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Freelance Writing Cafe - Community & Resources for High Income Remote Writing Success 4

Freelance Writing Cafe

Launch & grow your freelance writing career... even if you don't have experience!

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Drinking Coffee With Writers: Kayla Dean, Creative Brand Copywriter

September 14, 2020 · In: Drinking Coffee With Writers

Kayla Dean, creative brand copywriter and founder of The Literary Co., is a self-made freelance writer who designed her own career after the hunt for a full-time job didn’t meet her expectations. She wasn’t about to let this minor setback stop her.

She claimed opportunities and honed essential skills along the way, focusing on the feedback of editors and mentors. Kayla is proof that you don’t need to have “all of the experience” before you dive in and take control of your career.

If you’ve been dreaming about launching your own freelance writing career, check out Kayla’s story for a dose of inspiration. Not only is she a role model for all self-made writers out there, but she has some career-changing advice for you, too.


Freelance Writing Cafe: What was the #1 reason you decided to start freelancing?
Kayla Dean: I got my MA in English and needed a full-time job but wasn’t finding what I was looking for. I wanted to write full time and felt I could work on my own terms and make the income I wanted working for myself instead of someone else.

How did your freelance journey begin?
In college, I had a lot of internships. My first one was with a swimwear company where I wrote blogs and product descriptions. My second one at a local alt-weekly was truly formative for me. Even though there was a lot of transcription, fact-checking, and proofreading, the editors there mentored me and gave me so many opportunities to write pieces for the magazine.

As an English major, I didn’t get the journalism basics in college but learned it from the amazing people who guided me at my second internship. They were so awesome they even let me freelance after the fact! From there, this boosted my confidence. I invested in a pitching workshop so I could learn how to write successful pitches to magazines and publications, which helped me land pieces in great publications like Electric Literature, Darling Magazine, Bustle, and Create & Cultivate.

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In grad school, I had an amazing opportunity to work with the literary magazine The Believer. They were amazing, and I had the chance to be a fiction reader and even publish some pieces in the magazine. During this time, I also taught college composition, business writing, and worked in a writing center while I was taking classes. This got me used to working with other people and workshopping writing.

When I graduated from my MA in English in 2018, I knew I had lots of writing experience but wasn’t sure how to go full-time. Up until that point, I had done a lot of free writing and internships but hadn’t truly made it into a career. I pitched publications and started reaching out to people in Facebook groups who needed copywriting.

Before I knew it, I was networking on social media, which is where I found many of my clients. I’ve had my business for two years now. It started out as a personal brand but then I evolved it into a copywriting studio. Right now, it’s just me but I’m loving being a business with an LLC.

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What is the most important lesson you’ve learned so far? 
Don’t be so hard on yourself. Keep learning. When you get started, there’s going to be a lot you don’t know. The best thing you can do is keep reading, practicing, and learning from others.

What is something you still struggle with as a freelance writer?
Imposter syndrome is a huge one for me! I’ve been writing for 6 years and been full-time for two but still worry that clients won’t like my work! It can be intense sometimes to worry about what I perceive to be others’ expectations. Most of the time, though, it’s imagined. As you get more experienced, you’ll get more freedom to choose your clients so you don’t always have to worry about this.

What advice would you give to freelancers who are just starting out? 
Get your writing out there. Even if you’re not quite sure what it is you want to write, just start writing. If you want to get your feet wet before submitting to publications, post on Medium or create a blog. Then reach out to online magazines, publications, businesses, etc, to start expanding your reach. I’d also recommend growing your community on Instagram. That’s where everything happens! Finally, get an LLC if you’re serious about going full-time. It will protect you and also make you look legit.

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What is your favorite thing about freelancing? 
I love choosing who I work with, creating inspiring content that helps people, and getting to write from my own workspace every day.

What is your favorite app, tool, or tip for productivity? 
I use Asana, Google Calendar, Honeybook, and Calendly in my business. They are HUGE time-savers because they keep my to-do lists organized, help me plan my week, keep my contracts & payments in order, and make scheduling meetings super easy.

Do you have a go-to mantra or quote that keeps you inspired? 
“That dream in your heart was planted for a reason.” I used to resist the idea that we can do the things that we dream of. I’ve felt negative in the past and worried that the things I wanted to accomplish in my life were too unattainable or always out of reach, where if you begin to change that mindset and believe things are possible for you, you can make those first steps a little lighter.

What’s your favorite hot beverage to sip while working? 
Peach green tea

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Be sure to follow Kayla on Instagram and check out her website: theliterary.co

Want more inspiration? Read more from our Drinking Coffee With Writers series.

 

☕️Drinking Coffee With Writers is here to give you a dose of inspiration and actionable tips for the week ahead. We’re showcasing freelance writers who are designing their careers and living life on their own terms.  Want to be our next featured writer? Drop us a line at info@freelancewritingcafe.com

 

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IMAGES VIA KAYLA DEAN

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By: Michelle Christina · In: Drinking Coffee With Writers · Tagged: drinking coffee with writers, freelance writer behind the scenes, freelance writer interview, freelance writer success, Kayla Dean Creative Brand Copywriter

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Long-Term Strategies For Finding Freelance Writing Clients (That Aren’t Job Boards)

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Get tips for launching and growing a high-income freelance writing career (sans-stress). Plus, interviews with freelance writers like you.

Snapshot: The Latest

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Female Freelancers on Their Biggest Success Secrets

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These 5 Women Writers Are Sharing Their Best Freelance Career Tips

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Instant Inspo: Meet the Female Freelance Writers Leading the Way

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Need Motivation? Get Inspired by These Freelance Writing Women

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Celebrating Women! Female Freelance Writers Share Their Top Tips

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Drinking Coffee With Writers: Rinu Ogundeji, Conversion Copywriter

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@freelancewritingcafe

STOP! These outreach mistakes are costing you clie STOP! These outreach mistakes are costing you clients...
🚫 STOP talking about yourself in the first sentence: You'll lose their attention instantly with cliche lines about how experienced you are. Instead, open with something about THEM. Their company, their project, their goals. That's how you keep them reading instead of deleting your email.

🚫 STOP stuffing your first message with too much information: The goal is to start the conversation and take that first step toward building a relationship. If your first email is a full-on pitch, your outreach becomes transactional. Your potential client has no reason to care yet, so why are you talking numbers?

🚫 STOP offering them everything under the sun: Too many offerings will prove that you don't actually know what they want or need. What is your client looking for right now and how can you address that need with a specific service or package? Make it easy to say yes instead of overwhelming them.

🚫 STOP sending a link to your website: From a client's POV, a generic website link is one of the most annoying things to receive. Who has time to sort through pages and find relevant samples? While you're proud of your website, just link them to one specific page that contains the samples they need to see.

What's your experience? What other tips would you give your fellow freelancers?

#freelancewritingcafe #freelancewriter #freelancewriting #freelancewriters #freelanceinspiration #freelancewritertips #freelancewritingtips #freelancewritingsuccess #freelancewritingbusiness #freelancingfemales #womenwhowrite #writersofinstagram #freelancesuccesstips #freelancesuccess #upworkfreelancer #freelancelifestyle #freelancelife #writerslife #remoteworker #remotefreelancer #remotewriter #workfromanywhere #workhardanywhere #mobileoffice
#MondayMotivation ☕️ Feeling resistant to your #MondayMotivation ☕️ Feeling resistant to your writing tasks this week? We can ALL relate. But if you can understand why you're self-sabotaging, you'll have a better chance of avoiding productivity-zapping patterns.⠀
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Resistance is a message telling us we need to check in with something we're experiencing, whether it's a need to rest, some unresolved limiting beliefs about our abilities, a fear of success or change, etc.⠀
⠀
Meditate or journal on your procrastination and resistance today and see if you can unearth any helpful insights. What is it shielding you from? How is it benefiting you? The more we know ourselves, the more efficiently we can design our workdays.⠀
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Remember: The work needs to get done, obviously! But freelancing allows us to decide when and how. Don't force yourself to work in ways that don't work for you.⠀
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☀️ Feeling a little "blah" on Monday mornings? Check-in with FWC! We're dropping tips for getting invigorated and reinspired to start each week strong. Help the community by dropping your own tips below!

#freelancewritingcafe #freelancewriter #freelancewriting #freelancewriters #freelanceinspiration #freelancewritertips #freelancewritingtips #freelancewritingsuccess #freelancewritingbusiness #freelancingfemales #womenwhowrite #writersofinstagram #freelancesuccesstips #freelancesuccess #upworkfreelancer #freelancelifestyle #freelancelife #writerslife #remoteworker #remotefreelancer #remotewriter #workfromanywhere #workhardanywhere #mobileoffice
#MondayMotivation ☕️ It's a new week... and it #MondayMotivation ☕️ It's a new week... and it's the perfect time to re-write your goals! What are your freelance goals for this week, month or year? If you haven't set any, spend some time thinking about them today.⠀
⠀
Getting in touch with your short and long-term goals can help you shake off distractions and refocus your attention. That pesky project you don't feel like doing? It's actually a stepping stone to the life you want! Success happens day by day, drip by drip, deadline by deadline.⠀
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(Write that down somewhere. 😉)⠀
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Let's make it a great week, freelance writing fam!⠀
⠀
☀️ Feeling a little "blah" on Monday mornings? Check-in with FWC! We're dropping tips for getting invigorated and reinspired to start each week strong. Help the community by dropping your own tips below!

#freelancewritingcafe #freelancewriter #freelancewriting #freelancewriters #freelanceinspiration #freelancewritertips #freelancewritingtips #freelancewritingsuccess #freelancewritingbusiness #freelancingfemales #womenwhowrite #writersofinstagram #freelancesuccesstips #freelancesuccess #upworkfreelancer #freelancelifestyle #freelancelife #writerslife #remoteworker #remotefreelancer #remotewriter #workfromanywhere #workhardanywhere #mobileoffice
[IG deleted this post TWICE and I have no idea why [IG deleted this post TWICE and I have no idea why. I can't imagine how posting about women writers could be an issue?! Here it is again! Fingers crossed that 3rd time's a charm 😳]

This is it! We’ve arrived at our final installment of our #InternationalWomensDay and #WomensHistoryMonth celebration. Last month we posted an open call asking freelance writing women in our community and peer communities to share their experiences—and biggest lessons. For the past week, we’ve been sharing those responses and the insights have been golden. If you missed our previous posts, check them out here. Let’s finish strong with our final five writers.

See the post:
https://freelancewritingcafe.com/female-freelancers-success/

#freelancewritingcafe #freelancewriter #freelancewriting #freelancewriters #freelanceinspiration #freelancewritertips #freelancewritingtips #freelancewritingsuccess #freelancewritingbusiness #freelancingfemales #womenwhowrite #writersofinstagram #freelancesuccesstips #freelancesuccess #upworkfreelancer #freelancelifestyle #freelancelife #remoteworker #remotefreelancer #remotewriter #workfromanywhere
Let’s face it: Freelance writing is a unique and Let’s face it: Freelance writing is a unique and varied career path. One freelancer’s experience can be completely different from another. That’s why it’s so valuable to hear the perspectives of our peers. Last month, in anticipation of #InternationalWomensDay and #WomensHistoryMonth, we asked some of the freelance writing women to share their experiences.

We’re thrilled to present another roundup of writers who are out there making their careers happen. Taking action = gaining insight, and these freelancers are sharing their biggest lessons so you can get ahead of the game. If you’re unsure where to start—or how to keep going—this post is for you.

See the post:
https://freelancewritingcafe.com/women-writers/

Featured writers:
shaunablackmon.work
letmewritethatdownforyou.com
alysonrockhold.com
linkedin.com/in/sandra-coffey-publicitymentorandtrainer
Katherine-A-Palmer.com

#freelancewritingcafe #freelancewriter #freelancewriting #freelancewriters #freelanceinspiration #freelancewritertips #freelancewritingtips #freelancewritingsuccess #freelancewritingbusiness #freelancingfemales #womenwhowrite #writersofinstagram #freelancesuccesstips #freelancesuccess #upworkfreelancer #freelancelifestyle #freelancelife #writerslife #remoteworker #remotefreelancer #remotewriter #workfromanywhere

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