Hasta La Ideas

The idea of making it as a freelancer is neither a chimera nor a cakewalk. It is a necessary slog that requires work, perseverance, organization, networking and creativity. It requires a lot, including time — the time to build a reliable client base and to wait for those checks to arrive.

If you’re set on making a go of it, there are ways to make your life easier. And how better than by skipping over the mistakes others have already made? For Mediabistro’s latest Journalism Advice column, freelancers who are now making a good living off their work revisit their mistakes and share what they’ve learned. Unsurprisingly, financial advice is plentiful:

Mistake #8: Being afraid to ask for more money. It’s a topic [Taffy] Brodesser-Akner feels strongly about. People often are so timid to ask for more money, she said. You may be surprised to find that many of your clients are willing to negotiate, especially if they’ve come to rely on you to meet deadlines and produce good work.

For more, read: Biggest Mistakes of Now-Successful Freelancers

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