You never want to get labeled as a “lazy freelance writer.†And this is particularly something you want to avoid being called by clients. After all, if you are seen as lazy you are not going to achieve much success.
While it can be easy to settle in and become complacent from time to time, you do not want to become so lazy that it is hurting your career. If you feel this coming on, or you are already in this position, follow these tips:
1. Market your services in your downtime. You are going to feel most lazy when you do not have much to do. But as a freelance writer you can always find something that can keep you busy. One of the best things you can do during your spare time is market yourself to potential clients. This is one surefire way to end a lazy spell, and to bring in new work at the same time.
2. Keep in mind that you only get paid when you work. It is easy to be lazy when you work at 9-5 job because you will still get paid no matter what. But as a freelance writer the money only rolls in when you send quality work to your clients. If you want to get paid you better do your work.
3. Create your own projects. I strongly believe that all freelance writers should work on their own projects when they have time. For instance, I manage this blog as well as many others. In addition to writing, I also work on marketing, design, ad sales, etc. This can be a great way to not only stay busy, but to also earn some additional money.
If you are the type of freelance writer who is always running into lazy spells you should follow the above three tips.
I can still remember by first day as a freelance writer. I was scared of many things including not being able to find any clients. There is no denying that landing your first client can be difficult. It took me a week or so to find a client who was willing to do business with me. Fortunately, after that first client things began to speed up quite a bit.
If you are having a difficult time landing your first freelance writing client you should keep the following tips in mind:
1. Stay patient. Even though this is easier said than done, it is very important. If you get down on yourself and begin to give up you are never going to achieve success. You may get lucky and find a client on your first day as a freelance writer. Or you may have to work hard for a few weeks to achieve success. No matter what, stay patient and stick with what you are doing until something breaks your way.
2. Do not limit yourself on how you are attempting to find your first client. Some freelance writers only search online job boards. While this may work, they are missing out on other opportunities such as cold emailing, cold calling, bidding sites, etc. Be sure to keep all of your options open when it comes to your marketing plan.
What if nothing is working for me? How long should I wait before giving up once and for all? This is up to you. If nothing is working you need to make some changes. Again, don’t stick with one type of marketing if it is not working for you. Instead, change your approach to see what else is out there. It is your right to give up on your freelance writing career whenever you want. But remember, quitting now will only make it more difficult to jumpstart your career in the future.
Even though landing your first freelance writing client can be difficult, once you do so you will be off and running. Â
Many freelance writers in my course tell me that they do not like getting up early because they can never get off on the right foot. This is a common problem, and I used to deal with the same thing. Fortunately, I found out soon enough that getting an early start was not all that hard and it can be quite beneficial.
If you want to start your day off right, follow these three tips:
1. Eat breakfast before heading to your computer. For some people, all it takes is a little bit of food to get a huge boost of energy. This is something that you should definitely do no matter what time you are waking up. As soon as I began to eat breakfast in the morning my productivity increased.
2. Do not rush. Even if you are getting up early so you can work, it is important that you are not in too big of a rush. Give yourself time to wake up, get ready, and hopefully grab a bite to eat. Tip: set your alarm a few minutes early so you do not have to feel as if you are in a big rush.
3. In contrast to number two, you do not want to take too long to get to your computer. Getting up early is a great idea. But if you are spending too long in the bathroom, at the kitchen table, and on other related tasks you are not going to get an early start on your work.
This post is not meant to tell you that you have to wake up early. Instead, it is for those who want to start their day early but are finding it difficult to do so for one reason or the next.Â
