I’m excited to introduce a new feature here designed to help writers who read this blog grow their own blog audience. It’s a monthly link party!

I learned about link parties at the New Media Expo, from the wonderful women at the blog Six Sisters’ Stuff.

Apparently, link parties are common in lots of other blog niches, like food and crafts. But I’d never seen one for my type of blog, about freelancing, writing, and blogging.

Here’s the thing: There are now nearly 6,000 subscribers to this blog, and over 24,000 writers read it every month.

I know a lot of you are great writers! And have blogs of your own. (Because when you leave a link in the comments, I often head over and check it out.)

I’ve been asking myself how I could do more to help you promote your own blogs…and then I learned how to make a link party.

This is a great opportunity for you to bring a wider audience to your blog, by sharing a post link here on this post.

Instructions are below — look forward to seeing your posts linked below!

 
P.S. — just have to come back to apologize that I didn’t manage to enable voting properly on this link party…but I’ve researched it and hopefully we will have voting after posting closes next time!

As a writer, how do you know if you’ve really made it?

Here’s an idea: You can say you’ve done it if you have fulfilled your mission.

This thought was put in front of me by literary agent  Donald Maass, one of the presenters at Surrey International Writers Conference, which I attended recently.

This reminded me that one big problem with being a writer is that it’s so easy to get off track.

There are so many things we could spend our time writing.

If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time writing for clients, to pay the bills. I’ve gotten to help a lot of small business owners along the way, and even expose a few wrongdoings. Which all feels good.

Clients call and want to hire you, and you say ‘yes.’ Then you look up, and it’s five years later, and you wonder where you’re headed.

I enjoy the challenge in writing for clients, but is it truly my mission as a writer? Not so sure.

More recently, I’ve been getting to help freelance writers learn how to earn more. I’ve taken a stand against writer exploitation and low pay by becoming a paying market myself. Which all feels terrific.

I feel like I’ve left a real legacy with all the tips I’ve given, and all the thank-you notes I’ve gotten from writers.

But I’m not sure that’s all there is to it.

Asking the hard questions

Have I truly lived up to all of my writing potential?

Have I done all I can with my gift? Probably not.

Maass asked it like this:

“What do you NEED to write? Is there something important you want to tell everyone?

What will you write that will change the world?

Write it.”

I have to admit I was a little flummoxed.

I like to think of myself as having a good handle on my goals and direction as a writer.

I’m well-organized and all. I get a lot done.

But I don’t really know the answer to this.

Is there more important stuff I should focus on writing in 2013? Maybe so.

There is this young-adult novel concept I’ve been talking about with my daughter, who loves it and wants to illustrate it. Maybe it’s time to tear up my playbook and learn more about novel construction, and somehow find the time to write that.

And an idea I’m kicking around in my head about creating a blog that would promote world peace. Now there’s something important to write about, where you could really leave a legacy.

How can you fulfill your mission?

Take that important thing you need to write, Maass said, and write a bit on it every day.

Get it on your agenda, and get it done. Even if you have to do it a little at a time, inbetween kids and life and paying bills and everything else.

Because life is short. And we never know how short it might be.

It’s another way to look at success. Not a best-seller, necessarily, or a top blog.

Just taking a little time today, to write that thing you know you were put here to write. That’s victory.

What’s your mission as a writer? Leave us a comment and share it.

If there is one single reason that this blog exists, it’s this: Freelance writers are scared.

Of making mistakes. Of doing or saying the wrong thing to an editor.

Afraid that maybe, you don’t have what it takes.

Worried about failing…but also about succeeding.

Like one writer who recently commented in Freelance Writers Den –

I am terrified that I will get a job only to discover that I can’t complete the research or (horrors) discover I can’t write.

Or this comment I got on a recent guest post I wrote:

As a newbie, my self confidence is fairly low. So I’m a lil bit reluctant to send [a letter of introduction] to possible clients and maybe even afraid not to be experienced/good enough to fullfill the client’s needs.

Do you have any advice how I can increase my self confidence and overcome fears of rejection?

As a matter of fact, I do. There are only a few basic ways of overcoming these fears:

Build yourself up

Ask yourself: Where is this insecurity coming from?

If you’ve got negative tapes playing in your head, it’s time to replace them.

If it’s because you’re not writing regularly — which I have to suspect is the case with the “I’ll discover I can’t write” comment…you need to start. The more you write, the more confident you will be.

If you work on your writing, you’re willing to market yourself, and you’re committed to improving as you go, there is no reason you can’t do this.

So start telling people, “I am a freelance writer.” The more you say it, the more confident you will feel about doing it. It’s a sort of magical thing that happens to our brains when we hear things spoken aloud.

Do you really think you can’t use the Internet to find sources? I bet not.

If you really thought you couldn’t write, you wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t even try this.

These are probably irrational fears.

Just recognizing that may help you to de-stress and start moving forward.

Live the fear

Are you afraid people will laugh at your writing (and not because it’s a humor piece)?

Then arrange to make it happen. Have a friend read your work aloud and then ridicule it.

You will realize this is unlikely to happen in real life. And if it did, you would survive it.

Break it down

Maybe you are scared because in fact you are overreaching for where you’re at currently in your writing career. So aim a little lower.

See if that local business you patronize, where you’re chatty with the owner, would let you rewrite their website for a free sample.

Or if that local library newsletter would let you do a quick author Q&A.

Start with people who are likely to say yes.

Build a little portfolio, and you will start to build your confidence.

Slowly, you’ll start to feel like you’ve got some ground under your feet, and taking steps forward won’t feel so scary.

Know that I still pass on gigs where I feel like I don’t know how to execute it. We all do. It’s no crime to say “That gig isn’t for me.”

This applies to marketing, too. If you’re terrified to make cold calls or do in-person networking — then don’t!

Do the types of marketing that are in your comfort zone to start, and gradually expand that zone.

Face it

If you’re afraid of rejection, like that second writer I quoted, I’ve got some bad news for you.

You are going to be rejected. Repeatedly.

It is inevitable, if you are going to write for a living.

The only way to conquer this fear is to be rejected, and to discover that it did not kill you.

Each rejection makes you stronger and more able to withstand future disappointments in your freelance writing career.

The only way to toughen up is to get out there and start pitching.

Don’t be terrified that mistakes will happen or that you’ll get in over your head.

You can relax. Because it will happen. For sure. But it’ll be OK.

Realize every writer is scared and imperfect

Here’s the secret nobody tells you: Experienced pros are also scared.

When I write my first article for a new client, I am petrified.

Every time.

It takes ages to write. I feel like everything’s riding on its being absolutely brilliant.

The only difference is that we just push on, even though we’re afraid.

Also, established pro writers don’t always hit it out of the park, either.

I could write a whole book on my missteps, but here’s one recent one:

I did a Forbes post about franchising, based on some new survey data. My interpretation of the data managed to offend both the leading franchise industry organization and the company that did the survey, among others. I’ve been accused of being unpatriotic and patronizing, to name the printable things.

Several malcontents have left comments critiquing my post that I just have to live with. On a site with 30 million monthly views.

Sigh.

What you write won’t always please everybody. But you have to stand by it, and move on. And keep improving.

Learn more

Sometimes, you’re scared because in the pit of your gut is a nagging feeling that you don’t know enough.

You need to beef up your writing skills and knowledge of the craft to get the work you want.

If that’s you, check out my upcoming course I’m teaching with Linda Formichelli — 4 Week Journalism School.

It’s designed to quickly give you the reporting and writing skills you need to move up from content mills and other low-paying gigs to write good-paying articles for magazines and businesses alike.

It comes with a month of support in Freelance Writers Den, too. Consider it a life preserver in case you get in over your head.

P.S. J-School registration closes tomorrow night at midnight EST, so if you need this (or know a writer who does), head over and check out the course details now.

What fear is holding you back, and how will you conquer it? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

By David Masters

Launching a blog is beset with pitfalls. I should know.

I poured my heart and soul into launching my first blog, and despite my best efforts and intentions, it flopped.

I launched Be Playful in 2008. I did many things right: I chose a niche I felt passionate about, I bought my own domain name and I created a self-hosted WordPress website.

I wrote solid content. I listened to my readers. I learned all about social networking and I plunged myself into Twitter.

But I made some serious mistakes. Big mistakes that punched me in the face and left me reeling in the dust.

Eventually, I tossed out the blog and left it to die. But, inadvertently, I’d planted a seed. That seed sprouted and grew into a full-time writing career.

My Six Blogging Mistakes

Each mistake I made caused me to lose more faith in my blog. Here’s how I goofed up:

1. I expected instant cash

I set up my blog expecting to make a quick buck. Everywhere I looked, other bloggers promised blogging=$$$ (though they rarely provided figures). I believed the money would magically start rolling in within a few weeks.

Three months down the line, my blog had cost me over $100, and hadn’t made a single cent.

Truth is, it takes a serious business plan and months (if not years) of hard work to earn a living from a blog. And to earn a living, you have to sell stuff. Whether that’s ad space on your blog, ebooks or courses, to make money you must have products for sale.

The main reason my blog made no money was my second mistake:

2. My niche was difficult to monetize

The best way to create products your readers are itching to buy is to solve a pressing problem. For example:

• How do I make money writing?
• How do I potty train my kid?
• How do I fix my punctured bike tire?

These problems are all pressing because your readers want quick, practical solutions. Provide those solutions, and your readers will keep coming back for more, and in some cases even pay for what they want.

My blog, Be Playful, solved the problem “How can I be more playful in everyday life?”

Sure, it’s an interesting problem. It’s fun to write about. And some people want to know the answer. But it’s not a pressing problem.

I’d chosen a niche with no simple way of monetizing the blog, and that disheartened me.

3. I obsessed over stats

Every day, before I did anything else, I’d head to Feedburner and check out my subscriber stats. I’d stare at them for hours, sometimes delighting in a recent spurt of growth, but more often beating myself up because my subscriber count wasn’t growing fast enough.

At the blog’s height, after three month’s solid, obsessive work, I had 105 subscribers.

I felt pathetic and stupid.

I battled with myself every day to keep writing, and it was a battle I eventually lost.

4. I spent more time fiddling with WordPress than writing

With my blog, I’d try anything to avoid writing, especially tweaking WordPress. From adjusting themes to trying (and failing) to learn how to use CSS, it became a massive time drain.

Yet without killer content, a good-looking theme is meaningless.

I’ve learned my lesson now: content first, design second. And always pay someone else to do your website design if you can afford it.

5. I ignored my posting schedule

Wasting my blogging time staring at my stats and feeling discouraged by the lack of growth, I started to skip my twice weekly posting schedule.

I reduced my posts to once a week, then once every two weeks, then once a month.

This became a downward spiral. The less often I posted, the more subscribers dropped off my list. The more subscribers dropped off my list, the less I wanted to post.

Finally, I gave up entirely.

6. I let the URL go

After a year I decided my blog was a failed experiment. I let the URL expire, and archived the content on WordPress.com.

I thought I could buy the domain back in the future, but of course a domain parking service snatched it up, and it’s never been available since.

That’s my biggest regret, as it would have only cost me $10 a year to hold onto it.

How My Failed Blog Created My Writing Career

Though I didn’t make money directly from my blog, and despite the fact that I gave up on it, the blog became the foundation on which I’ve built a full time freelance writing business.

Here’s how my blog, which I could hardly have treated more badly, helped to launch me as a writer:

• I learned to write in a niche. Though I chose the wrong niche for making money, I realized the value of choosing a niche in building readership. Stick to a niche, produce quality content, use basic promotion tactics, and readers will come. Choose a clear niche to write in as a freelancer and the clients are more likely to come.
• I landed guest posts on big blogs. My blog provided a platform to show I could write. To grow my blog, I pitched guest posts to other blogs. Guest posts on top blogs raise your profile as a freelance writer, and provide you with the gravitas you need to land bigger gigs.
• Friends offered me writing work. I didn’t promote my blog among my friends and family, but they found out about it. One friend, a freelance youth work consultant, knew his main client was looking for a writer. He asked if I’d be interested in the job, then hooked me up. This provided me with a steady flow of part-time writing work for over a year.
• I landed small writing gigs. Having a blog acted as a portfolio to help me land small writing gigs from bidding sites and online ads. One of these gigs turned into a regular client. Every new gig helped build my confidence in earning my bread as a writer.
• I networked with other bloggers (and found my dream job). When I launched my blog, I got to know other bloggers by commenting on their blogs, following them on Twitter, and signing up to their email lists. This networking eventually landed me my dream job, a gig co-writing ebooks with Sean Platt.

The lesson I learned from my failed blog is simple. Whatever you’re doing now to further your writing dreams, keep going.

If you’re determined to be a writer, you know you can write, and you grip your dreams tighter than a clamshell, you will make it.

I’m sure you’ll make mistakes along the way, just like I did. But when you come to the end of the road, your dreams might turn out bigger than anything you can imagine right now.

David Masters is a freelance writer and author of 52 Ways to Get More Freelance Clients (Fewer Headaches, Greater Profits). His new blogging home is Social Caffeine, where he teaches small businesses (including freelance writers) how to buzz up their social media marketing. Come on over and join the party.

P.S. Don’t want to goof up your blog? Take a look at this FREE training on how to get more traffic and sales to your blog, from A-lister and blog-conversion expert Derek Halpern of Social Triggers. It’s going down tomorrow night, so if you want it, head over and watch it now. He’ll make you stop checking your stats, I promise.