Search Results for: get clients

How to Self-Publish Your Way to Better Freelance Writing Gigs

One question Be a Freelance Blogger readers ask a lot is: how can I convince a potential client that I’m the right writer for them?

The answer: you don’t have to convince. You just show them, and they convince themselves.

The convention of proof in freelance blogging is that you give the potential client links to 2 or 3 of your most relevant published posts, or to your online portfolio. But what if you had bigger, more powerful proof to offer?

What if you gave them a copy of your book on their niche topic?

Let me give away your potential client’s big secret right here: they’re human, and they’re impressed by the same stuff as anybody else. That means they view you as an expert in any topic you’ve published a book about. Magazine articles and academic publications count for a lot, too, but a book tops the list.

Yeah, yeah, publish a book. Riiiight, Sophie.

I’m not kidding. Self-publishing isn’t difficult; there’s a learning curve, but it’s nothing you can’t handle. And I’ve brought in an expert to give us a few pointers.

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By Gary Korisko

How to Sell Your Blog Posts Without Selling Your Soul

Do you hate selling?

Does the idea of approaching strangers and asking them to give you money make you want to curl up and die? Do you feel all dirty and slimy talking about prices?

Well, I have good news and bad news for you.

The good news is that you’re not alone. A lot of people feel that way. The bad news is that when you’ve picked freelance writing as your career, being able to sell is about as important as, oh… let’s say oxygen.

But before you throw in the towel to pursue a career in accounting or fry cookery, let me make you feel a whole lot better about this scenario by sharing some inside sales guy information with you.

You’ve been lied to. Or at the very least misled.

Sales is not what you think.

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By Sophie Lizard

UK Freelance Tax and Self-Assessment: A Quick Start Guide

Ugh. Taxes.

No matter what you do in your freelance writing career, you’ll have to face the tax ~~monster~~ man, right? And it looks pretty complicated, especially if you’re not a big fan of mathematics.

Chris Peden (a CPA and freelance writer) wrote a very helpful post last year about how to keep your financial records for U.S. taxation as a freelance blogger. But I know there are plenty of bloggers in the UK who need to know what’s required of them, too. So I’ve interviewed a UK taxation expert to give us the info we need. 🙂

Rosie Slosek founded the Money Haven to provide tax return help for solopreneurs who want to do their own tax return, and support and coaching for one man band limited companies who want to understand what their legal obligations are.

She talks plain English, explains the jargon you need to know (tax-deductible, anyone?), and she’s always on your side. She also has a great sense of humour, and promotes the use of cake and other incentives to meet your tax and accounting obligations.

Here are Rosie’s top tips for UK freelancers to handle your taxes with confidence and grace (and cake).

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By Karol K.

Why Publicly Available Gigs Suck for Freelance Blogging… And an Alternative That Doesn’t

If I were to ask: “I need a freelance blogging job. Where do I go?”

What would you say?

Let me give you a couple of seconds to think this through.

Job boards, am I right?

Even if that wasn’t your final answer, I’m pretty sure it was on your mind nevertheless.

Job boards (actually, all kinds of publicly available job listings, forum sections for freelance deals, sites like Fiverr, and so on) are THE obvious place to go for any kind of freelance-related work. It’s surely no surprise that many new freelance bloggers rely on them exclusively when hunting for their first gigs.

I did too.

And don’t get me wrong, they are very good at getting you employed. However, in the long run, they are not that great of a tool to keep your career advancing.

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By Sophie Lizard

The 9 Laws of Freelance Blogging: A Manifesto

The year is ending. A new beginning, if you believe in that kind of thing. At the very least, a new morning.

Perhaps you’ve made resolutions, or contemplated your past and your future. Perhaps you’ve thought philosophical thoughts about your place in the universe.

This year, there are 9 laws I plan to live and work by. A mini-manifesto, if you like. Here’s what I believe:

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