Entering the Unknown: Success as a New Freelance Writer

Photo by Jenny Huang.

The idea of freelance writing had always been appealing to me. Although my background in fitness and nutrition prepared me more for personal contact. After a few years spent in the gyms and working in academia, I knew I wanted to help people, not one-on-one, but through my writing.

Unlike many there was no leap of faith involved in my decision to begin working towards my goal. To avoid missing a once in a lifetime opportunity, I left my office job and set off on an adventure to live abroad for a couple years due to an assignment with my husband’s employer. With the language barrier and those ever frustrating document issues, I had no plans to work in our new city. Fortunately, this gave me the perfect opportunity to launch my freelance writing career.

It took me a while to get my ducks in a row, toughen my skin and start tackling the process of learning about freelance writing and blogging. I never once thought it would be easy, but I also soon realized there was a lot I didn’t know.

These are some questions I ask myself on a daily basis and some answers I’ve come to discover through both my external research and that all-important internal reflection about my desire and will to write.

Q. Can I succeed without a background in journalism?

A. Yes
This was the most prominent question in my mind as I began to read all the wonderful information out there on the web regarding freelance writing. Yes, I had written before for my previous jobs – fact sheets, newsletters, even a couple articles published in peer-reviewed journals, but I didn’t know the ins and outs of writing correctly or for different media types.
The good news is that with a little work this can be learned. I’m not knocking an actual degree in the field. I envy the knowledge of those who have this background. However, with a little work, you can teach yourself these technical skills and turn them into a well written piece for purchase. Read blogs on the subject, take an online or local course and regularly read they types of materials you are hoping to write.

Q. Should I believe the compliments?

A. Yes and no. Balance confidence with humility.

Most people are nice by nature. We are taught that compliments are friendly and that many times we should give them even if we really don’t like the thing we are commenting on. So what do you do when you get compliments about your writing? Are people just being nice or do they really mean it?
Of course, a compliment can make you feel better on a bad day, but I treat them the same way I treat criticisms. I take it all with a grain of salt. I listen to both and try to use them to improve my writing.

The key is to balance confidence in your work with humility. Know that you can be a good writer, be thankful for the compliments you get, but don’t ignore every criticism and suggestion. Continue to grow and learn as a writer. Enjoy the compliments and pull the positive out of negative feedback.

Q. How to I maximize productivity with this newfound freedom?

A. Set daily goals. Create your unique schedule.

I have always disliked routine and schedules. I like each day to be a little different. The best part of leaving an office job was new flexibility in my time. However, with those 10 hours a day now freed up for me to write and plan my own work hours it was easy to get caught up in other projects and end up with little writing work done at the end of the day.

I’ve learned to set my own unique schedule. It may not look like a schedule to anyone else, or work for anyone else. However, it does contain some structure. Some days I might be up with the sunrise, others I might sleep in, but catch up on work later into the evening. I work around the time when my husband will be home or the class I want to take that day at the gym.

Some people work better with daily set hours, others might work like I do. The important thing is to set realistic goals for what you will accomplish that particular day and get them done. Also, keep in mind how many hours a day you want to devote to your writing and stick to them. This will keep you on track and help you to maintain a level of productivity you can be happy with.

Q. What do I do when I don’t have any pressing deadlines?

A. Read.

The best advice for a new writer is read, read, read. Starting out, the gigs are sometimes few and far between. I used this time to better my knowledge and skills in the field. I have definitely learned something new every day.

I identified a list of what I considered the best blogs offering advice about freelance writing and blogging and I read them daily, taking down important notes. I review these notes often and continuously add to them to keep me on track and to grow and develop as a writer. There are so many great writers out there and many of them are providing valuable information to help beginners.

Q. How do I stay motivated to write?

A. Take time to decide what qualities you want to exhibit as a writer. Use this to drive your work.
When I first set out to write I was ready to get thoughts on a page and start making some money doing so. I had to take a step back and analyze who I was as a writer.
Several things are important to me when it comes to writing. I want to be helpful, honest, entertaining, and of course, successful, because we all want to be paid for our good work.
All of this comes into play when I decide what niche I’d like to steer towards and what types of jobs I want to accept. While everyone may not feel as deeply about their writing purpose, it is something you might want to think about as a new writer. For me it is the core for my motivation — motivation that is necessary for the ability to succeed despite the rejections that often come with beginning a freelance writing career.

Lori Rice is a freelance health and travel writer. She is a writer for the health website, LIVESTRONG.com. Her blog about the adventures of living abroad can be found at http://www.blondieinbrazil.blogspot.com/