5 reasons it feels like you’re doing freelance writing wrong and how to make it easier

As a new freelance writer, you’re not broken. 

There’s so much you don’t know.

You get stuck wondering if what you’re doing is right, wrong, or if there’s a better way that you can’t see.  

Let me start by saying this:

You’re not broken.  This IS normal.

In this post, I’m going to reveal what I wish I had known in the very beginning. 

You’ll discover how to make it easier, less stressful, and what to do when you feel like hiding under your pillow because you’re so overwhelmed. 

If you liked this post, you might also like:

• Best Freelance Writer Course for Beginners? Write Your Way to 1K by Elna Cain Course Review (Should You Buy It?)
• 9 Stand Out Services You Can Offer Your Freelance Writing Clients (That Actually Sell)
• Want More Freelance Writing Clients? Here’s How to Do What Your Competition Won’t

*This post has affiliate links which means if you click a link and buy through my link, I will get a commission.  I only promote products and courses I know are high quality or I’ve paid my own money for and had results.  Everything I promote has been vetted thoroughly by me.

1. You’re wading through the barrier to entry 

What you may not realize is what you’re feeling right now IS the barrier to entry. 

Fear.

Loneliness.

Feeling like your family doesn’t even understand what you do for a living.

Wondering if it’s worth pursuing.

Thinking there’s a better way and you just can’t see. 

The strangeness of freelancing and how it’s so different from having a job. 

^^Each of these has stopped someone from persevering by themselves.  Together, they can be paralyzing.  

The extreme discomfort with how your life is changing IS the barrier to entering the freelance writing or copywriting world. 

This anxiety makes new copywriters bail and return to a 9-5 job. 

The kind of uncertainty almost sunk my career.  

I tried to give up and interviewed for a handful of jobs.  I told all my freelance copywriter friends I was ready to bail.  Some even tried to help by sending me work. I panicked and declined.  

What you’re feeling is 100% normal.  

>>> How you deal with this uncertainty will decide whether you’re successful or you backtrack. 

If you decide freelance writing isn’t for you, there’s no shame in that decision.  But make sure it’s not ONLY because of the discomfort.  The personal and professional rewards can’t compare to the 9-5 once you get the hang of it. 

The only way past this feeling is through it.  

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 2. You have no boss

You’re no longer accountable to a manager or boss.  

You ARE the boss. 

Suddenly, you are only accountable to yourself and your clients. 

Changing your mindset doesn’t happen overnight.  It can be tough for a lot of new freelancers.  

Not having a boss to tell you what to do can leave you flailing to know what to work on, what the goal is, and what your compass should be. 

You may even take a course [like the one I took – Write Your Way to Your First 1K by Elna Cain] and feel like it will solve all your problems.  

Courses help a lot, but you’re still in charge of your career.  

The good news is… 

YOU get to decide what you want to do.  The direction of your business is up to you. 

You can do work you love, write about what you’re interested in, and pivot whenever you want. 

No one is putting you in a box or giving you a list of tasks. 

The curse is that no one is telling you what to do.  You don’t have a clear path ahead.  

You’re laying the bricks on your yellow brick road one stone at a time.  

It’s hard to know what it will look like in the end. 

For me, having too many options can be paralyzing but also exhilarating.  

3. What works for womeone else might not work for you

Everyone works differently. 

Some copywriting gurus SWEAR by only doing project-based work.  

When I started, I wanted a consistent income. Consistency was my ONLY goal.

I chose work strategically because it produced monthly recurring jobs like blog post writing and email marketing.  

Eventually, I started doing project-based work once I was comfortable. 

When you first start, you find courses like the one I took (click here for the best system for brand new freelance writers) to help you figure out how to get started.  

But don’t forget YOU still get to decide.  

Pitching is the FASTEST way to new clients.  But I found pitching to be stressful. I had many responses, but I found it tedious and stressful, and I didn’t enjoy the process.  

I decided it made sense to switch my strategy to networking. So I started networking with everyone who’d have me.  Making new contacts is a traditional, old-fashioned way of building a business.  

Is it the fastest or BEST way to do it? Absolutely not.  

But it worked for ME. 

I still don’t have a solid social media presence or even a website reflecting my conversion copywriting skills as of the date of writing this post.  

Even though I make a high income (in my opinion), I STILL feel like I’m doing it all wrong most days.  

It’s okay to do it your way. 

4. It feels like you’re doing it wrong

When you’re new at any business, it feels like everything you do is wrong.  

Each time you read something and start executing, you feel a bit off.  Like everything needs to be perfect, and you’re the only one who can’t see what “perfect” means.

But here’s the secret you typically don’t learn until you’re YEARS into your business.  

>>> The people who take consistent action get MORE results than those who take perfect, or even 80% perfect action.  

EVEN if they’re not the best at what they do.  This concept isn’t just in freelance writing, but every profession on the planet.  

The salesperson who knocks on the most doors will get the most answers instead of the salesperson who waits to form the perfect pitch.

Imagine you have two equally good fiction writers. One writes and publishes a lot of books, and the other waits for their book to be perfect… Who do you think ends up with more best sellers?

I’ll say it again because it’s SO important.  

>> Those who take action get significantly further than those who overthink. 

I can say this confidently because I’m a chronic overthinker. 

A great example is Elna Cain (the creator of Write Your Way to Your First 1K course, Ready, Set, Blog for Traffic, and Writer Website in a Weekend).

Elna is a great writer (there’s no argument there).  

But her ability to execute sets her apart from other equally high-quality writers.  

Even when she wasn’t confident in her writing at the beginning, she pitched, started a blog, and took massive action. 

Today she guest blogs regularly, publishes on several of her personal blogs, puts out video content, emails her list, posts on social media, and nurtures her Facebook group. 

She didn’t start by being a highly sought-after writer. Instead, she created the habits early on that led to her success.  She even mentioned she started making her course almost immediately when she began her career.  

Today, I’m always shocked at how much she can accomplish every week.  

The takeaway here is to take imperfect action. Lots of it! 

5. Everyone was different circumstances and timelines

When I set out on my freelance writing journey, my husband was supportive, and we were in a financial situation where I could leave work to pursue my dream (cautiously and with careful planning).

You might be thinking, “Well, I’m not financially comfortable, so this is harder for me.”  

You’d be right.  

But because of that, I think you’ll have more success at a faster pace than the average person. 

I decided to pretend like all my bills hadn’t changed so I had a financial stressor to motivate me.  This strategy helped me feel the pain of not having money and forced me to work harder. 

My theory is if you feel the pain of financial discomfort, you’ll work harder to reach your goal.  I’m not telling you to quit your job (that is an incredibly personal decision and every person has to decide their comfort level).  I’m only saying people with higher stakes tend to work harder towards the goal. 

You might have kids, illness in the family, not be a native English-speaking writer, or have other circumstances that make it your goal a little (or a lot) harder to achieve than others.  

Go at your own pace.

Try not to compare yourself to others and focus on execution over perfection.  

Your success will look different than every other writer, and that’s 100% okay.  

5 rarely mentioned reasons it feels like you’re doing freelance writing wrong & how to make it easier

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