Common Mistakes among new Freelance Writers
Through my freelance writing course I have the joy of working with many people who are just getting involved in the industry. While every writer is unique, the same mistakes are usually made by all of them. Even though this may sound like a bad thing, making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn. That being said, you don’t want to purposely make mistakes just for the learning experience – this is never a good idea.
So, what mistakes do I find to be most common among new freelance writers?
1. Spending too much time researching and not enough time on their own business. With the internet it is easy to gather information. Unfortunately, it is also easy to get distracted. There is nothing wrong with learning about freelance writing. But at some point you need to realize that working on your own career is the best use of your time.
2. Not marketing their services. How much time are you spending marketing your services? Are you making cold calls? Sending query letters? No matter how many clients you have the marketing process never stops. This is something that you want to get familiar with early in your freelance writing career. If you want to succeed as a freelance writer you need to be willing to market, market, market.
3. The wrong fee schedule. You need to set your fees based on your experience, and of course, how much money you are interested in earning. With that in mind, you should strive to find a happy medium. Price your services too low and you will not make any money. If your pricing is too high you are going to scare away many potential clients. It takes some time to find the perfect pricing structure. Experiment with many options until you find what works.
These mistakes are common among new freelance writers, as well as those who have been around. Try to avoid them at all costs.
