Writers Market
The offline writers market is the alternative to what a lot of the pages on this site talk about: how to win jobs and freelance writing assignments by bidding on the Internet. This section is all about landing freelance jobs without going through the bidding process.
Some people may find this is easier because you don’t have to worry about setting your prices too competitively. Others like to cut out the time it takes to place all those bids. Wherever you look, though, you are sure to find one thing: competition.
In fact the writers market is very competitive both on and offline, and it takes a good “hook” to get a potential client to use you for their writing needs. Here are a few things I have found that work really well when it comes to standing out among the crowd of wanna be writers, particularly on the Internet.
- Spell checking!
It should be common sense, but any time you approach a potential source of freelance writing work you need to be sure that you come across as an intelligent writer. I have had some ridiculous proposals float my way when looking to hire writers to help out when I am over loaded. Too many people rely on the spelling and grammar checks in their writing, and this can lead to some very embarrassing mistakes. - Good samples
(If you are looking to land offline writing assignments, these are called “clips”.) Another important aspect of landing a freelance writing job is demonstrating that you can deliver the goods. Putting together a few good samples of articles which you have done in the past will do wonders for your presentation. The more relevant the samples, the better! I also like to include a bit of a summary of what the articles are about, and of course ALWAYS make sure that you proofread before you send those samples in! - References
Even great samples can’t compare to some glowing references from clients with whom you have worked in the past. Make sure that every time you complete an assignment, you ask your client or the editor of the print publication for their name and contact information so you can use them as references when trying to land future jobs. When you approach a potential client, make sure to direct him or her to the website or publication that your reference had you work on; there are lots of ways to fake a reference, particularly on the Internet, and you want to make sure that a potential client knows you are 100% legitimate. - Meet all your obligations!
It is a lot easier to keep an existing client than to look for a new one. For this reason, and of course for those handy references, it’s very important to fulfill all of the promises you make on every freelance writing assignment. This can be hard, particularly when you have a lot of work or when life plays one of its little mystery weeks (or months) when everything seems to fall wrong, but at least stay in communication and let your clients know what is going on.
Breaking into the writers market can be tough, because it is just so competitive. The way to succeed is to grab the attention of potential clients through your presentation, and then making sure that you keep that new client satisfied!
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