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Freelance Writing Cafe - Community & Resources for High Income Remote Writing Success 4

Freelance Writing Cafe

Launch & grow your freelance writing career... even if you don't have experience!

Drinking Coffee With Writers - Monique Wise, Travel Writer - Freelance Writing Cafe 2

Drinking Coffee With Writers: Monique Wise, Travel Writer

June 1, 2020 · In: Drinking Coffee With Writers

Welcome to another installment of the Drinking Coffee With Writers series! We’re featuring writers from our community who have insight to share on their unique freelance journeys.

This week we spoke to Monique Wise, one of our original community members and savvy affordable travel writer. She creates itineraries and imparts invaluable travel tips on her website, Wanderlust My Way. You might have seen her awesome guide, How to Take Your Photos When Traveling Solo.

Here’s what Monique has to say about growing a freelance writing career, facing challenges, her favorite place to travel, and more.

Drinking Coffee With Writers - Monique Wise, Travel Writer - Freelance Writing Cafe 9

Freelance Writing Cafe: What was the #1 reason you decided to start freelancing?
Monique Wise: I honestly wanted to make money doing what I loved to do. I knew I loved to travel and naturally ended up writing about it. I then learned that other people who looked like me (that’s important) were getting paid to do the same thing I was doing for free! I wanted in!

How did your freelance journey begin?
Because I started as a blogger, the first time I got paid was from someone wanting to advertise on post I wrote. The first time I officially got paid for writing about travel for others was through Upwork. Like many others, I received a lot of “No”s before I received my first “Yes”—and lucky for me it was an ongoing project. I was writing about various attractions in NYC. Even if it wasn’t much, knowing I was getting paid for each piece I turned in motivated me more.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned so far?
I quickly learned to diversify my income. Not all money will come from Instagram. Not all money will come from freelance gigs. Not all money will come from ads on my website. I’ve done plenty of odd jobs that don’t fall under the title of “freelance writer” just to get by sometimes—and while that won’t be everyone’s story, I learned to adjust. I’ve managed social media for small businesses, been a ghost writer, Instagram influencer, the list goes on.

Drinking Coffee With Writers - Monique Wise, Travel Writer - Freelance Writing Cafe 109

What is something you still struggle with as a freelance writer?
I struggle with finding consistent, long-term clients. A lot of the jobs I come across and apply to are one-off assignments or have an end date. I’d love to find a client and build a long term work relationship.

What advice would you give to freelancers who are just starting out?
When it comes to securing clients, you have to branch out and not stick to one platform or medium to find them. And when you do find them, don’t be afraid to ask them to pay you what you’re worth. Working for pennies an hour won’t be of much help to you or your fellow freelancers that come behind you.

What is your favorite thing about freelancing?
I love working on my own time, to an extent. There will always be a due date so you don’t have all the time in the world, but I love working through the morning and stopping at noon if I feel like it because that’s when I work best. Or if I have a productivity burst at 9pm, I can work then because I create my own schedule.

Drinking Coffee With Writers - Monique Wise, Travel Writer - Freelance Writing Cafe 3

What is your favorite app, tool, or tip?
I have a couple tips/tools! I use Keysearch to assist with the SEO of my blog posts. I find keywords and phrases that people are actually searching for on google rather than coming up with some random title that will never be seen by anyone other than a few loyal readers. I then love creating an outline of each section I want to write about. This helps to avoid mindlessly writing with no direction. I get straight to the point and answer the questions people are searching for while also being able to showcase my personality.

What’s your favorite way to plan content?
If you are a freelance content creator/virtual assistant, I highly recommend using tools that allow you to plan out your content in advance. I’ve used some that allow me to schedule 10 days in advance (on the free version) and others that have no limit so I would plan out and schedule a month of content. This allowed me to focus my time and energy elsewhere.

Do you have a go-to mantra or quote that keeps you inspired?
What’s for me is for ME. It helps with envy. Just because you see someone else with a thing or opportunity it just means it was their time to have it. Be patient. Bigger and better may be coming to you.

What’s your favorite hot beverage to sip while working?
Earl grey tea, even right now.

Drinking Coffee With Writers - Monique Wise, Travel Writer - Freelance Writing Cafe 5

How do you find the motivation to work when you’re distracted or having a bad day?
If I’m feeling distracted I sometimes allow myself to be. I don’t wait until the last minute when I have a project due so I usually have some wiggle room. If I’m distracted by something I want to read or social media, or even a video I want to watch, I simply allow myself 10-15 minutes to do that and then get back to work for an allotted time. I’ll do that throughout the day.

What is your favorite place to travel to?
Paris is my favorite city on earth, but during this quarantine my mind has been in Central Europe and I’ve been thinking about heading back to countries like Montenegro, Croatia, and Hungary. Places with a low cost of living and high quality of life, in my opinion.

What advice would you give to other freelance writers who want to travel while they work?
If you rent Airbnb’s, make sure they have reliable WiFi. A lot of people lie about this so be sure to have them do a WiFi speed test and screenshot the results if you’re concerned. Also take into account how you work. I do best in peace and quiet. So renting a room in a home with children (especially those of a young age) isn’t a good idea for me unless I plan to do all work outside of the home or while they’re sleeping. Speaking of doing work outside…are there nearby cafes? I’ve been in remote places where there aren’t. Make sure the tools that keep you productive are at your disposal.

What’s one interesting thing about you that people might not know?
People know I love to travel but a lot of people with wanderlust have an idea of where they’d like to settle down and when. I personally have no desire (at the moment) to ever do that. There are places I would love to live, but stay forever? No thanks. Even with a spouse and kids I’d still want to live the nomadic life.

Drinking Coffee With Writers - Monique Wise, Travel Writer - Freelance Writing Cafe 7

 

Don’t forget to visit Wanderlust My Way and give Monique a follow on Instagram!

☕️ Drinking Coffee With Writers is here to give you a dose of inspiration and actionable tips for the week ahead. We’re showcasing freelance writers who are designing their careers and living life on their own terms.  Want to be our next featured writer? Drop us a line at info@freelancewritingcafe.com

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By: Michelle Christina · In: Drinking Coffee With Writers · Tagged: expert tips from a travel writer, freelance writing while traveling, how to make money writing while traveling, how to work online while traveling, Monique Wise travel expert, Monique Wise Travel Writer, professional travel writer, tips for working while traveling, travel writing professionally

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Iona Nelson says

    June 23, 2020 at 12:04 am

    Loved this interview!

    Reply
    • Michelle Christina says

      June 23, 2020 at 12:28 am

      Thanks for reading, Iona! 🙂

      Reply

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How To Get Your Very First Freelance Writing Client—Even If You Have No Experience

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STOP! These outreach mistakes are costing you clie STOP! These outreach mistakes are costing you clients...
🚫 STOP talking about yourself in the first sentence: You'll lose their attention instantly with cliche lines about how experienced you are. Instead, open with something about THEM. Their company, their project, their goals. That's how you keep them reading instead of deleting your email.

🚫 STOP stuffing your first message with too much information: The goal is to start the conversation and take that first step toward building a relationship. If your first email is a full-on pitch, your outreach becomes transactional. Your potential client has no reason to care yet, so why are you talking numbers?

🚫 STOP offering them everything under the sun: Too many offerings will prove that you don't actually know what they want or need. What is your client looking for right now and how can you address that need with a specific service or package? Make it easy to say yes instead of overwhelming them.

🚫 STOP sending a link to your website: From a client's POV, a generic website link is one of the most annoying things to receive. Who has time to sort through pages and find relevant samples? While you're proud of your website, just link them to one specific page that contains the samples they need to see.

What's your experience? What other tips would you give your fellow freelancers?

#freelancewritingcafe #freelancewriter #freelancewriting #freelancewriters #freelanceinspiration #freelancewritertips #freelancewritingtips #freelancewritingsuccess #freelancewritingbusiness #freelancingfemales #womenwhowrite #writersofinstagram #freelancesuccesstips #freelancesuccess #upworkfreelancer #freelancelifestyle #freelancelife #writerslife #remoteworker #remotefreelancer #remotewriter #workfromanywhere #workhardanywhere #mobileoffice
#MondayMotivation ☕️ Feeling resistant to your #MondayMotivation ☕️ Feeling resistant to your writing tasks this week? We can ALL relate. But if you can understand why you're self-sabotaging, you'll have a better chance of avoiding productivity-zapping patterns.⠀
⠀
Resistance is a message telling us we need to check in with something we're experiencing, whether it's a need to rest, some unresolved limiting beliefs about our abilities, a fear of success or change, etc.⠀
⠀
Meditate or journal on your procrastination and resistance today and see if you can unearth any helpful insights. What is it shielding you from? How is it benefiting you? The more we know ourselves, the more efficiently we can design our workdays.⠀
⠀
Remember: The work needs to get done, obviously! But freelancing allows us to decide when and how. Don't force yourself to work in ways that don't work for you.⠀
⠀
☀️ Feeling a little "blah" on Monday mornings? Check-in with FWC! We're dropping tips for getting invigorated and reinspired to start each week strong. Help the community by dropping your own tips below!

#freelancewritingcafe #freelancewriter #freelancewriting #freelancewriters #freelanceinspiration #freelancewritertips #freelancewritingtips #freelancewritingsuccess #freelancewritingbusiness #freelancingfemales #womenwhowrite #writersofinstagram #freelancesuccesstips #freelancesuccess #upworkfreelancer #freelancelifestyle #freelancelife #writerslife #remoteworker #remotefreelancer #remotewriter #workfromanywhere #workhardanywhere #mobileoffice
#MondayMotivation ☕️ It's a new week... and it #MondayMotivation ☕️ It's a new week... and it's the perfect time to re-write your goals! What are your freelance goals for this week, month or year? If you haven't set any, spend some time thinking about them today.⠀
⠀
Getting in touch with your short and long-term goals can help you shake off distractions and refocus your attention. That pesky project you don't feel like doing? It's actually a stepping stone to the life you want! Success happens day by day, drip by drip, deadline by deadline.⠀
⠀
(Write that down somewhere. 😉)⠀
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Let's make it a great week, freelance writing fam!⠀
⠀
☀️ Feeling a little "blah" on Monday mornings? Check-in with FWC! We're dropping tips for getting invigorated and reinspired to start each week strong. Help the community by dropping your own tips below!

#freelancewritingcafe #freelancewriter #freelancewriting #freelancewriters #freelanceinspiration #freelancewritertips #freelancewritingtips #freelancewritingsuccess #freelancewritingbusiness #freelancingfemales #womenwhowrite #writersofinstagram #freelancesuccesstips #freelancesuccess #upworkfreelancer #freelancelifestyle #freelancelife #writerslife #remoteworker #remotefreelancer #remotewriter #workfromanywhere #workhardanywhere #mobileoffice
[IG deleted this post TWICE and I have no idea why [IG deleted this post TWICE and I have no idea why. I can't imagine how posting about women writers could be an issue?! Here it is again! Fingers crossed that 3rd time's a charm 😳]

This is it! We’ve arrived at our final installment of our #InternationalWomensDay and #WomensHistoryMonth celebration. Last month we posted an open call asking freelance writing women in our community and peer communities to share their experiences—and biggest lessons. For the past week, we’ve been sharing those responses and the insights have been golden. If you missed our previous posts, check them out here. Let’s finish strong with our final five writers.

See the post:
https://freelancewritingcafe.com/female-freelancers-success/

#freelancewritingcafe #freelancewriter #freelancewriting #freelancewriters #freelanceinspiration #freelancewritertips #freelancewritingtips #freelancewritingsuccess #freelancewritingbusiness #freelancingfemales #womenwhowrite #writersofinstagram #freelancesuccesstips #freelancesuccess #upworkfreelancer #freelancelifestyle #freelancelife #remoteworker #remotefreelancer #remotewriter #workfromanywhere
Let’s face it: Freelance writing is a unique and Let’s face it: Freelance writing is a unique and varied career path. One freelancer’s experience can be completely different from another. That’s why it’s so valuable to hear the perspectives of our peers. Last month, in anticipation of #InternationalWomensDay and #WomensHistoryMonth, we asked some of the freelance writing women to share their experiences.

We’re thrilled to present another roundup of writers who are out there making their careers happen. Taking action = gaining insight, and these freelancers are sharing their biggest lessons so you can get ahead of the game. If you’re unsure where to start—or how to keep going—this post is for you.

See the post:
https://freelancewritingcafe.com/women-writers/

Featured writers:
shaunablackmon.work
letmewritethatdownforyou.com
alysonrockhold.com
linkedin.com/in/sandra-coffey-publicitymentorandtrainer
Katherine-A-Palmer.com

#freelancewritingcafe #freelancewriter #freelancewriting #freelancewriters #freelanceinspiration #freelancewritertips #freelancewritingtips #freelancewritingsuccess #freelancewritingbusiness #freelancingfemales #womenwhowrite #writersofinstagram #freelancesuccesstips #freelancesuccess #upworkfreelancer #freelancelifestyle #freelancelife #writerslife #remoteworker #remotefreelancer #remotewriter #workfromanywhere

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