Tips on Becoming a Successful Freelance Writer

Determination, Dedication and Desire. Those are "The Three D's" to my successful freelance writing career. Granted, a freelance writer must also have a certain amount of ability to write effective communication pieces, but so many talented writers fall to the wayside because they lack one of the key components listed above.

It sounds easy, doesn't it? Believe me, there are going to be times when you want to throw in the towel and get a "regular" job. I have been there many times. So what keeps me going? Let's talk about the Three D's and how they guide me through the uncertainty of freelancing.

Determination

I have met many writers, artists, photographers and the like that start their dreams of working for themselves and when the going got tough, they threw in the towel. Part of the sweetness of succeeding is experiencing those difficult times and pushing your character to stick with it at any cost.

This means when job leads are dried up, savings are dwindling, rather than surf Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com, YOU must use your creativity to market yourself in a different and unique way. I'm talking about calling up a writer friend and discussing ways to jumpstart your client base. Good friends will offer suggestions. Do the same for them. Two heads or more is better than one, and sharing information and knowledge is a good thing. I subcontract for a lady who owns a writing business and we always pick each other's brains on how to get better leads, where to look for them, contests to enter, new blog sites and techniques etc. And, if one of us is getting close to pitching that towel, the other gives a pep talk. There is plenty of business for everyone to have a cut of the pie. Not to mention, it's the right thing to do. Remember, DON"T QUIT NO MATTER WHAT! DETERMINATION!

DEDICATION

The second component is dedication. It takes constant attention to your business in every way to succeed. You can't market yourself one day and then slack off and do nothing for 3 days. You must be dedicated in your approach by being organized in your tasks. For example, attend to email for 1-2 hours a day. That sounds like alot, doesn't it? Take it from me, email can build up! Then set aside time to market your services, look for leads and so on. Finally, set aside to work on client projects. Then there are the admin duties such as bookkeeping and tracking of clients and so forth. DEDICATION IS REQUIRED in order to succeed.

DESIRE

This is the final prong of requirements. Nothing is more apparent than a writer who doesn't have the fire in his or her belly to succeed or write that great novel. Make sure you are writing what YOU like to write. For example, you want to write novels for a living? Market yourself as a ghostwriter of novels. Do you enjoy reading and writing about business related topics? Search for corporate clients they are always looking for good freelancers to write newsletters, policy and procedure manuals, white papers and the like. Creativity is KEY. Do some soul searching about what it is that drives you and then make a plan to accomplish your goals.

So there you have it, freelance writing takes ability but it also takes the Three D's. By keeping focused on each of these qualities, you will be able to achieve success!

Good Luck!