Try submitting the projects in batches and invoice per every batch. Give yourself some breathing room in your time delivered if you can and wait for confirmation that your first check has been sent and you’ll have few worries. Of course, the tight deadline project makes this a bit tricky.

But the batch concept as opposed to submitting the whole project at one time makes sense because if you wind up not getting paid for one of the batches you simply stop working on the freelance project.

Personally I don’t worry much about getting burned–I try to select my freelance clients carefully from the outset. I research em on Google and see if there’s any bad vibes about them in the freelance community. If not, I move ahead. A litle bit of research can go a long way. I have successfully avoided plenty of bad gigs thanks to a quick check on Google and my writing networks. You can too. One day I may get ripped off, but it won’t be for a lack of research and caution.

How do you negotiate rates? This can be a very tricky question for the writer. I’ll tell you what I usually do…I ask them for the range that they typically would pay for a given project. The key to doing this is to anticipate the discussion about money and be ready to come back quickly. Example? Sure:

Client: So what do you think you would charge for a project like this?

Writer: Well, it’s hard to say…do you have a budget that you would like to stay within?

or

Writer: Can you give me an idea of what you would typically pay?

More often than not a potential client will tell you. If not, you can go from there, but I can’t tell you how many times I would have guessed lower than the number the client gave me. It pays to put it back in their lap when you can.

A rate sheet can also help. Decide ahead of time what you think your time is worth and charge by the hour, page or project. Include any re-writes in the sheet, or clients may assume that this is included. That way, when you have the discussion about money, you are ready with some numbers.

It can be a delicate process to negotiate freelance rates, but having a plan in place will help make sure that you aren’t working for peanuts. Try to think this one through ahead of time.

Any other suggestions are most welcome…

by Joe Wallace

As in, David Letterman’s Stupid Pet Tricks. I just this second saw a freelancer website trying to entice people to PAY MONEY for their freelance job board service which includes “access to over 100 legit, freelance work at home job leads compiled from over 10 job boards.”

Hey, did you read that all the way through? Not only is this site scraping other people’s job boards, they are CHARGING YOU MONEY to read other people’s work. News flash, mister webmaster–only FREELANCE CLOWNS would pay money to read what they can get for free elsewhere.

What’s that? They can’t get that info for free? They’d have to pay the other site to read those job posts? Well, then my friend, what you have here is a clear case of stealing content.

I am not sure which model these geniuses are using–the scraped free content or the scraped stolen content, but either way it’s bad for you. I don’t have to name names here, all I have to say is don’t let your less experienced freelancer friends get taken in by nonsense like this. Delivering scraped job ads for free is one thing–charging a fee is quite another and it’s a practice I personally take great exception to–folks, TAKE THE HIGH ROAD, please.

Folks, the only way to get freelance jobs is to DO THE WORK and put the time in to look for them, market yourself properly and above all, DELIVER QUALITY WORK so your client is motivated to hire you again.

‘Nuff said.

by Catherine L. Tully

“Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.”

- Andrew Jackson

Look…I know sometimes I get a little pushy, but I also know that it is easy to hang back and not get stuff done in this career. This is a little push to get another query out the door. Many of us have a tendency to sit on them rather than send them. This can actually be the death of a query. You might miss your time window–someone else could send the exact same idea. You might start changing it around until it isn’t as good anymore. You may hang on to it until it isn’t relevant anymore…

So do your research. Polish the query. Let it sit for a day or two and re-read it. Then get it out the door…

Doing research for a new writing project or to come up with story ideas for your next magazine article? If you’re coming up dry when looking in the same old places, you probably need to start fresh in some areas you wouldn’t normally go.

A great example is FREE–Federal Resources for Educational Excellence. There is a nice little treasure trove of ideas and information waiting for you at this .gov site, all of them free and easy to access. It’s certainly not the only site of its kind, but is an excellent place to start looking for fresh ideas. The next time you get stuck for a topic, check out FREE to help get those creative process up and running again.

by Catherine L. Tully

Ok. Maybe you shouldn’t ignore them, but most publications put out guidelines that are meant to give the writer a general idea of what they are looking for–and what they aren’t. That said, in some ways it can pay off to ignore them, or at the very least, be ready for changes in the grand scheme of things. Now I don’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention to items such as tone and subject matter. You should. But some things can go off the map, and it helps to know what those might be. In that spirit, here are some things to think about when you query:

• Response time. If there is anything in the guidelines that you should take with a grain of salt–this is it. Response time can mean almost anything. I have queried pubications that say they get back to you within a month, only to have them call me out of the blue four months later. You never know what is going on over there, and editors are really, really busy. Sometimes they’ll hang on to your idea and make a mental note to get back to you, only to get sidetracked by another project.
• Word count. I never state how many words I can write on a given subject, because I prefer to let the editor tell me what he/she needs. Ad space can bump article placement up and down very easily, so the word counts can vary accordingly depending on how much room the publication has.
• Editor’s name and contact info. If you don’t listen to anything else I’m writing here, be sure you do this one thing…double check the contact info given in the guidelines. Editors change so fast it will make your head spin. Call the publication and ask who to send a query to, and be sure to read the information back to the person that you speak with so you know you have it right.
• Payment range. While this can give you a good idea of how much a publication will pay, it isn’t always set in stone. Sometimes the guidelines are outdated, which could mean you will make less…or more. Some mags have cut back on payment, while others are expanding. Be prepared for it to vary.

Now…even though I said the words, “ignore guidelines,” please note that you should follow what you read in terms of crafting a query. If they say that some departments are not open to freelancers, don’t send a query thinking that you can get around it. If you notice, much of what I have outlined above relates to the business end of things, not the editorial itself. If they say they don’t want personal experience articles, you aren’t likely to get in with a heartfelt account of your last camping trip to the mountains. In other words, follow direction, but be ready for bumps on the road along the way….

by Joe Wallace

Ever wonder what it’s like on the other side of the desk? Here’s a little list of things you never knew about editors, written from my own personal experiences as one. I won’t presume to speak for others, but you can’t tell me some of these things aren’t common experience among my peers:

5. Sometimes we read queries, cover letters and resumes before coffee. On Mondays. Try to connect the dots here.

4. Stephen King on Harlan Ellison; “The man and his work have become so intertwined that it is impossible to pull them completely apart.” Editors get like that, too. Especially when reading the malformed prose of people on the Internet.

3. We make more than you. Sometimes. Did you know some editors actually look at their freelance staff with envious eyes because the freelances actually make more than the editors harassing them? Again, try to connect the dots here. Envy, jealousy, and then…we read your work. Are we LOOKING for an excuse to use our red pens? Sometimes, hell yeah.

2. Editors freelance, too. We’re playing the game right alongside you, but we’ve got the advantage of knowing how an editor’s mind works. We’ll beat you to the finish line with that insider knowledge. Perhaps you should think about becoming one of us.

1. Editors know almost everything. What we don’t know, we pay for.

0. Editors only know everything because they’ve seen it all before. A new twist on an old idea gives us a reason to stop and smile. Regurgitated ideas make us want to do likewise…regurgitate, that is.

Ok. Let’s get ready for some competition folks. Looks like Google is making Microsoft nervous…because next year it will release a version of Microsoft Office–for free. That’s right…you heard me…free. Not only that, but it will support Firefox and Safari browsers…read more about it here, and get ready to enjoy more perks if this war keeps the heat on…

Don’t underestimate the power of a Google search. Don’t think potential employers won’t check you out online before hiring you for a gig. I know someone who hires people for a large company…and the first thing she does is go to the Facebook pages of applicants to read the wall posts. It’s really easy for someone to check you out on the web these days. Here are some things to keep in mind that could help sheild your personal life from the peering eyes of work-related searches:

• Set your accounts to private. Facebook has a feature where people can’t access your page unless you say they are on the list. This is a good idea overall, but great for making sure editors don’t peep into your home life.
• Get approval first. On Twitter, you can go into your settings and see to it that you have to approve someone before they can follow you.
• Watch personal posts on forums and blogs. Assume that everything on the web with your name attached to it can be found–and read. Think about what you are putting out there and make sure that you are comfortable with everyone seeing it.
• Google yourself periodically. This can help you see what others would be seeing if they are searching your name. If you find anything objectionable, see if you can fix it.

Subjects to avoid posting on? The usual faves, such as politics, religion, family business and personal problems. But don’t forget to pass on posting about editors that you don’t care for or publications that you have had issues with. That can come back to haunt you. Using a little caution when it comes to your online activities can be a really smart move.

One thing about this list: you’ll notice that Craigslist is nowhere to be found. That’s because A) the goofball quotient on CL is very high and while you may find a decent gig on CL, you’ll have to waste too much time finding the diamond in all that sludge. B) With the over-abundance of freelance sites all scraping CL job ads, Craigslist is now flooded with responses to any ad–good luck getting your clips reviewed since every “day one” writer from here to the Atlantic ocean will clog up a poor editor’s inbox with replies.

10. Ask a friend or colleague. Surely one of your other writer friends knows someone who needs some writing help.

9. Check the Careers section of big sites such as AOL.com, Verizon Wireless, Tribune Broadcasting, etc. Contract jobs are often listed side by side with full-time gigs. Or who knows, maybe you’re ready for some steady paychecks? You might be surprised at what’s out there for writers in the regular gig department…not that we’re advocating you go back to working for THE MAN, but sometimes it’s good to get a reminder of why you went freelance in the first place.

8. Look at the news section of your favorite magazine/publishing/advertising mags. See those listings of new magazine announcements? New publications need HELP.

7. Look in your local online phone directory for non-profits. The money isn’t huge with non-profits, but you may find an opening for a wordsmith, however temporary.

6. Call your local churches. Times are hard, staffs are shrinking daily–do local churches and charitable organizations need a freelancer to handle newsletters, bulletins and other material? You might find a secret market lurking in your own back yard.

5. Join your Chamber of Commerce. I can’t tell you how valuable this can be for networking and making friends on the local economy. It takes time to discover new writing opportunities this way, but it is often well worth the investment.

4. Call your Mom. That’s right, your Mom. The right parent who knows the right people just might have a foot in the door someplace you might not otherwise get access to—in today’s economy can you afford to pass up any opportunity to land another writing gig?

3. Use LinkedIn to spread the word that you are for hire. Maybe your direct contacts can’t help, but what about your friends and their contact lists? Find out who is doing what and whether your skill sets apply–you could find an excellent match somewhere in the local business community.

2. Make yourself more discoverable–don’t just use Twitter to stay in touch with your friends, add professionals in your area of expertise to your Following list and put a link to your resume site. Don’t use Twitter JUST for job hunting, but consider it an extra avenue that could come in handy when other gigs become scarce.

1. Forget all the freelance job boards and just pick five companies you’d like to write for. Research them, put custom resume and published clip packages together for each one, and make your presence known. Target each company individually and be persistent without being a pain.