freelance writing

Guest Post: Essential Legal Resources for Freelancers

Unless you happen to have a J.D. yourself, you may not know about the legal issues that could effect freelance writers and self-employed workers. It won’t take long for you to realize that having contracts is an essential part of contract work, at least if you want to get paid. But even then it could be like pulling teeth to get your clients to hand over a check for services rendered.

The long and short of it is that running your own business means wearing a lot of hats, and you simply can’t do everything on your own. Luckily, there are plenty of resources out there that can prove handy for whatever your legal needs. Here are just a few to help you out–before you get into hot water.

Writing Resources

Creative Commons. This service provides free tools that let you easily secure your creative work and assign the freedoms you want it to carry. The service and software are simple to use and an essential site for any creative professional concerned about protecting their work.
Legal Guide for Bloggers. For you bloggers, the Electronic Frontier Foundation provides a comprehensive summary of blogging and U.S. law. Issues ranging from fair use to free speech and privacy are all covered on this thorough site. With the Legal Guide for Bloggers bookmarked you can cease to wonder whether a blog post will get you into trouble and focus on producing content. They help you with content too, even provide information on utilizing the Freedom of Information Act to gain access to buried information.
U.S. Copyright Office. Another website every writer should get to know. Your writing is copyrighted the minute you release it in a public form, but the U.S. Copyright Office is where you can, for a fee, register for further protection on your work. However, the FAQ is free and remains the best tutorial around on copyright law.

Freelancing Resources

ContractPal. This online service is one you’ll definitely want to bookmark in your browser. While contracts for your type of job can be as simple as a work order from the company that’s contracting with you (specifying the basics like work to be done, time of delivery, and amount of payment), many contractors like to have their own legal documents in place to protect them from issues like liability and non-payment. This business process-outsourcing site allows you to go paperless and send documents quickly and securely so that you can focus on work.
Docracy. Not all independent contractors have cash just coming out of their ears, so you may be on the lookout for a services that provides cheap access to legal document templates. Docracy is that resource, and in truth, all of the templates on their website are free. All you have to do is download the consulting or sale document of your choice, alter it to reflect your personal needs, and you’ve got your basic contract. It may not be as ironclad as having something drawn up by a lawyer, but for most freelancers it will be sufficient to get the job done, so to speak.
SBA.gov. Many independent contractors decide to form LLCs (limited liability corporations) as a way to protect themselves and their personal assets from business-related legal issues. If you opt to go this route, you may want to pop over to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) website. Most people view this site as a good resource for small business grants and loans (and it is), but it also has information on taxes, labor laws, social security, and more.
Business attorney. As an independent contractor working from home you’re unlikely to need the services of an automobile, accident, or injury attorney. But you may need a lawyer at some point, and you want to make sure you hire the right kind. There are all kinds of specializations within the legal community, and you’ll need to find someone who is not only a business attorney, but who is familiar with your particular type of business. This will ensure that you have the most targeted legal services available.

Leon Harris is a contributing writer for Hornsby Law, the premier Atlanta injury attorney.

Guest Post: Top 5 Ways I’ve Found Freelance Writing Gigs

By Denene Brox

I’ve been a freelance writer for six years and in that time I’ve tried a lot of marketing tactics. Some have been successful and some haven’t worked so well.

One thing that trips up many new writers is looking for that one perfect way of marketing their writing. Another bad move is to focus all of your efforts bidding for low-paying jobs on freelance bidding sites and/or writing for content mills. You’ll be so wrapped up in low-paying work that you won’t have time to go after higher-paying jobs.

I’m going to share some of the top (and sometimes surprising) ways that I’ve found freelance writing gigs (hint: no freelance bidding sites!). Some of these methods are definitely tried and true while others are random things I’ve tried that paid off.

Letters of Introduction (LOIs)
I’ll start with the tried and true because LOIs are really one of the best marketing methods if you want to write for trade magazines. Most of my clients have come from sending out simple letters of introduction to editors. I write a lot for trade magazines and LOIs launched my magazine writing career. It really is the easiest way to find trade magazine clients. My trade assignments bring in between $.40 and $1 per word and all it took was an introduction.
Take Away: Be sure to combine both LOIs and query letters into your marketing mix. Also try mentioning in your LOIs that you’d be happy to send story ideas too to let editors know you’re willing to brainstorm article ideas.
Cold Calling
I’m not a phone person. So cold calling isn’t my favorite way to market my business. But on some occasions, it’s necessary. I picked up the phone when I couldn’t find any contact information for a career website I wanted to write for. I got in touch with the editor and to my surprise he was looking for a writer with experience writing about minority career issues — experience I had. I went on to write many articles for him over the next few years netting me $300 per 500-word article (much higher than the content mills).
Take Away: Pick up the phone to connect with editors.
LinkedIn
I randomly decided to update my LinkedIn status one day to announce that I was now providing blogging and tweeting services. One of my contacts sent me a message requesting more information. A few emails and an in-person meeting later and I had a regular blogging and tweeting gig for a local college. This job lasted for six months and resulted from an innocent LinkedIn status update.These types of copywriting gigs allow you to name your price (versus accepting whatever a magazine pays per word). You can quote an hourly rate (like I did) or use a flat rate.
Take Away: Be sure to keep your social networks informed about your current projects and services.
Craigslist
Craigslist has a bad rap when it comes to freelance jobs. So I decided to post my own ad. I was shocked when an Internet marketing agency in New York responded with an offer to blog two times per week for one of their clients. I got $30 per hour to blog. Not bad from a free ad.
Take Away: While all the other writers are replying to ads, try posting your own. My ad included a short bio, a list of writing credits/specialties, and a link to my website. You will no doubt get some spam and/or job offers that sound less than appealing. But you never know unless you try.
Regular Job Ads
Even though you’re a freelancer, periodically keep your eye on “regular” job boards for freelance opportunities. I landed a major freelance copywriting gig with a non-profit by applying to an ad on a local employment website. Again, with copywriting gigs the great thing is that I was able to name my price. So whatever your current copywriting rates are, you can use those when quoting the project.
Take Away: Don’t dismiss regular job boards. You may just find a great freelance job.

Denene Brox is a freelance writer based in Kansas City and specializes in career development and health topics. She is also the webmaster of Freelance-Write-Now.com, a site that teaches beginners how to get started in freelance writing. Read more of her tips for finding freelance writing gigs. She blogs about career and personal development at www.my-year-to.com.