Let’s take a look at a few different ways writers can boost their business into a profit-pulling machine by implementing a few tweaks and suggestions:

Make sure your rates are right

This is probably mistake number one with regards to new or struggling writers who are seeking freelance writing jobs.  If you’re charging too much compared to your direct competition, your potential clients will be seeking services elsewhere rather than fork up %20 more than various other talented writers in the marketplace.  On the flip side, if you are being overly modest with your rates interested clients might not take you seriously or be expecting some sort of “catch”.  Balance is important with every business, regardless of the industry.

The going rate seems to be between $6-$15 per 300-500 word article.  If you’re going to start off charging $15 per article, be prepared for the possibility of more demands from your clients.  At $6 per article most clients won’t even bother to ask for a change or revision.  I suggest starting off somewhere in between, for example you could start your rates at $6 for 200-300 words, $9 for 300-500 and $12 for 500-700 etc.

As time goes on it won’t be that difficult to introduce a standard rate for your work within a more broad per word range.  Do you really think it will be that hard to get people to pay $25 per article for anything between 500-1000 words?  Not at all.  Your clients will pay for quality, reliability and rapport.

Daily marketing is an absolute must

When you’re beginning to search for freelance writing jobs you must market yourself on a daily basis.  Visibility is crucial from the get-go and you should be taking full advantage of the many online writing communities which allow clients and writers to interact, find each other and secure business relations.

There are two great places to start:  elance.com and odesk.com.  Both of these communities receive thousands of targeted clients each and everyday who are looking for high quality, affordable writing solutions.  Set up your profile and make it a routine to search the marketplaces first thing in the morning, sending out response to any and every job posting available within your writing medium, niche or style.

Before marketing yourself, I would highly suggest setting up a website that you can send potential clients to.  Have pieces of your work, contact information, and a blurb about yourself/company/objective.  It’s equally important these days to also maintain a blog – because believe it or not this is where business oriented traffic will look first.  They want to see what you’re about, what type of community you have and how you’re using it to promote your services.

Follow these guidelines and you should be on your way to a $100/day freelance business in no time.  Remember, customer service is crucial, so brush up on your email etiquette and don’t be shy to make the occasional phone call to let your clients know that things are moving along well with their project.