You Just Landed Your First Freelance Writing Client… Now What?
You chose a niche. You put together a freelance writer portfolio. You’ve been cold pitching consistently and finally you have someone who is interested in working with you. Congratulations! You’ve got your first client.
Now the panic sets in. What am I supposed to do next? How much should I charge? How do I make an invoice? How do I make sure I get paid?
DON’T FREAK OUT! I’ve got you. In this blog post, I’ll walk you through how to work with your first client, step-by-step.
HOW TO SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS WITH YOUR FIRST FREELANCE WRITING CLIENT
Step One: Define the Scope of Work
First of all, get your client on the phone and make sure that you are on the same page about what the project entails.
For copywriting projects, get clear on all the pieces of content they need. Ask if they have a brand voice guide and if not, offer to make one for them. Oftentimes, clients don’t know how to express what they’re looking for (after all, that’s why they hired you!). So it’s a good idea to ask for examples of copywriting they like so that you can get a better idea of what they have in mind.
For blog posts, make sure you’re crystal clear on the topics and details they want included. Figure out how long each blog post will be and if you will need to deliver additional assets like stock photography. Decide how many rounds of revision will be included in the price of the work (2 is a good starting point).
Then say thank you and that you’ll send a proposal shortly.
Before you do anything, meet with your client to ensure you’re both on the same page.
Step Two: Figure Out Costs
Now that you know exactly what the project entails, figure out how long it will take you to complete the project. Make sure to include time for phone calls with your client (that time can really add up!).
If you’re not sure how long everything will take, just guess.
I suggest keeping all of this information in a spreadsheet. Then, as you work on the project, you can track how long it takes you to complete each part of the project using Toggl. Eventually, you’ll be able to quickly and accurately figure out how many hours you need to complete a project.
Next, plug those hours into your calendar to see when you can reasonably complete the project. For large projects, make sure you give yourself at least an extra week to account for unexpected delays.
Finally, multiply the hours required for the project by your freelance writer rate to find the total cost of the project.
Not sure what your freelance writer rate is? Download my handy freelance rate calculator!
Step Three: Send a Proposal
Next, send a proposal with all the details of the project. Tell the client what will be delivered, how much it will cost, and when it will be completed. Also include when they will pay for the service.
The proposal can be in a Google document, but if you want to step it up a notch and create a more professional experience, try Honeybook (more on that below!).
Download my free rate calculator to figure out your freelance writing rate!
Step Four: Create a Contract
If the client agrees to the proposal, you’ll have them sign a contract. The contract should include information like the deliverables, payment, who gets the rights to the work, and whether you can use the work in your portfolio after the project is completed.
For new clients, I suggest collecting at least 50% payment up front. In my experience, it’s very rare that a client doesn’t pay you after you deliver the work, but it’s better safe than sorry.
Step Five: Get Organized
Once your client agrees to your rate and pays the deposit, it’s time to add all the pieces of the project to your to-do list. I like to use Asana, which makes it super simple to juggle multiple projects at once.
I also plug the project into a spreadsheet that tracks my finances so I can see at a glance how much money I’ve earned every week, month, and year.
Ask for 50% payment up front when working with a new client to weed out any potential shadiness.
Step Six: Do the Work!
Now is the time to knock it out of the ballpark! With all client work, you really want to over deliver. That way your client walks away happy and you have an incredible piece to show off in your portfolio so you can attract new clients.
Step Seven: Send an Invoice
Once your project is completed, you’ll send an invoice to your client.
Sometimes clients (particularly large corporations) will only pay by check, but typically clients are flexible with payment. If you’re working with individuals or smaller businesses, it’s best to give a couple of options, such as check, Paypal, and Venmo.
When I was starting out, I used a free tool called Invoice Generator to create my invoices, but it’s also possible to send invoices through Paypal.
Step Eight: Ask for Testimonials & Referrals
When you send your invoice, use SurveyMonkey to send your client a quick survey to collect a testimonial for your portfolio. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. A few questions you could include:
How did you hear about me?
What made you decide to work with me?
What did you like about working with me?
What could have been better?
Yes, the last one stings, but it will be really good for you to learn how you can improve your services. After all, this is a service-based business!
Finally, thank your client for their business and mention that if they know anyone who could use your services to send them your way!
Getting a testimonial from your first client is important for building your future client base.
THE ALL-IN-ONE TOOL I USE FOR SIMPLE CLIENT MANAGEMENT
So I mentioned about five different websites you can use to manage your freelance writing clients.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one tool, try Honeybook. I use Honeybook to send proposals, manage contracts (they have contracts for freelancers!), send invoices, and collect payments. Plus, there are all kinds of handy tools for keeping track of where my potential clients are in the sales process. They also have bookkeeping tools with reports, workflows, client email templates, and a handy scheduling tool which saves LOADS of time.
If you want to try Honeybook, get 50% off with this referral link: http://share.honeybook.com/freelancewritersguide and code “freelancewritersguide”!
Let me know if you’d like a more in-depth explanation of any of these steps! I’m here for you, buddies.
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