5 Things That Instantly Make a Freelancer Appear More Professional

Writer tips that will set you apart from the rest on the job.

The job of a writer houses a great deal of creative liberty–heck, it’s one of the reasons I wanted to be a freelancer in the first place! However, with this freedom comes the feeling that since it is a seemingly “unconventional” job choice, the rules of professionalism are different. 

They’re really not. 

People are people whether you are dealing with them in the writing world or not, so you have to act accordingly. It’s not that once we become professional writers we intentionally stop offering common courtesy, it’s just that when our focus shifts to what seem to be the bigger matters, they slip our minds. 

When you are just starting out and will basically do anything (like write for 0.01 cents per word. I know, I did it too), to land a job or get a great review, you’re on your best behavior. This makes sense, of course. However, it’s important not to let this good behavior slide once you achieve success. Trust me, you will retain your clients only as long as you continue to hold these skills in high esteem. 

I want to make sure and say this before we jump in: don’t take the tips on this list as a scolding, but a friendly reminder, one freelance writer to another. After all, we all need to help one another in this business and it never hurts to pass on the tips that are helpful and cost-free!

So, here are a few of mine that work like a charm in my freelance dealings on a daily basis:

1. Make Interactions Personal Even When Virtual

Something very important in a professional in any field (and I’d venture to say, especially in the realm of the arts), is the ability to make his or her interactions personal.

In the world of freelancing, editing, and ghostwriting, I am far more likely to take a client seriously when they have obviously personalized their initial correspondence with me. Perhaps they use the same couple of lines in order to respond to all of the people they invite for an interview. 

However, when they have chosen to customize their greeting, this still shows that they don’t want to just look like a robot messenger. It’s refreshing to see something more human after all of the automatic invitations generated by the platform.  

These clients deepen my admiration for them (and willingness or even eagerness to work with them!) further when they reference my work specifically in their invites. Even more brownie points head their way when they tell me right off what about my work specifically made them think that I would be the perfect fit for their project. 

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2. An Open Mind

Once I posted in a writing group asking what kinds of topics my fellow writers would like to read an article or two on. I had someone answer by saying that there are too many articles out there as it is and she doesn’t have time to read them. She doesn’t read about how to become better at writing, she said, because she prefers to learn from the classic authors. Her answer gave me pause. It made me ask: Does anyone ever get too good to continue learning, continue gleaning information from the advice and experience of others? Classic authors are great, but I couldn’t help wondering if refusing to heed what other modern writers have to say might stunt her growth a little as a professional. I personally think it will. 

Another thing that she said was that she is too busy teaching and writing to read. Stephen King states the value of a reading writer this way: “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

It takes both. 

Professionals are never too busy to study their craft and never reach the point where they think they know it all. 

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3. Be On Time

You know what it’s like and I know what it’s like. No one likes having to wait on someone else, especially in the business setting. I’ve had clients schedule phone interviews with me and then call late. I have to tell you, as I was sitting there, watching the minutes tick past, I became less and less thrilled at the prospect of working with those clients. 

You have a far better chance of landing a job when you respect the other person’s time right off. Again, I know this because I immediately want to make more of an effort for those who respect that my time is valuable.

4. Wise Words

Okay, so by wise words I am not meaning clever dialogue. Of course, if you are getting paid to be a freelance writer, skills in this area will likely come in handy. But what I am talking about in this context is how you choose to address your clients when you are emailing them or using whatever mode of communication you choose. 

I’m going to be completely transparent with you: this is the hardest professionalism skill for me to keep up with. You’d think that the adage “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all” would be pretty solidly planted by now and be therefore easy since this skill is introduced to most people in preschool. Yeah, you’d think, but not so for me. 

I hate inefficiency. This aspect of my personality leads me to use short and direct wording a great deal of the time. I try to get straight to the heart of the matter so that there is no possibility that my client will misunderstand and we can move on with the project. However, I have to be careful that I soften my words sufficiently. Adopting a professional, yet direct, yet kind tone is a skill, make no mistake about it. I struggle with this one, friends, and when you really want to get something done and are passionate about that task, it can be harder than you think to maintain it. But it’s certainly worth remembering even once you feel that you’re past the people-pleasing stage of your career.

5. Proper Acknowledgement

I try my best as a writer not to ignore people, though it’s pretty easy to get away with when you’re working remotely. Still, when someone makes the effort to reach out to me about a job, I try to always send some sort of acknowledgement that I appreciate it. Even if I know that perhaps my price is out of their budget or maybe I don’t feel I have the skillset they are in search of, I want to make sure they know I appreciate their recognition of my expertise as a writer. Not only is this kind, but it will also recommend me for jobs in the future. Perhaps they’ll have jobs that I’m better suited for later. It has happened. Wouldn’t you be more likely to reach out to someone again if they avoided snubbing you even if you didn’t end up working together initially? 

What are your best writer professionalism tips? What do you feel offers clients the best impression? Please share in the comments!