I am always amazed when editors praise me for doing things that they have asked for–like meeting deadlines, staying with word count, including (or not) quotations–etc.
These are not going the extra mile–these are the route to success.
The best advice–Read your copy aloud before submitting it. All kinds of rough spots show up that you miss when scanning silently.
A good job leads to more jobs.

Great advice. I think Brette’s story about business improving after getting an office is because it was a sign to herself that she was taking herself and her career seriously. At the beginning, in particular, it’s so easy *not* to take yourself seriously.

Join Freelance Success, where everyone seems so willing to share experience and offer suggestions.

Great piece, and great advice from everyone. A few things spring to mind for me, and some have already been mentioned:

Never burn any bridges. You never know when you’re going to have the opportunity to work with someone you’ve worked with in the past (and if they had a bad attitude in the past, that may have changed, as well).

Diversify. Gigs will implode through no fault of your own, so it’s good to have several sources of income, so you don’t freak out when one goes belly up.

Don’t be afraid to try new things. I’ve re-invented myself a lot of times and have settled into work I love, which is writing about the entertainment biz. But it took me a while to get here.

Jane

When I get in a writing funk, I pick up my old copy of Annie Lamott’s Bird by Bird. It just puts everything in perspective and gives me that boost I need to keep querying, marketing, etc.

I love this! I just wrote a very similar post last week (bit.ly/bPJ0o7) about the best advice I received during my transition from full-time to freelance SEO copywriter. Here’s the gist:

“Just keep in mind that fear, panic and excitement are fundamentally the exact same feeling. It just depends what you’re focused on.”

On days when doubt clouds my mind, this thought has gotten me through. For me, it puts everything into perspective and helps me re-focus.

Thanks for a great post!

Sheryl is right. It’s easy, especially in the early days, to put too many eggs in too few baskets. The security of it is very appealing, but if something goes wrong, you can find yourself with a long dry spell.

I would also add that networking and relationships are cumulative, sometimes taking years to “pay off.” While others had a tough 2009, mine was pretty good actually. People kept asking me what I’d done in early 2009 to make the year so strong, but the truth is that it was the impact of 10+ years of work, not anything I’d done in recent months.

Give equal attention to the craft of writing and the business of freelancing. Be proactive about getting new work and asking for a reasonable rate.

The best freelance advice I received is to remember that you are in control. If a client makes unreasonable requests or tries to pressure you into working for peanuts, you have the power to walk away. (That’s the beauty of freelancing!) And usually they’ll be another client just around the corner who respects you and is willing to pay a decent rate.