The ABCs of Successful Freelancing
I started freelancing part-time in 2013. When I started, I taught paralegal studies and was an adjunct criminal justice instructor as well. I was also working as a paralegal in a very small law office (two lawyers). I had some very personal reasons that made it clear to me that self-employment was really my only option (on top of the fact that it quickly came to my attention that the male adjuncts with fewer credentials made more money; I had zero desire to find an attorney or fight the matter).
I started freelancing on top of my two other jobs (so, lots of nights and weekends). I also had three children and a marriage. Two of my three children are now adults and on their own. Our youngest son has autism and is not and will not ever be functional enough to live on his own.
I left my teaching positions (plural) first and kept working part-time at the law firm. Within a few months, my husband and I recognized I was losing money (compared to what I was making hourly as a paralegal) by turning away work. So, I turned in my notice. By 2014, I was a full-time freelance writer. Eventually, I added editing and search engine optimization (SEO) into the mix. I’ve worked for myself for seven years (2021). It is our main source of income as a family.
I’m often asked the “secret” on how to become a successful freelancer. There is no secret. I can tell you a simplified version of what’s worked for me based on what I call the ABCs of successful freelancing (and just so I’m abundantly clear, I don’t refer to myself as a freelancer because even seven years later, someone inevitably asks me if I’m looking for a “real job.”)
The ABCs of Successful Freelancing
Before we get started, I want to disavow you of a few silly notions:
- There’s no such thing as an overnight success. It did not happen for me. It does not happen for anyone.
- It is okay if you start with low rates and prices if it works for you. I did. Of course, I also had two other jobs. I’ll discuss this another time. However, you should never, ever, ever take less than you are worth. I know this sounds contradictory. I took less starting out to get some positive feedback.
- Like any business, it takes time to get started. Hang in there.
- Don’t take criticism from anyone you wouldn’t take advice from. Don’t do it now and don’t do it in the future. I used to hang out in writing groups on Facebook. I was told I wasn’t a “real” writer because I don’t struggle for money, I get paid for my work (I write copy), and because I don’t do it for the “love” of it. In the same breath, there were multiple complaints of rejections and the inability to get publishing deals for…money. So, when you have a freelancing business of any kind, surround yourself with the right people and let the words of certain people go in one ear and out the other if you can’t cut them out of your life.
With that said, let’s get started!
Authority
To be a successful freelancer in any space, you must present yourself as an authority. You must also feel and believe that you are an authority. With presenting yourself as an authority, let’s talk about what not to do. This is not a matter of calling people (or companies) out on social media and trying to make them look stupid or dumb. Keep in mind that clients and prospective clients are always watching you. You have freedom of speech. You are not ever free from its potential consequences.
Presenting yourself as an authority is about gaining the trust of your clients and prospective clients. It is becoming a trusted voice in your space. I don’t just get questions from my clients and prospective clients about their projects and potential projects. I get referrals from people and law firms I’ve never heard of because they know who I am because someone else told them they should look for me or they found me on social media. They may send me a private message to ask me a question about social media etiquette as a business, a quick writing question, or whatever. If they are my target market, I’ll answer it…and almost always for free. I know, clutch your pearls. Why? It builds trust and friendship. Eventually, they’ll be on my mailing list, my client roster, or they will refer me. Why? Because they trust me because of my authority on whatever subject matter they reached out to me about to begin with. And if you’ve ever read something I’ve posted somewhere online (aside from a meme), then you know I’m not always 100% grammatically correct (despite being a writer and editor) and I’m not always 100% amazingly perfect in every way. As a writer, I can generally get away with things others can’t. People expect some quirk. I also know and recognize which lines not to cross because my grandma didn’t raise a dummy.
Creating content with authority and making yourself feel and believe that you are an authority can be handled together. When I started out, I knew how to write. I’ve loved writing since I was a child. I’m a trained paralegal. I taught Advanced Communications for Paralegals, Legal Research and Writing I, and Legal Research and Writing II. In 11th grade, I dreamed of being an essayist akin to Joan Didion (yeah, that didn’t quite work out). On my blog, I wrote about how it’s my third-grade teacher’s fault I do what I do. My issue when I started was thinking that there were so many experienced professional writers out there so why would anyone want to hire me?! When it came to writing about law and even marketing, I knew what I was talking about, but I had zero belief that I could present myself as an authority.
Long before Medium, there were lesser content platforms that gave writers a by-line. I chose a decent one that I won’t name (because I think they are still around) that I think paid maybe a tenth of a cent per read.
“How was it decent if it paid so low?”
I wasn’t in it for the money. I wanted the by-line. I wanted the chance to highlight my writing. I wanted the SEO. That’s it. But, again, it was no Medium. They did have a nice forum where writers could get some decent ideas. I took advantage of that and wrote several articles just to show what I could do…and to use as writing samples (portfolio as I learned it was called…but in the legal world, it’s a “writing sample.”).
As I researched, wrote, and published various articles, it helped increase my confidence in myself. As I started using the articles for writing samples when initially applying for freelance writing jobs, I would receive feedback from prospective clients. I would also use information from the prospective clients’ needs to create additional writing samples for future writing opportunities.
The long and short of it is to keep in mind that authority is about building trust with your clients and prospective clients.
Be Reliable
This is the most often missed “secret” of freelance success: reliability. It does not matter if you were hired by another freelancer (who, by the way, is another small business), a law firm, a CPA, a marketing agency, a graphic designer, a Fortune 500 company, Microsoft, or any other business (big, small, or micro). You must be reliable.
Reliability is the secret sauce for long-term relationships, great client relationships, and client referrals. As someone who has been in business now for seven years, I can tell you both as someone who has worked through having the flu, strep throat, sick kids, summer breaks, spring breaks, caretaking at various points for my aging parents, really bad days for our special needs son, and having also had COVID, you must be reliable. Yes, sometimes that means telling a client (or six) that you are sick and you must push things back. Or sometimes it means working between flu naps (I did that in 2019!).
The one thing you absolutely cannot do and expect your freelance business to survive is drop off the face of the planet with no communication and expect that clients or prospective clients will appreciate this and continue to give you business or want to work with you. It can easily ruin your reputation. I can tell you having worked with two or three awful clients who tried to manipulate things toward the end that great documentation and tons of great relationships and referrals are beneficial in protecting everything you’ve built. But it is very hard to recover if you shoot yourself in the foot…on purpose.
If you want to be a successful freelancer, be reliable.
Consistency in Running Your Business
Freelancing can be a side-hustle or it can be a legitimate business. I knew before I started doing this that I needed it to be successful. I knew it was (for me) not going to be a side-hustle. It was going to be a full-fledged business. (Frankly, I’d continue to expand, but remember that little talk on reliability? It’s difficult to find reliable people!)
You must decide what type of business you want. It’s okay if this changes over time. Maybe for now, you want to get your feet wet and see if you like it. As I say on my blog, freelancing and working from home (not necessarily synonymous) are not for everyone. Maybe you’re like me and you know that for whatever reason, this just has to work for you.
The key is to be consistent. I prefer consistent days. They don’t always happen (because of life). However, if you want a successful freelance business, you must be consistent. This means making time to run it. If you have time to be on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Clubhouse, LinkedIn, watch TV, or do whatever else it is that you do, you have time to start doing more consistent work toward your business. You can plan and work your plan while watching television. You can cut back on your social media use. All of the social drama llamas will still be there when you’re done working toward stacking that cash.
Your Success Is on You
Your success as a freelancer is on you. It is not on your clients, prospective clients, freelancing platforms, the economy, or anything else. It is on you. That’s the thing about business ownership: we are responsible for what happens. What do you want out of your freelancing journey?
