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Top Struggles of Being an Online Writer and How to Overcome Them

There are many advantages that come with being a writer, but it can come with its fair share of challenges too. But that shouldn’t stop you on your writing journey, or hinder your progress. Challenges are obstacles that can be overcome when you are open to a solution.

Challenges are not always bad and certainly are not something to be ashamed of. Everyone goes through their challenges, but it is important to acknowledge where you are on your journey and ask more questions, to help you understand the problem. Challenges are a great opportunity to learn and grow, especially in a writing career. You are not able to control everything, but you can control your reaction to the challenges.

Challenges as an online writer are probably more common than you may think. This article will look at some of the most frequent challenges faced in the industry, and some tips on how to overcome them.

Writer’s block

Writer’s block is probably the most common challenge amongst writers there is. It can be a very big challenge, and extremely frustrating when you are struggling to come up with new ideas and you never know how long it will last. This can be challenging when there are deadlines or financial implications attached to your writing.

Whether you just don’t have the energy, you’re not in the mood, or you just cannot come up with any ideas, writer’s block is something that should be addressed as quickly as possible.

Tips to overcome writer’s block

Take a short break from trying to write, or thinking about writing
Look after your health and make sure you are eating well, sleeping and exercising
Read a book on a different subject

Lack of confidence

Being confident can make a huge difference in your writing. When you are confident, you are more open, honest, resilient and happy about what you have to offer. When you struggle with a lack of confidence, it can affect your writing, ideas and ability to gain clients and keep them happy. Confidence issues can be present between inexperienced writers, and new writers alike.

Lack of confidence is usually driven by fear; fear of failure, fear of not getting another client, fear of being criticised or judged, fear of not being able to pay the bills, fear of not living up to expectations, and many more.

Tips to overcome lack of confidence

These kinds of doubts are understandable and very common. However, they become problematic when they start to hinder your work. It is important to not attach yourself, your work or your abilities to these thoughts. Confidence is something that will come in time, but it starts with believing in yourself and your abilities, taking action, and seeking opportunities. Look at each challenge as a lesson, and see where you can gain feedback from clients. This will help build confidence from positive feedback, and learn how to move forward with constructive feedback. Identify where you lack confidence the most and see where you can take a small step each day.

Financial problems

Do you find yourself working long, hard hours and still struggling with money? There are many parts to this kind of challenge, for example, lacking the confidence to charge for what you’re worth, finding clients who will pay you and paying your bills. Writing online sounds like a breeze, but it can come with many expenses, some are predictable, while others may be unexpected.

Tips to overcome financial problems

Research what you need to pay for your writing business (systems, platforms, etc)
Keep track of your income and outgoings
Save money to ensure you always have a safety net
Set a budget for each month
Build confidence to charge enough for your work
Spend your attention on creating good, quality work over worrying about finances

Feeling lonely

Being an online writer can often get lonely, especially if you are working at home on your own. The peace and quiet is good for focus and concentration when working, but it often becomes lonely and isolating.

Tips to overcome feeling lonely

Join online and in-person networking events and communities that are relevant to your industry, or your hobbies outside of work
Find a co-working space or coffee shop you can use to write
Speak to or meet up with your family and friends regularly

Equipment failure

Equipment is crucial to be able to fulfil online writing jobs. It can be challenging to find the right equipment, afford the equipment (as it only seems to get more advanced and expensive) and maintain it all. Regardless of how careful you try to be with your equipment, such as a laptop, you will inevitably run into problems.

Tips to overcome equipment failure

It is a common misconception that you have to pay expensive fees to get your laptop sent off to a professional for repairs. More often than not, the laptop issues can easily be resolved yourself. For things like overheating, quick dying batteries and noisy fans, you can learn how to reduce it yourself.

The best thing you can do when you encounter a problem is to first research your equipment on Google and Youtube as there is a lot of free advice on how to solve common problems such as a system crash, virus or malware breach and faulty keyboards.

Perfectionism

Perfectionism is another very common challenge faced by writers. It is very easy to fall into this trap, of course, everyone wants only their best work to be seen by others. This can often lead to overworking, lots of stress and submitting work last minute or missing deadlines.

Tips to overcome perfectionism

Set realistic deadlines with clients
Gain as much information as you can from the client to ensure you know what they want and you can manage expectations from the start. Often writing can be subjective, and people just have different opinions on the result.
Understand that your work is of good quality and have confidence in your ability
Come up with your own proofreading process that limits the back and forth to make it perfect
Ask for feedback and continue to learn

Regardless of what industry you work in, everyone faces these very same challenges and more. It is important to address the challenges as they come and ensure you continue to learn, grow and keep moving forward. It can be hard at first, but with continued effort, it can be extremely rewarding.

​​Top Struggles of Being an Online Writer and How to Overcome Them