10 Years as an Online Freelancer: 10 Things I’d Do If Starting Today

In 2005, I was approached by someone who told me that the Next Big Thing in online marketing was the blog. I didn’t know what a blog was, and, truth to tell, I didn’t much care. Someone was willing to pay me a monthly retainer to provide content to a corporate blog.

With my freshly-minted M.A. in Journalism from Syracuse, it wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do. My science reporting focus didn’t pay all the bills, and we needed the rent money, so I agreed to get involved with blogging.

As you know, my recruiter was right; blogging exploded in the years after I began. Professional blogging became my family’s online source of income, and, even though the online writing landscape has changed in the last decade, I’m still the primary breadwinner.

As I reflect on 10 years in the online writing space, I’ve thought a lot about how differently I’d approach my career if I were starting out today.

1. Treat Online Freelancing Like a Business

At first, my plan was to write a little bit until my husband finished his Ph.D. and got a job. I thought I’d make just enough to pay the rent and the bills if we scrimped and had help from student loans. I never dreamed that blogging could be a business. As a result, I wasted a lot of money paying taxes I didn’t need to, and I made poor decisions that I wouldn’t have made if I’d had a business mindset.

Even if your online freelance writing is meant as a side gig for a little extra, follow sound business principles from the beginning.

2. Start Your Blog Now

As a freelance writer, you want to get paid. Often you spend so much time writing for others that you don’t think about building up your website. I didn’t have a blog until the end of 2011. If I were starting today, the first thing I’d do is establish a blog I could use as a showcase and marketing tool.

3. Use Your Name

If you’re an online freelancer, you want to be recognizable. I made the mistake of joining Twitter as MMarquit, and I’ve used that username on other accounts. I wish I’d just gone with my actual name since some guy named Jacob uses the handle @MirandaMarquit on Twitter.

Today, social media sites are well-established and an essential part of the landscape. When you can, use your name, claiming it from the beginning.

4. Choose a Pen Name that Sounds Plausible

There are times I use a pen name. In fact, I did some early writing that I’m not particularly proud of under a pen name. If you decide that you need some level of anonymity, use a pen name that seems plausible.

It’s fine to go for clever when you don’t plan to branch out and write for others. If you want to be an online freelancer who’s taken seriously, you need a “real” sounding pen name.

5. Hire an Accountant

I waited too long to hire an accountant. If I had seen an accountant earlier, I would have learned the value of business organizations beyond sole proprietorship sooner — and saved about $13,000 in taxes over the course of two years. The moment you start making money as an online freelancer, sit down with a professional and consider your options. I can’t imagine life without my accountant now; he’s worth every penny (and he’s tax-deductible).

6. Use a Consistent Avatar Across Social Media Channels and Bios

You should be recognizable. Use the same avatar across social media channels so that potential clients recognize you. I try to use the same headshot for my bios on various sites as well, although I’ve fallen behind with recent efforts since I recently commissioned new headshots.

When I first started, I tried using different images for various bios and social media accounts. After a few people told me they didn’t always recognize my image, I started standardizing as much as I could.

Your headshot should let you show a little personality while still conveying your status as a professional. Your avatar should be as engaging as you are, and easy to connect to your byline.

7. Don’t Accept Every “Opportunity” Presented to You

I used to think that I had to accept any work that paid. Anything at all. However, I’ve learned that some “opportunities” really aren’t. Even if someone pays you, it doesn’t mean it’s worth your time or effort.

Freelancers are often scared that if they say no to something, they won’t have enough work. Rather than work with someone who’s too demanding, unethical, or who has a poor reputation, I’ve learned to say no. There have been times that I wish I’d been more discriminating about the people I’ve accepted work from.

After a handful of years, I began saying no and “firing” clients if I felt it necessary. Even when I’ve been afraid to do so because I didn’t think I could “afford” to turn down work, I’ve taken that step. Sometimes it meant shelving my pride and asking my parents for help or doing a little work for content farms under my plausible pen name to get the money needed to buy groceries.

8. Some Emails Aren’t Worth Answering (This Goes for LinkedIn Connection Requests, Too)

It’s hard to ignore an email when the subject claims that someone has work for you or wants to work with you. I receive a number of these emails each week, along with LinkedIn connection requests from people claiming they have “opportunities” (there’s that word again) for me.

Unfortunately, most of these chances to work with someone are of little value. I used to answer all emails with either an agreement to talk on Skype about what’s possible or a polite refusal.

Both of these tactics often in so much wasted time. The Skype conversation is often time-consuming and disappointing and the polite refusal often prompts follow-ups. As the years have progressed, I’ve become more adept at hardening my heart and hitting the delete key.

Unless it’s someone I know personally, or know by reputation, I ignore requests to “explore how we might work together.” I’ll work on joint projects with people I know and trust, even if money isn’t involved. But if you’re cold-approaching me, you’d better lead with the fact that this is legitimate, paid work.

9. Do Some Work for Free

I used to be adamant about getting paid. I wouldn’t work for free. Now, I recognize that there are times it makes sense to work for free. If you have the chance to guest post on a blog that can bring more attention to your work or draw eyeballs to your professional site, offer something great.

There are bloggers and other online freelancers that contribute to sites like U.S. News & World Report, Inc., Entrepreneur, and Huffington Post just for the social proof and the legitimacy these sites bestow. It irks me to write for free, but the truth is that many clients don’t realize that Forbes isn’t paying its contributors and that it’s possible for almost anyone to be accepted to write for one of the U.S. News blogs. As a result, if you want to “wow” potential clients, it helps to be able to point to portfolio pieces on these websites.

I don’t want all of my time taken up by this type of work, though. I limit the amount of writing I do for “exposure,” focusing my efforts where I think they will be more effective for the long haul.

10. Take Advantage of Different Media

I focused so much on the fact that I was a writer that it didn’t occur to me to do much in terms of other media. Besides, at the time I started as an online freelancer, YouTube had just barely been activated as a domain name and webcams weren’t considered “standard” hardware in most computers.

There have been so many developments in the last 10 years that it would be foolish not to take advantage of them. Over time, I discovered the value in self-publishing a book, creating videos, participating in podcasts, and even collaborating on a live weekly web show.

If I were starting today, I’d devote some of my time to building a presence in other media. Part of success as an online freelancer in today’s world is the audience you can bring with you. If you can build an audience in different ways, and reach people where they are at, you are more likely to be successful.

How long have you been working online? If you were to start today, what would you do?