Whether you’re a) already freelancing and looking for a more substantial knowledge base to back you up, b) entirely new to freelancing and wanting to get going or c) still thinking about beginning a freelance career, here’s something for nothing. Enjoy.

1.    JUST SO WE’RE ON THE SAME PAGE

Freelancing defined

As you know, a freelancer is a person who is self-employed. And in any given profession, freelancers sell or contract their work to clients. They’re often paid by the hour – although jobs with a fixed rate to complete a fixed project are both possible and common, depending on the freelancer’s field of expertise.

So, why freelance?

The speaker at our meeting on Oct 25, 2000, veteran all-rounder Tony Weaver had these tips to offer his colleagues.

Here are a few tips that will help if you are an aspiring writer, or you simply want to augment your professional qualifications by publishing material related to your field of expertise.

Golden rules to proposal writing.

This is Renee Moodie's swansong email. She is in full-time employment now...

Notes from last week's Cape Town Safrea meeting.

Words of wisdom regarding pitching

Do you have a passion for people, and a natural curiosity about How Things Work and Why Stuff Happens? Do you love writing, and have a desire to see your name in print?

If you’re answering ‘yes’ to these questions, then a career in journalism could be for you!

But how do you get started? How much money can you make? And what does a journalist do exactly? Here are some quick answers in this tour of the deadline-driven world of Hard News Journalism

The Cape Town branch’s May meeting at Ikhaya Lodge had a great turnout of about 30 people, ranging from new recruits to some Safrea founder members who shared a wealth of experience.
 

Presentation by Ann Donald owner of Kalk Bay Books, Cape Town for Safrea Western Cape on 12 August 2009

Ann Donald, former Fairlady, Woman’s Value and Longevity editor, is now the owner of Kalk Bay Books and a judge in the Alan Paton literary awards. In an exclusive presentation for SAFREA members, many of whom are published or would-be authors, she offered numerous personal insights into the tough world of publishing. She also provides a reference link for international sales and POD info.

So you’ve always wanted to write articles for magazines. You dream about seeing your name up there in the byline, but every time your FIRST BIG ARTICLE finally lands in your outbox, your enthusiasm and resolve fizzle out before you can hit the Send button.

Notes from a talk by three Safreans at a Safrea branch meeting in Cape Town.

By Tiffany Markman (Safrea Full Member)

One of the big trends in small-to-medium business marketing at the moment is content creation: writing articles, blog posts and newsletter articles on a regular basis and using these to boost website traffic, public interest or even sales. The idea is that, today, people like value in the form of free info on your area of expertise. (I guess that’s why I write these articles.) So here’s a 3-step tutorial, ideal for non-writers on how to write articles for your own business.

Simon Hartley, Safrea member, shares his knowledge with Safrea freelancers who are thinking about starting a blog or website. His article covers how to choose between hosting options and includes some basic information about SEO (search engine optimisation).

Sometimes getting work isn't the hard part of freelancing - it's getting paid.

Tiffany Markman (Safrea executive council member) and Jo Duxbury (Freelancecentral and Peppermint Source) collaborate to give their valuable tips on how to get paid for your hard work.

There are many great benefits to being a freelancer, whether you’re a writer, editor, proof-reader, designer or photographer. The advantages include the wide variety of work, the opportunity to work from home (or any location you choose), being able to set your own office hours and being your own boss, says Tamara Oberholster

You can also find this article here: http://themediaonline.co.za/2011/10/five-behaviours-to-keep-freelancers-sane/

Tired of struggling to get your byline in a publication or two? CAROLINE HURRY, editor-in-chief of Travelwrite (www.travelwrite.co.za) and Safrea member, offers 12 tips when pitching travel stories to editors.

Safrean Elizabeth Joss tells how she started out as a freelancer and the stumbling blocks she had to overcome.

You can also find this article here: http://themediaonline.co.za/2011/11/the-hardest-part-of-freelancing/

There’s nothing quite as enticing, for the armchair traveller, than sinking into a comfy couch to read about places you’ve never seen, and never been to. And it’s a travel writers job to immerse you in that world. Caroline Hurry, editor-in-chief of Travelwrite, offers 20 tips to travel writers on how to make their copy sing, and keep those readers engaged with their travel tales

.You can also find this article here: http://themediaonline.co.za/2012/01/20-tips-to-make-your-travel-stories-sing/

Freelancing – as a writer, editor, designer or photographer – is a tough gig with lots of pressure.Roxanne Reid gives some pointers on how to dodge the stress bullet. 3
inShare   Digg DiggFreelancing – as a writer, editor, designer or photographer – is a tough gig with lots of pressure.Roxanne Reid gives some pointers on how to dodge the stress bullet.

You can also find this article here: http://themediaonline.co.za/2012/04/15-stress-busters-for-freelancers/

 

 
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Where did the time go? Twenty-five years have passed and the last day of work has arrived. Two and a half decades at the same company. Who would’ve thought? Time to collect that gold watch and ride off into the sunset of long-awaited retirement, writes Grant Cyster.

You can also find this article here: http://themediaonline.co.za/2012/04/cruising-the-freelance-highway

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You’re well on your way to making a living out of the articles you’ve managed to sell to various publications? You’ve mastered the art of writing a killer query, you can match any deadline and you have a little black book full of editors waiting to publish your next gem. So what’s the catch? The catch is that you don’t get to keep it all – SARS will want their share of your hard-earned profits and it’s best to be ready for them with…Moira Richardsoffers some sound advice in the latest of our series with SAFREA on freelancing.

You can also find this article here: http://themediaonline.co.za/2012/03/you-freelancing-and-the-taxman/

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The end of January is usually a time of reckoning for media freelancers. The lack of income over the holidays starts to bite. And – most unfairly – the festive spending comes home to roost. Niki Mooregives some advice on how to avoid the slow season.

You can also find this article here: http://themediaonline.co.za/2012/02/freelancers-tips-on-how-to-survive-2012/

 

SAFREA member Jaco Wolmarans used to shun cocktail parties – until he realised how much business freelancers can win at these networking events. Here, he gives some seriously good advice on how to get it right.

You can also find this article here: http://themediaonline.co.za/2011/11/about-small-talk-and-job-mining/

 

The national and global employment landscapes are in a massive state of evolution. Millions of people around the country and world are painfully aware of the fact that job security is steadily becoming a thing of the past. A growing number of individuals are choosing instead to explore the merits of a freelance career. For those considering this option, being mindful of a few key principles will help facilitate a rewarding journey...