11 years ago I embarked on a journey, not knowing what to expect or how far it would take me.
When I look back at my freelancing journey today, I am not just overwhelmed but also proud that I made it without waking up even once, regretting my career choices.
I think this might be a good time to share some of my learnings. :)
1. You cannot be a successful freelancer if you are not a team player. You may not be working in an office, but you are still a member of a team.
Realizing this and working accordingly is very important. Content is only one part of the puzzle.
For your content to work its wonders, you need to gel and work well with everyone else involved.
2. ~99% of my content gets approved without any edits. That’s because I take the brief given by the client very seriously.
I jot down (remember running notes in school?) every single thing they say and do my research accordingly.
Understanding the brand and owning it is very important to churn out impactful content.
3. In the past 1 year, I made less than 10 typos/spelling errors. I DON’T rely on Grammarly for proofreading.
I trust my own brain over a bot because the latter misses quite a few errors. For example, if you write poor instead of pool, it won’t be able to catch the mistake.
I take almost as much time to proofread as I do to write. Works like a charm.
4. Writer’s block is real. And, I know how to get over it. I just keep writing!
Yes, 1 or 2 drafts will be total garbage but my 3rd will be right in line with what’s needed. That’s much better than giving up and wasting a few hours.
The brain’s very easy to manipulate, I have realized. Persist and it will listen to you!
5. I have almost always met my deadlines, and this is my biggest USP.
How do I do it? I have a formula – calculate the amount of time a task could possibly take (factoring in obstacles) and add an extra day or two (based on the work required).
In simple words, I underpromise. ;)
Hope this helps young freelance writers during their journey. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.
When I look back at my freelancing journey today, I am not just overwhelmed but also proud that I made it without waking up even once, regretting my career choices.
I think this might be a good time to share some of my learnings. :)
1. You cannot be a successful freelancer if you are not a team player. You may not be working in an office, but you are still a member of a team.
Realizing this and working accordingly is very important. Content is only one part of the puzzle.
For your content to work its wonders, you need to gel and work well with everyone else involved.
2. ~99% of my content gets approved without any edits. That’s because I take the brief given by the client very seriously.
I jot down (remember running notes in school?) every single thing they say and do my research accordingly.
Understanding the brand and owning it is very important to churn out impactful content.
3. In the past 1 year, I made less than 10 typos/spelling errors. I DON’T rely on Grammarly for proofreading.
I trust my own brain over a bot because the latter misses quite a few errors. For example, if you write poor instead of pool, it won’t be able to catch the mistake.
I take almost as much time to proofread as I do to write. Works like a charm.
4. Writer’s block is real. And, I know how to get over it. I just keep writing!
Yes, 1 or 2 drafts will be total garbage but my 3rd will be right in line with what’s needed. That’s much better than giving up and wasting a few hours.
The brain’s very easy to manipulate, I have realized. Persist and it will listen to you!
5. I have almost always met my deadlines, and this is my biggest USP.
How do I do it? I have a formula – calculate the amount of time a task could possibly take (factoring in obstacles) and add an extra day or two (based on the work required).
In simple words, I underpromise. ;)
Hope this helps young freelance writers during their journey. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.