Adaptability--The Key to a Longterm Successful Freelance Career

Ever wondered what six-figure freelancers have in common? If you’re new to the writing business, let me help you overcome the stereotype about freelance writers. Many people think of self-employed writers as:

• Disorganized

• Unprofessional

• Creative

• Unconcerned about money

• Difficult

• Angst-ridden

• Naive

• Distracted

• Sexy, wonderful, charming, intelligent people (Oops! That’s what I think of self-employed writers.)

Successful freelancers--including ones who make six figures, or more--shatter the stereotype of the writer as creative genius or daydreaming scribe. Yes, they're paid for their words. But their focus isn't limited only to those words. They present themselves as smart, savvy business owners who happen to write for a living. And I'll tell you that your demeanor and attitude can mean the difference between scraping by as a freelancer and making a good living.

I just spent the last three months interviewing successful six-figure freelancers for the updated, expanded version of Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, Second Edition. (It's currently available for Kindle and through Smashwords; Improvise Press will release the print version by March 30, 2013.) All of the writers have have been freelancing for more than a decade, and more than half have weathered more than 20 years in a highly competitive business—and continue to thrive. 

Some write for corporations and businesses; some focus on writing books; others make the majority of their income from online publications. Some write for consumer pubs and others write for trades; many do both. They cover subjects ranging from biotechnology, to investing, to golf, to dog-friendly businesses, to martial arts. Some maintain speaking and consulting careers in addition to freelancing; others are more comfortable behind their desks. But despite their differences, they have many things in common.

Although racked with self-doubt at times, these successful freelancers have all learned to project confidence. When facing a changing business environment, they were able—and willing—to adapt, to grow, to learn new skills and pursue new opportunities. It's the latter quality that has sustained them and helped them succeed even in 2013, when the freelance marketplace looks very different than ten or even five years ago. 

I interviewed more than two dozen freelancers back in 2003 for the initial version of Six-Figure Freelancing, which was published in 2005. When I reinterviewed one, only two were doing pretty much the same thing that they did a year ago. The rest had all changed their business models. 

Some had all but abandoned writing articles for traditional media in favor of working primarily for corporate clients. Several had added consulting to their portfolios while others were producing income from their own blogs. About half were now writing more for online than print pubs. While they continued to freelance, several had launched other, non-writing-related businesses. 

It's true that nearly all of them were still doing some type of work they did a decade ago. But more important, nearly all were doing work they didn't do a decade ago. By continuing to adapt to the ever-changing freelance marketplace, they've continued to sustain successful careers. That's advice worth following wherever you are in your freelance career.   

**This post drawn from Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, Second Edition. If you've heard of this freelancing classic (that's long since been out of print), you'll find the updated, expanded version well worth the $9.99 you'll spend for the ebook.  

5 Surprising Attributes of Long-term Freelancers

Next month, I'll be heading to Madison and Manhattan, two of my favorite cities. I'm speaking at the University of Wisconsin/Madison's Annual Writer's Institute (I'm presenting three programs: Six-Figure Freelancing, The Art of the Query, and Your Book Publishing Options Today.) And at the end of the month, I'll be heading to NYC for ASJA's Annual Writer's Conference. I'm looking forward to reconnecting with old friends, networking with editors and agents, and learning more about how to thrive as a freelancer in 2011 and beyond.

Here's the thing--as a fulltime freelancer, I have to continually recreate my career to keep up with an ever-changing market. I started out writing for magazines, and over time, developed a number of contributing editor relationships and was able to make six figures (or close) writing features that averaged $2000 for national magazines.

Well, those days are over; as magazines have shrunk, meaning fewer and smaller assignments, I started putting more effort into writing books. Today most of my work (and income) comes from book projects, most of which are ghostwritten or coauthored. I've also spent time learning more about social media (trust me, a year ago I was clueless!) as I can see it's essential to be able to connect with both current and future clients--as well as other writers and colleagues.

At the beginning of your freelance career, you’re probably too busy looking for work and mastering the business to worry about your long-term career plans. While that's understandable, it can also be a mistake. When I wrote Six-Figure Freelancing, I interviewed more than 20 six-figure freelancing, most of whom had been self-employed for more than 10 years, and nearly half of whom had been in the business for 20+ years. While they were all talented writers, they all had other attributes in common--including:

• Adaptability. One very successful freelance speechwriter in NYC started out as an educational film writer. When the market for educational films started to dry up, she decided to transition into corporate speech-writing, and has run a successful business since. Lesson: you must adapt to the market and/or find new markets, or you'll be left behind.
• Focus. The most successful freelancers don't try to write about anything and everything; they develop niches or specialties for themselves. This helps them develop a name, build lasting relationships with clients, and repurpose work (whether by writing both articles and books, for example, or by reslanting or selling reprints).
• Optimism. I've never met a long-term successful freelancer who has a bad outlook on the world. The ability to see the glass (or your career) as half-full, rather than half-empty, is an essential attribute to surviving and thriving long-term. I have lousy days and weeks like any other self-employed businessperson; we all do. But I believe in learned optimism, especially when it comes to work. After 14+ years of fulltime freelancing, I know a bad day or two is only that--not the harbinger of the end of my career.
• A long view. Being busy is good for your bank account but can be hazardous to your long-term career. When you’re working nights and weekends just to meet your deadlines—or spending hours pitching to make sure you have enough work to pay your bills—you tend to ignore questions like “where do I want my writing career to go long-term?” The most successful freelancers don't spend their time putting out fires every day; they think about where they want to be five or ten (or more) years from now, and work toward those long-term goals.
• A life. Freelancing fulltime can be a rewarding, stimulating way to make a living, and there's nothing else I'd rather do work-wise. But to succeed long-term, you've got to have a life outside of and away from your PC or Mac. I learned early on that working 50-60 hours a week didn't make me more productive--it just made me cranky, anxious, and pudgy. My point? Long-term freelancers have interests outside their careers, and make sure that they take vacation time to recharge and "reset."

What does this mean for you, if you're newer to the freelancing biz? Take an afternoon, or a weekend, to ask yourself some simple questions. Where do you want to be five or ten years from now? What kinds of projects do you want to pursue? How does that differ from how you’re spending your time today? And most importantly, how can you start implementing strategies to help you get there?

**One more thing: we've hit 200 followers! I'm announcing another giveaway to celebrate this, so stay tuned.

Thinking Long-Term: The Key to Freelance Success

We're nearing my favorite day of the year--January 1st--and next week I'll talk about setting goals for your business for the coming year. (I'll be working on mine, too.) But right now I want to talk about a challenge that fulltime freelancers face--the burden of continually recreating your career.

Sure, you can keep doing the same things day after day, but trust me: you will get bored. You will get burned out. And you will probably question your desire to continue writing fulltime—or find that while you're doing the same old things, your business stagnates.

Yet at the beginning of your freelance career, you’re probably too busy looking for work and mastering the business to worry about your long-term career plans—until you find yourself dreading sitting down at your desk in the morning. That's where a long-term plan comes in.

In fact, a long-term focus is key for your writing career. I was reminded of this when I wrote Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money. Most of the six-figure freelancers I interviewed had been freelancing for more than 10 years; and nearly half had been self-employed writers for more than 20 years. Obviously they’re doing something right.

Sure, they were all talented writers. but they were also dedicated, confident, and most important, adaptable. They’d ridden the ups and downs of the economy and the market for years.

My point? To succeed long-term as a self-employed writer, you have to be able to stretch, to grow, to take on new challenges. That may mean writing in a new genre, covering different topics, teaching, or switching forms—say, writing books instead of magazine articles, or adding blogging to your repertoire.

As freelancers, we all aspire to be busy—but too much work can be a drawback to your long-term career. When you’re working long hours just to meet your deadlines—or spending hours pitching to make sure you have enough work to pay your bills—you tend to ignore questions like “so, where do I want my writing career to go long-term?”

The wonderful thing about freelancing is that you can do just about anything. That’s the drawback too. Should you write articles or books? Focus on trades or consumer magazines? Specialize or cover as many subjects as possible? Should you do corporate work? Get into ghostwriting? Start a blog--or turn your current blog into a money-maker?

To help you narrow your focus for the coming year, take some time in the coming days to think about what kinds of work you did this year, and for what types of clients. Where did your income come from? What did you enjoy? What did you hate? What do you want to do more of? Which of your markets are growing, and which are not? And where would you like to be five years, ten years, or twenty years from now?

Tune in next week for how to set goals for your writing career in 2011.

Get More Regular(s): 7 Ways to Do It

I didn’t set out as a freelancer trying to build relationships with editors and other clients. I just wanted clips, experience, and money—not necessarily in that order. But over time, I learned. And one thing I learned is that it’s much easier (not to mention less stressful) and less time-consuming to work for a handful of editors on a regular basis than to do lots of “one-shots,” where I write for a client or editor once and then move on.

But how do you do that? How do you make an editor or client a “regular”? It’s not that complicated.

Pursue long-term markets. First off, I’m selective in the markets I pitch. I look for those that I can have long-term relationships with—which usually translates into less time pitching and more work. Sounds obvious, but I’ve written for markets as varied as The Lion to Accent on Living to Continental—but all only once. On the other hand, I’ve written for other markets—like Woman’s Day, Complete Woman, and The Writer—multiple times over the years. Look for markets that buy a fair amout of freelance work, that cover subjects you write about, and that you feel fit your voice. That will help ensure long-term relationships.

Be generous when you can. Earlier this week, an editor asked me if I could add a quiz to a story I’d already turned in. I'd originally thought about doing a quiz but the story ran long, so I didn't include it. I briefly considered asking for more money; after all, she's asking for more work. Then I reconsidered. She's been giving me a lot of work lately, edits are minimal, and I like the story assignments I get. I emailed her back and told her I’d be happy to do it gratis and turned it in the next day. (No, I don’t do that on a regular basis. I can't afford it. But I figure it’s an investment in our relationship.)

Do what you say you’ll do. I’m telling you, writers blow this all the time. Doing what you promised means more than meeting your deadline. It also means giving the editor what she asked for in terms of subject, slant, sources, and word count. It means turning in clean copy that’s free of misspellings, factual errors, grammatical mistakes, and the like. If you can’t do what you promised (say, you can’t meet the deadline), tell your editor. Don’t do what a writer I know did and simply “go rogue” and disappear for weeks. Needless to say, she never wrote for our mutual editor again!

Be low-maintenance. One of the nicest compliments I’ve ever had as a freelancer was when an editor told me I’m a “low-maintenance writer.” I know what she meant. It’s not just the quality of your wok that determines whether you’ll get assignments. Other factors—like how quickly you respond to requests for revisions (which I know we all hate!), how diligent you are about coming up with story ideas, and even how pleasant you are—can all play a role as well.

Always have a back-pocket idea. When is an editor most disposed to give you an assignment? When she emails you to say "great job on this story," "I'm putting payment through," or some variation of the same. That's why I like to have an idea at the ready to pitch--I figure there's no better time to have her say "yes" again than when she's happy with a previous assignment. Don't let too much time lapse between pitches--ideally, have a new idea for an editor within two weeks of having her accept a piece.

Stay on their radar. I’m not my editors’ only freelancer, and I know it. So I try to touch base with my regular clients every few months, even it’s only a quick email. Sure, I let this slide when I’m busy, but an email that says something along the lines of “just checking in—I’m working on some new ideas for you, so let me know if you’re looking for anything in particular” can often pay off with work. If I see a recent study, blog post, or news item I think will interest an editor, I’ll email it just as an “FYI.” No, my editors and clients aren't my buddies. (Okay, a few have become buddies, actually. But that kind of effort helps cement a relationship with someone I may never meet in person!)

Keep your bridges in place. Not all clients turn into long-term ones. That’s just part of the business of freelancing. And there are editors I don’t care to work with again. But they don’t know who they are. They just know that I am incredibly busy when they call me…and after a few calls, they move on. In the meantime, I haven’t burned any bridges—especially important as I never know where they may wind up. And who knows, I may work with them again one day…and I want to keep that option open.

What about you? How do you keep your clients happy—and keep them around for the long haul?