Before we get into the how to and start building your freelance career I want to take a second to address many of the freelance myths circulating the web.

Many of the below opinions I myself held as a newbie freelancer. It took me a while to understand that the large majority of popular beliefs are absolute bullshit and serve no other purpose than to hold you back.

I know that this is a rather negative tone to kick things off with, but before we get into the actual work, you need to realise that freelancing isn’t an easy way to earn a little bit of cash. There’s a lot of hard work, but trust me when I say that if you approach your freelance career in the right way, you’ll be happier than you ever could be in an office job.

You Can Work in Your Pyjamas

You could quite happily work in your pyjamas if you want to, but it’s something I’d advise against.

If you want to be taken seriously and start landing the professional gigs you need to act and feel professional yourself.

Do you feel confident you can persuade a CEO or Marketing Director of a Fortune 500 company to hire you if you’re interviewing in your pyjamas? If you can, you’ve got me beat.

The clothes we wear have a huge impact on the way we perceive our role. I’m not saying you have to start every day in formal business attire, but you need to make the effort to wear clothes that instil a professional attitude.

“Things Will Eventually Work Out For You”

I fucking hate when people give this advice.

The advice itself comes from a good place and often from a close friend or relative, but it’s detrimental to progress. Believing that things will work out one day delivers the wrong message.

It lacks any focus and, if believed, leads to a period of inaction. Instead of holding vague beliefs that everything will be fine and dandy, turn your focus on what you can do to make things work out for you.

Good things don’t happen for no reason. They’re the result of hard work, determination and a tenacity that overcomes any difficulty.

There's a great quote I'd like to drop here which is often attributed to any one of five or six different people. The quote deals with the "luck" we all need to succeed, it goes;

"I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it. "

Luck isn't some ephemeral thing that comes out of nowhere to help you. You make your own luck.

You’re freelance now and no one else is going to help you, so work hard and make your own luck.

Find What You Love and the Money Will Follow

Along with the above, I think this is one of the most damaging pieces of advice out there.

It’s bullshit. Writing on something you love is not a guarantee you’ll eventually find success. Believing that it is will stop you from taking the steps you need to land the bigger, better clients.

I wouldn’t say there’s no truth to the statement though. I think people assume it’s easier to get discovered doing something you love simply because it feels less like work.

Regardless of how fun you find an element of your freelance life, you’re still going to have to do the boring stuff to promote what you’ve created and attract the right attention.

Freelancing is Less Stressful

Freelancing is not all coffee shops, working in PJs and beach hut retreats. I can’t think of a more stressful time in my life than when I first made the leap to full-time freelancing.

I went from guaranteed pay cheques every month to not knowing if I’d make enough to pay rent. It’s incredibly tough and causes many of those not prepared for this initial level of high stress to quit prematurely.

The stress does decrease over time, but the lack of security and potential for things going wrong at the start of your career are going to have you more stressed than you have been in a while.

On the flip side of not having stable pay cheques, your income also isn't limted to a company mandated amount. You can continually grow how much you earn which is incredible.

It’s Nice Not Having a Boss

This is actually pretty true but doesn’t really cover all bases.

I’ve been so much happier since moving to freelance as I don’t have someone literally on my shoulder checking everything I do. However, to say that this doesn’t happen would be a lie.

Whilst I recommend destroying the employee mindset you may have developed, you still have to remember that you’re working for someone else. We do have the luxury of being able to end toxic relationships as freelancers, but it’s difficult to do so if you haven’t yet got a couple of other potential clients to fill the gap.

Sometimes I feel as though I’ve traded one boss for several. You can't avoid the micromanagers, indecisive, or rude clients who don’t value you. Sooner or later you're going to once again work with a nightmare boss.

Our aim with this course is to get rid of these clients, but only when it’s safe to do so.

Freelancing Is Easy

People misjudge our career. They bundle us with the digital nomad types who pull in $500 a month or the part-time writers who work from their sofas. If you’ve been doing this a while, you’ll know of the condescending looks you receive when mentioning what it is you do.

Tell people you’re a freelance writer and they think you sit around all day in your PJs, crank out an article in an hour before heading off to the spa, pub, or wherever else you go to chill.

It’s one of those beliefs which is so ingrained in public opinion that for many it’s become fact.

The truth is, this job is anything but easy.

You are your own marketing team, sales department, content producer, after sales care team, and technical IT guy.

This job isn’t easy but your hard work will pay off. There are plenty of writers out there earning a full-time wage on part time hours and it’s all thanks to the hard work they put in at the start.

It’s Incredibly Lucrative

You set your rates and decide what you earn, right? So within months you’ll have tripled your fees and be sitting pretty.

I grew my business to a six figure level before, but I doubt I’d want to do it again through freelancing alone. I was working all the time. Pulling 60+ hour weeks and I could never really escape my work. Even when not at my laptop I was thinking about client jobs, the strategy for my own growth, and how best to handle an upcoming project.

If six-figures is your goal then it’s definitely achievable, but it’s not something that can be done overnight. To successfully charge more you need to build up your experience, gather testimonials, find good clients and become a better negotiator.

For the time being I want you to forget about money. Focusing on money alone leads to overlooking opportunities which you can use to build your brand and your success.

It's going to take about 18 months to 2 years to be living the life you think you will as an independent business owner. You'll see profit in a far shorter time, but 2 years is a realistic timeframe for setting up all the referrla funnels so you won't have to worry.

It’s Perfect for Introverts

Freelancing is perfect for introverted folk. Introverts are natural thinkers so can handle the analytical side of the job. They don’t even have to worry about interacting with strangers either in person or on the phone. It’s win-win.

That’s not true.

In my experience, the clients I get on best with and who pay the best rates are those you form a relationship with. That means frequent phone calls, the odd Skype chat, and even an in-person meeting or two.

Your clients are taking a risk by outsourcing critical business tasks to you. They want to know who you are and be confident they can trust you. That requires a good deal of communication that exceeds basic emails.

You’re also going to have to face a lot of rejection and failure, something that introverts tend to struggle with. There’s no secret to making any of this more pleasurable. You simply have to bite the bullet, talk to prospects and develop a thick skin.

There’s No Need To Train

You know how to write and you’ve been published in a few places. You’re set for life!

If only that were true.

Working an office job you’re regularly asked to complete training on new systems, attend conferences to understand developing strategies or perhaps go away on training days and weekends. Training is imperative to staying on top in the corporate world and freelancing is no different.

You’re going to need to constantly develop your skills and knowledge. I’ll be covering good ways to do this throughout the course, but in short, you need to read a lot, write regularly and buy relevant training materials.

You Can Do What You Want, When You Want

Sure you can write for the morning, head out for lunch with friends before a little shopping so you can get home at three. But is that really the best use of your time?

You’re building a business, not living a life of leisure. When you sit down to work that’s what you do. Don’t distract yourself with external influences until work for the day is done. Focus on the task at hand and make a conscious effort to be productive.

Chances are you’ll finish work in time to head out for lunch if you focus on being productive instead of busy.

It’s Not Possible to Make a Good Living at Freelancing

I had to end the list with a bonus, positive point.

Remember those people at parties who think freelancing is a bit of a joke. Well, they’re also the people who think you can only make a few pennies here and there. They believe you only write for small time blogs and are likely living the lifestyle of the starving writer.

We’re going to prove them completely wrong.

Making a decent living as a writer is completely achievable. Get yourself a good corporate client and you could easily be commanding $0.50 - $1 per word. For a short 500 word piece that’s $250 - $500. You’ll have earned more in two hours than they do in a day.

It’s not easy, but it is possible. There are plenty of writers out there earning over six figures a year with a professional writing business. Let’s see if we can get you into that elite group.

One quote I’ve always loved is a response to the question you’ll hear a lot. That question is “how can you stand not knowing what you’re going to earn month to month?”.

The reply is genius, and I wish I could remember where I first read it. If you’re ever asked this question, simply reply “how can you stand to know exactly what you will earn every month?”.

The possibilities with freelance earnings are vast. Your earning is directly tied to how hard you work. Work hard at the tactics we’ll cover, and you should soon be earning a livable wage doing something you love.