Sticky Freelance Writing

I’ve been freelance writing for a little over two years now. When I first started, I’m not certain that I had any particular intention or goal of being a freelance writer, at least not in the sense that I’ve come to know the term. Good, bad or indifferent, being a freelance writer is not what I thought it would be in a lot of ways.

My first freelancing was with a website called Textbroker. I still highly recommend them. It is a great way to dip your toes into the freelance writing pool. The articles I wrote ended up leading to places I never would have imagined. The pay was miniscule, but the contacts and connections were gargantuan.

I don’t suppose that my path to freelancing was normal, but then I think that maybe there is no “normal” path. There are a lot of folks who write about setting goals, lining up clients, writing a business plan and basically having all of your ducks in a tidy row prior to hanging your shingle. Who am I to argue with such sound advice? Did I follow it? Umm, not really. I suck at setting goals, I had no clients and my business savvy was all in memory banks from a previous (successful) business.

Given all of that, I’m pretty comfortable where I’m at as a freelance writer. The point of this post is that you could be too.

This is what I believe to be the key:

Sticking with it.

It really is that simple. I’ve seen so many fellow writers come and go in the past two years. I’m not a veteran by any means. Just a mere babe in the woods is I. But I’m here because I’ve stuck with it. I’ve had times where I’ve thrust one fingered salutes at the computer screen, and sleepless nights wondering if another job was ever going to come in so I could pay the rent. I’ve been on top of the world with anticipation triggered by a potential client query. Ouch. It’s a long way down when you fall from the top of the world.

The point is, I kept getting up. Always and inevitably, writing jobs come through. What I’ve learned is to have the faith that they will come through. I’ve learned to be sticky. Yes two years is nothing considering the decades of sticky some folks have. I’m okay with that because I know that if I continue doing what I have been doing, the work will always be there.

So, fledgling freelancers take heed: You can do this. You can be long term. It may not always be easy, but what kind of worthwhile work always is? Find your own way and stick to it. Change it up as you feel the need, but stick to it. The really great news is that the longer you stick with it, the better you get at the game. As you get better you get more clients. The snowball effect comes into play and before you know it, you’re having to hire other freelancers to help you with your workload.

Any of you long term freelance writers care to add anything?