*Freelance News Roundup* — A Proven Route to Freelancing, How to Negotiate, Why Paris Is Best for Freelancers, and More
Freelancing is in the press a lot these days. Here are some recent articles, essays, and information from the freelance universe.
- A Proven Route to Full-Time Freelance Writing, The Writing Cooperative
This post makes the really good point that the best way to build a freelance career is to work in a full-time office job first. Despite the author’s odd insistence on calling corporate communications writing “propaganda” instead of “marketing,” this advice is very sound.
Quote: “In my experience and that of about a dozen friends who also freelance full-time, the best way to kick off a writing career is to take a soul-sucking corporate writing job for a couple of years.”
- How to Negotiate as a Freelancer, Harvard Business Review
Author Andres Lares, CEO of Shapiro Negotiations Institute, writes: “In my 25 years of advising corporations and independent contractors on how to negotiate, I’ve found that three specific areas often trip up freelancers in their work with clients. First, they focus on the business aspect of the relationship to the detriment of building a personal rapport; second, they attempt to differentiate themselves from their competitors with price discounting, and third, they waste their negotiation time on the wrong clients. Let’s look at each of these.”
A new payment option for freelancers integrates right into WordPress and other content management systems so editors can edit and pay right in the same platform.
- The tax gift every freelancer should give themselves before December 31, Freelancers Union
Hint: It’s a retirement account.
- I don’t have a retirement plan, and I don’t care, Fast Company
Speaking of retirement, Canadian freelancer Jared Lindzon doesn’t think planning for it is too important anymore. He loves what he does now, so he insists he’ll still love it and want to keep doing it when he’s 70. Delusional or sensible?
The City of Light comes out ahead as a freelancer paradise, followed by London, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, New York, Brussels, Montreal, Milan, and Glasgow, in that order. Any other cities you think should be on the list?