I know a couple of $100,000-per-year freelance writers, and here’s what they don’t want you to know: none of them – save perhaps one! – is probably that much of a better writer than you. So why do they all make big bucks while others end up with peanuts? One way or another, these guys have figured out success-making strategies like the following – and they stick to them.
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The new year is just around the corner, so give these steps a go and see if you don’t bring in a higher income next year.
1. Dump the starving writer mentality.
Just because you’re a writer doesn’t mean you should starve. If a high-voltage cable inspector averages $65,000/year, why shouldn’t a hard-working, serious freelance writer make at least that much? Why not more? Here’s more inspiration: A construction manager makes $100,000/year. A government astronomer? $140,000/year. Go out there and be confident that writers deserve their share of the financial pie.
Take a cue from Las Vegas freelance writer Jarret Keene, who offers: “I find that heeding Roman poet Ovid’s advice of waking up every morning and saying ‘I believe’ three times does a lot for one’s poise.”
2. Set a weekly goal.
Thinking about trying to make $100,000 as a freelancer is like thinking about writing a George R. R. Martin-sized novel. It’s too much. It’s hard to get your head around. So break it into smaller steps. For the novelist, that means focusing on chapters or a daily page count. For a freelancer, that means doing a little math: $2000/week x 50 weeks = $100,000. $400/day x 5 = $2000/week. Doesn’t seem so intimidating now, does it? Average $80/hour x 5 hours/day, and you’re there. Set your rates accordingly.
To (badly) paraphrase Lao-Tzu: “The journey of a hundred-thousand-dollar salary begins with a single buck.”
Originally Published
