If you have crossed the proverbial Rubicon and have decided to take up freelance writing as a career, then you are not alone!
In fact Statistics from the Global Business Survey state that 54% of the workforce in 1,500 businesses around the world surveyed in 2012 will be online in 2017; In a related study, the number of freelance workers could increase to an impressive 40 percent of the global workforce by 2020, so do you want to learn how to become a freelance writer? Here is your guide.
As a consequence, competition for freelance writing jobs is keen and cutthroat. The following tips will come in handy if you want to succeed as a freelance writer online:
How to Become a Freelance Writer
Start writing – whatever and however you can
You may not have a column in a syndicated newspaper or some glamorous magazine, but there are other means to start your freelance writing career and start landing freelance content writing gigs.
Do you want to know the most practical place to start? From your blog. Not too long in the past, blogs were just a place where restless teenagers/young adults went to give vent to their emotions, sharing their innermost thoughts and personal views of the world.
Fast forward to the present, and you will find that blogging is among the top millennial business ventures, suitable for bringing in leads, generating traffic and improving SEO ranking.
So if you have decided to pitch a tent with freelance writing and you want to start landing online writing jobs, go on and start a blog. There are a ton of materials that you can write about.
You could capture the latest industry news, share a short story or two, or give a recap of the latest news and happenings.
The overall aim is to start writing – however, and whenever possible.
In this way, your writing can attract the attention of potential clients, who can assess your skills and consider hiring you.
Write, write, write and then write some more!
If you have set your mind on becoming a freelance writer, and hope to land high paying freelance writing work, then you must carry out this one activity on a regular basis: Write!
Whether the day is fair or not, whether you are happy or gloomy, whether stock prices rise or fall; writing must remain a near constant on your daily to-do list.
Keep at that blog daily (or at some regular interval), and start creating samples of the content you’d like to create for potential clients – those who are actively looking for freelance writers.
If you ever get into a rut – and there will be days like that – you can still keep your writing muscles primed by subscribing to some online writing prompts, to keep the juices flowing.
Content mills and job boards that post freelance writing jobs for beginners are another real means of keeping your feet wet and your mind engaged.
Granted, the pay might not be fantastic, you can take consolation in the fact that you can build a portfolio of your best samples in no time, for future, potentially better-paying clientele.
Read, read, read and then read some more!
Do not be surprised that this tip comes right after the need to write. To become a successful freelancer, the next activity that you should engage in just as much as you write is reading.
Reading allows your imagination to explore and embrace the possibilities that exist in the present and the future.
Your reading strategy will depend on the kind of freelance writing you choose to do. You can read up materials peculiar to your niche. Or you can shore up your general knowledge inventory.
Why does this matter?
An illuminated mind influences the quality of your writings, which in turn results in getting satisfied customers. And a satisfied clientele will mean repeat transactions and multiple referrals to other potential individuals and businesses.
Run a website
If you have decided to become a freelance writer, then having a site is a big chunk of the puzzle. Consider that most of your engagements (writings) will take place remotely (except for rare occasions). It is only logical that existing and potential clients find you via the same means.
Here’s a catch.
A structured website gives your writing career digital mileage and visibility. Platforms like WordPress and other portfolio platforms are credible options for your website needs. They are simple and easy to use.
As you garner more experience and clients, you should also consider going for paid hosting sites as well to burnish your image further.
A typical functional website should contain elements such as your bio, a portfolio of your works as well as your contact details.
You could also obtain insight into the workings of SEO and rankings, to boost your web page statistics and make your site easier to find.
Blow your trumpet with self-marketing
No one can better publicize your skills and competence at freelance writing better than you. To get you started, you should begin advertising with friends and family. Tell them of your availability for their content creation needs and look at offering free services if the situation warrants.
Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms are your partners in progress. Create accounts on these sites using your professional media moniker to promote your work and reach out to potential clients.
Don’t leave out filling directories and other resource platforms (like some of the best freelance writing sites) with your full profile; you can never tell where opportunities may come from.
LinkedIn is another functional platform that can accelerate your freelance writing career. The platform comprises millions of professionals and thousands of businesses in dire need of content writing to boost their operations.
To take advantage of LinkedIn, fill your writer profile and provide a link to your writing samples and other relevant information.
Settle for a niche as soon as possible
At the beginning of a freelance writing career, you will often take on as many varied content writing jobs as possible.
The reasons for this approach are not far-fetched: you want to get your works in the marketplace and wherever writers are needed as quickly as possible, and you’d also want to make and keep new clients.
I can’t emphasize this enough.
You can only earn top dollar when you specialize in a specific industry or niche!
Your unique expertise will open the doors to commanding higher rates than you would if you remained as a general content writer. Your work becomes an authority in that specific field, thereby leading to premium payments.
The question is.
How do you make that transition into becoming a niche writer?
Well.
You could lean on specific cues and choose from something you’re passionate about or already have knowledge in.
Were you a music prodigy in school? Then you could look at churning out articles on music reviews and commentaries.
Do you have a flair for numbers and money matters? Zoom in on finance writing and associated topics.
Look.
In the long run, the more you deepen your knowledge in that specific niche, the more you would begin to enjoy writing content in that field.
As a result, your writing will get better and more clients will be willing to pay handsomely for your services.
Keep pushing yourself and quoting higher rates!
The famous axiom: The only thing constant in life is change- must manifest in your freelance writing.
Why does this matter?
Successful freelance writers always yearn for more: more challenging writing tasks and more significant projects; compelling them to improve their skills, get bigger, better plans, and make more money.
After you have begun writing and have stuck to it for a while, you should start applying for more competitive, higher-paying gigs.
That’s not all.
Reach out to businesses you would never have in the past; the worst that could happen is getting a rejection, which does not mean that the next company you contact will also refuse your proposition.
Always put your best foot forward, go out on a limb and do something that takes you away from any comfort zones.
Set a regular work schedule- and stick to it
This is a tip that you should you write boldly on a piece of paper and hang it on a visible spot on your wall.
Why?
One of the objectives of becoming a freelance writer is having the liberty of earning a living doing what you are passionate about – on your terms.
This means that you can and should set work hours that give you the freedom to pursue other hobbies/interests you would not have the time for if you worked at a 9 to 5 job.
The best part?
Setting a fixed work timetable for your freelance writing will keep you from burning out. Depending on whether you engage in freelance writing part or full time, creating and sticking to a schedule gives you a sense of organization especially when you work for some clients.
Keep tabs on your income
Becoming a successful freelance writer also entails keeping track on the revenue your services generate over a period. There are compelling reasons to take records of your earnings.
First, you can use income earned as one of the yardsticks in determining how far you have gone in your freelance writing career. Also, tracking your earnings prepares you for your tax payments as well as monitor your expenses.
Another key benefit of tracking your income revolves around motivating you to learn, grow, and increase your prices, while in the same breath you can stay accountable to yourself and make necessary adjustments to grow your business.
There are a ton of online resources available to help you in this regard, with some of them being as straightforward as inputting financial information in an Excel spreadsheet.
Form partnerships with other Freelancers
The global freelance trade is on the rise. Businesses outsource tasks like website design, freelance blogging jobs, freelance writing jobs, software programming, graphics design, video editing, and financial accounting et al to freelancers.
Here’s the catch.
As a freelance writer, you can take advantage of this demand by forming partnerships with other freelancers. It often turns out these professionals may also require content and write-ups for their projects. With a connection in place, you can position yourself to receive referrals and contracts to provide content for these other freelancers.
Work from Home Opportunities
One of the perks of working as a freelance writer is that you can choose to work from anywhere. So long as you have the basics such as a laptop and effective internet connectivity.
That’s not all.
An open space, a library or even from the comfort of your home; any location conducive enough is game. To begin the journey of getting freelance content writing gigs from home, you’d do well to check out these top freelance websites:
Problogger
Created in 2004, Problogger aims to help bloggers and writers obtain premium value from running a blog/website. The site works on listing work orders based on price range, job requirements, and type of contract available.
Problogger receives plaudits for providing opportunities for all; you do not have to be a native English speaker to get high paying jobs. Finally, you can sharpen your craft by accessing thousands of valuable writing resources available on the platform.
Blogging Pro
Blogging Pro is another credible option for freelance writers looking to work from home.
Note that the platform serves more established writers although beginners can sift through daily listings to find appropriate job descriptions.
On the BloggingPro site, you can choose from 8 separate job listings with many work-from-home opportunities.
One more thing.
The portal features a ton of materials to assist the development of writers on the platform, including the opportunity of submitting articles on the website.
All Freelance Writing
If you are a freelancer keen on the rates payable per job, then look no further than the All Freelance Writing platform.
The site works by displaying writing gigs along with payment sum and date.
With this feature you can, in a jiffy, scan through the available jobs on the listing and make your proposition based on price.
All Freelance writing also supports adverts and job postings from third-party sites; this means that you can select from a larger pool of jobs.
And if you are keen on getting the latest updates/information on gigs, then you can sync with the site’s RSS feed.
So can you boldly say you’ve found the answer to the topic of this article, how to become a freelance writer? Sharing this article with your friends is one way to say thank you!
