A Letter to Samantha, a Discouraged Freelance Writer

None of this will be easy. But you have what it takes.

Dear Samantha,

Thank you for your letter. You asked for advice, but I will try to give you some encouragement as well — some bread for your journey.

You mentioned several friends who have enjoyed the success that you want for yourself. They seem to thrive while you struggle to make ends meet.

When you turned forty, your fear of being left behind grew longer teeth. Was your own life passing you by? And what about the fact that you could only hold a job for two or three years?

“I’m not a very good employee,” you admitted to me.

What if we flip that script?

Several of your friends feel boxed in by their own success. Their careers are drill sergeants barking orders: “Do this. Go there. Faster!” They long for simplicity, serenity, and solitude. Instead, their raucous responsibilities jockey for attention.

Turning forty taught you that your fear wasn’t going away. Being fearless isn’t an option, and no perfect opportunity will ever present itself. You have a tempered tolerance of fear, and failure doesn’t have the same sting. Why not make a perfectly imperfect start today?

And perhaps you never could settle into a 9-to-5 job because you value certain things more than a steady paycheck.

You take care of your mom, and for a couple of years, you took care of your niece too. Watching her shoot up like a Katmon tree brought a steady, quiet pleasure that job security knows nothing about. Working a 9-to-5 job would have meant missing out on some of your most precious memories!

You could go find a job now, perhaps even a great job. But again, your value for freedom and flexibility will win the day.

You have things that you want to do:

• You want to pay your bills, yes, but you want enough surplus to save for a rainy day.
• You want to pay off debt too. Would a regular job offer enough upside?
• You want to travel.
• You want to relocate so that you can live close to your two brothers and their families. You don’t want to watch your niece and nephew grow up over Skype. You want to be there in the thick of it.
• You want to grow. You want to start a successful venture.

You definitely have it in you. After all, one of your clients hired you to do the writing assignments for his MBA program. You are earning his graduate degree in business management for him.

This much is true:

You are smart.

You are capable.

You are articulate.

You care deeply about others.

You have boldness and creativity and style.

You clearly have what it takes to thrive as a freelancer.

If you have made a mistake, it has been putting your own dreams on hold while you help other people realize theirs. (Givers tend to do that.)

Now is your time. You don’t need to “grow up now.” You need to let your goals grow up by giving them the time, attention, and passion they deserve.

You’re having a mid-life crisis, and that is a good thing because it woke you up.

• You’re already scared.
• You’re already broke and embarrassed.
• You’re already anxious.

What have you got to lose?

So here’s what you’re going to do: You’re going to to execute a bold plan.

Your future is ahead of you.

Start with the simple goal of replacing the slacker client who pays you peanuts to do his MBA assignments.

“X number of dollars a week is better than nothing” is what you have been telling yourself. Maybe you can’t afford to fire him right away.

Focus on what you can control. Maybe you need to dig deep and spend one to two hours after work each day prospecting for better clients.

1. You can send a private message to every one of your Facebook friends who has a business:

“Hi Tina, I would love to do some writing for your business. Are you satisfied with your web content, marketing materials, and blog? If not, let’s talk! Maybe I can help you get new customers.”

2. You could reach out to owners of the businesses you patronize in your home town:

“Hi Brian, You might remember me. I’m the woman who comes into your restaurant at least once a week and eats an embarrassing amount of pizza. Or maybe you have tons of people who do that! Anyway, I love everything about what you guys are doing, and I’d love to get involved in some capacity. Are you satisfied with your web content, marketing materials, and blog? If not, let’s talk! Maybe I can help you get new customers.”

3. You could ask your friends to help you brainstorm a list of their friends. The best writing clients come through referral, and you could assemble a street team of friends and family members who could keep their ears to the ground and pitch your services to people in their lives who express needs that you can meet.

Set a goal of starting conversations with 100 people.

You only need a single client to commit to four blog posts per month and pay $75 per 500-word blog post. A single one. You only need a 1% success rate.

Then, you will begin to see the possibilities. If you can get one, then you can get four. You can. You really can. Don’t give up. Stick with it.

You can probably write a blog post in one to two hours. So sixteen blog posts per month might take you 30–35 hours.

You could make in one week what the other client pays you in a month.

Believe it. You can earn what you’re really worth.

You may feel stuck, but you can change your situation. Changing your situation may require more patience, but you already have enough power.

• Say no to all pro bono work, effective immediately. You simply cannot afford to work for free anymore. Every “yes” to a friend who begs you to work for free is a “no” to a paying client who can help to make your dreams a reality.
• Market your services to your Facebook friends — that is, people who know, like, and trust you.
• Start 100 conversations.
• Focus on a tiny, right-sized goal: getting one new client; 1% success.
• Sell that client a fixed-price project that uses a higher hourly rate: more like $25 USD per hour instead of $8 USD per hour; or $75 USD per hour instead of $25 USD per hour.
• Raise your rates across the board. Your existing clients may not like it, but you have been generous with your time and expertise all these years. For you to start charging what you’re worth is both fair and reasonable.
• Put your goals first.

Certain clients may complain. They may tell you sob stories. “I don’t have that kind of money. What am I going to do without you?”

Stick to your guns. Respect for your work and worth starts with you.

Remember, your future is ahead of you.

Also remember that low-paying clients seldom evolve into high-paying clients.

The people who pay you peanuts won’t stick around when you raise your rates. Some of those people may be your friends, but friends should be the ones who pay you the most, not the least.

Honor and respect goes both ways in friendship.

Talk to new clients about fixed-price projects instead of your hourly rate.

1. Decide the minimum you must earn per hour in order to level up your freelance business and make real progress on your financial and lifestyle goals.
2. Estimate the amount of time needed to achieve the level of quality that high-paying clients expect. (I’ve found that my clients standards for quality are always lower than mine!) Add some extra time for change requests.
3. Quote the client the total fee, and make no mention of your hourly rate.

If a client tries to talk you down on price, give him or her one of these four responses.

You’re only stuck if you believe you’re stuck.

When you start believing you’re stuck, remind yourself: Other freelance writers with one-tenth of your talent are earning ten times as much as you.

So why not you?

Take action. Start today. Take a deep breath. You can do this. You have the skills. You just need the courage to follow the plan.

Find your courage. You’re ready. Go!

Sincerely,

Austin L. Church

P.S. None of this will be easy. But you have what it takes.

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