Learn from My Mistakes

As a new writer, you get to indulge in the idiosyncrasies of being green. I, for example, learned not once but twice, the reasons why you MUST get a contract before you send off your manuscript. I also learned that while I want to make a living writing, I also don’t want to take any and every job that comes my way.

So here it is, a bunch of tools to get you writing successfully by doing the opposite from what I did. Keep reading if you want to avoid hitting your head over and over on your desk from low or nonpaying clients.

1. Showing my heart on my sleeve. When I first started out, I was uncertain about a lot of things. Could do it? Was I good enough? Would anyone ever hire me? I let these insecurities get to me. It dictated the jobs I got, the people I interacted with and the way I conducted my business. Instead of selling my writing as a professional, I was basically groveling at potential client’s feet. Not the way you want to act if you want to get good clients or be respected.
2. Saying yes to everything. Maybe it worked for Jim Carrey’s character in, “The Yes Man,” but it didn’t work for me as a new freelance writer. Out of fear that I wouldn’t get enough jobs, I took everyone that came my way. Here’s what happened. I got paid very little or not at all. I wasted a lot of time and money by not being discriminating.
3. Not having a contract. Ugh! I know it’s stupid. Don’t be a dummy like me. I plead naivete for not having a contract at the beginning. Contracts were foreign to me. But several scams later and I’ve learned. Believe me! When a client says, “I don’t feel comfortable with contract,” I’m going to run the other way.
4. Ignoring my instincts. From the very beginning, I had a weird stomach turning feeling with an editor. I don’t know what it was. She was nice to me so I ignored it. In retrospect, I wished I listened to my gut feeling. She ended up not only being mean, but ended up refusing to pay me for several articles I wrote for her.
5. Not asking enough questions. This goes back to #2. When I took all the jobs that came my way, I didn’t bother to ask more questions. Questions like, “How much will you pay me?” “Will you pay me to write this sample article or test-drive your website?” It’s frustrating to think back to all the times I essentially did things for free, just because I was afraid to ask.

Admitting to my ignorance isn’t an easy thing. Looking back, I really don’t know what I was thinking or doing. But I’ve learned a ton in the process. Don’t do what I did. Every new writer makes mistakes. I hope this post will prevent a lot of you from making the same head banging ones I did!