Sara: Way To Perfection Is Constant Transformation

Living her dream, Sara was a science student who did her graduation in literature and began her career as a content writer. Her journey as a writer started with writing for her university newsletter to writing for Times of India, she is proud of her journey so far. 

Sara started freelance writing because of the freedom and flexibility that the work-style offers. She leverages the power of LinkedIn to approach clients. Her advice to the new freelancers is to never underestimate themselves. For price negotiations, she recommends explaining pricing the reason to the clients and offering them a discount if needed. According to her, developing communication and management skills is crucial for any freelancer.

Dealing with everything with a smile on her face, Sara is a genuine and empathetic person. We admire that she is striving to be a better version of herself every day. With a mission in her mind, we wish her success as she aims to complete her masters and expand her freelancing business this year. 

Read Sara’s journey of following her passion:

1. Introduce yourself to us? Where are you from? About your family, parents? How was your childhood?

Hi, I am Sara Sharma, a freelance content writer. Born and brought up in the magnificent town of Solan in Himachal Pradesh, currently pursuing a Masters Degree in English Literature from DAV College Chandigarh. A Yoga enthusiast, lately, I am taking Yoga classes as its benefits fascinate me. 

I grew up in a business family, my father is a businessman, and my mother runs her boutique. Currently, I live with my parents, brother, and grandparents, who are super supportive and take pride in me for taking full responsibility for myself while I was pursuing graduation. My mother is super supportive, and she has always supported me in every decision I took. 

My childhood was amazing, and I want to go back in time and relive those moments again. I am the eldest child in the house, so everyone was pretty excited when I was born. My father always pampered me as a kid, but my mother was strict and always wanted me to be a strong person emotionally and physically.

2. Tell us about choosing the field of content writing? Speak to us about your passion for writing. What fascinates the most to you about your career choice? 

I never thought I would become a writer! In fact, I never participated in any writing competitions during my school. In class 12th , I took science and aspired to become a doctor. 

After 12th grade, I diverted from the route set by society and started following my passion. I pursued BA (H) in English Literature, and from there, my journey as a writer started. 

When I was in my 1st year of college, a bi-monthly edition of the college newspaper started, and our teachers encouraged us to write an article for it. I still remember how a professor from my alma mater Shoolini University, Dr. Purnima Bali Ma’am encouraged me to write. At that time, Padmavati was released, and it generated so much controversy that was totally useless and based on nothing. I told her the whole idea, and she gave a thumbs up to it. 

I still remember I had handwritten it like an essay in two pages and submitted it to her. She would have laughed at me for doing that because I just wrote it like we used to write in school, but instead, she told me how I could improve and told me to submit it in a Microsoft document. If it weren’t for her, I would have never explored the writer in me. 

The day that article was published in the college newspaper with my photograph was the best day of my life! From writing for the university newsletter to writing for Times Of India, everything has been like a dream come true! 

3. Why did you choose to freelance? When did you begin to freelance? Were you planning it, or how did it happen?

I choose to freelance because it gives me the freedom to work with people I love working with! As a freelancer, I don’t have to work under pressure, and can work on my own time and deliver the best work. 

Three years back, I began to freelance. I was a volunteer at a literature festival in Shimla, and there I met a writer and author, Anamika Mishra. Later, I told her about myself, how much I love to write and how I want to build a career around it. She gave me her card and told me to contact her the following day. 

I ended up texting her the next day, all nervous and anxious as I was underconfident. She shared a number with me and told me to contact my first client (her sister in law), and then there was no looking back. This is how it started three years back, and now when I look back, I see how far I have come, and it makes me so proud!

4. How did you approach the first few clients? Give key suggestions to the new freelancers.

As mentioned above, that is how I got my first project. After one year, I wanted to work with new clients and discover new niches, so I built a LinkedIn profile and started pitching clients. That is how I started my journey on LinkedIn! 

My only suggestion to the new freelancers will be ‘to never underestimate yourself,’ you can’t compare your first step with somebody’s 20th step. Be patient; you will be there one day; for now, all you have to do is breathe, relax and work hard!

5. How to negotiate your deal with clients? What are the important points and techniques to keep in mind?

Negotiation is one of the significant challenges faced by every freelancer. There are very few clients who would agree with the prices offered by you. When a client negotiates, first tell them why you are charging the said amount and still if they want a discount give them only 10-20% of the discount that too for the first three months after that tell them to offer a raise. 

6. How do you deal with writer’s block? What are the steps that you take to overcome it?

I am one of those writers who always face writer’s block. For me, dealing with writer’s block is taking a break from work. I go out with family or friends, binge watch a movie or FRIENDS, read something, cook or eat a cheat meal! In my opinion, everyone has a different way of dealing with writer’s block, and it’s NORMAL to have writer’s block. 

7. What according to you are the most essential skills that anyone interested in this area of work should develop? Mention, if any recommended tools or resources for new freelancers/content writers to use.

Freelancing means you are your boss, manager, HR, marketer; you are a company in a nutshell. You have to take care of everything right from pitching the clients to closing the deal and raising the invoice. One should be versed in communication skills and management skills to thrive in the freelancing business.

8. What is the one major pro and/or con of freelancing, according to you?

In my opinion, the pro is that you get to work on your terms, and the con is that sometimes people don’t understand the efforts you put in.

9. What is the one thing about clients that you dislike? What can they do to improve your work life?

Running a freelancing business is not a happy candy in the sky world! You will meet various people; some will support you while others will put you down. All you have to do is focus on the good and move on from the bad. This is only how you can sustain the business. 

I have some fantastic clients, and I am so blessed to work with them. Of course, I had my share of bad experiences, but I moved on from them with a smile. 

10. What’s your best piece of work to date? Why do you think that’s your favourite piece?

My favourite piece of work has to be the first article that I wrote during my graduation. It is close to my heart because it is from where I started.

11. What mission and vision do you have? How do you want history to look at you?

For now, I want to complete my master’s with good marks and expand my freelancing business by the end of this year. I don’t know how people will remember me. I always try my best to be the right person because I always believe that we never know what the other person is going through, so I try my best not to hurt anyone.

12. Do you feel content with yourself as you look back or do you think you have missed something?

From being a girl who was under confident and didn’t believe in herself to a girl who now wakes up with a mission, I think I have come far along! I never think that I have to compete with someone else; I try to be a better version of myself than yesterday, which has always kept me moving.

Sara can be reached out on Refrens , Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Are you struggling with elements of forming a contract as a freelancer? Read our article on Freelance Contracts to know what all you should include.