When to work?

There is no definite answer to this question as one can work whenever one wants as long as one meets the given deadline. I know many freelance writers that write in the morning, right after they wake up. Upon asking, they told me that writing in the morning is more fun as the mind is fresh and ideas keep coming.

I also know freelance writers who work in the deep darkness of the night. They feel they can produce good quality work in the night as there is seldom any distraction at that hour; no phone calls, no people coming over to meet, and kids and wives remain asleep then.

There are freelance writers who want to work during the day because for them working regular hours – from 9 or 10 in the morning till 5 or 6 in the evening – and maintaining a fix work schedule is important. They feel by working a regular hour they can take time out for family.

There are people who say they do not have any fix timing. They can work randomly at any hour without compromising the deadline or quality of the work to be delivered. They believe that the “hour of the day has no effect on their output”.

All of the people I talked to are excellent writers, and they produce excellent output for their clients. In the light of discussions I had, I believe working hour is not important. What is important is the quality of the output and timeliness of delivery. I must mention here that I do not endorse “working random hours” , as it affects the quality of output.

How long one has to work?

This depends where you are in your career and what your financial goal is. If you are starting out then you have to work long hours to meet your financial obligations, but if you are a veteran then you can work just for 3-4 hours and meet your financial goal, provided it is not very lofty.

I know people who worked for 15 to 16 hours (even more) when they started out, but as they gained experience and got good paying clients they reduced the number of working hours.

If you are starting out as a freelance writer then expect to work for more than 12 hours in a day, but as the time will pass you can reduce this to 4 to 6 hours a day.

First part of their supposition is wrong, but the second part holds some merit. Indeed, there is not any golden topic for a freelance writer to write about. And indeed, writing for “freelance writing” or related niche will not bring you more clients then what you get while writing for another niche.

Why?

Because seldom you will get an offer to write for this niche.

What niche to write in?

The answer is any, as long as you enjoy writing in it. When a client asks for your samples or blog links, he has two goals in mind:

1. He wants to see how well you write on the topic of your choosing.
2. He wants to see your thought process.

He is least interested in knowing if you have guru’s knowledge about freelance writing or not, and he is more interested in knowing how well you can write and how you think. Because it is upon your thought process that your writing depends.

As long as you are writing well, therefore, you should not be worried about what niche to start a blog in. As a winning strategy, I would suggest you to write your heart out on the blog that you would show to your future client. Such blog will have both depth of thought, and colorful flair of writing. This is what your clients are looking for.

See his point of view

If your client is angry of you then try to find out the reason for his anger. Do not just judge the situation from your point of view only. You may be right, but it is the client who has to decide if he liked your work or not. After all, he is in better position to say whether your article or content will meet is his goal or not.

Do not argue, let him do the talking

No one wins the argument, so do not invest time in that. Let your client do the talking. This will help you understand his point of view, and will also vent his anger out. Do not interrupt, and speak only when he is done. Afterward, patiently explain everything, and logically build you case and tell him why you think the content in question will work.

Offer rewrite

Do not fight over the content, if you do not wish to lose that client. If your client is not satisfied by the output, offer a rewrite. Tell him you will rewrite everything to meet his expectation, and before you do that ask him about his particular requirement, in terms of style, presentation, and structure of the content that you are supposed to rewrite. Take every step necessary to remove the ambiguity from the project. This will help you rewrite it.

If your client’s anger is just then this will pacify him, and if it isn’t then you cannot do anything about it. But still, you should try to understand his point of view and solve the issues he has.

Well, the answer to the above question is big NO with big N and Big O. Freelance writing gives you a stable source of income—I know they told you it is not stable—leaving it will not be a good idea. You should rather continue working for your clients.

Then how you can increase your income?

I wish, you would have waited before asking this question. Anyway, I was saying you should continue working for your clients, but you should also put a project or two in place. Start something on your own.

Can I do it?

Of course, you can do it. You have been doing it for your clients, why cannot you do it for yourself? I understand PPC, SEO, marketing, and everything else is very, very important for web, but none of them (or all of them even if combined together) is as important as the content. And this is what you have been doing for your clients—creating great content. So why not for yourself?

Find a niche that you would like to work into and roll out your own project. You can create a niche website, an information product, or if you are experienced enough you can become consultant or give coaching. There are many avenues that you can explore.

But when to do it?

Yeah, I know this is a big IF & BUT questions (though without if). You can do it on weekends. Start working on weekends if you do not already do, and work on your projects on weekends. I know this is a lot of trouble, but trouble is what you have to take if you want to make it big. They lied to you when they said that it was going to be no sweat.

Creating your own product or starting your own project is a hard work. That is why not many people are doing so, but the reward is enormous. There is not just light at the end of the tunnel, but there is a huge spotlight and a big stage waiting for you at the end of the tunnel.

Start working on weekends, and make it big. Best of luck for your journey! Do write in how it was.

Time management tips for freelance writers

Tip 1: Fix schedule for each client

The very first thing a freelance writer can do to manage time is to set a schedule, client-wise. Let’s say you have three full time clients and one or two one-time clients. Fix one proper time for each permanent client and keep one-time projects floating in between them. For instance, you can work from nine to eleven on Client A and then from one to three on Client B and from four to six on Client C, and keep the other one-time projects floating in between them depending upon when you get time. Do not follow my two-hours to one client timing. You can vary the duration of work according to the amount of work given to you.

Tip 2: Make a weekly list of articles to write

If you have a permanent client who needs so many articles each week then you should take one day out, probably Saturday, to make a list of articles’ titles that you should write in the coming week. This will save you a lot of time cracking an article idea at the time of writing.

Tip 3: Use Word 2007 for blogging

I am writing this post using blog feature of Word 2007. This is very handy. You can use it to write and publish blog posts. All you need to do is add accounts using XMLRPC link to the client’s blog. IF you do not have word 2007 then you can also consider using other offline blog editors. It will save a significant amount of time.

Tip 4: Install Clutter Cloak

On computer, it is quite easy to get distracted, and it is equally easy to save yourself from distraction while writing. You can save a lot of time by installing clutter cloak or any other similar application on your computer.

There are many more things that you can do to save yourself the horror of missed deadlines. Stick to these and see the improved performance.

Whatever! The answer is all the same, which is: as many as you can handle. Do not chew more than you can digest. It will give you an upset stomach.

What’s the benchmark?

There is no external benchmark; the benchmark is the quality of work you produce. The moment your quality starts deteriorating you should put a stop sign outside your home office. You would not like to risk producing second-rate content, articles, or whatever it is that you write for your clients.

Then…

How many should I keep?

I cannot say for sure how many you should keep, but I can tell you about how many I keep and how you can decide how many you should keep. Generally, I keep 2-3 fulltime clients—depending upon the volume of work given— and work 1-2 one-off projects that do not have too tight deadline.

How you can decide how many?

How much you want: Say what you may, but you are doing freelance writing to pay your bills, be it your fulltime venture or part-time juggle. Therefore, you need to keep in mind your monetary target for a month.

How many hours can you devote: You also need to find out how many hours in week you can put aside for your freelance writing job.

How many articles can you produce in an hour: I understand this sound like absurd, but bear with me because I know people who can produce two articles of 500 words in one hour. Initially, you will not be able to write more than 40-50% of an article in an hour, but soon you will improve.

Do the math

Use the number you got from the above and calculate to find how many articles you need to write in a month to meet your monthly monetary target. The number you will thus get is the amount of work you need per month. If one client can fulfill this requirement then you do not need a second client—which is unlikely.

So, how many clients do you need at a time to fulfill your goal? Post the number you get after doing the math. I am eagerly waiting to hear from you.

A freelance writer should read anything that succeeds in catching, holding, and retaining his attention. Because the more diverse your reading habit will be the better equipped you will be to handle the challenges posed by freelance writing. You should care less about following a genre through head to tail. Well, doing it will be make you an expert and may be better accomplished as a writer of that particular genre, but expertise in one and dumbness in rest of the subjects is not what you should eye for. You need to have sufficient control on as many genres as possible.

What did you say— you will be master of one and will research for the rest?

I know many freelancers doing that, and quite a few have attained some degrees of success while treading down this road. But more often than not an article written by a freelance writer who has no prior knowledge or intuitive understanding of the subject matter lacks depth. To add depth and texture to your writing, you need to learn various things.

Freelance writing poses unique challenge that is seldom faced by fiction or non-fiction writers. Therefore, the solution used by freelance writers should also be different.

Read as much as you can, and from as many genres as you feel comfortable in!

Learning is a complex process, and acquiring knowledge is even more complex.  One never knows which piece of text or byte of media triggers what. Sometimes the knowledge gained is a direct result of the things you are reading, while at other times, it is gained because the things you are reading have activated some unknown part of the brain which has triggered something else then something else, and the end result of all this could be the new understanding you have developed.

So, to help your brain form new pattern and new understanding, you need to provide it as many types of fodders as possible.

But, there is a way out. You do not need to keep on staring on your computer screen, incessantly, for every waking hours; I understand that it cannot be avoided at times, but you can try. In the following paragraph you will see how you can add human interaction in the equation.

Talk to your client on phone

Occasionally, calling up your client is the first thing you need to do in order to break the loneliness. Your client may not entertain frequent calls, but occasional calls will get due respect. He will be happy to answer your questions on phone. Discussing issues on phone will help you understand client’s need more precisely, but never overdo it; no one goes to work just to be on call with service providers. Call only if you must, or at max twice a week, and for rest of the time, stick to emails.

Build an online network

You must have heard this umpteenth number of time, and you must have got frustrated listening to this networking s@#t, but let me emphasize it one more time because it is very, very important. Forming a network of freelance writers will not only help you secure more gigs, but it will also help you break the monotony of freelance writing life. You can use this network to talk and share ideas and discuss issues. This can be akin to chat near virtual water cooler.

Go to café to write

For long, coffee house has been used by writers to craft their literary work. Why do not you try this alternative? You will be midst people doing different things. Who knows, you may get an idea for your novel! Nevertheless, it will help break the loneliness.

What else do you think can be done to break the monotony of freelance writing? Let’s see what all comes on the table.

What to do when clients are hard to come by?

• Look for more clients: This is the first thing you should do, but do not waste inordinate amount of time on client searching. 2-3 hours a day should be more than sufficient. Scan twitter, job sites, and freelance boards and see if you can land up in a good deal.
• Work on the basics: There are some shortcomings in your writing which you have noticed earlier as well, but due to unavailability of time, you could not work on improving them. Now as you do not have many works, why do not you take it as an opportunity to improve your writing skills? You may want to revisit English grammar, or you may want to read some books on writing, or attend some class. This is the right time to invest in improving your skills.
• Start you own project: In the years or months you worked for your clients, you must have thought of starting some exciting project: may be write an e-book or create an informational product, or a course, or a website, or a blog. This is the time to execute the plans you were making. Why do not you start working on the stuffs you have been planning for long?
• Spend time with your family: It often happens with us that when there are lots of works to finish within a tight deadline then we tend to overlook our family. As you do not have much work, you should spend your time with your family, and recover the lost family-time.
• Take a vacation: If you have sufficient bank balance to pay for your vacation then cash in on the opportunity you got and take your family for a long due family vacation.

These represent just tip of the iceberg. There are many more things that you can do. Just be creative and plan out something.

Lie Number 1: Do not have time

This is the most common lie people tell themselves. I often hear people say that after a work it is hard to take time out for writing. This lie is preceded and supported by the fact that they cannot leave their job because the family needs food on the table. Indeed, your family needs your support, so you should not quit your day job, but it has nothing to do with the lie of “not having enough time” that you fool yourself in believing.

Dare to ask people and you will be amazed to find how many people are taking 2 hours each day from their life for part-time freelance writing. This is worth the effort. If you cannot do it daily or on alternate days than stick to weekend-only routine, but do it. Start now and soon you will see the difference.

Lie Number 2: Words, empty words

Well words are important for we freelancers, but words not backed by action ends up being empty words. And empty words do no good to anyone. I know many people who speak volume, but when it comes to taking action, they are just not there. Start writing, do not just speak about starting to write.

Lie Number 3: Excuses, colorful excuses

From not having time, to not having money to not having enough space at home to make it a workstation, there are many lies that people tell themselves. These lies are colorful, and at times have vivid details, nevertheless, it’s a lie.

The time to start freelance writing is now. There will not be any other good time, nor will you ever have more money than you have today to start freelancing, nor will you have enough space to do that. For those who sell themselves lie, there will not be any opportunity.

Always have a complete list of every client and contribution you’ve made in your career.  These come in handy so that you can have a comprehensive guide to tailor a resume to any given position.  If it’s a job writing about entertainment, you want to have your entertainment examples handy, and so on and so forth.  Always have a complete list for your reference, but limit what you put on the resume to the best examples of your work, as they relate to that job.

Practically everyone is going to ask for a brief summary of your writing experience, and usually about yourself personally.  This serves as a guide to your experience, as well as the sort of writer you are.  Usually you’ll end up writing a few paragraphs to satisfy both, and these will serve to give them a taste of your writing style.  So make sure they are concise, easily read, and reflective of the style in which you write.

Try to make the information about you as interesting as possible.  Think of an interesting professional story that you can tell, that defines your character and ability.  Then tell the story in a riveting way.  Something that keeps your target engaged in what you written.  You want them to be dying to talk to you more about the job, and certain that you’ll be a great fit.

How to avoid it?

Fortunately, there is a way out of it, which anyone of you can use to avoid distraction, regardless of your situation.

Assign yourself a place of work

This is the must-take action for any freelance writer. It is not good to carry your laptop and sit anywhere in your home to work, well occasional working-in-kitchen will not hurt but do not make it a routine. I know it sounds against the spirit of freelance writing—you can work from anywhere and anytime—but this is worth a deviation. Find a lonely corner in your house and turn it into a workplace.

Fix your work hours

I may sound like talking against the freedom of freelance writing, but my intention is not to drag you back into the 9-5 job that you left in the past, it is only to help you produce more. And as it is you can anytime pull the string and call it off.

Work, no matter what

Once you fix your work hour, you should stick to it, no matter what. Well, you can deviate from “no matter what” principle without any guilt feeling when you know you need to. Occasion deviation never hurts, at least not in our profession.

Talk to your family

At times, getting things write just need a word from us. Talk to your family and tell them that you are working around here, so not to create distraction. Well this might not work with a disgruntled spouse, but in most of the cases, this will be enough. Believe it or not, they understand the value of the work you are doing.

As you can see, fighting off distraction does not take so much of muscle power as much it takes discipline and tactics. What are your tactics to fight this monster off? Use the comment box and tell me your strategies.

Fixing a freelance writing rate

Step 1: How much money do you need?

The first step in the process is to ask yourself how much money you need every month. Some of you must be thinking, what the client has to do with this, and why does it matter to them. Well, it does not matter to your client or anybody in this world, but still you need to figure this bit out because you are working to pay your bills, and if your work cannot make you pay your bill then things will get a little complicated. It will come down to your basic need for survival. Hence, first realistically figure out how much money do you need in a month or a year.

Step 2: What are the business expenses?

Now, it is time to right down your business expenses. Write everything down on a piece of paper, do not leave anything. This heading will include the electricity bill, business telephone bill, stationary costs, printer’s ink cost, any equipment that you will buy, etc.

Step 3: How much work can you do in a month?

None of us are superman, so there is only so much work we can complete in a day or month, and there are only so many clients we can take. Be realistic in finding your limitation. Do not sell yourself short, and also do not overrate your ability. Count this in hour.

Step 4: Do the math

Now, as you know the number of projects you can take in a month, your monthly expenses, and how many hours you can work in a month. Add the expected monthly sum and the expenses and divided by the work you can do. This will give you the rate you need to survive, but what about the future savings? You need to adjust your rate for that as well. Add expected per year savings, to the sum and then take out your per hour rate.

In order to fix a rate for the fixed price work like per article or per week, you will have to first figure out how much time do you need to write one article, and then find out how many you can write in a month. Divide the equation with this instead of total number of hours, and you will get your rate for one article.

In this short post, I will provide a list of common cause of concern for freelance writers, especially when one is starting out on the freelance writing journey.

Investment

If you thought it is just the number crunchers who worry about investments then you couldn’t have been more wrong. Investment woes keeps freelance writer worried as well, but most of the time it is not the investment in stocks, bonds, and funds that worries a freelance writer, but it is the investment in equipments and stationeries.

Do I need to have that new Mac? Or will windows do? Should I buy a printer, scanner and fax combo, or will the faxing part be dealt with installing fax modem software? These and similar questions pops in the minds of freelance writers quite often, and answer to these depends upon the requirement one has, and the stage of career a freelance writer is.

Working too much

Some people have left their day jobs for freelancing in a belief that he will have to work a lot lesser than they do while in a regular 9-5 job. Well, if the work timing is your concern then leaving your job is not advised because a freelance writer may have to work long hours. If this seems like a problem then revisit your decision. I took this job because working more was never a problem for me because I love what I do. Having said that, I must say that in time, everything will settle down, and work hours will become more regulated, but not initially.

No clients

Not getting enough clients to keep one occupied is another common worry that most of the freelance writers have. If you are in the initial stage of your career then this worry is legitimate. Indeed, getting a new client is difficult, and that is why we stress on retaining existing clients. If you stick long enough to freelance writing, you will see that this worry also subsides in time, as you start getting more and more clients through referrals.

No Money

This concerns all of us. We all get paranoid when it comes to money. After all, this is what we get (along with experience, learning, excitement, and fun) from freelance writing. When starting out, a freelance writer often commit a mistake of grabbing low-paying jobs. This indeed gives you something but not what you deserve for the time you spent. Hence, a freelance writer gets frustrated. Do not fall prey to the clients that wish to take you for a ride by paying you less and making you work more. I once travelled down that road. It was fatiguing. Wait for some time, you will get well-paying clients.

You want to get rich quick

If anyone told you that writing is the quickest way to amass millions then he has made fool of you. Chances are that you may not ever be able to amass millions doing this. Not everyone who picks pen or strokes keys become millionaire.

You want an overnight success

If the bank balance and fame of J. K. Rowling have pulled you into this career then give it a second thought. This is not a profession where you become a superstar in one night. Ms. Rowling never became one in one night. She worked hard to achieve what she got, and many, I mean countless many, even never get half her success despite double her effort.

You want to sign a deal soon

Do not kid yourself in believing that you will land in a five-book contract as soon as your first book release. Getting a book deal or even a smaller gig is not an easy task. It takes days, if not months to get the first gig. If you are fortunate, you will get it quickly.

You believe you are the best

Writing career is not for you if you have paranormal self-esteem. Rejections are rule in writing, and if you cannot deal with countless rejections then do not join the party. You will be censured even when you are right. You need to have thick skin to survive here.

You cannot manage everything on your own

As a writer, you will have to do many things on your own.  It means it will be you only who will be fixing a meeting, pitching your idea, selling your idea, executing your idea, and handling finance. Do not think that you will get a literary agent or a manager from the day one.

If you do not demand any of these then welcome aboard, writing is fun and exciting.

Should you leave your freelance writing that you enjoy so much and take some regular and more paying job? Or should you look for alternative source of income?

What you will choose from the given options depends on what is your priority. For me, the choice is simple. I would go for developing the alternative source of income. And I believe most of the readers of this post will want to do the same. Therefore, I will be talking about alternative source of income that you could develop to increase your income.

1. You can start an AdSense or any advertisement supported website.
2. You can write an e-book.
3. You can start a coaching program.
4. Become a corporate blogging consultant.
5. Create a team of writer and get bulk content done.
6. Become a content consultant

Your options are not limited to these. You can do many more things while continuing your freelance writing.

These questions are the two aspects of the same story, but with different protagonists: do you know what it takes to be successful as a freelance writer? This blog-post and the coming ones will provide you with a list of things that you must accomplish before venturing out for freelance writing.

I have organized this list of items to verify before jumping on the freelancing bandwagon based on the closeness of the topic to a freelance writing fresher. We (You and I) will begin this journey with you and your attitude towards writing, then will move ahead to see how the market is and what all you need to know before you commit. So, let’s get going.

Have you rounded of your writing skills?

Writing for someone else for money or without money is entirely different from writing for yourself or your term papers. The former requires precision in writing techniques, which may or may not require in getting the latter job done. I do not doubt your writing skill. I just want to say is go and brush up your grammar and writing skills to prepare yourself for better gigs.

What type of writer you are?

This is the second basic question you need to ask yourself. Are you a fiction writer or a non-fiction writer? If fiction is your genre, do you write stories, or poems? If you are a story writer, do you write short story, very short story, novella, or novel? What kind of story on that: crime, detective, erotic, historical, psychological, etc.? If you are a non-fiction writer, what kind of non-fiction you write? Do you write articles, press releases, sales letters, blogs, website content, political essays, term papers, magazine articles, news stories, or what?

As you can see this is a huge question, and you must have guessed, you will require a soul searching to know which genre fits your type. Not everyone is a “writing Leonardo “who can write on anything and everything with equal gusto, and produce equally mesmerizing output. Some people can do that, and rest of us can just hope to.

Where is your portfolio?

If you thought only a designer (graphic, fashion, web, hair, or any kind), a model, or a photographer, etc., needs a portfolio then it’s time for me to break the news: “A freelance writer also needs a portfolio!”

Build a portfolio that consists of writing samples from all the genres you want to get work in. yes, you can write in more than one genre!

Give me your URL?

C’mon, don’t say, you don’t know what a URL is!

Just joking.

When you are starting out, you many not feel the need to have a website, but once you move up the ladder, you will feel the need for one, and then you might think, “Why I didn’t have it yet?”

You are going to need it eventually, then why not now?

Everything written above is important; rather very important, but what is more important than all these things, when writing for web, is SEO, or say keywords to be more precise. (If you need to know about what key word is, and how to find relevant keywords or how to sue them then you should read SEO Simplified: Basics of Keyword.)

More often than not, you will stumble across a client who will ask you to write a keyword rich article, or to write an article using the given keyword, but the keyword density should not exceed 5 percent of the word count. You may also be asked to write a keyword-rich title (headline), headings, sub-headings, and anchor texts, or the client can demand you to write different meta tags as well along with the article. The demand of a client doesn’t end here; some even asks to use keywords twice in the first paragraph, once towards the end of the article while maintaining a keyword density of 4 percent.

The point is, if you are writing for web, you cannot avoid SEO (Search Engine Optimization). You have to know what SEO is, and how to find and use keywords in your articles. This is, when writing for web, as important as a working knowledge of grammar. Some writing experts [so-called] may try to denounce the importance of SEO in writing for the web, by classifying this kind of writing under SEO writing heading, which according to them is just one form of writing for the web. Well, nothing can be as far from the truth as it is. Let me tell you, every kind of writing for the web is SEO writing. No matter what you write, if you want people to read it, you need to optimize it with relevant keywords.

I will suggest you to follow the succeeding link and familiarize yourself with SEO, if you already don’t know about it, by reading SEO Simplified: an Overview. This series is meant for beginners only, and an absolute one for that.

What is your view about the importance of keywords in online copywriting?

When I say, a dependable computer, I mean a computer that functions properly without freezing for hours. If your computer or laptop – I am not in favor of using laptop as a primary device, but you can use it as secondary device for the time when you are out – works fine with your word processing program or office suite, internet browsers, chat clients, and FTP client then you can stick with it.

2^nd Commandment: Thou Shalt Get a Mechanical Keyboard

You should have a good keyboard that allows swift typing. If you are using a keyboard that has membrane-based keys then I will suggest buying a spring-based (mechanical) keyboard like TVS Gold, next time when you are out shopping for a keyboard.

A keyboard with spring-based (mechanical) keys not only sounds sweet but it lasts for long. I am using mine for more than 3 years and it is still as swift and soft as any new keyboard could be. I use TVS Gold. No membrane keyboard will last even half as long, no matter how expensive it is. Go for the sweet metallic, typewriter-like sound of a mechanical keyboard. Mechanical keyboards are expensive but it is worth the investment. Do not worry much about price when buying a keyboard. After all, this is the device that will earn you your living.

3^rd Commandment: Thou Shalt Ask For Work

Do not assume that the client has just so much work to give you. He may be employing other freelancers to do his work. Why don’t you show him, how eager you are to take more responsibility? Also convey that you have sufficient time to do justice with the new work.

Have you contacted your ex-clients lately? If you have not done so, do it now! Drop a mail and ask if there is anything you can help him with, and also emphasize how satisfied or delighted he was while working with you in the past.

4^th Commandment: Thou Shalt Follow the Laggards

In freelance writing career, each one of us ends up working with a client or two, who delays the payments as much as he could. Do not forget to follow them up, and make a polite request to pay your dues every time you communicate.

5^th Commandment: Thou Shalt Communicate Well

Do you talk to your client regularly? If not, why? And also do not restrict yourself to using only IMs (instant messaging). Call him, mail him and if he is in the neighborhood, drop in.

6^th Commandment: Thou shalt set Your Income Goal

You should have a clear income goal in mind, which should be revised every month or every quarter. Set your income target and go for it. Do not forget to be realistic in setting income goal for the month or for the quarter!

7^th Commandment: Thou Shalt constantly be on the Lookout

Do not rest on your laurels, and do not count only on what you have. Keep on chasing new work. Who knows when one or more of the existing clients abruptly decided to stop taking your services! And who knows the new client you will get is better paying than the one you have now! Keep looking.

For a writer, twitter can be useful in more ways than you think, and how you will use twitter depends upon the kind of writer you are. If you are a freelance writer who is just looking for some freelance writing assignments then twitter can not only help you promote your writing services. You can use twitter to remain constantly in touch with your existing clients or your ex-clients as well. It can also help you in getting new clients. Twitter can also be helpful for a writer who wants to get published. You can get the up-to-date information on the different publishing houses and what kind of novels they are planning to publish in the coming years. It will give you a fair idea about what clicks with a certain publishing house, and what gets thrown into trash bin. If you are a newbie then you can use the links shared on twitter to develop or polish your writing skills.

For a freelance writer or blogger who is finding it hard to get ideas for writing on a daily basis, twitter can work as a source for cracking ideas to write on. You can use twitter to see what people are talking about, and what is gaining popularity in your niche. If you are interested in using twitter as a writing idea generator then follow the following steps:

1. Follow people working in your or any related niche.
2. Find the articles from the links shared by people whom you follow.
3. Scan the articles to estimate its worth.
4. Shortlist the article or articles you want to read.
5. Read the article shared
6. Do a preliminary research on the topic discussed in the article to get a deeper understanding of the subject.
7. Write down the main points you want to elaborate in your article or articles.
8. Arrange the bullet points in the order in which they should appear in the final article or articles.
9. Write the article.
10. Proofread it.
11. Publish it.
12. Make a bit.ly link (like http://bit.ly/kdHRb)
13. Tweet it.