The Freelancer’s Best Friend?

Best Friendby Mike O’Mary

Who is your best friend? As a freelancer, maybe you will say it’s your faithful dog or purring cat because they’re the only creatures that keep you company when you’re working late at night. But if you don’t have one or more graphic designers among your best friends, you might want to make that a priority for 2010. 

I wrote my first corporate annual report in 1988. I’ve worked on at least one every year since then, and in the years I was freelancing, I sometimes worked on three or four per year. So I’m guessing I’ve written about 35 annual reports, plus countless capability brochures and other types of collateral. (If I was smart, I would have saved a few copies of each one so I could wallpaper my den.) Along the way, I have worked with many graphic designers – and when I made the move from corporate employee to freelancer, those graphic designers were my best friends because they were a steady source of referrals. 

Graphic design firms by definition focus on design, so they seldom have copywriters on staff. But graphic designers are constantly in touch with clients who need content in addition to design. Those clients often asked the graphic designer to recommend freelance writers or editors. So if you haven’t already done so, reach out to a few graphic designers and make yourself available as a resource to them and their clients. The design firm may put you directly in touch with a client, or they may prefer to subcontract work to you. Either way, it’s a great situation: the graphic design firm provides its clients with a broader range of services, you get more freelance work – and you make friends with some very creative people!

Mike O’Mary is founding dreamer of Dream of Things, a book publisher and online community for writers and other artists.