(Before you read today’s post, check out Yaro’s Blog Mastermind opening page. He reopens the program at 10 AM today. If you want to learn to make money blogging, sign up. You won’t regret it.)
If you want to make it as a writer, you’re going to have some bumps along the way.
Make no mistake about it. You’re going to have a client who drops off the face of the earth right after you send her $500 worth of work. You’re going to farm out some work to someone who proves to be unreliable. You’re going to lose a gig somewhere, not because you couldn’t land the client, but because you couldn’t find the damn order in the middle of your chaos.
In my freelance writing business, I’ve been going through some growing, although most of it hasn’t been painful. In the last three months I’ve landed several new clients and found cause to bring some other writers into the fold. I’ve even been able to bring my wife, Angie, on board to help me keep tabs on everything and to help get new clients.
Yes, there have been some dips and hurdles, but overall this growth is good.
I’d just like to say, while I’m here, that Angie is amazing. She’s got something like a 60% conversion rate when bidding projects already. We wondered at first if it was beginner’s luck, but the gigs keep on coming. Yeah, my portfolio is impressive. I do excellent work, and it speaks for itself. But she’s got the goods when it comes to hooking clients and getting them to really consider hiring us.
Along with this growth, I’ve had to modify my business plan. I’ve written many times about the need for both vision and flexibility in that vision. While you can’t guarantee that a given endeavor will or won’t succeed, you can adjust as needed to ride the unexpected waves.
What am I getting at with all of this? Just sharing my journey, folks. That’s what this blog is about, after all.
I’m curious about your stories, though. If you’re a freelancer, are you working solo? Have you had growing pains, and what sort? If you’re not yet making a living with your writing, what do you envision in the long term? Will it be just you, will you have a writing team, or will you just have support staff?
14 comments ↓
I’m not in the luxury of enjoying these painful pleasures yet. I just started my own company, and still have a part-time job. But the fact that my activities are about writing, training and coaching, the scaleability issue will pop up eventually (I hope sooner than later).
And juggling the job and the company might be challenging at times too.
Oh, and one thing I have learned. There’s no such thing as beginner’s luck. Lucky people create their own luck. Either by skill (like shooting with a sniper rifle) or by increasing the chance of winning (like shooting shots of hail).
“People insist on calling it luck.”
I ran a small coding business a few years ago and it was incredibly difficult when I was solo. There are only so many hours in the day. It was easier when I brought a few more people into the fold.
That experience certainly informs the way I think about my writing future.
Bob, I’m in the exact same place as you. My writing business is growing fast, and there are some pains accompanying that.
Scalability is certainly an issue. Today I brought my wife on to help me handle everything, including the book-keeping and some of the research stage for articles (I’m going to be so screwed when she gives birth and has less time for this!).
I know growth is great, but the headaches involved in making the business scalable are insane. On the other hand, I look forward to bigger headaches, like incorporating and hiring a team of writers.
@ Lode - you make a good point about luck. And don’t worry. You’ll get to experience the pain soon enough. You’re talented, and seem to have a good head about you.
@ Jamie - Over and over again, I’ve tried to tell folks: writing (for a living) isn’t an art: it’s a business. Treat it as one, and you’ll be successful.
@ Joel - I consider you the Bizzaro-world version of me, so the fact that your wife is working with you now comes as no great shock
Seriously, though, congrats on the growth.
How does one get a writing business started? Is it mostly online? I’ve been writing, but most of mine is plays, poetry, and novels…and only this last month did I start blogging…
Any pointers to become as busy as you are would be much appreciated!
Cheryls last blog post..You are Not Alone
I know about growing pains, I am currently in a slow period. These cycles are stressful at times. You go from slow to overwhelmed seeking help and back to slow, then overwhelmed again. The good part about slow periods is catching up on personal projects.
Davids last blog post..Website Review of “All Freelance-Your Freelance Writing Source”
Maybe your wife could be the account manager and you can do the writing!
I’ve thought about what I would do if I started getting more work than I can handle by myself (I’m solo) and I’m just not sure. Raise my rates? Bring on other writers? Refer clients to other freelancers?
This is a scenario few freelancers blog about, and one that I’d love to see discussed more often!
I have started my writing business on my own last year. Its been really hard to get clients. I have clients that has not paid and clients that seem like they were up to no good, so I never finished their projects. I hope to be as busy as you guys are.
Dennis Riveras last blog post..Working Together In The Bedroom prt1
When I get busy, my spouse takes over the accounting aspects to help be out. I have thought about hiring others, however that takes time and time is not on myside when I am busy. I did try to keep someone on standby once. When I needed him, he was busy himself. So I just had to suck it up!
Davids last blog post..10 Best InkJet Printers for Writers
Hi Bob,
I’m not big enough to have these growing pains yet.
I hope to remain solo. Maybe outsource some tech stuff, collaborate with others on joint projects, but I prefer the solo life.
Hey there. Visiting the Escaping Reality roster of blogs… It sounds like you’re in a great place - growing pains are a sign of progress. Hope they don’t last long. I’m on my second business, the first one being hands-on Professional Organizing, which after three years and reaching almost total self-sufficiency I gave up because I just didn’t have the passion for it.
After a nearly two-year sabbatical, I’m rebuilding the business but making the focus online. I look forward to hearing more about your growing pains as I go through some of my own (and learn what to avoid based on yours).
Cheers,
Alex
Alex Fayles last blog post..I Really Like to Work
Thanks Bob. I’m confident that I will get that pain one day.
From the same book that taught me that successful people create their own luck, I also learned that talent is not enough. It takes a lot more besides talent to succeed. But it sure helps
@ Cheryl - Most of my writing is online, but really it depends a lot on what kind of business you want. I’m going to be starting a mentoring program soon to give new writers a jump-start on their writing careers, plus today’s post talks about some ways to get going in the meantime. Make sure to check it out.
@ David - it’s the nature of small business. Again, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. As far as outsourcing, I’m trying to build up a small group of folks to whom I can farm work out, so that if one’s busy another can do it. That’s really the way to go, I think.
@ Melissa - you’re not far off the mark. She’s really been an amazing boon to business lately.
I think all of your options are good ones, but each has its consequences, too. I’m hoping to put up a post next week on the options available when growth happens, but we’ll see what time allows.
@ Dennis - Be careful about clients. Some are indeed up to no good. Some just don’t write very well and come across as sneaky. That’s why they need us.
@ Alex - Welcome. Glad to see you. I’m enjoying your stuff at Escaping Reality, by the way. I think there’s a huge market for what you’re talking about, too, as far as folks online needing organization assistance.
@ Lode - “talent is not enough.” Haven’t I said that about a Bajillion times? I’m with you totally, my friend.
I’m sure I’ll have plenty of growing pains soon enough, but my beginning has been wonderful (yesterday finished my fourth week). I’m anxious to be able to step into writing full time. It’s right around the corner, but it still feels far away.
Writer Dads last blog post..The Eighth Wonder of the World
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