Six Lessons I Learned In My First Year As a Freelance Writer
SHARING MY FREELANCING WISDOM
It has been more than a year since when I started making money out of writing. I never knew my dream of becoming a professional writer would come true so soon. I still vividly remember the day when I found my first ever client from a Facebook group. The client asked me to write some articles for her and paid me $12 for them. That was my first earning as well. The feeling of making my own money that too from writing was arousing. I felt ecstatic. I felt elated, but unfortunately, I had no one to share. Looking back, a lot has changed in a year. I experienced so many things. I made so many mistakes, and most importantly, I learned so much. Today I have decided to share some of the lessons I learned the hard way in my writing career.
When in doubt, read it out
Good reading begets good writing. All great writers read like mad. Stephen King used to read up to 100 books per year. (that is around one book in a week)
“If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write”- Stephen King
I strongly subscribe to the idea that you need to read consistently and read everything that comes your way to become an adept writer. Reading every day will improve your language and fill your mind with a lot of unique ideas. I would highly recommend you to read books on how to improve your craft. Reading fiction is also not a bad idea as fiction enhances creativity.
Here is a list of books that I recommend to every freelance writer:
- Everybody writes by Ann Handley.
- Cashvertising by E Drew Whitman
- On writing by Stephen king
- Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr.
- On Writing Well by William Zenser
- Write and Grow rich by Alinka Rutkowska
Writing is a habit, not an art
I completely agree with this statement by Ann Handley. Writing is not a talent that some people have, and some people don't have. Writing is a skill, and anyone can become a master of it if he/she puts in the hard work. You will never succeed as a writer if you write occasionally and treat writing as a hobby. To become a better writer, you need to develop a writing habit; you need to pump out at least 1000 words every day and write even when you don't feel like writing.
Marketing is key
Irrespective of how good a writer you are, if you don't know how to market yourself, you will never be a famous and successful writer.
Even less skilled writers can make more money only if they know how to market themselves correctly. Well, I am not saying that you don’t need to improve your writing skills, but you must not skip marketing. Most introverted writers like me find it difficult to show up on social media or do networking. But like they say, Network is networth. You can get rich just by talking to the right people.
Come out of your comfort zone and shake hands with other freelance writers and small business owners. Read books on marketing and use the right marketing strategies to grow and expand your writing business.
Finding clients is not incredibly difficult
Finding good clients is
If you have built a powerful social media presence, many clients will approach you daily, but there is a high chance that many of them will be low-value clients. If you want to grow as a writer, you must always look for high-value clients to advance. You can pitch to high-quality clients through cold emailing and attract them by doing guest posting on popular niche based websites.
Writer’s block is a myth
Writer's block is a writer's way of saying I am feeling lazy and I'm not able to just get off my ass today. I know your brain will not always be filled with tons of ideas and inspiration, but you can still do some research and sit down to write. After some time, you will notice that you are able to get your words flowing.
Making a living out of writing is hard
Let's face it! Writing is hard and making money out of writing is harder. Publishing your work and letting others judge and critique requires a whole lot of courage and self-confidence.
When you are writing for others, you will have to pump out several words even when you don't feel like writing. You will juggle between deadlines and self-care. And you will not always enjoy the creative process, but you must keep going. I know writing for ourselves is easy, it is relaxing, and writing for others can even disturb our mental peace. It did with me. But again, you need constructive feedback or criticism to grow as a writer.
