work, one week at a time. Doing so focuses my attention on my current workload and offers me an easier breakdown for time management.

Secondly, whenever I take on a new project, especially ones with strict deadlines, I calculate how many hours I expect it to take and add an extra hour. Giving myself this bumper hour covers my butt in case life throws a wrench into my time commitments. Also, if I know that this project will take longer then a week, I break it up so I know how many hours of commitment I need to make for it in each week and for how many weeks. Then I "time stamp" it in my mind.

Thirdly, and most important, is Monday. I actually look forward to Monday. Monday is the day I square away the week. I used communication to not only touch base with my regular clients, but also to update my progress on larger projects. Communication is key for any work people do, but it's especially important for freelancers, as our bosses are often off-site and putting a lot of faith in someone they've never met. This also gives my clients an opportunity to give feedback or make changes to the direction the project is going.

Once I've finished sending out my Monday messages (and getting any responses), I can mentally plan out my week. It's a loose plan consisting of a breakdown of time division per project and my personal deadlines to complete projects so I have editing time before submitting them. If I feel like the word load is especially heavy with research or requires some serious concentration, I contact my go-to babysitter and schedule a couple afternoons nix the kiddos.

Not that kind of mental breakdown!

I also use Monday's mental breakdown to check out my writing community and see if their are any contests or critique round robins I want to participate in. My critique partners and weekly blog posts get mental time slots as well. If my week seems lighter, I consider offering Query Helper critiques at this time. Often, I find myself spending a few minutes weighing in whether I need to sacrifice an hour of sleep here or some T.V. time there to get everything completed.

My way isn't ideal for everyone, but it works for me. I've tried the traditional methods such as a to-do list, calendar with scheduled times, and even phone reminders. They don't work for me because I find myself losing my mind when things deviate from plans. But with my own method, I allow myself the space to be flexible without stressing out over the unexpected.

Go ahead and call me crazy in the comments below, or tell me how you manage your freelancing or writing goal time instead.