Comments on: 5 easy ways to add value to your freelance business

By: FreelanceVenue

FreelanceVenue — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:54:17 +0000

Great advice for freelancers. Thank you for the info!

By: Freelancedom » Blog Archive » Link Love: March 27

Freelancedom » Blog Archive » Link Love: March 27 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:53:28 +0000

[...] WordCount’s 5 easy ways to add value to your freelance business [...]

By: Michelle Rafter

Michelle Rafter — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:04:09 +0000

I agree that it is important to treat editors like the clients they are. However, I’ve known some of my editors since we worked as reporters for the same newspaper or magazine. In those cases, they really are my friends, so I walk a fine line between respecting them as work colleagues and appreciating them as friends. In those cases, I’d like to think we work together as a team rather than as boss and underling, both with a role to play. Treating our relationships that way helps me put things into perspective, so when a story gets thrown back at me for revisions I know it’s not personal, it’s for the good of the project.

Michelle

By: Maryan Pelland

Maryan Pelland — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:57:54 +0000

There are some great tips here that established professionals should do without question and newer freelancers can really learn from. The only one that gave me pause is “treat and editor like a friend.” I think we want to treat editors like customers – being respectful, considerate and accommodating. Call only when necessary, be brief and respectful of their time and don’t be a pest.
Maryan Pelland
Chicago Home Technology Examiner

By: Jonny T

Jonny T — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:01:56 +0000

Great post, many good suggestions. Never forget to go out of your way and treat all your clients like gold.

For some more great posts on freelancing feel free to check out my blog.

Effective Marketing Strategy How to get new clients when starting freelacing.

By: Michelle Rafter

Michelle Rafter — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:14:54 +0000

Dawn: Thanks for the suggestions of offering your services to editors for proofreading, etc. I hadn’t thought of that before but it makes total sense. I’ve also started promoting my stories on Twitter or on this blog or blogs that pertain to the subject as another way to add value: it’s good for my business and good for the publication too.

Michelle

By: Dawn

Dawn — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:37:52 +0000

Wow! I was actually pleased, reading through this list, to notice that I do all of these, including most of the more difficult ones. (At least, I offer… not everyone takes me up on it.)

Well, except for the turning in work early, although I’ve done that a few times in the past few months. When I have the extra days, I tend to take them to look over the story a few more times to get it *perfect*.

I recently offered to proofread the final product free of charge. And for one editor, I often act as a second set of eyes for her in emergency situations.

Another thing I do is to promote the work once it’s published. This helps me, but also helps the publication.

I hope this comment doesn’t sound “braggy.” That’s one thing I’m working on in my business–to promote myself better and to not sound so down on myself and my skills in public.

Good post.

By: Susan

Susan — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:20:20 +0000

A few weeks ago, an editor asked me to provide a vblog to accompany my story. This was on Friday afternoon and he needed it on Monday morning. Yikes – I don’t have a webcam and I haven’t shot and edited video since taking a multimedia course in college (when they provided the fancy equipment and software), but I told him I’d do my best to make it happen. Turns out my digital camera can hold up to 60 seconds of video, so after deleting and reshooting about a million times, I finally had a usable video. Part of me feels like maybe I should have said no to a last-minute request like that (can’t spend every weekend tearing my hair out for an editor), but another part is darn proud that I came through!