After I started this freelance writing profession, I assumed the toughest a part of the job can be the writing itself.
I’d continually fear whether or not my my writing be ok, or if my shoppers would love my work and if I actually know the subject I used to be writing about.
What I didn’t anticipate was how discorganized I used to be about holding monitor of all the things surrounding the writing.
As a result of should you work with a number of shoppers, publications, or businesses, your job rapidly turns into much less about writing and extra about switching between completely totally different worlds all day lengthy.
Simply this week alone I:
- Drafted an article for a SaaS enterprise that use the Oxford comma and edited for an additional one which completely doesn’t.
- Despatched invoices by way of three fully totally different programs.
- Wrote content material for one consumer who actively encourages using AI instruments and one other who strictly forbids them.
- Submitted assignments in Google Docs, Microsoft Phrase, and SharePoint.
And that’s earlier than contemplating formatting necessities, inner linking preferences, quotation types, picture sourcing guidelines, search engine optimisation necessities, and whether or not a consumer loves em dashes or needs them eliminated instantly.
After greater than a decade of freelancing, I’ve realized that staying organized isn’t elective, it’s survival.
So let’s have a look at what the hidden work is behind freelance writing.
Each Freelance Writing Shopper Has Their Personal System
Look –
As a brand new freelance author, when you land a number of shoppers, you’ll have to study to juggle all of them and their content material necessities. Having a system or a freelance writing planner can actually assist at first.
However for me, after doing this for greater than a decade, I’ve been set in my methods with how I plan and arrange all my consumer work.
That doesn’t imply issues can unravel rapidly.
I’ve one consumer that sends assignments by way of e mail, one other communicates nearly completely by way of Slack, and one other makes use of a challenge administration platform that I’ve by no means even heard of till the onboarding name.
The identical factor occurs once I’m invoicing shoppers.
One consumer pays by way of Stripe, one other makes use of accounting software program with its personal approval course of, and one other needs invoices emailed on to a particular individual with a really particular topic line and file naming conference.
None of those programs are notably tough on their very own and, actually, most of them are pretty simple when you’ve realized them.
The problem comes if you’re switching between all of them a number of occasions all through the day whereas additionally attempting to recollect every consumer’s preferences, processes, editorial tips, and communication types.
This is likely one of the causes I deliberately attempt to restrict myself to working with solely three retainer or ongoing shoppers at a time as a result of I’ve realized over time that that is the candy spot for me in terms of staying organized and doing my finest work.
In fact, freelance writing doesn’t all the time match neatly into these boundaries.
Generally an previous consumer comes again with a one-off challenge, an editor reaches out with an fascinating task that I don’t wish to flip down, or an advert hoc consumer pops up for a short-term engagement.
That’s often when issues can begin to get just a little dicey.
Instantly I’m attempting to recollect which consumer needs drafts submitted by way of SharePoint, which one prefers Google Docs feedback as an alternative of inline edits, and which SaaS content material tips completely doesn’t need an Oxford comma wherever close to their content material.
The psychological vitality required to recollect the place all the things lives, how all the things will get submitted, and what every consumer expects can generally rival the writing itself.
Model Voice Modifications All the things (And is Should Study Ability)
One of the underrated freelance writing expertise is studying how you can sound like another person.
When individuals take into consideration freelance writing, they usually assume the job is solely sitting down and writing phrases on a web page.
What they don’t all the time notice is that each consumer has their very own persona, their very own viewers, and their very own expectations for a way they wish to sound on this planet.
A SaaS startup might want conversational, punchy copy that feels energetic and approachable whereas nonetheless sounding credible sufficient to earn the belief of decision-makers.
A finance publication might want authoritative, data-driven content material that leans closely on analysis, skilled opinions, and statistics whereas avoiding something that feels overly informal or opinionated.
A life-style model could favor heat, storytelling, and a extra private fashion of writing that makes readers really feel like they’re getting recommendation from a trusted buddy.
Generally you’ll be able to write first individual content material on a B2B enterprise weblog whereas different occasions, you might want to write on a consise method for a life-style journal.
None of those approaches are proper or improper.
They’re merely totally different.
The toughest half isn’t studying a consumer’s voice.
Most skilled freelance writers can decide up a tone pretty rapidly after studying sufficient examples and spending time with a model’s present content material.
The tough half is switching between three or 4 fully totally different voices earlier than lunch.
You would possibly spend your morning writing a LinkedIn thought management submit for a software program firm earlier than leaping right into a DTC e mail marketing campaign for an eCommerce model after which ending the day modifying a weblog submit for a publication with a wholly totally different editorial fashion.
By three o’clock your mind is attempting to recollect whether or not that is the consumer who loves quick sentences and contractions or the one who prefers longer explanations and a extra formal tone.
As freelance writers, we’re continually adjusting our tone, sentence construction, examples, vocabulary, pacing, and even our humorousness to match the consumer in entrance of us.
If we’re doing our jobs effectively, readers shouldn’t even discover {that a} freelance author was concerned.
The content material ought to really feel prefer it got here instantly from the corporate, the founder, or the publication itself.
Sarcastically, one of many indicators {that a} freelance author is exceptionally good at their job is that their very own voice turns into nearly invisible.
For a number of hours at a time, we turn into another person’s voice completely….and that may be draining, particularly when you might have greater than 3 shoppers at a time.
Editorial Pointers Matter Extra Than Individuals Suppose
Publications can have extremely particular preferences, and one of many much less glamorous elements of freelance writing is studying how you can hold all of these guidelines straight if you’re writing for a number of shoppers on the similar time.
Some publications are fiercely loyal to the Oxford comma whereas others take away each single one they arrive throughout.
Some need sentence case headlines whereas others insist on title case. And nonetheless some comply with American spelling conventions whereas others favor Canadian or British spelling.
Even one thing as seemingly insignificant as whether or not to jot down “e-commerce” or “ecommerce,” “web site” or “website,” or “e mail” as an alternative of “e-mail” can range from consumer to consumer.
After which there are the preferences that by no means fairly make it into the fashion information. You would possibly encounter editors which have their very own private preferences with content material and can inform you after they edit your article.
That is what occurred to me with GoDaddy and Zapier’s editors. I spent extra time fixing my errors and weaving of their solutions than I did really writing the content material.
One editor disliked em dashes and changed each single one with commas.
The opposite perfered shorter paragraphs as a result of “it regarded higher on cell.”
One web site wished a dek with each submission and the opposite that writes all of its personal headlines internally.
None of those selections are tough on their very own. In reality, most of them take just a few seconds to regulate as soon as you already know the foundations.
The problem comes from holding dozens, and generally tons of, of those tiny preferences organized in your head whereas transferring between a number of assignments, industries, and shoppers all through the week.
I believe this is likely one of the causes freelance writing can drain you should you aren’t ready for this.
You’re continually remembering, adjusting, translating, and recalibrating itself for whichever publication or consumer occurs to be in entrance of you at that second.
My System for Preserving It All Straight
Over time I’ve constructed my very own system for managing shoppers, publications, editors, and the entire little particulars that come together with every relationship.
At this level, I actually couldn’t think about freelancing with out it.
Each consumer will get their very own set of notes that lives alongside their tasks, and people notes turn into my exterior mind for all the things I don’t wish to belief myself to recollect six months from now.
This may be digital with Trello or Notion, or it may be a planner you employ.
I’ve GDocs of swipe recordsdata however I even have them for fashion guides and editorial preferences if want be.
I create a Google Sheet with invoicing directions, formatting necessities, submission processes, and all of these small editorial quirks that by some means by no means make it into the official onboarding paperwork…for EACH consumer.
- Did they need recordsdata named a sure manner?
- Are photos included or dealt with by their inner workforce?
- Do they need hyperlinks embedded naturally within the copy or collected on the finish of the article?
All of it will get written down.
When a brand new task is available in, I can spend a couple of minutes reviewing these notes earlier than I even open a clean doc, which saves me from making avoidable errors and helps me slip again into that consumer’s world a lot quicker.
With out this method, I actually suppose I’d spend half my day attempting to recollect whether or not Shopper A permits AI-assisted analysis whereas Shopper B prohibits it completely, whether or not Publication C needs each statistic linked again to an authentic supply, or whether or not Editor D prefers headline solutions included within the doc itself fairly than within the submission e mail.
The longer I’ve freelanced, the extra I’ve realized that group will not be some good bonus talent that makes life simpler. It’s a core enterprise talent.
They assist shoppers really feel like they’re working with somebody dependable and straightforward to work with.
Most significantly, they unencumber psychological house for the a part of the job that really issues: writing nice content material.
The extra shoppers, publications, and editors you’re employed with, the extra worthwhile these programs turn into.
Freelance Writing Isn’t Simply Writing Anymore
And that’s okay!
Yearly there are new challenge administration programs, invoicing apps and content material writing instruments to study….and that’s okay!
As a contract author, we now have to study to adapt and study new issues yearly. This can assist us develop as a freelancer and over time your processes and programs will be just right for you.
So be proud that you simply landed your first consumer, after which the subsequent and the subsequent.
Be ready for various editorial tips and how you can bill your shoppers.
And, as all the time, have enjoyable with it!