Welcome! It's Time to Ramp Up Your Freelance Biz

Have you secured any freelance writing clients? If not, that's okay!

As I mentioned in a previous email, the last quarter of the year is the BEST time to find clients online that will pay you a great rate.

But, to get those clients paying you at LEAST $.10/word to $.15/word, you need writing samples.

This post will help you here: https://elnacain.com/blog/write-about-for-writing-...

I have 20 writing sample prompts just for you!

If you already have wonderful writing samples, then maybe you want to have a history writing job. In my latest post I walk you through writing jobs for history lovers.

No matter what niche you are in, as long as there are products and services, you'll make a living as a writer.

I want you to take a minute and answer this question, "what kind of freelance writer are you?"

Here are some types of writers:

1. You Sit On the Sidelines

One of the most common things I see new freelance writers do is…they do nothing at all!

They avoid taking any action. Instead, they read every blog post, course, guide or eBook they can get their hands on, and then do absolutely nothing with that information.

I equate this to sitting on the sidelines.

Maybe you think since you don’t have a perfect writer website, what’s the point of even pitching?

Or, maybe fear is consuming you and the thought of putting yourself out there and selling yourself is too much for you.

So, instead, you keep bidding on Upwork and taking the $5 writing gigs.

Can I tell you something? I’m not the best writer.

I make a ton of grammar mistakes.

I know for a fact I forgot to invoice a few clients when I first started out.

I suck at math and know I’ve undervalued my services a few times.

But, you know what?

I’m still successful.

I was able to land my biggest paying writing project to date when I first started, from making less than $2 a post to now averaging $300 a post.

And it was all because I took action. I kept going. Kept pitching and above all, didn’t let the little things get in the way.

Gaining confidence is a learning process and it isn’t until you actually go out there and be a freelance writer that you become more confident.

For me, doing this online is so much easier than in person.

Last year I set up appointments at my local web and printing companies in town and I sucked! I fumbled my words, blanked out a few times and couldn’t put two words together.

But, I did it. I stepped out of my comfort zone and took action.

2. You Compare Yourself to Others

As a new writer you may feel inferior to other freelance writers out there.

Especially if you don’t have a writing background.

So, you end up critiquing your writing and sizing it against other freelance writers on the web. I did this early on in my freelance writing career.

I had just landed a client who wanted social media marketing posts and editing.

I was excited as this was an inbound inquiry that ended in a paid writing gig.

I wrote my first few posts, checked them out on the blog and noticed they had another freelance writer on staff. Not just any writer, a well known freelance writer (well at least known to me!).

I was shocked. I started analyzing my writing and her writing.

She was definitely a much better writer than me and I couldn’t understand why this client even hired me.

I started keeping track of how many assignments she wrote and how many were given to me (to see if she got more assignments because she was a better writer than me) and this started to affect my writing.

It was hard to shake this “impostor syndrome” feeling off, but I did and I’m glad I did.

I’ve learned that no one can write like me and that clients seek out my writing style.

I have a great track record of A-list bloggers and entrepreneurs who have hired me for my writing ability.

I’ve also learned you don’t need a writing degree to be a freelance writer, you just need to be a good writer.

While the act of comparing myself to other writers isn’t totally a thing of the past, it isn’t crippling my success either.

3. You Latch On to Anything New

Heard your neighbor is a freelance writer?

Maybe you read a mommy blog and learned this blogger does paid writing gigs on the side.

You think this is perfect and jump all over freelance writing.

Three weeks later a blogger friend tells you how much money they are making as a virtual assistant. You love the idea and start learning anything and everything about being a virtual assistant.

Before you know it your brain is fried because of all the info you’re learning about anything and everything.

Then you sit there and do nothing because too much information paralyzes you from taking action.

When you decide to learn a new skill, the best thing you can do is create goals around it.

So, if you really want to be a freelance writer, the first thing you should do is make a list of what you need to do and the steps you need to take to reach your goals.

This will at least get you focused on one avenue to pursue.

For me personally, I don’t have an issue with trying new things.

When I find something I stick with it. I think that’s why I have been able to build my freelance writing business to the level it is now even though I’ve been doing this part-time!

And with that list you need to dial into LinkedIn of course! So wait for the next issue on LinkedIn marketing tips!