Tag Archives: freelance editors

Business, client relationships, Freelance Writing Services

How To Hire A Freelancer: What Freelance Writers And Editors Do

CHICAGO freelance writers and editors for hire.

Freelance writers and editors often come with a wide range of skills, but a lot of potential clients aren’t sure if they need a freelancer, and what freelance writers, editors and social media managers can do for them. How do you hire and most effectively use a freelancer?

Hiring A Freelance Writer, Editor, And Social Media Manager

Freelancers offer their clients a cost-effective way to generate or edit content, manage writing teams, edit books and online content for publication, post and maintain social media accounts, and even create digital content in the form of videos and podcasts.

The most effective way to begin a search for a freelancer is to determine what your overall budget is for the project you want. Are you a theatre director looking for someone to promote your upcoming shows via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram?

You’ll need to decide how much labor you want to invest each day of the campaign, how much that labor should cost, and what your benchmarks will be for effectiveness of the campaign.

[Hire a Freelance-Zone.com freelance writer, editor, or social media manager by contacting us via e-mail with some basic details about your project. We will get in touch with you to discuss your needs.]

Bands, Indie Businesses, and Sole Prorpietorships Need Freelancers

Are you a band looking for a freelancer to do the same with social media and posts on your band’s official site? The same rules apply-you need to determine your budget in advance and commit to a certain amount of work for a certain amount of pay.

If you have an independent business to promote, the same exact rules apply but with the added consideration that you are engaging in a longer campaign to generate business and attention to your website.

Promoting an indie business takes time and results are not always available overnight. You will need to discuss your goals with your freelancer to determine the best course of action.

Some types of business are better suited for some types of freelance writing and social media work than others. If you have a product your customers will purchase or use one time only or on a limited basis, the needs of your freelance campaign will be quite different than a company such as a record store that relies on social media and their website to generate repeat business.

Corporate And Local Businesses Need Freelancers

Many big name companies including PetSmart, Lionel, Inc., Motorola, and Banco Popular hire freelancers and temp workers, consult with freelancers for advice on expanding local social media campaigns, and use freelance writers and editors to begin new projects they may choose to take internally later on.

Corporate and local businesses alike can benefit from the flexibility of having a freelance/contract writer and editor working for them because the freelancer is dedicated specifically to that project and won’t have to attend other company meetings or be sidetracked by additional duties or other projects at that company.

That is not to say that freelancers work for one client exclusively-that is an arrangement that is definitely possible but requires some additional negotiation and compensation discussions. But in general the advantage of the freelancer is that she doesn’t get sidetracked by the other issues and projects of the company hiring her. Her job is to focus on the writing, editing, and/or social media project assigned.

[Hire a Freelance-Zone.com freelance writer, editor, or social media manager by contacting us via e-mail with some basic details about your project. We will get in touch with you to discuss your needs.]

What Do Freelance Writers, Editors, And Social Media Managers Do?

Freelancers write web content, articles, press releases, social media posts, and curate relevant posts from other tastemaker websites while writing original content to go along with that curated media.

Freelance editors edit book projects (especially biographies and works that are intended to be self-published), web content, manage teams of writers, and check over any volume of written content for errors, grammatical goofs, auto-correct problems (and there are many of those!) and much more.

Freelance social media managers write, edit, promote, and network on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and more. The best social media managers understand how to strike a balance between self-serving posts that promote the client and content that is shared as a way of generating and maintaining interest in discussions, sharing, and reposting.

Hire A Freelance Writer, Editor, Or Social Media Manager Today

Freelance-Zone.com has many resources to help. If you need to hire a freelance writer, editor, or social media manager for contract work, short or long-term projects, or an ongoing relationship to produce results over a long period of time, get in touch with us today to hire a Freelance-Zone.com writer, editor, or social media manager.

Contact us today and please use Freelance-Zone.com in the subject line to avoid spam filtering. We look forward to hearing from you.

Business, Freelance Writing Services

Freelance-Zone.Com Is Back Online

After many, MANY technical issues, we are back up and running. Freelance-Zone.com has in years past served as an advice and lifestyle blog for freelancers, but today this site is primarily a means to connect with clients and potential clients who need freelance writing, editing, SEO, social media management, community management and related services.

Freelance-Zone.com is run by Joe Wallace, the founder and editor-in-chief for the site and all projects. We are now accepting new clients for a variety of writing, editing, and social media related work.

Do you need a book edited? We have that experience. Joe Wallace is the editor of a variety of print and internet publications including Ultimate Voiceover by legendary Chicago voice artist Jeff Lupetin, as well as writer/editor of FHA Home Loans 101. In print, Wallace is also a contributor to To Japan With Love published by Things Asian Press, as well as Hidden Horror: A Celebration of 101 Underrated and Overlooked Fright Flicks.

Do you need articles, web content, or print pieces? Joe Wallace, along with fellow writer/editors Patrick Ogle, and Carol Sponagle have plenty of experience including published pieces in Conscious Choice Magazine, HorrorHound Magazine, Chicago Dispatcher, American Fitness Magazine, Mapanare.us, Backroads Magazine, Korean Quarterly, Indie Slate Magazine,  Classical Singer Magazine, and many others.

Our content writing and social media experience is second-to-none with projects for Lionel, Inc., Motorola, Petsmart, Bank Administration Institute, FHA.com, HowStuffWorks, and many others.

If you need a writer, editor, or social media manager for a project, get in touch with us directly to discuss rates, deliverables, timelines, and project details.

Freelance-Zone.com offers a diverse writing, editing, and social media team with a wide range of experience.

Hire a Freelance-Zone.com writer for a project today by contacting us directly with “Freelance-Zone.Com” in the subject line.

Business, editorial

Need An Editor? We’ve Got Connections

Freelance book editorWe’ve had more than a few queries lately about freelance editing, editors, and where to find professional editing help from people who actually CARE about the written word. It’s tough out there for a book or script writer who needs an extra set of eyes on their work.

Since Freelance-Zone.com is dedicated to helping writers, it was probably a bit overdue that we’d offer to put people in touch with editing pros (transparency alert: ourselves included) who can help with a book project, scripts, and other written material–at good rates. So here we are, offering.

When Catherine and I started FZ back in 2003, we never thought about the possibility that we could use the site as a way to help freelancers by putting them in touch with essential services like editors. But the more you network in this business, the more you realize just what a help it can be putting the right two people together to their mutual benefit.

So we encourage anyone with a serious book, script or other written project who needs editing help to get in touch. We are professional editors ourselves, but we also have many other colleagues who would be happy to quote rates and offer services for serious, caring work on your project.

If you need a rate quote, a description of services, or want to learn more, please feel free to get in touch with us for further information. You can contact us by clicking on the CONTACT US button or dropping us an e-mail to: editor (at) freelance-zone (dotcom).

–Joe Wallace

advice

Getting Ahead in the Officepla…wait a tick

2 Comments

By Amanda Smyth Connor

1235996_pencil-pusherThat “Mike O’Mary” and his *expletive* blog posts. Well Mike, hats off to you. You scooped me.

I had an amazingly well mapped-out plan of action regarding ways in which “one can get ahead in the office.” I even had some snarky yet optimistic ideas for freelancers in the office place,  yet you’ve addressed many of these this topics splendidly well in your blog post, “How to Get Ahead in the Office.”

Thanks, Mike. I’m going to give you a sarcastic slow clap.  “Clap.     Clap.      Clap.”

Actually, I’m glad we are addressing this topic. (And thank you, Mike, for bringing this up.) It’s easy to overlook how many freelance writers and editors do have desk jobs and are looking for ways in which they can get noticed and get ahead in the work place.

Tip #1 – Be an opportunist. Always be looking for that next chance to stand out in the office place, whether you agree to take on a big project or you simply agree to watch the boss’ dog while s/he is out of town, any chance to stand out and be seen is a good chance. Grab it. Otherwise, the old adage “out of sight, out of mind” applies. Don’t let yourself be a silent worker. Continue reading Getting Ahead in the Officepla…wait a tick →

advice

Share The Love

1 Comment

A situation I found myself in this week moved me to rant a bit about freelance karma. Every now and again, I find myself in a position to catch up with and sometimes even help people who gave me work in the earliest days of my freelance career. I’m always grateful to those who helped me wobble my way out of the part-time ranks and into the position I’m in now, so whenever I get a chance to do the same for someone else–or to give a helping hand to someone who previously threw me some work–I try to spread the wealth around.

In the early days of a freelance career you may not have the time to help someone else, but I think it’s very important to keep your earliest contacts close. Cultivate those relationships and remember who your early benefactors are…you may well discover life coming full circle back to you at some point, whether that’s a chance to help or even a new opportunity from someone who you proved yourself to in the beginning–willing to work with you again because you showed yourself to be a trustworthy resource.

Most of the successes I have now are quite literally due to the people I worked with in the earliest stages. In one case, a former editor helped me land a new, dependable and high-paying gig; in another, one of my earliest clients came back to offer a long-term project with financial implications that pushed my career into another phase altogether. And lest I neglect to give credit where credit is due, Catherine L. Tully is the one who goaded me into writing professionally in the first place–she and I regularly share leads, assignments and take on joint projects…something we’ve been doing since the beginning of my career. None of this would be possible without her prodding me to pull my finger out and get started.

Remember those early clients and editors…they could wind up being your best friends in the business.

advice

Ten Don’ts for New Editors

When freelancers make the leap from writers to editors, there are a large number of booby traps waiting for them in the early months of that first editing gig. Are you about to get a promotion and a title change? Are you considering an image change in your marketing campaign from writer to writer/editor? Here’s my “Don’t Do This” list to help you avoid some of the more troublesome problems you’ll face in the early days of the gig.

10. Don’t get promoted without a raise. If you plan to do editing work, your compensation should increase according to your new responsibilities. For freelance and contract people, that means raising your rates. For freelancers who are about to become employees, that means calculating your current worth and tacking on something extra to make the switch from freelance freedom to employee status worth your while. DO NOT take an increase in pressure without an increase in pay!

9. Don’t wait to be told what your duties are. Tell the people who pay the bills what YOUR expectations of the job are and ask them what their input is. Always try to get a hand in defining your duties whenever possible so you can keep your work load reasonable and commensurate with your pay. You can do this by drawing up your own job description in as much detail as possible and submitting it to your boss or editor-in-chief for discussion. First time editors can benefit from drawing up this job description in many ways, but the first is to clarify in your own mind what you think the job will entail. Continue reading Ten Don’ts for New Editors →