8 Ways to Bury Your Freelance Writing Image

What I’m listening to: Hanuman by Rodrigo y Gabriela

I spent the last two days working like mad to get some client work finished – I wanted to head west and bring my mom back here for Easter. But she’s decided she’s staying put this year. She’s really struggling with getting back to a normal routine after my dad’s passing.

So I had a little extra time yesterday to read through the LinkedIn forums.

Oh my word. Do writers really think like that?

I’m not one to believe my way is the only way. I believe my way is one way, and any writer or other professional who dismisses or pushes someone into a certain way of working or thinking is not worth listening to.

That doesn’t mean writers aren’t making mistakes. Turns out, just reading through the various forums, they’re making big mistakes.

Not that mistakes are all that bad either. We learn from mistakes, don’t we? But when it comes to a professional image… oy. Just. Oy.

Here are a few mistakes that are absolutely flattening your freelance writing business:

Waiting for help

I really, really don’t like when writers go passive. In a few threads, writers were 1) asking the same question (and admitting to it), 2) asking the ‘where do I find work’ question, and 3) not bothering to work at their business.

Not following directions

I experienced this phenomenon firsthand a number of years ago when I had to hire help to get a project completed. There were specific application requirements, yet just one writer followed them. The others? One posted her entire resume on the thread that said “email your resume.” Another said this: “What do you need? Call me.” Another left a link to his online profile. The one who followed directions was hired, and she was fabulous. If a writer cannot follow simple instructions, clients get the impression (and rightly so) that they’re not going to be listened to.

Not engaging the brain

In one thread, there was a question on which term was right. The best part? Saying it out loud would have told the writer everything he needed to know. There are plenty of examples of writers simply not thinking for themselves. The image that projects is someone who isn’t going to take charge of a project or finish it.

Trying too hard to please

We are not art directors, photographers, graphic designers, social media experts. Yet I see so many writers trying to do it all just to please that client. It’s okay to say no to a job that isn’t within your skill set. You’re a freelance writer, not a magician.

Asking other writers for work

That includes asking for leads. Here’s the problem with those requests — in most cases, the person asking has no relationship with the writers he or she is approaching. I saw three instances, including 1) a writer who introduced himself by saying what kind of work we could send his way, 2) a writer who posted on a job board that she was looking for work, so please give her editor and magazine contact info, and 3) the writer who asks for the nonexistent “overflow work.” Please. My toilet overflows. My work? Not so much. Besides, if I needed help with too many projects and not enough time (and that’s happened once, maybe twice in my 15 years at this), I’d ask trusted writer friends, not untested strangers.

Taking just about anything

You don’t really need to work for that guy who pays 10 cents a word, particularly since you’re trying to land clients that pay $1 a word. Remember your image — do you want to come across as a serious professional, or do you want to be considered cheap?

Not understanding your audience

You’re trying to attract Fortune 500 companies, yet you’re writing your website from your pet’s perspective (and yes, this happened)? Not knowing who your client is is a massive mistake, particularly if you send out 300 smiley-face stickers to CEOs of financial companies. While you may believe everyone needs a smiley-face sticker, not everyone does. Really.

Not learning from your mistakes

So what mistakes have I made? Plenty. In one case, I used local sources when the client was looking for nationally recognized sources. Okay, they could have said that, but I should have asked. In another, I didn’t push back when they wanted a comprehensive overview of the workers’ compensation industry… in 750 words. I failed (naturally). I cruised job boards for far too long, accepted low rates thinking ‘I can’t get better’, accepted blame that belonged to someone else, even snapped at a client who’d attacked my character.

What I didn’t do: make the same mistakes again. After the embarrassment or anger dissipated, I looked at the situation and asked myself how I could fix it going forward. I still make mistakes — I just don’t make the same ones. That’s how you build a backbone and gain a better professional reputation.

Writers, what mistakes are you seeing?
What mistakes did you make early on, and how did you recognize and change that behavior?