5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Full-Time Freelance Writer
May my misfortunes help you avoid missteps of your own
Over the course of my career, I’ve written thousands of pieces of content.
As a freelance writer who lives in the B2B marketing world, much of this content is published under other people’s names. I have no complaints there. That comes with the territory.
A few days ago, I figured it was time to start sharing my own thoughts on work, writing and productivity. Bear with me as the ghostwriter steps out from the shadows.
For this inaugural post, I decided to share the things I wish I knew before I made the decision to become a full-time freelance writer in January 2015.
Let’s jump right in:
1. It’s okay to step away from your computer
Deciding to go out on your own is frightening. You move from getting a steady paycheck to piecing together income from however many sources. Making matters worse, money doesn’t always come in as quickly as you expect.
I’ve been freelancing in various capacities for eight-plus years. So before deciding to freelance full-time, I already had a few clients who I’d been working with for a while.
It was still a fairly scary idea, but I was determined not to fail.
Initially, I glued myself to my laptop. In the event my clients needed anything, I’d be able to respond right away. Anything slower than an immediate response, I figured, might convince my clients to look for a new writer.
I still try to answer client inquiries and requests as quickly as I can. But over the last few years, I’ve learned that things can wait — at least for a bit, but usually for much longer.
Not only is it okay to step away from your computer, taking breaks actually improves productivity.
You won’t be able to produce as best as you can if you’re exhausted or overworked. So take breaks every now and again; according to The Atlantic, you’ll reach peak productivity by working in 52-minute blocks followed by 17-minute breaks.
2. Don’t forget to file tax payments quarterly
Freelancing gives you a ton of upside. You get to network with a lot of different people, learn how to use many different sets of tools and write about a number of different topics. Work is never boring and there’s no limit to how much money you can make.
But freelancing is not without its drawbacks.
One of the biggest downsides is the self-employment tax. While companies pay half of their employees’ obligations to Social Security and Medicare, those who work for themselves pay the full amount (currently 15.3%), providing both employee and employer contributions.
When you’re a freelancer, the companies you work with don’t withhold anything from your checks. It’s up to you to set aside enough money to meet your tax obligations at the end of the year.
I knew this and budgeted for it accordingly. What I didn’t know was that you have to file quarterly — at both the federal and state level.
Pay your taxes on time to avoid incurring interest! Take my word for it. If you’re not sure how much you’ll owe, make your best guess and cut a check.
3. Never stop looking for new clients
Landing new clients is hard. But if you’re determined and can handle rejection (or, in most cases, silence), you’ll be able to lock enough down over time.
Having a full slate of clients, however, doesn’t mean you should stop pursuing additional opportunities.
The needs of any of your clients can change at any moment. Over the last few years, I’ve had to deal with some of my major accounts changing directions overnight.
All of a sudden, the unsteady paycheck becomes even more unreliable.
No matter how full your plate is, you should always continue to look for the next client. You never know when you’ll find a new opportunity that pays more than your lowest-paying gig.
(Stay tuned: In a future post, I’ll explain my process for landing clients and discuss the methods I’ve found particularly effective.)
4. Work can get overwhelming every now and again
The freelance life isn’t always mid-afternoon cocktails and bathrobes.
When you’re always on the lookout for new clients, you will inevitably stare down an incredibly full plate of work.
Even though you might have a few busy weeks or even months, it’s a good problem to have — one that certainly beats the alternative. And you have to offset that pesky self-employment tax somehow.
If you find yourself swamped, just remember that there are ebbs and flows with freelance work. The bulk of your clients might pile a lot of work on you at once. But there will also be times when a few of your contacts are on vacation or simply have other priorities at the moment.
Since you’re already trying to land new clients every week, use these well-deserved breaks to focus on other things. Take time off. Read some books. Go for a hike. Build your own company.
5. Clutter causes fatigue
Being a freelance writer who primarily works with B2B tech companies and writes about productivity a lot, I come across a lot of tools that promise to make me a more effective worker.
Every person works differently. But in my experience, I’ve found that simplicity seems to work the best for a writer like me. Remove all the clutter from your day and you’ll become a more effective worker.
Here are three ways I’ve done that:
1. Use email as a to-do list. You don’t need another app to manage your day-to-day; email works perfectly. I keep time-sensitive assignments as unread messages at the top of my inbox. All other client communications are labeled as they come in so I always know where to look for relevant messages. With enough practice and dedication, it’s totally possible to reach Inbox Zero. I’m at Inbox (3) right now.
2. Don’t forget the power of a pen and a pad. Email won’t solve all your problems. Supplement your to-do list by maintaining a small planner notebook that’s easy to carry around. Make sure you have enough writing instruments in your bag and then add a few more. Use this to keep track of both your daily and long-term assignments. If you reference the notebook regularly, you should still have a good idea of what needs to be done even if you misplace it.
3. Create an awesome workspace. I’m not proud of it: There was a several-month stretch where I tackled most of my work from the couch. Suffice it to say it’s not the best for posture — or morale. And it’s even worse for distractions. Since then, I’ve set up a very comfortable workspace that’s free of clutter. I bought a standing desk and a memory foam mat to stand on. I’m more focused and my back doesn’t hate me — both of which mean I can add more value for my clients.
Clutter causes fatigue. The more of it you remove from your life, the more productive you will become. The more productive you become, the more clients you’ll be able to take on. Add more and more clients into the mix and suddenly the self-employment tax doesn’t seem like the worst thing in the world.
Moving forward, I plan to cover topics that are relevant to freelance writers, small business owners, marketers, startup folk and productivity gurus. Let me know what you think of this first post and let’s take the conversation from there.
Cheers!
