Anytime I am asked by an aspiring freelance writer how to get their career started, my answer usually contains the phrase “Writer’s Market†somewhere within it. Personally, this is the source that I used to find jobs when I was new to freelance writing, and for that reason I love everything that the service has to offer. With that being said, there are a couple of reasons that people do not want to use Writer’s Market.
1. They don’t know what Writer’s Market is, or what it has to offer. Believe it or not, this is true among advanced writers as well as beginners. If you do not know what Writer’s Market is all about, you should visit their website to find out more. Generally speaking, you can sign up as a member of Writer’s Market online service or you can buy their annual publication at most major bookstores; either way will work. The main benefit to a freelance writer is the information that is included on the thousands of publications in the United States. In addition to a list of publications, each one offers detailed information such as the editor’s name, how to submit a query, payment rates, etc.
2. You have to pay for Writer’s Market. This alone is one of the main reasons that many aspiring freelance writers do not use this service. I will never understand this way of thinking. Even when I was a new writer and my income was next to none, I still spent the money on this book. After all, if you want to make money as a freelance writer you need to know where to look; and that is exactly what Writer’s Market will do for you. As of late I have been using the online edition extensively thanks to its ease of use and convenience, as well as the low $29.99 annual fee. Of course, I have a print copy next to my desk as well.
If you are going to enter the freelance writing world, do so with a copy of Writer’s Market by your side. The information that you will have access to is sure to put you on an early path to success.
Time after time I hear from people who say they are going to start a freelance writing career “any day now.†But guess what? I will hear from these same people months later telling me that they have yet to make any progress. Listen up: if you are ever going to be a successful freelance writer you need to take the leap and get started. Sure, there is risk involved and it can be scary, but in the long run you can never earn money unless you actually get started.
What are some of the main reasons for procrastinating? As mentioned above, many aspiring writers are afraid of what the future may hold. More specifically, they are afraid that they will fail and their dream of being a writer will die. If this is something that is holding you back, you need to find a way to forge ahead. Remember, there are going to be tough times and failures no matter what career path you choose. Just because you fail early on as a freelance writer does not mean that your entire career is doomed. In fact, there is something wrong if you are never running into obstacles.
If you constantly find yourself talking about becoming a freelance writer but never move forward, you have to ask yourself whether or not this is something that you really want. You may be excited about working for yourself in a field that you enjoy, but do you truly want to make the sacrifices and changes necessary to become a successful freelance writer? If you cannot confidently answer yes, you may not be cut out to become a writer at this time.
For those who truly want to work as a freelance writer, get started today. Decide that you are ready to make the leap, and begin to take the proper steps without delay. Remember, you do not have to move forward at a high rate of speed. As long as you are making progress towards your end goal, you will reach the pinnacle soon enough. You do not have to rush to become a freelance writer, but if you want to join this industry, you do need to get started.
Since talking about the benefits of starting a blog, I have received a few questions about how much success I have with ChrisBlogging.com. Although this blog is far from being the biggest or most well known, it is something that I enjoy immensely. To go along with this, it has grown quite a bit as of late.
Last month, ChrisBlogging.com received approximately 5,000 unique visitors. Is this a lot? When compared to some blogs on freelance writing and making money online, the answer is no. By overall, it is not too shabby. Personally, I do not keep close tabs on my traffic. Instead, I judge the success of the blog by how many people I help. And judging by the emails I have been receiving as of late, this is quite a few.
If you follow the blogging industry, you are well aware that the number of RSS readers a blog has can be a big deal. I am a regular reader of many blogs that boast a readership of 20k or more. As you can see by taking a quick peak at the right sidebar, my RSS number hovers right around 220. While this is far from 20k, I have been making some progress in this area. If you have yet to sign up, you can do so traditionally or you can opt to receive updates via email; either way works.
Just like my freelance writing career, I set goals for the progress of ChrisBlogging.com. By the end of the year, I would like to increase traffic to 7,500 uniques per month. To go along with this, I am hoping to crack 350 RSS readers. These may seem like modest goals, but for somebody who does not know much about SEO or technology, they are just fine for now!
