There are a lot of people who want to get involved with freelance writing but have an extreme fear of failure. Unfortunately, this is not something that is easy to help with. I would love to be able to show all these people the way, but fear is something you must conquer on your own. If you are scared about jumping into the freelance writing industry you need to take the time to pinpoint the problem and work on a solution.
For many, fear stems from the potential of failure. In other words, those who never get started with freelance writing are worried that they have no chance of success. In turn, they think about this career all the time but never make any progress. There are definitely going to be bad times as you are getting your freelance writing career up and running – this is to be expected. But can’t the same be said for every career?
To get over your fear you must first know what the problem is, and then begin to look for a solution. For instance, if you are worried about your lack of experience you can start writing part-time as a way of gathering clips and learning more about the industry. This way you will be more prepared when it comes time to transition into full-time writing.
Remember this: no matter what fear you are facing there are ways of dealing with it. Take your time when searching for a solution. There is nothing wrong with being scared about jumping into freelance writing. But there is something wrong with letting this fear get the best of you. Every freelance writer had to take the leap at some point. When are you going to gain enough confidence to do the same?
If you are a freelance writer you know exactly what the title of this post means. Simply put, you have “stuff†that you need to get through the workday. It may not be a lot, but no matter who you are there are probably a few things that you rely on.
I realized just how important my stuff is over the past week or so. I am in the process of moving into a new home. As I was packing up my office this weekend it was easy to see that there are a few things I rely on as a freelance writer.
No matter what, I need my computer. While this is true for me, most other freelance writers feel the same way. If I don’t have my computer there is no way to get work done – it is as simple as that.
Along with my computer, I also need my paper files, USB drives, and to-do/goal lists. The nice thing about all this is that it can be nicely packed into a couple of boxes. This just goes to show you how easy it is to be a freelance writer on the move. I don’t have any inventory or an advanced system holding me back. Instead, I can take my business anywhere and have it set up in no time at all.
The point of this post is to make you realize how important some of your stuff really is. While you need to keep all of your belongings in a safe place, there is no denying that some things are higher priority than others.
Do you have all of your stuff organized so that you can easily get at it when need be? If not, try to get better organized today. My past move made me realize just how important some of my stuff is to my success.
Are you interested in web content writing? This is one area of the freelance writing industry that is quite lucrative. Along with this, there are always companies and webmasters on the lookout for writers.
This weekend, I received a couple of emails asking how to find web content clients. While this is a broad question with many answers, I am going to throw out two methods:
1. Online job boards. One of the best ways to find web content clients is through sites like Craigslist, Elance.com, Freelancer.com, and All Freelance Writing. Yes, it will take time to check these sites everyday. On top of this, you will be stuck sifting through hundreds upon hundreds of listings. But if you truly want to find clients in need of web content, this is something that you have to do.
2. Cold emails. This is one method of generating web content clients that many freelancers swear by. The process goes something like this: find a website that you are interested in; contact the site owner or anybody else who you can find an email address for; explain your situation and what you bring to the table; hope that they are in the process of looking for freelance writers.
The thing to remember about cold emails is that this is “hit or miss.†You may send 25 emails with no response just to find that the next two people are interested in hiring you. In other words, be persistent if this is how you are going to find new clients.
3. Referrals. I have found this to be the best way to drum up new online business. Do you currently have any web content clients? If so, ask them to pass your name around to others who may be interested in your services. You may be surprised at what this can do for your business. Word of mouth marketing is essential to growing your business. Make sure you do good work so your current clients pass your name along to others.
Hopefully this advice can help you find more web content clients in the near future. It may be too basic for advanced writers, but those just getting started should find it helpful.
