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Hankering to expend your energy and creativity into freelance writing? Great idea! After All, it is an exciting time to be a freelance writer. With the internet becoming the new age marketplace and the new age billboard and everything in between, there is a prodigious surge in the demand for quality content. Likewise, there is also a surge in freelance writing jobs for writers. However, most freelance writers fail to keep up with the rigorous requirements of the industry and lose out on business. In this post, we shall talk about the Worst things freelance writers are doing to lose business.

You can’t ace every subject under the sun! So Quit Trying: If you are a freelance writer, it will help you to stick to a certain niche or a few. We live in exciting times. The internet is now omnipresent. It has become the new space for billboards, the new marketplace, the new workplace and everything in between. Every business, enterprise, person and product is not on the webspace. However, to demonstrate the merit of every business, enterprise, person and product, one needs engaging and elucidate content. Therefore, there is no dearth of niches on which you can write. You must choose the one most suitable for your interest and passion. It is good if you wish to expand your horizon and try writing something new. However, if you are starting, it may be advisable to stick to your forte. 

Don’t let your comfort zone become the silent killer for your writing ambitions: If you are on the lookout for freelance blog writing jobs it is always best to start with a niche that you have some experience with. However, if you want to prove your mettle, you have to experiment with a range of subjects and domains. Writing about the same subjects is boring and will not do any good for your business. Try to look for new subjects where you can apply your creativity. It is prudent to start with guest posts initially to get a taste of writing on a new niche. Over time, you can switch to writing more profound forms of writing.

Don’t Expect Repeat Freelance Blog Writing Jobs If You Have Missed a Deadline

Professionalism and punctuality can never be overrated. Since you are not an employee under the direct supervision of your clients, you must show motivation and passion in your assignments. Your client wants a self-starter who finds motivation from his or her work. Missing a single deadline can get you off their books forever. Deadlines are sacred and you must always make sure you treat them that way. So you have spent hours on arduous research and put together the most elucidate and engaging article? Yet, ignoring that one little instruction such as the word limit or the citation requirements can be fatal. Most clients are extremely particular about their requirements about keyword usage, word limit and tone of writing. You must get them right. It always helps to double-check the list of instructions to make sure that you are not missing out on anything important. More importantly, use the list of instructions as a checklist to evaluate your document.

Desperation: Desperation is never good for business. If you are on the lookout for interesting work and high-paying clients, you have to be patient. Invest in learning the nuances of content writing from an online teacher. Spend time assessing your drafts. Read scholarly articles to understand the ideal structuring of articles, eloquent use of literary devices as well as understanding the essential elements of content writing. Hone your skills so that you can write interesting and engaging articles. This will help you get clients that pay well and provide you with assignments constantly.

Bad Grammar: There is nothing that can hurt your freelance writing business like bad grammar. You may have ambitions to make it as a freelance writer, but you will never get a repeat assignment from any client if your grammar stinks.

You must understand that getting your grammar right is the most crucial prerequisite for writing any kind of content. It shall pay off to practice simple grammar exercises available on the internet to brush up your skills.

If You Don’t Already Have a CV That Speaks for You, Get One NOW

Having a CV is important even if you are a beginner. It must include a cover letter describing your passion for writing and why you would be an ideal freelance writer for the particular niche. The CV must also be accompanied by high-quality samples of your writing. It is important to invest time and effort in writing flawless and consummate drafts that you can send across as samples. You must proofread the samples before sending them out.

Don’t Get under your Client’s Skin: if you decide to bug your client over every little thing, there’s a fat chance your client will be exasperated with your service. Before you know it, you will be replaced with someone more resolute, firm and strong-minded. If you feel that the instructions with your assignments are not sufficient, you can email your client asking for specific instructions. However, in the lack of instruction, you also have greater freedom to write as per your imagination, inspiration and individuality. 

To Err is Human! No doubt! But making repeated mistakes will not help you create a name for yourself as a reliable freelance writer. It is important to take feedback seriously. A great way to ensure that your work does not have any silly mistakes is to remind yourself before you set out to write the document that you must avoid silly repetitive mistakes.

Find a way out of the creative-block-cave: Everyone indeed goes through the proverbial writer’s block or creative block once in a while. However, you need to find a way to snap out of it. Do whatever you think works for you. Go for a long walk to clear your mind. Stay away from writing for a bit or listen to some calming music but make sure you get your mojo back before it is too late. It is also common to lose interest, especially when you are ghostwriting, however, a freelance writer needs to find their motivation in creating meaningful and impressive drafts rather than getting accredited for their work.

Getting Defensive About Your Work

Don’t get defensive about your work. Read that again! Nothing good ever came out of defending your work in front of a client. Remember that your client is your paymaster and his needs and requirements must be met with all seriousness. If you feel that your client could elaborate better on certain requirements, it is always better to ask them before you start with a new assignment. however, never defend your work if you are told by a client that it is not up to his or her expectations. On the other hand, act smart and offer a quick solution. Tell them that you have a novel idea up your sleeve that can help in improving and enhancing the content.

Your Rates Are Too Low: if will never do you any good to undersell your work, even when you are looking out for entry-level writing jobs. The best way to calculate your rate is by considering the research required for the project, your experience in writing about the given niche and the timeline provided to you. Also, the problem with quoting too low is that you have to do more work to make a certain amount of money. This may leave you burnt out and exhausted, ultimately hampering your creativity.