5 crucial things I wish I learned before I started freelance writing
Freelance writing is the ultimate goal for millions of people worldwide. It offers the option to work from anywhere, set your own schedule, and answer to nobody. And in many ways, it does live up to the expectation of job freedom, and the option to work when it suits me is something few other careers offer.
However, it is far from the glamorous position many make it out to be. The writers claiming to make big money on YouTube and social media are few and far between. Many of them get incredibly lucky with an angel client.
As a freelance writer of almost two years, I’ve experienced my share of poor experiences. From late payments to ghosted leads, there are plenty of things to dislike about the position. Both good and bad, there are several things I wish I had known before I started my freelance writing journey.
#1. Higher-paying assignments are less flashy
Every writer dreams about crafting content that’s personally riveting and a reader’s delight. Rarely is that ever the case. In fact, the most fun topics to write about, entertainment, automotive, consumer electronics, or video games, pay the least per piece.
The reality is the stuff that pays the best are technical pieces. They’re geared toward business leaders, marketing professionals, doctors, nurses, engineers, and educated individuals who make critical decisions for their organizations.
These technical pieces include case studies, specification manuals, marketing content, software descriptions, and legal documents. They can be academic or scientific, but none of them concern what outfit someone wore to the Grammys.
#2. Freelance writer pay varies wildly
An attractive aspect of freelance writing that attracts many is the idea that you can make quality money from anywhere. And while that is mostly true, the pay per article and what each writer makes individually can vary wildly.
As I mentioned, entertainment-based work pays less than business work. I’ve seen everything from $15 to $350, depending on the topic and client. That range makes it a challenge to plan monthly budgets, and there can even be a sense of feast or famine.
Despite the challenge, staying productive is the best way to average those low-paying assignments. Freelance writing is still a job; treating it as a job means you stay busy and produce at the highest level possible.
#3. There will be long days and short days
Self-help books will try to convince you all you need is four hours of work a week, and all your dreams will come true. Now, if you love what you do, that four hours will be the administrative work that no one really enjoys, and the rest of your week will be something you’re passionate about.
In reality, there will be both long and short days. There will be days when all assignments come due, you have invoices to send and reconcile, and a round of edits causing you to work from sun up to sun down.
Then, you will have days where all you need to do is finalize an article and call it a day. Of course, setting a strict schedule and adhering to it evens out your days, but in the beginning, while you’re figuring that out, it can be a challenge.
#4. Completing projects is euphoric
There’s no better feeling for a writer than seeing a project go from a rough outline to published content. Every step of a project seems like a skyscraper getting built as research lays the foundation, an outline establishes steel structures, and proofreading installs gorgeous glass windows.
The most challenging articles have me questioning, “how am I gonna finish this?” Yet, after a couple years of honing my craft, even the most difficult topics come together, and I can see the improvement month after month.
That improvement also fuels writers to continue. We all look back at pieces we wrote even a year ago and cringe at how terrible we feel it is. But somehow, someone took a chance on us, and we got to create something from nothing.
#5. Feedback can shake your confidence
Although completing projects brings a sense of accomplishment, not every piece lives up to expectations. The best-researched and well-crafted works can garner a healthy level of criticism if there is a significant gap between what you produce and what a client envisions.
A high as a writer can come crashing down when a Google Doc has more feedback than words in the piece. It can make you wonder if this is the right career path, if your writing is good enough, and if you’ll ever establish yourself.
Despite a perception of quality work, I’ve gone through those moments when a client tears a piece to shreds. In those moments, I asked myself all the questions and still pushed on, and good thing I did, too. Feedback is a normal growth process; sometimes, it’s good, and sometimes not. It’s not personal; it’s just about getting better.
Final thoughts on what I wish I knew before freelance writing
Before I started, I knew a little about what it was like freelance writing, but I could never have imagined that it would be more. The benefits associated with freelance writing are mostly true. I get to work from home, I don’t answer to a micromanaging boss, and I take back more of my time.
At the same time, there were plenty of moments when I was frustrated, disheartened, and anxious. There are scammers, unrealistic expectations, late payments, and thin months. As with any job, freelance writing has pros and cons, but for me, the pros outweigh the cons.
Now that I’ve experienced a wide range of experiences on my freelance writing journey, I can pass on some insider knowledge about what it’s really like for anyone looking to crack the industry. Don’t give up. You can achieve your goals as long as you stay productive.
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