Recurring freelance writing gigs are GREAT for your business. Here’s what recurring work is, different types, and why I’m such a fan.
Why recurring writing gigs?
Recurring freelance writing gigs are work that happens over and over, or that you get hired to do again and again. There’s a difference between repeating clients and recurring gigs.
Repeating clients are when the same clients come to you many times, but for different services. Recurring writing gigs are when the same client or clients have a standing order with you for the same service. For example, they have you write two blog posts a week for them, or four emails a month.
Recurring gigs provide you with stability, both in money and time. You don’t have to keep pitching again and again if you have a steady client or clients and a guaranteed amount of income every month. You can budget securely when you’re sure of the amount of money that will be coming in.
One caveat: when you’re just getting started, it makes sense to look for anything. You might want to gain more experience before you focus on what you like and the types of work that become recurring. Otherwise you could get stuck writing blog posts about cats for months, when you either hate cats or writing blog posts.
Types of recurring freelance writing gigs
Recurring gigs are available in both copywriting and content writing. Some recurring work pays big but is infrequent, while the pay for some work is smaller but more frequent.
Smaller pay, frequent work
Blog posts fall into this category. They are an easier way to find recurring work, since most people or companies who have blogs know that consistent content is key, but don’t have the time or creativity to write it. It’s simpler for them to hire you for four blog posts a month, and keep you if they like your style.
Emails and emailed newsletters are another fairly easy way to get recurring work. Everyone with a business or email list knows that they should be sending emails, but again, time and creativity are a hindrance. That’s where you come in, freelance writer to the rescue!
Emails can be sent daily, weekly, or monthly, with the most common being weekly. You can use both your content writing skills as well as some conversion copywriting skills. This is good practice for bigger things like sales pages.
Finally, social media can be a recurring gig. Clients need people to write and post for them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. You’ll have to dedicate more hands-on time, since you’ll need to put out new content several times a week, even a few times a day for some clients. It’s not the most lucrative option, but it can be steady work. Let’s say you get five clients at $500 per month; that’s $2,500 per month.
More pay, less frequency
Blog posts, emails, and social media can be done for both B2C and B2B clients. The next two types of recurring work are only done for B2B.
Case studies are usually 1,000 to 2,000 words. Established case study writers can get recurring gigs of one new case study per month per client. If you charge $1,000 to $2,000 per case study, that’s a nice steady amount every month, especially if you have more than one client.
White papers are infrequent, but pay well. Businesses usually don’t want monthly white papers, but some want quarterly ones. You can charge $3,000 to $5,000 per white paper, and if you get really good, $7,000 to $9,000.
How to price recurring work
There are two ways to price recurring freelance writing work. You can price by the individual project or by retainer. I recommend that you price by retainer/flat fee for smaller projects and per project for bigger ones.
Be aware of how much time the smaller projects are taking you. That doesn’t mean you have to track every minute, just that you ensure that you’re not overworking or underpaying yourself.
Bigger gigs, like case studies and white papers, are better suited to per-project pricing.
Join Us
And that’s the beauty of recurring freelance writing gigs. If you have questions about this or freelance writing, come join us in my free Facebook group, The Ink Well Guild with Ashley Gainer. See you there!
Great information. I have two regular blogging clients but I’d love some retainer work.