Repeat Business: How To Get It and Why It's Good for Your Freelancing Career

I'm currently nine months into building my freelance business on the side. So far, my favorite part of this job is getting repeat business from existing clients. I love it because I don't have to aggressively market myself to get work from them, and I already know they're good on payment—something that's always a bit of a risk with a new client.

As a part-time freelancer, I hate marketing and contacting new clients. It's a necessary part of this business, but it takes up a lot of my time that I'd rather dedicate to writing. So when I get more work from an existing client, it makes my day.

Copywriting guru Bob Bly points out that repeat business can offer some of your most lucrative opportunities because you are already familiar with the client and they are already familiar with you. "You can charge the same price per job, or maybe even more if they like you. But you can do the jobs much faster because of the knowledge you have accumulated," Bly says.

In addition, repeat clients have more of an opportunity to get to know you and your work ethic. If you have a good relationship with them, you may be able to approach them for a recommendation for your portfolio or Web site.

So how exactly do you go about getting repeat business?

Be professional with every assignment. This is the biggie. Clients won't want to hire you again if you miss deadlines or turn in sloppy writing. Do your best to be an editor's dream writer. Don't just satisfy your clients; delight them. Turn in assignments ahead of the deadline. Edit your writing until it's as flawless as possible before submitting it. If the editor asks for rewrites, do them without complaint (within reason, of course) to match the editor's requests.

Don't be shy about your services. I have a link to this blog and my Web site in my e-mail signature. A few weeks ago, one of my regular SEO clients followed the link to this blog and saw that I also do editing work. She asked me if I'd also be interested in editing for her. Since I like this client and they've always been great to work with, I said yes. Since then, my amount of work for this one client has doubled.

Ask for repeat business. Whenever I send in a completed article or editing assignment, I tell my clients that it was a pleasure working with them and that I'd be happy to take on more work in the future. Editors like working with established writers whom they can trust. Make sure they know that you're available and willing to take on more assignments.

Don't rest on your laurels. Just because you've gotten repeat business from a client doesn't mean you can slack off. Approach every assignment from a repeat client with the same professionalism as you did with the first assignment. Make your editor glad that he or she assigned you another project.

While you don't want to rely too much on any one client, repeat business is a great way to fuel your freelancing career.

Gramar Lesson of the Day: Commas Before Conjunctions

It's been a while since I've done one of these, so let's celebrate the unofficial beginning of fall with a GrammarScribe Grammar Tip!

Sometimes commas are used inappropriately in text when two clauses are linked with “and” or “but.” A comma can be inserted mistakenly because a pause would occur while speaking, but the use of commas in writing differs somewhat.

An easy rule of thumb: Insert a comma if a new subject is introduced in the second clause, or if the initial subject is restated. Otherwise, leave it out so the second half of the sentence isn’t divorced from the first half.

Examples:

Incorrect: Jack went into the storeroom to look for supplies, but couldn’t find anything. (The second part of the sentence should have its own subject or the comma should be removed.)

Correct: Jack went into the storeroom to look for supplies but couldn’t find anything.

Correct: Jack went into the storeroom to look for supplies, but he couldn’t find anything.

Correct: Jack went into the storeroom to look for supplies, but Locke found them first. (New subject; so a comma is required.*)

*Like just about every rule in this crazy language of ours, there's an exception. It's okay to omit the comma between short coordinate clauses. Example: She went to the store but he stayed home.


I'd like to make GrammarScribe Grammar Tips a regular feature on my blog. Do you have any burning grammatical questions that need an explanation? What are some common errors that you'd like to see addressed? Leave a comment and let me know!

Catching Up

Wow, I've really let this blog fall by the wayside, haven't I?

Here's a quick recap of what I've been up to for the past month and a half:

• I re-signed on with an old client, Demand Studios. They hire writers to create articles for eHow.com. I enjoyed working for them in the past---the articles are easy enough to write and create, and they pay reliably, so I'm excited to be working with them again.
• I started writing for a wonderful new client last week. They're asking for short psychology articles, which is wonderful because they're easy to research and write---not to mention really interesting! My first article was a 400-word piece on dependent personality disorder.
• I also recently became a Guide for ChaCha.com. It's not exactly writing, but it's fun and it pays somewhat decently for a work-at-home job (I average $5-7 an hour), so it's helping me pay off debt and save up for a new laptop.
• We've been facing some staff reductions and department reorganization at my day job. My position is still safe, but it's been a crazy few weeks. But I think the coming reorganization is really going to be a great thing for the editorial team, so it'll be good once the dust begins to settle.

I just have a few goals to get me through the rest of August:

1. Continue to bust my butt at my day job. Things are more hectic than usual right now because of the transition, and this is a busy time anyway because the new TV season starts next month.
2. Meet my goal of $100-150 a week at ChaCha.
3. Write at least two more DemandStudios articles, and ask about future assignments from my new client.
4. Apply for at least five new freelance jobs.

And now to get some discussion going: With the new TV season quickly approaching, what shows are you anticipating the most? I haven't seen much of the new series; but I'm especially looking forward to the return of How I Met Your Mother, Heroes, and Pushing Daisies.

What Have I Been Writing?

It's been a busy month. Between commuting three hours a day, cheering on GrammarHubby in his theatrical endeavors (his fantastic run as Bill Sikes in Oliver! ended last week, and now he's getting ready to start rehearsals for Assassins, where he's playing Leon Czolgosz), and dealing with a broken computer, I've been swamped.

And I was just cast in a one-act play that takes place on August 2, so I'll be busy with that for the next few weeks. Yay, theatre!

Sad thing is, I haven't been able to write much, although that's mostly due to the nasty Trojan virus currently infecting my laptop. Bleh. My brother-in-law is going to take a look at it this weekend (hopefully), but it's really thrown a kink in my ability to:

a) write new blog posts (have you missed me?);
b) search for new writing jobs; or
c) keep up on MySpace and Facebook. (You can see where my priorities lie.)

I have been able to do some work, though. Here's a quick sampling of what I've been up to. Enjoy!

TV Guide Celebrity Profiles: Jessica Tandy, Joe Jonas, Ashley Newbrough, Nathan Kress, Geoffrey Arend

Web Content Articles: An Overview of Gin, An Overview of Tequila (Mmmm, alcohol.)

Also, there's a possibility I may be authoring a TV Guide blog next season. (Pushing Daisies, maybe? I love that show and, as far as I know, there's no current blogger for it.) I'll update with more details as they come.

Oliver! at the Wilmington Drama League

PSA for anyone in the Delaware/Philly/NJ/Maryland area:

Come see Oliver! at the Wilmington Drama League!

It's shaping up to be a spectacular show. I'm not involved with it, but several of my former Beauty and the Beast cast mates are. GrammarHubby is playing Bill Sikes, and he's just as awesome and scary and foreboding as you could possibly want the big bad villain to be.

Click here for more information, directions, and to find out how to reserve tickets. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, and $8 for children. Show dates are:

Friday, June 13 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 14 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 15 2:00 pm
Friday, June 20 8:00 pm
Saturday, June 21 8:00 pm
Sunday, June 22 2:00 pm

As a teaser (and because I'm absolutely in love with these photos), here are some production shots:

Bumble and Oliver: "Boy for Sale"


Oliver: "Where Is Love?"


The Artful Dodger and Company: "Consider Yourself"


Fagin and Oliver: "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two"


Nancy and Bet: "It's a Fine Life"


Fagin and Gang: "Be Back Soon"


Nancy: "Oom-Pah-Pah"


Bill Sikes: "My Name"


Nancy: "As Long as He Needs Me"


Oliver and Company: "Who Will Buy?"


Nancy and Oliver


Fagin, Nancy and Sikes


Nancy and Sikes


Fagin: "Reviewing the Situation"

Awesome, right? Come see it!!

Friday Giggle

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Warning: Avoid Scams

One of the biggest problems plaguing freelance writers is the sheer amount of scams masquerading as legitimate writing jobs on the 'Net. Is there anything more frustrating than seeing a job you're absolutely perfect for, and putting in the time and energy to craft the perfect cover letter—only to find out that you've just been taken in by a convoluted sales tool?

Well, yeah—I guess if you actually fall for it, that's worse. So don't.

Let me share my most recent experience:

I recently applied for a proofreader job. The gig sounded interesting and relatively straightforward—perfect for my part-time freelance lifestyle. I sent an e-mail to the address provided, expressing my interest in the job.

Today, I got the following response (names removed to protect the guilty):

Hi Angela,

Thank you for your interest in the proofreading job. My name is **** and I am here to assist with the application process.

This job is for a start-up educational development company proofreading their website and marketing material. This is a freelance job that can be done anywhere. To be considered for this job you must apply here (*link removed*).

Feel free to email me with any questions you may have.

Okay, fine. Some companies like to do things their own way, and I'm fine with that.

Here's the thing. The link she gave me ended up redirecting to GoFreelance.com.

UGH.

GoFreelance (and most other pay-for-membership or bidding sites) prey on struggling and wannabe writers. They either make you pay to see job listings or force you to bid on jobs, essentially enabling most clients to select the lowest bidder—who offer bids as low as pennies per gig. It's wrong and awful, and it undermines all working freelance writers trying to make an honest living. I never use them.

Luckily, I knew about GoFreelance from other writer friends. GoFreelance lures you in with a "low" $2.95 per-month charge to see their job postings, and then jacks it up to $29.95 a month. That's absolutely ridiculous. There are way too many places to find writing jobs for free; you should never have to sign up with GoFreelance to find gigs.

So if a potential client responds to you, how can you tell if it's a legitimate opportunity or a scam? Every situation is different, but here are some red flags to look out for:

• You should never, ever have to pay in order to apply for a job. EVER. A legitimate client may want to see samples of your work, or maybe an article on spec, but that's very different (although it has its debates, too). Beware of any client who asks you to apply through a site that requires a membership fee.
• See if other people have experienced the same problem with this client. Writer message boards, like AbsoluteWrite.com, have forums specifically devoted to deadbeat clients, scams, fraud, etc. If the job posting was on a blog, check the blog comments to see if there are any warnings for other writers. (If not, consider posting one yourself to alert other writers who may be interested in the job.)
• Trust your instincts. If something in the client's communication feels off to you, don't click on any links in their e-mail messages. Write it off and move on.

I did respond to my own personal Scammy McScam-a-Lot, explaining that I don't use sites like GoFreelance but that I'd be happy to apply through e-mail or some other means:

Hi ****,

Thank you for your assistance. I'm still interested in the job; however, I was wondering if there was a way to apply without registering with Go Freelance. Like many other freelance writers and editors, I make it a point not to use bidding sites or job boards that require a membership fee.

I'd still love to apply for the job outside of Go Freelance, and I'm happy to send you anything you need—résumé, proofreading samples, etc. Please let me know.

Best,
Angela

We'll see if I get a response from them. I'm not banking on it.