My 5 go-to mantras for getting paid as an independent writer
Last Monday I posted a Note sharing one of my mantras and explaining how I hoped it would help me organize my writing workload. (It did!)
So I thought I’d tell you a bit more about why I found it so helpful and share a few of my other go-to mantras for focusing, writing, and feeling brave enough to do the scary-but-necessary things required to be a paid writer.
I hope they help you as much as they help me!
My 5 go-to mantras for getting paid as an independent writer
1. Get paid.
On my good days, managing my time, energy, and writing projects is straightforward. But on my bad days—when I haven’t gotten enough sleep, don’t feel well, or just can’t seem to focus—knowing what to do when and for how long becomes a struggle. This mantra helps me feel less overwhelmed by narrowing my focus. It reminds me that I don’t have to do everything for all my clients and also myself all at once to be a paid writer. I just have to do the handful of tasks that actually move the needle, and even those I don’t have to do all in one day.
2. Done is better than perfect.
Perfectionism is a sneaky, slippery thing. Just when I think I’ve gotten good at writing my way through it, it finds a new way to trip me up—especially when it comes to getting paid. I can’t tell you how much time I’ve spent tweaking an email to a new potential client, proofreading an invoice, or rewriting the CTA (call-to-action) in an essay. This mantra reminds me that perfect doesn’t pay, and that as scary as it feels to think of getting it wrong, calling something done and sharing it with others is the fastest way to find out if I got it right. It’s also the only way to get the feedback I need to do better next time.
3. Talk about what you do.
I’ve been an independent writer since 2023. Most of the paid writing opportunities I’ve had since then have come from people I’ve connected with in real life: friends of friends, fellow freelancers, even complete strangers. Still, whenever someone asks me about my writing, I get SO sweaty (read: nervous). This mantra is for the moments I would rather hide than take up literally any space at all. It reminds me that there are people in my orbit ready, willing, and excited to pay me for my writing. They just need me to tell them about it.
4. There’s gold in the follow-up.
The same part of me that’s afraid to take up space by talking about what I do is also afraid of being annoying by checking in and asking again. If I didn’t hear back, that must mean the answer is no, right? Wrong! When I feel nervous about following up on paid opportunities, this mantra reframes my ask as a favor to the other person. I’m not being annoying; I’m reminding someone who is probably busy, overwhelmed, and overworked that I’m here to help. This makes it easier for me to reach out—and easier for them to pay me.
5. Be more honest.
Getting paid for my writing is great, but I’ve learned from experience that the money isn’t more important to me than being aligned in the work. That means being honest with myself about what I like to write, how I like to work, what I’m willing and not willing to write, what I need to do my best writing, etc.—and then communicating that to my clients and readers. This is so hard and scary to do! But this mantra reminds me that the more honest I am about what I want and need, the more likely I am to do (and be paid) for my best work. Being honest is also a great way to weed out the opportunities, clients, and readers that aren’t right for me in the first place.