I’m not a writer, but I am a freelancer, and I write about freelancing. I empathize with this viewpoint completely and am probably guilty of creating content like this myself. You’re absolutely right that a lot of “advice” tells you how to harvest an orchard you’ve spent a decade growing. That’s why the best advice — and what I try to write about often — is how to grow the orchard. How to grow skill and experience — increase your value — so that success comes more easily.

There is no shortcut to freelance success. Like any other way to make money online, it’s all about building up your value through skill, experience, and reputation. That takes years and years of consistent hard work. The best advice doesn’t tell you that anything is easy or that all it takes is one trick. The best advice is simply to put your head down and work hard to constantly improve both your craft and your business skills.