personality traits of a successful freelancer?

I think stubborness and ego are two biggies. I know they have served me well. Example of the stubborness: my mother was very non-supportive and said I would never sell my writing consistently. Instead of believing that and letting it hurt me, it hardened me and made me even more driven to succeed. Example of ego: one of my first sales occurred when I read an article on horse training and thought, "I can do better than that!" A writer isn't going to get very far if they're crushed by rejection slips or intimidated by everyone else out there who might be a better writer. You have to have a healthy coat of Teflon and faith that you can run with the big dogs and that you deserve to.

Just my two cents worth!

Sure! You can link to my writing/clips site (www.barbnefer.com).

Stubbornness, yes, and an unwillingness to give up in the face of constant rejection! I would also add patience - we all know how long it can take to get a response to a query, if we get a response at all. But we also need to be thorough, taking the time to research our markets before writing a pitch. We must also be bold, willing to call a magazine to find out who the editor is and how to pitch, and willing to talk to people in order to get those great quotes that will sell our stories!

Consistency - too many people are flaky. A freelance writer can make a career of being reliable and delivering on time with quality. Unlike other jobs that allow you to slack off and make up for it, writing has deadlines that need to be met or not only do you lose a customer but you lose your reputation.

If you use... http://cqwriting.com

I would have to say
strong will- if you going to let the first rejection slip or the first you suck ruin your career before it even gets start you will never become a writer or for that matter anything in life that not something they can train a monkey for.

hey i noticed in it you had a mispelling in teh consistency one it has Ttoo-

thanks for including me in it tho!!!

let's see. For me it would be taking action in the face of fear. A freelancer is tenacious, persistent, and hard-working. A freelancer is more afraid of not being heard than of being rejected. That's all from me.

thanks for including me - glad to help! great article!

A good trait to have is the ability to work alone for several hours - being okay without co-workers nearby to chat or take a quick break with.

attention to detail

Everyone has posted great qualities. I find that attention to detail is vital.

I freelance for magazines and it's a tough, competitive market. Not only do you absolutely have to know the English language inside and out, you've also got to know 1) standard style, such as you would find in the AP Stylebook or the Chicago Manual of Style, 2) the magazine you're writing this article for -- its personality, readership, etc., 3) the writer's guidelines for the magazine, which can provide info that isn't obvious just by looking at the magazine.

It's the writers who put all that info to good use that get the most sales and the biggest checks. The more details the editor has to fix in your copy, the less likely you'll get another assignment. Editors tell me they love my work because all they have to do is read it and send it on to the graphics dept for layout. Now that's a compliment!