How much does a writer make? It’s a common question, usually followed by a request for a pay rise. For many freelance writers, the answer is: not enough. Sure, you could be overqualified for the job you got, and deserve a huge pay rise. But for the most part, being a writer is a poorly paid job. It can be extremely frustrating and heartbreaking to see your work just not worth what you’re being offered. But that’s the freelance writing world. You need to understand what makes up for a decent living as a writer, so you can position yourself to be the best writer you can be! Here are some of the things you need to know.
The Basics
The first and most important step to becoming a successful writer is to understand what being a writer means. It can be a bit of a murky area. Many people think that being a writer means you sit at home alone, writing. While this may induce writing, it’s certainly not required to be a writer. You could be one of the most prolific writers in the world, writing for your favourite magazine or newspaper, or even creating works of fiction or non-fiction for children. The important thing is that you love to write and feel that your work has value. To ensure this value, you need to learn the basics of a freelance writing life. This means pitching ideas politely, negotiating fairly with clients, and being patient while waiting for your work to be accepted. These are all things that will help you become a better writer and earn more money. Now, let’s look at each one in more detail.
Pitching Ideas
The first and most important step to becoming a successful writer is to understand what being a writer means. It can be a bit of a murky area. Many people think that being a writer means you sit at home alone, writing. While this may induce writing, it’s certainly not required to be a writer. You could be one of the most prolific writers in the world, writing for your favourite magazine or newspaper, or even creating works of fiction or non-fiction for children. The important thing is that you love to write and feel that your work has value. To ensure this value, you need to learn the basics of a freelance writing life. This means pitching ideas politely, negotiating fairly with clients, and being patient while waiting for your work to be accepted. These are all things that will help you become a better writer and earn more money. Now, let’s look at each one in more detail.
Be Polite
Many people think that being a writer is a loud and shrill job. If you want to be respected as a professional, you need to behave in a polite manner at all times. This means being courteous, kind, and patient. You may even have to train yourself to be quiet and attentive. While this may seem impossible, being a polite and considerate writer is everything you need to succeed.
Negotiate Fairly
Working as a team is extremely important in every area of life. It doesn’t just relate to pitching ideas, politely, or being patient – it applies to everything. You’re a team of one, so you need to work with the people around you to get the best possible results. This can mean convincing the editor of your magazine that your next featured story is indeed the best they’ve ever had, or it can mean convincing the client that your idea for a new advert is the best one they’ve ever seen. Both situations require fair negotiation. Try to see every negotiation as a win-win situation. Even when you think that you’re losing, there’s still a chance that you can walk away with something good. Being a polite and reasonable writer is essential to being a successful freelance writer. Always be willing to negotiate, but don’t be afraid to walk away if the terms aren’t right.
Be Patient
Being patient is essential. You’ll never get anywhere in this industry if you aren’t willing to wait. Sure, you may get your first few assignments quickly, but to progress you need to be patient. You can’t afford to rush into anything. Remember, you’re competing for work, so be sure that your sales pitch is one that will make them want to engage with you. This means practicing your pitch, and re-practicing it. You may even need to readdress it, or re-craft it, based on what’s gone wrong with the previous version. Being patient will also help you evolve as a writer. Keep sending out your pitches – it may take a while for your work to be recognised, but that’s what makes this industry so interesting and exciting. You may get a few bites wedding, birthday, and christmas cards, but if you want to be able to have a lucrative career, you need to learn how to be patient.
Being a successful writer is about more than just sitting at home and putting in the hours. It means being able to take whatever comes your way, and being able to turn it into something positive. You need to have the talent and the drive to write, but you also need to have the strategy to make money from your writing The more you know, the better you’ll be able to position yourself to be the best writer you can be!