Thursday, June 13, 2024

Traits of Broke

Five Common Traits of Broke Writers

Some mirror for you to evaluate your writing career

The dream of making a full-time living as a writer is one that many aspire to. But the harsh reality is that only a few writers consistently earn meaningful income from their craft.

This article reveals some consistent tendencies among struggling writers that inhibit their ability to monetize their skills. By becoming aware of these unproductive patterns, writers can shift their mindsets and behaviours to achieve significant success.

Here are five common traits that tend to keep writers broke:

1. Lacking Clear Goals and Strategy

It’s easy for writers to approach their work randomly without clearly defined goals and a strategy to achieve them. They may dabble in different types of writing or bounce between topics without direction. Or they neglect to identify income targets and how to hit them.

Without clarity around long-term objectives and a plan to get there, it’s almost impossible to build a lucrative writing career.

Unfocused efforts rarely produce monetary results.

Take time to get clear on your overall vision, income needs, target markets, and necessary systematic steps to make progress.

Strategy and intentionality separates successful writers from aimless hobbyists.

2. Not Valuing Their Worth

Struggling writers are often undercharged for their work because they don’t yet value their worth.

They may compare themselves to more established writers and feel unqualified to charge competitive rates.

Undervaluing your work breeds financial struggle. Do your homework to determine fair market value based on ability and experience. Remember that clients ultimately care about the value delivered more than how many years you’ve been writing.

Have confidence that you provide immense value through your writing. Charge rates aligned with that value, even if it feels like a stretch at first.

3. Lack of Marketing Ability

Many writers mistakenly think that having written work is enough — that if the writing is high quality, the money will come.

But no one sees your brilliant work if you don’t actively market it.

Struggling writers often have little or no marketing experience or expertise. They usually fear self-promotion, are unsure how to connect with the right audiences or feel uncomfortable with sales conversations.

Developing marketing skills is non-negotiable. Learn how to strategically promote yourself and convert writing opportunities through sales calls, emails, social media, and more.

4. Not Developing the Right Skills

Writing for pay requires a diverse set of skills beyond simply writing ability — such as interviewing, research, editing, meeting deadlines, pitching clients, and more.

Getting paid often depends on whether you are a versatile, reliable service provider — not just a strong writer. Hence, be sure to develop well-rounded skills. That way, you can confidently handle all aspects of a paid writing project.

5. Waiting for Inspiration to Strike

Broke writers tend to wait around for inspiration before they start writing. They believe they need to “feel” motivated before they put words on the page.

But successful writers don’t wait for inspiration — they show up and do the work regardless.

They treat writing like a business rather than a hobby.

Commit to regular, focused writing time to build your skills and portfolio. Stop waiting for the muse to magically strike. Show up day in and day out as you develop your writing career.

Wrapping Up

The path to lucrative writing success involves shifting gears from hobbyist to pro. Clearly define your goals, value your worth, build marketing skills, expand your capabilities, and write consistently.

Keep these principles handy as you build a writing career that brings fulfilment and financial stability.

Tired of being a broken writer? Ready to step up as a writer in 2024? My exclusive 3-month one-on-one coaching can help you go from stuck to flourishing. But firstly, I invite you to jump on a free 15-minute no-pressure clarity call with me. Let’s see if we can work together.

I hope this helps you. If it did, be sure to clap me a thousand times (joking, a few tens would do), leave me a comment (it will encourage me a lot — smiles), and share this with someone you know needs it (sharing is caring).

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