While reading the delightful Daniela DiStefano’s blog, I realized that we are quickly approaching graduation time. For many people in various writing/communications/journalism programs, this is a time of great anticipation mixed in with some fear. I can relate—I was there a few years ago. So, in honour of you grads, I’ve come up with a list of ways that freelance writing is different from being in school and ways you can adjust to life after your writing program.
In freelance writing, you rarely get feedback on your work.
In school, you often get lengthy feedback that points out what you did right, what you did wrong and where you could improve. In freelance writing, you often only hear back if there are changes to be made. Sometimes, an editor will contact you with a “great job,” but that’s definitely not the norm. Worse, clients may come back to you with, “This just doesn’t feel right,” or “I’m not sure what I’m looking for, but I don’t think this is it.” If you thrive on feedback, this can take some adjustment.
Solution: Unfortunately, this is just one thing you’ll have to get used to. Sometimes you can ask for feedback and editors/clients will be happy to give it. But it’s not often volunteered and even if you ask, the editor or client might be too busy to provide it. You really have to prepare yourself for sending something into the void and assuming, if you don’t hear that it was the worst thing ever written, that it’s probably okay. (I am lucky because one of my editors was in my writing program, and she’s wonderful about giving me positive feedback, but I can’t guarantee you’ll be working with her.)
In school, your professors have firm guidelines for your projects.
This, of course, makes it easier for them to mark your assignments. Strong guidelines about projects, combined with office hours and class time to discuss questions about the assignments, means that most often you (the student) have a pretty good idea of what the professor expects from you.
This is not always the case in freelance writing. You will run across clients who really aren’t sure what they’re looking for—they just know what they’re not looking for. Or, they know what they’re looking for but they constantly change their mind or request further meetings with you to discuss the project. Or they’re micro-managers, wanting to be part of every single step in the process and, again, requesting meeting after meeting until the project is done.
Solution: The first solution is to clarify as much as possible at the start of the project what the client wants. This isn’t foolproof; clients can and do change their mind. But, you can protect yourself by including in your contract the number of revisions and meetings you are willing to be part of. Any more than that, and the client has to pay extra. It’s as simple as that. This way, the client will either avoid the extra meetings to save some money or you will be paid extra for the project.
Important Note: I have never, ever guaranteed a client that he or she will be 100 percent happy with my work. Although I believe the guarantee is somewhat implied, I think stating it outright sets you (the writer) up for a world of trouble. Why? Because as anyone in customer service will tell you, there are always people who will never be satisfied, no matter what. Just because a client changes his mind 30 times during a project doesn’t mean you should lose pay because he finally decides he’s “not satisfied” with the 29 revisions you’ve done. Clients like that will work you to the bone and still claim they’re not happy with your work. They’ll use your guarantee as a reason not to pay you. Either they’re too nitpicky to ever be happy with your work or they’re looking for a way to save money. Either way, you lose. That’s why I don’t guarantee 100 percent satisfaction.
What I do guarantee is that the work will be done on time, to the specifications agreed upon. Beyond that, their satisfaction is up to them.
In school, you have built-in social networks and support.
When you’re at school you have your classmates for support. Don’t like a teacher? You can complain to your classmates. Don’t understand an assignment? You can bounce ideas off your classmates. Just need to vent about writing? Find your classmates and pull up a chair.
Writing, especially freelance writing, is often done alone, at home, with only your cats, dogs or parakeets to complain to (let’s be honest, your non-writing family can smile and nod sympathetically, but they don’t understand, not like your classmates did).
Solution: Join a writing organization. I belong to the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC), but there are also the Editors’ Association of Canada (EAC), the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS). There are probably others, but those are the ones I can think of right now.
Many of these organizations have regional chapters that hold regular meetings. Members can go to those meetings and discuss their professional issues, attend professional development seminars and, often, get together once a year at annual general meetings. There probably isn’t an issue that you would run across that someone in those groups hasn’t already come up against. Members can provide you with advice and stories about situations they’ve been in. Some groups even offer mentoring.
Congratulations!
Before you start panicking about your writing career, take a second to enjoy all you’ve done so far. You’ve just graduated from your writing program. A career in writing can be incredibly fulfilling and fun. Sure, there are some issues along the way, but every career has those. As long as you love what you’re doing, you’re probably on the right track.
