Admit it. Your journey as a beginner freelance writer hasn’t been rosy. This was never what you expected.

Freelance writing is over-hyped, you think.

It’s hard to make money from freelance writing, you maintain.

Getting a job as a freelance writer is a herculean task, you conclude.

The picture painted above is what an average beginner freelance writer faces daily.

If I may ask, despite these challenges:

Why is the freelance economy the order of the day for businesses?

Why is it that, about 54 million Americans are Freelancers?

You heard me right

In fact, it is projected that 40% of Americans will embrace the freelance economy by 2020

The Bitter Truth:

Freelance writing looks simple from the outside. But those who have been a part of this rapidly growing field know this is far from the truth. While the prospects of freelance writing is high, it takes targeted efforts, careful strategy and skills to make it successfully as one.

Beginner freelance writers face challenges. I admit

Are these challenges exclusive to freelance writers alone? No

Is it possible to scale through these challenges? Yes

What can I do to overcome these challenges? Read on

In this post, I reveal the top 10 challenges faced by beginner freelance writers, and what to do to overcome each of them.

The Beginner’s Mind-set: As a beginner freelance writer, the first challenge you face is the beginner’s mind-set. Having read about this emerging market and can’t wait to succeed as one.
You’re in a haste to succeed, but something keeps telling you that, you are a beginner. You are tempted to write for content mills, accept low paying gigs to gain experience and sometimes send free writing samples. You do not believe in yourself, and you are afraid to get in touch with editors to feature you on their platforms for social proof.

What to do:

Ponder on this. When an engineer works immediately after graduation, does this make him/her any different from other experienced engineers? Of course, yes. But does this make him/her stoop so low not to be paid what is supposed? No.

As a freelance writer, you should realize that when you begin, you can’t compare with established writers. But this does not mean you should belittle yourself and earn so low. Remember! It is a business, be yourself and improve yourself.

Competition: One of the stiffest challenge you will face as a beginner freelance writer is that of competition. The freelance writing world is populated with a pool of qualified and experienced writers who are competing with one another. As a beginner, you feel dejected, the competition is getting into your head, and sometimes you lose hope in your ability.

What to do:

Never compare yourself with anybody. If you should ever compete, it should be with yourself. With time, you will get there. Always make sure you are qualified for a gig, before applying for it. There will be competitions, but if you are competent and able to show your potential clients that you can deliver, then you will succeed.

Social pressure: Is freelance writing a career? Many freelance writers are queried always. The social pressure of been a freelance writer is huge. This is so because the idea people have about a career is something you do, and climb the ladder. In a nutshell, leaving home by 9am, and arriving by 5pm. It’s difficult to convince them that you can make it working from home.

What to do:

This has to do with the perception people have about the freelance writing career. Some people believe it’s so true to be believed. (Yes, how can someone stay at home, punching the keyboard always and say they are making 4-5 figures in dollars monthly?) As a freelance writer, forget whatever anybody says, focus on the job at hand, and be bold to introduce yourself as one to anyone who cares to listen. When you smile to the bank, they will believe.

Social Proof: Social proof is so important for any freelance writer to succeed. What’s Social proof you may ask? It’s the practice of writing on popular platforms in your niche to showcase your ability to your audience and potential clients.
Why is it so important? The freelance writing business is mostly online and it’s difficult for clients to trust someone whom they have not tested his/her ability.

Where can I publish my articles for Social proof? On any blog or website, as far as it relevant depending on your niche. Some of the top platforms freelance writers publish on include: Forbes, Huffington Post, Business, Entrepreneur Magazine, Fast Company, and the list is endless.

Getting social proof is essential for you as a freelance writer, but it’s a challenge for most beginners.

What to do:

- As a beginner, you should realise that it’s difficult for top editors to accept you to write for them. You need to show them you’re capable.
- Start by writing guest posts for less authority blogs in your niche.
- You can showcase these guest posts to top editors as your experience, and pitch them to write for their platform.
- Never make the mistake of sending your pitch to a general e-mail or contact form (That’s a recipe for failure).
- Check the platform, read their guidelines, check out for the editor’s e-mail and send an irresistible pitch.
It might prove difficult initially, but with dedication and hard-work, you’ll get in.

Getting high-paying clients: What’s the essence of freelance writing, if you cannot get high paying clients?
I have been into freelance writing for a month, but yet to get a single client!
You’re surprised right? But does it mean, I can’t get client(s), if I am desperate. Many freelance writers accept and write for content mills (That pay you peanuts despite your efforts).

Writers are special and talented, and should be treated fine. If you truly want to make it as a freelance writer, you should go the hard-way of getting real clients that value what you do. It is a challenge (I am facing same too).

What to do:

Getting high paying clients is difficult, but it’s worth it. You need to put in more efforts both on the Social Media platforms (Such as Twitter and LinkedIn especially), and via other means by cold pitching.

Face Rejection: Many a times, you send a wonderful pitch to a top website in your niche, and it gets rejected. Sometimes, you send hundreds of cold pitches to potential clients without getting responses even after several follow-ups. No doubt you will face rejections as a beginner freelance writer.

What to do:

Develop a thick skin for these rejections (Accept them as they come and move on)
Hang out with fellow freelance writers on various groups online, and discuss some of these challenges with them.
Remember: A problem discussed is half solved.

Lack of ideas: A freelance writer must never be short of ideas. But is it possible not to run out of ideas? How do you develop an idea for a pitch you want to write for a website that pay? How do you come up with article ideas? It’s difficult not to run out of ideas, but it’s easy to get fresh ideas always if you are ready.

What to do:

- As a freelance writer, you must be an avid reader
- Read anything that comes your way from Facebook/ Twitter / LinkedIn updates
- Read blog posts, novels, educational materials etc.
- When you read wide, there will always be something to write.
- When reading updates and blog posts, read the comments too. It give you an idea of what people are facing and an idea of a solution you can offer too. When you read wide, you will not run out of ideas.

Running a business: Running your career as a freelance writer like a typical business is a challenge most beginner freelance writers face. If you do not treat freelance writing as a business, then you are doing yourself more harm than good. You should be able to evaluate where you are coming from, where you are, and the future prospects. A beginner freelance writer will find this difficult.

What to do:

In treating your freelance writing as a business, you must take one step at a time. Start by having a daily recap of what you have achieved. Then, you could have weekly and monthly recaps too. Some of the basic things you should always include in your reports include:

- The number of articles you have written for your blog
- Number of guest posts that have been published
- The companies you sent cold pitches to
- The rate of response.
- When you make money, you should include your income reports too.
When you measure your progress, you stay motivated and wanting to do more.

Remaining productive: Productivity matters to freelance writers. When you are productive, you remain on top of your game. Though it’s difficult to stay productive, as sometimes you can’t just help it. You lose focus and may want to quit. This is a challenge expert freelance writers face too.

What to do:

- Always evaluate your lifestyle (How well do you sleep, and how healthy are you)
- Exercise regularly (This helps your mind to relax)
- Eat good food (do not consume junks and the likes)
- Invest your time in reading personal development blogs.
- Find out time to hang out with friends
- Join conversations online and offline
- Watch a favourite movie/ show on TV, and your favourite team playing too.
These will ease the pressure and stress of the work from you, keep you mentally and physically healthy. And ensure you stay productive always.

Uncertainty: The uncertain nature of freelance writing scares people away from it. It is possible to have a lot of clients today, and they will disappear for some months. This happens to everybody. How is it possible not to stay out of jobs?

What to do:

- Write as many guest posts as possible for blogs in your niche (With this, businesses will find you).
- Stamp your authority by contributing regularly on business websites such as Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Business etc.
- Do not be too lazy to continue searching for clients and pitching them always.
- Apart from cold-pitching, use the Twitter and LinkedIn alternatives to get prospective clients.
- Write and monetise e-book(s) for your audience through your blog, or via Amazon.
- Start a course on a topical issue and charge for it.
- Consider blogging and making money through affiliate marketing.
These are things that will ensure you continue making more money as a freelance writer.

There you have it:

All freelance writers face these challenges, but beginners face them more. The experts who earn 4-5 figures in dollars monthly, have faced same too. As a beginner freelance writer, when you face these challenges, do not be afraid and never lose hope. Remember: “When the going gets tough, the tough keeps going”.

Over to you:

Which of these challenges do you face as a freelance writer, and how are you able to overcome them?

Make your submissions in the comment box.

Source:

http://winsomewriter.com/beginner-freelance-writer/


cc lalasticlala Obinnau

Good day. I'm a creative writer who can craft compelling stories and political articles, sports, entertainment and literary essays.

Is there an organization (s) hires someone my talents in Nigeria?

Looking to work from home though.