Here’s the Best Advice for New Freelance Writers, According to Freelancers

What advice should new freelancers follow? Experienced freelancers weigh in.

On Monday, freelance writer Max Blau posed this question to fellow writers on Twitter: “If you had one piece of advice you could give to someone starting off as a freelancer, what would it be?” He was asking for advice to take back to a classroom of journalism students, but the replies are instructive for anyone taking the plunge into full-time freelancing. We’ve compiled the main takeaways below.

1. It’s important to have an “anchor gig.” The only reliable part of freelancing is that it is unreliable — stories almost always take longer to go to publication than you think, and once published who knows when you’ll see the paycheck (more on that here). So several writers weighed in to note the importance of having at least one reliable income stream. Financial anxiety is just part of being a freelancer, but it can at least be somewhat alleviated by one steady-paying gig — and it’s ok if it’s not in media!

At the end of the day, you work to live, and it’s often necessary to take on work you don’t love to make ends meet — at the same time, it’s good advice to have at least one story in the works you’re passionate about so you don’t fall into despair (and remember why you’re doing the whole writing thing).

2. Be pleasant to work with — this can be key to building professional relationships. It’s not enough to be a good writer — an editor probably isn’t going to keep giving you assignments if you’re a pain in the ass. Writers noted the importance of meeting deadlines, taking edits well, and generally being a nice person.

3. And speaking of editors, try to form ongoing working relationships with them! If you find an editor you work well with and who makes your writing better, try to continue doing assignments with them.

4. Freelancing is a business. Stay on top of your finances. This one makes me break out into hives but it really is important! A considerable chunk of the advice on this thread was financial — from forming an LLC to keeping track of invoices to filing quarterly taxes to hiring an accountant (taxes for freelancers are a nightmare).

And just generally speaking: Never forget you’re running a business.

5. Put on pants and leave the house. These are very specific pieces of advice that some writers swore are essential to their success — and it’s probably not a bad idea to do both every once in a while tbh — but they fall into the broader category of finding what works for you, and specifically what brings you into the headspace of getting work done. This can be hard to figure out when your home is also your office.

6. Part of finding what works for you is learning to manage your own time. You are your own boss! And how to deal with minor road bumps, like writer’s block.

7. Talk to other human beings! Also, if you’re feeling stuck on a story, shutting the laptop and taking a walk is a good idea.

8. Find your beat. This can be overwhelming when you’re first starting out, but figure out what really interests you and carve out a niche for yourself.

It can pay to find something unique instead of regurgitating what’s already in the headlines — follow your instincts.

9. Don’t work for free. This writer really said it best. Your landlord isn’t going to accept “exposure” in lieu of your rent check.

10. 🙁 🙁 🙁

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