Freelance writing is a phenomenal job for someone like me, who lives off words and grammar the way other people live off food and oxygen. What I didn’t expect, however, when I broke into the world to freelancing, was just how much I would learn. Below are my top 7 things I learned when I started freelance writing.
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1. Unlocking Self-Motivation
As a freelance writer, you are your own boss. This may sound like a total walk in the park, but it requires an infinite amount of self-motivation. At a standard job, you have your boss keeping you on track, but when that boss is yourself, it is very easy to get sidetracked by the latest viral video of a puppy having a bath. Freelance writing requires a lot of will power in order to be successful.
2. How to Network
A very important part of freelance writing is networking. If people know who you are, then you are more likely to be approached with jobs. It is crucial that when people think, “I need someone to write something about…” they think of your name. Quite simply, networking equals more clients!
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3. Pushing through Exhaustion
Freelancers get writers block too! We struggle to find words and our minds go blank. In a cruel twist of fate, however, it always seems that it all comes back to you just before you fall asleep. That means getting up out of bed and dedicating a couple of hours to the computer. Exhaustion takes the backseat to getting your writing finished before the deadline.
4. How to Run a Business
If you’ve tried out freelance writing and decided that you love it, then you may consider making it your only source of income, and that is awesome! However, it requires a vast amount of dedication - you are essentially running your own business. This means you need to take into account marketing, bookkeeping, tax, workload and, potentially, staff. It’s important to do your research, because running a business is tough!
5. Writing in Different Voices
Each website, magazine or individual client you work for will want something different. This is often called a “voice.” The “voice” is the style of writing which each client wants you to write in, and this is harder than it sounds. Learning each style takes practice, and they are more than likely completely different to your own “voice.”
6. How to Budget
Freelancing doesn’t earn you that much money. It’s a tough business, and there are bound to be quiet periods. Budgeting is important in order to make sure you don’t suddenly find yourself without any money, just as it is with any job. Freelancing just happens to have more frequent quiet spots than a standard job.
7. You Can’t Please Everyone
If I had to pick the most important thing that I have learned through freelance writing, it would be that you simply cannot please everyone. There will always be negative comments and people who don’t like what you do. Next time you read an article, story or blog post, just keep in mind that us freelancers are doing our best, and that harsh criticism is simply not necessary. As a freelancer, I love what I do and I am proud of my work, and it is reading great feedback and people who like what I do that makes my job worthwhile!
Freelancing is a tough but rewarding job. There is so much to learn about the world around you, and researching different places, people, animals and aspects of nature is just so interesting. Are you a freelance writer, or do you know anyone who is?
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