Being a freelance writer is the dream for a lot of people. Waking up at noon, whacking out a sentence or two and getting paid for it doesn’t seem like such a shoddy lifestyle, does it? But whilst there are many good points about being a freelance writer, it’s definitely not all sunshine, rainbows and unicorns.

In fact, I’m starting to think that you have to be a certain kind of person to be a freelancer. Working for yourself can often feel like a structure-less limbo with no one to tell you what slack needs to be picked up next. This might be a dream for some, but others relish a routine, a schedule, and someone else making the decisions.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I’m notoriously terrible at making decisions and would love nothing better than to hire someone to be my personal decision-maker (that’s a thing, right?!). That being said, I’m definitely not a fan of being given orders by others, and I really enjoy spending time on my own (does that sound weird?).

I’ve learnt a lot about myself over the past nine months of freelancing, and I’ve come up with some key characteristics that, if you have them or hone them, will help you to become a successful freelance writer.

1. Great Communication Skills

It’s really important that you can communicate well with clients and editors. As a successful freelance writer, you’ll be in contact with a diverse range of people every single day, so it’s vital that you have the skills to efficiently explain yourself in a concise and easy-to-understand way.

Your clients and editors will be busy people, no doubt, so try and make their job as easy as possible (and yours) by honing your communication skills. It helps if you’re personable, too, even in short emails. A lot of clients have come back to me saying they love working with me because I’m not only professional and good at what I do, but also because I’m human and friendly.

Be professional, sure, but let some of your personality shine through when you’re communicating with clients. You’ll be amazed at the results!

2. Oodles of Self-Motivation

When there’s no fear of getting fired or being “invited into the boss’ office for a chat”, it can be easy to keep putting things off until tomorrow (or next week, or next year). As a freelancer, though, you’ll be solely in charge of making sure you have enough money to cover the bills each month.

That means you have to motivate yourself every hour of the day otherwise you’ll end up sitting on the couch watching Netflix (trust me on this one).

It takes time learning how best to motivate yourself, but it’s one of the best ways you can spend your time. Remember to also cut yourself some slack. Don’t work fourteen hour days because you feel like you should – give yourself some time off (and sit on the couch and watch Netflix).

3. A Thirst for Knowledge

The world of writing, copywriting, and freelancing in general is incredibly fast-moving, and things can change on a day-to-day basis. That means you need to be ahead of the game if you want to be a successful freelance writer.

You need to be the person with their finger constantly on the pulse.

How do you do that? Keep on learning. You should be striving to hone your craft and improve your skills every single day, whether that’s reading an article on the latest trends in copywriting, or investing in a course that teaches you how to pitch.

Whatever you choose to do, just make sure you become a freelancing sponge as well as a writer. Literally soak up all the information you can get your hands on, otherwise you’ll stagnate and fall behind all those other successful freelance writers out there who are willing to put in some hard graft.

4. Can Take Rejection

If you can’t handle rejection then freelance writing definitely isn’t for you. I receive rejections on a daily basis, whether it’s an article that wasn’t a good fit, or whether it was a job that someone else offered to do for cheaper.

Learning to handle rejection well is incredibly important if you want to last as a freelancer. Fight the urge to swipe out a snide email to an editor who rejected your piece in just two sentences. Fight the urge to beat yourself up because you haven’t had a single client bite all week.

Instead, take a deep breath in and carry on. It’s the nature of the industry and it happens every single day.

5. Well-Disciplined

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt this year it’s that discipline is one of the most valuable characteristics you can have if you want to be a successful freelance writer. You need to step into your role as boss and act like one – be strict with your schedule and make sure you get everything done on time.

It’s not easy working out a schedule that’s right for you, so take some time to experiment with timings, a routine, and how you organise your days.

As a successful freelancer writer you’re a business, so you need to treat your work like one.

6. An Extra Helping of Creativity

Unless you already have a little black book filled with valuable contacts when you start freelancing, it’s unlikely you’ll have a full work schedule right off the bat. This means you’ll have to put yourself out there and shop your name around.

The thing is, countless other successful freelance writers are doing this, too, so to stand out from the ever-increasing crowd you need to sparkle.

Like, really, really sparkle.

Cue creativity. If there’s one thing you need by the bucketload as a freelancer, it is creativity. Creativity to market yourself and your business. Creativity to come up with fresh ideas every single day. Creativity to keep your clients coming back for more.

7. Introspection and Independence

If you’re the kind of person who thrives when you’re around others and enjoys the banter of a workplace environment, then becoming a freelance writer might take some adjusting.

Sure, it’s possible to share workspaces with people and build up a network of other freelancers you can work alongside, but there will be large chunks of your schedule where you need to be alone to put your head down and… write.

The most successful freelance writers are the ones who enjoy spending time alone with themselves, but can also determine when they need to get out of the house and interact with real life humans (I’m still working on the last one).

Obviously being a successful freelance writer means different things for different people, and there are many more skills you should hone on the journey, but these are the main characteristics you’ll need to start freelancing.

Yes, almost anyone can write, but it takes a special kind of person to become a successful freelance writer.

Your turn! What characteristics or skills do you think are most important for becoming a successful freelance writer?

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