7 Requirements For Anyone Contemplating a Writing Career

To be your own boss, you have to hold yourself to a higher standard

Many people are stuck in 9 to 5 jobs that leave them feeling miserable and unfulfilled. Instead of dedicating their day to productivity, they occupy themselves with figuring out ways to avoid doing actual work. Although it can provide temporary satisfaction to put one over on your employer, that’s not a recipe for long-term personal gratification.

It is possible to make a good living as a freelance writer, but you have to be a self-starter who is willing to work. Unlike a regular job, when you work from home you aren’t paid just for showing up and waiting out the clock. You actually have to engage in productive labor, and that requires holding yourself to a higher standard.

Writers need to go about their profession with the same mindset as running a business. You have to engage all aspects of writing, and not just the parts that happen to appeal to you. For many people, the idea of working as a freelance writer is a dream. In order to be successful, however, you have to understand that it’s just like any other kind of job. Here are seven requirements that you can’t avoid if you want to succeed.

You must have a Twitter account

I meet a lot of writers who say things like, “I don’t do Twitter,” or any other social media. That is unacceptable. All writers have to make an effort to establish themselves on social media platforms. You need to generate followers and have a place to get some exposure for your work.

If you don’t have a Twitter account, you should sign up for one right now and be prepared to dedicate a few minutes a day to acquiring new followers. Social media is not a test that you can cram for. It’s an ongoing process that requires slow cultivation over years. Start by budgeting a half hour just so that it’s not completely foreign to you.

There are many writing communities on Twitter that you can access. Use hashtags like #writerslift, or #writingcommunity, and try to take part in a few conversations. Very soon you’ll find other individuals who are willing to review your work, interview you, and even offer you paying jobs.

You must have a web page

When a writer says that s/he does not have a web page, it makes me angry. Just how do you think your writing career is going to work? Do you expect everyone who hears about you to spend hours and hours searching the internet for more information about you?

Writer entitlement is probably the main reason most authors fail to ever sell a single book. Yes, it can be intimidating to start a web page, but you have to do it. It’s better to have a custom domain name, but even a free Wordpress account is better than nothing.

At the very least, post an author bio along with links and descriptions to all of your books and/or articles. The web page is the domain you put on your business cards or you say on radio interviews. If you don’t have a web page, you’re not taking your job seriously.

You must have a social media management tool

I can see that some people are reluctant to use a social media management tool because of the expense, but you need one. Social media management tools are single dashboards where you can consolidate all your social media profiles. They are valuable because they allow you to schedule your posts without logging into your separate accounts.

The problem with social media platforms is that they are filled with distractions. You log on to post, then you see a notification, and you end up in a stupid Facebook argument that prevents you from getting any writing done.

A social media management tool allows you to schedule posts months in advance and ensure you’re getting the most out of your platforms. You can schedule posts that build on each other and designate when the posts go live and how often they are repeated. I’ve worked with HootSuite, Agorapulse, and GlowUpp. The best way to learn more is to sign up for a free account and begin to experiment.

You must be willing to speak publicly

I know, I know, many people have a fear of public speaking. However, at the end of the day the very best marketing tool that you have at your disposal is yourself. In the years I’ve worked as a writer, I’ve sold the most books by far as a result of author presentations.

Some writers set a qualification that public appearances are simply off the table. If I were a publisher, I wouldn’t even consider the work of an author, no matter how talented, if s/he indicated a refusal to give live presentations.

You must write every day

This one drives me absolutely nuts. I meet a lot of people who identify as writers, but then they go months or even years without writing anything. If you are a writer, you have to write. It’s as simple as that. If you aren’t actually producing any writing, then maybe you need to take a long, hard look in the mirror and admit that you aren’t a writer.

I understand that just about all authors battle with insecurity, but that’s another thing that you simply have to push through. It’s impossible to please everyone, in fact, if you write something good it’s a virtual guarantee that you’ll receive harsh and unpleasant criticisms. The only control you have is to keep writing. Allow your words to build up so much momentum that they crash over the world like a tidal wave.

You must have access to a steady income

There are almost no full time writers in the world. Almost everyone has some kind of side hustle that helps them pay the bills. Writing can be lucrative, but the cash payments sometimes arrive totally at random. If you’re depending on selling an article to pay your mortgage, the pressure will probably obstruct you from writing a single word.

Writers are both courageous and delicate people. The act of expressing your opinion is akin to wading into battle. It’s pretty tough to absorb all the sucker punches the internet is going to throw at you, and then have to endure phone calls from lending agencies threatening you with legal action because you’re late on your bills.

Please, fortify yourself against this. Have some kind of steady income.

You must have health care

This is probably the toughest requirement for a freelance writer working in the United States today. The US health care system is designed to squeeze out every dollar that you will earn throughout the course of your lifetime. You have to protect yourself against this.

When I was in my twenties, I avoided health care costs by moving to Lima, Peru. I know of writers that maintain part time jobs that pay them virtually nothing in cash, but which provide them with health care. One of the best things you can do is to get married to an understanding partner who can provide you with health care through his/her work.

I know that a lot of writers are dreamers who spend all of their time with their head in the clouds. That’s great, I admire that and I admit that I’m one of those people myself. But you have to stop dreaming for a moment and figure out how to cover your health care. If you don’t, you risk putting yourself in a hole you might never crawl out of. Crippling health care bills have the power to end all your writing aspirations forever. Keep yourself free.

You can be successful, if you take your writing seriously

Many people hold the idea of writing in the back of their mind like an escapist fantasy. “Wouldn’t it be great if I finally had the time to work on my novel?”

While it is important to indulge in fantasy from time to time, you really can’t begin a writing career until you come face to face with the cold, hard truths about the profession. I realize that you hate your boss, but your boss is there to make sure you fulfill all the requirements of your employment.

Employment requirements are not a construct designed to torment you. Every occupation has them, even writing. In order to have success, you have to embrace all the requirements of your profession and force yourself to give them the requisite attention. If you can’t do that, then you’re better off sticking with that 9 to 5.

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