Stay Sane 4 - Be a Freelance Blogger

How to NOT Be Your Freelance Blogging Client’s Fool

Yes, I’m aware of the date. No, this post is not a joke. In fact, it’s as serious as they come.

I couldn’t resist doing a post about “fools” on April Fool’s Day. After all, there are so many ways clients can make fools out of us freelance bloggers.

Sometimes we play the fool when a client refuses to pay. Other times, we’ll be made a fool when a client keeps piling on work that we didn’t sign on for. Or maybe, you’re that sad fool whose had the misfortune of working for an abusive client? Ah, yes… the saddest fool of all, perhaps.

Well, it’s time to take a cue from Cinderella and become “Nobody’s Fool.” (Feel free to play that song in the background while you read this to get in the proper mindset).

The Client Who Makes You a Fool by Not Paying

This is one of the most common ways a client can make a fool out of a freelance blogger. It happens, on occasion, to even the best, most established freelance bloggers. It’s nothing to be ashamed of… but it is irritating as all get out.

The first step is not to panic, or let rage consume you. You absolutely must stay calm.

From there, try resending your invoice, with a little reminder that it’s past due.

Still no response? Then it’s time to send your client a carefully-worded e-mail about the situation.

Try something like:

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By Lauren Spear

5 Steps to Take When You Lose Your Best Blogging Client

Before I became the Managing Editor of Be a Freelance Blogger, I was a reader, just like you. And I’m still an avid reader of the posts here to this very day.

One of my all-time favorite posts here on BAFB is th i s one on preparing for the Feast or Famine Cycle. It details how you can prepare yourself ahead of time for the “Famine” part of the cycle so that, when it comes, you won’t take as much of a hit financially or mentally. It’s great stuff!

But what about those times when – WHAMMO! – you find yourself in the “Famine” part of the cycle unexpectedly?

As freelancers, it’s not uncommon for us to be let go with little to no warning from contracts that were supposedly “steady.” It happened to me just last month! A company I was working for suddenly went under and laid off all of their employees (including me!) with zero warning ahead of time. None of us had any idea anything was financially wrong with the business until we found ourselves suddenly jobless. And that’s not an uncommon story among freelance bloggers.

First of all, don’t panic. What you’re going through is normal, and you will find another job.

After the bone-chilling realization that you’re suddenly “unemployed” sinks in, remind yourself that you’re a freelancer and that you’re never truly “unemployed.” You’re your own boss! The only way for you to be truly jobless is if you quit freelance blogging altogether. And you’re not about to do that, right? Yeah. I didn’t think so.

So, after you’ve come to grips with your new situation and reassured yourself that everything’s going to be fine eventually, there are a few steps you should take…

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By Kelly Gurnett

10 Things You’re Probably Sick of Hearing If You’re a Freelance Blogger

There are lots of challenges you never realize you’ll need to deal with when you first dream of becoming a freelance blogger.

Some of them you can brace yourself for if you read blogs like this one — things like how to ask for the rate you want, how to avoid problem clients, or how to occasionally shower before dinnertime so your partner doesn’t come home and wonder, for the 40th day in a row, if you are or are not in the exact same position you were when they left for work that morning.

Other challenges don’t get as much airplay on blogging blogs, but when you find yourself commiserating with fellow freelancers, you realize they’re just as prevalent — and just as much a cause of EOFHL (Early Onset Freelancer Hair Loss).

Which is why I think it’s time we talk about something that has nothing to do with productivity or process or profit. That thing?

The incredibly dumb, ridiculous, silly and annoying questions you will find yourself fielding from friends, loved ones and random strangers when they find out what you do for a living.

See if any of these sound familiar to you…

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By Stephanie Ruopp

Why You Don’t Want Your Client to Be Any of These Six Types

Landing a client can be a big deal. Like your first kiss big deal. (Judgment aside, this hopefully isn’t how you got the client.)

You’re geeked. You love this client for giving you the chance to prove your mad blogging skills and you’re certain you’ve found a slice of freelance blogging nirvana.

Then, some weird stuff starts going down with client. Still, your sheer appreciation for the opportunity keeps the eternal flame of love aglow. It is in this ardor that you may not recognize that the client could actually be an asshole bad news. After all, love is blind.

So to help you see more clearly, here’s a rundown of six types of clients around whom you’ll want to steer a wide berth.

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By Andrew Howe

How to Not Burn Out While Working Freelance

You have been scrolling different websites for several hours to find something to boost inspiration. And it’s not the first time you realize that time goes by soooooo slowly.

Neither articles nor motivational quotes help you roll up your sleeves to start writing a good blog post.

Hold on a minute. Are you about to burn out?

Let’s check it:

You procrastinate at work (Oops! It seems, you do!)
Irritating mood
You don’t have motivation
Decreased working performance (how many articles have you written today?)
You get negative feedback from your clients
A lack of creative ideas (you’ve run out of good ideas)

If you are nodding right now, I have bad news for you then: you might be emotionally and physically exhausted.

Being a freelance blogger, you spend much time reading, writing, editing, seeking out new clients, communicating with customers, being in contact with your readers, and managing your time.

Obviously, being responsible for your work from A to Z is not an easy thing to do, and it can lead to a burnout.

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