The Right Words at the Right Time: When to Hire a Freelance Writer or Editor

A talented freelance writer or editor can do more than help you meet a big deadline. The right talent can bring a fresh perspective, specialized skills, and professional polish to almost any project — and these hard workers don’t come with the long-term commitments of a full-time hire.

Here are six scenarios in which hiring a freelancer is a smart investment in your company’s future.

1. When You Need Specialized Skills

Imagine a team of engineers working on a major presentation for a multi-national corporation. The client calls right before the deadline and asks for a printed version of the presentation to share with the board of directors. Unfortunately, no one on your team is a writer, and few feel comfortable working as proofreaders.

Enter a freelancer.

Last-minute details like this can mean the difference between landing a client and losing a deal. The work is important, but since it’s rare, it doesn’t make sense to hire someone to do the job full-time. Freelancers are perfect for projects like this.

2. When a Deadline Looms

Your team has a product launch in two weeks. The marketing materials still need polishing, the website copy is behind schedule, and no one on staff has the bandwidth to write the customer email messages. Do you pull an all-nighter? Nope. You hire a freelancer.

A strong connection with a trained freelancer means you always have someone available to step in and help when you’re running out of time and still need a quality project. You’ll reduce staff burnout while still meeting your deadlines.

3. When You Need a Fresh Perspective

Long projects that are months in the making can lead to blindness. When you’ve read the same documents hundreds or even thousands of times, the little errors can slip right past you. Here’s where a freelance editor can really shine.

An editor can walk through your project with fresh eyes and highlight the grammatical and thought errors that might sink your project. Their insights could reduce the risk of losing your clients and your good reputation.

4. When You Want to Test a New Idea

You may be considering a new business venture, but you’re not sure it’s the best idea for your company. Freelancers could help you launch a test product and see if it makes sense for your company. Once you’ve market-tested this idea, you could introduce the concept to the company at large with proof that it’ll work.

I’ve helped a client launch a training product. The company provided a specific service, but wanted to explore training people in far-flung communities to provide that same service. I helped to craft a mission statement, a web presence, social media posts, and a blog post. The client launched that service to great success, and I think I played a key role in that.

5. When a Key Team Player is Out

Employees get sick, need time off for family, take vacations, tap into sabbaticals, and more. Providing these employee benefits is a smart way to improve retention, but it can make staffing a challenge.

Quality freelancers can step into projects like this and provide backup when your team is light but the work is not.

6. When Budget Flexibility Is Key

Freelancers don’t expect the same benefits that full-time workers do, and they rarely require emergency funds. You can set a budget for the project, and know that this one-time expense will help you reap big rewards. When your budget is limited, a freelancer is a smart asset to consider.

Do You Need a Freelance Writer or Editor?

I’ve outlined all of the reasons you might need freelance help. Now it’s time to get started. Contact me, and tell me about your next project. I’m here to help.