3 Ways to Advance in Your Career When You’re a Self-Employed Writer

There’s a fine balance to climbing up

Ghostwriter. SEO expert. Copywriter. Social media manager. Journalist. Self-published author. Published author. Content writer. Grant writer. Blogger.

The list could go on but you probably get a sense of where I’m getting; being a writer covers a large variety of fields. They’re all very different.

I’m a journalist by trade but I’ve dipped my feet into SEO writing (didn’t enjoy it), I worked as a social media manager a few years ago (not a fan), I self-published a children’s book series with a friend (loved it, although not very profitable). I’m also on this platform (love it, no complaints). I’ve held journalism close to heart throughout my career and I’m currently working freelance for a local newspaper (love, love, love it).

Aside from the fact that we’re all writing, we don’t necessarily have a lot in common. Except for this one thing: Many of us are self-employed.

Choosing what projects to accept and decline, essentially choosing everything revolving around your custom-made 9–5 which may be a 12–3 or 24/7 depending on who you are and what you do. This can be challenging. If you’re new to it, it may feel odd not to have people telling you what to do.

Also challenging is what comes after you’ve gotten into a good work rhythm.

This is the point when you’ve settled; you feel good about what you’re doing but you want to advance. This desire to advance often stems from financial goals, you simply want to increase your paycheck, or personal goals, you want to push yourself, get better at your craft rather than getting stuck.

I’ve been self-employed since 2020, and as much as I enjoy the flexibility of it, there’s also a fine balance to it all. Whenever I find myself in a situation where I want to advance, these three things have always kept me on track:

Taking risks despite fearing rejection

At the very start of 2022, I was asked to cover a new area, the largest in the county and also more high-profile than the other meetings I usually cover. I had only subbed in that area once before and didn’t know too much about it.

I ended up accepting the challenge, simply because I thought to myself it was better to take the risk and advance than go with the safer option.

I also had a job interview this past winter. A recruiter reached out and thought I would be a good fit for a position as a synopsis writer. I was a good fit, on paper. Although I wasn’t looking to change jobs, I figured interview experience is something I could use because I get incredibly nervous in those kinds of situations. Not only does my accent get 100 times worse than what it usually is, I also get stressed under pressure.

Also, I don’t enjoy being rejected. I hate it.

So this, I realized, is a way I can advance personally. I’d get to practice keeping that stress down, and also take the risk, live with the fact that I might be rejected.

Which I was.

I lasted three rounds but after the last interview, it was clear to both the person interviewing me and myself that my heart was not in it, even though the pay was more than great. I managed to bring up journalism three times during that last interview. This job had nothing to do with news.

Takeaway: That area I was nervous to cover has turned out to be the favorite place I go for work. The job interview helped me see clearer than anything that my heart is in that old-school newspaper ink.

Push, pull

Sometimes, to advance, slowing down is essential.

Have you ever taken a vacation to find that once you’re back at your work desk after a week off, you’re filled with inspiration and new ideas?

That’s the beauty of rest.

Creativity thrives when you get to observe and just be, rather than produce, produce, produce. An article in Creative + Business talks about the power of rest, citing a study from the University of York and the University of Florida. The study found that more than 40% of our creative ideas come during breaks and downtime when our minds are completely free to wander. The parts of your brain that drive creativity are most active when you don’t have to focus, and moments of creativity take place when the mind is at rest rather than working.

When you’re self-employed, having the flexibility to rest is priceless.

It’s also complex. I can’t count how many times I’ve felt lazy for taking a day off. Even though I’ve been productive and my body definitely needs that break, not just for the rest, but for the creative aspect of it as well.

Niharikaa Kaur Sodhi is a wonderful example, currently traveling the world. She’s extremely talented and also knows the importance of enjoying life and taking a break.

Takeaway: There’s a time to push yourself forward, and there’s a time to pull back and rest a little. You’re more creative when you listen to your body.

The fine balance of comparison

Be you, but also look at others. Easy to say, hard to live by?

As this article in Mind, Body and Soul highlights, comparisons are a normal part of human cognition and can be good for the self-improvement process.

Why? When we compare ourselves to others, we get information about what we want and where we want to be, and we get valuable feedback on how we measure up. That being said, there’s a fine balance to it, because comparison can also cause psychological pain.

During the first years of my career, I would constantly compare myself to others in the newsroom. I don’t think I was the only one doing so, the 20s can be rough, especially as you’re starting to figure out adult life. I experienced both the upsides and downsides of comparison; I advanced fast, but I also never felt good enough. Now, in my 30s, I don’t compare myself too much to others. Maybe too little, if I’m being perfectly honest.

Psychology Today talks about social comparison theory: This is the idea that individuals determine their own social and personal worth based on how they stack up against others. The theory was developed in 1954 by psychologist Leon Festinger. Later research has shown that people who regularly compare themselves to others may find motivation to improve, but may also experience feelings of deep dissatisfaction.

Takeaway: There’s a very fine balance when it comes to comparison. If done with a healthy mindset, you may be able to use it to advance, get better and more confident at doing your thing.

When you’re self-employed, it’s pretty much up to you if you want to advance or stay put where you’re at. You can climb your own ladder, at your own speed. You can take it slow, or you can push forward.

The best, is probably a little bit of both.