by Lynn G. Coleman
"Think about freelancing as a business," said Margaret Littman, a Chicago-based journalist who specializes in health and nutrition and business writing for magazines and newspapers.
Panel Offers Tips on the Business of Freelancing
by Lynn G. Coleman
"Think about freelancing as a business," said Margaret Littman,
a Chicago-based journalist who specializes in health and nutrition and business writing
for magazines and newspapers.
Littman, along with freelance editor Marilyn Stone and Paladin account manager Wendy Lalli, gave tips on how to get the most out of freelancing during the February IWPA meeting.
If you take yourself seriously, editors will too, Littman said, so it is very important to set professional standards and abide by them. This means requiring a contract and protecting your copyrights.
If you don't give away the copyright to your work in writing, it's yours, she said. You don't have to register the copyright with federal government, but doing so gives you more support and evidence in case of a dispute. If a publisher requires that you release the copyright, try to grant only "one-time North American print rights," although this is becoming more and more difficult because of Web content, CD-ROMs, etc.
Several organizations, including the National Writers Union (NWU), offer tips for developing contracts and setting fees. Littman said it can be difficult to know what to charge when you're first starting out. NWU has a database of magazines and fee schedules for writers.
She said most publishers will give you a range or tell you how they pay (by word, the story, the hour, etc.), and whether they cover expenses, sent tax statements, and so on. As a writer, you must factor in all of these things and translate the estimate to an hourly rate, even if you are being paid on a per-project or per-word basis.
Experienced writers also take the subject matter into consideration when setting prices, Littman said. If it's a subject they have covered before and already have sources and materials at hand, they won't have to put in as many hours.
Finally, be sure to include in your contract that you will be paid after the work is finished, Littman said, not when it comes out.
Stone said freelancing gives her a sense of confidence, fascinating work to do, and time to spend with her kids, but it's not easy and she often "pulls all-nightdress."
To be successful as a book editor, you need to network, meet deadlines and have an eye for detail, she said. You can offer to critique a fledging author's work to get started in the business.
When approaching a new publisher, Stone said you might be expected to take an editing test and buy industry-specific style manuals.
To keep clients coming back, she said it's important to: (1) be available, (2) meet clients in person, and (3) set realistic fees. Once you determine what your work is worth, however, never settle for less. Otherwise, you degrade your skills and lower the standards for the entire industry, Stone said.
There are some important differences between editing books and other material. First, she said, they're longer. This means you get a longer commitment, which is good and bad. It's good because you will have work to do for a given time frame, but bad because you might have to pass up other opportunities, postpone vacations, etc. She usually bills the client halfway through the project and at the end.
It's important to keep a style sheet and style notes, clarify directions with the editor periodically, and keep the author's voice throughout, Stone said. Don't overcommit, impose your personal style, or be too abrasive with your comments and criticism.
When looking for work, freelancers don't have to go it alone, said Wendy Lalli with Paladin employment agency. "We're the Kelly Girls for creative people," she said.
You can extend the possibilities of employment by signing up with an agency, she said, and even find the right match for a full-time position.
As far as the most valuable skills to develop for the future, Lalli said to get on the Web. "It's changing the way we live. Be a part of it." Web content editing and writing is a booming field that is particularly suited to news and feature writers and direct ail copywriters, Lalli said, because they have experience condensing material and writing an effective lead. To be a Web writer, you don't have to know HTML, but you must have written for the Web. "It's the only experience they care about."
Another new area of opportunity for writers lies in direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical ads, she said.