This Dirty Little Secret is Killing Your Freelance Writing Career

There’s a good chance that if you’re a struggling freelance writer who’s been lamenting your inability to kickstart your freelance writing career, this post will blow your mind.

There’s an equally good chance you won’t believe a word of it, either. And that’s okay. Just know that it’s your funeral.

I’ve been doing this freelance writing thing for longer than I care to admit — when you can count using the word “decades” it’s time to stop counting. In that time, I’ve seen a lot. Those of you who have been at this for five years or better have probably seen the same kinds of phenomena occurring.

In some cases, you can almost predict it.

I’m talking about writers who, for one reason or another, cannot get their professional shit together. Maybe it’s truly the segment of the population they’re trying to attract, maybe it’s the economy or any number of other factors that keeps them from making a living freelance writing.

Oh, I’ve seen the excuses. So have you, I’d bet.

• Freelance writing is dead.
• No one is hiring.
• Work is scarce.
• Nothing I’ve tried works.
• People aren’t hiring me because I’m too old/young/fat/thin/gay/straight/fast/slow…..
• Other writers are just too mean and won’t share their client lists.

More than likely, though, it’s one key factor that gets in the way of even the most promising of freelance writing careers.

It’s this:

You.

There. I said it. That’s the dirty little secret that’s getting in the way of being successful at this freelancing thing.

You, frustrated freelance writer, are your own worst enemy.

If you’ve ever used the excuse that something other than what you’re doing is holding you back, you’re doing what comes naturally for people who are struggling at their inability to get where they’d like to be:

You’re projecting.

See, it’s not me who’s holding you back. It’s not the economy, nor is it that work is scarce (if it were, other writers wouldn’t be telling you to keep trying). Of all those excuses I listed previously, one of them is true:

“Nothing I’ve tried works.”

Believe it or not, you can fix that. You can fix all of those excuses, in fact.

Here’s the fix:

Change your thinking.

That’s it. No complicated method of doing X, Y, or Z. Just change how you think.

But you need more, don’t you? You don’t change thinking without some convincing? Okay, let’s take each excuse separately.

Freelance writing is dead.

Why you say it: because you’re frustrated. Nothing is going right. You’re lost. You can’t get one thing to work in your favor, and you’ve all but given up.

How to change: find examples all around you of how it’s working for others. That may require you get the hell out of that forum where everyone feeds off the same negativity. Or it may mean looking at your own circumstance and really examining what’s gone right, what’s gone wrong, where it went wrong, and why. If that’s not enough, this message is from all of us freelance writers who are pulling down a good annual salary doing exactly what you say is dead — Freelance writing is very much alive, and if we can do it, so can you.

No one is hiring.

Why you say it: because no one you contact is hiring you.

How to change: stop blaming people for not hiring you. Start looking at how you’re marketing to them. Are you telling them why they should hire you, or are you reciting your background to a stranger? Look at every attempt you’ve made to get hired, and try to figure out what about your messaging — timing, the prospects you’re approaching (could be they can’t afford to hire anyone), the message, and your follow-up (you do follow up on your messages, don’t you?).

Work is scarce.

Why you say it: because there’s no work on your desk and you can’t seem to figure out how to attract it.

How to change: Think back to a time when work wasn’t scarce. What did you do to attract those clients? Is it possible that in your specialty area or that client concentration that you’ve overfished the pond, so to speak? Unlikely, but it could be that you’re targeting people who aren’t ever going to hire a freelancer. Try approaching different people, a different focus area, or even go back to those successes and see if those clients need anything.

Nothing I’ve tried works.

Why you say it: because you’ve all but given up at this point. You’re feeling defeated, and you really don’t want to believe it’s because you might be hampering your own efforts.

How to change: Try something else. If you’ve been emailing the hell out of everyone, try a written, mailed letter. Or a follow-up phone call. Or a meet-and-greet when possible. Try backing off the hard sell. Try changing to a more helpful approach — send them appropriate-to-them news items or alert them to a webinar that may suit them. Now is the time to try something new.

People aren’t hiring me because ….

Why you say it: It’s excuse-making, and it’s nothing more than blaming someone else for the fact that you’re not working. You know that’s irrational, right? People rarely eliminate potential contractors based on appearance. I say rarely because it probably does happen somewhere. But the likelihood of you being passed over because of your gray hair is pretty far-fetched, particularly if you’re working remotely and never meet your clients.

How to change: Stop making everything so damned hard. Look at the real reason you’re not being hired, like you sent an article about pet care to a fashion magazine because you assume all women’s magazines want “family-oriented” content. Or you told the client you’ll work two days a week on their project, but only four hours total because you have to meet your friends twice a week for lunch. Something you’re doing or not doing could well be the issue, or it could be that again, you’re not targeting people who are financially able to hire you. Or your rate is so low they assume you don’t know what you’re doing.

Other writers are just too mean and won’t share their client lists.

Why you say it: because you don’t realize how hard those writers worked to build their client lists, and now you’re proposing that they allow you to just step in and take their clients. Or you’re lazy and expect other writers to hold your hand throughout your career.

How to change: Work your own career or work somewhere else. If you can’t respect the work your fellow writers put into their careers, if you expect them to funnel work to you without you proving your ability to actually do the job right (though asking such a question proves otherwise) or the ability to someday reciprocate, freelance writing is not for you.

Writers, have you experienced any of these either online or in your email?
How did you handle it?
What advice would you give a struggling writer who’s getting in their own way?