One Mistake I Commit in My (Writing) Freelancing Career
Choose process over comfort for your long-term success.
Yesterday, I was scrolling Medium when an article popped up. It was about skills that you can learn as a college student. I got intrigued as I am about to begin college in a month or so.
One skill that the article mentioned, and not to anyone’s surprise, was freelancing. That made me think: I am a writer, I have freelanced earlier, but boy, did I commit a blunder.
We as writers like it creative, instead of building a system about it and leveraging it for our benefit. We like it raw, we want it authentic. And that turned out to be my biggest mistake ever.
My First Client as a Freelancer
I started “freelance writing” when I barely knew what freelancing even meant. A pure coincidence introduced me to the world of freelance content writing.
Let me take you a year and a half back. I was still in high school. Medium and LinkedIn were the websites I was the most active on during that period. I used to write stories on Medium and repost the crux of the same in a short LinkedIn post.
One such post caught the attention of an executive manager of a company, and he messaged me directly. He asked me to write an article on ethical business practices. It was a vague topic, but I wrapped my head around it. And without asking too many questions, I started with my first draft.
In retrospect, not asking about his needs and what aspects he’d like me to highlight beforehand was a big mistake. But because it was my first time dealing with a client, I should excuse myself.
I delivered the project, and we then went to and fro for the payments, as I had not set up my PayPal yet. Once everything was done, he paid me $10 for my work. I was over the moon and felt as if my skill had some extrinsic value, too. Hey, don't judge me; who among us doesn't want some external validation?
Over the three months, I got two more projects from him, and then we bid adieu. After some time, I randomly messaged him one day and asked if he needed any writing assistance, and he replied, “Oh, I forgot about you.”
As the conversation progressed, I got to know that he had hired two to three different freelancers in that period. They didn’t perform exceptionally well, but because their approach to work was more systematic and required less effort from his side, he said he was pretty satisfied with them.
The Mistake
It is only now that I realise how big a mistake not putting a system in place was. I never intended for freelancing to become my primary focus, so I questioned the necessity of setting up everything and becoming deeply involved in it.
In the past, I’d got one client through my comments section on Medium. That made me think I’ll get enough and more work through these means, and that there’s no need to set up an altogether different app and website for it. Curiosity, though, made me create an account on Fiverr, a freelancing website, but lack of clarity never made me put work into it.
The biggest downside is that I didn’t get any reviews and ratings to show my proof of work, as I delivered my work through LinkedIn DMs.
The need for a good freelancing website
Freelancing websites such as Fiverr or Upwork charge as much as 20% as commission. Yet, when you’re just getting started, you should accept work through these platforms. Here are some benefits of doing the same:
- You build a proof of work. You can supplement the review and ratings with your portfolio too.
- You don’t have to worry about payments. When you’re just getting started, you might not know how and when to ask for payment and advances. These websites take that hassle off by providing the infrastructure.
- It’s a social platform. It’s a marketplace. There are both buyers and sellers on the platform, so the chances of you getting discovered increase exponentially. It’s somewhat similar to writing on Medium versus writing on your website.
What Am I Doing, and What Should You Do
The moment it hit me how important it is to make a process for my freelance work, however so little I do, I re-opened my lost Fiverr account, set it up and routed one of my LinkedIn clients through it.
Yes, I saw a substantial dip in my pay, although the client was paying me the same, thanks to a huge cut Fiverr took. But at the same time, I now have something to show to everyone who needs to hire me. A landing page, a dedicated website for writing needs.
If you’re a writer, I would highly recommend you start freelancing. In the beginning, getting clients or views is difficult, but that doesn’t matter as long as you don’t make it the primary thing you do. Make a process, “sell yourself,” they say.
Handling my first client a couple of years ago taught me so many things. I messed up way too many times. I knew nothing, but at the same time, I tried. With a one-week delay, I handed over the final write-up to him. I am proud of how I started, but I could have done better.
Closing Thoughts
For writers, freelancing is a wonderful arena to explore. You get to write out of your comfort zone. Whether you are a fiction writer or a non-fiction writer, you can earn a decent sum by showing your writing talent.
Make sure to begin collecting your reviews and ratings from the beginning. You can do so by settling up a process around your freelance writing. Set up a different website or get help from freelancing websites like Fiverr and Upwork.
It isn’t easy to get clients in the beginning, but persevere. Building a process for offering your writing talent will benefit you in the long run. If you have wonderful reviews and ratings, you can even charge more. The possibilities are endless.
