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Dear Dr. Freelance: I have been a freelance proofreader for four years, but want to know, how do I become a copyeditor, too? I have taken a copyediting class, and have asked one client to let me copyedit for them. Am I missing anything? What happens if my current client turns me down? — Shaking in My Boots
Dear SIMB: I think you’re on the right track by taking a class and pitching yourself as a copyeditor to existing clients. Good for you. [Read more…]
If you don’t already subscribe to Peter Shankman (creator of Help A Reporter Out, aka HARO), you should. His blog post yesterday, “How to get paid what you’re worth,” is a must-read for all freelancers, as are the comments.
Pricing and estimating are among the trickiest aspects of the freelance game, as for any service business. Shankman puts a fine point on what I was getting at yesterday — you can always come down in price, but you can never go up — as well as offering some other excellent insights on how you can price your services properly.
On to the always-popular (and sometimes contentious) topic of pricing and estimating for freelancers. More specifically today, I want to address the psychological benefits of high estimates via a lesson I learned over the holidays. [Read more…]
Dr. Freelance, I recently added a new client that required I sign a document promising not to reveal our association verbally or in any of my marketing materials, such as a client list. I complied reluctantly. Have you heard of this before? If so, any recommendations for how to handle?—Only the Shadow Knows
Shadow: In most cases, freelancers think of a non-disclosure agreement (a.k.a., NDA) or confidentiality agreement as protecting a client’s proprietary information. I have signed dozens of those over the years. [Read more…]
Dr. Freelance: Rather than a question, I just wanted to share an editor’s perspective on burning bridges, based on a recent experience. I had hired an assistant editor who quit after less than two months. A month later, she contacted me because she hated her new job and was looking for some freelance jobs. You can guess my answer. Freelancers, do not burn bridges with employers if you want them to give you freelance work in the future!—Once Burned, Permanently Shy
Dear OBPS: Thanks for sharing that cautionary tale. I’ve quit more than my fair share of jobs, but my dad instilled a principle that has always stuck with me: “Never have an acrimonious departure” — and it’s even more important to the freelancer or would-be freelancer. [Read more…]