Comments on: How to Get Freelance Writing Referrals Even if You’re New http://allfreelancewriting.com/2009/06/10/freelancing/finding-work/how-to-get-freelance-writing-referrals-even-if-youre-new/ Your Secret to Freelance Writing Success Sun, 21 Mar 2010 02:33:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Angela Booth's Fab Freelance Writing Blog http://allfreelancewriting.com/2009/06/10/freelancing/finding-work/how-to-get-freelance-writing-referrals-even-if-youre-new/comment-page-1/#comment-15890 Angela Booth's Fab Freelance Writing Blog Tue, 02 Mar 2010 02:54:11 +0000 http://allfreelancewriting.com/?p=2266#comment-15890 <strong>Freelance writing for real money: turn your wishbone into a backbone...</strong> Want to become a successful, highly paid freelance writer making much more than you could make at (most) day jobs? You can do it, and you can do it more EASILY than you believe possible. How do I know this? Assuming that some 30 years of writing have t... Freelance writing for real money: turn your wishbone into a backbone…

Want to become a successful, highly paid freelance writer making much more than you could make at (most) day jobs? You can do it, and you can do it more EASILY than you believe possible. How do I know this? Assuming that some 30 years of writing have t…

]]> By: Link Love For June 12, 2009 | Passwater dot Com http://allfreelancewriting.com/2009/06/10/freelancing/finding-work/how-to-get-freelance-writing-referrals-even-if-youre-new/comment-page-1/#comment-10500 Link Love For June 12, 2009 | Passwater dot Com Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:05:56 +0000 http://allfreelancewriting.com/?p=2266#comment-10500 [...] How to Get Freelance Writing Referrals Even if You’re New [...] [...] How to Get Freelance Writing Referrals Even if You’re New [...]

]]> By: Writing Roundup, June 12 « Jen’s Writing Journey http://allfreelancewriting.com/2009/06/10/freelancing/finding-work/how-to-get-freelance-writing-referrals-even-if-youre-new/comment-page-1/#comment-10499 Writing Roundup, June 12 « Jen’s Writing Journey Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:35:36 +0000 http://allfreelancewriting.com/?p=2266#comment-10499 [...] How to Get Freelance Writing Referrals Even If You’re New Jennifer Mattern again provides excellent advice. We all know that word of mouth is the most effective form of advertising, and Jennifer gives tips to help get that all-important WOM. [...] [...] How to Get Freelance Writing Referrals Even If You’re New Jennifer Mattern again provides excellent advice. We all know that word of mouth is the most effective form of advertising, and Jennifer gives tips to help get that all-important WOM. [...]

]]> By: Words on a page » A few links for the end of the week http://allfreelancewriting.com/2009/06/10/freelancing/finding-work/how-to-get-freelance-writing-referrals-even-if-youre-new/comment-page-1/#comment-10498 Words on a page » A few links for the end of the week Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:26:49 +0000 http://allfreelancewriting.com/?p=2266#comment-10498 [...] New writer? Here’s some advice on getting referrals [...] [...] New writer? Here’s some advice on getting referrals [...]

]]> By: Ed http://allfreelancewriting.com/2009/06/10/freelancing/finding-work/how-to-get-freelance-writing-referrals-even-if-youre-new/comment-page-1/#comment-10488 Ed Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:47:16 +0000 http://allfreelancewriting.com/?p=2266#comment-10488 To their credit, many freelance job aggregators are improving the quality of the offers, weeding out the ridiculously low payments, the obvious scams and the pure time-wasters. To their credit, many freelance job aggregators are improving the quality of the offers, weeding out the ridiculously low payments, the obvious scams and the pure time-wasters.

]]> By: Jennifer Mattern http://allfreelancewriting.com/2009/06/10/freelancing/finding-work/how-to-get-freelance-writing-referrals-even-if-youre-new/comment-page-1/#comment-10487 Jennifer Mattern Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:40:07 +0000 http://allfreelancewriting.com/?p=2266#comment-10487 We do talk about those things... quite a lot actually. ;) And reason for the job ads is about directly confronting the problem of wasting time scanning job board after job board. I'm a realist. While it's stupid to spend all of your time applying for advertised jobs, people aren't going to stop (and there ARE decent advertised jobs from time to time - most aren't advertised, but some in fact still are). I'd rather bring them some jobs each day to their inbox than pretend people are going to stop looking at advertised jobs altogether, and save some folks some time in the process. We do talk about those things… quite a lot actually. ;) And reason for the job ads is about directly confronting the problem of wasting time scanning job board after job board. I’m a realist. While it’s stupid to spend all of your time applying for advertised jobs, people aren’t going to stop (and there ARE decent advertised jobs from time to time – most aren’t advertised, but some in fact still are). I’d rather bring them some jobs each day to their inbox than pretend people are going to stop looking at advertised jobs altogether, and save some folks some time in the process.

]]> By: Ed http://allfreelancewriting.com/2009/06/10/freelancing/finding-work/how-to-get-freelance-writing-referrals-even-if-youre-new/comment-page-1/#comment-10486 Ed Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:16:44 +0000 http://allfreelancewriting.com/?p=2266#comment-10486 I totally agree that the bread-and-butter of freelancing is repeat business, not scanning job boards. It's the same when you are looking for conventional work; you don't get much worthwhile employment scanning the want-ads. Which makes you wonder why all the freelance ads? The space might be best suited to teaching people how to create their own employment network and developing repeat customers. I totally agree that the bread-and-butter of freelancing is repeat business, not scanning job boards. It’s the same when you are looking for conventional work; you don’t get much worthwhile employment scanning the want-ads. Which makes you wonder why all the freelance ads? The space might be best suited to teaching people how to create their own employment network and developing repeat customers.

]]> By: Jennifer Mattern http://allfreelancewriting.com/2009/06/10/freelancing/finding-work/how-to-get-freelance-writing-referrals-even-if-youre-new/comment-page-1/#comment-10485 Jennifer Mattern Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:32:46 +0000 http://allfreelancewriting.com/?p=2266#comment-10485 To put it in perspective, new writers can kind of think of their freelance network as an employment agency. I used to work for a major nonprofit. A part of my job was to interview and hire people to help us out with various events and campaigns. We didn't publish job ads. We worked with a select few employment agencies. The hires came through referrals from those agencies. They were to us what your colleagues and existing clients are to people in their network. Others really will ask them who their writer is, if they know someone that could help them out with a project, etc. With the employment agencies, you formally "applied" to be eligible for those referrals. With freelancing, your platform and past work are your application. Basically, everyone who knows you is like a potential employment agency who might call you up one day to tell you about a job offer you'd be a good fit for. And like you mentioned, even some full-time jobs are never advertised--the same is absolutely true of freelance gigs. To get them, you need the "in" of that agency (your network). To put it in perspective, new writers can kind of think of their freelance network as an employment agency. I used to work for a major nonprofit. A part of my job was to interview and hire people to help us out with various events and campaigns. We didn’t publish job ads. We worked with a select few employment agencies. The hires came through referrals from those agencies. They were to us what your colleagues and existing clients are to people in their network. Others really will ask them who their writer is, if they know someone that could help them out with a project, etc. With the employment agencies, you formally “applied” to be eligible for those referrals. With freelancing, your platform and past work are your application. Basically, everyone who knows you is like a potential employment agency who might call you up one day to tell you about a job offer you’d be a good fit for. And like you mentioned, even some full-time jobs are never advertised–the same is absolutely true of freelance gigs. To get them, you need the “in” of that agency (your network).

]]> By: Janine http://allfreelancewriting.com/2009/06/10/freelancing/finding-work/how-to-get-freelance-writing-referrals-even-if-youre-new/comment-page-1/#comment-10484 Janine Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:55:01 +0000 http://allfreelancewriting.com/?p=2266#comment-10484 Thank you so much for this post Jennifer! It's exactly what I needed to hear as a beginning freelancer. In fact, with all the research I've done and the professionals I've spoken with, one of the best pieces of advice given was that referrals and getting repeat business from existing clients are the most successful ways to build your network and find high-paying projects. It's actually kind of tragic that so many newbie freelancers immediately fall into the rut of bidding/auction sites or apply for an insane amount of gigs that are only paying $0.05/word, sometimes less. Nobody could live off that. And the importance of referrals extends even beyond freelancing. My last two full-time jobs I obtained by having an 'in' or referral that got me in touch with the right people. In both cases, there wasn't even an open position being advertised on the job boards! Thank you so much for this post Jennifer! It’s exactly what I needed to hear as a beginning freelancer. In fact, with all the research I’ve done and the professionals I’ve spoken with, one of the best pieces of advice given was that referrals and getting repeat business from existing clients are the most successful ways to build your network and find high-paying projects. It’s actually kind of tragic that so many newbie freelancers immediately fall into the rut of bidding/auction sites or apply for an insane amount of gigs that are only paying $0.05/word, sometimes less. Nobody could live off that. And the importance of referrals extends even beyond freelancing. My last two full-time jobs I obtained by having an ‘in’ or referral that got me in touch with the right people. In both cases, there wasn’t even an open position being advertised on the job boards!

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