Regardless of how long you’ve been a freelance writer, there will be some questions you start to get, and some of them can feel a bit awkward.
Questions you might get asked as a freelancer and how to answer them.
How Much Do You Charge?
Money is always a tricky subject, so when it’s no wonder freelancers feel a tad awkward about setting their rates. The thing that newbie freelance writers need to remember is that you need to start as you mean to go on. If you’re offering
Therefore, your rates need to reflect that!
It’s about knowing your worth as a freelance writer. It’s as simple as that.
Don’t do yourself down because you’re ‘new.’ Instead, have confidence in your ability and set fees accordingly.
Have a figure in mind for the kind of money you want to earn, and take it from there. That way, when a potential client asks for your rates, you’ll be prepared!
Top Tip: to start earning more as a freelancer, we thoroughly suggest that you use Elna Cain’s method of gradually increasing your rates every time you get a new client. That way you’re gradually growing your income inline with the experience you’re getting- Make sense?
https://elnacain.com/blog/
How Do You Accept Payment?
As a UK freelancer, most of my clients are in the States- so PayPal is my go-to for accepting payment. This works wonders for keeping all your payments in one place no matter where your clients are based. Plus, come tax season PayPal enables you to create spreadsheets and statements that detail your income- win-win!
Top Tip: When taking on a new client, do what Carol Tice does and ask for (at least) a 30% upfront deposit. This helps to ensure you’ll be paid for the completed job, and weeds out charlatons on the hunt for free content!
How Much Experience Do You Have?
As a new freelancer, you need to gain some experience.
(But here’s what to do when you have no experience as a freelance writer).
However, it’s important when you’re pitching to potential clients to focus on all the experience you HAVE, rather than what you don’t have.
So, take a second to think about everything you can offer the client. For example, have you worked in a similar industry before? Do you have a personal experience or a story you can use to relate to them? Have you ever written on this subject before? Have you done any pro bono work in this field? Do you have a degree in the field?
You get the idea!
Top Tip: to build a portfolio fast, we suggest guest blogging. There are tons of sites out there accepting guest contributors you just need to commit yourself to finding them. Not to mention, they’ll give you invaluable experience when it comes to pitching your ideas.
What are Your Strengths as a Writer?
This is the type of question you might get asked over a Skype, Zoom, or telephone interview– so be prepared! All freelance writing positions require an excellent command over the written word, exemplary communication skills, and the
Where Do You See Your Career Going?
I’ve been asked this before by a potential client, and it knocked me for six. I have no idea why, but I just didn’t see this question coming, so I thought it important to include in this list.
First things first, (as with any of these questions) it’s essential, to tell the truth. Ideally, you want to say that you see yourself writing for clients and companies like the interviewer- then, use this as an opportunity to say what you want your work to achieve form them:
- Boost brand awareness,
- Increasing conversion rates,
- Encouraging consumer engagement,
- Achieving better opt-in rates,
You can easily show the client that you see your future career helping your clients achieve their overarching business goals. If you have any experience or statistics to help you communicate this point, now’s also the time to mention it.
Can You Tell Me How You Work?
More often than not, when clients ask this, they actually mean- ‘how do you tackle your work?’. So, take them through your process. From researching credible sources, emailing industry experts to get a quote, to keyword research, to drafting, to editing your article, to SEO-optimizing your finished work.
Be sure to also add you’re a self-starter, capable of working independently- which as a freelancer, is a skill you’ll definitely need to master!
What Do You Specialize in?
Although it doesn’t sound like it, this is actually a two-part question. Not only does the client want to know what industries you’re proficient in
Do your best to angle
Have Confidence
We hope that by answering these frequently asked questions you feel better about answering them. Remember, even the likes of Gina Horkey and Alexis Grant started somewhere! All experienced writers would have started their careers feeling a little unsure as to how to answer these questions- and overtime their confidence grew.
There’s no reason why you shouldn’t boast a similar story!
