What it Takes to be a Freelance Writer

There’s a lot of stuff to love about being a freelance writer. Some folks find this calling and snuggle right in to their new found profession and they do it with few problems – it’s a perfect fit. Most of us have to tweak a little bit in order to make things work. If you’re thinking of making a career out of freelance writing, then here are some traits that can make the difference between a freelance struggler and a freelance superstar!

A Freelance Writer Needs To Be:

• Flexible – There are going to be a lot of times that you think a project will go a certain way and all of a sudden you’re making lots of left turns all over the place. You have to zig when sometimes you were certain a zag was in the equation.
• Diverse – You need to be able to take on a wide range of writing assignments. Limiting yourself limits your income. One of the best (and most fun) assignments I ever did was naming and writing product descriptions for a line of all natural lip glosses marketed towards teenage girls. I use artificial lip gloss, with plenty of preservatives. 
• Thick – No, not in the head – in the skin. Sometimes a client is going to eat your writing and spit it back at you.  You need to be prepared for this eventuality and not let your undergarments become tangled. It happens.  Work to find the root cause of the issue and give the client what they want.
• Driven – This is hard work. Very hard. You are going to be paid by clients who are counting on your work.  Taking a few days off just because you feel like it is an option only on rare occasions.
• A good writer – Not an exceptional one necessarily. And certainly not a perfect one. But you had better be able to write in a way that will make people want to read what you have written. As well, don’t lay awake at night worrying about perfect grammar. Do your best and understand that the more practice you get, the more your grammar will fall in line.
• Business savvy – Freelance writing is a business and you better understand at least the rudiments for owning and operating a business. There are licenses, taxes and government forms. There are marketing plans and bank accounts that need tended. Ignore this part of freelance writing and your business could sink, or worse.
• People friendly – If you decided to get into freelance writing so you wouldn’t have to deal with people, then you’ve made a mistake. This is all about people. You will have to deal with all types of personalities regarding a wide variety of issues. You need to be able to put on a friendly face and make things happen. Of course you do get the option of throwing foam bricks at the monitor and waving an extended digit at the computer, but when you tap the keys, you better be nice as pie.

These are a foundation for your success. There are other helpful traits as well. What are your thoughts? Are there any other indispensable traits worth mentioning?

Posted by: George  (There is some snarkiness in the post, I didn’t want folks giving credit to Marky-poo on this one)