Do you hide from the fact that you are a freelance writer? Many people feel embarrassed of their situation for one reason or the next. If you feel this way you are making a big mistake. You should be proud of your status as a freelance writer. This does not mean that you have to brag, but do not be afraid to let people know what you do.
There is one major reason that you should spread the word about your career whenever possible: it can bring you a lot of work. Believe it or not, many people are looking to hire freelance writers. Some people may need help at their day job, and others may want to collaborate with you on a side gig they have been working on. I have had both opportunities come my way by simply telling people I work as a freelance writer. Remember, you never know who is listening.
Word of mouth is a great way to bring in more business. When people know you work as a freelance writer they will keep your information stored for a later date. If a project comes available in the future, you will be the first person on the “call list.â€Â
In addition to talking about your career when given the chance, you should also carry business cards with you. Many freelance writers think that business cards are a waste of money, but nothing could be further from the truth. I have had many people ask for my card in the past, and expect this to continue into the future. Order yourself a few hundred business cards, and carry them with you at all times.
If you want to advance your freelance writing career you should be open to talking about your work. This may not bring in new clients right away, but soon enough you will begin to reap the benefits.Â
Many freelance writers who are not achieving success blame this on outside sources such as a bad economy, lack of good clients, too much competition, etc. And while some of these “excuses†may hold true, it is important to remember one other thing: you may be holding yourself back. You could be the reason that your freelance writing career is not taking off as you had expected.
How can I possibly be holding myself back? For one, you are making too many excuses. If you are constantly looking for a reason to fail you are going to find it time after time. This is the easy way out, and is entirely too common amongst freelance writers. If you want to achieve a high level of success you need to write down your goals, and then work towards them everyday. If something gets in your way you have two options: you can go through it, or you can stop and use it as an excuse. Choosing the latter is only going to slow down your progress, and may even put your career on thin ice sooner rather than later.
Other freelance writers hold themselves back because they are afraid to succeed. This may sound silly, but it is true. They have never had success in this area before, and are worried that it could be too much for them to handle. It is fun and profitable to advance your freelance writing career. Yes, it can be scary because you will have a lot on your plate and many people will be relying on you. But at the same time this is exactly what you want. Don’t hold yourself back when success is knocking on the door.
If you feel that outside sources are holding you back you may want to think again. Look within first to make sure you are not the culprit. You may find that a few simple changes to your career, including your mindset, can help you achieve more success.
Do you feel that your freelance writing career is in trouble? There are many situations that may make you feel this way. Fortunately, even if you feel that your career is doomed you can get out of this by making the right moves.
Below are three reasons why you may get the feeling that your career is in bad shape:
1. You are not seeing any growth. This is part of every freelance writer’s career. There will be times when you land new clients day after day and others periods when you hit a slump. You need to work hard to get through these tough times. Just because you are not landing new clients does not mean that your freelance writing career is doomed. If you are worried about this, continue to work harder than ever before at marketing your services.
2. You lost a client. No matter what you offer you are sure to lose clients. This happens to the best of us, and you are not going to be any different. It is very easy to get upset and angry if you lose a client. But guess what? Another one is waiting for you just around the bend. If you lose one client you have the ability to pick up another so that you never miss a beat.
3. A client is not happy with your work. I have had clients ask for revisions in the past. And I am sure that this is going to happen again in the future. If a client is unhappy with your work you should do what you can to address the problem, and then make sure that this does not happen again in the future.
Are you currently facing one of the above situations? If so, you may feel that your freelance writing is doomed. And while there is reason to feel bad, you need to continue forward and realize that a change for the better is on the horizon.
