This is the third challenge in your struggle as a freelance writer or an aspiring freelance writer. Of course you want to pursue your goals and keep your dignity.

Fear of your family and friends

You’ve proudly told them that you’re a Writer (with a capital W). Yet you haven’t earned more than $1,000 from 12 months of freelancing. You’ve dreaded so-and-so’s snickers and fake whispers, and your ever-shrinking bank account.

They said you weren’t a real writer and the abysmal amount of money you’ve earned proved them right. You’re still haven’t snagged that fat check to prove them wrong.

It’s hard to acknowledge that you haven’t achieved your financial goals yet. There’s a good chance that you initially set the bar too high.

So what?

That’s how you learn what works and what doesn’t. Here’s a couple of different ways to handle this scenario.

• Keep your plans to yourself. Only share them with people that you know will actively support you. If you have to think, would they support me, then most likely they won’t. 
• Ignore them. Unless they’re also writers they can’t possibly understand the risks and rewards.
• Listen to them. That’s right, listen to them, if they’re voicing legitimate concerns. Put your ego aside and see if there’s any truth to their concerns. Then use it to buffer any potential mistakes. Let’s say you have no savings and want to quit your day job to freelance, and your friends tell you that’s a bad idea.

Unless you’ve got a girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse/mother that will pay your bills, it’s a bad idea. You will be sorry.

So start saving money and give yourself as much of a financial cushion as possible if you want to be a full-time freelance writer.

But why not keep your day job while you freelance on the side? There’s no rule that says you must do this full time. Freelancing part-time is just as respectable and a lot less stressful.