Freelance copywriters/marketers - how to do you get contracts that actually pay the bills?

[MushroomTree]

Hi all,

I was just wondering where you find regular work that pays the mortgage rather than doing jobs for "wine money" as it were?

I've currently got around 5 regular clients that I do work for on a monthly basis, although as the amount of work varies my earnings go up and down accordingly.

I'm not doing too badly money wise but I'm getting to a stage in my life where I'd like to be earning more and have a certain amount of money in the pot that I know is coming in every month.

Any tips?

A few qus:
Do you have a niche area? Do you have any sort of website presence? How did you get those regular clients? How are you looking for new clients/work?

Hi, technically I specialise in the equestrian/rural market but in reality I have clients from a range of industries. I've on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and I have a website.

My current clients have been word of mouth, Twitter, and Linkedin.

To be honest I've been lucky enough to not really need to "work" to get those clients but now I need some better paid jobs so I think I'm going to need to put some more effort into marketing myself.

*I'm on - great advert for my business there!

I agree that having a niche area helps, because it intensifies the word of mouth effect. My 'core' contract which pays the basic bills evolved from that, and then I tag other related projects on according to seasonal demands.

Another freelance writer/copywriter in a niche area here. I think having a niche is key.

I'm also leaning towards having some different income streams at the moment.

I have a reasonable pipeline of regular work but then sometimes it's feast or famine (the latter being when additional work goes quiet and there is only the regular bit) so I'm now starting to lean towards other unrelated income streams.

We built on an annexe for my parents years ago and after they passed away we used it a guest room and then it started to turn into a bit of "storage area" which I hated as it ended up as a clutter magnet.

Anyway, I've just de-cluttered dramatically and we're now going to let it - haven't decided whether on a permanent basis or as a b & b but probably the former as I think the b & b could affect my regular work too much - doing meals etc!

I think a website is a good idea - this has been on my to-do list for a while but somehow I never get to it and have always had all offers of work via word of mouth. I'm sure it's a good thing to do though!

hThanks for replies. Another income stream is a good idea. I already work part time doing PR and social media for a local charity. I have considered another part time job on top but I'm wary of spreading myself too thin and finding myself having to turn down freelance work when inevitably there's a sudden rush.

I think I need to consider a reshuffle in my rates for a start and then hopefully get some new clients after that.

Business is building up, it's just slow going and I think I was hoping to be earning more money by now!

Place marking as in an almost exact same situation. Had a regular contract for years which filled my diary, especially with limited time once I had kids, but did find that it impacted on my taking more interesting/better paid work. Lost that last year.

Just lost another one-off annual contract, which was a friggin' nightmare every year, think I did it 5 or 6 times, and made me cry and swear every single year, but that's more money gone.

HAve had a very up and down year so far with some great projects, and some scary quiet periods, and it's all looking a bit terrifying from September onwards...

I think you need to look at your rates. 5 clients with regular business from each every month shouldn't equate to wine money (unless you drink v expensive wines!). Where did you find your clients, are you writing per word, what is your copy used for? It's incredibly hard to get rates up with existing clients, so what I'd advise is using your existing work as a calling card to get new clients at better rates.

My minimum rate is £300 pd and that's for a very regular client who gives me around 10 days a month... everyone else is on a significantly higher rate. And I'm not the most expensive out there, by a long chalk.

I completely agree with you Lonny - Currently my 5 client bring in around £1k per month. Which is fantastic, but I could really do with a bit more than that.

My problem was that when I first started I wasn't really confident about what I should be charging so I sort of spat out a price that seemed about right (far too low) and of course people snapped it up because they knew they were getting a bargain.

I've got a new client hopefully starting next month and I've quoted them a flat rate that is higher than I would usually charge, but more in line with what I should be charging.

There were mutterings from them about needing to finalise exactly how many hours they would need from me and the price changing accordingly, but I'm determined to stick to my guns.

If you've got any tips on putting my prices up with existing clients it would be greatly appreciated. One of my clients in particular should certainly be paying more but I'm unsure about the best way to approach it.

I find my clients mostly through word of mouth, Twitter, and Linkedin.

I charge either per article or per hour depending on what the project involves as I also offer social media services etc.

I produce everything from blog posts and newsletters to new content for websites and product descriptions.

Thanks for putting your rates up front Lonny. That's really interesting. I think it's a completely reasonable rate for a skilled experienced copywriter, but I can't get to it. I've been pushing higher towards that sort of figure this summer and people are pushing back, and I am currently having a fight with someone who has basically tried to halve my rate. I think it is still a job that's worth my while as I'll be able to do it quickly, but the value put on my skills and 15 years of experience is depressing to say the least.

Dynasty I would do what you can to stick to your guns. And/or find another client...

Dynasty I would do what you can to stick to your guns. And/or find another client...

I feel the same Dynasty. Every time I get a new client I put my rates up a little bit to be more in line with what I should be charging and I still get them pushing back wanting more for less.

I know that's their perogative but it's frustrating. Particularly when I know they've previously been paying peanuts for the work and not been satisfied with the results.

They seem to want high quality work for next to nothing.