The Big Myths About Freelance Writing That Are Stealing Your Success

When you very first discover the opportunity of freelance writing, it can seem like the dream career that you’ve been waiting for.

Working from home in your pants, with no boss to answer to?

Getting to do something that you love, and get paid for it?

Choosing your own hours and exactly who you want to work for, and what you want to write about?

You’re in, because that sure as hell sounds more tempting than the 9-5.

But then, of course, the reality of things starts to hit home.

Maybe you mention it to a friend and they’re not convinced that it’s such a good idea, or you read a story from someone who had a bad experience, or you do what us humans are really good at, and you start to think about all the things that could go wrong, and all the reasons why this might not work out after all.

You start believing the big myths about freelance writing, and you convince yourself that you can’t do it.

I’m here to tell you that you absolutely can, and show you why some of the common beliefs about freelancing just aren’t true.

Let’s get down to busting those myths and tackling the misconceptions that are stopping you from succeeding…

YOU NEED WRITING QUALIFICATIONS

There are certain professions in which you can’t get away without having the relevant qualification. Like medicine, or dentistry. But freelance writing definitely isn’t one of them.

I’ve got absolutely zero professional writing qualifications – I mean, aside from a GCSE in English, and to be honest, I don’t really think that counts.

Here’s the thing though… I have literally NEVER been asked about my formal qualifications by a potential client.

They couldn’t give a monkeys about whether you’ve got a special piece of paper from some random institution that deemed you worthy enough to write. They just want to know that you can deliver what they need.

The only real edge that a qualification is going to give you, at least 99% of the time, is that it might make YOU feel like you’re good enough to get paid. But in my book, that’s definitely not a good enough reason to spend thousand of pounds on a formal qualification, that ultimately isn’t going to be directly correlated to your earning potential.

If you love writing and you’re serious about getting better at it, then that’s really the only qualification you need.

YOU NEED TONS OF EXPERIENCE

I’ve spoken to some blog readers who’ve assumed that I was a content writer as an employee, then decided to go it alone. That’s not the case.

When I first started pitching freelance writing jobs, I had literally zero paid experience.

Your potential clients will want to see examples of your work, but that doesn’t have to be a big issue. It’s very possible to create an awesome freelance writing portfolio that’ll grab the attention of the best clients, even if you’ve never been paid to write.

YOU CAN’T CREATE A SUSTAINABLE, FULL-TIME INCOME

Let’s have a look at the facts here… According to research by Upwork, 79% of freelancers earned more freelancing within their first year, compared to their previous traditional jobs.

Yep, the vast majority of people replaced their old income – and in fact increased it – within 12 months of quitting the 9-5.

In addition, over half of respondents expected their income to rise in the next year.

These figures speak for themselves… Freelancers have amazing earning potential.

This doesn’t have to be about just earning a few extra quid here and there.

As a freelancer, your hourly rate can be MUCH higher than what you could expect to be paid doing similar work on an employed basis. In reality, this might mean that you decide to work LESS hours, but get paid the same amount.

The real point is that you get much more choice when it comes to your income. You ultimately decide what you earn, and that’s the best possible position to be in.

THERE’S JUST TOO MUCH COMPETITION OUT THERE

Listen, I’m not denying that the barriers to entry when it comes to freelance writing are very low. Pretty much anyone can follow my 5-step guide to getting your first freelance writing client, and be on their way.

But there’s just so much potential out there, and there’s more than enough quality work. Nearly half of freelancers saw increased demand for their services in the past year, and it’s clear that businesses are keen to reap the benefits of a flexible talent pool.

Even when the hourly rate is higher, it’s cheaper for them to attract and retain freelancers than regular employees, and there’s no need to provide equipment or working space.

The freelancing boom is not just a passing trend, and more companies are realising that they want a piece of this pie. 69% of freelancers say that technology has made it easier for them to find work, and that, really, is the way to look at this.

The internet has totally revolutionised how we work and the opportunities that we have access to. At the risk of sounding a bit cringe, I’m over seven years into this game, and that STILL excites me, literally every day. 

YOU NEED TO BE AN AMAZING CREATIVE WRITER

I’ll let you into a secret… These days, I never start a piece of freelance writing completely from scratch.

There’s no staring at a blank page, or some crazy routine that lets me tap into my creativity or pluck amazing ideas out of thin air.

I’ve got templates and swipe files for pretty much everything that I do, from landing pages to sales pages, to Facebook Ad copy, and everything in between. I just fill in the blanks.

The end result always looks different, but my point is that there’s a formula to follow when you’re writing good copy. It makes my life easier, and it also makes sure that my clients get outstanding results.

Of course, it took hard work to get to this stage. It took study, and practice, and lots of testing and learning.

But writing compelling content that converts really has very little to do with creativity. It’s about understanding human behaviour, and using proven formulas that have always worked, and always will. 

You don’t need to be born with natural writing ability. You just have to be willing to learn what works.

AND THE BIGGIE… YOU CAN’T DO THIS

Okay, so I’m going to make a bold claim and suggest that if any of the above things are running through your mind, and you’re using them as a way to justify why you can’t succeed as a freelance writer, then there’s something a little deeper going on here.

What’s really happening is that you’re looking for excuses to justify why YOU can’t build a profitable career from freelance writing.

You can let this kind of nonsense stop you in your tracks, and prevent you from ever even getting started. Or you can recognise it for what it is, acknowledge that it’s totally normal to feel that way, but decide that your goals and dreams are more important, and take action anyway.

I can’t promise you that it’ll be all plain sailing. It won’t be, there’ll be many challenges to conquer along the way, and you may well make some of the big freelance writing mistakes. But I can promise you that it can be worth it.

Have you been letting these myths about freelance writing stop you from succeeding? If so, what can you do today to get back on the right track?

I’m taking part in the Monday Money linky with Lynn from Mrs Mummy Penny, Faith from Much More With Less and Emma from EmmaDrew.Info

 

 

SaveSave