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Why You’re Failing At Freelance Writing

By on November 26, 2019

When you first decide to embark on a freelance writing career, it can be an exciting time. You may start full of motivation and determination to succeed, but without a proper plan in place, you may quickly discover that it's harder than it looks. You might think you are doing all the right things and making all the right moves, but you still don't seem to be getting anywhere. If that sounds like you, perhaps you aren't as honest with yourself as you should be. 

Here are some reasons why you might be failing at freelance writing:

You lack self-discipline

If you want to become a successful freelance writer, you must have serious self-discipline. The good news is that this is something that you can learn. If you are the kind of writer that finds it tough to concentrate, that finds that the goals and deadlines that seemed too important fly by and become rather arbitrary, and that never quite achieve as much as they'd hoped then you might need to start practicing self-discipline before you take on any new work. If you don't have self-discipline, you won't have the motivation to seek out new tasks, you won't hit your deadlines, and you won't make any money. This can then become a vicious cycle leaving you lacking in motivation to continue.

Freelance writers need to rely on their motivation, and their self-discipline to get things done. You need to send out queries, pitch ideas, apply for jobs, and, well, actually write. Try to be organized and good at scheduling and making sure that you have the time to write, and when you do so, you do so productively to ensure you are making the most of your time and making the most money possible too.

You can't take criticism

Freelance writers have to have thick skins. If you can't take feedback or criticism, you'll find it tough to make a good living. Being professional and putting your clients first, and making sure that they are delighted is how you'll build up an excellent reputation and be able to start picking and choosing the work you do. The same is true if you are too much of a sensitive soul. If you don't have self-confidence or are too self-deprecating, it will be hard to find success in this role. Freelance writers need to be confident that they can write well, and not be afraid to say so if you don't believe in your writing ability, it will be hard to convince others to hire you. 

You don't pitch well

If you want to land good jobs, you need to learn how to pitch your ideas to the publications you want to work with and do so in a way that captures their attention. Don't cut corners. Learn about the industry, and the different publications that interest you, and read the kinds of articles they include. This way, you'll be able to come up with a relevant idea and write it in the style that fits their tone. This will make your pitch seem much more appealing, and you're more likely to not only receive the go-ahead but negotiate a better fee too. 

Freelance writing isn't easy, and if you are finding your motivation waning and you are not doing as well as you can, perhaps the above might apply to you. The good news is you can take steps to change, and become the successful, productive, and prolific freelance writer you've always wanted to be. 

So now you know why you might be failing at freelance writing, why not learn some answers to the most common freelance writer questions?

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bethany cadman
Bethany Cadman - bethanycadman.co.uk

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