Everything it takes to run a freelance writing biz - that's not writing

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Long, long ago, at my last full-time job, I often felt like I wrote more ABOUT my job more than I actually DID my job. You know, the corporate world has so many metrics and reports and blah blah blah - it really got on my nerves.

After running a freelance writing biz for 12ish years or so, I still do a lot of non-writing tasks. And you probably do, too. Some of it is all about growing the business (hey-O! 🙌) and recently, a lot of it has been client-related admin (meh 🫥).

Here’s a brain dump on my most common boss/non-writer tasks. Are these coming in your door as well?

📃 Contract Review

You guys read your contracts, right? Whether it’s a new client contract or a new addendum proposed by an existing client, there is a lot of important stuff packed in there. And you don’t have to agree to all of it.

Case in point, I have a long standing client that recently added a very broadly worded inventions agreement.

And I won’t sign it. Ouch. It hurts. I’m appealing with their legal team but I am prepared to lose the client simply because the language would claim ownership of nearly any project related to the company’s service areas that I create in the future.

But, I truly believe I’m my own best asset and cannot accept terms that limit my future!

💰Negotiations

I used to cringe all the time when negotiating payments and project terms with clients. But it’s an important skillset to work on. The more you negotiate, the easier it becomes.

And if the word “negotiate” gives you the jitters, call it something else. Consider it a follow up question. You’re simply asking for a different number.

📇 Prospecting + Following up

I have neglected prospecting for much of the year, and I’ve really been trying to build this habit to diversify my client list. I’m working on both the quality of my pitches and my consistency. But I’m also going easy on myself.

Here’s a reframe I’ve been using whenever I cold pitch a lead or follow up with a warm one. In my head, I pretend the person doesn’t exist until I receive a response.

Instead of imaginary judgments, I simply hit the send button and move on until it’s time to follow up again (or they respond - and let’s face it, when was the last time you got a “WTF are you messaging me for” response from a prospect? Hopefully never). Get loose with the meaning of existence and be free from your own mind trash, my friend.

Clearly, it takes a lot of work to run a freelance writing business - because all of that has to get done on top of the actual writing (and I didn’t even mention invoicing…and chasing invoices).

But I hope you will take a moment to pat yourself on the back for the resilience you’re building. Whether you’re just starting out and getting nervous with every client email you send, or you’re a veteran (who maybe still gets a little nervous!)…

I hope you see yourself like I see all of us: strong and able to maintain our confidence and composure even when we’re navigating a lot of complicated relationships. It’s a delicate balancing act and I’m certainly not perfect at it every day. But we should all proactively recognize everything we’ve put into building our freelance businesses - no matter what size!

Happy freelancing, my friends —

Lauren

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