57 Lessons I’ve Learned After 4 Years of Freelance Writing

This month my freelance career turns to SIX years old — four years doing part-time and two years full-time. I’m so grateful for the flexible lifestyle and freedom it has given me. I have more time for my family and more time doing what I love.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though. It takes a huge amount of hard work, passion, commitment, and perseverance.

I’m still not a 6-figure freelance writer or an expert in my industry, but the past 4 years of freelancing have taught me a lot.

And today, I’ll share with you all of the lessons I’ve learned. I wish someone had shared them with me before I started freelancing.

So here are…

1. A lot of people want to become a freelance writer. But not many make it.

2. Good writing is a good starting point to become a freelance writer, but it’s not enough.

3. You don’t need a P.h.D (or even a Master) in writing to start a freelance business.

4. No matter who you are, an English native speaker or not, you can become a freelancer as long as you have good writing. Six years ago, I couldn’t even write an English sentence, but I learned.

5. Know how to price your services, so you don’t undervalue or overvalue yourself.

6. Create a website. You need it to show your portfolio and attract new leads.

7. Set goals. How much do you want to make this month? How many clients? How many briefs? Write down all of them, and you know what you need to achieve.

8. Develop your work process. Clients will ask for it all the time.

9. Be flexible with your services. Every client has a different need.

10. Find your competitive advantage. In other words, what makes you different from other freelance writers. Give your clients a convincing reason why they should choose you over another.

11. Read your client’s writing guidelines carefully. Read it first before working on the assignment.

12. Know when you should increase your rate.

13. Don’t reluctantly take a low-paid gig unless you actually need work. Otherwise, it’ll make you groan soon.

14. Watch out for scams. If you feel a well-paid gig is too good to be true, avoid at all costs.

15. Clarify the payment method in advance. In the first year of freelancing, I didn’t know this and ended up losing some money. I couldn’t receive payment because clients only paid via Stripe.

16. You deserve the rate you’re charging. Don’t cheapen yourself.

17. Be nice with all clients, even those who say no when you approach them. You don’t know if they’ll reach out to you in the future.

18. Create a freelance contract and always show it to clients.

19. Never work for free, unless you intend to offer guest blogging.

20. Don’t be afraid to fire a client if they set unrealistic expectations, delay paying you, or ask you to do a lot of work out of the contract.

21. Prevent being sued by clients. Always read the contract, so you know the do’s and don’ts.

22. Don’t wait for work to come to you. You have to look for it.

23. Never work for a client who doesn’t value you and what you bring to the table.

24. Document everything. Your journey. Your process. Your work. Your clients. Your payment. Put them together, and you’ve got yourself a playbook. It can help you make a ton of money later by selling it as a book.

25. Keep hustling. Don’t stop marketing yourself even when you have clients.

26. Never stop learning. If you want to have a successful freelance writing career, you need to be a lifelong learner.

27. Build your productivity system.

28. Not everyone will understand what you’re doing, even your spouse and your parents.

29. There are times when you have money, and times when you don’t. Be familiar with that.

30. You’re running a business, so put your customers first.

31. Don’t focus on how much others earn. Instead, focus on doing your best work, and the money will come to you.

32. Be honest about what you can do and deliver it. Don’t overpromise.

33. Don’t take assignments more than you can handle. Doing that helps you be accountable and create the highest-quality work.

34. Identify your niche and focus on it. You’ll become an expert.

35. It’s good to try new areas, especially if they’re relevant to your niche.

36. Connect with other freelance writers. They’ll give you valuable and straightforward advice you can’t find anywhere else. They also encourage you when you have doubts.

37. Impostor syndrome isn’t uncommon.

38. Don’t sacrifice your health and your family.

39. You don’t need fancy gadgets. One laptop can be enough.

40. Learn to negotiate as soon as possible.

41. Complete your draft at least one day before the deadline.

42. Nothing’s wrong with asking for help from clients.

43. Celebrate small wins. A new client, the first payment, a compliment — they all count.

44. Diversify your income. Never put all eggs into one basket — I know, it’s cliche, but it’s true.

45. Learn about taxes so you won’t be surprised when you receive the first payment.

46. Get insurance. You have to take care of yourself.

47. Track your expenses. Seriously.

48. Plan your work, so you don’t feel overwhelmed.

49. It’s okay to say no. Not all clients will fit you, and vice versa. Declining gigs doesn’t mean the world ends.

50. Expand your skills. Design. Editing. Transcribing. Anything that can upgrade your service.

51. Learn how to write professional emails. Again, you’re dealing with businesses.

52. Continue to sharpen your writing skills.

53. Help other freelance writers. Share what you know.

54. Sometimes you’ll want to come back to a full-time job. It makes sense, though.

55. Freelance writing 101: Don’t miss deadlines.

56. Your years of writing experience doesn’t mean every client will hire you.

57. Expect rough times and be prepared for them, especially in the beginning.

I hope these 57 lessons will help you decide if you should pursue this career, better understand the journey you’re entering, or avoid mistakes I made.

It’s not easy to become a freelance writer. But the more you do something and the more you learn, the better you become at it.

And I’m still learning as I go.