The Freelance Hustle

By Kathy Brister
August 5, 2009 05:15 PM

A few months ago, I left the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newsroom and became and entrepreneur. Since January, I have earned my keep as a freelancer, selling skills honed during 12 years as a newspaper reporter and editor. Here are some tips for others taking the freelancing leap:

1) Consider the pros and cons. Freelancing isn’t for everyone. The pace of assignments — and therefore pay — can be erratic. Being your own boss requires discipline. And you have to toil to get clients. That said, freelancing can pay well, especially corporate work. The variety of assignments keeps things interesting. And for most jobs, you can work from anywhere.

2) Do some soul searching. Why are you freelancing? Is this a temporary solution while you wait for the next journalism job? A stepping stone to public relations? Or is freelancing a long-term career move? Caroline Wilbert, a friend, former AJC colleague and full-time freelancer, advises deliberating on whether you want to do pure journalism, corporate work or a hybrid of the two: “It’s definitely possible to have a hybrid, but ethical issues must be navigated with care.”

3) You’re a business, operate like one. After deciding to become a full-time freelancer, I formed an “S” corporation to save on taxes and limit my liability. Some freelancing peers operate under limited liability corporations. The U.S. Small Business Administration Web site explains different business structures. Once you’ve incorporated, open a business bank account under your tax ID number. Be diligent about keeping your business and personal finances separate. Come tax time, you’ll be very glad you did.

4) Speaking of taxes, deduct, deduct, deduct. You can give yourself workplace benefits by deducting certain health care expenses and opening a simplified employee pension plan, or SEP, which offers some tax advantages. Keep track of your work-related expenses such as computers, Internet service, mileage and even your electric bill, if you have a home office. The Internal Revenue Service < a href="http://www.irs.gov/retirement/article/0,,id=111419,00.html#1" target="blank">Web site is a great resource for what is deductible and how to keep records. But it’s best to avoid expenses, whenever possible. Every penny is yours, so keep it if you can.

5) You’re a business, act like one. Turn in clean copy, at the required length, and meet your deadlines. Be available during business hours. Don’t let the dog bark through your interviews. Keep an updated résumé, list of references and work samples handy. Ditch the jeans when you meet clients for lunch. Freelancing is your job; do it well.

6) Your talent has a price tag. When I started this business (ad)venture, Caroline gave me some treasured advice: Your time and talent is valuable, figure out what it’s worth. I have a standard per-word and hourly rate, which I set after talking to several freelancers in my area. Stick to your rate unless the client is offering long-term or repeat assignments. “When we work in a big newspaper or other media outlet … we start to think of writing as a commonplace skill,” Caroline says. “In the real world, it is not, and what we do has real monetary worth.” It may be hard to say no to a job, especially if you are just getting started, but working for a sub-par rate will haunt you.

7) Aim for efficient edits. All newsroom journalists have a tale of an epic and demoralizing edit. When you’re a freelance writer, the time you spend rewriting to fit an editor’s concept of the story not only drains your ego, but also your pocketbook. Ask for a thorough description of the assignment — in writing, if possible. If you get specs over the phone, follow up with an e-mail describing your planned approach. Once you’ve done some reporting, send a story outline. Editors often use freelancers to fill specific needs; they know what they want, and they want you to deliver it in a certain way. Save yourself time, money and frustration by getting a clear idea of the editor’s vision on the front end.

8) Protect your reputation. Some of the old mores — like the idea that doing PR work forever excludes you from journalism — no longer apply. But, as Caroline advises above, it’s important to stay true to your ethical standards. Make sure you and your clients understand the distinction between reporting and PR assignments. Always represent yourself to sources as a freelancer working on behalf of a publication, rather than as an employee. Don’t try to parlay an interview for one client into a job for another. If a contract specifies that you are not to resell the work for which a client has paid you, keep your end of the bargain.

9) Network with other freelancers. Take advantage of the experience gained by others, and share what you’ve learned about everything from keeping up with invoices to writing winning story proposals. Cultivate a group of fellow freelancers you can go to for tough-love story critiques. If a job is too big for one freelancer, recommend a colleague be added to the team — and ask that they do the same for you.

10) One word: Hustle. In the newsroom, you may have been fed enough story assignments to cause indigestion, but expect to hunt for every freelancing morsel. Make sure former colleagues and sources know you are freelancing. (Start by getting your name on Gorkana’s Friday jobs e-mail, www.gorkana.com, and SABEW’s freelance list.) Contact people who might hire or recommend you. If you were a beat reporter, get in touch with trade publications serving that industry and with decision-makers from businesses or government agencies in that sector. Expect to be ignored until you are needed, and don’t be afraid to (politely) nag. And always, always thank people who help you.

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Copyright © 2009 Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism