A Page from a freelancer's Diary--------- Page 4

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 Today we will focus on a very critical part of being a freelance writer. It is criticism! I know it is not the most fun part of your work. But none the less, a very frequent thing you have to face. Yea, being a freelance writer is like being a daughter-in-law. Luckily it is easier to cope up with for us women than our male writer friends. I mean, we are already taking in so much negativity in our lives from in-laws that facing negative criticism from others seems like a piece of cake!

On a serious note, it is hard to hear negative things about your writing. Your articles are your creativity, just like your kids, they are special to you. Hearing baseless negative comments is like as if someone called your kid ugly! But you should be prepared to hearing it quite a lot. People are ruthless and they don't think twice before hurting others. 

However, there are positive critics out there as well. For example, a client may point out to you how you can make your writing better. Don't ignore such comments. Take heed and sit straight, find what you did wrong and how you can improve. When I started, I didn't know so many things about SEO and writing technical posts and blogs for so many niches. But my first client was patient and co-operative and I researched the best practices for writing online. Eventually, I learned and every client taught me something new even if they liked my work and didn't criticize me. What I am clumsily trying to point out is that your journey will teach you and polish you for the better. In the end, you will shine bright!

How I coped up with all this is that I paid attention to what professional better than I was writing about and what my clients were saying, because, in the end, they should like your work. After all, they are the ones who are paying you. As to the rest of the people criticizing my work for no good reason, I usually don't listen, smile and move on. At first, it was hard and I did want to knock the teeth out of the few, but then gradually I trained myself to focus on better things. Now, It doesn't bother me at all. Can you believe it I can't even hear when they are talking because I am thinking about something better at the time?

So, don't fret, focus on good things in your life and teach your brain to switch focus when facing negativity. Be positive and happy!

A Page From a Freelancer's Diary -------- Page 3

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If a freelancer is absent from the scene for a long time, that means he is dead, sick, or he is busy with work. Luckily yours truly was busy, which means life is getting positive again. Today, we will talk about a very famous quote: " To be or not to be, that is the question" yea we know, at least those who took English class seriously, that Hamlet said those golden words. But these words aptly describe the life of a Freelancer. Perhaps Prince Hamlet was a freelancer himself.

Anyways, when you are a freelancer, especially a writer, half your life is spent looking for work. And when you do find it, you might not get offered a huge amount of money. It is not as if you are a designer or a programmer, you are just a writer. Trust me, I have heard that a lot. As I was saying, when you get a job offer for a small amount of money or even a fair amount but you feel that there is a lot of effort that you need to put in for researching it. But you have been looking for work for some days now. So now you are stuck between whether to go for it or whether to decline the offer. 

What I am clumsily trying to say; is that you want to work but you want a good payment in return. The work you get offered doesn't fulfill this requirement. What to do then? Okay, I will share with you what I do in these situations. I usually ask for a bit higher rate so if I have to negotiate, then I will get a good amount. But that is when I have work already. If I don't have I might go for a lower rate because I can feel you guys, it is very stressful not having work. 

Secondly, if the client is stubborn about the rate, then negotiate the time. Ask for more time, so that your current work doesn't get affected. You should evaluate the time before bidding on the project. But most of the time the client doesn't give much importance to the time and amount you bid and starts to negotiate even when you have mentioned the amount and time.

Now, if the client is not flexible on both the time and money, then I usually don't pursue the project because it can be very difficult to satisfy stubborn clients. However, if I like the topic a lot then I might take the project but that happens rarely. The point I am trying to make is that don't pick projects out of frustrations. Giving up work that doesn't suit you is a very good decision because eventually, work will come to you. There are people out there that are looking for writers or freelancers like you. because trust me, doing your best and getting less payment is not that fulfilling.

Here's wishing every Freelancer, including myself, a busy and prosperous new year!