There is nothing worse than making a decision and then doubting that you did the right thing. This is particularly true if you decided to leave your job and become a freelance writer. After all, your career and how much money you earn are very important. Any doubt can definitely cause more stress than you ever thought possible.
Before you do anything, answer this question: why do you doubt your decision to become a freelance writer? Chances are that if you feel this way you will be able to answer this question without any delay. Some common reasons for this are: not making enough money, not being able to find clients, and not having any idea of where to go next. Do any of these doubts sound familiar?
Don’t jump the gun. No matter what job you take you will probably doubt your decision at some point in time. This is exactly what I did early in my freelance writing career. It is difficult to go from a steady 9 – 5 position with a regular paycheck to a freelance career in which you have to call all the shots and don’t know where the next payment is coming from. But if you stick things out and don’t give up you will eventually realize that your decision to become a freelance writer was a good one. It is those people who jump ahead of themselves that usually end up ditching their career as a writer and heading towards something that is considered “safer.â€
Before you ever become a freelance writer you should realize that you will probably have some doubts early on – the same can be said for almost any job you take. It is how you deal with this doubt that will determine if you settle in or decide to quit before you give your new career a fighting chance.
This may be something that you think about all the time; I know I do. But at the same time, some new freelance writers may never take it into consideration. Working as a freelancer of any kind gives you a lot of freedom. This is not something to take lightly because it is a huge benefit of this type of career.
When you are a freelancer you don’t answer to anybody. Sure, you have clients that want to speak with you and give you direction. Fortunately, you are not tied to one client that can make or break your career. You have the freedom to move around and find clients that are willing to work with you to build a mutually beneficial relationship.
You also have the freedom to do what you want during work hours. Do you want to run to the grocery store in the middle of the morning? How about a doctor appointment late in the workday? When you work as a freelance writer you make your own hours. This is a great benefit no matter if you are single or have a family that you want to spend time with.
Freedom is a great benefit of working as a freelance writer. This is something to think about before you follow this career path, as well as after you have started. You never want to forget about why you became a freelance professional in the first place. With the freedom to do what you want, when you want, many people are excited about the prospects of working as a freelance writer.
Chris, why am I failing as a freelance writer? Believe it or not, I receive this sort of message at least once per week. It is hard to see that so many people are aspiring to become full-time freelance writers but are coming up way short. It is never easy for me to tell somebody why they are not achieving success. After all, I don’t know exactly what each person is doing or what goals they are trying to reach.
Through my years of addressing this situation I have found that most freelance writers fail for the same common reasons:
1. They don’t put in enough time. Contrary to popular belief, becoming a freelance writer takes time. Don’t think you are going to start writing today, find new clients tomorrow, and begin making tens of thousands of dollars by next month. It is very important that you are patient while putting in the time necessary to succeed.
2. They don’t have the proper skills. Not everybody is a good writer. I am good at writing, but stink at math. Some people are great with numbers but don’t have the skills to write compelling content. If you don’t enjoy writing and/or don’t have the skills, find a career path that better suits you.
3. They lack a business and marketing plan. If you are going to achieve success you need a plan. Early in my career I put together a business and marketing plan. To this day I still rely on both, although they have changed quite a bit over the years. Even if your plan is not in-depth, it is better than nothing.Â
Are you not achieving as much success as you would like? Consider the three points above and whether or not they are causing your problems.Â
