Four Lessons I’ve Learned in My First Month as a Freelance Writer

As of October 15th, I will officially have been self-employed for one full month. Transitioning into a freelance writing career has been hard, and I’ve still got a ways to go, but I’ve learned a lot in a short time. Here are some of the lessons I’ve picked up through the trial-and-error of this first month.

1. Be patient.

No matter how many emails, applications, or pitches you send out, this is a waiting game. You won’t hear back from a lot of places for a while, and some you might never hear back from at all. Try not to get discouraged; this is normal, and every freelancer experiences this at some point or another. You’re not alone, and the right gig is out there. Keep looking.

2. Be consistent.

Always be on the lookout for new opportunities. If you’re searching for a full-time gig, subscribe to job alerts on sites like Indeed and Glassdoor. Until you find consistent work, send out applications, queries, and/or pitches to new places every day if you can. And most of all, present a quality image of yourself to potential clients and employers. If you want to be taken seriously for freelance work, you need to take the job search seriously, too.

3. Be realistic.

If you can write 5,000 words a day easily, then go for it! But if that’s too lofty a goal, be honest with yourself about it. Don’t apply for freelance jobs that you know you will be terrible at or are in a field you’re not familiar with; you’ll only waste your time. Be wary of jobs that pay very little (I see you, .01/word), because while they can be useful to get your foot in the door, the stress of generating lots of work for little pay—and the fact that many employers treat their freelancers badly—might not be worth it in the end. Don’t let your hopes for that one perfect job cloud your judgment and make you miss out on other opportunities. It’s easy to let your ambitions distract from the fact that you are human, and thus naturally imperfect. Watch your budget and remember that you need to eat! And if you need a break—because you will, from time to time, need a break—take it. Then get back to work.

4. Be persistent.

The freelancing game is like fishing. You cast out your line and then…you wait for a bite. In the meantime, keep pitching and applying. Keep generating content and building your portfolio. Think outside the box for ways to generate income through your writing, and take advantage of sites like tutor.com and eNotes when you’re in a tight spot. This is what you want to do, so don’t give up! Keep at it until you figure it out.

Fellow freelancers, what are some of the lessons you picked up on early in your career? Or if you’re just starting, like me, what have you learned so far? Feel free to drop your wisdom in the comments!