Over the holiday weekend, I received an urgent email from a client asking about the status of a newsletter that needed to be sent out before the end of the month. The only problem was, I hadn’t gotten the original email. Thanks to autofill, she’d accidentally sent it to another Jake in her address book. My decision was easy: She’s a fantastic long-term client who’d made an honest mistake, so I took a break from repairing the deck and completed her job. This event coincided with several discussions I saw on Facebook with freelancers talking (and some complaining) about having to work over the holiday weekend, which brings me to today’s topic: setting freelance client boundaries. [Read more…]
Is it time to diversify your freelance business?
Since you’re already knee-deep in numbers, tax time is an ideal point to take an honest look at your freelance business—not just the top-line income number, but a client-by-client breakdown. The numbers don’t lie, and they could be flashing a warning signal that it’s time to diversify your freelance business. As suggested in last week’s post, client diversity is your best business defense against a freelance client bankruptcy or financial trouble, but there are other reasons to take a dive into the data. [Read more…]
What 21 things do designers want from a freelance writer?
Over the course of my career, I’ve learned that one of the most important working relationships for a freelance writer is with the designers who put their words into action. Today’s guest post comes from the design team of Eileen and Bob Burick of Burick Communication Design, with whom I’ve had the good fortune to partner countless times. Their portfolio includes microsites and websites, videos, and print work for top-name clients such as AT&T, Cemex, Henkel, and Troon Golf. I asked them to share their thoughts on what designers want from a freelance writer, and this list of 21 things was their response. [Read more…]
Take the Freelance Forecast 2012 survey
NOTE: The 2102 Freelance Forecast survey is no longer open for submissions–but thank you for your interest!
Yes, it’s time for the Freelance Forecast 2012 survey—an annual forum for freelancers and clients who hire freelance creatives to opine on the best (and worst) practices in the industry, assess their results in 2011 and offer their insights on expectations for 2012. [Read more…]