LWP Business of Writing: 5 Habits for Freelancing Success - Jul 3, 2025

You don't need to reinvent the wheel every month

It took me about five years to figure out I didn’t need to reinvent the wheel every time I approached a potential client. Embarrassing, but true. And I paid a lot of money to join a marketing mastermind group to figure that out (also embarrassing but true). It was a lesson worth learning, though.

Once I figured out how to systematize processes—invoicing, finding and onboarding clients, using templates for common deliverables—I didn’t have to waste mental space on those tasks. I wasn’t staring at a blank page or a blank calendar, starting from scratch every month.

I could use that bandwidth where it counts—creative output.

When you’re starting out, or shifting your career, it can feel overwhelming. You don’t know where to start. You’re not sure what you should be doing. And you don’t yet have the experience to know what to systematize—or how. That’s where we’re headed this week. It may be mid-year, but there’s still time to put some systems in place for the second half of 2025.

Blog highlight: 5 Habits of Highly Successful Freelance Writers

Yep, this will age me, but I was forced to read The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People in school. Even though I didn’t care and barely paid attention back then, some of those lessons stuck. Thank goodness for that, because freelancing takes organization. You need to be able to prioritize and manage your time as a freelance writer. (Unless you plan to burn out and overwork yourself—been there, it’s easy to do.)

This week’s blog post looks at five habits that help you develop systems for your workflow. Why does it matter? Because no one wants to work 70-hour weeks. Systems help you build a business without constantly starting from scratch.

Read the article for free, then sign up for the LWP Freelance Writing Blueprint waitlist to get updates on my upcoming course. It should be launching in the fall and will walk you through platforms and tools to help you build your own freelancing systems.

Learn the 5 Habits of Successful Freelance Writers and try the tools that work for you.

Pro tip: Build a client-centered retainer system

Good news if you're pivoting from journalism or you’re a subject matter expert building your writing chops: You're already ahead of the pack. You know your niche, you know the players in your sector, and you (probably) know how to hit deadlines. What you don’t have yet is a system that turns your knowledge and connections into repeat writing assignments—a.k.a. clients on retainer.

Here’s the one thing I’d do first if I were starting over:

Build a flagship service around a client’s pain point—then turn it into a retainer package.

This an advanced technique. But even if you’re new to freelancing, you can learn now and implement as you get more experience.

So, let’s talk about a three-step system for turning new clients into ongoing retainer projects.

Step 1: Leverage a Niche

Instead of asking, “What kind of writing do I want to do?” ask:

“What do I know so well that it would be hard for a client to find someone better?”

That might be:

• Healthcare journalism → B2B whitepapers for digital health startups

• Investigative reporting → Competitive research + thought leadership for consultancies and agencies

• Arts & culture writing → Artist grant proposals, museum blogs, or copy for creative orgs

High-value clients don’t want generalists. They want experts who “get it.”

Step 2: Package Your Knowledge