The rise of the freelance economy is palpable. Coffee shops and coworking spaces abound with freelancers plugging away on their laptops, and office spaces are increasingly empty as the best and brightest leave traditional work behind to claim more flexibility and autonomy in their jobs.

If you are a freelance writer, then that means you’re not on the clock. You’re not getting paid to sit there. You only make money when you work. That’s why you can’t waste your precious minutes looking through sites that promise leads on legitimate freelance writing jobs, but fail to deliver. Instead, they just copy and paste posts off Craigslist and regurgitate them into an unorganized newsletter.

For those of among you who shudder at the very idea of going to work every day, and sitting, 9 to 5, in a cubicle, freelancing might just be the perfect fit. However, the internet is a big place, so it can be a bit overwhelming for new freelancers to get themselves out there, not just because of the growing competition, as more and more people turn to freelancing and working from home, but also because there are thousands of websites which aim to connect freelancers with their clients.

Sometimes, when jobs fall in your lap or your inbox is full of inquiries, freelancing feels like a walk through the park. You know, the kind where bluebirds tie your shoelaces and beautiful people with adorable dogs wink at you as they jog by?

Most businesses these days are learning the importance of having an email list. An email list allows a business to regularly communicate with the people that have expressed interest in their products or services, and create content specifically for them that converts like crazy.

Newsletters: they’re not just for sleazy internet marketers or SaaS companies. As an independent creative, a mailing list can be your most valuable tool to drive leads, get repeat business, and be seen as an authority in your field.

Whether you’re new to the world of freelancing, a seasoned veteran in your field, or freelancing while working full time, convincing potential clients that you’re the best fit for the job is always a major hurdle. Writing a strong freelance proposal that can beat out experienced competitors, is instrumental to winning the best projects and increasing your income as a freelancer.

The most successful freelancers I know don’t spend a lot of time writing cover letters and answering screening questions. In fact, they usually spend less time putting Upwork proposals together than their less successful competitors!

You spend hours and hours drafting proposals -- emailing different departments for assets, curating images, outlining the scope, creating timelines, inputting estimates, and defining recommendations. Then, you send it off to the prospect, and it's on to the next one.

Any clients think don't seem to place a lot of importance on the proposal phase of the relationship. While you think you're moving to the next stage in the sales process, they simply think they are being nice by agreeing to look over your suggestions.

When you switch to being a freelancer, the one thing that hits just about everyone is becoming overwhelmed with having to manage everything yourself. It’s not enough to just focus on your craft and deliver amazing results for your clients. You actually have to find those clients first! I thought I was ready, after all, I had managed multiple projects and cross-functional teams, with a million things up in the air all at once in my earlier jobs. How hard could it be?

Let’s be honest, selling is not why you got into freelancing. Still, it’s essential, or you’ll have no one to freelance to. Once you’ve got a solid marketing strategy in place sending you new leads every week, the process for actually turning them into clients goes like this: Qualify lead > Present proposal > Close deal.

Job searching is a daunting task. At times, we find ourselves falling to the spray and pray method to land a job interview. But the return of investment for that approach is so small that we may as well sit back and relax.

When it comes to clients, you sometimes feel like you can’t live with them, and you can’t live without them. Clients are the lifeblood of your freelance business, without them, you’re right back to your trusty 9 to 5. Like a double-edged sword, they’re both absolutely indispensable and a major cause for frustration, if not properly chosen and managed.

Assuming that you’ve already decided to leave your full-time job, you better gear up and start planning. Landing your first gig might not be as fast and easy as you’re thinking. Before you start searching for a gig there are several steps you need to wrap up in order to leave a positive impression when pitching to your potential clients.