4 Advice of Freelance Gurus You May Not Want to Follow as a Beginner

Freelancing is about something other than learning more and more freelancing lessons.

Photo by Fab Lentz on Unsplash

I discovered getting rich from the comfort of your couch with a degreeless job called freelancing through social media. I’ve been working to be wealthy ever since.

But as you would have experienced in the ocean of freelancing, everybody is trying to sell you something.

• A good freelance writer sells great freelance books, ebooks, templates, and stuff like that.
• A well-paid freelancer offers paid consultation/mentorship on how to earn like them.
• A famous freelancer will probably sell their products (mostly digital).

And so on. But a great freelancer will appear sharing their journey, experiences, conflicts, compromises, tricks, strategies, basic approaches, failures, winnings, and much more for free.

And you could find those amazing people simply by making a little effort to search for them on social media. You can — Go on any SM: LinkedIn or Twitter, and search for hashtags as your need: #freelancing, #freelancingtips, #freelancejourney, and so on. Select posts or people, and you’ll find an unending list of posts and people related to your search.

I’ve used this method since the beginning of my journey to find and connect with people so that I can learn from their experiences and strategies.

Also, after following many freelancers for years, I’ve learned that their suggestions should not always be obeyed because not everyone’s input could be the same as theirs.

Here are a few popular suggestions that almost all freelance gurus deliver. I don’t believe they are genuine and authentic in most cases and should be questioned before pursuing them blindly.

1. Pick a Monetisable Skill

Often you'd hear from the most successful freelancers to choose a niche or a skill that is highly in demand, for instance, graphic design, web design, video editing, content writing, digital marketing, etc.

But the world’s demand keeps updating. We can’t really say content writing will always be in high demand. Particularly after ChatGPT, which can significantly produce quality content within seconds.

I didn't choose content writing as my freelance niche because it was a highly in-demand or lucrative choice.

I chose it because writing always excites me. From journaling to writing poetries, writing turned into my giant habit and passion.

So, choosing a highly lucrative niche like graphic design wouldn't have worked the same for me as writing does.

Takeaway: Choose a skill that —

• Interests you
• You're willing not to give up even after hundreds of failures.
• You’re ready to invest yourself, both physically and mentally.

2. Don’t Work for Free

As a beginner, I definitely dreamed of getting rich quickly. I worked so hard initially, even after the world discouraged me from working for free.

My stimulation used to heighten every time I saw people posting how they went from earning $5 to $1000 per article in just 4–6 months' time.

And on the other side, despite working for six months, I had made $0. Still, I maintain my streak believing I’m not so far to achieve it.

But as a beginner, without establishing a great reputation in my job couldn't help reach my goal so sooner. I needed to —

• Build a strong portfolio.
• Grow my online presence by constantly posting.
• Reach out to people directly and ask for a favour.
• Send cold emails, apply for opportunities, and wait patiently.

It doesn't work like you wrote a client a couple of articles, and now you're confident enough to ask for high raise.

The market is if you don't work for as less as $5, someone else definitely will.

Takeaway: Once you gain sufficient experience and expertise in your job and have everything required to raise your pay demands, you can create your offer —

• Make your payment terms: How much would you charge per article, per hour, or per month? How much would you charge in advance or after the work’s completion?
• Make your work terms clear: How often would you be available? When and how can a client contact you? How many revisions would you offer?

It adds sumptuous value to you and the client.

3. Take Freelancing Courses or Consultations

Earning more certifications won’t make you a successful freelancer; actually doing freelancing will.

Even if I had great certifications in content writing, all that matters most is my skills.

The ultimate truth of freelancing is — not a single client cares how many certificates you have or whether you got them from a highly reputed institute.

All they have come for is themselves and to get their work done by all means.

So, accumulating as many certificates might not help you as much as actually doing the work and digging deeper into the subject. Also, paid consultations do not guarantee what you want, and I am not entirely opposed to this option.

If you have money to invest in yourself, go for it. But not everyone can afford to do so like me.

Takeaway: In the world of freelancing, everyone will suggest you take courses and do other things to help you along the way. However, only by practising the material will your path shine.

The Internet is totally free. You'd find numerous free courses on how to become a successful freelancer in a certain amount of time. In fact, there are many people who—

• Provide mentorship for free through webinars, live videos, Twitter spaces, etc.
• Share freelancing tips on social media through posts, articles, and pictorial slides.
• Make YouTube videos or short videos on how to land a client.

You just need to Google smartly, as I did, make use of free resources, and keep on track.

4. Retain as Many Clients as Possible to Earn More

I used to have a hard time managing even one client while keeping quality and meeting deadlines, along with schooling. I still find it arduous to maintain my academic records and be consistent in my writing.

The toxic work culture has always presented overworking as productivity.

In the culture of freelancing, working with more clients is considered glamorous. However, having a high client volume to earn a little more can be difficult and detrimental to your health.

The pressure to deal with so many clients while delivering quality work —

• can be extremely stressful,
• leading to burnout and,
• affecting both mental and physical health.

It's essential to understand one’s limitations and work within them to prevent burnout and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Takeaway: I believe the goal should be to have a few high-paying clients rather than a high client volume.

• Say ‘No’ to too many projects at once.
• Prioritize self-care, social activities, and maintaining your overall well-being.
• Set boundaries for work hours and availability.
• Delegate your task.

Retaining many clients at once can be beneficial for financial stability, but it’s more important to be mindful of the impact it may have on health.

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