What It Takes to Be a Successful Freelance Writer

To be a successful freelancer, you need more than just good writing skills.

I had two inspirations for this post. The first is the abysmal state of the current job market—literally hundreds of applicants for a single position. The second is something I think about a lot—how have I managed to stay in this game for so long? As I’ve said in other posts, freelancing has been the one constant in my professional life, even though it hasn’t always been my only job. Yet it’s something I’ve returned to time and time again.

That’s not to say it’s easy, though.

My best way to sum up freelance writing? “It’s the best gig in the world as far as flexibility, but like any job, it has its days.” Fortunately, the good days have far outweighed the bad.

It’s much harder than people realize. There are lean times for sure. There are editors and sources who never get back to you. It might sound like the answer to a fruitless job search—and it’s pretty darn sweet—but it’s not for everyone.

I started thinking and I made a list of just what it takes to be a successful freelance writer.

A few items of note:

·        It’s a job. You have to meet certain deadlines and expectations. If you’re not a self-starter or have delusions of waiting for the muse to strike before you start typing, this might not be for you.

·        Like most things that are worth the wait, financial success does not happen overnight. It’s a long game. In my experience, you won’t find it through bidding sites like Fiverr or Thumbtack. I’ve gotten work by reaching out to real people.

·        It’s not wise to put all of your energy into a single client or market. They could disappear overnight, and where will you be then?

·        If you do it right—and I’m not saying my way is the only way—you won’t have to go back to a 9-5 or 8-4.

·        Of course, it helps if you’re a good writer, but finding long-term success in this field takes so much more.

To find long-term success as a freelancer, you need:

·        Persistence. Pitching story ideas and crafting LOIs to editors. Finding the ideal source. Waiting on responses. Going after the next project. There’s a lot of waiting in the freelance writing world, but patience only gets you so far. Never be afraid to follow up. There’s a fine line between “following up” and “bothering”—be very careful not to cross that line! Over the years, I’ve taken a “1 week, 3-strike” approach. I wait a week between follow up emails and will contact an editor or source three times before moving on. Any more than that and I run the risk of being a pest, and we don’t want that.

·        Good organizational skills. For years, my tracking method consisted of printing out emails with the assignment specs. File the story, hand in the photos, send in invoice, move on to the next project. Over the years, I’ve expanded my tracking to include an assignment spreadsheet. There are just too many projects, with too many details and sources to track. I still print out the email and jot down notes, but it’s nice to have all the assignment details in one place.

·        Good time management skills. I always start contacting sources the day I get the assignment. People are just too hard to reach these days. If you struggle with time management, after a few close calls and requests to extend the deadline, you’ll develop your own system. You’ll have to.

·        Willingness to talk to people. I’m an introvert, but I have to put that aside to do interviews. Preparing questions in advance helps the interview stay on track. I try to keep a polite, professional demeanor, recap the focus of the piece and publication, and just dive in.

·        Willingness to put in the work. If you like to research, this is a great gig. I love finding interesting people to speak with, topics to write about, and new-to-me publications I haven’t discovered. Typing at the keyboard is my happy place.

·        Accountability. Fact check everything—names, titles, locations, product names. Mistakes can occur with even the most thorough check. Stand by your work, own your mistake, and do your very best to ensure it doesn’t happen again. It’s like any job—you will be measured by your performance. Submitting pieces that are riddled with inaccuracies, spelling errors, or are regularly turned in late is not acceptable. There are plenty of other writers out there—make sure you’re the one an editor knows they can depend on!

What do you need for long-term success as a freelance writer?