In many ways, being a freelance writer is much better than a traditional office job. But at the same time, writing is not always an easy thing to do, day in and day out. Every project requires special care and attention to detail. To go along with this, it can often be difficult to leave your freelance writing work behind and enjoy the rest of your life. In the long run, all of these potential downfalls can lead to burnout. Many writers never suffer from this, but there are quite a few who are going through this problem right now or will encounter this situation in the future.
Here are three reasons that you may begin to suffer from freelance writing burnout:
1. Do you feel like you have “maxed out†as far as your income is concerned? This can definitely lead to burnout. When you feel that you are stuck at a certain level of income, it is time to reassess your career and determine what you can do to increase your productivity. With all of that being said, this is not always a bad thing; especially if you are sitting at an income that you are comfortable with.
2. It is common for freelance writers to get bored because they feel as if they are doing the same thing everyday. There used to be times when I would run into this problem, but as of late it has not come up nearly as much. The best way to avoid this issue is to accept a wide variety of projects, while also working on tasks that are not 100 percent freelance writing related. For instance, I run this blog as well as my writing course. Both of them allow me to bring diversity into each day.
3. Are you feeling the pressure of working for yourself? Do you miss the security of a 9-5 job? These feelings can lead to burnout sooner rather than later. This is perhaps the most serious situation that you will have to deal with. After all, it will force you into deciding between continuing your freelance writing career or heading back to a job with more security.
As of late, more and more freelance writing professionals have been asking me for help overcoming burnout. Unfortunately, this is usually a problem that you have to deal with on your own. Even though there are some basic reasons for burnout, each writer has different feelings and unique ways of dealing with these problems.
Have you ever been told that your freelance writing rates are too high? If not, it is safe to say that you are not charging enough for your services. When it comes down to it, there will always be clients who do not want to pay you what you are worth. Instead, they will want your high quality but at a lower price. The question is: what are you going to do when a client tells that you that they cannot afford you?
Believe it or not, many freelance writers take this as an insult. In other words, they let clients dictate future rates. No matter what you are told, you are allowed to charge whatever you feel is fair for your services. Of course, if you charge too much you will never find any new clients, but this is still within your rights. Even if a few potential clients tell you that you are charging too much, it does not necessarily make them right. You may want to consider their suggestions, but in the end you need to make the call on whether or not you change your rates.
How do I know if my freelance writing rates really are too high? Simply put, if you are charging an enormously high amount you are going to find it tough to obtain even one client. The market will more or less tell you how much they are willing to pay for your services, as well as those offered by other writers. But to go along with this, keep in mind that the market is huge. One buyer may feel that $10 is fair for a 500 word keyword article. Another may have no problem paying in upwards of $100. This is what can make it so difficult to determine whether or not your freelance writing rates are reasonable.
You should never be afraid to experiment with your rates. If you are not obtaining any new clients because they all say you are charging too much, negotiate down a bit. Just make sure that you keep your overall hourly rate in mind when doing so. On the other side of things, if you are receiving a lot of new work and clients are telling you that your services are a “bargain†you may want to consider increasing your rates a bit.
One of the most difficult parts of becoming a successful freelance writer is learning how much to charge, and how much clients are willing to pay. Once you become comfortable in these areas you will find it easy to maximize profits while regularly signing up new clients.
As noted last Friday, I am now offering a freelance writing course to aspiring writers or anybody else who wants to earn a living online. At the time, I mentioned that the course was not yet “official†but that I would be accepting early entrants into the program. While I figured that there would be some interest, I was not prepared for nine people to sign up within a day or so.
While I am glad that these nine members are on board, I am also sad to say that there is only one spot left. If you are interested in this spot, please get in touch with me right away via email. I am expecting it to be filled by the end of the working day, so act fast if you want in!
If you do not get into the course this time around, there is no reason to worry. Simply send me an email stating that you are interested, and you will have first crack when a current member drops out or if I decide to expand the class.
For further details and regular updates, keep an eye on the freelance writing course page at the top of the blog. As details change or spots open, I will be sure to let everybody know. But as mentioned earlier, you would probably be best served joining the waiting list so that you are guaranteed your spot in line.
Thanks to everybody who has already joined. I am anxious to get started with all new members, and am still looking for my last trainee. The first person to send me an email and payment will grab the final spot!
