Are you an angry and frustrated freelance writer?
Do you recognize yourself in these signs?
As a freelance writer, it’s very easy to get discouraged. Discouragement can lead to anger and frustration, which can stall your career, without you realizing it. The following are signs to look for and specific things you can do to get back on track.
1. Spend negative energy: Most freelancers surf the net looking for tasks. As you read one job ad after another that pays little or nothing, you get overwhelmed.
“Don’t they realize that I am a professional, I have a family to feed, my skills are worth more than that?” Then what do you do?
You start leaving nasty comments and before you know it, you’ve spent two hours doing this. After logging off in disgust, you decide to take some time off because you’re so angry you can’t even concentrate.
Look how much this cost you? Precious marketing time; not to mention the focus.
Solution: Accept that there will always be jobs that don’t pay enough. This is freelance writing after all. And while we should all earn a decent wage, there should also be world peace, enough food to feed the hungry, and free medicine for those who can’t afford it.
Not to take the situation lightly, but focusing on what you can’t change won’t help. By NOT accepting low-paying assignments, you are sending a very powerful message. So go ahead: if a job doesn’t pay what you want, spend your time looking for ones that do, don’t send nasty messages to job advertisers offering low-paying tasks.
After all, the reason they are probably looking for help is because they are where you want to be: a busy freelancer.
2. Output: As in, you haven’t been doing anything lately. Are you depressed by the lack of work; not motivated because he is bored with work; and/or frustrated by the type of work you are doing?
Whatever your reasoning, as a freelance writer you should always be producing, unless you’re on vacation.
Many freelancers make the mistake of not working when there is no client project on their desk. Just because you’re not working for a client doesn’t mean you’re not putting in 8, 9, or 10 hour days.
Solution: This is one of the reasons why I like article marketing: it forces me to write constantly, stay motivated and fresh. I can write about a new weight-loss drug one day, or a new type of mortgage the next, because as a freelance writer, my job is to write.
To this end, I keep accumulating my portfolio with various samples; I’m always working on a new eBook or planning a new eCourse.
Getting up and “going to work” every day is what I do, whether it’s a client project or a “Yuwanda project”, producing what I owe and producing what I do.
3. Organization: For example, your work is hampered by your lack of organization, not just in the thoughts and tools you need to work with, but also in organizing for the future of your business. Are you wondering, “Where will this independent thing take me? Will I ever earn enough to survive on this alone?”
Solution: If you find yourself thinking this way, then maybe it’s time you made a real plan for your future beyond just getting the client’s next project done.
Like any business, if you want to make freelance writing your full-time job, then you need to plan for it, such as creating a comprehensive business plan. Target a niche, create an advertising budget, and come up with a marketing plan.
In conclusion, frustration is the ever-present enemy of everyone who has a desire, but encounters obstacles. Embracing the obstacles and creating a plan to launch them is the key; don’t spend negative energy ranting against them.