Starting a side hustle or full-time career in freelance writing can seem like a daunting task. Still, with these tips, you can avoid some of the initial challenges many freelance writers face and start making money online in Canada faster.
1. Not defining and understanding your target audience
One challenge many freelance writers face is applying for every open job they see, no matter the target audience or topic. While part of the fun of freelance writing is being able to write about anything, not picking specific niches to focus on will only hinder your freelance writing career. Taking the time to identify what niches you are passionate about and enjoy researching and then looking for work within those areas will allow you to write more effectively. Still, it can also help to remove the overwhelming feeling that can come from trying to apply for every job you see. Instead, you can focus your time and efforts on select niches and perfect your pitch and writing style for these clients, allowing you to make money from home in Canada more effectively.
2. Poor time management and no dedicated workspace
Another challenge that many new freelance writers face is not creating and sticking to a schedule. It is essential to not only set aside time for researching and completing projects but also dedicate time to networking and finding new clients, meeting and managing current clients as well as setting aside time for any necessary bookkeeping and marketing. Having a set weekly schedule can allow you to set aside enough time to manage all of these tasks and also allow you to provide more accurate timelines to clients on when they can expect their projects back.
3. Neglecting your portfolio
Networking and finding clients is an ongoing project for many freelance writers, which is why it is crucial to consistently build your portfolio. This can become a bit easier if you develop a standard process, and this is how many continue to make money from home in Canada. Part of your process could be tagging different assignments after they are complete to different categories depending on the writing project or niche; for example, a blog post for a dentist could be tagged “blog,” “health/medical,” or “dental.”
4. Failing to set and maintain communication standards
Knowing how often you should be in contact with different clients is an integral part of client management. Setting up a client index with contact information, past projects and methods of communication can be one easy way to manage this. When initially onboarding a new client and gaining more information about them and their project requirements, make sure to ask them if they would like daily or weekly email updates on the status of different projects and who the internal subject matter expert is that you can contact for additional information on more technical pieces. This will allow you and the client to be aligned on the level of communication that will occur.
5. Not keeping up with bookkeeping
Bookkeeping is an essential part of being a freelancer and making money online from home in Canada. Keeping track of your expenses, what you are charging each client, what that client’s payment terms are, and if they have paid are imperative for the long-term success of any freelance writer. It is also important to talk to an accountant to understand how much of your freelance writing income should be set aside for taxes. Failing to do this can lead to clients not paying and to you not setting aside enough money for taxes.
6. Not taking the time to edit your work
As exciting as obtaining a flood of new projects can be, it can often lead to a new freelance writer becoming overwhelmed and skipping a critical step: editing. As a freelance writer, you are only as good as your last project, which is why it is vital that you set a high editing standard for yourself and maintain that standard for every assignment you submit to your clients. When editing your work, avoid these common Canadian spelling mistakes.
Start your freelance writing career on the right foot
Now that we have covered some of the top mistakes that new freelance writers often encounter and how you can avoid them, you are ready to launch your freelance writing career and start making money online in Canada. If you want to focus more on writing and less on client management and networking, then partner with Words of Worth today. We are currently hiring freelance writers in Canada; apply today.