These 5 Mistakes Are Costing You a Successful Freelance Career

Thankfully, these things can be fixed.

Kelly Dawson
5 min readJul 13, 2021
If you’re going to wade into the waters of freelance writing, set yourself up for success.

When you’re a freelance writer, it almost feels like you can do no wrong. There’s no one above you to say otherwise, and no performance reviews to consider. Instead, there’s freedom. Sweet, you-are-your-own-boss freedom. Let’s say you want to work in a coffee shop one afternoon, only to finish typing in bed a few hours later. Perhaps you like the idea of taking a call at 5 p.m., just as your self-appointed schedule starts. It’s also possible that you prefer to listen to loud music as you finish up a project, keeping your headphones tucked away in a different room. These are all worthwhile features of being a freelance writer, whether you chose this path or it chose you.

There are plenty of people who will tell you that becoming a freelance writer is easy, and they’re right. All you have to do is call yourself that to be one. But being a freelance writer who can pay bills and afford to work anywhere? That takes more than choice — that takes skill.

It is possible to do wrong as a freelance writer, and the difference between success and failure often comes down to small decisions made throughout the day. Obviously, being a good writer is necessary, but avoiding common mistakes is important, too. If you’re wondering how to be…

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Kelly Dawson

i write, i edit, then i write again. | kellymdawson.com | instagram: @kellydawsonwrites