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Admit it. Your journey as a beginner freelance writer hasn’t been rosy. This was never what you expected.

Freelance writing is over-hyped, you think.

It’s hard to make money from freelance writing, you maintain.

Getting a job as a freelance writer is a herculean task, you conclude.

The picture painted above is what an average beginner freelance writer faces daily.

If I may ask, despite these challenges:

Why is the freelance economy the order of the day for businesses?

Why is it that, about 54 million Americans are Freelancers?

You heard me right

In fact, it is projected that 40% of Americans will embrace the freelance economy by 2020

The Bitter Truth:

Freelance writing looks simple from the outside. But those who have been a part of this rapidly growing field know this is far from the truth. While the prospects of freelance writing is high, it takes targeted efforts, careful strategy and skills to make it successfully as one.

Beginner freelance writers face challenges. I admit

Are these challenges exclusive to freelance writers alone? No

Is it possible to scale through these challenges? Yes

What can I do to overcome these challenges? Read on

In this post, I reveal the top 10 challenges faced by beginner freelance writers, and what to do to overcome each of them.

The Beginner’s Mind-set: As a beginner freelance writer, the first challenge you face is the beginner’s mind-set. Having read about this emerging market and can’t wait to succeed as one.
You’re in a haste to succeed, but something keeps telling you that, you are a beginner. You are tempted to write for content mills, accept low paying gigs to gain experience and sometimes send free writing samples. You do not believe in yourself, and you are afraid to get in touch with editors to feature you on their platforms for social proof.

What to do:

Ponder on this. When an engineer works immediately after graduation, does this make him/her any different from other experienced engineers? Of course, yes. But does this make him/her stoop so low not to be paid what is supposed? No.

As a freelance writer, you should realize that when you begin, you can’t compare with established writers. But this does not mean you should belittle yourself and earn so low. Remember! It is a business, be yourself and improve yourself.

Competition: One of the stiffest challenge you will face as a beginner freelance writer is that of competition. The freelance writing world is populated with a pool of qualified and experienced writers who are competing with one another. As a beginner, you feel dejected, the competition is getting into your head, and sometimes you lose hope in your ability.

What to do:

Never compare yourself with anybody. If you should ever compete, it should be with yourself. With time, you will get there. Always make sure you are qualified for a gig, before applying for it. There will be competitions, but if you are competent and able to show your potential clients that you can deliver, then you will succeed.

Social pressure: Is freelance writing a career? Many freelance writers are queried always. The social pressure of been a freelance writer is huge. This is so because the idea people have about a career is something you do, and climb the ladder. In a nutshell, leaving home by 9am, and arriving by 5pm. It’s difficult to convince them that you can make it working from home.

What to do:

This has to do with the perception people have about the freelance writing career. Some people believe it’s so true to be believed. (Yes, how can someone stay at home, punching the keyboard always and say they are making 4-5 figures in dollars monthly?) As a freelance writer, forget whatever anybody says, focus on the job at hand, and be bold to introduce yourself as one to anyone who cares to listen. When you smile to the bank, they will believe.

Social Proof: Social proof is so important for any freelance writer to succeed. What’s Social proof you may ask? It’s the practice of writing on popular platforms in your niche to showcase your ability to your audience and potential clients.
Why is it so important? The freelance writing business is mostly online and it’s difficult for clients to trust someone whom they have not tested his/her ability.

Where can I publish my articles for Social proof? On any blog or website, as far as it relevant depending on your niche. Some of the top platforms freelance writers publish on include: Forbes, Huffington Post, Business, Entrepreneur Magazine, Fast Company, and the list is endless.

Getting social proof is essential for you as a freelance writer, but it’s a challenge for most beginners.

What to do:

- As a beginner, you should realise that it’s difficult for top editors to accept you to write for them. You need to show them you’re capable.
- Start by writing guest posts for less authority blogs in your niche.
- You can showcase these guest posts to top editors as your experience, and pitch them to write for their platform.
- Never make the mistake of sending your pitch to a general e-mail or contact form (That’s a recipe for failure).
- Check the platform, read their guidelines, check out for the editor’s e-mail and send an irresistible pitch.
It might prove difficult initially, but with dedication and hard-work, you’ll get in.

Getting high-paying clients: What’s the essence of freelance writing, if you cannot get high paying clients?
I have been into freelance writing for a month, but yet to get a single client!
You’re surprised right? But does it mean, I can’t get client(s), if I am desperate. Many freelance writers accept and write for content mills (That pay you peanuts despite your efforts).

Writers are special and talented, and should be treated fine. If you truly want to make it as a freelance writer, you should go the hard-way of getting real clients that value what you do. It is a challenge (I am facing same too).

What to do:

Getting high paying clients is difficult, but it’s worth it. You need to put in more efforts both on the Social Media platforms (Such as Twitter and LinkedIn especially), and via other means by cold pitching.

Face Rejection: Many a times, you send a wonderful pitch to a top website in your niche, and it gets rejected. Sometimes, you send hundreds of cold pitches to potential clients without getting responses even after several follow-ups. No doubt you will face rejections as a beginner freelance writer.

What to do:

Develop a thick skin for these rejections (Accept them as they come and move on)
Hang out with fellow freelance writers on various groups online, and discuss some of these challenges with them.
Remember: A problem discussed is half solved.

Lack of ideas: A freelance writer must never be short of ideas. But is it possible not to run out of ideas? How do you develop an idea for a pitch you want to write for a website that pay? How do you come up with article ideas? It’s difficult not to run out of ideas, but it’s easy to get fresh ideas always if you are ready.

What to do:

- As a freelance writer, you must be an avid reader
- Read anything that comes your way from Facebook/ Twitter / LinkedIn updates
- Read blog posts, novels, educational materials etc.
- When you read wide, there will always be something to write.
- When reading updates and blog posts, read the comments too. It give you an idea of what people are facing and an idea of a solution you can offer too. When you read wide, you will not run out of ideas.

Running a business: Running your career as a freelance writer like a typical business is a challenge most beginner freelance writers face. If you do not treat freelance writing as a business, then you are doing yourself more harm than good. You should be able to evaluate where you are coming from, where you are, and the future prospects. A beginner freelance writer will find this difficult.

What to do:

In treating your freelance writing as a business, you must take one step at a time. Start by having a daily recap of what you have achieved. Then, you could have weekly and monthly recaps too. Some of the basic things you should always include in your reports include:

- The number of articles you have written for your blog
- Number of guest posts that have been published
- The companies you sent cold pitches to
- The rate of response.
- When you make money, you should include your income reports too.
When you measure your progress, you stay motivated and wanting to do more.

Remaining productive: Productivity matters to freelance writers. When you are productive, you remain on top of your game. Though it’s difficult to stay productive, as sometimes you can’t just help it. You lose focus and may want to quit. This is a challenge expert freelance writers face too.

What to do:

- Always evaluate your lifestyle (How well do you sleep, and how healthy are you)
- Exercise regularly (This helps your mind to relax)
- Eat good food (do not consume junks and the likes)
- Invest your time in reading personal development blogs.
- Find out time to hang out with friends
- Join conversations online and offline
- Watch a favourite movie/ show on TV, and your favourite team playing too.
These will ease the pressure and stress of the work from you, keep you mentally and physically healthy. And ensure you stay productive always.

Uncertainty: The uncertain nature of freelance writing scares people away from it. It is possible to have a lot of clients today, and they will disappear for some months. This happens to everybody. How is it possible not to stay out of jobs?

What to do:

- Write as many guest posts as possible for blogs in your niche (With this, businesses will find you).
- Stamp your authority by contributing regularly on business websites such as Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Business etc.
- Do not be too lazy to continue searching for clients and pitching them always.
- Apart from cold-pitching, use the Twitter and LinkedIn alternatives to get prospective clients.
- Write and monetise e-book(s) for your audience through your blog, or via Amazon.
- Start a course on a topical issue and charge for it.
- Consider blogging and making money through affiliate marketing.
These are things that will ensure you continue making more money as a freelance writer.

There you have it:

All freelance writers face these challenges, but beginners face them more. The experts who earn 4-5 figures in dollars monthly, have faced same too. As a beginner freelance writer, when you face these challenges, do not be afraid and never lose hope. Remember: “When the going gets tough, the tough keeps going”.

Over to you:

Which of these challenges do you face as a freelance writer, and how are you able to overcome them?

Make your submissions in the comment box.

Source:

http://winsomewriter.com/beginner-freelance-writer/


cc lalasticlala Obinnau

As a freelance writer, your day is a busy one. You have to write articles for your blog (If you have one), you need to deliver clients’ work on time, social media campaign is also on the standby, you need to guest post, improve your social proof, and so on.

But the truth is that, you have just 24 hours to take these actions. You’re overwhelmed, you complain, in fact you regret the day you joined the freelance writing world. Today, that is over. With these daily productivity hacks, your day as a freelance writer will never be the same again.

Let’s go:

The earlier the better: You need to start writing early as a freelance writer. Writing earlier in the day gives you the best output always. Research has shown that, creativity peaks in the morning, as the creative connections in our brains are most active then. The early morning is the ideal time for you to generate new thoughts and ideas. If you wish to be more creative daily as a freelance writer, you need to consider this. Wake up early, and start writing

Set out a roadmap: A roadmap gives you a breakdown of what to write in an article. This could be breaking your write-up, into the drafting, first, second and the redrafting stages. Without a roadmap, your writing will not flow, thus slowing down your productivity. In fact, you tend to be doing everything at a time. You’re writing, jotting down points, editing (All at the same time!). With a clear writing roadmap, you know what to write, how to write, where and when to write. Remember, he who fails to plan, plans to fail.

Just write: As easy as this seems, it is the most difficult task for freelance writers (Yours sincerely, inclusive). Admit it, it is difficult for you to write, and just focus on writing alone. You want to multitask (Social media campaigns, Research, and pitching clients etc.) at the same time. A 2009 Unanimous Stanford University research found out that people who chronically multitask show an enormous range of deficits. They’re basically terrible at all sorts of cognitive tasks. If you want to surcharge your daily productivity as a freelance writer, ditch other activities when writing, and just write.

You’re good, be better: Have you noticed that your writing speed determines the number of words you write daily? As a freelance writer, you need to up your typing skills, if you want a productive day. While you might have all the great ideas in your head, if you suck at typing, it will affect your output. You need consistent practice using the right tools to become better at this. If your typing is approximately 30 words per minute presently, you need to work harder on it to boost your productivity. Typing improves your productivity, be better at it.

Take breaks: Writing is a lonely and arduous task. Imagine yourself sitting down all day in front of the computer, and doing nothing but writing/typing. In some hours, you will be worked out, and might be experiencing eye strains. When this happens, the best thing to do is to take breaks. Walk away from your computer, go play with your buddies around, your kids/wife (if you do have), take snacks to freshen up and go back to work. According to Fast Company, breaks must be prioritised at work because it keep us from getting bored, help us retain information and re-evaluate our goals. Take a break while writing, it aids productivity.

Adequate sleep aids a lot: Sleep deprivation is something you need to look into if you want to remain productive as a freelance writer. The National Sleep Foundation in 2015, recommends an average of 7-8 hours of sleep per day for an adult. You need to ask yourself, how much sleep do I take daily? Arianna Huffington in her book, The Sleep Revolution opines that we are in the midst of a sleep deprivation crisis, which has profound consequences – on our health, job performance, relationships and happiness. Sleep adequately and you will transform your freelance writing career one night at a time.

Prayer: Prayer, it is said is the key. It helps create a focus in you for the day, and aids your productivity a lot. While this depends on your religion, do not forget to pray before you get your day started. With prayer, you are able to overcome mental blocks that could hinder your progress during the day. The grace of God cannot be over-emphasised too. So pray, and figure out how it will aid your productivity.

There you have it

Your daily productivity matters a lot as a freelance writer. When you fail in this, your freelance writing career is adversely affected. With these hacks, you will see how your productivity as a freelance writer will increase too. Don’t just go through them, take actions and quadruple your productivity.

Over to You

Which of these productivity hacks, do you use the most, and what experience do you have with them? Do make your submissions below.

http://winsomewriter.com/daily-productivity-hacks-freelance-writers/

Everybody wants to be a writer. I have seen no one who isn’t interested in writing. Because everyone wants to write, many are bemused about where to start. They want to know the best way to learn writing. Few days ago, I met someone who read some of the posts on my blog. He was so enthusiastic and told me: “Shehu, what are the secrets to writing.” To him, there are secrets writers hide from their audience.

Likewise, two days ago, a secondary school friend of mine called after a long time. At the end of our discussion he said: “Shehu, I visited your blog days ago, and I am impressed by what you do. Though I find it easy to express myself in speech, it’s always difficult for me to write.” He confessed.

This is happening within a week. These and many more are questions I get from friends, family members, colleagues and readers of my blog.

Writing is both difficult and easy. Your perception to it matters and goes a long way in shaping you.

Today, I am revealing the best and only one way to learn writing.

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Before that, let me make three shocking revelations:

You have no excuses for not writing: Most at times, whenever you are asked about writing and why you have not started writing. It’s easy to bring up one thousand and one excuses. These excuses may include: Lack of talent, No adequate writing resources, Lack of mentors, Writing is difficult, There’s no time to write etc. While most of these excuses are true, it’s true that even with all these, you will still make excuses.
Peter elbow, while making his submission on this in his book, Writing without Teachers, aptly puts it thus:

People without education say, “If only I had education I could write.” People with education say, “If only I had talent, I could write.” People with education and talent say, “If only I had self-discipline I could write.” People with education, talent and self-discipline – and there are plenty of them who can’t write – say, “If only …” and don’t know what to say next. Of course, you can make excuses for not writing but there are none actually.

Writing is your right: Yes, you heard me right. It’s your right to write, and it’s only when you write that you can claim your right. Without writing, you’ll lose your right to be right, but when you write you’ll become right.
Abdullahi Muhammed in his book, Your right to write puts it this way:

“A lot of people are so scared to assert their right to write. I was scared too. Very much frightened. How could I call myself a writer? I had no Degree or certificate to show for it. I feared I could be challenged. That I was only pretending. That I was a serial impostor. Maybe you are, too. But in actual fact, you need no certification to write. It’s a right you’ve always had …your birth right. If you write, you’ll be right. Go a step further and author… that’s how to become an authority. Whatever you conceive, and solemnly believe, you can achieve.”

No barriers to Writing: If there is any profession that gives everybody the freewill to do whatever they want to do, in the best way they can do it, irrespective of their backgrounds, then writing comes first. There is no barrier to becoming a writer irrespective of your discipline. What matters most is your ability to learn how to write and writing always. Many great writers today, never studied Arts or Humanities in College or University. Though studying these related courses is good, but not studying them isn’t a barrier. I love the way Seth Godin puts it: “The biggest challenge is that there are no barriers. If you want to do it, go do it. Ideas worth spreading, spread.” And I say: “If you want to write, just write. Ideas worth writing, write”
Now, you know that:

No barriers to writing
Writing is your right
You have no excuses for not writing.Then, what’s the best and only way to learn writing.

If I may ask you:

What’s the best way to learn how to walk? Walking, isn’t it?

What’s the best way to learn how to speak? Speaking, right?

What’s the best way to learn how to cook? Cooking, am I correct?

So, the best and only way to learn writing is:

Writing

Writing, and

Writing.

There are no two ways about it.

It is only when you write that you can master the art of writing.

Hear this:

If you read the best of books on writing

Possess the best resources that can aid your writing career

Subscribe to blogs that can make you a better write

Attend writing conferences to equip you better.

Does these actions make you a writer?
Definitely not.

The truth about writing is that, if you don’t write, you are not a writer.

So, if you want to learn writing, you need to write.

Stop procrastination. Pick up your pen right now and write.

The first draft might look messy and frightening, but that’s the best way to go. When you write, you learn and master it. But if you fail to write, you can never learn writing. Proficiency isn’t what you need now. You need to start. When you start, you learn and become better.

On a Final Note

Writing is a daunting, time-consuming and lonely task I admit. But if you wish to learn it, you need to start writing. It’s only when you write, that you can be called a writer. When you write, you claim your right. When you author, you become an authority.

Over to you:

What are the fears you have about writing? How has writing made you a better writer? Make your submissions below.

http://winsomewriter.com/best-way-learn-writing/