5 Things to do When You're Frustrated With Freelance Writing
The other day, someone left a comment in a Facebook group I’m active in. This is what the post said:
“I am really struggling and on the verge of packing all this in! What started as a lovely dream has become something I don’t even want to think about anymore. Has anyone else ever struggled like this? Does it ever get easier?”
I’m sure everyone can relate to this comment in some way. This person who left it was talking about launching a course, but I thought it relates so well to freelancing that I decided to write an entire blog post about it.
4 reasons you may feel like giving up
At some point, you will likely feel frustrated with freelance writing and consider giving up. And honestly, if I talked about all the reasons why this happens, this would be 10,000 words long and probably the most uninspiring blog post ever.
So while this won’t cover every obstacle you might face, here are the four most common reasons you might feel like giving up on your freelance writing business.
1. You’re not finding any clients
It’s super frustrating when you’re sending lots of proposals, but not finding any clients.
Or maybe you’re finding clients, but they’re all low-paying.
At this point, it's easy for most people to give up and quit.
You haven’t seen any significant benefits yet, so you’re not that invested in being a freelance writer.
2. You’re stuck at a certain income level
On the other hand, maybe you’ve been working with clients for a while now, but you just can’t seem to break past a certain income level. If you find yourself in this situation, I can relate 100%. I was there myself a couple of years ago.
I got to a point where I had been working with clients for about a year and a half, but I just couldn’t seem to break past $3,000 to $5,000 per month. The good news is, it’s harder to just give up at this point because you’ve achieved a certain level of success.
3. You feel bored and uninspired
And maybe you’re successful in your freelance writing business, but you just feel very bored and uninspired. You have lots of client work, but you dread doing any of it, and you wish you could find something you felt more passionate about.
Believe it or not, I’ve been at this point as well. Yes, I earn six-figures as a freelance writer, but that doesn’t mean I always feel excited to do the work!
4. You just don’t want to do it
Okay, time for some tough love. At the end of the day, you may just not want to be a freelance writer that bad. You might like the idea of it, but you don’t want to do it unless it’s going to come easily for you.
I know this point will make some people feel defensive, but just know, I say it with love. It’s okay if you don’t want to be a freelance writer. There are lots of careers I have no interest in pursuing!
But you’re going to have to wrestle with this question and figure out whether you even want to be a freelance writer. Because if you don’t want to do it, no amount of encouragement from other people will ever help you.
5 things to do when you feel like quitting
Okay, now that you understand why you may occasionally feel like quitting, let’s talk about some action steps you can take.
1. Do nothing
I know, I know, this point is very counterintuitive.
Most people will tell you to work harder, hustle more, create a vision board, all that stuff.
But let’s be honest, you can’t force yourself to change the way you feel.
Maybe you just need to feel crappy about it for a little while.
And the absolute worst thing you can do is take action from a reactionary place.
Don’t get rid of your clients, apply for a full-time job, or do anything else that could potentially jeopardize everything you’ve worked for.
Wait until you’ve worked through all the negative feelings, and then take action from a place of neutrality.
2. Ask yourself, “Am I doing everything I could be doing?”
Okay, now I want you to take a good hard look at yourself and your actions. Ask yourself if you’re doing everything you could be doing.
Are you actively looking for new work?
Are you doing your best for the clients you already have?
Are you networking with other freelancers?
Do you follow up with previous clients?
Or are you taking limited action, and just complaining about how frustrated you feel? If you are, no judgment. I’ve been there! But you need to look at your actions and figure out what the problem is.
3. Talk to someone about it -- but choose wisely
Okay, I do recommend talking to someone about the way you feel.
But you need to select this person very carefully.
Don’t choose your best friend who’s just going to agree with everything you say.
Don’t pick your mom, who’s going to tell you that she knew you could never make a living as a freelance writer.
And don’t complain about how you feel in a Facebook group.
It brings the energy of the group down, and it doesn’t help you come up with solutions.
I recommend finding a freelancer who is more experienced than you to talk this over with.
Ideally, you don’t want to pick someone who you’re good friends with. Look for someone with experience but won’t coddle you or tell you what you want to hear.
4. Look for a change of scenery
And finally, maybe you need to start looking for ways to change things up. Again, wait until you’ve come to a more neutral place before you do this.
If you’re bored with your freelancing business, maybe consider trying a different niche. Perhaps you could guest post for a couple of different websites to broaden your writing experience a bit.
Maybe you just really need to cut back on how often you’ve been working. Perhaps you need to raise your rates.
I don’t know what the answer is for you. But spend some time every day focused on finding solutions, not problems.
5. Focus on what you want
And finally, start to focus on what you want. It’s very easy to get sucked into a negative mindset and only focus on the problem. But this will never give you the results you want!
Do you want to earn $1,000 per month as a freelance writer? Great, focus on that! Don’t complain about how it’s not happening quickly enough.
Instead, I want you to ask yourself every day, “How can I earn $1,000 as a freelance writer?” This question forces your brain to focus on solutions.
And the minute thoughts start creeping in about why it’ll never happen; I want you to shut that crap down immediately.
Final thoughts
I’ve you’ve been struggling lately in your freelancing business, then just know that I’ve been there too. Freelance writing is not easy, and it’s completely normal to become disenchanted or overwhelmed. Follow the five step process I laid out in this article, and figure out what your next steps are.
If you need some additional help, then. I recommend downloading The Freelance Writer’s Starter Guide. This step-by-step guide walks you through the process of building a successful freelance writing business.
Grab your copy here: