Three Ways to Jumpstart your Freelance Writing Career
At least a few times a week I receive an email from a new freelance writer asking how they can jumpstart their career. Before I can answer this question I usually ask for some more information. How long have you been a freelance writer? What do you specialize in? What have you tried? The answers to these questions give me the chance to best address the problem.
In general terms, I have found that my answer usually contains the same three details time after time.
Market your Freelance Writing Services
You cannot expect your freelance writing career to take off if you are not marketing your services. In fact, this holds true with every business. How would a home improvement company find work if they did not market through newspaper ads, the internet, etc? The answer: they wouldn’t. And the same thing holds true for freelance writers. If you want to jumpstart your career, start with a solid marketing plan. For many, this is the first big step towards future success.
Spend Time Writing
Believe it or not, I always hear from aspiring freelance writers who have decided to go at it full-time but only work three or four hours per day. Does this make any sense? Although I do not work as much I used to, at the end of the week I can look back and see that I put in at least 40 hours. If you are going to succeed as a freelance writer you need to write. This may sound like a mindless and almost juvenile tip, but it is the absolute truth. The more you write the better off you will be.
Whatever it takes to get started
Excuses, excuses. Many aspiring freelance writers make excuses as to why they cannot move forward with their career. I don’t have enough time, I can’t find any good clients, my computer blew up, etc. Although you may have legitimate reasons for being held back, this is not something that you should dwell on. You need to do whatever it takes to get started. If this means making major changes, so be it. Sometimes you have to change if you are truly devoted to making it as a full-time freelance writer.
For those who need it, I hope this post provides a boost. With the tips above you should be able to jumpstart your freelance writing career.
September 29th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Thank you for those tips Chris!
As a beginning freelance writer, your advice is always helpful and appreciated.
I think the second one, as obvious as it may seem, is one of the most important. I know actually writing is one thing I have to work on at this point. Since I’m just beginning, it’s easy to get bogged down researching all you can about the business and reading the multitude of how-to books without actually putting pen to paper.
September 29th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Janine - Glad you enjoyed these tips. You are so right about the second one, but it is beyond true. You just gotta write!
September 29th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Chris, What would you say is a good marketing technique? Or what was it that worked for you when you first started you first began marketing your freelance writing services? I think it would be beneficial not only to me personally, but to many of your readers, if you would make a blog post about ” A Beginners Guide to Marketing Your Freelance Writing”. I know its a bit long…. but ya’ catch my drift, right?