The Beginners Guide to Freelance Writing

Most freelance workers write from the comfort of their own home, some work for agencies and have to go to an office environment, however "Freelance" means the following:

- You are your own boss
- You are your own publicity department
- You are your own accountant
- You are your own career adviser

With this in mind it is imperitive that you really think about if you want to be a freelance writer and if so, what direction or aim your work should follow. Do you want to work from home? Do you want to write about a specific genre? Do you want to work for a company? These are the first quetions that you must address and when you have resolved them the next step is to work out your finances. How much money do you need to survive? Break this down into a monthly figure and it is a good idea to have some savings behind you before you set out on a freelancing career. Remember, it may take a few months for your first check to arrive, so ensure that you are covered financially before taking this step.

The next step is to think about where the work is going to come from. You can certainly ask around colleagues, family and research the areas that will pay for your particular niche of writing. People may tell you that there is plenty of work for freelance writers out there however this is not always the case. If it is a question of "giving up your day job", just try out a few articles and circulate them for feedback before you pack it all in and take the plunge.

Another great asset to a freelance writer is the ability to create your own website. If you are not particularly talented in this area then I would suggest that you enquire as to the expense of setting up your own website. This makes you far more visible to a potential customer. You can keep your website updated daily and let people know what you are currently working on and which area of freelancing is your particular expertise.

A freelance writer, whether based at home or in an agency, needs to be highly organized and work with virtually no distractions. If you are writing from home you must put aside a certain amount of time daily, just like a regular job, and make sure that there are no distractions or intrusions during your "working day". Switch off the TV, make it clear to everyone in the house that you must not be disturbed during your working hours and keep to your schedule as much as you possibly can. You must be strick with yourself and seperate your work life from your family life. Vacations also come into account although if you are freelancing it is harder to take a vacation than you think especially if you have deadlines etc.,

When in your "working zone" make sure that you have a comfortable chair, a decent desk and an office environment. Make sure to get up from your PC every hour even for a short stretch and to give your brain a break. Another aspect of freelancing is to open a seperate account so that you can keep track of any income, taxes and expenses and check with the IRS how much you are allowed to earn before you fall under the dreaded axe of the taxman. If you have formed a company then you will need Invoices, Statements and if you are charging VAT you have to register for your VAT number. Then comes the accounting. Keep a record of any invoices, dates, project, client, amount charged and the amount of tax you owe from this particular job. You also retain a record of your own expenses and ensure to get a receipt for everything that you purchase.

The pay rates that you charge to your customers can be worked out on a hourly rate or a daily rate. This is not as simple as it sounds due to the amount of variables associated with each particuar customer need. Research the current rates and one little tip, 'if you are booked out then your rates are too low.' Your experience as a freelance writer should be an enjoyable one and a challenge. You should look forward to going into your "work zone" and not treat it as a chore. Freelance writing may include irregular hours outside of your "working zone" and you must allow your new career to intrude on your personal life. Finally, please remember, it may take you a couple of years to become established as a freelance writer and it does not have the benefits eg, a pension, of a proper job. However, if writing is what you love to do most of all and you have allowed for lean times then once you experience freelance writing as a career it is very hard to return to a 9-5 regular job.