6 Ways to Kick the Freelance Fear

Let’s face it — freelance writing is scary. When checks don’t come in, you feel like you’re on the brink of economic collapse on a personal level. When you need to call an editor, your mind floods with images of the editor slamming down the phone in your ear (but not before telling you not to quit your day job). And when you send out a query, you fear that it will come back stamped “Reject,” or, worse, fall into a black hole of nothingness.

You need guts to brave the freelance life. It’s not for sissies! If you’re feeling that your courage could use a boost, follow these tips.

1. Be your own shrink. I have an anxiety disorder, and during cognitive behavioral therapy I learned a handy trick: Delve down to your worst fear and ask yourself how likely it is that it will happen. For example, say you’re afraid to call an editor. What’s the worst that can happen? The editor may reject you. Then what? You may never get an assignment again. And then what will happen? You won’t be able to pay your bills. So? Well, you’ll lose your house. And then what? You’ll die homeless and alone. Now ask yourself: How likely is it that you’ll die homeless and alone because an editor rejected your call? That’s right: Not very. This exercise can be very helpful in revealing how silly some of our fears are.

2. Buddy up. Ask another freelance writer to be your goal buddy, and share your fears with him or her. I have a goal buddy who I’ve known since the beginning of my freelance career, and we schedule a phone call once a week and bolster one another’s confidence by listening and offering suggestions. Just be sure to choose a buddy who has a positive attitude, and not someone who will feed your fears. You have enough fears of your own without a goal buddy who gives you even more.

3. Do it anyway. In her book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, Dr. Susan Jeffers tells us that the bravest people aren’t fearless — they feel fear just like anyone else. The difference is that they do things in spite of their fear. So you feel a jolt of anxiety before sending a query? Acknowledge the feeling and hit Send anyway.

4. Join the conversation. There are plenty of writers’ forums where you can confide your fears to many sympathetic ears. You’ll see you’re not the only one with these fears, and hopefully get constructive advice on how to banish them. Be careful, though, as some forums have members who seem to specialize in pessimism. Lurk before you post.

5. Exercise it. Courage is like a muscle; the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. Do the things you fear, and eventually the fear will dissipate. For example, I’m much better at written communication than speaking (that’s why I’m a writer and not a speaker!), so I was always afraid of calling editors and sources. After calling hundreds of editors and sources, though, I can now pick up the phone without a twinge of fear. Keep plugging away at your fears, and soon you’ll wonder what you were ever afraid of.

6. Remember there’s no such thing as perfect. If you’re putting off sending out a pitch because you fear it’s not perfect yet, ditch that thought and send away. An imperfect query that’s in an editor’s in-box has an infinitely better chance of succeeding than a query sitting on your hard drive. The more queries you have out there, the better your chances of landing assignments. It’s a numbers game, so don’t limit your numbers out of perfectionism.

How do you fight your freelance fears? Please post your advice in the Comments below. [lf]