Take The Quiz

1. Are you self-motivated?

CSI re-runs or your favorite TV show is calling your name and you have no client work.  Do you pick up the remote and kickback or start working your contact list for leads? Do you already have a scheduled marketing plan that you work weekly? Can you promote yourself even if you’re shy? If you’re a newbie, you will wake up every morning unemployed until you get an assignment.

2. Are you self-competitive?

There will always be someone better than you or a more established writer; can you work on continually improving your personal best?  The Japanese call continuous improvement “Kaizen.” Can you compete with yourself?

The Copywriter Underground has a good post on “the value-added copywriter.”

3. Are you self-disciplined?

You need to work independently and the internet affords many ways to waffle and waste away your time.  Can you write when you don’t feel inspired and energetic? Do you have a daily routine for work? Will you market yourself when work is slow?

4. Can you create relationships not just databases?

People buy from people they like. Do you really know your potential clients and customers? Do you keep a list of birthdays?  Do you send your contacts and clients congrats when you notice they’ve won an award or received a promotion? Do you help your competition when they need it? Would you pass on work to your competition when you don’t have time to do it?

The Renegade Writer has an good post on maintaining relationships with editors.

5. Do you have thick skin?

Are you confident?  You need to handle rejection well; you can’t take it personally. And your work will be edited. Are you diplomatic when you receive rejections and when your “perfect prose” is sliced and diced in the editing process?

6. Are you thorough?

Do you take the time to read the publications you want to write for BEFORE you send your query?  Do you check out their editorial calendars so you know the best time to send your “pitch?” Do you research your potential clients to see where you can help them? Do you research your target market for age, education, gender, career etc? Do you know your competition and study them?

7. Can you juggle many different tasks?

As a Freelance Writer you will need to be a Bookkeeper, Secretary, Marketer, Salesperson, IT Department, Credit and Collections Department and Public Relations Consultant.

8. Can you prioritize?

The Pareto Principle:  twenty percent of what you do will give you eighty percent of your money.  Are you giving that 20 percent your best attention? Or are you giving those “paying-me-peanuts-projects” extra time?

Over at Freelance Switch they have a Client Analyser to help you look for 80/20 type patterns in your clients.

9. Do you have business acumen?

Do you have all your clients sign contracts? Do you know where your money comes from?  Do you know where it is spent? Do you have financial goals for your business?  Do you dress appropriately for client/business meetings? Do you realize you are in a business?

10. Do you have a perpetual student mindset?

Are you always eager to learn?  Are you a voracious reader of diverse subject matter?

If you answered yes to:
0-4   Don’t leave your day job
5-8   Consider working part-time if you have the writing skills.
9-10 Welcome to Freelance Writing.

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