5 Signs You Won’t Make it as Freelance Writer

Out of every 10 people I tell I’m a freelance writer at least 4 of them ask me how they can get started freelance writing. Could 40% of people really be cut out for freelance writing? Somehow I doubt it, but who am I to judge. Don’t think that because your 8th grade English teacher loved your book report on To Kill a Mockingbird that you’re cut out for freelance writing. Here are 5 signs you won’t make it as a freelance writer.

You can’t write well. When people ask me how they can become a freelance writer, I always ask, “Can you write?” The answers always “yes” and I come back with a “Can you write well though?” Not many people realize it, but there’s a difference. Writing well is more than putting a few sentences together in a coherent order. It’s about using words to engage the reader and many times to get them to take an action - buy the next issue of the magazine or purchase the advertiser’s products.

You don’t read. I never feel more inspired to write than after I’ve read a good book. To me, reading is learning. It helps a writer hone his or her skills. You can’t write well if you don’t read. How would you know what to say and how to say it well?

You don’t know how to sell yourself. Writing is just part of the work of being a freelance writer. A big (humongous, even) part of it is convincing people to pay you to write for them. It is imperative that you have some sales and marketing skills if you want to make it as a freelance writer.

You’re not resourceful. Very few of the answers are laid out there for writers. You have to go digging for information. I mean, flipping over rocks and digging in the grass to deliver information that hasn’t been repeated ad nauseam. You also have to know how to create relationships with people, especially other freelance writers and media contacts, and leverage those relationships.

You’re not persistent. There was no way I could have made it on the money I made in my first few months of being a freelance writer. But, I didn’t let that stop me from pursuing a freelance writing career. Being self-employed period is tough and if it’s something you really want, you have to stick with it. If you’re the type to give up, a freelance writing career might not be for you.

Still thinking about being a freelance writer? Check out this list of freelance writing blogs that have a wealth of information to get you started. I’d also like to point to The Web Writer’s Guide to Launching a Successful Freelance Web Writing Career, a great guide to for every freelance writer who does business on the web.