7 Common Mistakes Freelance Writers Make in Their First Year

I see it so often.

Whether they are good or even great writers, there are so many new freelance writers that find it hard to build a client base and are struggling to understand why they are finding it hard to grow their brand.

In their mind, they're excellent writers, so surely it should be easy for them to find clients, right?

Wrong.

Even writers who are frequently checking job boards and bidding on jobs. Even writers that have relevant samples and may be perfectly suited to tackle a project. Even these writers can struggle if they make the common mistakes freelance writers make.

If you are a freelance writing beginner, it is likely that you are desperate to pick up your first client and get started, and are frustrated to say the very least!

I’ve been working freelance for over five years now, and along the way, I have made countless errors and common mistakes freelance writers make, and will likely make some more in the future!

I’ve written this article so that you don’t have to suffer from these mistakes as I did. Learn from my errors and make sure you avoid these 7 common mistakes that freelance writers make in their first year.

Always Follow Up

common mistakes freelance

Here’s a quick question for you.

Do you have a pitching process?

By that I mean, after you have pitched for a job, do you have any follow-up actions you take? Or do you move straight on to send another pitch?

For much longer than I care to admit, I never had a follow-up plan in place for once I had bid on a job. In my mind, all I needed to do was answer the job ad, and sooner or later the clients would come rolling in.

I could not have been more wrong.

In actual fact, the chances of getting a job increase ten-fold when you send a follow-up message after your pitch.

Why?

When businesses or clients post their job on popular freelance job boards, they are often shocked by just how many applications they get, which can potentially be hundreds!

That leaves them weeding through so many pitches, you can easily be missed, even if you are the right person for the job.

How do you make yourself stand out?

When you follow up with an email, you may help yourself stand out from other pitches. Not only that, it will take them directly to your pitch, and shows you just how serious you are about working with them, which they will appreciate.

Your Pitch Isn’t Strong

Speaking of pitches.

Having a weak pitch is the number one reason you are likely not landing the jobs you think you should, and one of the common mistakes freelance writers make.

For example, you should never highlight that you are new to freelancing.

Highlighting to a prospective client that you are new is up there with the top common mistakes freelance writers make and will lead to them being less likely to pick you over more experienced writers.

Remember, you don’t work for clients, you work with them. So you need to make sure you are showing off your knowledge and skill set.

You’re Too Confident

You probably don’t want to hear this, but this is one of the common mistakes freelance writers make all the time!

Don’t get me wrong, having some confidence is essential as a freelance writer, as you need to believe in your skillset to succeed. Unfortunately, having too much confidence can be a major hindrance.

If you feel as though you deserve to be paid a set rate because you have a high-level degree, and you should automatically get well-paid gigs, then you’re in for a rough time.

Arrogance does not play well with clients, other freelancers, or anyone in your network for that matter!

As a new writer, before you start requesting the big bucks, it is probably worth taking a slice of humble pie and paying your dues first.

You Make Too Many Grammar and Formatting Errors

You might think that part of being a freelance writer is all about having impeccable grammar.

Think again!

I happen to consider myself relatively successful in the field of freelance writing, yet my grammar can be atrocious sometimes!

Tools such as Grammarly and Hemingway certainly help, but they don’t spot all of my errors.

But, if there is one non-negotiable when you are pitching for jobs, it is that you must pitch with no errors. 

Think of a job pitch like a first date. If you don’t make a good first impression, the chances are you aren’t getting a second date!

You Only Hustle When Business is Slow

I am still terrible at this one.

It is common that after some time writers tend to get a little complacent. They’ve got enough work to live comfortably and your bills are covered. You might even be loving the clients you have and the topics you write about.

This can be an extremely dangerous period.

This is where complacency can creep.

And when you work freelance, you can never become complacent.

You might have a full schedule right now, but next week that could completely change. These are the pros and cons of freelance writing!

Anyone with any real experience will tell you that you could lose a lot of clients all in one go, and if you aren’t careful, you’ll be back at square one.

Always make sure you are hustling.

You’re Overbearing

This one is really common.

Of course, you can’t start a project without knowing certain information upfront, but if you are always asking a relentless amount of questions, ultimately you will not land the gig.

Think about it from a client’s perspective. The sooner their project is done, the better.

It is much better to not overload prospects with needless questions, and instead focus on the important ones such as payment schedule, frequency, and word count.

Overbearing writers are often avoided by small businesses or individual clients, as you come across as rigid and not very easy-going.

You Don’t Have a Blog

I constantly get asked by new freelance writers whether it is worth them starting a blog. The answer is always the same.

Yes, yes, 100% yes!

Having a blog is an instant way that you can expand your portfolio and build up samples of your work. Prospects tend to like it when you have samples that are live links, rather than shareable google documents or PDFs.

It is also an excellent way to continue practicing your writing and improving your skills!

If you liked this blog, check out 10 Tips on Setting Your Prices as a Freelancer, and make sure you are subscribed to my newsletter, for more great content, delivered straight to your inbox!