6 Tips for Coping With the Stress of Freelance Writing

by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen @ Quips and Tips

The ups and downs of a freelancing career are enough to make a grown writer cry! But, fellow scribes, you’ll find relief in these tips for coping with the stress of freelance writing (or any type of writing, for that matter).

“Sometimes it’s important to work for that pot of gold,” says self-help author Douglas Pagels. “But other times it’s essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow.”

Picture that: sliding blissfully down your favorite color – especially when you’re crazy with frustration! For some serious stress-relief tips, go to Five Good Minutes at Work: 100 Mindful Practices to Help You Relieve Stress and Bring Your Best to Work by Jeffrey Brantley and Wendy Millstine. And read on for the tips I’ve gathered from different sources…

6 Tips for Coping With the Stress of Freelance Writing

1. Remember that failures can be fruitful

I’m still cringing at a mistake I recently made with one of my editors – it was stupid, and it definitely hurt our working relationship. Since my goal is to help other writers, I turned it into a possible article and pitched it to a few writing magazines. Then the other day, I woke up and said, “Article idea? Nay – it’s a brilliant book idea!” I sent a quick description to Special Agent Jon (my agent at Irene Goodman); he’s on board. So, I’m pulling together a full-fledged proposal…all based on a stupid mistake I made. To cope with writing stress, remember that you can use your problems. Just stay open to the possibilities, and don’t let failures kill your spirit.

2. Take action

You never know what will work – whether emailing your article pitch to that editor will result in an assignment or snail mailing your novel to the publisher will net you a book contract. Taking action helps you cope with the stress of freelancing and writing by giving you control. The more control you have, the less stress you’ll feel. So take action, fellow scribes – even if you’re “sure” it won’t go anywhere.

3. Avoid the media

Sound counterintuitive for freelance writers? Not necessarily. “Eliminate or minimize watching the news and reading newspapers,” says psychologist Dr Joseph Cilona, PhD. “It’s important to remember that even respected news sources are not always giving a truly balanced and accurate portrayal of reality.” Heavy news consumption can make it harder for you to maintain a positive outlook, stay motivated, and keep your energy level up. Freelance writers need to find a healthy balance between staying current to find new article ideas, and protecting themselves from a barrage of bad news.

4. Stop fortune telling!

“Fortune telling is predicting the future negatively and emotionally reacting as if it is already happening or it is imminent,” says psychologist Elizabeth R. Lombardo, PhD. “For example, people are often not worried about the here and now, but rather what they think will happen.” Just because you don’t have an assignment or book contract right now doesn’t mean you won’t have one in a month or a year – or even tomorrow! Don’t borrow stress from tomorrow; today has enough stress of its own (I’m paraphrasing from somewhere).

5. Try new things

If your current strategies for freelance writing – or any type of writing – aren’t working, then shake it up a little! Here’s a great example for freelancers like me, who spend a lot of time pitching editors: “It’s often not worth the time to cold-pitch,” says Lisa Albers, who is a published writer of print and online articles, books, ad copy, poetry, and more. “I cultivate my existing network and use it to connect.” To cope with freelancing stress, learn how your colleagues find work – and try their strategies.

6. Cultivate your network

Here’s how Albers connects with people: “I’m very curious about people and love to ask questions. It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised at how few people are genuinely curious about others.” She periodically asks about her clients’ business and activities. When she meets new people, she listens to them and tries to ask intelligent, open-ended questions about their work. Albers says, “I make sure my clients know what I’m doing when I’m busy so that when I’m not, they’re more inclined to take advantage of my availability.” For more info about this successful freelance writer, go to The Animal Question.

And you? How do you deal with the stress of freelance writing, or writing in general?