Dealing with Uncertainty as a Writing and Editing Business Owner
There is so much uncertainty when you start (and are running) a writing business. When and where will I find clients? Will people like my work? Why won’t editors respond to my pitches? When am I going to get paid? By focusing more on what you can control, you might find it easier to deal with all the uncertainties that you will most certainly face as the owner of a writing business:
• 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲. If your inbox is quiet and your workflow has slowed or stopped altogether, consider dedicating time to business development. Research publications you’re interested in writing for, sign up for networking events, look for new ways to promote your business. Developing your business should also be part of your weekly routine when things are going well because you never know when business will slow down.
• 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. Earlier in my career I was sometimes paralyzed with a writing assignment because I wasn’t sure readers (or my editors) were going to enjoy reading it. What’s helped me overcome that fear is understanding that it’s unrealistic to think that everyone is going to like everything I write. I’ve also found that working with editors and others who provide constructive criticism can help me improve my writing in ways I never thought possible.
• 𝗢𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗳 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵. No matter how much time you spend researching and crafting what you think is a strong pitch, there are no guarantees that an editor will respond. If you can accept that – and also stop obsessively refreshing your email inbox since that is not going to encourage the editor to get back to you – you can spend your time and energy on building your business in other ways. If an editor ends up responding and showing interest in your story idea, that’s amazing. If you never hear back, at least you have moved on to something else.
• 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲. When you decide to go out on your own and the regular paychecks from your former employer stop, sometimes you don’t know when your bank account will get a boost. To ensure you’re receiving some financial benefit for your efforts, consider requiring partial payments from your clients before you begin any writing or editing work.