How to Increase Your Freelance Writing Income by 25% or More (Part I of II)

I've been a freelance writer since 1993 and have learned a few tricks of the trade. I wrote an article in 2006 entitled "10 Lessons I've Learned from 19+ Years as a Freelancer & Recruiter in the Editorial Industry."

Well, as is always the case if you're learning and growing, I've learned more tricks of the trade to pass along. I'm quick to discard what doesn't work, and keep what does.

Following are five ways to increase your freelance income by at least 25% -- if you make them a regular part of your writing routine.

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1. Don't read your own material online. Why? Quite simply, because it wastes time. A lot of my work is done virtually, but once I hand the project off to the client, it's rare that I see it again.

Sometimes they use it as is, and sometimes they rework it. Usually, it doesn't carry my byline, so I have no way to search for it unless I go to the client's website and type in certain key phrases I know it should contain.

But, I rarely, if ever do this.

But, article directories, press releases and blog posts are a different thing. I've built up quite a body of work in these arenas in the past couple of years. And you know what? I've found that I have a tendency to read my writings online - as if I don't already know what it's going to say.

Colossal waste of time! And not for nothing, when I read a piece, I invariably spot a phrase I wish I'd written differently, or gosh darn it - a typo or misused word (eg, who's for whose).

So, I've made a concerted effort in the last month or so to say away from my work online - eg, articles submitted to online directories, blog posts and press release.

Of course, website pages are different - you can - and should - update these. But, this type of nitpicking kills precious, income-producing time.

2. Incorporate "Template Writing" Into Your Writing Routine: What is this? Quite simply, where you create a formula (a template) to use for writing you do on a regular basis.

I outlined how you can increase your income by up to 50% using template writing in the article, Increase Your Freelance Income by 50% Immediately -- How "Template Writing" Can Help You Become a Prolific Freelance Writing Machine.

If you regularly write, for example, restuaurant reviews, how-to articles, product reviews, press releases, etc., creating a template will speed up your output.

In the freelance writing game, the more you produce, the more you make. Income is almost always directly linked to production. As most of us are not Stephen King-royalty-and-residual-blessed, we have to grind out copy.

As I state in the subtitle, template writing can turn you into a freelance writing machine! The second part of this article will discuss three more ways you probably haven't heard of to increase your freelance writing income - by at least 25%.

Tomorrow's Post: 3 More Ways to Increase Your Freelance Writing Income by 25%: How to turn into a freelance writing machine (Part II of II).
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.
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One Immediate Way to Increase Your Freelance Income by Up to 50%

How “Template Writing” can help you become a prolific income producer

When I first started writing outside of my niche – the business of creative freelancing – it took me some time to get the hang of things. I read other freelancer’s articles on certain subjects, eg, restaurant and product reviews, to see how it was done.

It took me some time to get a system down, but once I did, I was able to turn out a review or article in half the time. So, how did I speed it up? I created a “genre template.”

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What is Template Writing?

In short, formulaic writing. On FreeDictionary.com, template, as related to writing, is defined as "A document or file having a preset format, used as a starting point for a particular application so that the format does not have to be recreated each time it is used."

Example of a Writing Template

To use an easy example, take restaurant reviews. It’s a relatively new medium for me and one that I found tends to pay more than the other types of articles I like to write. So, I started to focus more on these.

My restaurant review template looks like this:

Intro: This includes things like background on the establishment, what I personally like about it, how I discovered it, etc.

The Food: Here, I discuss the menu selections, dishes I recommend and the drinks.

The Price: Usually, this is a few lines about the price (affordable, moderate, on the expensive side, gotta be rich and famous to afford to eat here). I may break it down by specific price for a few dishes (eg, appetizer, main course, dessert), or I may give an average cost of a meal for two.

The Service: Here I discuss how fast or slow the service is, if the staff is knowledgeable about the menu, do they easily allow for substitutions, and maybe the uniform.

Other Items of Note: This section highlights things of interest I think any first-time visitor might want to know. Eg, if the establishment has an outside seating area, music, dance floor, special nights for things like karaoke, menu specials, the parking situation (valet, not enough parking, etc.), banquet rooms, on/off-site catering, etc.

Summary: This is usually a one or two liner about the establishment. Eg, for a fun night out with your gang, Pepper’s is an easy-on-the-wallet rocking, good time!

My reviews may or may not include all of these sections; it depends on the establishment and my experience there.

BUT, having a template in front of me when I sit down to write seriously cuts down on the time it takes to organize/edit material, which, as any writer knows, can be more than half the time spent producing a piece.

A Note About Reviews: FYI, the crazy thing about reviews (product and restaurant) is that they are usually written in 400-500 words and, with a formula in place, can be completed in about 20 minutes (minus proofing and minor editing). Most of my articles take 30 minutes to slightly more than an hour to write (minus proofing and minor editing).

Creating a template for as many types of writing you do as possible can increase your output by 50% easily, ostensibly increasing your income by the same amount. So, go template happy – and watch your bank account increase.
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.

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Do Low-paying Freelance Gigs Ever Turn into Higher-paying Gigs?

Many freelancers, whether they be writers, graphic designers, web designers, etc., will consider lower-paying assignments in hopes that they will turn into higher-paying gigs.

If you're new to freelancing, especially, you may be vulnerable to this. In my experience, you can make low-paying gigs work for you, in the following ways:

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1. Pricing: Lower-paying gigs can give you a sense of where you need your pricing to be to meet your income goals.

Once you do a few projects, you may realize, "Wow, now I know why freelancers in this niche charge $X."

You may find that while you'll never do another 400-word article for $2, $5 for a 300-word article is not so bad - if you can knock it out quickly, which leads me to my next point.

2) Work Structure: Sometimes you may take on a project without realizing the intricacies of it. Eg, take a brochure. How hard can it be? List the products/services, pretty it up with some graphics and make sure it's grammatically correct.

But, the research it takes to pull it all together. Remember, writing to sell is a lot different from just listing services. So, finding the right words to get people to not only read the brochure, but take action after that.

Many times after I've completed a project, I've looked at it and thought, I can't believe what went into creating this thing. I remember it took me 4 hours to find a statistic listed in the second paragraph on the front page.

BUT, it's that statistic that moved the reader to pick up the phone.

After doing a low-paying gig that takes tons more time than you thought, you may decide not to offer that service. Or, if you do offer it, you know what goes into it so you can charge appropriately next time.

3) Try New Sectors: One of the best ways to try something new is to reduce your fee and/or accept much lower than what you normally would.

You may find that you like writing about technology, whereas before you'd always overlooked this sector. Doing a few assignments for low pay will definitely allow you to get a feel for a niche before diving headlong into it.

4) Gain Experience: This is an obvious. Say you try a new sector, as mentioned above. And, you like it. BUT, it tends to be notoriously low-paying.

Low-paying gigs will give you some samples for your portfolio so that you don't have to accept rock bottom rates. But, how do you make more money from it after you've paid your dues, so to speak?

Take it and make it your own. What I mean by this, specifically, is create your own products and sell them. Eg, industry e-books, teleseminars, podcasts, etc.

There will always be more qualified writers than assignments. One way to succeed in this industry is creating your own products - and work your way towards making a living from them.

Good luck!

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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com to learn how.

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Like what you read here? Find the content useful and informative? Subscribe to the Inkwell Editorial feed (under the LINKS section to your right) to receive new content immediately upon publishing. OR, email your address to subscribe and receive job listings -- immediately!