Tag / Freelancer

by caitlyncallahan14

setting goals for 2021 after the dumpster fire of 2020

It’s no surprise that the majority of humans are ready to leave 2020 behind.

Not that on January 1 the world is magically going to be a better place, the pandemic will be gone, everyone has their jobs back and life is back to normal. But just that the year where so many terrible things happened is left behind and we can literally turn the page.

2020 was a rough year for many, including myself. I was furloughed for three month, I was (and still am) anxious for family members who are healthcare heroes and work on the front lines, I had family members and friends get the virus, and people close to me lost loved ones. I struggled with not being able to see friends and live our normal, outgoing and busy lives. I was scared, angry, sad and sometimes lonely. Between the pandemic (and everything that came with it), celebrity deaths, wild fires, BLM movement, protests, the election, murder hornets, and more, this year was a lot.

But 2020 was also one of the best years I can remember. I bought a house, got a puppy, went back to my job and now work from home (which I’ve always wanted), went on a mother-daughter vacation that we’ve talked about for years but never made time for, fell back in love with writing and my side-hustle work, read dozens of books, continued building my business and brought on new clients, realized the value of friendship more than ever, slowed down and enjoyed life like I’ve never done before… and without some of the bad, I never would have had the opportunity for some of this good.

Every year, I write “resolutions” or goals for myself and my business. With 2021 just a few days away, I sat down to think about what I want to accomplish next year. Going into 2020, I had some very specific and S.M.A.R.T. growth and opportunity goals. In 2021, I’m going in a different direction.

Here are a few of my goals (personal and professional) for 2021:

  • Read. Read at least two books per month (fun or professional development… doesn’t matter!)
  • Learn. Earn three certifications in something I’m interested in and can help me in my life/career.
  • Build. Continue to nurture relationships with my clients and provide outstanding, exceptional work. Keep my eyes open for potential new jobs/clients, with less emphasis on the “quantity” of clients and more emphasis on the “quality.”
  • Enjoy. Be intentional with any time I get to spend with family, friends or coworkers. Take advantage of any experiences I get to share with loved ones, and stay in the moment to enjoy every second possible.
  • Improve. 2020 was a huge year for learning about myself, my passions, my work ethic, what I want in a career and future. Next year, I want to continue to improve myself personally and professionally. While I don’t know exactly what that looks like, I want to be intentional about recognizing when I have opportunities to do so.
  • Travel. Whether it’s somewhere distant for a week, another state for a weekend or to the park down the street for a few hours, spend more time outdoors and creating and embracing experiences and memories.

While these look different than any other annual goals I’ve ever set for myself, I am more passionate about them and excited to take them on.

If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to think back on 2020, remember the positive things that happened, and take that momentum into 2021. Build on it, grow, continue to embrace what’s really important, be intentional and stay in the moment, and don’t take work, love, family and friendship for granted. Set goals for yourself that make you happy and will improve your life. We’ve all learned a lot this year, and it’s time to make ourselves and the world better next year!

by caitlyncallahan14

ghostwriting

Let me preface this post by stating that ghostwriting isn’t “bad,” and there’s nothing “wrong” with doing it. However, it may not be for everyone, so being aware of what it is and determining whether or not you want to do it is an important step in your freelance career.

Ghostwriting is when something you write or produce is credited to another author. For example, though you, Jane Doe, may write the blog post, it may be published on the client’s website under the CEO’s name “John Smith.”

Pros

  • It’s experience.
  • You can gain experience in a variety of industries and niches, some of which you wouldn’t get if you were credited.
  • You can write about topics that you aren’t necessarily an “expert” in and aren’t your primary focus. You can also write about new topics without having to worry about public perceptions tied to your name attached to them.
  • You can work on a secret passion.

Cons

  • You don’t get credit for writing a piece.
  • In most cases, you can’t include ghostwritten pieces in a portfolio or on a resume. You may even be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and can’t claim or share involvement with the project or client.
  • You give up ownership of the work.

In some cases, it doesn’t matter if your name is attached to work. For example, perhaps you write press releases, copy for client websites and landing pages, or social media posts. The important thing here (if it’s important to you) is to understand if you can list the client as a client in your portfolio, and reference the work you complete.

However, in most cases, if you’re contributing to a book, writing blog pieces, articles or other content, producing art or graphics, etc., it can be beneficial to have your name in the byline. This way you can list or link to those pieces in your portfolio, share them with prospective future clients, and build your brand and reputation around your name.

If you ask some freelancers, or do a quick internet search, many consider ghostwriting to be a form of plagiarism because someone is claiming someone else’s work as their own.

If you sign up to be a ghostwriter, this shouldn’t be a problem. However, if you don’t, it could be.

Personally I don’t bid for or accept ghostwriting jobs because it’s important to me to be able to build my portfolio, brand and company. (There are exceptions, of course, for jobs in which I can reference the client and work, such as running a company’s social media account.)

However, I recently realized some of my work for clients is being published under other names – turns out, I was hired as a ghostwriter. This wasn’t disclosed up front. But this isn’t illegal.

Clients don’t have to tell you that you’re ghostwriting for them, and that’s fine.

Moving forward, it will become part of my regular practice to ask up front:

  • Can I list you as a client in my portfolio?
  • Will I be getting credit for this work?
  • Can I link to this work in my portfolio/share it in the future?

I used to do this when I first started. I worked with some amazing clients, and became lax with my clarification. No longer, because as proud as I am of the work I’m producing, I can’t claim it and I can’t use it.

Again, if you don’t mind not having your name attached to something, or perhaps you prefer anonymity, ghostwriting can be a great opportunity.

TIP: If those things are important to you, be sure to clarify with the client up front what your relationship can be with the work you produce. Don’t be afraid to ask if you’ll be getting credit, or how you can use the work in the future. If you’re working with clients outside of a freelancer service (like Upwork) always include copyright, future use and client relationship information in your contract. Or, be sure to understand what the client’s contract states about these before entering the agreement.

by caitlyncallahan14

you get what you pay for

This post is for both freelancers and clients who hire freelancers.

Putting in all caps for emphasis: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

Many times throughout my freelance career, I’ve found myself shocked at the work people request for the rate they are requesting. For example:

10 posts per week
1,000-2,500 words per post
Must provide topic ideas for approval, outlines, and full articles with headings and keywords
Extensive research required
Will run through Grammarly for grammar and originality
Written for SEO rankings
Must be available for additional rounds of edits
Must be able to post to WordPress, format, and add images
$10 per article

Guys, I can’t make this up. That was a real job posting. Someone looking for an expert, who can provide topics, outlines, and full, well-researched and formatted 1,000-2,500 word articles, then post and format them on WordPress with images, for $10 per article…

Here’s another one (summarized):

500-750 words
Minimum 2-3 citations
English native language and located in U.S.
PLEASE BE EXPERT LEVEL AS I HAVE POSTED. Please don’t waste either of our time.
Every piece proofread through Grammarly
Work must be all original, have the proper flow, and be on time. Most assignments are due in 1-3 days.
I am looking expert writers, please. This post is going under the expert level, so please, please have that qualification.
$25 per article

Now, don’t get me wrong, someone will take that job. But let me be clear to this job poster: you will likely NOT be getting an expert. Because while someone just starting out or in need of a client may accept job that because it’s not a bad rate, for as important as an expert is to you, your chances are much smaller that you’ll get one.

I’ve seen rates of $1 for 100 words, $5 per hour, or $10 flat rate for 2,500+ words — all tagged at the “expert” level.

Again, for those in the back who may have missed it: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

If you are offering an extremely low rate, you will not be getting an expert writer. Because experts know they are experts and know what they are worth, and I promise it’s more than what you are offering.

I’ve had clients turn me down because my price is too high, and then come back six months or a year later saying their other hire didn’t work out and wasn’t providing the quality of work they need. While I truly don’t believe I charge too much for what I provide, you may not get what you need from someone who charges less.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of freelancers out there who provide excellent work for a low price. Perhaps they are just starting, building their portfolio, or they are only freelancing as a side hustle and don’t really worry about the rates. That’s wonderful, and I applaud you for your efforts and work.

However, to my fellow freelancers – don’t underestimate yourself, and charge what you are worth.

While you may have to re-define your job search terms, spend more time searching and/or submit more proposals, the client who hires you at the price you are worth is worth it in the end.

I remember when I first started, I took on a client who was paying me $20 an hour. With Upwork fees, I was only making $16. While the client was wonderful and I loved working with him and his team, I would spend hours writing a piece (due to research and length requirements) and only make maybe $100 (even though I knew it was worth more around $300-400 for the length and effort). I was just starting, thrilled to have a client, and taking whatever I could get to build my portfolio. And, I didn’t believe I could charge more.

Today, I have a client for whom I spend around 1-1.5 hours per piece, and I make $200 for each one.

I’m not telling you this to brag. I can’t express how thankful I am for my clients today. I assure you I spent the same amount of effort, and provided the same quality and excellence with both of those clients. I’m still proud of the work I produced for both, and am happy to share both in my portfolio. But only one was more willing to pay for what the work was worth.

To clients: If you have insane job requests, are looking for an incredible amount of work, and/or want expertise and high-quality writing, please pay your freelancers for it. If you won’t, don’t be disappointed when you don’t get what you’re looking for, have to spend hours on rounds of edits, and/or get frustrated with your relationship with your freelancers.

To freelancers: Spend the extra time to find that right client who will pay what you deserve; however, your rate should reflect your experience, quality and expertise. If you aren’t an expert, don’t charge as one. Find somewhere in-between until you build your portfolio and confidence. Either way, don’t get discouraged, work hard, and keep building relationships. You’ll find that right rate in the end.

If you’re currently a freelancer, how did you set your rate? Any advice for those just starting out? If you’re a client, how do you set your price for work? What do you take into consideration?

Let us know in the comments!

by caitlyncallahan14

1,000 words

A picture is worth a thousand words.

How many times have you heard that saying? Probably at least a thousand, referencing both good and “bad” photos (we all have at least one picture on our Facebook we are embarrassed about).

Pictures can evoke emotion, bring back memories, tell a story… each worth a thousand words.

But have you ever sat down, looked at a picture, and written 1,000 words?

I hadn’t. Until today.

While reading a book about tapping into and expressing creativity, the author (a photographer) described how each photo he takes, he embodies how photography is about capturing a moment and creating a story – at least 1,000 words worth.

It sparked an idea for me – I’ve never actually written 1,000 words about a picture. And what better way to practice writing, express creativity, and hone my craft than doing just that?

The general guideline is each typed page is about 500 words, so I sat down at my typewriter to write out about two and a half pages (since typewriter keys are larger than typical computer font). I scrolled through my phone’s photos and selected one I took today of my view from my patio chair. It’s not a spectacular photo, and it’s not of a spectacular time, which I thought would make for a challenge.

You don’t realize how many words 1,000 words really is until you’re writing them. But I found that my fingers flowed across the keys and typed out 2.5 pages in just under half an hour. Even though I had taken the photo only a couple of hours before, I felt so much emotion writing about it. Gratitude, joy, satisfaction, relief, content. I described the sky, trees, flowers, and grass. My dogs. My book. The sun. The breeze and warmth from the day.

Honestly, I could have written 2,000 words. Maybe more.

And the point is it got me writing. It inspired this blog post. I spent half an hour of my day writing, letting my mind wander, exercising my fingers on the keys. Practicing my craft.

I’ve written before about Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert rule. Today I added to my expertise.

I encourage you to take at least 30 minutes a day to practice your craft. To better yourself. Whether it’s exercising, writing, reading, learning, cooking, painting, knitting, or whatever it is that you love to do, start with 30 minutes. And then make time for 60. Or, if you have a busy day, take just 5 or 10 minutes.

And if you’re a writer, I encourage you to take or choose a photo and write 1,000 words about it. Tell a story. Feel the emotion from the photo, or evoke emotion from the viewer and reader. It doesn’t have to be perfect. But the more you do it, the more you practice, the better writer you will be.

by caitlyncallahan14

the importance of patience

I started back at work this week (FINALLY), and though working from home, I’ve now had to switch my focus to checking emails, joining meetings, and catching up on projects and things I missed during furlough.

Even though I’m back working full time, I’ve also been busier than ever with business clients. In the past three months, I’ve brought on four new clients, in addition to the three consistent clients I already had. I have a new organization system that’s really working for me and I could not be more excited to be continuing to grow my business, but it’s keeping me busy on top of my 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. regular job.

We also brought home a new puppy this past Sunday.

He’s a six-ish month old boxer/shepherd mix who has basically lived in a shelter or bounced from foster to foster all of his life. He’s the sweetest, most loving and friendly little guy, but he’s had essentially zero training. He’s not fully house trained, his manners need work, and he’s still a puppy with a lot of puppy energy.

Let me just say – I’ve really had my patience tested this week.

I’m learning a “new normal” being back to work (though working from home) and balancing my client load. Sometimes it’s tough to log into the meeting when last week I would have been sipping a glass of wine and reading my book on the patio.

And I’m also trying to train a puppy.

I knew what we were getting into with a puppy, but let’s just say I’ve never been the most patient person in the world. I’ve said “off,” “quiet,” and “potty” more times this week than I have probably in my whole life combined. I had to buy a baby gate to block off rooms in the house because he must be watched constantly. And our other dog is still getting used to him, so she needs to get extra attention!

I’ve found myself getting so frustrated. Either I’m on a conference call and the puppy is going crazy jumping on things and barking, or I’m trying to write a content piece and have to take him out 6 times before he goes potty. Or I really want to work on a client piece, but instead am focusing on a work project.

BUT THIS IS LIFE.

There’s always something to distract you. Something to drag you down or discourage you. Something that must take priority, even if you don’t want it to. When you’re building a business, especially if you’re also working full time, things won’t always go your way.

And that’s why patience is so important.

You won’t be a huge success overnight. Your client list won’t boom in one week or even one month. You won’t have as much savings as you’d like to quit your job. Your website traffic may take months to be where you want it. But part of building a business and being a freelancer is remembering these things even when it’s hard and life seems to get in the way or even knock you down. Trust me, it took me a long time to understand and embrace this.

It’s so important to have patience because that’s what will keep you going, knowing that one day you will be a huge success, and your client list will be nearly more than you can handle, and you’ll have enough savings to be able to quit your job and do what you love full-time instead.

I’m more motivated than ever to continue to provide excellence to my clients and grow my business, portfolio and profits. And, I have more work than ever to prove it. I’ve had to be patient with myself while I figure out how to juggle my time and work and normal life after three months of having endless time to do whatever I wanted. I’ve had to be patient with the puppy, because after all, he’s just a puppy. (One day, he will be an amazing dog and these puppy months will be a distant memory.)

I’ve found that the more patient you are with yourself in life, the more you will be able to get out of life. And yes, this is much easier for me to say than do. But if you give yourself time to become who you want to be, and build what you’ve always dreamed, getting there is so much sweeter. And, you get to enjoy the path along the way.

They say to live for the journey, not just the destination. It’s easier to do so once you understand the importance of patience ✌️