Looking For Good Online Freelance Writing Jobs: 7 Common Mistakes
We are all bound to make mistakes. That’s a fact. However, no matter how ignorant we are, there is need to learn from other people’s mistakes and use them to educate ourselves. In the freelancing industry, most people aspiring to be writers have the tendency of making some mistakes which can be avoided only if they are not so ignorant. These mistakes can be costly and even make the freelancer give up after a few days or months. Here are some of the most common mistakes that most freelance writers make.
- Expecting too Much
- Charging too Little for the Work
- Not Communicating Effectively with the Client
- Working for the Wrong Clients
- Relying on One Source of Income
- Accepting Projects that you don’t like or are not conversant with
- Lack of Time and Money Management
Most freelancers sign up to freelancing websites expecting to get rich in a day. They however get shocked after realizing how hard it is to get jobs especially on the bidding sites like Elance, Odesk, Freelancer etc. They end up quitting after some few days. It’s always good to be determined and work harder in order to overcome all the challenges associated with the industry.
Most freelancers do not know their worth when working on freelancing websites. This is especially common with newbies who are not even sure what to charge. If you are just starting out, it’s advisable to first charge a lower rate and then gradually increase to avoid being exploited by the clients.
Communication is the key to building good relationships with the clients. Always ask questions before commencing on the project given. If you don’t, you might end up delivering different content from what the client needed.
Not all clients are bad. However, dealing with some of them can cost you a lot of time and money. There are several things that you should know before agreeing to work for a client. One, ensure that their payment is verified. This ensures that you will get paid after the job. Secondly, check whether the client has a good feedback. Bad feedbacks should raise a red flag.
Some freelancers have the tendency of getting too comfortable with one client. This is dangerous especially when the work dries up completely. In this case, diversification is very important.
Some freelancers do this out of desperation. You just don’t get to say yes to every project offered to you just because of the money. You might run the risk of damaging your reputation as well as ratings.
Most freelancers do not adhere to the deadlines. This is due to lack of proper time management. Others end up spending all their hard earned money. As a freelancer, it’s always good to work on investing in your business.
