Self-Confidence and Freelance Writing

Who has confidence in himself will gain the confidence of others.
-Leib Lazarow

Do you have confidence in yourself as a writer? I’ll admit that sometimes I struggle with feelings of inadequacy at times. I don’t yet have a ton of experience or clips, but I know people who have been freelance writing for years.

Most of the time this doesn’t bother me, but sometimes I lose my confidence and start feeling like an impostor. And then the voice in my head tries to derail me- “I don’t have as much experience as everyone else…What if I can’t meet a deadline?…I shouldn’t apply for this job; what do I have to offer them?” The voice has tons of ammunition to make me feel inadequate.

But one freelance writing secret that I have learned is that you must have faith and confidence in yourself and your writing skills. Because nobody else is going to promote you and your services. YOU have to do it. And without confidence in yourself, it’s hard to effectively promote yourself.

I’ve seen many writers lately who lack the confidence to charge the kinds of fees they are really worth. They accept low-paying jobs because they feel that’s the best they can do. This makes me sad. And honestly? Sometimes that writer is me. I don’t always have the confidence to apply for the higher-paying writing gigs, and that’s something I want to change in 2008.

So what do you do about the feelings of inadequacy, especially if you’re like me and are just starting out? I think the most important thing is to realize that EVERYONE lacks confidence at times. When you realize that you’re not alone in feeling this way, it’s much easier to push those feelings aside. Here are some of my techniques for overcoming my fears:

• Push through fear. A venture like starting your own freelance writing business will put you outside your comfort zone. It’s okay to feel scared, but as Susan Jeffers would say: Feel the fear and do it anyway! Don’t let feelings of fear or inadequacy hold you back.

• Create a blog. If you don’t yet have a blog, start one! Choose a niche you enjoy writing about and start your own blog. This has several benefits – it gives you writing samples you can use, you get regular practice writing, it gets your name out there, and it builds your confidence.

• Remember that you and your writing style are unique. No one else can write exactly the way you write, so you definitely have something special to offer potential clients.

• Keep trying. Rejection is a normal part of a freelancer’s life (unfortunately!), so don’t take rejection personally and keep querying and applying.

• Know that you can do it. When you signed on as a freelance writer, you probably didn’t bargain for the feelings of self-doubt and fear. I didn’t. But every time I ignore those feelings and trust myself, something good happens. It may take time, but you will be successful if you believe in yourself.

These are some of the things I do when I start to doubt myself. As a writer, how do you cope with your own fears and self-doubts?

Setting goals for your business

“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” -Stephen A. Brennan

Do you have freelance writing goals for 2008? Goals can help you focus on what is important. If you know your priorities for your writing business, you can better decide how to use your time, and you’ll eventually see the results you’re aiming for.

Goals should be measurable, actionable, and achievable. Writing them down and reviewing them regularly is also important. If you haven’t yet chosen goals for yourself, now is the time to go for it!

My freelance writing business goals for this year:

Organize – I’m going to set work hours (and stick to them!), avoid procrastination, and get my personal life in order (laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc.) so that these things don’t interfere with working from home. Getting organized is easier said than done, but I’m planning to do it.

Market myself - I haven’t done much marketing yet (okay, none besides starting this blog), but in 2008, that will change. I plan to:

• Build a business website and move this blog to my own domain
• Create business cards and other promotional materials so I can market locally
• Submit to article directories and network more with other writers and bloggers
• Advertise online

Educate myself - I’m going to research some of the writing classes out there and take a course in order to improve my writing skills.

Double my income – I started my writing business in October of 2007, so my income has a lot of room to grow! Some of the ways I plan to increase my writing income:

• Passive income – I plan to look into ebooks and PLR for starters.
• Find new clients – As I said, I plan to market myself locally as well as focus on applying for quality writing jobs online.
• Submit to print media – I’m sure the print market isn’t easy to break into, but these writing gigs can pay very well.