Angela Booth's Writing Blog

Your successful freelance writing business: start today

You’ll build your brand with everything you do, so aim for reliability and professionalism, always.

Think about your readership (platform) too. A readership helps you in many ways. When you’re building your business, be aware of this. When someone chides you for “wasting time” on a blog, you can respond (loftily or smugly, your choice): “I’m investing in my business… I’m building my brand and platform.”

Let’s look at some powerful strategies you can use.

1. As much as possible, write what you enjoy

When you write what you enjoy you’ll write more. You’ll also be more creative.

Writing prolifically is essential these days; not only when you write for others, but also when you create your own projects. As much as possible, diversify your writing. Also, consider creating “write once and keep selling” projects, such as books.

Read the article.

Writing Career: Yes, YOU Can Create And Publish

Recently I coached a couple of new freelance writers. It was huge fun for me because I got to motivate and inspire them, and in the process, I inspired myself.

I’d forgotten the sheer hard slog of hustling every day. The slog itself isn’t difficult, rather it’s the doubts which plague you and drain your motivation:

• Am I charging enough/ too much?
• Am I good enough?
• Is this the best use of my time?
• And on, and on…

The doubts will kill you, if you let them.

Here’s what I suggested to my students: as soon as possible, create and publish something, so that you have a product to sell. You need to create something that’s just for you and gets you out of bed in the morning.

Enhance your writing career when you write for YOU, too

Refuse to allow doubts to creep in. YES, you can create and publish, even if you’re a brand new writer.

What you create is up to you — you can publish short stories if you like. Or you can do as my students did. They created mini-products which they hoped would appeal to their current clients.

The operative word in the previous sentence is hoped. You’ll never know whether something you create will sell, or not. All you can do is create it. Scroll down to the Resources which will help you to create and promote fast.

Create FAST, and have fun

When you’re a new freelancer doubts are ever-present. They’re present for veteran writers too, unfortunately. So, aim to create something quickly, preferably something you can create in a few hours on the weekend.

That might be:

• A tutorial;
• A short report;
• A checklist…

Make it short, make it useful

One of my students created a tutorial for an app which is used by many people in her clients’ industry. She told me that she’d had to learn the app and found it tortuous: “The app’s Help file was a mess. You clicked and clicked, and at the end of seven clicks you got a paragraph which repeated the information in the menu.”

So, she created a five-page PDF, put it up on her website, and charged $25. Initially, she was too diffident to promote the tutorial — she gave away a few copies for free.

After a couple of months, the tutorial started to sell and it keeps selling. She says: “I sell at least a couple of copies a day.”

What could you create in a few hours which has the potential to bring in on-going income? Ignore your doubts. Create and publish. You can do it.

Resources to help you to create and publish FAST

These books will help you to make the most of your time so that you can create and publish fast.

Build a fiction ghostwriting business: start today

Our new program, Story Spinner: Build A Lucrative Fiction Ghostwriting Business In 7 Days, is available now.

In this new program you'll discover how to build a new business as a fiction ghostwriter in just seven days. The program includes everything you need. Get started today.

Writing Secret: The Power Of Introductions

You're a writer. You need profession contacts, but how do you make them? Never underestimate the power of introductions.

Here's an excerpt from my guide, The Piggyback Process: Piggyback Your Way To Success -- And Money:

You can NEVER introduce yourself too often, or to too many people.

Please remember, as we’ve said, it’s all about who knows you.

Now, here’s a secret. The first time you introduce yourself, they won’t remember you.

Why should they? You don’t remember all your simple contacts either. Last week we had tradesmen call to do some minor repairs (painting, patio sealing), and although each tradesman spent several hours here, I can't remember any of their names.

Your clients are like that. You do the work, you get paid, and that's that. If you've just sent one email message, you make even less of an impression: none at all, in fact.

The benefit of introducing yourself is just that — a simple contact.
Now you can tell the editor, or the website owner, or business owner or whoever — I got in touch with you a few weeks/ months ago.

Know what happens then? I’ll tell you: instant awareness, perhaps even a touch of guilt, if he/ she didn’t respond. This is a normal human reaction, and you can use it to your advantage. You’re not being manipulative, you’re simply being professional.

A couple of years ago, I read the autobiography of Mary Kay Ash. She was the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics. She started from nothing, and when she died in 2001, Mary Kay Cosmetics were in 37 countries, and had annual sales at retail of over $2 BILLION.

Here’s what stuck in my mind. Mary Kay was always the last person to leave her office in the evening, and before she did, her motto was “one more phone call.” She knew all about introducing herself, and making professional contacts — and she kept making them.

How many professional contacts have you initiated today?

You'll learn much more about the power of introductions in The Piggyback Process.

 

Your Secret Article Writing Profit Strategy (Ezine)

This week in our writing tips ezine, we discuss an article writing profit strategy.

Here's an excerpt:

I've long said that you CAN make money writing articles. Some of my students are making a great income, and they only write articles.

Let's see how you can do this too. It's relatively simple, and believe it or not, it's easy too... If you can write articles, the Web can be your playground, especially now, when it seems that Google's taking a big stick to junk.

The strategy I've outlined here works. It's one I teach my writing students. Follow it step by step, and the results will amaze you. If you want to become a full-time writer, you can... Content is king online.

(Good content.)

Just follow these steps.

The ezine arrives in your Inbox tomorrow -- subscribe now.

Our new series on setting up your own writing business starts on the freelance writing blog this week. 

I'm looking for your input.

Many thanks to the writers who responded with a comment, I appreciate it -- knowing your concerns means that I can address them.

If you haven't posted your challenges yet, please do so now -- just click here.

 

Your Writing Career: How to Work Effectively With Clients and Keep Them

Do your clients make you nervous? This is natural when you're starting your writing career. Sooner or later you'll be startled to realize that they're even more nervous than you are. :-)

It's up to you to take charge of the relationship and settle your clients'  fears. Be kind, be professional, and be reliable, and your clients will stay with you for years.

Here are three tips you can use to work effectively with your clients and keep them.

1. Please Realize That Every Client Is Different: Ask Questions

Every client you will ever have is different from every other, and has different expectations.

Never assume. Ask sufficient questions so that you and your client are on the same page before you start writing. Most conflicts with clients arise from miscommunication. Therefore, communicate!

I always advise my writing students to rewrite the client's brief (project description) in their own words, before asking the client to sign off on it.

Tip: few clients know exactly what they want. It's up to you to ferret out what they really expect from a project.

2. Be Pragmatic About Money: Invoice, and Get Paid

It will take you a while to get comfortable discussing money. That's OK. The more you do it, the more relaxed you'll become. The fees you charge are what they are. State them without comment or explanation.

Discuss fees early in the relationship. Tell the client what the full fee for the project will be, and how you'll be paid -- retainer, milestone payments, and so on.

Add this copyright advice to every invoice: "The copyright in the project devolves to you on payment in full."

Invoice regularly. On longer projects, invoice at least weekly. If an invoice is unpaid, stop writing.

3. Completed a Project? Ask Your Client What else He Needs

Consider your clients' needs, and think long-term with every client.

If you've just finished an article for a magazine, send along another couple of queries with the invoice.

If you've just written ten articles for a client, ask when the client will need additional content.

If you've just written a sales page for a copywriting client, ask whether the client would like you to write an autoresponder sequence.

Clients are busy. It takes time and energy to find a writer and brief him. Every client has multiple needs, but the pressure of running a business or publication means that he's likely to remember what other writing jobs he wants done after he's paid your final invoice.

Suggesting other projects to your clients is a kindness -- they appreciate your offers. Chances are if you propose an additional project, he'll suggest others.

Are you scared because you're BROKE? You need cash, fast... Discover how you can sell your services online for cold hard cash, in just 7 days, even if you're a total newbie

You can get money into your PayPal account anytime you want. Just seven short days from now, you'll be able to treat the Internet as your very own just-in-time cash machine.

Making consistent money online is a lot easier than you think. I promise you that if you follow the instructions in my "Your Just-In-Time Cash Machine: Sell Your Services Online In Seven Days" guide, you'll be making money within seven days. From then on, you can use this just-in-time money-making system whenever you wish. You'll feel much more confident, when you know you can make it rain money at any time.

Want to Turn Your Writing Skills Into Cash?

All it takes is a decision to do it. That's all. There's a huge demand for writers, and if you have writing skills, you can make a great second income, and in a short time, a great full-time income.

Each week, I get questions from people who feel that maybe, just maybe, they could turn their love of writing into a career and business. I always say that if you think you can, you can. The desire to write professionally is a pretty good indicator that you CAN.

I've written on this particular topic in hundreds of articles and blog posts.

Here are links to a few:

* Get Started Writing for the Web – Easy Writing you Can Do

If you enjoy writing, you can write from home, and make money, even as a beginning writer. The Web has an enormous appetite for words, and thousands of new Web sites are created every day, providing you with an endless supply of writing jobs.

The fact is, if you’re a beginning writer, and can write the way you speak – in a relaxed manner, you’re a perfect Web writer.

Let’s look at four easy kinds of writing you can do as a new writer.

* Make Money from Blogging - Three Steps from Beginner to Pro

Even if you’re completely new to the concept of blogs, you can make money blogging. This is because blogging has now gone mainstream. Every business which has a Web site either has a blog too, or feels guilty because they don’t. So bloggers are in high demand.

Not only are bloggers in high demand, experienced bloggers are very busy. They’re reluctant to take on new clients, and when they do, they charge like wounded rhino for their blogging skills. This means that even as a total newbie, you can get hired.

* Web Writing: 3 Days to Article Success

Want to make money writing for the web? Web content in the form of articles sell well. Let's look at an easy process which will help you to create and sell more articles.

This is a three day process. Once you've learned the process, you will be very confident in writing articles. The process saves you a great deal of time and procrastination.

* Online Writing Jobs the Easy Way - 5 Tips

  Want to get online writing jobs? These five tips will help. Writing skills are in huge demand; set up your own home business and prosper.

* Writer for Hire - Freelancing for Profit

Want to make a great income as a freelance writer? You can. I'm fond of saying that anyone who can write an email message can write for pay, and that's accurate.

Unfortunately, many new writers get in their own way. They want to make the process of writing for money more complicated than it is. It's very simple: as a writer for hire, you sell your writing services to people and businesses who need those services.

Let's look at the process involved, and then we'll discuss how you can put the process into action, even if you've never been paid a cent for your writing.

"Go From Zero To Making $250 Per Hour For Web Writing - Kick Off Your Web Writing Career In 24 Hours!"

There's great money in Web writing. Some Web writers are making $20,000 a month by blogging for a stable of sites. Others are writing articles or ebooks.

Want to jump on this opportunity? No matter what your level of writing skill, you can make great money writing for the Web too.

Get a full year of weekly assignments; become a Web writing pro with Sell Your Writing Online NOW.

No time to blog? You can't afford not to

No time to blog?

I hear that from writers all the time. :-)

My response is always: "Blogging wins you more time and income, not less."

Here's why:

1. You never need to hunt for writing jobs. Your blog lets you target precisely those buyers you want. For example, if you're looking for more web content writing gigs, create a blog targeting Internet marketers and webmasters. Then go to the forums where those people hang out, and drop your blog's URL into your forum signature.

2. Your blog makes you credible as a writer to those who don't know your name. It acts not only as a writing sample, but also as evidence that you're a competent, professional writer.

3. Your blog becomes more valuable over time. The longer your blog is online, the more traffic you get. This means that you get more clients, and with more clients, you can raise your rates when you need to.

Many writers are nervous about raising their writing rates, but you'll soon discover that when you charge appropriately, you attract more and better clients. If your rates are too low, the people who regularly hire writers wonder what's wrong with you -- it sends a powerful signal that you're not professional.

Every writer who's ever taken up blogging discovers how powerful it is.

If you're not yet blogging, start today.

Are you scared because you're BROKE? You need cash, fast... Discover how you can sell your services online for cold hard cash, in just 7 days, even if you're a total newbie

You can get money into your PayPal account anytime you want. Just seven short days from now, you'll be able to treat the Internet as your very own just-in-time cash machine.

Making consistent money online is a lot easier than you think. I promise you that if you follow the instructions in my "Your Just-In-Time Cash Machine: Sell Your Services Online In Seven Days" guide, you'll be making money within seven days. From then on, you can use this just-in-time money-making system whenever you wish. You'll feel much more confident, when you know you can make it rain money at any time.

Sell your writing services: it's easy

Selling your writing services couldn't be easier, IF you know how it's done.

Lucky Fab Freelance Writing Ezine subscribers know that already, because they've taken advantage of the subscribers-only offer for my new "sell your writing services" product (being a member has its advantages. :-))

I'll be expanding on the topic with next week's issue of the ezine, in which our theme is: "Instant Money: Sell Your Writing Services".

Here's the thing to be aware of: most writing jobs are never advertised, for any number of reasons, the chief one being that businesses and publications are just TOO BUSY.

If you're a successful freelancer, you already know this. When a series of articles, an advertorial, a brochure, or a booklet is needed, it's needed NOW.

Advertising for writers, and then reading through tons of (generally hopeless) applications is time-intensive. In today's economic climate, no one has the time to go through the rigmarole.

So what do these time-pressed buyers of writing services do?

They:

* Use the outsourcing sites. At least they get bids, and some of those bids are highly professional;

* They contact their network and plead to be given the contact details of good writers;

* They repurpose material they already have;

* They forget about the project.

Can you see that if these busy buyers had the name of just ONE writer in their contacts database, that writer would get several writing gigs over the course of a year?

Therefore, getting your name out to potential buyers, and getting onto their databases, is essential.

So how do you do this?

Here's the easiest way: introduce yourself.

Yes, it's as easy as that.

You can send introductory letters and email messages to:

* Magazines and online publications (include your clips, if you have them)

* Businesses (locally and around the globe)

* Clubs, organizations and associations

* Advertising and editorial agencies

Please don't over-think this. It's both SIMPLE and EASY. Get your name and contact details onto databases.

You've still got time to make 2009 your best writing year ever -- hop to it. :-)
Want to make great money writing? Discover the secrets of high-selling, highly paid writers, for free. Each week, Angela Booth's Fab Freelance Writing Ezine is delivered in easy-to-print PDF format. Join the thousands of other writers who are using the information to change their lives. You'll learn how to write, and how to sell. Angela's been writing for 30 years, and shares her knowledge with you.

Jobs in Writing: Three Great Jobs for You

Are you interested in jobs in writing? There's never been a better time to be a writer -- the explosive growth of the Web means that you can get all the writing jobs you've ever wanted. Let's look at the three great jobs which may be right for you.

1. Writing Articles: Start Small, Build a Big Business

Websites need content, because adding articles to a site ensures that the site gets more traffic from the search engines -- the more content, the more traffic. Since this traffic can be converted into sales, sites are very willing to spend money hiring web writers to write articles.

Thousands of large sites hire writers to produce a certain number of articles each week. Smaller sites buy articles as they need them.

Here's an important tip. Realize that you'll need to start small by writing for smaller sites to gain experience. As your experience grows, you can write for larger sites which pay better rates.

2. Blogging: Can You Write Snippets Every Day?

Blogging has become mainstream. There were many blog jobs available for writers, but just as with writing articles, you need to start small. The more experience you have, the more you're worth.

If you're interested in blogging for sites, you need to create and write your own blog. This will build a presence for you online, and in addition, your blog will act as a writing sample.

Getting blogs jobs is all about building relationships. Once you've created your own blog, and are blogging consistently, approach companies directly, rather than hunting for work.

As your experience grows, it's a good idea to build a team -- team up with a designer, and a programmer, so that you can take on large projects.

3. Information Marketing: Create Info Products

Information sells online. Thousands of businesses have sprung up to meet the desire for fast information, delivered immediately. You'll find dozens of writing jobs on the outsourcing sites every day for writers to create ebooks and other information products.

As with blogging, you need to get visible in this space. Take a couple of low-paying jobs in the beginning, to build your credits, and then go for higher paying jobs.

Once you become experienced in creating information products, you can create your own information product business.

Are you a new writer? Consider writing for magazines.

"If You Want to See Your Name in Newsstand Magazines, You Can!"

Many writers start high-profile careers by writing for magazines.

Magazine writing is both easy and highly profitable. Once you've learned the techniques in Angela Booth's new writing guide "Freelance Writing: Make Great Money Writing Articles For Magazines (In Your Spare Time)" , you'll soon be writing for magazines which pay from $1 to $4 PER WORD.

Today's Writing Tip: Write articles, make money, and develop a sunny career

Want an easy way to make money writing? Start with article writing. 

The big benefit of writing articles is that you earn while you learn. You certainly don't have to be a great writer to write articles, you simply have to provide useful information. Hundreds of thousands of websites pay for articles. Mostly, the pay is abysmal, but that shouldn't concern you.

No, I'm not suggesting you settle in and make yourself comfortable with sweatshop writing. :-) 

I am suggesting however, that you can EARN your way to a high income. When I started writing, way back in the 1970s, you had to pay your dues as a writer. You could count on at least five to 7 years of writing every day, without making a cent. 

All that's changed. 

Nowadays, you can write short articles and can get paid for it. As your skills increase, you can write for larger sites, and larger clients, and can earn a very nice living indeed... and you won't have to wait five years.

There's never been a better time to be a writer -- every day is a sunny day, when you work from home writing articles.

Photo credit 

Freelance Writer: 3 Deadly Mistakes to Avoid

Are you a freelance writer? In the current economic climate you should be making a great income. If you're not, chances are you're making mistakes without knowing it. Let's look at three of the most deadly mistakes you should avoid.

1. You're a Generic Writer: You Don't Promote Your Name

You must build your name as a writer. There are many reasons for this, the most important reason is this: trust. The web is packed with "writers" who would be hard-pressed to write a shopping list.

Just as companies brand themselves, you need to brand yourself as a competent,  reliable writer. Competent, reliable writers are scarce. The field of writing is packed with hobbyists: all editors and other buyers have been burned by incompetent writers many times.

Once buyers of writing know that you're both competent and reliable, you will get more writing jobs than you can handle.

2. You Don't Realize That One Writing Job Becomes Two, and Two Becomes a Thousand

When you've completed a writing job for a buyer, maintain the relationship. A person who's hired you once, will hire you again. Not only that, this buyer has colleagues and business relationships. Encourage him to spread your name around amongst the people and businesses he knows.

As soon as possible, develop a process to stay in touch with past clients. Maintain a client list. Send out a short e-mail message to all your clients, both past and current, every month. Boast about your successes. This reminds your buyers that you exist.

If you don't remind your buyers, they will forget your name quickly. Think about it: do you remember the name of the plumber you called when your bathroom flooded?

3. You Don't Keep Deadlines: You Procrastinate

Your buyers may be slow to respond to any communication, but you must be fast.

You should respond at speed; preferably within minutes. This isn't always possible, so respond within 24 hours unless you're dead. Staying in touch with the people who've hired you is absolutely essential.

By the same token: commit completely to deadlines. The only excuse you have for missing a deadline is death. When you treat deadlines as absolute commitments which you never break, you'll get repeat buyers. Nothing turns buyers off faster than a failure to communicate and keep deadlines.

Recession-proof your freelance writing career

"Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process" gives you all the tools you need for a thriving writing career, no matter what the economic climate.

Three weeks after completing the class one student wrote:

"Thanks Angela, for all your help and advice in class. I'm quitting my job next week. I printed out my letter of resignation tonight after landing a contract writing job that will pay me more for three months part-time work than I earned in from my day job in the whole of 2007! You were right – the great gigs are out there, and now I've got the skills to land them. Your class opened my eyes. Bless you…"

"Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process" shows you how to thrive as a freelance writer. Would you like to write five times more than you're writing now, and sell to higher-paying markets? Take the class.

Freelance Writing Fees: How Much Will You Charge for Your Writing?

If you're a new writer, you're wondering how to set your freelance writing fees. There are no standard rates, so deciding how much to charge when you're starting out is a matter for your own discretion.

Let's look at some things you may want to take into account.

1. How Much Writing Experience Do You Have?

Any experience you have is valuable. If you're writing in your day job, you've gained valuable experience. You may also have experience in blogging. (If you don't have a blog yet, start one immediately -- it's a way for buyers to find you, and to assess your style.)

If you don't have any writing experience, getting that experience is your first step and priority. Writing is just like any other trade or profession: you need to learn your craft, while charging apprentice rates, before you're able to charge professional rates.

I encourage my writing students to get jobs on the outsourcing sites, so that they can collect some testimonials, and can get experience in charging for their words.

2. What's the Buyer's Budget?

Buyers have budgets for projects, so that's the first thing you need to find out. Just ask: "What's your budget for this project?" If the buyer says he doesn't know, persist, and ask the question again.

As a negotiating tactic, the first party to quote a price is at a disadvantage. Keeping the advantage is essential. If the buyer won't give you a figure, tell him to get back to you when he's worked out the project's budget.

3. Can This Job Be a Loss-Leader for You?

You write for money, but sometimes money isn't the sole consideration. Perhaps you want a writing credit from a major publication, and are willing to lower your rates to get it. Or perhaps a company has potential to provide you with on-going work.

If getting a writing job will benefit you in other ways, and if the project is SHORT (takes less than three hours), you may want to consider it a loss-leader, and lower your rates. (Never commit to any writing job longer than three hours at less than your baseline rates. It's not good business practice.)

4. Got Experience and Testimonials? Set Your Baseline Rates

Once you're an experienced freelancer, with testimonials, you can set your baseline rates. These are your rock-bottom fees, below which you can't and won't go.

There are various ways of working them out, based on how much money you need to make per writing hour to stay in business. The fees you set depend on your own circumstances, so use your own discretion.

As you gain freelance writing experience, you'll get more confident in setting your rates. As a beginner, don't worry about it. Just get writing jobs and complete them, and you'll soon be making an excellent income.

Subscribe to Angela Booth's fabulous free weekly ezine for freelance writers: get a free report just for subscribing. Even if you're a new writer, you can freelance your way to a fantastic writing career.

Join the thousands of freelance writers who are making great money freelance writing, using Fab Freelance Writing Ezine as their guide.

Freelance Writing for Beginners: 3 Tips

Kick off your writing career: go from zero to $250 per hour

Are you a beginning freelance writer? There are huge opportunities for writers at the moment. If you're not making a great income with your writing within six months there's something wrong with your strategy.

Here are three tips which will help you to kick start your career.

Firstly, you need to develop a professional writer's mindset. A professional is solely concerned with his buyers. Look at the services you offer from their point of view, rather than your own.

Here are three questions your buyers are asking themselves. Answer these questions, and you'll build a fantastic freelance writing career.

1. Who Are You? Create a Winning Profile and Bio

Getting freelance writing jobs is easy when you promote your services.

Start by telling people who you are. You're not working at a job, so you don't need a resume or CV. You do need a profile and bio. Your profile and bio lets buyers of your writing estimate whether you're the right fit for the writing jobs they have in mind.

The first time you write a profile, it's intimidating. Most writers are by nature shy, and hate talking about themselves. So, pretend you're talking about somebody else; just get that profile and bio written.

2. Tell Me Why I Should Trust You: Create a Friendly, Professional Web Site

You writer's website isn't optional. It's essential. I've never been able to understand why some writers are lazy about creating a website, but are quite prepared to spend hours every week searching for low-paying writing jobs.

As with your profile and bio, your website establishes you. It tells buyers why they should trust you. It's professional; you'll attract buyers of writing who are looking for professional writers, rather than cheap "content producers".

3. How Much Do You Cost? Get Comfortable Setting Your Rates

Top writers charge more because they provide more value, so they're in demand. The ability to add value to a project comes from experience. You can't buy experience, you can only earn it.

When you're a beginner, don't worry too much about your rates. You don't have any bargaining power, so take any writing jobs you can get. This is all part of paying your dues as a writer -- remember, you earn experience, it doesn't magically descend on you.   

As you become more experienced, you will become more comfortable at both setting, and raising, your rates.

Write your way to a million-dollar income

Write And Sell Your Writing: The Power-Write Report -- 2009

The Web has made it possible for ANY writer, no matter how new or inexperienced, to turn writing into a fabulous career. If you're stuck in a soul-destroying, or just boring job, writing is your way out.

Fab Freelance Ezine helps you to understand the fast-changing world of the freelance writer, and sets you well on the way to making the income that you want to make, and that many writers are already making.

Subscribe today, and receive "Write And Sell Your Writing: The Power-Write Report -- 2009" just for subscribing.

Freelance Writing: Get Jobs, Get Paid

As a freelance writer, you're in business for yourself. A major part of offering your writing services is getting paid for those services. This doesn't just happen -- you need a process in place to invoice your clients and to ensure that you're paid promptly.

In short, you need to be your own Accounts Receivable department.

Here's to get paid promptly.

1. Your Contract Should Say It All

Your contract doesn't need to be extensive. It can be shorter than a page; in fact it SHOULD be shorter than a page. Pages of legalese won't get you paid, people just won't read them. Include just the salient points.

Salient points include: the copyright in your work remains with you until you're paid in full, your retainer is paid before you start work, and payment is due on invoice. You can also add the number of revisions you are prepared to do: two revisions, provided you communicate properly with the client as you work on the project, are ample.

2. Why You Need a Retainer

A retainer is essential. It separates the tyre-kickers and time-wasters from genuine clients. You have no idea whether somebody is genuine or not until they actually pay you a retainer.

Big tip: check out clients on Google before you work with them.

3. Your Part of the Deal: Keep Deadlines

Make it your personal policy that you always keep deadlines. No exceptions. This immediately puts you ahead of 95 per cent of writers who look on a deadline as the day they should start work rather than the day they should complete it.

4. Slow Payer? Stay in Touch Until You're Paid

Some of your clients will pay you slowly. There are many reasons for this, and none need to concern you. You should have an invoicing program which offers a tickler function and shows you when payments from clients are due: invoice promptly, and send statements to follow up on invoices.

If you don't have an invoicing program, create a file called Accounts Receivable, and keep it up-to-date. All of your contracts should include the words "payment is  due on invoice".

If you're not paid within 48 hours of an invoice, send a reminder. Send weekly reminders after that. Be completely dispassionate about this, there's no need to get yourself worked up over it: be polite and professional at all times.  If you invoice promptly and follow up properly, you'll never have deadbeat clients.

Want more information to help you to make money as a freelance writer? Read the Fab Freelance Writing Blog.

Make money writing from home: ditch your day job forever

If you can write, you can make money writing from home. The Web has made it possible for ANY writer, no matter how new or inexperienced, to turn writing into a fabulous career. If you're stuck in a soul-destroying, or just boring job, writing is your way out.

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The Best Freelance Writing Gigs

In next week's Fab Freelance Writing Ezine, we discuss the best freelance writing gigs.

Here's an excerpt from the Editorial:

This week we look at the best freelance writing gigs. But which gigs are "best"? Since we make a living as freelance writers, the best gigs are those which give us the best return for our investment of time and energy.

As you build your career, your definition of the best gigs will change. As a new writer, your "best" gig is any gig you can get. :-)

As your career develops, you'll look for gigs which:

* Meet your hourly rate;
* Pay a retainer up front;
* Give you a clear brief (project description);
* Pay your invoice quickly; and
* Are interesting, or which present unique challenges.

This issue is out on Tuesday, and of course it's free. Don't miss it -- subscribe now.