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Useful Advice On How To Be A Good Freelance Writer

Many people have a desire to be self-employed. It means not having to worry about office politics or being told what to do by a harassing supervisor. A skill that many people have is the ability to write, but the same people hesitate to go out on their own. Becoming a freelance writer does have its ups and downs, but it does not mean you cannot be successful at being one. There are some very simple rules of the road you may use as advice as you work to become a freelance writer.

  • WRITE! You are not going to become proficient if you do not put pen to paper or start tapping that keyboard. You need to write something every day and no less than 2000 words. It doesn’t have to be one essay and you can be writing on separate topics. This is the primary way to develop your own style.

  • Remember that this is a job requiring discipline. You’re not taking instructions from a supervisor, but you are taking orders from a client. There will be deadlines you have to meet. A writer has to become accustomed to a schedule of daily activity and stick to it. It is the only way to prevent yourself from getting behind.

  • Set long-term goals. Being told that you will become a successful right away is poor advice. It does take time and you may not want to quit your full-time job until you have developed a clientele and portfolio. However, you can project forward to that date when you can leave the office for the last time and strike out on your own.

  • Pick a genre for your work. As a freelance writer you may be taking all kinds of assignments. It is a smart idea to have one or two genres which are areas where you are proficient. This could be in real estate or healthcare or some other topic. This permits you to build a portfolio around the subject and that helps in marketing yourself.

  • Be willing to market yourself. You ought to be listed on several job boards and have a LinkedIn account as well. You need to be a good marketer and your portfolio should reflect your very best. Keep in mind your cover letter is a marketing piece and should be written to convince prospective clients.

Perhaps the best advice to follow is to stay positive. There are going to be days when clients are scarce, but there will be other times when you have more work than you thought possible. A negative attitude is not to make you a better freelancer. Stay optimistic and remember that being self-employed is its own reward.

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Tip of the day

There are so many clients in need of writers it is ridiculous for any writer to say they cannot get work. You need to study the market carefully and know what to say when approaching potential clients.