Most everyone agrees that new freelance writers commonly fear taking the plunge to query a market or apply for a gig. If you’re just starting out, the anxiety is almost expected. But what about those of us who aren’t so new anymore?

I got an email today from a woman who has been freelance writing for several years longer than I. She’s graciously granted me permission to post part of her email here:

“I calculated today that my hourly earning is less than $15. I know the reason. I am in a rut due to anxiety. The number of new jobs I applied to this year I can count on one hand. I fear I am not qualified. I fear they will hire me and I will do a lousy job. I go to write the response and the panic starts. It is easier to stay in my rut and work for the same old lower pay clients, but I need to get off the hamster wheel or file bankruptcy for Christmas. I read on your private blog about your anxiety disorder and hoped maybe you have some way of overcoming your own fear that could help me find courage.”

Remember in the movie What About Bob? where Bill Murray is waiting at a pay phone for his shrink to call him back, and he says, “If I pass out or lose consciousness or black out or if something explodes, could someone answer the phone and tell Dr. Marvin that I was here?”

I feel that way quite often. There’s no courageous moment that comes over me where I suddenly feel like, “Hey, I can do this!” I’ve never felt brave, not for one day in my life. But I’ve done a lot of things I thought I never could do, simply because I’ve forced myself to do them.

In general, whether I’m fighting the anxiety of going to the grocery store or of applying for a new job, I’ve adopted the following quote as my mantra:

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” (Ambrose Redmoon)

I consider earning enough money to pay my bills to be one of those important things.

Some tips, based on my own experience:

1. Start small, but set goals.

Whether your goal is to reply to one new job per day or two query a new market each week, start slowly and keep at it.

2. Tell yourself something different.

If I tell myself, “I really need to get this job,” I’ll get an instant gut cramp. If I tell myself, “This would be a fun job, but if I don’t get it I can always apply for something else,” my gut stays cramp-free.

3. Remind yourself of reality.

How we feel is different than how things are. Sometimes I feel inferior, like I’m not good enough for one job or another. In reality, I might be the most qualified applicant. If I don’t apply, I’ll never know.

4. Give yourself options.

If you’ve ever talked a two year old out of a tantrum, you know this trick. “You can play with the truck or the blocks. Which toy do you want?” I use this trick on myself when I can’t get myself motivated to beat my own fear of rejection. “You can apply for this blogging job or that content writing job. Which job do you want?” This way, I have to apply for one of them. No cop-out.

5. Just do it.

Nike’s got the best slogan ever. If we sit around waiting for fear to pass, we’ll be too arthritic and blind to work. My father taught me to swim by tossing me into the deep end. Sure, I still have nightmares, but I learned to swim. If he hadn’t, I’d still be using those orange arm floaty things.

Have you ever feared rejection? Experienced anxiety about applying to a writing job? How did you handle it? Have any tips to share?