How I Went From Rejected To Freelance: Short Story Of My Life

I’m a freelance writer. Yes, you heard that right: I’m one of those people who gets to wake up at noon, only wears pajamas for the first few hours of their workday, and finishes assignments by sitting in a local coffee shop.

Joking aside, this is my story of how I went from being rejected to being a freelancer and earning money from my passion for writing.

From struggling with mental health issues to having my family tell me that I would never succeed; this is the short story of my life as a freelance writer. (I also included some tips about how to become freelance at the end if you’re interested, and what I learned from this journey).

Rejection Is Really Redirection – In Freelancing & In Life

Takeaways
Freelancing can be challenging, but rejection is a normal part of the process.
Facing rejection can be an opportunity for growth and learning.
Coping with rejection involves developing a positive mindset and seeking support.
Rejection is not necessarily a sign that you are not a good freelancer.
Increasing your chances of avoiding rejection involves careful research and clear communication with clients.

Table of Contents

My Story

I have been rejected a lot. There are many reasons for this, but one of the most common is that my writing style isn’t what my client wants. I have received angry emails from clients who didn’t like the work I did for them and I have even had clients fire me in the middle of projects because they didn’t like what I wrote or how I wrote it.

There have also been instances when a client isn’t happy with their project and refuses to pay me for it (or at least only pays partial payment). This happens more often than you might think, especially if your project doesn’t go according to plan or needs additional work done on top of what was originally agreed upon between yourself and the client.

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How To Become Freelance

You’ve decided to take the plunge and start a freelance career. Good for you! I’m going to let you in on a little secret: freelancing is hard work. It’s not easy, and it may never be easy but it’s totally worth it.

You’ll have more control over your time, your schedule, and your life. You can make real money from home (or anywhere), set your rates, and get clients that you enjoy working with. In this post, I’ll share tips to help ease the stress of starting your journey as a freelancer.

Build A Freelance Website

To be successful, you need to have a website. A blog or personal site is not enough for freelancers.

Several platforms make it easy for you to build a professional-looking website with minimal time and effort. Squarespace and Weebly are two of the most popular options, but there are many others as well.

When creating your freelance site, keep these tips in mind:

Make sure that people can easily find how they can contact you on your site. If someone wants to hire you, they’re going to want to reach out right away so don’t make them dig through layers of links before they get there!

Include a portfolio of some of your best work so potential clients can see what kind of results they can expect when working with you (and also impress any potential employers).

If possible include some testimonials from previous clients on this page too just remember that if someone writes something positive about their experience working with one company then it could seem suspicious if someone else gets hired by them too (unless maybe both companies were small enough that no one would notice?)

Ask Friends, Family, Or Former Co-Workers For Freelance Work

You can ask friends, family, and former co-workers for freelance work. It’s a good idea to ask current bosses as well as past ones. You may be surprised how many people will help you out!

You can also ask friends and family members that trust your skills and know how much time you are willing to dedicate to this type of work. They will refer you because they want the best for you!

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Start A Side Hustle While You’re Still Working Full-Time

If you’re still working full-time and want to begin building your freelance career, it can be a smart move to start a side hustle while you’re still working full-time even if it’s just one or two nights a week.

A side hustle can be anything from selling things on eBay, creating an Etsy shop or blog, and taking on small gigs like wedding photography. Starting a side hustle is also a great way to build your portfolio (and resume) without having to quit your job right away.

Side hustles can help build your network: In addition to getting experience doing what you love, starting a side hustle allows you to meet other people in the industry who might refer clients or offer advice about how best to grow your business.

Work With A Mentor (For Help And Advice)

Mentors are great for a lot of reasons. They can help you with your business, your career, and even your personal life. Mentors will guide you through the ups and downs of being self-employed and help you get where you want to go faster by sharing their knowledge and experience.

Some mentors are better than others at coaching people through different aspects of freelancing so make sure that you choose someone who has a lot of expertise in areas that matter most to you (e.g., if time management is important then find someone with experience in this area).

Approach Companies That You Love And Want To Work With

The first step is to approach companies that you love, and want to work with. You need to love the company, its mission, and the people that you will be working with. You also need to be able to add value by providing a different perspective and skillset than what they have in-house.

You should learn from your clients as well as teach them something about yourself or your industry that they didn’t know before. This can be achieved by being open and candid about who you are and why you’re applying for this particular job/project/assignment.

Lastly, before applying for any position make sure there’s an opportunity for compensation so that both parties benefit from the relationship.

Join Facebook Groups And Connect With Entrepreneurs On Social Media

Social media is a great place to connect with other freelancers. You will be able to ask questions and get advice from people who have already been in your situation. These connections can help you grow your business, or even find new clients!

You should join Facebook groups for freelancers so that you can network with others who are going through the same things as you. It’s a great way to meet people who share common interests and experiences and get tips on how best to improve your business skills too.

Social media is also an excellent tool for marketing yourself as an entrepreneur you can use it to promote yourself online by sharing interesting content related to what it’s like being self-employed (such as blog posts).

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Create impressive pitch emails

One of the most important things you can do is to create an impressive pitch email. The following are some tips on how to write one:

Make sure it’s clear and concise. Don’t send long emails with too many details, as this could confuse your potential client and make them think that they’re not getting a good deal.

Also, keep in mind that most people are pressed for time and won’t want to read lengthy messages if they’re not interested in working with you yet (and sometimes even if they are).

Include a brief description of the project, what needs doing, and why it’s important, and include any relevant links to your work (if there’s anything else on your website or portfolio).

If there isn’t anything else out there yet but don’t worry! You can still create something amazing, right? Then link back later when more has been done! Just remember these things will help reinforce why someone should hire

Charge What You’re Worth

This is the single most important thing you can do as a freelancer. I repeat this is the single most important thing you can do as a freelancer.

Charge what you’re worth; This doesn’t mean to charge what you think your skills are worth (although that’s certainly part of it). You should be confident in your skills and know-how much value they bring to any given project.

If there’s one thing that scares me about being freelance, it’s underselling myself and undervaluing my work. But I’m learning not only how valuable my services are but also that no client has ever said “Thanks for undercharging me!”

Set Up An Invoicing System

If you’re just getting started as a freelancer, it can be tempting to avoid invoicing altogether. But if you don’t have an invoicing system in place, you won’t be able to keep track of what clients owe you and when they need to pay up.

To start receiving payment promptly and consistently from clients, set up an invoice system that works for your business. It might seem like a lot of work at first and it is but once you get into the habit of sending out invoices regularly (once every two weeks or once per month) it will become second nature.

What I Learned From This Journey

When I started freelancing, it was scary and exciting. I didn’t know what to expect and every day brought new challenges.

I learned a lot during my journey and now that I am settled in my career, I look back at the lessons freelancing taught me. If you’re just starting, here are the most important lessons that helped me navigate this world of freelancing.

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Trust Your Instincts

There are certain things you need to do every day. You have your morning routine, you listen to the same music and eat at the same restaurant on Fridays, you always visit your family on Sundays and watch the latest episodes of Game of Thrones.

These are habits that makeup who you are as a person. However, it’s also important to trust your instincts when working with clients or making decisions about projects. Your gut feeling will tell you if something is off or if someone is trying to take advantage of you just listen and follow what feels right!

Plan Ahead

If you plan, everything becomes easier. You’ll have the peace of mind to know that even if something comes up, you can easily adapt and make sure it won’t affect your goals or deadlines.

For example: Say you have a freelance project coming up in two weeks, but then your car gets into an accident and needs repairs. A good planner would put this into their calendar as well as their to-do list so they know what they need to do before their next client meeting (or any other appointment).

They would also use these tools to plan for the things that might be unpredictable in life as an emergency visit from your cousin who wants housing for a month while she looks for jobs in town and how best to accommodate.

This temporary change in her living situation without disrupting any other plans she may have made with friends while visiting town or affecting her search efforts negatively.

Finally, even though it isn’t always possible or necessary to predict everything that might happen down the road (and when something unexpected does occur), Knowing how much time is required between each step will allow freelancers like yourself time enough beforehand.

So as not to be stressed out about missing deadlines because there wasn’t enough time given between steps one through five.

Don’t Get Carried Away With The Hype Of Clients

The biggest takeaway from my freelancing journey is that you have to be realistic about the workload.

You have to be realistic about the budget, as well. If your client is paying you $5 per hour, then it doesn’t matter how many hours of work they ask for; that’s all you get paid for. Similarly with deadlines and scope of work – if a client wants a complex feature in 10 days? You should make sure it’s doable before committing your time and effort.

And don’t forget expectations: if someone wants something done by tomorrow but isn’t willing to pay you to double what they would normally pay, it doesn’t mean they’re being unreasonable…it just means they don’t want to pay anything more than usual!

Transitioning from a full-time job to freelance web development can be daunting, but it’s also an opportunity for growth and fulfillment. Check out our guide on transitioning from a full-time job to a freelance web developer for tips on managing your finances, building a client base, and navigating the challenges of self-employment.

You Are Not An Employee

Leaping freelancing can be a scary experience, so it’s important to keep in mind that you’re not an employee. You’re now the owner of your own business and it’s up to you to be successful.

In the beginning, there will be days when everything goes wrong and no matter what you do, nothing seems to work out for you. The only thing that matters is that you keep going because if this were easy, everyone would have their website and blog by now!

Invest In Yourself. Always Upgrade Yourself

As a freelancer, you’re always working on your business and investing in yourself. You may be making money from your clients but if you don’t upskill yourself, it will make it very hard for you to survive as a freelancer.

I learned this the hard way when I started as a web designer and then decided to try my hand at graphic design while also trying to learn to code.

The more skills I gained, the more requests came in that required those specific skills. And then once I felt like I was ready for the next step working for myself the full time I realized that this wasn’t enough either!

The lesson here: always invest in yourself. You’ll need an edge over other competitors who are trying their best at whatever job they’re doing right now; otherwise, why should anyone hire them? So build up those skillsets today so tomorrow won’t catch them unprepared!

Be Responsive And Polite

Respond to emails within 24 hours. If you’re unable to respond within that time frame, let them know when they can expect a response.

Respond to phone calls within 2 hours. If you’re unable to respond within that time frame, let them know when they can expect a response.

Be polite at all times even if the client is not always nice or respectful toward you! Your behavior has an effect on your reputation as a freelancer; if someone doesn’t respect you as a person, maybe they won’t want your services as an employee either.

Be professional but also be yourself. A good way of doing this is by being friendly: Use humor (if appropriate), share stories about yourself that don’t involve work, and generally show that there’s more than just business between us 🙂

Teach Yourself Everything You Need To Know

The first step to freelancing is to teach yourself everything you need to know.

Learn about the industry you want to be in. You need to understand what clients are looking for, and how much time it takes for them to commit to working with a freelancer.

Knowing who your ideal client is will help you focus on building relationships with those people who are most likely to hire you again.

Learn about your clients’ goals, challenges, and struggles in their business or mission so they can trust you with their project more easily, which means more money for both of us.

The more understanding I have about our shared values and goals as individuals/businesses working together towards achieving common goals = better communication = fewer misunderstandings = and happy customers 🙂

Be Open To Criticisms And Feedback

Criticism and feedbacks are not bad things. It is a way to improve, grow, and learn.

While freelancing, I learned that being open to criticisms and feedback help me get better at my job. I’ve met so many people who do not want to hear or accept any type of criticism because they think it will cause them to harm in their work or career. But in reality, there are so many benefits to accepting it:

You can learn more about what you are doing wrong (and fix it)
You can improve on your current process/methods for creating products/services for your clients
You may even discover new ways to help your customers out more efficiently

Focus On Building Your Brand

What is a brand? It’s your unique identity, that makes you special or different from others. Your brand is how you want people to view and perceive you.

In the freelancing world, it’s all about branding yourself as an expert in your industry by showing off your knowledge and expertise through writing blog posts, eBooks, social media posts, videos, and more!

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed reading my story, and I also hope it helped you. To conclude, I just have one last thing to say: create your path in life, and do not hesitate to dream big. You can make anything happen if you truly put yourself out there. There’s no limit as long as there’s passion behind every action you take.

FAQs

What is rejection in freelancing?

Rejection in freelancing refers to the experience of having a client decline your proposal or work. It can be discouraging, but it is a common experience for many freelancers.

How do I cope with rejection as a freelancer?

Coping with rejection as a freelancer involves developing a positive mindset, learning from the experience, and focusing on your strengths and accomplishments. It can also help to seek support from other freelancers or mentors.

How can I use rejection as an opportunity for growth?

You can use rejection as an opportunity for growth by reflecting on what you can learn from the experience and using it to improve your skills or approach to freelancing. It can also be helpful to seek feedback from the client and use it to improve your work.

Is rejection a sign that I am not a good freelancer?

No, rejection is not necessarily a sign that you are not a good freelancer. It is a normal part of the freelancing experience, and it can happen for a variety of reasons, such as a mismatch between your skills and the client’s needs or a lack of fit in communication or work styles.

How can I increase my chances of avoiding rejection as a freelancer?

You can increase your chances of avoiding rejection as a freelancer by carefully researching and targeting clients who align with your skills and interests, creating a strong portfolio and proposal, and communicating clearly and professionally throughout the freelancing process.

What Made You Want To Become A Freelance Writer?

I have always loved writing, even before I knew what it was. But when I got my first rejection letter in college, I knew I wanted to become a professional writer.

I kept getting rejected by the publishers who published my favorite books and thought, “If they won’t publish me, then maybe I should try to publish myself!”

What Do You Think Is The Hardest Part About Being A Freelance Writer?

The hardest part about being a freelance writer is making sure that you get enough work so that you can pay your bills each month. You are your boss, so it’s up to you to make sure that every job is completed on time and meets all of the client’s needs.

How Do You Balance Life And Work As A Freelancer?

Balancing life and work as a freelancer is tough! It’s important not only for your mental well-being but also for productivity purposes to take breaks during the day or week so that you can recharge your batteries before jumping back into working mode again.

How Did You Start Writing?

I started writing when I was in elementary school. My teacher gave us the assignment to write a story, and I wrote about how much I wished I could live in a castle. It wasn’t very good, but it sparked my interest in writing.

When I was in middle school, I joined the newspaper club and got a taste of journalism, which also inspired me to write more.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.