As a freelance writer or copywriter, you’re bound to make mistakes. You’re bound to make even more mistakes when you’re just starting out.

Learning from other people’s mistakes will keep you abreast and reduce the number of mistakes you make.

Top writers in history were also beginners at some point and they’ve made several mistakes.

But even with such mistakes, why are they the best today?

They learned from their mistakes and became better.

This article is intended to help you envisage dangerous pit holes and avoid them as a freelance writer looking to grow big in this business and become one of the most recognized writers in the world.

The list will go a long way in fast tracking your growth in this business.



19 Freelance Writing Mistakes

1. Not improving your skills
As a beginner, you learn the art of writing and getting clients. You might even take several online classes — like I did — to boost your career.

But what happens when you start getting clients? Most of the times, the answer is that you’re always working on one project or the other. You become too busy to improve your skills. This isn’t good for your business.



2. Working for too long hours
You might have left your day job because you want to have enough time for yourself and do what you love.

The fact is sometimes when you start doing what you love, you get too carried away that you tend to work far longer hours than you expected or are supposed to. The result is that you burn out and might even become unproductive. Take some time off, relax and get refreshed.



3. Not collecting upfront payment
Of course, you expect to get paid for working so hard to get a client’s assignment done. I can imagine how it feels when you finish a client’s work and all you get is stories and excuses.

Always ask for at least 50 percent upfront – to make sure you don’t work for free. You’ve got bills to pay! However, you might overlook this for regular clients that prove to be trustworthy.



4. Not having a niche
This is a common mistake among new freelance writers. When you’re starting out, you might have a problem choosing your niche. My advice is that you choose a niche that you love. Choose a niche that has career prospect.

Most times, clients don’t want generalists; they look for specialists in a particular niche that can get the job done perfectly. As a generalist, you’re at a disadvantage.



5. Not investing in your business
Your first payments should not be used for all those lavishing stuff. I understand you have a dream to live big. But the time isn’t ripe for all that. Use your first payments to reinvest in your writing business.

Crave to appear more professional and expand your business. You’ll feel more confident to increase your rates and live the kind of life you’ve always dreamed of.



6. Not meeting deadlines
If you don’t meet your clients’ deadlines, your writing career is on the verge of being dead. When you struck a contract, make sure you’re able to meet up with the client’s deadline. If the time is too small, ask for an extension.

If possible, set another deadline for yourself to finish the job, at least, a day before the agreed time and don’t procrastinate. Just because you feel you can finish a client’s assignment before the deadline shouldn’t be a yardstick to delay it.

Some unforeseen circumstance might come up. Giving too many excuses to clients can damage your freelancing career.

Click here to see the full list: 19 Dangerous Mistakes That Can Damage Your Freelance Writing Career