A freelancer's friends
If you want to be a successful freelance writer (or freelancer of any kind) you need more than skill, the ability to generate leads and ideas, and great marketing.
You need to be friendly with some key people -- people who can make your life (and cash flow situation) miserable if you act like an ass towards them. And conversely, who can make your life much more pleasant if you are kind.
I'm talking about editors, contracts people, the folks in accounts payable, and your fellow freelancers.
You count on these people, and you should treat them well. Sometimes, they will do you favours in a pinch ("I'm going on holiday -- is there any way you could get that cheque out to me a week early?").
I don't mean you need to be fake friendly. If people do their job well, you should show them some appreciation for it. And presumably, if you are a writer you have some interest in people's lives and their stories. Some kind of innate curiosity. Take advantage of it.
1) Be friendly with your editors. This one is kind of obvious. You don't have to be friends with your editors. But it's good to be friendly, and to develop a relationship that extends beyond your current and future assignments.
When I was starting out as a freelance writer, editors seemed like some other species. They were on a higher plane of existence than I was. I'd get nervous when I had to call them. Then I started to develop great relationships with editors.
We chat on the phone. We friend each other on Facebook. I find out what's going on in their lives. They find out what's going on in mine. Sometimes those conversations lead to story ideas, or to invitations to pitch. I learn about needs I could fulfill. They learn about skills and areas of expertise they may not have realized I had. It works for everyone.
There is a caveat. Not everyone loves to share. I've been hired by people who are generous and delightful to work with, but who are also quite private. It's essential to respect their boundaries.
2) Get to know the people who draw up your contracts -- especially if you plan on having a long-term relationship with an organization.
If you treat them badly, there is no reason why your contract can't sit on their to-do list for a good, long time. Also, in some organizations the person commissioning the work doesn't necessarily understand all the legal ins and outs when it comes to rights and permissions, or to collective agreements (if you are freelancing for an organization like the CBC, whose freelancers are covered by the union agreement). The contracts person does, and will make sure the terms of your agreement are done up properly.
Sometimes the contracts people seem to be the only ones in an organization who actually understand freelancers -- namely, that there is no paycheque or direct deposit coming our way every two weeks. They may suggest structuring a contract so you get paid in a few steps, instead of waiting til the end of a project. And they can go to bat for you if the editor has forgotten to release payment, or if there is trouble with accounting.
I've found that people who do contracts tend to be fastidious and detail-oriented. They don't like loose ends. Return your contracts to them in a timely manner. You will get paid faster, and they will be happy to not have to bug you.
3) This brings us to accounts payable. These are the people who pay you. You should be nice to them. Sometimes I've had to bug them for reasons that were entirely my own fault: for instance, I've screwed up the bookkeeping, and I'm not sure if I've been paid or not. A good relationship can ensure that I get the answer quickly, and that it can easily be rectified, if need be.
4) When you are a freelancer, you can see other freelance writers as competitors, or as colleagues. I've always chosen the latter. Sure, they are my competition. Maybe. But they are also sources (or sources for sources), they have all kinds of market intelligence and information about editors, and they are there for support when times are bad. I pass work along to them, and they pass work along to me. Knowing each other's skills and strengths helps us all.
Bring on the good karma.
You need to be friendly with some key people -- people who can make your life (and cash flow situation) miserable if you act like an ass towards them. And conversely, who can make your life much more pleasant if you are kind.
I'm talking about editors, contracts people, the folks in accounts payable, and your fellow freelancers.
You count on these people, and you should treat them well. Sometimes, they will do you favours in a pinch ("I'm going on holiday -- is there any way you could get that cheque out to me a week early?").
I don't mean you need to be fake friendly. If people do their job well, you should show them some appreciation for it. And presumably, if you are a writer you have some interest in people's lives and their stories. Some kind of innate curiosity. Take advantage of it.
1) Be friendly with your editors. This one is kind of obvious. You don't have to be friends with your editors. But it's good to be friendly, and to develop a relationship that extends beyond your current and future assignments.
When I was starting out as a freelance writer, editors seemed like some other species. They were on a higher plane of existence than I was. I'd get nervous when I had to call them. Then I started to develop great relationships with editors.
We chat on the phone. We friend each other on Facebook. I find out what's going on in their lives. They find out what's going on in mine. Sometimes those conversations lead to story ideas, or to invitations to pitch. I learn about needs I could fulfill. They learn about skills and areas of expertise they may not have realized I had. It works for everyone.
There is a caveat. Not everyone loves to share. I've been hired by people who are generous and delightful to work with, but who are also quite private. It's essential to respect their boundaries.
2) Get to know the people who draw up your contracts -- especially if you plan on having a long-term relationship with an organization.
If you treat them badly, there is no reason why your contract can't sit on their to-do list for a good, long time. Also, in some organizations the person commissioning the work doesn't necessarily understand all the legal ins and outs when it comes to rights and permissions, or to collective agreements (if you are freelancing for an organization like the CBC, whose freelancers are covered by the union agreement). The contracts person does, and will make sure the terms of your agreement are done up properly.
Sometimes the contracts people seem to be the only ones in an organization who actually understand freelancers -- namely, that there is no paycheque or direct deposit coming our way every two weeks. They may suggest structuring a contract so you get paid in a few steps, instead of waiting til the end of a project. And they can go to bat for you if the editor has forgotten to release payment, or if there is trouble with accounting.
I've found that people who do contracts tend to be fastidious and detail-oriented. They don't like loose ends. Return your contracts to them in a timely manner. You will get paid faster, and they will be happy to not have to bug you.
3) This brings us to accounts payable. These are the people who pay you. You should be nice to them. Sometimes I've had to bug them for reasons that were entirely my own fault: for instance, I've screwed up the bookkeeping, and I'm not sure if I've been paid or not. A good relationship can ensure that I get the answer quickly, and that it can easily be rectified, if need be.
4) When you are a freelancer, you can see other freelance writers as competitors, or as colleagues. I've always chosen the latter. Sure, they are my competition. Maybe. But they are also sources (or sources for sources), they have all kinds of market intelligence and information about editors, and they are there for support when times are bad. I pass work along to them, and they pass work along to me. Knowing each other's skills and strengths helps us all.
Bring on the good karma.
Labels: Freelance writing
posted by Philip Moscovitch Link
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2 Comments:
Excellent post, Phil. I could also go on about the not-so-good peeps out there in the freelancer's world, but like you I prefer to dwell on the positives. And I'm lucky to have only positives in my working world these days. (I think, anyway).
You learn who the not-so-good peeps are and avoid them.
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