Are you interested in learning more about freelance writing? To receive top notch information you can look in one place: other freelance writers. Believe it or not, you can learn quite a bit from other writers – especially those who have a proven track record of success.
Learning from other freelance writers may not be as hard as you think. Here are three ways you can begin to do this:
1. Ask for help. Over the years I have found most freelance writers to be quite helpful. If there is somebody you really admire, send them a quick email and see where it gets you. The worst thing that can happen is you never receive a reply. I always try to answer emails from other freelance writers. Not only is it nice to help, but I am always looking to forge new online friendships.
2. Read their blog. As you probably already know, many freelance writers have a blog. This one, for example, touches on the basics of becoming a freelance writer and sustaining a career. While I cover a lot of information, many others have blogs that focus on other areas of the industry. Read as many freelance writing blogs as time allows.
3. Join a course. I have a freelance writing course that has become very popular with at least 20 members per month. That being said, there are many other courses out there that are just as helpful and probably more popular. Don’t be afraid to spend some money on a solid course. This is a great way to get one-on-one attention from an experienced, successful freelancer.
If you have any desire to learn from other freelance writers you should follow the three tips above. Soon enough you will be picking up knowledge from some of the biggest names in the game.
I know entirely too many freelance writers who will work for whatever the client suggests. In other words, they are afraid of negotiating for one reason or the next. Some don’t want to get turned down; others don’t want to ruffle any feathers. It is important that you become comfortable negotiating with clients. The better you get at this the more money you will earn in the long run.
Practice, practice, practice. The only way to become comfortable negotiating with clients is through practice. Of course, this does not mean that you should negotiate just to negotiate. The next time this situation presents itself feel free to work for the best possible deal. Once you get the first negotiation out of the way you will have more knowledge of what to do in the future.
What are you afraid of? If you cannot answer this question you have no reason to avoid the negotiation process. If you can answer it, you need to find a solution sooner rather than later. Your client is trying to get the best deal, and you should be doing the same. Giving in and working at whatever rate is suggested is not the best way for you to grow your career. You know what you are worth and how much you should be charging for a particular project. Now all you have to do is negotiate to get it.
If you are comfortable negotiating with clients good for you – you are ahead of the game. If you aren’t, now is the time to change your ways and work on this part of your career. Good negotiating skills can help you achieve more success and earn more money.
This is going to be a short post – the title says it all. As a freelance writer you need to embrace rejection. Simply put, this is something you are going to run into day in and day out. Rejection is part of becoming a freelance writing success, and you need to get this through your head sooner rather than later. Sure, it can be difficult to be turned down by an editor, publisher, etc. But once you learn that this is part of the game and it is all business, you will be much better off.
No matter how much success you have as a freelance writer you are going to be rejected from time to time. This comes in many forms. For instance, I send query letters to magazine editors on a regular basis. And guess what? Most of them end up in some form of rejection. This has nothing to do with my skills or what the editor thinks of me. Instead, it is more about the publication and what they are looking for. If I let rejection letters get me down I will never have the confidence to move forward and search for that next gig.
Instead of fearing rejection you should embrace it. Learn what you can and realize that it is nothing personal. Rejection is part of being a freelance writer, and no matter who you are you will face it at some point in time.
