When you finally decided to embrace your passion for writing and make it your full-time job, you were somehow hoping for a more positive response from the market. However, a lot of enthusiastic writers struggle to make a living out of their hobby. While it is commonly accepted that not everyone is born to be the next J.K. Rowling or Stephen King, it doesn’t mean that there is no potential earning for new writers in this sector.
In fact, if your writing business has not become a success yet, it may not be because the market is crowded, but instead, it could be the result of a mistake. Yes, it could be as simple as having forgotten to prepare for the expectations of your freelancing writing role.
So, before you give up all hopes and look for a full-time job in an office, take the time to check if you haven’t made any of the 7 deadly mistakes of amateur digital writers. Writing doesn’t have to be a dream. With the right approach and strategy, you can make your living out of it. Wouldn’t you want to be able to let your writing business pay the bills without needing to take on additional shifts at your local coffee shop or as a tutor to make ends meet? Here are some of the reasons why you may not be able to grow your writing business:
You lack practice
Most motivational guides that encourage you to hone your skills tend to follow a precise rule: Nobody is born a writer. It’s a skill that you can learn and develop through writing. Don’t believe the 10,000-hour rule that says you need to practice for 10,000 hours to master any skill, as you might need a lifetime to become a proper writer at this pace!
Instead, accept that you may need to push yourself out of your comfort zone to develop your writing skills. You can start every day with simple and targeted exercises, such as writer shorter and more persuasive emails, for instance – aka remove all the unnecessary blah blah from your texts. You can also improve the structure of your blog articles to make it easier for your readers to follow the logical flow of the piece. Finally, don’t hesitate to take on new jobs and get feedback on it, so that you can improve.
You lack preparation
Keeping a regular blog is hard work, so it’s fair to say that if you expect your blog to create a buzz around your services, you need to give yourself the best chances to shine. This starts by preparing your posts ahead. You can’t just sit at your keyboard and hope for the best. The truth is: You can’t wing it, you need to have content ready and waiting for be published. To make it easier you can schedule your posts by batches, once a month, once a week or even once a year, depending on the frequency you’re the most comfortable with. This allows you to schedule future social media promotions and even catch-up emails and newsletters for your readers.
You don’t grow your influence
You are one of many. It’s fair to say that you’re not the only person trying to break into the writing world. If you can’t leverage your author influence, you’re doomed to remain in the shadow of writers who stand out. You can discover more about how to use books – and especially your books – to build a long-term career. As a writer, self-publishing a book can help you to grow your revenues and your reputation. Ultimately, when you publish a book, you can establish yourself as an authority in your business, meaning that clients, agents, and companies begin to take you seriously.
You don’t have role models
How often do you read? If you’re the kind of writer who claims that they can’t read for fear of being influenced by others, it’s time to change your mindset. Good writers need to be good readers. When you read, you get used to vocabulary, phrases, and grammar being combined together to convey an idea. As a reader, you know that someone who shares a clear view can inspire you to use new words in different ways and to think further as well. Not reading is the fastest path to the writer’s block.
Your website needs improvement
A blog gives you the chance to share your work with millions of readers every day. The main limitation about blogs is that the online competition is very high, so you need to have a tip-top presence to keep readers interested. Don’t just think about your content: Your design matters as well. For instance, it can be easy to forget the importance of white space on the page. White space has the advantage of decluttering the page and making the content the main point of focus, which can be lost if you have an image-heavy layout. Additionally, the good old SEO rules – link building strategies – can’t be ignored as they drive traffic to the site.
You don’t use social engagement
Social media platforms are your best friends when you’re trying to establish a regular audience. For instance, when someone mentions your blog online, it can help to grow traffic. Similarly, you can maximize your online personality to interact with new readers and attract your audience. A strong and positive presence is all it takes to hook followers. The more followers you get, the more potential readers you can find!
You didn’t prepare your portfolio
So, you want to be a writer, but you haven’t prepared a portfolio? The first question that jumps to mind is what is stopping you? You can use this handy platform to group digital clippings of your articles and posts. Many websites let you publish content – Medium is one of them if you don’t have regular clients you can quote – but you can also share URLs and photos of existing content for clients.
Becoming a professional writers demands a lot of time and dedication. But admittedly, while it’s not always easy, you can ensure that you are not making any of these deadly mistakes that could cost you your writing career. Make sure to hone your skills by writing and reading a lot, keep an access-friendly online portfolio and leverage your presence through books and social media.
Have you made any of these mistakes? Did you solve them? Tell me about it in the comments below!
