Overcoming The Harsh Start – It Gets Better! (Part 3)

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The first step is always the hardest, which is exactly why most writers do not make it.

Yes, we know it is risky to leave everything to concentrate only on writing, but if you don’t actually make the leap, you will never know what it is like to be a successful freelance writer.

When talking about successful freelance writers, David Shrauger is definitely one of them.

Situated in Seattle, this writer/blogger/editor/SEO master has been through hell to become what he is today.

This prompted David to come up with many a tip on how to overcome all the difficulties every freelance writer is facing at the beginning of his or her career.

Acquiring Your First Client

Once you have exposed your writing enough, it is time to get paid real money for your words, which means you need your first paying client. According to David, there 3 ways to do it:

  • Internet Content Mills – These have value because “establishing yourself with them can give you a source of income when you are between clients or projects, while they let you set your own rates for direct orders, allowing clients that are impressed with the quality of your work to reorder for a rate that you can both agree on”.
  • Job Bid Sites – “These will be the backbone of your business as you are starting out. Your success or failure on these sites will depend upon your ability to market yourself better than the competition”.
  • Personal Networking – “The most lucrative clients you will find will be people that you know personally or professionally. Find websites in your area of interest, and if they seem to have weak content send them a query letter and offer your services”.