No matter what kind of writing you do, the path to success is basically the same.
1. Set your goal.
Whatever you want to achieve in your freelance career, whether you’re just starting out or trying to make it big, define your goal.
If you’re just beginning to consider writing for publication, the first questions will be: what kind of writing, and what kind of publication? Read
What Kind of Writer Are You? Part One, Part Two, and
Part Three for help. If your goal is to write fiction, go to
Creative Writing for advice.
Once you know what kind of writing you want to do, Writer’s Market is the place to find publishers. I recommend reading Writer’s Digest magazine regularly. It’s one of the best ways for beginning writers to learn about the publishing business.
2. Choose the strategies that will achieve your goal.
Once you’ve established your goal, you need to adopt a strategy that will achieve it. One way to do this is by finding people who have or are achieving your goal and do what they do. You don’t necessarily have to meet these people in person, though that’s certainly a plus. You can also learn how successful writers achieved their goals by reading their biographies or interviews with them. What attitudes and habits shaped their lives? As much as possible, emulate the strategies of successful writers in your own life. Let their advice and experience guide you to success.
3. Observe your results.
Is your chosen strategy getting the result you want? If not, don’t despair. It isn’t the end of the world; it’s the beginning of success. Rarely do our efforts work perfectly on the first try. The people who succeed aren’t the ones who get it right the first time, but the ones who are willing to keep trying. Be willing to change your strategy, and you can change your results.
4. Adjust your strategy.
An anonymous quote says, “We can’t control the wind, but we can so adjust our sails to take us where we want to go.” If your first strategy doesn’t work, change it and try again. Observe your results again: what’s working, what isn’t and why? Use the Recipe for Success to help you make adjustments when they’re needed.
Success coach Anthony Robbins says, “There is no such thing as failure… there are only results.” If at first you don’t get the results you want in your writing or your freelance writing career, change your approach. Find new role models to emulate. Learn more. Hone your craft. New strategies bring new results. The only way you fail is if you give up.
Find the help you need with your freelance writing in the following articles:
How Will Giving away Money Help my Writing Career?
Painless Ways to Start Giving
Fifteen Minutes a Day Can Change Your Life
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