Author: Sharon Hurley Hall

13 Jul

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Five Ways to Make More from Your Writing

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Freelance writers are lucky. Really, we are. That’s because writing is the ultimate transferable skill and we can use that skill to cross niches and sectors and make our writing careers even more lucrative. When it comes to freelance projects, there’s no rule that says that you have to stick to writing web content, white papers or press releases for clients. You can also write for yourself and make some welcome additional income. Here are some suggestions. Continue Reading

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21 Jun

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The Hidden Costs of Freelance Projects

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Bidding for freelance projects is not an exact science. Especially when starting out, we can accept a rate for a project and then realize that we’ve actually undercut ourselves by not taking into account all of the little extra things we do on projects that we don’t count on the bid. Here are a few examples of costs we may forget to think of when pricing a job.

Mistake No. 1: The Cost of Research

When I first started freelancing, I was happy to get a gig writing 100 articles on an aspect of the finance industry. As many new freelancers do, I hunted around for what I thought was a suitable rate per article, placed my bid and was very pleased when I landed the gig. However, by the end of it, I wished that I had charged more. Because of the specifics of the job and demand that the content needed not to flout restrictions about financial probity, I had to do a lot more research on the topic than I would have normally. – That took considerable time; time that I wasn’t being paid for. Of course, I completed the job for the agreed rate, but I never made that mistake again.

Solution: Include a couple of Continue Reading

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14 May

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Pricing Strategies for Freelancers – part 2

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In the last article, I looked at per piece and per hour project pricing models for freelancers. Today, it’s time to look at pricing per project. This strategy offers protection for both freelancers and clients, but you have to do it right.

Image credit:  401K

Pricing per project

Give a project price and both you and your client know exactly where you are. The question is, how do you create a good project price? The work you have already done to set your target hourly rate will help you with this process. The other thing you need to know is how long it will take you to do key project tasks. It’s always a good idea to time yourself for a while when doing projects so you know what’s realistic. You’d be surprised Continue Reading

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11 May

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Pricing Strategies for Freelancers – Part 1

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Finding a project you love is only half the battle of freelancing; landing it is more of a challenge. One of the biggest headaches for freelancers is how to price your services. This is not just a problem for new freelancers, who often find pricing a struggle, but also for experienced freelancers branching out into a new area. Here are some tips on setting the appropriate price for the job.

Image credit: 401K

Preparation: what do you want to earn?

Sometimes it’s tempting when bidding for a project to:

* see what others have bid and match it

* pull a figure out of the air, cross your fingers and hope

While we’ve probably all done this at some point, in the long run it’s not a sensible way to operate. Matching what others have bid doesn’t make sense because you might have different skills and different costs from other freelancers. Pulling a figure out of the air doesn’t work because it has no relation to the amount of work you will do (or the taxes you will have to pay on your income). As a professional freelancer, you need a better pricing strategy. Here are some options. Continue Reading

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06 May

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How to Create Laser-Like Focus when Freelancing

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Distraction is the enemy of successful freelancing, but it’s something that happens to many freelancers. It’s all very well to be able to work in your pajamas, set your own schedule and create great designs and content on the move (not to mention keeping up with social media), but those advantages can also be major distractions. How do you create a laser-like focus and get the job done every time? Here are some tips and tools for being a focused freelancer.

The Work Environment

Many freelancers work at home and creating an environment that’s conducive to work is a good first step. Some work best with people present, though having kids or dogs running around may be too much. Other prefer a private workspace with a door they can shut to keep distractions out. Some freelancers Continue Reading

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28 Mar

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Why Freelance Marketing is Important and How to Do It Right

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Failure to market at the right time is one of the biggest mistakes a freelancer can make. When you’re busy, it seems there’s very little need to promote your services, but that’s just the time when you should do it if you want to make sure you have no slow periods. Market when you’re busy and you will be able to take your pick of interesting projects. That won’t happen if you wait until you are desperate for any job. Marketing is a year-round activity, but that doesn’t mean it has to be hard work. There are two ways to market – actively and passively – and a combination of both will get you the best results.

[Caption: good marketing combines having your skills on display and actively promoting them]

Passive Marketing Continue Reading

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21 Mar

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How to Create a Stunning Freelance Portfolio with Pinterest

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Freelancers who are using Pinterest just for fun may be missing a trick. The site delivers eye-candy in a number of categories — and some of that eye-candy can be your own work. Pinterest reimagines the corkboard, making it easy to make collections (called “boards”) of the things you love by pinning, and to share and comment on pins and collections in a social environment.

How is this useful for freelancers? Continue Reading

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