Writing Blog

Thou shalt not hold the client to ransom 

Don’t get the reputation of being a writer who takes the client for a ride. There are cases where the client has parted with confidential information about a product and a writer has threatened to sell the information unless he was paid more. The trouble is, the Internet today has a great way of dealing with these cheats – you’ll find so many clients putting up diatribes against writers who held them to ransom. Don’t become a part of that list – you’ll never be able to wipe that stain off.

Thou shalt not venture into unknown areas 

This goes beyond just telling a client you know everything about a topic when you don’t. It means that if you are a writer, don’t tell him you’ll get his website done as well – not unless you know how to do it. Stick to your area of expertise and do it well. If you venture into new fields, make sure you know enough before you offer to do something along those lines for a client. The same with areas like SEO, directory submissions or anything that you are not yet comfortable with. The client is not paying you to experiment. He’s paying you because he thinks you know how to do whatever he’s asked you to.

 Thou shalt not pass work to others without permission 

A client might be giving you work because he likes the way you write, because he trusts you or because he knows he can count on you. You have an awful lot of work to finish off so you think: Why not, let me advertise on the Internet and give out some of it. I’ve always found it’s better to check with the client first. That way, he knows that you are outsourcing it and it won’t be a shock if he finds out. The virtual world is much smaller than you think – there are many professional freelance writers but you tend to bump into each other at some point of time in cyberspace. Ask if you can outsource it – many clients will be okay with that as long as you run your eye over it before sending it to him.

Thou shalt not add on fluff 

Well, this should be your guiding light most of the time. There are times when a bit of fluff and sizzle is needed otherwise writing, like life, can be a bore. However, there is a time for fluff and a time when fluff should be banished from your writing. More often than not, the latter state is where you need to be.

Thou shalt not miss deadlines 

Deadlines are just that - lines that you wouldn’t cross unless you are dead. Treat deadlines as sacrosanct and you’ll never have to worry about time management. You won’t have to worry about losing clients either. There’s a certain comfort level with a provider who always sends back the work on time.

 Thou shalt not plagiarise 

So easy to do in this world of information at the touch of a button. Don’t, please don’t yield to temptation and pass off someone’s work as your own. The time of reckoning always comes round, if not sooner then most definitely later.

Thou shalt be proud of thine craft 

Now this presupposes a few things. It means you can write, maybe write well – or rather hopefully write well. It means you have to say the same things better than most people would say them. It also means that you are proud of what you do so you make sure that only the best goes out. Treat your writing like it is a craft and you’ll be proud of every word you write.

So you’re an online writer now. It’s so easy after that first break to think you’ve arrived. However, if you want to go down that road to writing heaven with success in every stride, you’ll need to do a lot more than just write well. You need to move forward with dignity and integrity. Here are the 10 commandments that will hopefully make you do just that.

 Thou shalt be proud of thine craft

 Thou shalt not plagiarise

Thou shalt be self critical

Thou shalt not miss deadlines

 Thou shalt not add on fluff 

Thou shalt be loyal to thine clients 

Thou shalt not pass work to others without permission

 Thou shalt not over promise 

Thou shalt not venture into unknown areas 

Thou shalt not hold the client to ransom

 What do these 10 commandments do? They don’t help you to write better. They help you to just be a more professional writer. With that comes better paying jobs. Give a client a brilliant writer who never bothers about deadlines, number of words, confidentiality and give him a good, disciplined, trustworthy writer and there’s no question of him choosing brilliance over the steady – maybe for a one-off piece but not for the long haul. So follow these 10 commandments and go forth to have a great writing career.

More about those commandents in the posts to come.

$1000 a month? An easy target in a couple of months after you make that break. With luck, it could be three times that amount. Much, much more for the great writers. With time and effort, the money will come. The thing is to go get a handful of clients who pay well and who you are comfortable with. Then stay loyal to them. Until of course, something really big that you just can’t say No to comes along. Even then, stay in touch with your clients. Find them another writer online if you have to move on. Trust me, they’ll never forget. And never mind what people might say about the impersonal nature of the Internet, about how it is an emotionless, faceless world bereft of a lot of the decency we grew up with, I beg to differ. There are wonderful people out there too – just like in real life. There are some fabulous clients out there – you just need to look, find them and then stick with them. You need to make sure you have clients who treat you right – and you need to reciprocate as well. 

I said it before, I’ll say it again – like Bruce, you try, try, try again and you’ll get there. Add a bit of patience to that and you’ll get there in a better frame of mind. And don’t forget to stir in a bit of that sense of humour to make the journey there much more pleasant. 

Here are a few sites you can begin with. 

Guru

Elance

Scriptlance

Getafreelancer 

There are many more out there but these are great for making that first break. Start off with low bids – you need to build up that all-important feedback. Once a few clients are happy with your work and they post up feedback about you, you’re in. Then it’s up to you and what you can do to get to the next level. Being a big fish in a small pond is not a bad way to rise above the heap.