The Freelance Writing Mindset
It Takes More Than Writing Skill to Become a Well Paid Writer
Aug 12, 2009
The writer, however, must understand that even though there is ample opportunity to make a good living writing content on the Internet, the money does not magically appear in the writer's bank account. The writer has to seek out legitimate opportunities and remain focused on the freelance writing goal.
Setting the Online Writing Goal
Because of the nature of the internet, writers have the opportunity to live the best both freelance writing worlds. They can earn money by writing articles and getting paid a set amount for each piece. In order to earn more, the writer must produce more.
Writers also have the opportunity to write for residually paying sites. On such sites, writers earn money based on page views and/or advertising revenue. The larger the base of articles a writer has, the higher the likelihood of earning money from generating traffic to those articles.
Many new writers see the immediate dollar signs of writing for up front paying opportunities only to become burnt out producing content in such large quantities. It is only after reaching burnout that some writers recognize the benefit of residual income; write once, get paid continually.
Managing Writing Distractions
No matter which route the writer chooses to achieve the financial goal, there is one crucial tool the writer must have in her arsenal. That is the ability to focus on the goal and not get sidetracked by administrative decisions out of the writer's control.
Every freelance writer should write the first verse of the Serenity prayer by Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr on a piece of paper and pull it out whenever she gets distracted by non income producing, potentially distracting activity.
"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference."
Often times writers waste valuable time complaining about corporate policies, editorial changes and writing guidelines. These are the type of things that one has no control over so the writer can either accept the decisions or write for a different online company. Spending time complaining (without being able to offer a viable solution) or spreading ill feelings only wastes the writer's time where she could be producing quality work elsewhere and getting paid for it.
Learn and Move On
Whether the corporate decision is right or wrong (in the writer's eyes), the writer can either offer a suggestion to change the policy, accept the decision or go elsewhere. Whichever direction the writer chooses, the decision should be made expediently. Once the decision is made it's time to move onto the next. Doing so allows the writer to refocus on the goal which, in the end, is more financially rewarding than complaining about something she cannot change.
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