Freelance editorial strategy
For freelancers like me, chasing every potential lead is counterproductive. It results in three kinds of problems:
- Too much effort spent vetting and attempting to win small or unlikely projects.
- Being distracted by lots of details and missing out on bigger opportunities.
- Winning a contract, only to find that it is undesirable and will make me miserable.
(Pro tip: problem number three is the biggest risk with the greatest downsides.)
That covers the problems. The flip side is the opportunities. I would prefer to spend my time projects that:
- Engage my creativity.
- Enable me to help a worthy client achieve a worthwhile goal.
- Expand my capabilities with new challenges.
- Have the potential to generate a lot of revenue.
I try not to let the revenue part drive my decisions — mostly because it has the highest potential to run afoul of the three risks I described.
How I evaluate opportunities
My opportunities come from multiple sources. These include word-of-mouth, opportunities shared by agencies, and people who message me via my contact form. Here’s how I evaluate and act on them:
- Is this opportunity a bad fit? For example, this could include tasks that require skills I don’t have (for example, fiction editing), embrace a philosophy I reject (for example, hustle porn), are for a laughably low budget, or are so amorphous they can’t be nailed down. If an opportunity is a bad fit, I either ignore it or send an email explaining that I’m not the right resource for this client. I don’t waste time if it’s not likely to pay off.
- Is this opportunity the right shape and size? This might include an editing, coaching, or book proposal project that can start soon, from people whose profile suggests they are willing to pay for quality work, on a topic that seems appropriate and interesting. In these cases, I’ll follow with an email and do a discovery call. My focus in the discovery call is helping the author, not finding things to charge for. But if their needs and my capabilities overlap, I’ll send details on what I can do and see if we can line something up.
- Is this opportunity highly desirable? I am on the lookout for opportunities that seem like they might be fun. That would include exploring a new topic that will expand my range, working with somebody interesting, making the world a lot better, or exploiting new tools and processes that I’m interested in working on. If so, I’ll make extra effort. If this is through an agency, I’ll create an extensive pitch document with writing samples to prove my value in the project. I’ll follow up multiple times. I might even do extra research on the client and find connections we share that can provide me with an edge.
- Is this opportunity a big, long-term commitment? These are the tricky ones. I only work on one ghostwriting project at a time, so I want to make sure I don’t get committed to one with problems. I will do extra homework on the potential client and spend additional effort working out what the process might be and where the source material will come from. I also attempt to go forward with the process in stages. For example, doing an idea development session first gives the client and me a chance to see how the process can work and see if we’re compatible.
- How many people are involved? If I’m just working with you, that can go quickly. If I’m working with a team at your organization, all of whom are going to review things, then I have to charge extra for the complex process. If you’re going to send everything we work on to random people and then change your mind about everything they say, I’m unlikely to be able to have a successful engagement with you.
Deal flow and marketing
Except for writing this blog (which is, of course, pure unadulterated enjoyment), I don’t really do any marketing.
If I’m busy, I concentrate on client needs. I like to have enough slack that I can turn around writing and editing requests quickly.
If I’m in a slack period, I’ll undertake more activities to ping former clients and current prospects to generate business.
Desperation is deadly
As you can tell from this, I tend to be selective. This is possible because I’m not living hand-to-mouth and I have funds put aside to support me in periods of low activity.
How do I do that?
I price my services high so I can generate ample revenue without working full time.
I don’t live an extravagant lifestyle and my children are adults now, so I can keep expenses lower than income.
I don’t allow myself to get oversubscribed, so I have enough time to think strategically and make careful choices.
I avoid jumping at high-revenue immediate projects that are likely to generate problems down the line.
If you’re desperate for money, you may need to accept inappropriate clients. They will take up a lot of your time, force you to spend time on things you don’t enjoy, and fill up your brain with tension when you should be thinking strategically.
I admit, “Don’t be desperate” is terrible advice — because if you’re desperate, you can’t even listen to it. But starting from a position of selectiveness and choosing projects that will grow your career is a far better way to work.
Do that and you’ll be a lot happier with a far longer, more rewarding freelance career.