Freelance
Writers' Series
Career & Business
Development Help
The dot-com implosion, which began in 2000,
put the media and publishing industries in
trouble well before 9/11. Flipping back
through job orders, I started to notice a
greater-than-usual decline in placements in
the fourth quarter of 2000. The spring of 2001
was not much better.
Then came 9/11.
This forced many to freelance to make ends
meet. The impetus for this manual was the
volume of inquiries I continue to receive
about freelancing since all of this happened.
The Industry Since 9/11
Media Jobs
Magazine Closings
(Source: Magazine Publishers of America
(http://www.magazine.org))
Defunct Magazines: January — December, 2001
(117)
Newspaper Ad Revenues
These statistics are not meant to scare. On
the contrary, they are highlighted to make you
aware that more than ever, freelance talent is
in demand. After
reading this guide, you will be armed with
enough concrete information to begin and
sustain a successful freelance career.
PRINT publishing experience (I've been very
disappointed with folks who have only Web
experience) and specific software skills.
[Author Note: Most publishers now require
Quark experience.]
2. Under what circumstances does your
organization hire freelancers? How often?
We hire freelancers regularly, especially in
our down-sized world. Ideally, we establish a
long-term relationship and work with the same
freelancers for a long period. We could not
put out the magazine without freelancers.
3. Do most of your freelancers come from
in-house referrals, staffing agencies, direct
contact, or other means?
4. How do you decide what rate to pay? For
example, is it determined by departmental
budget, type of project, agency fee, etc.?
A little lecture: begin to think of yourself
as a small business owner, because that's what
you are now.
You will have to do the marketing, accounting,
collections, bill paying, payroll processing,
advertising, etc. All those duties that small
business owners are accountable for belong to
you.
And, if you're thinking that you'll just put
something off until later, or will take care
of it "later," think again. One tax year with
unkempt records will have you screaming
"organization!" before you can fire off your
next query letter.
Don't have time to market? Get used to the
silence of the telephone. While it's all nice
and quiet, polish up that resume and start
looking for a j-o-b. Because if you don't get
in the habit of marketing, that's what you'll
have to do.
These are things you HAVE to do now. So, just
make them a habit and move on. As we will
discuss, getting into a routine makes
large/intolerable/I-don't-like-to projects
more manageable.
Organize yourself now like you have 100
clients instead of 1. Set up a system that is
easy to understand and can be duplicated, no
matter how many clients you have.
Organize receipts, create client folders,
invest in accounting/contact software (and use
it!); keep personal and business expenses
separated from the outset. Oh, how you will
thank me for this piece of advice at tax time. Lecture over. Now, on to marketing.
To begin, marketing your skills as a
freelancer (business owner) is akin to taking
on a part-time job (even full-time, depending
on how many clients you need to survive).
However, it is a necessary part of your new
business so get used to it and create a plan.
I have a plan I call "success by the numbers."
CHAPTER 1:
Editorial Freelancing ― An Overview
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