Freelance Writing: Simple Tips on Complicated Topics
Coordinating a Multinational, Intercontinental Freelance Writing Team: Doing It Right
It’s no secret that many freelance writers collaborate on large projects. This is a great way to get a differential advantage: some folks are cracker-jack researchers, and some are better at putting ideas on paper.
Not many people in the world know everything and can do everything equally well. Thus, it is natural to work jointly on many freelance writing projects.
Sometimes, however, when it comes to coordinating mutual efforts, the bigger the group, the more problems crop up. The geographic scale, surprisingly, does not have much of an impact. It doesn’t matter much whether you are on different continents of simply in different parts of town.
There are a number of mandatory steps and/or solutions that you will need to pursue in order to assure your project’s success. Communications is one of the most important factors. When deadlines are short and you have to work fast, and effectively, email just won’t cut it.
The best solution, based in our freelance writing project experience, is Skyping. An online meeting via Skype can clear up more issues than a week of emailing can possibly resolve. Of course, if you live in different time zones, this can be an obstacle. No one wants a meeting at 3:00 a.m. local time! However, working out a mutually acceptable schedule should not be an insuperable problem.
Of course, a good online conversation with your partners is a great way of moving the project ahead. Sometimes, however, it may not be enough. You want to have your info available 24/7, visually accessible, and from anywhere in the world.
This is where online project management solutions and/or applications really shine. These sorts of applications are tremendously useful for teams working in different parts of the globe, and separated by multiple time zones. Exactly why?
These solutions help to organize the work flow more efficiently. Their best features are their ability to track the progress of any given project, crosscheck with the calendar, set up separate deadlines for project elements, and upload and download relevant files. These tools are created specifically for these purposes. As a result, even a well-managed corporate email account on Google, using Google Docs and calendars, can’t substitute for this system. Trust me, we have tried both options! 
There are many of such systems available online, just follow this link to see several examples. Some of these may be free, but the paid options are also worth looking at – they aren’t that expensive and offer much flexibility in implementing the available options for data storage, scheduling, data importing, et cetera.
Another important issue, mentioned earlier, that must be considered is scheduling the project. When you start the project, you need to be sure, that all participants are working to their full potential, that no one is slacking, and that you are maximizing each participant’s efficiency. How can you achieve that?
If you are a freelance writer, then you probably (ok, definitely) know what an outline is. Basically, what you need to do is create an outline for the work involved in the entire project. You need to establish the exact sequence of steps involved in doing the work and assembling it into a finished product. For example, writer A does the research today, tomorrow writer B is going to create a bibliography using those references,
Concurrently, during the first day writer C will be analyzing what is available in the peer reviewed literature, so that the writer A could start writing right after he/she is done with the basic research. This is a simple version of the form a plan might take. You also need to identify and include all possible delays. Trust me, if the project is big and requires a lot of work, attention to this kind of detail can save you a lot of time. Additionally, in case of an emergency you’ll have a solution at hand to save the day and make it all work in the end.
Psycho-physiological factors are another issue to consider. Some people like to wake up early in the morning, others do everything at night when there’s nothing and no one to distract them. Some people really prefer direct communication through phone calls; others would like to be contacted via e-mail. There are a myriad of variables, each distinctively different from person to person. A good manager should be able to turn these differences into advantages.
This is especially relevant when we are discussing a specific piece of work. Be certain that you are assigning tasks to the participant who is the best choice for that function, and who can execute them optimally. That’s why we suggest not starting a big project with people with whom you have no prior experience. It is ideal to work together on several smaller projects first. If you already have a strong team, and you need additional help, be sure that the new person will be accepted by the rest of the team, otherwise it won’t work.
I hope that these tips were helpful for your collaborative team of freelance writers. If you have planned to start one, this should be a basic guideline setting up a freelance writing team. We wish you good luck with all of your endeavors! Have a great day! Cheers!
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