How to be a good freelancer

The main goal when you freelance is to make life easier for the editor who has hired you. Here are some Dos and Don’ts:

Do:

• Follow the guidelines the editor sends to you; if you don’t have them, ask for them. (See the related post on author guidelines here.)
• Read the publication you are writing for and glean the typical style; you won’t get everything right, but you will please the in-house copy editors who do the final style edit.
• Suggest a change in story angle if you uncover new information that warrants the change, but be ready to back that up with a solid rationale.

Sunset Over Great Sound No.2, Stone Harbor, NJ
Photo by Gail M. Pfeifer

Don’t:

• Miss a deadline; you won’t be hired again, no matter how good a writer you are.
• Give frequent updates on the roadblocks you have encountered while writing; your editor wants your article, not your excuses.
• Share the obstacles you have overcome (I did the interview on the lunch hour during my day job; I skipped my planned vacation this weekend to get you this article, etc).