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In my previous post, I shared why you’re not ready to be a freelance writer. One of the reasons is fear. You need to get over your fear to become a better writer, and just get started in general.

We all have fears in life and in business. One of the biggest for writers is failure.

We’re scared that our businesses won’t take off, scared that clients will reject us, scared that we just won’t do that well. I held myself back and watched others make a name for themselves for the longest time until I decided to get over my own fear.

Not sure how to ever start? Here are my top tips to get over your fear and become a better writer.

Step out of your comfort zone

The best way to kick fear in the butt is to get out of your comfort zone. You’re not going to be comfortable getting over your fear.

If it was that comfortable, wouldn’t everyone do it?

Find the edge of your comfort zone and start pushing. Part of my problem was being visible on social media. I feared what people would say if they read my content. I still worry about it now and then, but if I don’t get it out there, then nobody will.

Every day, you need to push yourself a little further.

If your fear is also putting yourself out on social media, start with one tweet or Facebook post a day. From there, you can build up to being more consistent and more visible.

The Essential Guide to Freelance Writing: How to Write, Work, and Thrive on Your Own Terms ($)

Use your mistakes to learn from them

When you get over your fear of making mistakes, you’ll find that those mistakes aren’t all that bad. You’re meant to make mistakes.

When you first started walking, did you worry about falling over? Okay, you won’t remember all that much, but chances are you wanted to get about. You saw people put one foot in front of the other, so you did it. And you fell.

Babies get back up and they try again. They figure out what they did wrong the first time and make sure they don’t make that mistake the second time.

You can do that in business. When you make a mistake, look at where it went wrong and why. As you do that, you’ll be able to correct the mistake. You’ll not make it in the future.

You grow in business by learning from mistakes.

While you can learn from others’ mistakes, don’t just rely on this. What works for one person in business doesn’t work for another, and vice versa.

Be willing to take advice to get over your fear

A while ago, I got a message from someone who wanted to be a writer. It simply said:

i am good article writer . i need your help

can you help me ?

Yes, that is exactly how it was written.

I thought she wanted me to mentor her to become a better writer. I wasn’t sure how I could help, but I connected with her and we chatted. She actually wanted me to outsource my content to her, sending me various poorly written samples.

When I politely declined and suggested she find a mentor, she wasn’t happy. She believed her writing was excellent and she’d find someone else to hire her.

If you want to be a better writer, you need to take advice sometimes. This isn’t just about people who can or can’t write well in the English language (or whatever language you’re going to offer your services in). There are so many areas of business that you will need advice and help in.

I do wonder if this writer’s fear of failure stopped her from taking to me. It could have also been arrogance or anger, but fear of failing may also be part of the issue.

Know your plan

Don’t go into this without a plan. When you get over your fear, you need to have an action plan to take the next steps.

What will you do once you decide to use social media? What will you pitch to clients in the hope of getting them to say yes? Where are you putting your samples to show your skills with a good byline?

Create a step by step plan with SMART goals. Then stick to it.

MORE: 4 ways freelance writing is bad for your mental health

What is holding you back as a writer? Are you ready to get over your fear? Let me know in the comments below and you can always reach out if you’d like to become one of my students.