Do you regard other freelancers who offer the same service as you as a competitor or a partner?

They are both, of course. But here are my three instances when I regard freelance copywriters as partners.

1. When a client asks you to do a project that’s outside your core skills or when it’s a project you wouldn’t enjoy doing.

Rather than leave your client in the lurch by saying “that’s not really my area”, you could suggest a person in your network who you know would a) do a great job and b) enjoy doing the work.

Just lay down the ground rules first. I have two. One is that my freelance contact charges the same rate as I do, so I’m not undercut. And the second is that, if they are approached by my client with the sort of project that I would normally do for that client, they defer to me.

Guest writer, James Adams, explains to newbie freelancers the nine things you’ll need to get started.

When it comes to becoming a freelancer, it would seem that all you need to get started is a computer and a sought-after skill. However, there are other things a freelancer needs in order to succeed. Here are my nine suggestions:

1. Dedicated workspace

First, a freelancer must have a dedicated work place. This will allow you to focus and really get to work on projects. Too often, people think they can simply work from their laptop on their bed or at a restaurant, but this encourages so many distractions. That’s why having that dedicated office space will be a work haven for you. And, speaking of work space, you will need a comfortable chair. No-one wants to sit in front of their computer on a chair that’s the equivalent of a bar stool. So be sure to find one that’s comfy and supportive so you don’t develop back issues later.

As I mentioned last week, today is National Freelancers’ Day in the UK. Back in September, Ed Gandia, Pete Savage and Steve Slaunwhite launched International Freelancers Day which was the biggest-ever online conference for solo professionals.

The conference actually took place over two days – I signed up to it and got FREE access to 24 video presentations from leading experts on some great topics such as marketing, social media, productivity etc.

Why am I telling you about something that happened two months ago?

Well, the other day Ed Gandia and Pete Savage emailed me to tell me about their brand new International Freelancers Academy.  It provides great-value content to freelancers – just like their online conference did – but now on a weekly basis.

If you’re a freelance writer and thinking about moving into sub-editing, guest writer, James Pringle, explains what subbing work is like and why it’s a vital part of the editorial process.

Aside from the judges on Strictly and the X Factor, most of us exercise tact when talking to people about their talents and tastes, whether it’s performing in amateur dramatics, decorating their home or choosing a partner.

If we find something unsatisfactory, we keep it to ourselves – and that’s why sub-editors are not universally popular among their journalist colleagues. Certainly it was a shock to my system when I joined an agency and started to have my work covered with subs’ marks. It was like being back at school.

Quality control

It’s National Freelancers’ Day on November 23 in the UK – a day to celebrate the value of freelancers, contractors, interims and consultants to the UK economy.

Organised by PCG, the voice of freelancing, it’s a day for those of us in the freelance community to reflect on the contribution we make to the UK economy. Here are some of the events taking place to mark the day:

PCG Freelance Lecture

Taking place at London’s Stationers’ Hall, the inaugural Freelance Lecture will be delivered by Dr James Bellini, leading futurologist, broadcaster and, of course, freelancer. Broadcaster, Sue Lawley, will host the lecture. ‘Freeing up Potential’ will be the theme for the lecture and the emphasis will be:

Welcome to guest writer, Malcolm Davison who provides a round-up of some Mac software packages that freelancers will find useful. Malcolm is offering readers of Freelance Factfile a discount on his online web writing training. Details are at the end of this post.

The Mac has become the computer of choice among creative agency staff and freelancers. The ease of use and reliability are legendary.

Freelancers especially are being frugal with their spending on software these days. And just how many versions of Microsoft Word do you really need, after all? But there are many other packages that have appeared on the scene that just concentrate on a single job and do it very well. They also don’t make too big a dent in the office budget. Let’s look at a few of them: