There are many things I see my fellow freelancers do that I don’t understand. Some for the better, some for the worse. I could write miles of advice on some of these issues, but I think that sometimes the best course of action is merely to ask a probing question.
The best answers may come from within on some of these burning questions, and while some of my friends will howl with laughter at such seemingly faux-mystical nonsense, read my burning questions and decide for yourself. Some of these questions are presented to make you ask yourself if you’re ready to make a new commitment to higher rates, better work, and recognizing that you’ve actually made it as a freelancer.
Fellow freelance writers, I ask you:
- Why do some freelancers insist on looking for new freelance jobs only at the most heavily-trafficked freelance job sources on the ‘net?
- Why do some writers work in a vacuum, not reading the work of their fellow writers and comparing skill sets?
- Why do freelancers make their Twitter feeds private?
- Why do some freelancers include TMI in their professional profiles? (as in Too Much Information)
- Why do freelance writers fail to make lists of their skill sets and specialize in their truly awesome skills?
- Why do some fail to study the major-leaguers in the business and examine what makes those big names so great?
- Why do so many people buy e-books but fail to pass on info about the poorly written or completely unhelpful ones?
- Why do people write themselves into the ground without a break? Day after day?
- Why do people read books about freelancing and fail to take the advice they read?
- What could entice a writer to raise his or her rates?
- What makes a writer decide to turn down paying gigs?
- Where does the freelance writer realize they are actually making their freelance life work for them?
Simple answer? Not everyone is good at being a business owner.
Mean answer? Not everyone is smart, diligent, determined, courageous or creative enough to be a successful business owner.