I am new to finding work as a freelance writer. But I have to say out loud, mostly to myself that I am not interested in making Freelance a career. Instead it would be a part of my career. I want to get my writing out there to share my knowledge with others and to earn extra money. I do fret at rejection, but I need feedback on what I’m writing. I love to write, I always had. I have had feedback from friends and family members. But I need more. I even questioned if I was a good writer. I literally went back to looking at old college and graduate school reports I had written. I did very well. But I realized that strengthening my confidence is pertinent. And I do believe there are people out there who would appreciate the work that I do. But just the fact that someone who would hire me as a writer, is a breakthrough in itself: added on with the critiques and changes, I have to say I would appreciate. It’s similar to work in that someone is investing in your talent enough to make sure your work is the best it can be.

I also want to thank you James, for emphasizing planning. That to me is key to “being ready” or getting ready to be a freelance writer. I began to write down topics I would write, if and when I am hired, the niche I would want to reach, methods on how to reach and find my niche and so forth! I currently have a small business, so I would possibly have a good business flow.
I believe I am ready for this! Freelance writing assignments come to me!

Good “checklist” to make sure you’re ready to make the move.

As someone who writes “on spec” creatively, it’s much the same. The one thing I can say for criticism/rejection is that a lot of the time you learn from it — not just how to become a better writer, but how to figure out what somebody wants from you. I couldn’t tell you how many times someone has even specified a problem in my writing, only for me to figure out that the real problem lies 50 pages earlier.

As far as self worth goes, in the beginning of a freelancing career it’s easy to work on a first draft really hard, become really proud of it, and then have it rejected leaving you feeling crushed. I offer two rounds of revisions for free with every project that I do, so try to keep in mind that a first draft is a first draft for a reason – there are more drafts to follow. Learn to expect your client to want revisions instead of crossing your fingers that they’ll like the first draft. Plus, if they like the first draft and don’t need revisions at all, then you’ll feel like a million bucks!

And then there are the clients (often big ones in this economic climate) who pay not 30 days net but 45 days net. By the time you’ve gotten your contract, done some work, billed, and gotten paid… well, you can do the math!

Lisa

Allen Taylor