The Freelance Writing Goal Adjustment Guide

I was reading an article about things successful people do in order to be, well, successful.

One point was talking about getting your dream job. The advice was simple:

Adjust your goal as you learn more about yourself.

Hey, freelance writer — did you just hear that? They’re talking to us, too.

We do tend to do one of two things when we set a goal: we treat it like it’s etched in stone or we don’t do a damn thing beyond setting the goal.

Don’t think so? Remember that dream magazine you wanted to write for? How many years ago was it you set that goal? Have you looked up the editor’s contact info? Have you crafted a query and reached out?

If you’re one of the freelancers hiding quietly behind your monitor right now, I see you. I am you.

When we’re fresh at this freelance writing career, we tend to think of these goals as unattainable. Hell, I’m still looking at The Atlantic and thinking someday….

Why haven’t I gone for it? What’s the worst that can happen?

Rejection.

Really? That’s stopping me?

Really. And it’s stopping you too, I’d bet.

So let’s look at that advice from earlier. How are we going to adjust our goals exactly?

Let’s go with my lusting after The Atlantic. Let’s assume I’ve spent the last 15 years of freelancing thinking this is the market I want to break into. Okay, yes. It’s true. But why?

I’m going to put it all out there — my reasons for wanting to be in that magazine:

• The money
• The prestige
• The money

They pay ridiculously well (unless you write for their website, which doesn’t pay — why would you do that exactly?). Plus, I want to be smart enough to write for them. Their content is some of the best-written content I’ve come across (though The Economist is even better, I would argue). I have really good ideas I know they’d print. How do I know that? I’ve subscribed for the last ten years. I know their audience and their slant.

So why haven’t I tried?

• Fear of rejection
• Fear of rejection
• Fear of rejection

But let’s pretend that over time, I’ve come to see that The Atlantic just isn’t my market. Let’s pretend that over time, I’ve gone in a different direction. The magazine is no longer writing what I’d like to write about — mostly because I’ve changed in what I do, not in what they cover. They’re the same publication. I’m just a different writer.

Is this still my ideal market? Why?

That’s when I need to adjust my goal. I’ve learned something new about myself. I’m not the writer I was when I set the goal, and I’m not going to want to be published there anymore.

What do I do now?

I change my goal.

Notice in this hypothetical situation, I didn’t bust out the gallon of rocky road. I didn’t wallow in the “ohmygawd, my whole career was a lie!” negativity. I didn’t call my mother or best friend crying over how depressed I am.

I. Changed. My. Goal.

This hypothetical me is now seeing a different market — Vanity Fair let’s say — as more in line with my current interests and concentration. Guess what my new goal is?

Does that mean that I’m going to sit for the next 15 years salivating and not doing anything? Well, let’s hope not, but that’s definitely a pattern, isn’t it? Instead, Hypothetical Me is going to:

• Read several issues
• Pretend this is a different pub (in name only)
• Write a killer query
• Send it

Why am I pretending it’s a different pub? Because I need to remove the mental roadblock. If fear kept me from trying with the last goal, I need to find a way to bypass it this time. If pretending it’s HVAC Monthly gives me confidence, I’m okay with that. I can write to the editor of HVAC Monthly because I’ve not put her on a pedestal (yet — she may warrant it later). I’m not a starry-eyed fangirl afraid to approach her crush. Not with this editor. So I pretend that this is the person I’m writing to so that my tone and approach isn’t gushing or “I’m so honored to grace your in box” ridiculousness.

So how does this all relate to the idea of adjusting one’s goal?

Because what I’ve learned about myself also is that often I lack the courage to move forward. Yes, I still don’t like rejection, but if I’m rejected by the editors of HVAC Monthly, it may sting, but I’m going to recover more quickly. And I’ve had years of being rejected (we all have). I’m used to it from plenty of other angles.

So Hypothetical Me is adjusting my goal and adjusting the actions that have held me back.

Two adjustments in one move. How’s that for being an efficient freelancer?

Writers, what goal have you held on to for a while? What is it? How long have you had it?
Have you set a goal and done something about it? How did it work out?
How did you move on your ideal goal? What was the result?