Okay, the title of this post isn’t meant to sound condescending or like a good old-fashioned telling off. Instead, it’s something that needs to be spoken about. It’s more of a discussion, really.

I get a LOT of emails from new freelancers who are disillusioned with the freelancing world because, well, they can’t seem to catch a break. No one will hire them, and they haven’t landed any freelance jobs in the two, four, or even eight months they’ve been freelancing.

There could be a number of reasons for this. It might be because they:

• Are unsure of their niche, and their portfolio is all over the place. They’re sending out mixed signals to potential clients and don’t even know where to start looking for jobs because they haven’t niched down enough. Is this you? Read this post right now!
• Simply don’t know where to start. Maybe they’re overwhelmed with the amount of information out there and have frozen up in fear. If this is you, you’re going to want to check out this post, where I highlight the exact steps I took to earn $2,000 in my first month.

But, while these are perfectly valid reasons for why you might not have landed any gigs so far, I’m willing to bet this isn’t the main reason.

It’s not because you don’t have any experience (you can totally start freelancing without having written for money ever before in your life), and it’s not because there are tonnes of people out there who are better than you (sure, you might not be the best, but it certainly doesn’t mean you’re the worst. Everyone has to start somewhere!).

It’s because you’re not doing enough.

There, I said it.

Becoming a freelancer isn’t a case of sending off a few emails and hoping for the best. It isn’t just a case of setting up a pretty website and waiting for the clients to come thick and fast.

It’s hard work, and if you aren’t prepared to put in the graft, you’re probably not going to see the results you want.

You know those freelancers that seem to be earning serious dollar? They’re popping up all over the web showing you how to do this, and how to do that.

While it might seem like they’ve had a lucky break, I’m willing to bet they put in solid hours before their “overnight success”.

Whether it was endless nights spent crafting pitches, or whether it was hours spent in front of the computer instead of spending time outdoors with family and friends, or whether it was frustrated evenings spent researching brands and sending off applications, I’m willing to bet good money that these freelancers were doing everything they could to get their business off the ground.

“When I started out, I made it my goal to send at least 20 cold emails per day,” says Jorden Roper of Writing Revolt. “That initial legwork helped me set myself up for long-term success as a freelance writer because it allowed me to get my own clients rather than get stuck digging through job boards and bidding sites for low-paying work. 

I have to admit that it got a little tedious at times – but dealing with that tedious work for a little while was SO worth being able to build a freelance writing business on my own terms!” 

What Does “Not Doing Enough” Mean When It Comes to Landing Freelance Jobs?

Okay, we all have different opinions on what a “decent amount of legwork” is. I might think that 10 pitches a day is perfect, while you might think that 3 is already too much.

So, let’s dig into what I really mean when I say new freelancers don’t do “enough”.

It means that you’re:

• Stopping short of what you’re capable of

I’ve been there. We’ve all been there. I know that on some days at the start of my career, I’d pack up for the day after sending five pitches because, well, I thought I’d done enough. Then I’d head to the couch and watch a few hours of TV.

Guess what? Those hours watching TV could have been spent sending more pitches, or writing a blog post aimed at my target client, or doing something else other than watching television.

I’m a total advocate of taking time out and coming back to a task with fresh eyes, but for me, I was spending more time watching TV than I was looking for work. Ouch.

• You do it half-heartedly

Now, it’s all well and good sending out 10, 20, or even 50 pitches a day, but if you’re doing it just to get your numbers up? Well, that’s going to end badly.

“Enough” doesn’t necessarily equate to a numerical value. Instead, it could relate to the quality of your methods. For example, you’ll probably have more luck spending 15 minutes on a personalized email to a brand, than 5 minutes on three that don’t hit the spot.

Here, it’s all about conversions – how many replies are you getting for the amount of emails you send out?

When I cold pitch, I expect to receive 2-3 emails back for every 10 I send out. That means, if I send 10 new pitches every day, that’s 2-3 new potential clients I’m in discussion with every single day – or, 14-21 a week. Amazing, right?

But those emails have to get through to your ideal client, and a copy-pasted generic email won’t get you there. If you’re struggling to get your pitch read and replied to, check out this post that takes you through the steps of cold pitching.

• You’re not looking for new opportunities

Job boards and content mills. These are the two places new freelancers hang out because they’re the most talked about, and because they’re the easiest and least-scary to jump right into.

When you’re starting out, the thought of reaching out cold to companies is terrifying, but by not doing it? You’re limiting your options massively.

So “not doing enough” also relates to the ways in which you’re seeking gigs. Are you really trying every technique possible? Are you measuring them to see which techniques work best? Are you keeping track of where most of your leads come from?

If you’re not, then you’re not doing enough. Think of the sheer number of ways you can get clients:

1. Job boards
2. Cold pitching
3. Networking events
4. Blogging
5. Ads
6. Word of mouth
7. Guest posting
8. Twitter
9. Facebook groups
10. LinkedIn

And these are just scratching the surface. How many of these are you doing on a daily or weekly basis? If it’s no more than two, then you’re leaving potential work on the table for other freelancers to snap up.

Put a system in place

You might be thinking “there’s too much for me to do! How can I possibly do all of these things when I only have a limited amount of hours in day?!”

I feel you, I really do. I constantly felt overwhelmed with the amount of things I could be doing at the start of my career, so I wrote out a plan.

I designated a specific task to each day of the week, so on Monday’s I’d blog, on Tuesday’s I’d cold pitch, on Wednesday’s I’d hit up Twitter etc. This broke the tasks down into more manageable activities that I could scratch of my to-do list every day.

I talk more about how you can use this super simple marketing method in more detail in Launch Your Life as a Freelance Writer. Nail down a marketing technique that works for you using worksheets, swipe files, and actionable tutorials.

• You’re not applying what you learn

Ah this is a biggie, and I’ve only just come to terms with the reality that I’m really bad at doing this.

I read hundreds of blog posts and articles each week about freelancing, content marketing, and blogging, and I nod along thinking “oh wow, these are great tips.”

And then…

Then I do absolutely nothing with those tips. I might implement a few here and there, but it’s haphazard and I kind of do it half-heartedly (see the point above!).

It’s all well and good devouring content, taking courses, and listening in on webinars if you’re not actually implementing what you learn.

What You Could Do…

Each time you take a new course, listen to a webinar or read a blog post where you learn something new, write it down, step-by-step, and follow those steps to the T. Don’t skip any, don’t rush through any.

Final thoughts…

If you’re two, four, or even eight months into your career and have yet to land any freelance jobs, or even a single gig, it’s not because your niche is super small (freelancers make great livings in all sorts of niches), it’s not because you’re at the bottom of the pile (work those skills you already have!), and it’s not because you are different to the successful freelancers out there making it big (we are all the same).

I’m willing to bet good money that it’s because you’re not doing “enough”.

And I know it can be difficult at the beginning – everything seems so overwhelming, like such a big task, and it really can feel like you’re trying to walk up hill through toffee.

I’ve been there. All those other successful freelancers have been there. No one starts off with experiencing in freelancing – it’s all about the hustle, the hard work, and the time and effort you put into getting your business off the ground.

So tell me, are you ready to start doing “enough”? I’ve got just the thing for you.

Launch Your Life as a Freelance Writer is a 4-module course that gives you actionable steps to take to a) conquer your fear of freelancing, b) increase your conversions, c) find a solid system for landing consistent work each month (not just one-off gigs here and there), and c) set you up for long-term success.

Enrol here and let the work begin (I promise it will all be worth it in the end). You got this!