What are the biggest mistakes Writing professionals make when starting their career?

I had a burning story begging to be let out of my mental cage. The muse was much stronger than I was, so I sat down to begin on a journey I knew nothing about really. I read many great authors to learn techniques and skills I did not have in my tool box. You have to start somewhere. wrote my first poem at age nine, so I had some skills and knowledge. My first book took me a year to write, edit, and revise with the help of others along the way. It turned out fairly well for the first attempt. I believe every writer should s-t-r-e-t-c-h themselves by trying something out of the ordinary. You will grow and mature as an author.

When you are starting out as a writer, it is easy to try to write for some ill-defined mass audience. To try to write something everyone will like. In truth, you are better writing for yourself. Embrace your own interests, passions, weirdnesses, and flaws. Write to make yourself laugh, not because you think it is a joke that will play well at 9pm on ITV.

In my experience I have found that many people are shy about asking for testimonials or they wait too long to make the request. I have found that when confirming a contract or any opportunity the expectation should be set that the client will be asked to submit a testimonial or some sort of feedback of the experience. Testimonials may lead to recommendations and future paid contracts. If someone has had a positive experience working with you, then they are more likely willing to recommend other clients. In the same vein, if the experience was not satisfactory, it gives you the chance to make it right and improve your services.

A frequent error among new writing pros is neglecting to build a portfolio—a showcase of your work samples and client testimonials. Your portfolio is crucial for demonstrating your expertise, landing clients, and negotiating rates. Yet, many overlook it or fail to update regularly. To steer clear of this pitfall, craft a polished portfolio featuring your top-notch work, notable achievements, and client feedback. Ensure it aligns with your niche and brand.

Not starting. Don’t be intimidated by those who are more advanced in their writing journey; they too had to start somewhere. Look forward to the climb, expect some hurdles, but never stop writing to boost your portfolio. You may not get opportunities with major companies or publications early on. That’s okay, use Substack, social media or a DIY blog as a resource, market yourself professionally and readers will eventually take notice.

Write every day. Post something on social media daily to show the readers what you can do. Employers need a sample to pick you as a writer. A ready portfolio makes the process quicker. You don’t need to be hired first to begin creating your portfolio. In fact, once you start your journey as a writer, most of the work that comes your way will involve ghostwriting - that you cannot claim as your sample. Post on groups related to your topic. Offer a variety of content to display your strengths. If you write blogs, sign up on free portals like Medium to post articles on topics of interest. For social media content, create anything and post daily or at least thrice weekly. Show the world your mettle, and your portfolio will start building up.

Even if you're a brilliant writer, landing job interviews can still be a challenge in the fiercely competitive field of writing. While remote job opportunities are now accessible to writers nationwide, freelancers find themselves competing on a global scale. To stand out, it's crucial to actively showcase your abilities and network with peers and other industry professionals. Knowledge-building is an ongoing process. Don't hesitate to share your insights and ideas on online platforms, regardless of whether you feel like an "expert" yet.

As a writer, it's always a dream that clients find you based solely on the quality of your work. In reality, this is rarely the case. The best writers use their skills to market themselves online. I share posts consistently on LinkedIn so I appear in the feed of my connections, plus potential clients. It not only showcases my writing skills, but also shows that I take my writing business seriously.

Don't play small! Put yourself out there in as many big ways as you can, even if you feel nervous or uncomfortable. So much opportunity comes from simply showing up and being seen.

Marketing is hard when you first start. That's why so many brilliant writers get discouraged. The world never gets to see their work because they didn't know how to market themselves. But, if you do learn this skill, you will do well. The most important thing to remember is to figure out what's appealing about your writing. What can you create that people care about? When you find that overlap, you'll have a starting point for a successful writing career. Whatever you do, don't give up. Keep learning how to marketing yourself. And keep writing!

Practicing healthy boundary setting will save you a ton of heartache down the road; trust me. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned the hard way: - Strive for brevity and clarity — not poetry — when communicating expectations. That, too, is a sign of skillful writing. - When negotiating your terms, remember: you don’t have to answer everything on the spot. Buy yourself some time to consider a client’s requests and come back with a recommendation. - Paying for your services does not give someone the right to verbally abuse you. Embrace constructive criticism — and own your mistakes, because you will make them — but make it clear that you won’t suffer shouting or ad hominem attacks. - There’s no such thing as “just one more little edit.”

How much is your writing worth? Over time, you have to learn a very important lesson. Don't look at your peers to decide what to charge. Don't even bother with industry standards. No. What you want is client who will pay you in proportion to what you bring to their business. You should charge a portion of the revenue you believe your writing will bring. Now, it will take time to get there. But that's what you should strive for. And that'show you'll start working with clients who value, appreciate, and respect you.

The most important skill I've learned as a writer and as a professional is how to say "no." As a young recent graduate, I made the mistake of undervaluing my writing and not setting boundaries. I took a job with poor pay that was more or less a content farm and it ended up taking up all of my time and energy. This left me without the 'juice' I needed to work on my own writing and the experiences that would have built a strong portfolio. KNOW YOUR WORTH. Writing is a severely undervalued product & skill. Don't give more than you have to, and pour as much energy as you can into yourself and your own writing. When interviewing for a day job, focus on finding something that leaves you with enough energy to write on the side.

Don’t be afraid to say “no.” You may be too busy; you may not feel comfortable with a prospective client; or you may not be confident covering a specific topic. Be honest with yourself and the client. You will be happier in the long run trusting your instinct, and the client will be better served.

How do you develop the habit of improving everyday? Here is what I have done. I've got several writing books that I like to learn from. I have put these books all over my house. So, almost anywhere I turn, there's a book about writing. That way, any time I sit down I just reach out. I grab the book closest to me. I read a passage or two, just a little bit. Then I think about it so I can apply it during my writing sessions. So, without trying, I learn just a tiny bit each day. Over time, these tiny lessons will accumulate. I think this is the easiest way to make improvement a habit.

One big factor most writers overlook at the start of their careers is understanding the vastness of the field. Once a writer pays minute attention to the options and opportunities available to learn and grow, by taking up tasks and learning as they go, this process helps to fine tune their own skills. This in turn helps to understand a writer’s own strengths and interests. Taking time to dive in deep at the beginning helps to become a more rounded writer.

Focus more on earning than learning is one of the big mistakes medical writers do at the start of career. Medical writing is a vast field so focus on learning new document types should always be prioritized.

It can be tempting to remain within the confines of your comfort zone. Over time, you may find yourself comfortably writing certain types of documents, and it becomes less of a challenge. However, ambitious writers strive to continuously challenge themselves and feel discomfort if things become too easy. They constantly seek new avenues for learning and growth. If you don't feel at least a slight cringe when revisiting something you wrote six months ago, you are likely not evolving as a writer. Explore various learning sources, engage with peers, request feedback from managers, seek guidance from mentors, and pursue opportunities that push you beyond your comfort zone

Many young writers I talk to focus so much on getting the exact right pitch to their dream publication, they miss the opportunity to learn with a smaller publication that will take more chances on them. Those ongoing relationships for shorter articles, rather than the One Big Pitch, will allow you to learn how to work with an editor, find the right voice for a publication, and stretch your muscles in different ways.

People think being a writer is about writing. It's not, really. Especially when you're starting. Yeah, you have to be a good writer. But that's the baseline. Everyone you're competing with is, too. So that doesn't matter anymore. When you're starting your career, forget that you're a writer. Be a business owner. Set up outreach systems. Communicate like no one else will. Hit the pavement, shake hands, kiss babies. Make people like you. If you can, make people love you. Be a great business owner first. Be a writer second.

The biggest mistake i made, was using everything i had, every time. I was so grateful for every wordplay, every beautiful sentence, every witz, every concept, every gefundenes Fressen, that i piled up everything and made my text far too fat, to rich. Kitschy. If you want to write, learn to cook. its a question of the right balance in spices, in cream, in base ingredients. Learn to compose music and see that you can not have a crescendo without silence. no excitement without the occasional boredom.

The biggest mistake I see new writers make is worrying about "perfecting" or "optimizing" their pitch or portfolio or newsletter send date instead of just doing the damn thing. It's super scary to learn by doing, because it involves being comfortable with some level of trial by error (and with trial by error, you have to be OK making errors). It's never fun to fail - but in most cases in my writing career, I have learned the most by putting myself out there and trying rather than trying to do it perfectly on the first attempt. It's generic advice but it's good advice - just get out there and try. This advice is the only reason why I was ever brave enough to try writing, and I am so glad I took it!

Writing on a professional level takes time. It's not easy - even though gurus promise overnight success. Still, you must write everyday. You have to learn new skills that will help you stand out. You have to master expressing your thoughts clearly. But once you get the hang of it, it's very rewarding. And think about it - writing has survived thousands of years. We still read books that were written many, many centuries ago. That's how important your skill is. Keep writing!