Are you an aspiring freelance writer? Are you excited about getting your career up and running? The start-up phase is one of the most exciting for a freelance writer. Even if you are new to the industry, you are sure to have a fun time learning the ins and outs of landing clients, making money, etc. But while you are having a good time, you are also going to face a few problems that may make you second guess yourself. The most important thing to remember is that every freelance writer runs into issues. You will not be the first or last.
Here are a few problems that you should expect to face if you are new to the world of freelance writing:
1. Clients that give you the runaround. There are tons of good clients out there, but there will always be some that are not hiring freelance writers for the right reason. Even if you do your homework on every client you are bound to run into a few that will not be easy to work with.
2. Low paying gigs. Not every freelance writing project pays a lot of money. You have to do decide where your “basement†is, and then stick to your guns when accepting projects. There are clients who will want you to work for peanuts. It is your job to decide where to draw the line.
3. Not having enough time. This is a good problem to have. As you grow your career you will find yourself landing more and more jobs. Soon enough you will probably be faced with more work than you can handle. This is when you need to use time management to your advantage, while also being more selective about who you work with. This is a difficult but good problem to face.
Every freelance writer faces the above problems at some point in their career. Chances are that you will do the same.
Becoming a freelance writer can be scary for many reasons. One of the most common fears is not earning enough money. This is something that bothered me early on, and you may be facing the same thing right now. Whether or not you are happy with your freelance writing income depends on many factors including your living situation, your goals, and how much you have earned in the past.
Those who are happy with their freelance writing income should continue to do what they have been doing. You don’t want to stop building your business, though. There is always room to earn even more money.
But what if my freelance writing income is not what it needs to be? This is when you will begin to feel a lot of stress from your career. The only advice I can give is to work hard at finding new and/or higher paying clients. It only makes sense that more clients mean more money. And if you can land a few that pay above the industry average, you are definitely going to take your income to the next level in no time at all.
You should have freelance writing income goals. Even though I have been established for a few years, I still have income goals that keep me pushing forward. Goals give you something to strive for; something to chase even when your income is up to par.
Only you know if you are happy with your freelance writing income. If you are, keep it up and try to earn even more in the future. If you are not, now is the best time to get energized and take the proper steps towards making a change. Â
A lot of my blog posts go into depth about how to start a freelance writing career, how to market your services, how much money you can earn, and other similar topics. Sometimes I forget that there are more basic things to think about; especially for those who are starting a freelance writing career. For instance, learning about the many details of freelance writing is very important. You are never too old or too experienced to learn. I have been a freelance writer for many years, and I still take the time to learn as much as possible.
Learning about freelance writing is relatively easy. I found this out as I was starting my own career. Here are three things that I did:
1. I used the internet as much as possible. Anytime I had a question about freelance writing, no matter what it was, I turned to the internet to find an answer. This led me to many quality websites and blogs, as well as others who I am still friends with today. The internet is the place to turn when you have questions about freelance writing.
2. Books. Even though there is tons of information available online, you don’t want to overlook the hundreds of good freelance writing books that are out there. Even though this means spending some money, it is for the advancement of your career.
3. Talk to other freelance writers. I have said this many times over. You have to speak with others who know more about the industry. When I was starting out as a freelance writer I had a few “mentors†who would answer my questions, point me in the right direction, etc. Do whatever it takes to find somebody who can help you in this capacity.
There are many ways to learn about freelance writing. The three ways above will allow you to take in information from day one.
