By Charlie Swarbrooke – Find Charlie on Medium @charlieswarby13
Imposter syndrome is rife in the freelance writing world – many believe they aren’t good enough. But anyone who pursues creativity as a career has a battle ahead, and that takes guts! And in my experience as a writer, I’ve developed ways to remind myself that I am good enough. If you struggle with that too, here are some tips I think could help.
First, let’s quickly answer the question: what is imposter syndrome?
At its root, imposter syndrome is insecurity over your ability to perform well in your job. Many people describe it as a lack of self-belief in your own skills, and feeling like you don’t really deserve the position you’ve worked hard to reach.
This belief is often reinforced by negative attitudes in the workplace, but it’s also often impounded by seeing success around you.
For the latter, you can end up internalising the idea that you lack any achievements of the same calibre. Within the writing world, that tends to mean you don’t rate your own work at all!
You can end up re-reading your own writing a thousand times but you’ll never quite believe it’s good enough. It just doesn’t feel the same as the novels you dive into or the corporate copy you see across a million websites online. You feel like you just can’t hit the same mark. Even with some professional projects behind you, it seems like you have nothing to really show for it.
This mindset is a problem. It churns your guts up and makes you feel like you can’t show your face at writing conferences or marketing events. In my experience, it can even stop you from applying for writing work at all, which lets you endlessly steep in the imposter sensation.
After all, how could you compete against another writer’s content and SEO knowhow when they’re clearly so much better than you?
Because imposter syndrome is lying to you!
Sometimes we’re our own worst enemy. When thoughts like those invade and make you doubt yourself, you need a reminder of just how good a writer you really are.
In my view, even when you feel like the world is saying ‘no’, it’s imperative to remind yourself that the answer can be ‘yes!’.
Because anyone who chooses to write as a career does so for a love of the written word. Being able to tell a story with nothing more than a brief or a half-formed idea – you’re brave to take such a job on!
Sure, being a good freelance writer is a challenge to strive for. But it should also be an enjoyable one, rather than one you worry yourself sick over. When those nervous butterflies develop stings of their own, you can use these 5 methods to overcome the imposter syndrome that’s holding you back:
- Invest in your writing skills in small ways
Sometimes you just have to see what you’re made of! This means you’ll need to occasionally invest in your writing skills. You won’t even need to go on a writing course for it either.
You know those creative writing exercises we used to do in school? Or those prompt generators you can find online that spit out random subjects to invent characters or a backstory for? I find they help to stretch out the writing muscles by allowing you to diversify your style and tone.
Even better, start a blog of your own! If you want to focus on your professional persona only, this is definitely one for you. Not only will this help you refine your writing skills by dipping into various niches, and seeing how you can best target keywords, it might even make you some money in the end!
- Build a portfolio you’re actually proud of!
Packing out a portfolio with professional content is fine. It works! It’s all dandy, really. But if you’ve been feeling like an imposter recently, you should open up your portfolio right now.
Comb through it project by project and find the ones you’re really proud of – say 3 to 5 of them. Now cut the rest!
Yes, cut the rest! Because the contents of your portfolio should matter to you as well. And when you struggle to look at it without feeling like you’ve done nothing of worth, something needs to change.
Leave up the work you love and let it shine. Detail them to the extreme and add a killer CTA underneath.
- Get some well detailed references
You’ve completed a few professional jobs here and there – bids, blog posts, product copy, educational articles, little blurbs, etc. If you’ve still got the contact details of the people you worked for, send them an email or a LinkedIn message and ask for a testimonial.
To make sure you get a reference you’re proud of, be specific about what you want them to pinpoint. If you’re not sure what to ask, we can help you there too! These are the kind of factors you should get positive notes on:
- Turnaround time
- Attention to detail
- Creativity in exploring a subject
- Ability to communicate
- Reader reaction to your work
- If you can’t get references, curate some samples
If you’re new to freelancing as a writer, there’s a good chance you’ve got no references to speak of yet. Don’t worry, that’ll soon change! For example, if you write content for a friend’s website, you can have a reference ready in a week. This post on the New York Yankees by Daniel Lerner and David Lerner Associates is a great example of content you get published on a friend’s site or similar if you need ideas.
But in the meantime, curate samples and use them to highlight your ability. With some concrete evidence, you can soothe your early-days achievement anxiety. This’ll help you focus on building your professional brand.
So, what niches do you want to specialise in? Write some practice articles around these. You can then use these samples to apply for jobs – even unpublished, your content is worth it!
And if you do start your own blog, you can publish whatever you want and cut out the middleman. I find this is the best way to empower yourself; it’s an instant reminder that while you might want it, you don’t need someone else’s approval!
- Remember, if you’re a freelancer, you’re in charge!
In the UK, freelancing is a type of self employment. This means you’re your own boss! And when you’re the boss, you’re the best person to network and represent the ‘business’ you’re in charge of: you!
That puts you on the same level as any other business owner. If you find it hard to be confident when speaking to fellow writers, or you cringe in embarrassment when thinking about handing out a business card to someone you’d like to work on contract for, remember this.
Don’t let the nerves win. You’re simply being professional by introducing yourself or sending in an article outline or blog post pitch. In fact, you’re doing the necessary work to boost your business!
About the Author:
Charlie Swarbrooke is a freelance writer with over 6 years of experience. Having written in various niches since the beginning of her career, she’s honed a love for writing with mental health and wellbeing in mind. Check out such posts on her Medium @charlieswarby13 or read more of her work through her website charlieswarbrooke.com.
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