4 Freelance Writing Goals for the New Year

Photo by Engin Akyurt from Pexels

Working as a freelance writer can be a fun and exciting career. However, it can also be challenging to stay motivated and on target without the right goals. You must have specific aspirations that you want to attain.

Whether you want to acquire more clients or increase your rates, here are four goals that freelance writers should try to achieve in 2022. Take these goals and resolutions and use them as inspiration for the coming months.

Goal #1: Develop a daily routine

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya from Unsplash

If you want to be successful as a freelance writer, you need to develop a routine that works for your personality. It can be as simple as setting the alarm and waking up early, or it can be a more long-term goal to write every day. Establish a schedule or rituals that will help you finish your work efficiently.

Goal #2: Acquire new clients

Photo by krakenimages from Unsplash

One of the main goals that many freelance writers have is to grow their client list. If you are on the hunt for new clients, this goal should be your focus in 2022.

As a freelancer, you want to find a way to maximize your work and get more done. This includes finding new ways to market yourself and developing business relationships with other professionals.

Goal #3: Get more bylines

Photo by Nicole Angelova from Unsplash

A byline is the author’s name that appears at the beginning or end of the article. It is a way to credit work and set yourself up for success in your freelance writing career. To get more bylines, you need to pitch stories to publications. Set deadlines and write regularly. Don’t underestimate the power of persistence!

You also want to make sure you choose topics that are relevant and interesting to your audience. If you have a niche topic or another skill, consider using this as a means for getting bylines.

Goal #4: Assign yourself a daily word count 

Photo by Corinne Kutz from Unsplash

One of the most accessible goals you can set for yourself is establishing a word count that you can hit daily. By having a word count goal, you’ll have a sense of progress and can track your progress over time. If you want to increase your freelance writing rates but struggle with time management, try setting a weekly word count for yourself. You may find that this helps motivate you to work more efficiently.

Conclusion

Take stock of your goals for the new year and spend some time developing new tactics to help you reach your goals. New Year’s resolutions are a great way to start off fresh, but if they don’t work out or aren’t met in the end, it can be discouraging. The key is taking small steps towards achieving what you set out for yourself so that when January comes around again, you’re not too far away from where you’d want to be.

About the author

Carla Martinez-Tensuan is a freelance writer and editor. She specializes in crafting blog content, creative copy, and press releases. She enjoys listening to podcasts, reading books, and baking sweets from a box in her spare time. She lives with her husband in Manila, Philippines.