6 Hard Facts About Freelance Writing

What’s on the iPod: Dirty Dishes by Deer Tick

What a week. My daughter and her husband are moving out all this weekend, starting yesterday. Amid a good bit of work, and with more work coming in, I had to pause and help clean, unpack, and sort. Today will be more of the same.

I was talking with writing friends recently about freelancing. Some of us have or are freelancing, so we were discussing career insights — one of my favorite things to do because you learn so much. In one part of the conversation, one of the writers said how with freelancing, there is no time where you can sit back and the clients will come knocking.

Isn’t it the truth?

I had to agree with her. I’ve been doing this full-time freelance writing thing for just over 12 years now, and plenty of part-time freelancing before going full time. I’ve worked hard to build a niche, nurture connections, build relationships, and work hard to create a solid reputation.

And still I have to market.

That’s the hardest fact you’ll ever have to come to terms with, too. No matter how big you get, no matter how many clients sing your praises, you’re going to have to work just as hard to get the next client. And the next.

Why should it be otherwise? Look at any major corporation. Let’s take Apple, for example. Apple is a household name; you’d be challenged to find one person who hasn’t heard of Apple, and possibly even one who hasn’t used an Apple product (iPod comes to mind). Apple is a global company with a killer market share. Yet they don’t wait for you to come to them, do they?

They advertise.

It makes sense, doesn’t it? If Apple didn’t advertise, you’d quickly forget them. Sure, you may love your iPhone or your iPad, but if they simply sat back and waited for you to come to them, you might eventually be lured by a company that is putting its focus on reaching out to you. In fact, I’d argue that Apple did just that when Microsoft was the 300-pound gorilla in the market.

Apple innovated, sure. And that innovation got your attention. But so did their marketing, which convinced you it was cool to own an i-anything. Windows was the boring old suit who couldn’t get a date for the prom.

Apple stayed in front of their customers and gave them a message that made them want to be associated with them.

Writer, why should you be any different?

Here are the hard facts:

Freelance writing careers are hard work. You’re never going to get a free ride. Ever. If you want a career in which you don’t ever have to market, you’ll find there’s a W2 attached to that dream. So weigh your options — do you dream of a freelance lifestyle, complete with its ups and downs, or do you dream of a no-brainer approach to your career?

It gets easier, but it will always be a challenge. If you are consistent in your marketing and networking, then yes. It will get easier. But if you get lazy, even for a minute, it’s going to get tough again. You forget to revamp your marketing, reach into new areas, or lose touch with clients and boom. You’re sitting idle.

The amount of energy you spend is relative to what you receive. At first, it’s an uneven equation. You’ll work your ass off, make mistakes, learn some things, and eventually get something in return. But once your feet are under you, you will get out of this career what you put into it. If you’re waiting for the phone to ring, you’re going to be spending a lot of time playing solitaire (more ways than one).

No one owes you their loyalty. You may think you have those clients eating out of your hand. Yet despite how much they love you, they could disappear tomorrow. Their budgets dried up, they hired someone to write, they forgot about you because you didn’t stay in touch, someone more eager/cheaper/compelling came along and stole them….your clients today may very well be your memories tomorrow. Never get lazy enough to assume any client relationship is permanent.

You’re never too big or too important or too educated to work hard. Ask Jenn Mattern. Peter Bowerman. Ed Gandia. No successful writing professional would ever assume they can kick back and wait for the clients. While each of these writers may have different methods for attracting business (Jenn writes no queries), they are actively seeking work every day.

You are responsible for your own success. That’s right — you. Not your clients, not your friends and family, not other writers. If you fail because the client isn’t happy, that’s on you to fix. If you aren’t making what you want because no one is calling, that’s on you, too. If you spend no time marketing or thinking in new directions (innovating, in other words), yep. On you. Blaming the market, the clients, or the industry you’re working in doesn’t change the only variable you have control over — you. Fix your weaknesses and avoid projecting your lack of effort on blameless entities.

Writers, do you agree?
When did you realize the correlation between your success and your efforts?
What can you add to the list?