by Rachel Smith
14 December 2016
How quickly has the end of 2016 rolled around? Whew! If you’re a regular reader of the blog, you’ll know it’s a tradition to highlight the best of the blog over the past year. Today we’re revisiting the Ask Us Wednesday column – a post we’ve been doing every week for two and a half years now. Thanks for all the emails and feedback about AUW. We’re so glad it’s been helpful to so many of you. Now, without further ado, let’s dive into a selection of 2016’s best questions!
We kicked off January by talking about how to find a good transcriber – something that’s a constant issue for many journalists, we know. One of Leo’s bugbears – combining freelancing when you have rugrats underfoot – made an appearance when a fellow List member asked for ideas. Also in January, a member asked for our favourite apps and Leo shared her selection. (I think this is a great one we might be revisiting in 2017 with an updated selection!)
How to work effectively when your neighbour is renovating was the first question we answered in February – lots of tips there for anyone tearing their hair out and trying to do interviews around jackhammers. We also tackled the never-more-topical dilemma of whether email interviews are valid, and what you need to consider before you do one. Getting feedback from clients is also a really important factor of being freelance – how else do you know how you’re going? – and Leo shares a few scripts to use. We also answered a question that crops up a lot in freelance world: how to deal with a client who thinks they own you 24/7.
In March, we looked at whether working for free ever pays off and I answered a call from a mum-to-be wanting to know how her freelance career would change post-baby. Leo also answered questions on how to handle clients looking for someone to blame and, how to sink or swim when mass layouts prompted mass panic in media.
April saw us tackle a question about whether the word rate is officially dead and how freelancers can find new clients. We also answered a question on how to legally protect yourself as a freelancer. When May rolled around, we fielded a great one: are you better off having more clients (the ‘finger in pies’ theory), or doing more for a select group of clients. We also answered a question from a student who wondered how to launch a freelance business – and be successful. I tackled a query about what you DON’T need to invest in when you start freelancing, and revealed where you can get free legal advice, should you need it.
In June, we looked at insurance you may need as a freelancer, how overseas payments may impact your tax and something close to my heart: learning to type if you’re a two-fingered typist! We also revisited the client feedback question, with something slightly different: how to get testimonials from clients for your website or LinkedIn – and finished the month by answering a question about just how friendly you should be with clients and editors.
July kicked off with a question on how to ensure job-posters will short-list your application, and how to know you’re ready to stop interning and start, you know, earning money for your efforts (a contentious one, to be sure). We also looked at finding mentors. In August, AUW answered the million dollar question: when is low pay TOO low, generating good story ideas and whether it’s important for freelancers to specialise. We also served up some essential scripts to use when chasing late payments from clients and editors and fielded another query about what to charge for blog posts.
In September, questions included what to do before taking on a commission, common niches freelancers operate in, and how to take a break as a freelancer without your business falling over. In October, we talk about managing client expectations, how to deal with gaping holes in your CV and where to find a pro forma for client briefs. Leo also answered a question most freelancers ask at some time or another: how long to store notes, transcripts, mp3s, and emails.
November and December AUW questions will probably be fresh in your mind, but if you missed them, we talked word counts, invoicing bugbears, whether it’s a bad idea to work with friends and the truth about making unsolicited approaches for work to editors and clients. Also, an issue many of us face: how to deal when an editor’s gone cold on you. Plus, the end of year newsletter to clients: should you, shouldn’t you?
That finishes our Ask Us Wednesday posts for 2016. We hope you enjoyed them, and if you have a question for when we start the AUW ball rolling in the new year – send it in! If we can’t answer it, we’ll find someone who can, and chances are, your question will help others, too. Don’t worry – we’re happy for you to stay anonymous; most letter-writers do.
Did you enjoy AUW this year? What was your favourite post?
