This one is for you who want to become a freelance writer. Do you know why you want to go down that road? This is a question that many wannabe writers need to ponder to because there is a lot of uncertainty and problems that awaits you if you delve into this field for all the wrong reasons. People give different reasons as to why they want to become freelance writers. For your information, this is a field that has its difficulties, and if you come here just for the sake of it, without a clear perspective, you are going to have a shock that you never thought it could hit you.
As for all the wrong reasons that drive people to become freelance writers, here is a sample:
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Thinking you have no option
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You are not a writing enthusiast
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Temporary panic
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Failure to understand the market place
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You are not a business person
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You are a fulltime dad/mom
I cannot do this or that, I have a medical problem so I have to stay at home, I can’t do anything else and so on. These are excuses that some people use to justify why they want to engage in freelancing. Actually, they have no idea of what awaits them, nor do they know how the field works. Freelance writing is one of the many work-from-home gigs that one can engage in. you can be a virtual assistant, a remote employee. As such, you need not get into freelance writing because you have nothing else to do. Keep exploring different ideas.
Freelance writing is a difficult field especially if you are not a writing enthusiast. If you cannot take a phone call or leave the house, or do a skype interview, this is the last option you will have. As such, freelance writing may not be compatible with you.
Not many people are fond of writing. However, some think that it is the only thing that has the flexibility they need. While they are correct on flexibility of freelance writing, the entire reason to venture into this field becomes vague in the first place. If you have not been writing compulsively all your life, you need not venture here. They are getting into writing because from the list of the things they want to do, freelance writing seems like the only easier option.
Many of the freelance writers you see around do it because it is in them. They have the interest and are willing to go the extra mile to produce quality work. There is more to freelance writing than what you see. You have to master your craft, market your services, look for clients and work hard to please the if you want future working relations. If you are not aware of this, and you lack the necessary interest, try another thing my friend!
Let us say you have been retrenched and you have no other way of earning. While freelance writing presents a good chance, it might not be the best option for you at this point. Do not get in to it as a transition to another job. Clients are not willing to hire writers who are one foot in the field the other foot on the other end. Clients want freelance writers who are available and dedicated to working even at odd hours. Your attention is also crucial in this area. No one wants a writer whose attention is divided because the outcome will not be as pleasing. There is nothing like trying in freelance writing because that is just half the effort. Freelance writing demands full commitment to it.
You hope to earn a living with your writing work. Now if you get into freelance writing with a money-minded perspective, you will encounter an entirely different situation. Well there is a window of hope for you if you try poetry, short stories, or opinions because some reliable sites pay good for these areas. However, most of the well-paying field of freelance writing includes non-fiction, reported magazine articles, and business writing. If you get into this field without broadening your horizons, you will be frustrated before you can even take off.
Hating everything that has to do with business is another lame excuse to get into freelance writing. In the first place, you need to understand that you are going into business here. Secondly, businesses earn you goo money in freelance writing. So if you are coming into freelance writing because you are afraid of business, woe unto you. You have to market your services because what you are offering is paid for. In other words, freelancing is business and if you are not into it, back the hell off!
People are making good money because they took freelance writing as a business. There are many opportunities besides writing that come with freelance writing especially if you have a personal website. Every business must be marketed and if you think you cannot do it, well, do not try it in the first place. Freelance writing is a business in every sense of it.
Becoming a freelance writer because you are a full-time parent maybe another bad reason to get into it. There is no magic in finding great clients and meet deadlines with your baby on the back, or having been up all night because of your child. You cannot make it here is you are homeschooling your kids. Being a parent and a mom for that case is a full-time job, and so if freelance writing, however flexible it might seem. There are many moms getting nervous breakdowns because they cannot make any headway in the field of freelance writing. If you want this to work, you will have to enlist childcare services from a nanny or any other person. You can also write when they are asleep especially during the day. However, if you are quitting your job hoping to replace it with freelance writing and a small naptime, then you had better shelve that idea.
Building a successful freelance writing career pegs on the willingness to meet deadlines, interest in writing and the ability to produce excellent and quality work. The above reasons present a scenario where people get into this line of work as the last resort, and not because they want to do it in the first place. You have to be realistic about what you want to do here. Most importantly, get in with an established niche, which can catapult you to getting good clients.
Dedicate yourself to meet the set deadlines. Change your mindset especially when it comes to money you earn from this field. Not everyone pays as you expect, and at times, not every clients pays at all. Get into this field with an open mind that there are possibilities, some of which are favorable whereas other are not. Create a foundation on which your freelance writing career will stand for the long haul. Excellent financial rewards in this field are a culmination of dedication, persistence, patience, and talent. When you combine these, you will get the personal freedom that you so much seek. Freelance writing is not a fill in project, or something you can do for a few minutes in a day.
