What makes a freelance writer?
Going a step further, what makes a freelance writer a professional freelance writer?
Do you have to have a journalism degree, be well-connected or have the ability to jet from location to location writing stories on the spot? While these things can certainly help, they’re not absolutely necessary to make the leap from a new freelance writer to a professional freelance writer and take your writing business as far as it can go.
On the contrary, upping your freelance writing game takes more grit than anything else. If you have heart, perseverance, and a decent work ethic, you’re just a few strategic steps away from elevating your freelance writing business from “just getting started” to billing like a pro:
1. Constantly Refine Your Writing Chops
It almost goes without saying, but if you want to get paid to write, you should enjoy writing. And you should probably be okay at it too.
This doesn’t mean that you have to be the best writer in town. Or know every single grammar rule by heart. Heck, you don’t even need a journalism degree to succeed as a freelance writer today (hallelujah, right?).
You don’t need a journalism degree to succeed as a freelance writer today (hallelujah, right?).
But you should be at least an average writer today and you should have a thirst to get better over time.
Learn the difference of writing for the web versus writing college papers or for your high school paper. (Think one space after punctuation instead of two, writing in a conversational tone, using short words and paragraphs, etc.)
Put time in your schedule to refine your writing skills with free and paid writing courses, free writing blogs, and networking with other writers. The more you train yourself as a professional writer, the easier it will be to talk about writing with prospective clients and present a put-together, professional image when you pitch.
Speaking of paid courses that are totally worth it, Gina’s 30 Days or Less to Freelance Writing Success course is worth every penny. If you’re just getting started, don’t hesitate to connect with her course and writing coaching services.
2. Develop ‘Extreme Makeover’ Organizational Skills
I’m not going to lie, being Type-A is definitely a plus in this vocation. Because in many ways being a freelancer is like having numerous bosses.
Being a freelancer is like having numerous bosses.
When you’re first starting out with one or two clients, you likely won’t have trouble hitting deadlines. But when you graduate to 10+ different clients that you’re writing for in any given month, you need to understand (and remember) each of their unique style guides, specifications for delivery and more.
And client work isn’t all you’ll be doing. You’re also wearing the hat of marketer, bookkeeper, administrative assistant, and more. The list goes on. You’ll be juggling a lot of different roles and responsibilities as you get started, so learning about and implementing mad organizational skills will allow you to take on more work (and more clients, and more income) without dropping the ball.
Don’t worry if you’re not the most organized guy or gal around currently. You can learn these skills (such as how to organize your writing projects with Google Drive) and you might even see it spillover to the rest of your life!
3. Put On the Thickest of Skins (or at Least a Really Good Fur Coat!)
New writers are nervous about getting feedback and easily upset by clients who request edit after edit. One of the keys to success for professional, well-paid freelance writers is that they’re not afraid to put themselves out there. They’re not scared of being rejected, or, if they are, they learn how to get past it quickly.
Rejection isn’t fun for anyone, let’s face it. But it’s usually not as bad as we make it out to be in our minds, either.
Rejection isn’t fun for anyone, let’s face it. But it’s usually not as bad as we make it out to be in our minds, either.
When I coach newbie freelance writers, I challenge them to “play it forward” and really envision the worst-case scenario of getting rejected. In their minds, they think that they’ll get told that they suck and have no business writing or somehow get blacklisted from the entire industry (which in reality would have to be the entire world, since freelance writing is largely a global commodity).
What really happens is that you won’t hear back from someone that you pitch. Or you do and they say, “Thanks, but no thanks.” Not in a mean way, not telling you that you aren’t good enough, just that they went with someone else.
And that’s okay.
Because you know what? There are plenty of other freelance writing client fish out in the sea. Businesses and individuals have hired writers since the written word was invented, and the writing industry is only growing.
In my mind, “Every company needs a website and virtually every website needs a blog.” That leaves a whole lot of opportunity on the table. And it’s only going to grow as we continue to do more and more business online.
Professional writers understand that what’s in their inbox doesn’t represent all of the opportunities out there. You have to dig deep, persevere, and continue to push for new clients and new work even when you’re afraid of rejection.
Elevating Your Game As A Professional Writer
You probably are good enough to become a successful freelance writer (yes, I totally read your mind and knew that was the question you’ve been asking all along). You don’t have to have a fancy degree or “know the right people” in order to get started.
Instead, you need to be willing to constantly improve your writing skills, learn about and apply organizational skills, and be able to handle hearing no (more than once). If you exhibit these three qualities, then you’re well on your way to shedding your skin as a newbie writer and establishing a successful writing business.
Gina Horkey is a writer for hire, with a background in personal finance. She also offers coaching services for new writers and really enjoys helping other freelancers gear up to quit their day jobs and take their side hustles full-time. Please stop by Horkey HandBook and download a free copy of Kickstart Your Freelance Writing Career!
