The Game of Persistence and Humility

Okay, it's time for a confession. I knew starting a business would be hard, and then I thought, oh, but it’s just writing, it’s what I do, how could it possibly not work? Now I’m wondering if I should go back to waiting tables.

I enjoy the idea of marketing, and all of the wonderfully scandalous worlds of advertising and the written word, but I’m having the hardest time with the most important element: selling myself. I can only rewrite my bio so many times. I can only market myself for so long until I start wondering, if no one is catching on, what am I doing wrong?

It has only been a few months since I took the leap into freelance writing, but it feels like I’ve been working at it for years, without making any contacts or any significant income. Every day is a job hunt. Unrewarding, completely unsettling, and like a romance that ended over ambiguous text messages, it is overwhelming me with a need for closure.

I don’t even know how many proposals I have floating around the tri-state area. For many of them, I actually spoke with people on the phone. They were potential employers who loved my work or were impressed by my resume, but why is it that I never hear from them again? I’ve been trying to dance a fine line between persuasive and pushy, but how do you know when you should pursue a potential employer until he or she finally does respond? It’s a difficult game, trying to be persistent and humble at the same time.

As I continue to read all of these wonderful books on "freelancing success," I am starting to realize why they all say the same thing: writers do not like marketing themselves. This is where we go wrong. We can write all of the marketing gimmicks you like, but when it comes to selling ourselves as a product, we shut down. It feels dishonest. It feels cocky. It’s as if putting our confidence in print will expose every little typo we’ve ever made in our whole careers.

So, as a writer, what am I to do when I have to write about myself? As usual, all I can do is be honest, and hope my potential clients can see what I’m trying to say.