Looking to overcome the challenges of remote work? Obtain a sustainable and successful writing career by avoiding these 4 deadly sins of freelance writing.

Once you have decided to become a freelance writer, you will more than likely imagine having a flexible schedule and hours of projects based around your writing talent. Freelancing can indeed be a reality; however, it is essential to understand the challenges that present themselves along with your new freelance writing career.

Here are four deadly sins of writing in a freelance environment.

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You need to be self-motivated as a freelance writer and seize every opportunity that compliments your skill set. To ensure your projects are completed timeously, you will need to have the diligence to stick to the workload and timeframe agreed with your client.

Skillbox has an intelligent system in place; once you agree to a deadline and commence the project, a countdown will begin, keeping everybody (the client included) in the loop. This keeps your client well informed and allows you to communicate utilising the project page for ongoing project updates easily.

Once you have delivered the project on time, the client can comment on and rate your service - resulting in a credible representation of their dealings with you.

Be aware that your client should not have to chase you once you agree on a timeline. It’s on your shoulders to monitor your progression and to make the project a complete success.

Are you looking to make a good living through freelance writing? Make sure to limit the number of breaks you take, staying focused on the task at hand to deliver excellent quality work.

Are you only writing one or two hours a day? Perhaps re-think this strategy and increase your writing hours as you don't want to be wasting valuable writing time.

 

Refrain from constantly working as it can be just as bad, if not worse, than not working enough. Inevitably, you can burn yourself out by working too much, which may result in you not enjoying it. If you are working too much, you might not be working smart enough.

Rather than overworking, which will result in work-life imbalance, look at the market.

Regardless of how much you enjoy writing, you do not want to be working for £20 per 500 words where the going rate is £30. Focus on being well rounded and allow yourself to present information in a variety of different ways. It gives you more to write about and will enable you to showcase your experience.

Distractions are abundant these days. It's quite easy to give in to distractions as a freelancer as you'll probably be working from home. This is counterproductive. So, ensure you turn off the TV while working. We even recommend blocking certain social media platforms from your computer and phone.

Even though multitasking can be done, you will not be fully focused on the project at large. Therefore, anything that takes you away from your work is a distraction.

It also helps to put your phone's notification settings on silent and only check it every 2 hours. Being distracted easily will result in stagnating your career progression.

As a freelance writer, networking is vital for a multitude of reasons. You may face periods of isolation that could affect your work. You can network online by joining a forum or by professionally utilising social media, finding people that are in the same line of work.

Meeting face to face is another positive way to network. Perhaps you could meet other local freelance writers at a coffee shop and write together.

Another benefit of meeting with other freelance writers is that you get to discuss freelance work-related issues. Furthermore, it may even open you up to new clients in different industries which you could write for.

Networking is also a great way to get feedback on your work and allows you to gain and give insight - a great way to learn and develop.

Setting up being active on them also has its benefits. It's a fantastic way to engage with fellow industry experts.

Try not to be concerned about the number of followers you have initially as this will grow over time if you engage in meaningful conversations. Achieve this by sharing content that like-minded freelancers will appreciate.

Freelance writing requires you to have focus and self-discipline. You can make it a success if you avoid these four deadly freelance writing sins. Why not get started with your freelance writing career by simply joining Skillbox for free.