More On Quitting Your Job!

Having your own freelance writing business is a great way to earn a living. Who wouldn't want to quit their job and become their own boss, especially when there are so many rewards? Last time, we talked about the freedom of choosing where you work and choosing your own hours. This time, lets look at the benefits of being able to choose your clients, choose what kind of writing you want to do and even choose how much money you can make.

Choose your clients. When you first start your freelance writing business, you are most likely going to take nearly every client you find. In fact, that's a great way to learn what type of writing you like to do best. As you develop your skills and your business, though, you will probably find you prefer certain types of work and certain types of clients. Some freelancers love working with large corporations doing highly technical articles, others are happiest knocking out articles on the Internet for small businesses, while still others love working face to face with local clients. When you're a freelancer, you meet so many different people that you are sure to find some clients that you absolutely love to work with- and a few that you just might decide to "fire" rather than ever talk to them again. Some clients are one-shot wonders and others become regular, ongoing clients. A select few even become friends. TIP: Try to garner a few regular clients, along with a variety of newcomers and one-shot wonders. That way you always have a steady stream of income coming in and you always have variety.

Choose what kind of writing you do. When you freelance, there are so many different types of writing you can do. In a single day, I might write a couple of press releases, an article or two for an online marketing campaign, a product description for a website and do some work on a sales letter. The next day might find me writing website content, setting up an email autoresponder campaign and doing some work on an e-book. One thing is certain, when you are freelancing; you never need to get bored. You can do something different every day. There is also huge variety in the things you write about. I've written articles on everything from acne to estate planning. I've even had to write some "lighthearted" articles espousing the finer points of Rwanda and Somalia! Talk about a challenge- and an adventure. Before that project, I never knew there were finer points to either of those locations, but believe me, there are! TIP: You can choose a specialty- either by topic or by project type- and as your reputation as an expert grows, so will your paycheck!

You Choose What You Charge. When was the last time you had a job where you got to pick your own salary? When you're a freelancer, you're in charge of how much money you make in two ways. First, you decide how much you work. If you want more work (read money), you take on an extra client or two? If you need some time off, you schedule your projects to be completed in two weeks instead of one. You're the boss, so you can set your schedule to meet the income you want to make. The other way you're in charge of your own salary is by setting your own prices. Obviously, you will need to get some experience under your belt, but once you do, the sky really is the limit. While a 500-word article might pay $20 and take an hour to write when you are beginning, once you get the hang of it, you can knock out a 500-word article in about 15 minutes or so. That's $80 an hour. Not bad wages, huh? If you were asked to set your salary at your last job, would you have even dreamed of asking for 80 bucks an hour? With a freelance writing business, you can earn that- and a great deal more. There are plenty of freelance writers that really are making six and even seven figures a year. I'm not there yet, but I'll sure let you know when I am.

Freelance writing is a fabulous career and starting your own freelance writing business is easier than you think. With a computer, an Internet connection and a system for finding clients, you can be up and running- full time- sooner than you think.

Quit your job- I did!

I don't go to work any more. Yep, that's right- I quit my job and I didn't even think about looking for a new one. No, I didn't win the lottery and I didn't have a rich relative who recently went to the great beyond. So, how did I manage to quit my job? Easy- I started my own freelance writing business. And here's the best part- it cost me next to nothing. So, now, I don't go to work anymore. Instead, I head to my kitchen and fire up my computer and build my business while I earn the best money I've ever made.

Freelance writing is a great way to earn a living. It's also an incredible way to start your own business. There are many reasons to love being a freelance writer with your own writing business. Having your own freelance writing business is filled with choices. You can choose where you work, choose your own hours, choose your clients, choose what type of writing you do, and choose what you charge.

Choose where you work. The beauty of having your own freelance writing business is you can do it anywhere. All you need is a laptop and a wi-fi Internet connection. Of course, you can run a perfectly fine freelance business with your desktop and DSL or cable Internet connection too. Many a freelancer, including this one, does just fine in my little corner of the kitchen. TIP: It is ideal if you can have a space where you can close the doors to limit distractions, but you can make do if you have to.

Choose your hours. One of the best parts of freelancing is you can work when you work best. While it's good business sense to be available during some "normal" business hours so you can be in touch with clients when they are at work, don't be afraid to set your writing hours to your own clock. If you have little ones at home, you may choose to write after they've gone to bed at first. Once you're earning some money, don't hesitate to get daycare now and then to help save your sanity- and your sleep! If you have school aged kids, grown kids or no kids at all, you've got quiet time during the day. If you're a night owl, go ahead and make the most of it. I do some of my best writing after midnight. The point is, work when you work best. TIP: From the very beginning, set up regular shop hours. Choose whatever hours work best for you, but set your hours and stick to them. Not only will this help save your sanity, it will also help your friends and family adjust to the idea that you are working, not just staying home all day.

Next time, we'll talk about some other great advantages to building your own freelance writing business.

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Do you write for print or strictly online?

Many freelancers make a serious living writing for the Internet. In fact, that is the main source that I write for. There is never a shortage of people who need work done on the Internet. With over a gazillion sites online- and growing- there will always be work online. I love the variety of working online. I can write articles one day, a sales page the next and then move on to press releases. It never gets boring- I always say I write about everything from acne to aerobics and that is certainly true.

I must admit, however, that I do have an itch to see my name in real live print. I've recently written an article to be submitted to a trade magazine. Now, granted, that baby was ghostwritten, so my name is nowhere to be found, but if it gets published, then I will have a bit more encouragement to shoot for another.

So, how about you? Do you write for the Internet or do you write for print? Both, maybe? Tell me about it- we all love encouragement!

Speak soon,
Teresa

Mind Movies snafu

Hey, I just wanted to post a quick note here in case you tried to order your Mind Movies yesterday. Apparently they were having some major shopping cart issues and orders just weren't coming through properly. I've talked with these guys, and I really don't think this is just some "scarcity hype" or marketing technique. I heard from a few folks who were plenty ticked that they couldn't get though.
Things are up and running- and if you haven't ordered yet, you're in for a treat. They've added the chance to win a trip for two to Maui. Nice bonus, right? So here's the link to the bonus page:


http://www.mindmovies.com/bonuses/?10972

PLUS, they have extended their special launch discount of
50% off and all $3K of their bonuses until 11pm CST or
MIDNIGHT EST on Friday, September 19th.

So here's the bottom line...

You should definitely get yours while the getting is good!

Here's you go...

http://www.mindmovies.com/?10972

All this for $97, and now you could win a $5K trip to Maui too?

You really should be doing this immediately.

Cheers,

Teresa

P.S. Almost forgot to mention, you'll also get an instant
download of a very cool meditation CD when you enter the
Maui contest. I hope you'll soon be stocking up on sun
tan lotion! Get ALL of the goodies, right here...

http://www.mindmovies.com/?10972 Go right now!!

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My New Writing Space

This morning as I drank my coffee and ran through some of my favorite blogs, I stopped in at Writer Mama ( http://thewritermama.wordpress.com/2008/09/07/wmbtsg-day-seven-make-comments-to-this-post-to-participate/) to enter into Christina Katz's contest and I read this post about your ideal office spot.

My office is in my kitchen, like many of us, but I had built myself into a little office prison. My desk faced the window- sort of- but mostly it faced the wall, with my back to the room. I thought this set up would cause me to block out the rest of the world. Today I figured out that sometimes when we try to hard to block others out, what we wind up doing is blocking ourselves in. This isn't a wise idea- trust me.

I started freelancing because I loved the freedom it gave me. Lately though as my self- imposed walls got higher and higher with books I want to read and research I needed to file, invoices, bills to pay, receipts for stuff, a magazine or two, CDs, DVDs, stuff and other stuff, I started losing all of my freedom.

I live in a duplex with my oldest daughter and her family downstairs and my teenager and I upstairs. I love living here because we all have our own space, yet we can hang together whenever we want. The problem was, as my work space turned into a prison of paper I always felt like I had so much work to do I couldn't take any time off. Except, I would sit at my desk and get lost in the chaos and not get things done anyway.

Bottom line- I told my daughter Kaity that I needed to organize my office and she jumped at the opportunity to come up and help me. We rearranged my desk so I see out into the room, got rid of a bunch of excess stuff in the room, put some things away in other places and turned my office into a real office that is open, and pretty and functional and so freakin' loaded with peace and serenity that I can't stop smiling.

WOW! Is your workspace a beautiful place to be in? Can you breathe? Get rid of your self imposed walls and open up your space. After all, isn't that why you became a freelancer in the first place?

Thanks Christina, you Writer Mama, for the inspiration. Thanks to my daughter Kaity for being so very amazing. Thanks to Kelsey and Trevor and Hailey for letting me be the luckiest Grandma in the whole wide world because I am YOUR Grandma.

Happy Grandparents Day to everyone! If you aren't a grandparent yet, you have one. If you don't, well, find someone to tell thank you and go enjoy your freelancing life.