Writer? Actually that was funny to do this kind of self claimed. Here I am, I will tell you all, my lovely and amazing reader about true story about me in this field. I have been a writer since 2019, which was the pre-pandemic of COVID-19 exploded all over the country. That was the period time for me. I was finishing my bachelor degree as well. At that time everything was seems unwell and unpredictable. People have been intrigued as the virus invaded and many death news announced from all over the country. The period from the virus being spread into the invasion of it was extremely fast. Government ordered public Then, they ordered used medicinal mask and wash our hand as self protection. Then, people were told to reduce outdoor activities and interactions between residents. Not long as the order mentioned, people have to stayed in their house and all outdoor activities were being banned for a while. Workers and students do their duties from home and discussed some matters through online. My university also mobilized the government policy for academic to stayed at home and did the course at home. This period made me to started shared my opinion and thought at that time.
For about five years, I was being freelance writer. For me, it was fascinating experience. Many ups and downs as the writer, I have to begin with read all the information, collect, coding, terminate and analysis all of the sources all at once. It was same as do the academic research. At the same time, I also worked as copywriter and SEO specialist in the Upwork site and through writer community. Being a journalist also one of my experience. Until my friend hired me as the translator from both English-Indo reversed, that was fascinating journey for me. I am not brave enough to told people that I was senior writer, because my writing is not enough to be called that. The prestige to work on my hobby is big deal for me. Even it is not being mentioned, all people have to do something make them happy and brave enough right? That was my thought when I decided to make my first
Through the years, I have been developed many skill and met many people to collaborate. The experiences of being scammed, not paid, and document were being copied were meaningful experience for me. Its not that easy to make deal within people through online . Those times made me felt I had to made same improvement and set some rules to do the business. For utmost, the experience being the ghost writer and survey planner was also the best experience for me. I had to re-arrange my client needs and the priority of them. The revised document must be head to head with original one. Somehow, the template from publisher need to be acquired with without decent changes on the idea. However, the experience trough many works makes writer have that 'touch and sense' of their creations.
After long chit-chat, I think I need to share about the beneficial and challenges through points of being freelance writer. You can check it out below;
- Everything need to be scheduled
This point was approximately the main agenda. Everything need to be scheduled in a week. Make your self schedule is important. For example, in Monday I have four hours to write and two hours at Tuesday and so on. Not only time for writing, time for reading and editing also needed to be added. Do not attach with any companies make you have to do the routine by yourself. Make it compact. If you want to be paid fairly, just share your content into some websites. If you want to try connect to global audience and bigger market just make good portfolio and seek from the freelance website such as Upwork, Freelancer, Glints and others.
- Being consistent
Consistent is the second point along with the scheduled. After you make scheduled tried to contact some website or even company to up-mark your work. Based on my experience, I just try to keep on touch with some of small company or client that has known me. Made some outline to keep your idea within the content. If you are beginner, focus on what field that you are good on it.
- Set a rule
If you are freelancer that work on yourself, set a rule. It important to set them for your personal and for your client. Before make such agreement, just show them how to work or collaborate properly with the rule as policy. It will protect your business. Sometimes, the client or partner often make claim as the content by their own. It affect your copyright on your own idea. Such a funny story right? It happened on me at first. Prevent the copyright issues is the priority as the author. But if you are hired as the ghost writer, forget about your credit.
- Find a community
The basic one actually find a good community. If you are freelancer and don't have writer friend, just find good community to enhance your insight. It will also protect you for being scammed and all. Right now, so many small company that hire freelance writer and don't paid them in the end of contract. That was the reality. Sometimes, the company also credited the work for other people. So you need to see company rule and combine with your own rule, then set agreement. In fact, ghost writer is also acknowledge as normal thing in writing field from long time ago. Many companies do not give credit to the original author and suddenly immediately change the original author's name to someone else's name for some company needs or because of ambiguous or not proper contracts.
That was splendid of tips and also my experience as the freelance writer who did not attach with any companies. I just work for short term business and make a contract by my own. Then how about question on my headline? I implicitly said I will keep improving and grow up as the writer. There is still long way to go. If you are also beginner, lets walk together. Being writer is passion not command. Also, I am working on my first novel, please wait on it. If you have different perspective from this opinion, feel free to contact me through my Instagram account @afifahmt. I hope you are all have great day. Keep on going!
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