10 Sure-Fire Strategies for Thriving as a Writer

1. Be nice to other writers.

Other writers are not the enemy. If you learn to work cooperatively with other writers, you will find yourself on the receiving end of incredibly valuable information that will allow you to thrive in the marketplace. While some freelance writers think that they have to operate as lone wolves, I think they have it all wrong: freelance writing was actually meant to be a team sport. It’s when we don’t work cooperatively—when we don’t share market information with other writers—that publishers end up holding all the power. And that’s bad news for all of us.

2. Be both a specialist and a generalist.

Zero in on something that you can do better, faster, or with more style and passion than any other writer you know. Work your niche. Expand your territory. Look to international markets. Look to other media. Think about self-publishing. Consider collaborations with experts and those with complementary niches. The sky’s the limit.

3. Learn how to market yourself effectively.

Learn how to pitch your article and book ideas to editors who are in a position to buy them. Master the art of networking with business leaders in your community who may be in need of your services. Learn how to promote yourself on a consistent basis so that anyone who thinks “writer” automatically thinks of you.

4. Have a plan for your writing career.

Rough out a business plan, even if it’s just a page of notes you write to yourself while you’re sitting in a coffee shop or on a park bench. The secret is to make it an annual ritual, and be sure to pull out and reflect on that business plan throughout the year.

Your business plan is basically a road map for the upcoming year, and we all know what happens when you head out on an extended road trip without a road map. You can end up taking some rather unexpected detours—and you may not even make it to your original destination at all.

Set challenging but achievable goals for yourself, and make sure that your goals are measurable. After all, how are you going to know that you’ve “made your year” if you forgot to spell out what “making your year” actually means?

5. Develop solid business management smarts.

Learn how to manage your business’ cash flow and to set a rough budget for your business. Figure out what government paperwork you are responsible for doing each month, quarter, and year. Invest in writers’ association memberships and professional development.

Don’t be afraid to pay for good advice when you need it. Do you want to play amateur lawyer and amateur accountant (and risk making some major career and financial faux pas, mistakes that could cost you huge amounts of money for years to come?) Or do you want to be proactive and pay for the of lawyers and accountants when you need them?

You’ll likely be able to keep your costs down by doing some of the prep work yourself, but when it comes to getting hardcore advice, it’s best to trust the experts.

6. Make sure you’re getting paid what you’re worth.

Value yourself. You don’t want to have to put in 80-hour weeks doing low-paying work in order to pay your bills. That’s not good for you and it certainly isn’t good for your business. After all, if you’re spending all that time working for The Client From You Know Where for $10/hr., when are you going to have time to go after the better paying clients with the truly crème de la crème jobs? This is all about valuing yourself enough to insist on being paid a decent hourly rate that allows you to have time off in the evenings, on weekends, and to take a couple of weeks off for vacations. You know: like normal people.

Think in terms of daily or weekly wages rather than payment by the hour or the word, even though you’ll probably need to bill that way.

Become a master at estimating how long a job is likely to take you. This is important for you to know when you’re quoting on a job or deciding to take a magazine assignment.

Make sure the contract you sign spells out the assignment specs clearly so that you can ask for more money if the nature of the assignment changes significantly. If it’s not written down on paper, you may have a difficult time negotiating for more money.

7. Make sure you’re worth what you’re getting paid.

Deliver on your promises. Make it your mission to surprise and delight your customers each and every time you work with them.

Let your clients know how much you enjoy working with them and how much you value their business.

Be pleasant, professional, and fun to work with.

Make your clients’ jobs easier by anticipating their needs and meeting them; and make yourself indispensable by becoming an unofficial part of their team.

8. Be choosy about who you work with.

Look for opportunities for repeat business and for editors/clients who will refer work your way.

When you’re looking for prospective clients, look for opportunities to make multiple sales. Sell a series of books, place a magazine column, look for a client who may want a website and a print newsletter. You want as much bang as possible for the time invested in making that initial contact.

Don’t accept all of the business that comes your way. Be choosy—increasingly choosy as your business grows and you can no longer take on all the work that you are being offered.

Check out your clients while they are checking you out and learn to listen to that voice in your head that’s saying, “This client could be trouble.”

Make it your policy to only work with people you genuinely like. Life is too short to work with idiots, prima donnas, or people who are unethical or just plain mean.

9. Become contract savvy.

Don’t sign the first version of a contract that is presented to you.

Realize that it’s what’s written in the contract that counts, period.

Don’t start nodding off whenever the conversation turns to so-called motherhood issues like copyright and moral rights and intellectual property rights like trademarks. These aren’t boring, abstract concepts. That’s your retirement savings fund we’re talking about.

Educate yourself about these issues and work with other writers via organizations like the Professional Writers Association of Canada to ensure that our rights as writers continue to be protected.

10. Love what you do.

If you’re doing something other than writing and you are totally in love with the written word, find a way to make writing a bigger part of your work life. You owe it to yourself to follow your dream.

If you’re falling into the trap of doing more and more of the writing work that “pays the bills” and less and less of the writing work that you love, see if you can find ways to free up more time to do the writing work that you love.

If you spend 50 weeks a year doing something you’re less than passionate about, you’re shortchanging the other people in your life—your clients as well as your family/friends.

Remember, you can’t fake passion.