As a freelance writer, earning enough can be the number one difficulty. There is an abundance of freelancing work but the majority of it does not pay well, and it can be hard to get. I know this is something that I personally struggle with since I started freelancing full-time. There are certain earning goals that you need to achieve to be able to support yourself and it can feel overwhelming to reach these goals.

I have been freelance writing for five years, which is not very long compared to many other writers. But, over this time, I have learned a few tricks to help me reach those earning goals every week. Having a system in place is going to be one of the most important things you do as a freelance writer. It gives you structure, and helps you to know what you need to do to earn enough from your writing career.

Always Job Hunt

It took me about a year to realize that I always needed to be hunting for new assignments. It was easy to get comfortable in a writing position, and not think about the future, or the possibility of something changing suddenly.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for freelancers in any industry to lose their writing clients at the drop of a hat. This can happen for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the client no longer needs content. Maybe it was just a short-term project. What about when the client goes out of business?

Most freelance writers don’t have any kind of contract or job security. This is something that I have struggled with since I have lost jobs very suddenly with no warning. Do, I had to replace that work that I had lost quickly.

The way that I now counteract this problem is by job hunting on a regular basis. Every day, I look at popular Job listing websites to see if there’s anything I would be interested in.

As a general rule, it is a good idea to have three or four different clients at a time, depending on the amount of work required. This gives you some security since you will have other clients to lean on if you lose one.

Make an Earning Goal

If you want to hit an earning goal, you have to know where the target is before you start. Personally, I have monthly and weekly earning goals that I need to achieve.

I made these goals by adding up how much I needed to earn to make a living. After becoming more established as a writer, I was able to turn this goal into something a bit higher.

It is important to make this goal realistic since high expectations can lead to burnout or disappointment. As you receive more work, you can gradually make your goals bigger and bigger.

It is important to also take into consideration how much taxes you have to pay. Freelance writers don’t get taxes taken out of their paychecks so this is something we have to think about.

Plan the Work Week

Every week, before I begin work, I plan out what my work week is going to look like. I am at the point where I work four days a week so I have to figure out how much content I need to create on those days.

This varies a bit depending on the type of clients I am working for, and what their rates are. With high-paying jobs harder to find, I often have to create busier days so that I can still achieve those goals.

Ideally, as you become more experienced, you will be able to find higher-paying clients. When this happens, planning your work week will be easier since you won’t have to create as much content to hit your goals.

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