This is going to be a short post – the title says it all. As a freelance writer you need to embrace rejection. Simply put, this is something you are going to run into day in and day out. Rejection is part of becoming a freelance writing success, and you need to get this through your head sooner rather than later. Sure, it can be difficult to be turned down by an editor, publisher, etc. But once you learn that this is part of the game and it is all business, you will be much better off.
No matter how much success you have as a freelance writer you are going to be rejected from time to time. This comes in many forms. For instance, I send query letters to magazine editors on a regular basis. And guess what? Most of them end up in some form of rejection. This has nothing to do with my skills or what the editor thinks of me. Instead, it is more about the publication and what they are looking for. If I let rejection letters get me down I will never have the confidence to move forward and search for that next gig.
Instead of fearing rejection you should embrace it. Learn what you can and realize that it is nothing personal. Rejection is part of being a freelance writer, and no matter who you are you will face it at some point in time.
What makes a client choose one freelance writer over another? This is a question you have probably asked yourself many times. There are so many answers that you will never be able to pinpoint them all. That being said, there are a few things that standout in my mind.
If you have something special to offer you have a much better chance of becoming a successful freelance writer. This will give clients more of a reason to choose your services.
Here are three things that you can “play up†when searching for clients:
1. Specific knowledge. Do you pride yourself in knowing more about one subject than anybody else? If so, you should find clients in this area, no matter what it may be, and then concentrate on showing why you are the best hire.
2. Customer service. Every client wants to know that you care about them. Even though great customer service is something that every freelance writer can give, many never realize how important it is. From the very first contact with a potential client you should show that you are willing to do whatever it takes to service all their needs.
3. Experience. In most cases, a client is interested in hiring a freelance writer with experience in a given field. Being able to show work samples can go a long way in making clients fall in love with you. Remember this: any type of experience can be used to your advantage.
Anything that sets you apart from your competition in a good way is a detail you should use to your advantage when selling your freelance writing services.
The number of people interested freelance writing is astonishing. Everyday I receive a couple of emails from aspiring writers, asking me what they can do to get their career off the ground. Along with this, 90 percent of those in my freelance writing course are new to the industry and hoping to take off in the near future.
This leads to the question: why are so many interested in freelance writing?
1. You are your own boss. I think that this is the main reason why freelance writing has become so popular. To me, it appears that more and more people are getting fed up working long hours so somebody else can get rich. When you are a freelance writer you are in charge – it is that simple.
2. The internet makes it easy. Let’s be honest, freelance writing is not what it used to be. Gone are the days of using snail mail and fax to communicate. With the internet anybody can create a website, add samples, and begin to search for clients. Ease of entry has definitely led to more interest in freelance writing.
3. Money, money, money. Everybody wants to make good money, and as a freelance writer you have the chance to do just that. There are quite a few top level writers earning tens of thousands of dollars per month. While it may take a few years to reach the top of the industry, hard work and dedication will get you there soon enough.
Did you get your start in freelance writing thanks to any of the reasons listed above? Do you have any other ideas as to why this career choice has become so popular? It is safe to say that freelance writing is growing in popularity, and that this trend is not going to settle down anytime soon.
