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If you
are a freelance writer, read on to find out some common mistakes
that you should avoid –
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1.
Being Unprofessional
Professionalism
is the first thing that clients look for when hiring
freelance writing contractors. The way you communicate
through email, phone or face to face meetings speaks
volumes about how professional you are and whether or
not people should hire you.
Being
rude, sarcastic, and disinterested is a strict no-no.
Moreover,
you should stay away from procrastination if you want
to portray yourself as a dependable writing vendor.
When
you take on a writing
job, have a professional approach. If you are
busy or preoccupied for any reason, don’t take on work
at that time.
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2.
Missing Submission Dates & Deadlines
Punctuality
and self-discipline are pre-requisites for a successful
freelance career. Before accepting a freelance writing
project, consider how much time you will need to deliver the
finished content and mention it to the client. Once you do
commit, make sure to keep your word. Missing delivery time
frames and deadlines is a complete NO-NO. If you miss a deadline,
this can very well spell the end of your writing career with
that client. Hence, be punctual and respect deadlines.
3.
Failure to have a Contract / Well Defined Terms of Service
Your professionalism is evident
from whether or not you have well-defined terms of service
and policies. When you communicate with your clients and submit
your proposal, you must mention all your policies regarding
delivery, pricing, advance payment, changes and alterations,
as well as rework, etc. If you do not have well-defined terms
and conditions, you are susceptible to being cheated and duped.
Add to this the risk of not being taken seriously by your
clients.
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4.
Taking on Work You Know You Can’t Deliver
Particularly
in the case of new entrants, writers tend to take on
projects that they know they won’t be able to do justice
to. For, e.g., being a creative writer, if you take
on a technical writing job, fit for a technical
writer, you will end up displeasing the client and
wasting precious work time. Avoid unhappy customers.
Understand your capabilities and deliver good quality
content.
5.
Delivering Sub Standard Documents
Last
but not the least; writers should deliver nothing but
their very best work to each and every client. Every
finished document should be of the highest quality in
terms of relevance and readability. Never take work
for granted. Give it the respect and dedication it deserves,
and you are sure to get
repeat clients.
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In a nutshell,
avoid doing the following if you want to be successful as
a freelance writer -
• Deliver a
document without proofreading it.
• Deliver a document that contains spelling errors and grammatical
mistakes.
• Write content without carrying out relevant research.
• Copy content from other sources.
• Write content lacking structure and flow.
• Not including titles, headlines, and apt keywords, especially
when writing
search engine optimized content.
It is easy
to make mistakes as you begin your career. However, as you
progress, it is important to learn from your mistakes and
keep in mind what you
should not do to make a success of your freelance writing
career. All the best!
Contributing
Author: Team of writers, www.contentwriter.in
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