Are You Making These Common Freelance Writer Mistakes?

With every passing day, the freelance writing industry is becoming fiercely competitive.

From experienced writers to those just stepping into the industry, there are many takers of freelance writing opportunities.

If you would like to do some good body of work and become successful in this industry, you must avoid making any mistakes that can jeopardize your chances of achieving success in your freelancing career.

Mistakes Every Freelance Writer Must Avoid

Being your own boss, working from home and having flexible work hours are just some of the perks that come easy when you freelance. However, freelancing also means you’re the one responsible for your success.

Here are some things you should avoid like the plague if you would like to gain success in the competitive world of freelance content writing –

Being Unprofessional

Professionalism is the first thing that clients look for when hiring freelance writing contractors.

The way you communicate through email, phone or face to face meetings speaks volumes about how professional you are and whether or not people should hire you.

Add to this your dependability as a writing vendor. If you are too busy or preoccupied with current work, do not take on new projects as you will end up compromising your deliverability.

Missing Submission Dates and Deadlines

Another mistake a freelance writer must avoid is to miss deadlines. Punctuality and self-discipline are pre-requisites for a successful freelance career.

Before accepting a freelance writing project, consider how much time you will need to deliver the finished content and mention it to the client. Once you do commit, make sure to keep your word. Missing delivery time frames and deadlines is a complete NO-NO.

Remember, not delivering content within the promised timeframe can very well spell the end of your writing career with that client.

Not Having Well Defined Terms of Service

Your professionalism is evident from whether or not you have well-defined terms of service and policies.

When you communicate with your clients and submit your proposal, you must clearly mention your policies regarding delivery time, costs and advance payment, revisions, alterations, and rework, etc.

If you do not have well-defined terms and conditions, you are susceptible to being cheated and duped. Add to this the risk of not being taken seriously by your clients.

Accepting Work You Know You Can’t Deliver

Particularly in the case of new entrants, writers tend to take on projects that they know they won’t be able to do justice to.

For, e.g., being a creative writer, if you take on a technical writing job, fit for a technical writer, you will end up displeasing the client and wasting precious work time.

Avoid unhappy customers. Understand your capabilities and stick to your forte.

Deliver Sub Standard Documents

Last but not least; writers should deliver nothing but their very best work for each and every client.

Every finished document should be of the highest quality in terms of relevance and readability.

Never take work for granted. Give it the respect and dedication it deserves, and you are sure to get repeat clients.

In a nutshell, here’s what to avoid if you wish to flourish in the role of a freelance writer –

• Deliver a document without proofreading it.
• Submit work that contains spelling errors and grammatical mistakes.
• Write content without research.
• Copy content from other sources.
• Write content lacking structure and flow.
• Not including titles, headlines, and apt keywords, especially when writing search engine optimized content.

It is easy to make mistakes when you are just beginning your writing career.

However, as you progress further, it is crucial to learn from your mistakes and ensure that you everything possible to support your dreams of freelancing success.

ALSO READ: 10 Questions Freelance Writers Must Ask Before Beginning a Writing Task

Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash

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