This is a featured guest post entry by Jessi Stanley for the Freelance Writers Academy Blog Carnival for October 2013. Please welcome her and tell us what you think by posting your comments below. Thank you Jessi Stanley for this great entry!

Being a newbie freelance writer is very, very scary!

I was scared when I gave out my first business cards, when I published my Facebook writer page, and when I gave my first cost quotes. The list goes on and on. But I think these fears were normal. I felt the fear, did the thing, and then just moved on to the next.

On the other hand, I’m pretty sure that my biggest freelancing fear is irrational.

I think it’s a given that most freelancers have an underlying fear of failure. I have that. My biggest fear, however, is that one day I’ll fail and this failure will prove that I have been foolishly pursuing freelancing because I have been listening to people on the internet who are not the people they claim to be.

Crazy, right?

I don’t worry about this as much as I used to. I know the difference between the online world and the “real” world. It’s just that when I tell my friends, family, and acquaintances what I’m up to and I mention something about online people, they give me that look that reminds me that online work is still not normal for my generation. And the look tells me that they are a little worried about me and my internet friends. This, in turn, makes me start to worry a little, too.

Just to be on the safe side, I’ve devised a plan that will, I hope, silence some of the negative voices in my head and resolve the disconnect of living in the “real” world and having all my writer friends and mentors online.

The Plan

I’m tired of all my writing-related interactions being online. The plan is quite simple. The plan is to find other freelancers in my geographical area, to find real, live freelance writers I can see in person, for lunch or just to talk. Freelancing is isolating. I often have to remind myself to get out into the real world and interact with people anyway. This plan is really just another dimension of that. It’s time to connect with other writers, real people who won’t give me “the look” and make me doubt myself.

I know there are other freelancers in my area. My goal now is to make connecting with them a priority, to add local freelancers to my ongoing networking efforts.

Why Am I Thinking About This Right Now?

The other day I mentioned to a freelancing coach that I’d recently had some good luck and that I felt I might actually make it in the freelancing jungle. Her response to me was “Why wouldn’t you be successful?” Her response had me speechless. It took me about 48 hours to respond. I kept thinking, “Why WOULD I be successful?”

My reaction to her question made me realize just how strong my underlying negative beliefs are about this endeavor, just how loudly that voice in my head still screams “Real people don’t stay home and write. Real people go out and get real J.O.B.S.”

My reaction to her question also made me realize there is a loud voice in my head screaming, “Don’t trust people on the internet.”

Why This Big Fear?

I’m pretty sure my fear is mainly a by-product of the isolation inherent in freelancing and possibly a by-product of that underlying fear of failure.

I know the people I interact with online are real.

I also think it’s usually smart to be cautious. There’s a big element of risk in freelancing. I feel like I’ve approached freelancing with good judgment, but you just never know. And the truth is, I’ve yet to make it in the freelancing world. I’m still in the just-getting-started stage. And I don’t know any real, live freelancers who have made it, either. I think my plan to start interacting with other freelancers in my area will change that. They will be my proof that I’m pursuing something both real and attainable.

Takeaway: Newbie freelancers face many scary things. Part of being an effective freelancer, however, is devising ways to deal with problems. My plan to start connecting with local freelancers can be used to overcome at least some of the isolation inherent in freelancing.

Jessi Stanley is a freelance writer and editor/ghostwriter in Greenville, NC (www.linkedin.com/pub/jessica-stanley/10/597/984/). She's @stanleyjessica on Twitter