It’s easy to say that freelance writing is easy, but it’s also easy to say that it’s hard.
In reality there is a middle ground in which one can succeed and prosper in the world of freelance blogging. The process of learning how to become a freelance writer hasn’t been easy for me, nor has it been especially hard. I believe that if you understand the basic principles of successful freelance writing and put them into action on a consistent basis, you will find success.
With that in mind, in this post I have collected what I consider the most important principles for successful freelance writers into fifteen actionable nuggets. If you absorb and apply the following principles then you will be giving yourself the best possible chance of succeeding as a freelance writer.
Phase 1: Prepare Yourself
Before you actually begin to look for freelance writing work you should make sure that you are set up for success; both in a psychological and technical sense. To put it simply, you need to be a good writer and you need to know that you are a good writer.
Believe in Yourself
The very first question you must ask yourself when learning how to become a freelance writer is simple yet vitally important: “Do I believe in myself?” I.e. do you believe that you are capable of becoming a successful freelance blogger?
If the answer is yes then you are ready to move on. If the answer is no then you need to consider what your lack of faith is based upon, because without belief you are likely to prevent yourself from succeeding.
The simple fact is this: if you want to succeed as a freelance blogger then you need to help yourself rather than hinder yourself. A lack of belief in your abilities will be all too obvious for prospective clients to see. If on the other hand you exude confidence, their perception of your abilities will be heightened.
Let me put it another way: I’d rather be an average writer with an unerring belief in the inevitability of my success than a great writer wracked with self-doubt. Believe that you can succeed and you are far more likely to.
Learn to Write
That’s right folks — if you want to be a successful freelance writer you should be a good writer. It should be blindingly obvious but I think there are lot of people out there who don’t fully appreciate the importance of honing their writing skills.
Becoming a better writer is just as important as learning to find prospective clients or negotiate rates effectively. It is perhaps the most powerful element in terms of influencing every area of your budding freelance writing business. If you’re a good writer, everything becomes simpler.
A lot of people will say that in order to become a good writer you should “just write.” I call bullshit on that. It’s like telling someone with a terrible golf swing to keep practicing that same golf swing — they’re just learning bad habits.
So I encourage you to study and learn the principles of effective writing, and more specifically, writing for the web. The good news is that effective online writing relies upon a set of straightforward rules underpinned by just one principle: keep it simple. If you put no more time into learning how to become a freelance writer then remember that.
If however you are of a mind to improve your craft and want to know where to start, I recommend that you start with the Yahoo! Style Guide. It is my bible and taught me most of what I know about online content writing.
Consider Your Expertise
One of the biggest perceived issues that faces freelance bloggers is their area of “expertise.” I get a lot of people emailing me with this problem — they desperately want to become a freelance writer but feel that they do not know enough about a specific topic to offer value.
The first thing I’d say is that everyone knows more about something than most. If I am stood in a room with all my friends I can point to each one and name at least one thing they know more about than me. Steve knows more about cars. Briony knows more about medicine. Kim knows more about teaching. Dan knows more about law. Vicky knows more about fund raising. Sarah knows more about horses. Tom knows more about marketing. I could go on but I’m sure you get the message.
My point is this — you do have value to offer on any number of topics if you take a moment to consider where your expertise lies. This becomes even more obvious when you consider that the vast majority of people interested in learning more about a certain topic are complete beginners. You only need to have an intermediate understanding of a topic to be well-placed to teach the majority of the market.
I personally experienced this when I landed my first job at WPMU.org — a blog dedicated to the world of WordPress and blogging. At the time I had been blogging for about five months but I’d already learned enough to provide value to many of the readers. I was “expert enough.” I am certain that you are expert enough in plenty of fields to offer value.
Keep an Open Mind
Following on from my previous point, I would advise you to be open minded concerning which topics you’re happy to write about — especially when you’re just getting started. I’d advise you to snatch up anything you can find that pays a decent rate and/or offers good prospects in terms of exposure, etc.
One thing you’ll quickly discover is that you learn a huge amount about something when you write about it. That should be an obvious realisation to you but many do not fully appreciate it. If you can get your foot in the door in a certain market and start building up a reputation, you’ll soon find that your perceived value grows and you can soon move onto bigger opportunities. That is precisely what I did in the WordPress market, despite having barely any prior experience.
Did I see myself as a WordPress writer when I started out on my freelance blogging journey? Absolutely not. Do I consider myself a WordPress writer now, capable of offering a great deal of value to the majority of the community? Definitely.
Stage 2: Find Work
When learning how to become a freelance writer, the idea of putting yourself out there and pitching prospective clients can be pretty terrifying. I remember it well myself — I submitted pitches to a number of prospects and felt utterly absurd in doing so. Who was I, a completely unqualified beginner blogger who nearly failed English at school, doing submitting pitches for freelance writing jobs?
Overcoming that psychological hurdle is one of the biggest steps you can take towards freelance writing success. Once you have the confidence to consistently submit pitches to prospective clients you can focus on the nuts and bolts of getting more work and building your business.
Go Looking for Jobs
Having said that, one common issues amongst startup freelance writers is that they simply don’t go looking for jobs. They somehow expect jobs to find them, or submit a handful of pitches and give up when they don’t get a response.
So let me make it clear — if you want to become a successful freelance writer then you’re going to have to hustle. To begin with, at least. You cannot expect people to come to you when you have no experience and no reputation. You’re going to have to get out there and demonstrate to people why you are worth their time and money.
To give you a sense of scale when I talk about finding jobs, consider my friend Ruth Zive’s “Ten Before Ten” approach in which she made sure to contact ten prospects before 10am. Ten prospects every working day soon adds up and makes success all but inevitable.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways in which you can find work in the freelancing world. Those first few jobs that get you on the ladder shouldn’t be too hard to come by if you’re going about the process in the correct manner. Make a start with the following posts:
- Freelance Writing: How To Find Your First Job
- How to Spot Viable Freelance Writing Opportunities on Job Boards
- Freelance Writing Jobs for Beginners (Without Using Job Boards)
Write Great Pitches
Once you’ve located a prospective client your likelihood of landing the job comes down to just a couple of things — one of which is the quality of your pitch.
Put simply, your pitch plays a huge role in determining in whether you land a job. It’s not always the best writer that gets the role — it can be the person who submits the best pitch. After all, clients aren’t just looking for writing skills — they’re looking for someone who demonstrates an aptitude and enthusiasm for the role. They’re looking for someone who makes a good impression — someone who sets themselves apart from the crowd. That’s what a good pitch can do.
For tips on creating good pitches, start with my post on finding your first freelancing job.
Get Some Great Samples
A lot of beginner freelance writers feel that they are hamstrung by a lack of quality samples, and they’re right. However, they don’t appreciate that it is possible to get your hands on good samples without getting paid work. The perceived catch-22 of getting quality samples when you can’t get work doesn’t actually exist.
The first thing I’ll say about samples is that you shouldn’t attach them as files to pitches. When it comes to online writing, prospective clients want to see that you’ve been publishing — if you’re sending them articles as Word docs then they’re going to wonder why no one has seen fit to publish you.
In terms of getting published you have three potential solutions:
- Publish content on your own blog
- Guest post on other blogs
- Land an unpaid ongoing blogging role
The first is obviously the least effective (as anyone can publish content on their own blog), but it was enough for me to land my first role. I recommend that you target all three if you are truly keen on succeeding. The third option is especially effective in my opinion, as that position likely emulates the type of role that a quality client is looking for.
Create a Quality Writer’s Website
Even if you choose not to create your own blog to help build your freelance writing business, I consider having a website to be absolutely mandatory. After all, if you’re touting yourself as a freelance blogger you need to demonstrate at least a modicum of technical ability!
Your writer’s website should be the hub to which all prospective clients refer. It should be linked to from within your email signature so that they can visit it and see that you are not just a fly-by-night hoper. The site should be cleanly designed (I recommend one of the default WordPress themes such as Twenty Eleven or Twenty Twelve). Please refrain from the temptation to try anything fancy with the design unless you know what you are doing.
The site should be professionally presented and convince any prospective client that you are a candidate worth of their consideration.
Get Good Testimonials
Aside from a short biography, contact information and example of work you’ve already had published, your website should feature a number of positive testimonials relating to your writing abilities and general professionalism. If you have not yet worked as a freelance writer then you may feel that getting hold of testimonials is impossible, but that is not the case.
The easiest way to get hold of testimonials when starting out is to ask your friends and any colleagues. Their testimonials do not necessarily need to relate directly to your writing ability but can refer to your professionalism, organization skills, reliability, etc. Throwing these in the mix can be an effective way of bulking out your testimonials and no prospective clients needs to know that the people that wrote them have a personal connection to you.
Another relatively easy way to get testimonials is from bloggers that you have guest posted for or are blogging for on an unpaid basis. Most will probably be happy to write something up for you and these can of course relate directly to your writing ability.
Create a Blog
This blog has been hugely influential in determining my success as a freelance blogger. Beyond my first two clients it has served as a consistent referral machine — it is the reason why I haven’t had to go looking for freelance writing work in about eighteen months. As such, I urge any beginner freelance blogger to start their own blog.
The topic(s) you choose to cover isn’t necessarily that important — for instance, the subject matter I cover here is rarely directly related to anything that I blog about for clients. Having said that, it certainly won’t do you any harm to blog within an area of interest that you would like to be paid to write about. The topic is up to you but the real benefit is in showcasing your technical writing ability and your ability to create a successful blog.
If you can show a client that you’re good enough to build a community around your blog from the ground up, it serves as a strong mark in your favor as to your ability to help them.
Stage 3: Build Your Business
Consistently seeking out prospective clients is of course extremely important when starting out — without doing so you are unlikely to find those few jobs that can get you on your way. However, you should also have one eye on how your business is going to develop — the sooner you hone and perfect your approach, the better it is for your growth.
Learn to Negotiate
In submitting pitches your hope is of course that a prospective client will bite and offer you a job. If they do so then you may be required to state your rate. This is enough to paralyse any enthusiastic beginner freelance writer into inaction — I say that from personal experience.
However, setting and negotiating rates does not need to be an imposing concept that looms over you like a storm cloud. In reality, the application of a few simple concepts can give you the confidence to state a rate that has been calculated in a reasonable and sensible manner.
To learn more about setting and negotiating rates, check out this article.
Learn to Write Fast
If I had to single out one thing that has had the most influential impact on me earning $100+ per hour from freelance writing, it is my ability to create content quickly.
I’m not just talking about my typing speed (although that is hugely important) — I am talking about the process of creating a blog post from that moment where you have a kernel of an idea through to when you have finished the post publishing promotion process.
If it is not clear then let me state it plainly: your ability to work quickly has a direct impact on your ability to make more money. A $100 articles make you $100 per hour if it takes you one hour or it makes you $50 per hour if it takes you two. That is the simple math.
If you want to know more about how to be a fast writer then check out my post on the topic: 9 Steps to Writing Blog Posts Quickly (and Making Much More Money).
Write to the Client’s Standard, Not Your Own
To follow on from my previous point, an error that many freelance writers make is to write to their own standards rather than their clients’. This is especially costly when starting out on jobs that pay modestly — nothing is more depressing than spending hours on a job that pays pennies.
The point to consider is this: if you’re being paid pennies then the client is probably expecting work of an equivalent value. Don’t give them your A game if they’re only paying you a bargain basement rate.
I must clarify something important: I am not saying that you should do shoddy work. But I am saying that you should work to a standard that reflects the value of your compensation. That will keep the client happy and will take you far less time. And most importantly, it was massively reduce the chances you feeling jaded by your over-exertion and giving up altogether.
Be a Solution, Not a Problem
One of the key things you must understand about the working relationship you have with your clients is that you are there as a solution, not a problem. You are there to save them time and provide a quality solution with minimal hassle. If you are not delivering on all fronts then you are making yourself a problem.
Your writing ability is only one consideration — in reality, a client will want you to deliver a quality product, as promised, on time, and consistently. If you produce brilliant work but you’re consistently late or difficult to communicate with, the client is going to have a conflicted opinion of your value to them.
So whenever you are working with a client, remember that you must always be a solution rather than a problem. Blow them away with quality of product and of service and your business will grow.
Be More than Just a Writer
I have noticed an increasing trend amongst prospective clients — they want more than just writers. In fact, very few of the people I have worked with have simply wanted me to write and submit articles. Clients are more often than not looking for a bigger solution than that — they want the articles to be written, published and promoted. They want to make sure that their online marketing strategy is sound. They want their website to look good and convert well.
If you can build your business around the basis of offering a well-rounded service that incorporates more than just writing, you’ll find that the scope for the development is huge. This is not something that you should worry too much about when just getting started but it definitely is something to bear in mind for the future. Although your time is finite (which in turn limits your earning potential), a content marketing business that caters to a client’s every need is scalable and could represent the next level for your business.
In the meantime, just focus on developing your skills around your writing ability. This is another reason why having your own blog can be so valuable — it will give you a well-rounded experience of what creating a successful blog is all about. Your potential value to a client will skyrocket if you can demonstrate that you have true aptitude in blogging and all that it incorporates: social media, SEO, and so on.
Follow the Process
Above I have outlined a broadly chronological approach to successful freelance writing. While there is plenty more to be said about each principle and many other things to take into consideration, this barebones process will certainly get you on the right path and will make you far better equipped than most of your competition to succeed.
If you have any questions regarding the above or in fact any questions about freelance writing at all, please do not hesitate to get in touch via the comments section below. I look forward to reading your thoughts!
First comment!
Tom, the thing that I love about your posts is that you explain THE ENTIRE PROCESS, from the beginning to the end, step by step. Your clear and sequential instructions make it easy for newbies to be able to understand and follow the process for freelance writing success.
Oh, and glad to see you posting again! I did hear about the whole “brute force” attacks thing, hope that everything is now back to normal.
Cheers,
Daryl
Congratulations Daryl — you are the first person to celebrate commenting first on a post here on LWB. If that isn’t a sign of the blog growing then I don’t know what is 😉
Everything is back to normal for now and the future (touch wood) — I will be doing a lot of research on WordPress security in the coming days and plan to publish a big post on the topic here.
Cheers,
Tom
I know keeping an open mind is something that is preventing from moving forward with pitching for jobs.
“I don’t really know anything about this” is something I find myself thinking constantly when checking out the blog job boards, and haven’t pitched to anybody yet because of it (among other things).
I think once I start doing some pitches, I’ll be less concerned with how knowledgeable I am since I’m pretty confident in my research abilities.
It’s just hard to get over the “Am I qualified to write about this?” mindset.
I understand Ericson, but there really is only one way around that — to start submitting pitches! It’s time to bite the bullet…
Great great GREAT tips! About “Keep an Open Mind”, I think this is the most important thing to consider.
I’ve been a close minded guy for way too long, which lead GREAT opportunities pass by me… Now that I think about it, I really regret it but it’s the truth. Argggg, but we can only learn and move forward at this point , right?
Exactly — regret is only useful as a device for teaching you how to behave in the future! So now you know to keep an open mind, cast that regret aside and move on 🙂
Hooray for that last tip especially! I’m building a business that focuses on writing as well as administrative assistance. I find it has helped with my blogging client that I have other things I can offer them in the future.
Absolutely Willi. Branching out your services once you’re established as a writer is a powerful option.
Excellent post Tom – between this and your other posts you have linked to any newbie writer will be streets ahead in their business’s.
I’m totally with you on building a successful blog. Many of the writing jobs available these days require your to have an active social media profile as standard. Besides that – you will have to learn as much as you can about traffic, guest posting and networking. Another benefit of having your own blog is writing about topics that interest you – which allows your passion to leap from the page and bite readers in the ass!
I’m looking into guest posting and am trying to build relationships with other bloggers by commenting and twitter – and will be using your twitter guide to help.
Can I ask how do you go about getting a guest post on bigger blogs – I’m guessing you would have to be quite well established, but is it possible to have a pitch accepted on its own strength?
My concern is how do newbies go about building relationships with the bigger bloggers who might not have time to spend reading a newcomers work? But I suppose if it’s “Epic Shit” then the problem is solved.
Final question: How important is a knowledge of SEO when working with good clients. i think there is a lot of crappy SEO article marketing stuff out there who (might be) making a big deal out of a dying phenomenon as google’s algorythm evolves…
Keep up the good work Tom – still reading your book – there’s some good shit in it readers! (not an affiliate link:)
Jamie
Hey Jamie,
Thanks for the kind words!
When it comes to guest posting the first thing I would say is that there is no harm in trying with the bigger blogs. The worst that can happen is that you are rejected, at which point you can ask them what you would need to do in order to get accepted. And yes; writing epic shit does help 😉
As for SEO, I would advise that you keep your approach very simple. I preach the principle of “incidental SEO” — check out these two posts:
https://managewp.com/incidental-seo
https://managewp.com/blog-post-seo-checklist
Cheers,
Tom
Hi Tom – “no harm in trying with the bigger blogs”
Totally agree – i was just thinking this at my work. If memory serves I think I found your blog through a post you did on problogger – and you were pretty new to the game. This is why I’ve been following your progress (inconsistently at first) for almost a year. It’s been awesome seeing this blog grow and evolve and it is a big inspirational factor for me setting up my own.
SEO – simple approach is agreed. These internet markers aren’t going to fool google long term. I’ll be reading the posts you recommend and clipping them into evernote.
Thanks for the advice – You’ll be getting well spoken of when I’m up and running – and I’m already putting your twitter advice into action.
Keep reaching for that rainbow:)
Jamie
Hi Jamie,
Funny you should mention a ProBlogger post — I think ProBlogger was the first site I submitted a guest post too. It was horribly nerve-wracking. You have to look back and laugh! It really isn’t that big a deal 🙂
Cheers,
Tom
Tom, I love the way you focus on more on long term strategy than short term gain.
I see a lot of writers focusing all the time on small tips & tricks in isolation without any insight on connecting the dots and moving towards an objective.
As for your point about additional services by writers, I believe this a big opportunity area for any writer who knows a bit about complimenting services. You can even team up with complimenting businesses in providing one window solutions to your clients.
I personally experienced how a simple writing assignment changed into a much larger web design and content marketing project.
Great post!
Cheers
Hey Jawad – these tips and tricks you talk about – how much time to newbies spend reading about them and either taking no action or too little to make a difference. How much of a timesuck! (speaking from countless hours of experience, or lack thereof)
Complimenting services – yep. As soon as you have enough experience it’s time to use it to leverage your business and take it to the next level. This is what leaving work behind is all about.
Yea thats a good point. Countless hours of reading – and dreaming – without any action. I bet if people (including myself 🙂 ) start following even half the advice they read, they’ll be experts themselves.
Thanks Jawad. Ruth Zive is a great example of what you’re talking about — she started off as a corporate writer then moved into partnership with someone and now offers a complete content marketing solution (http://marketingwise.ca/). It’s been awesome to witness!
Hey Tom,
you absolutely nailed it with this post. highly informative and insightful as usual. if there’s anything i’ll particularly like to reinforce on it’s on the aspect of self believe.
it’s remarkably necessary to believe in our selves, our abilities because it’s by so doing we can absolutely do so much. Not believing in our own self leads to frustration, depression and unfulfilled goals. And to achieve much, goals definitely as to be met.
Hi Olatunji,
Thanks! Self-belief is huge — I totally agree 🙂
Cheers,
Tom
Hey Tom, Thanks for this post and the good tips for moving forward and creating success with freelance writing. You’re certainly right on the money with our own perception of our abilities being the biggest roadblock at times, even if we’ve celebrated successes in other areas of life. Stepping out of our comfort zone is always difficult. So, thank you, again, for these tips and words of encouragement.
My pleasure Stacy 🙂
Great tips, Tom. I’m pretty ready to do some more work on my blog but I don’t know if this is a problem: my blog is on blogspot (not wordpress) and I’m seriously working on upgrading my contents to impact my audience and, of course, attract more clients. What should I do? Create another blog on wordpress or continue with blogspot? Thanks.
I would switch to WordPress and import all your Blogspot content over Michael 🙂
Wow! Didn’t know that was possible. How do I go about that?
You should be able to find the solution with a Google search — let me know if not.
Great article. Great tips. Very useful indeed. 🙂
Thanks Deevra 🙂
COMPLETELY agree with all of these points Tom – this is a really comprehensive guide.
After a steep learning curve I like to think I’m there with most of these now – the only one I really need to work on is writing a bit quicker. I can dwell on one blog post for more hours than I care to think about! Will be reading your ‘9 Steps…’ post now.
Thanks again 🙂
No problem Kirsty! 🙂
Tom,
What a great help you are to us newbies! When I look back at my life I realize I have written in journals all my life, took writing classes in high school and college, and now have 2 blogs on WordPress.
I am my own worst enemy as you said you need to believe in yourself and take action. The first step is the hardest. I recently had a article published on a website – a freebie however it was a good experience. I have been thinking about moving to a website instead of just a blog. I just need to take that next step.
Thanks for the inspiration! I will continue to read your articles.
Jan
My pleasure Jan, thanks for commenting 🙂
Amazing tips here Tom, I like the way you lay out your blog posts, and the way that you explained everything from start to finish about becoming a freelancer. Amazing, I need to start writing blog posts like you Tom.
Thank you
No problem 🙂
Hi Tom,
Thanks you for writing such a inspiration and motivating guide for me as a newbie writers, I really do struggling with how to write fast and on time so that I can the most from my time. I think I will definitely practice and improve my skill to a level that I can totally be able to write a blog by myself. Thanks for your advices and ideas. They really make me believe in myself more.
My pleasure Anna 🙂
oh my, I am so overwhemed. I am great at pitches and I have some content but I am not sure I am ready in terms of getting my blog started….this is not something you can help me with……beyond the info you have already given. But, this article is inspiring me to take the next step.
Are you worried about the technical side of things or is it more of a mental issue?
Hello Tom
I have read what you have outlined and I love it. I started out my career as a writer on the wrong foot working for rates as low as $1.25 per article. Obviosly it was exploitation of the higest order that is why yesterday i stopped and wordered how can I reconstruct myself in this writing field.Today I started reseasrching and you are among the frist writers that I have read today, you have expanded ny context and shown me that i was very stupid.I thin The believing in yourself part is what really has got to me because that i did not have it working at the rates.
Thank you a lot i will put what you have siad into perpective and practice.
My pleasure 🙂
I love this article but my english is not so good. If I try writing in English, the structure will be annoying..hehe
I loved reading your article/blog. It is the missing ingredient that is no longer missing for me. I am going to take your advice and move forward. I do have a question regarding a website; is it appropriate to sell items on my website or should it just be content in nature?
thanks again and much continued success for you and all future writers.
I’m not sure I understand — why wouldn’t you sell things on your website?
Tom, thanks for the pointers and excellent information. All too often, when looking for advice, I’ve found rather bland, regurgitated, and unspecific advice. This stands in stark contrast on all three points; consequently giving me so much to work with. Thanks again.
My pleasure Matthew — plenty more to come!
Tom,
24 hours ago I ran across an article about freelance copywriting. Although I have seen the term before, I have never investigated it. It spiked my interest and after numerous links through my research, I found your link. Thank you for great insight regarding writing, beginning steps and more great links ( I have yet to pursue). I am a dental hygienist but I enjoy writing and have had many great compliments on my writing in the past. Although I feel strong in my writing abilities, the technical side of freelance writing is what intimidates me. The internet is a wonderful resource, but do you have any advice on learning about the technical side of freelance writing? Specifically setting up links within a website, learning about Google and its abilities and fulfilling the basic technical expectations of clients.
Last week I returned home from a great trip to Maui which included my second snorkel trip with a very reputable company. I have a Word document I often share with my patients about “The best things to do in Maui”. That document includes my descriptive experience with this sailing/snorkel company. Since this company has a website, would it be unreasonable for me to submit my “blog” to them?
I will continue to follow you and pursue this exciting opportunity. Thanks again,
Sandy
Hey Sandy,
The best thing to do by far would be to launch your own blog. Even if it’s just a personal project, it’ll teach you everything you need to know! Start here: http://www.leavingworkbehind.com/how-to-start-blogging-in-ten-minutes/.
Cheers,
Tom
Thank you so much for this inspiring post! I having been blogging for going on 3 years now and aspire to begin freelancing but have NO clue how to start. Your post was far and away the best advice I’ve come across. You seem genuinely interested in helping others. Although I believe in my writing talent I do have a great deal of self-doubt I need to get over. Thank you for the inspiration. 🙂
My pleasure Coty. And yes, I am genuinely interested in helping others 🙂
There are loads of other articles like this on the site so please feel free to have a browse around and get in touch if you have any specific questions.
Thank you for your article on freelance writing it has been very helpful. I love to write and I have recently found myself without a job so I am considering working on freelance writing.
Hi Tom
Thanks for this amazingly informative article.
I currently have my own blog which focuses on the personal development field however I would like to dip my toe into the world of freelance writing. Would you recommend that I start a new website specifically aimed at showcasing any freelance writing work I do or should I instead just add a ‘freelance writing’ section to my existing blog? I am just a bit concerned about confusing the two and putting off my existing readers…
Thanks a million!
Jess
Hey Jess,
I’d just add a “Hire Me” page to your existing blog for now 🙂
Cheers,
Tom
Hi Tom. Thankyou for this wonderful article. I hold a Masters degree in English Language and Literature. Sadly, where i come from, the only career option available after a humanities degree is teaching. And even that line is over saturated. I love writing, but i’ve never really considered making a career out of it, considering all the stereotypes surrounding a writing career. That, and a lot many other factors, like not knowing where to begin. Im 26 and i already feel like my life is over. That maybe i should have become a doctor or done an MBA…
Then, I read a blogpost by a female freelance writer. She had mentioned the financial security her career had provided her, along with the freedom to work from home, manage her household, take care of the kids the way she liked etc.. I think i fell in love with freelance writing.
I understand its not easy to succeed. And having all the regrets i do have, i think its time to turn my back on the past and move forward. I read somewhere that spirituality is based on two principles. “Begin” and “Continue”. I think its time to apply that to my life.
Since i dont know anything about the trade, I think I’ll begin with a website that i just found. They offer paid writing jobs for beginners. And i dont know if they’re paying me the right amount, but for gaining experience and exposure, i guess i have to begin somewhere, right?
Yes, i will start a blog. I’ve always been meaning to. And Ive written a bit of fiction on Wattpad. Does that count?
Thankyou once again for your wonderful article. It was really inspiring.
I think ive just found a whole new meaning to “dreams are not those that you see in your sleep. Rather, dreams are those that dont let you sleep”.
With my 26 years of procrastination behind me, Im not backing down on this one Tom.
Wish me luck.
Thanks again.
This is awesome Shaema; I love your attitude! Please keep in touch and let me know how you get on.
Top notch article. I agree with believing in yourself because without it, things will be tough and you’ll find it hard to stay consistent. Overall great tips though!
Thanks Theo!
Great advice and especially remembering to write to the level of the pay I am receiving. I also like that this was written recently. In the first lesson, there is a link which was written on 2005 about the web. I’m pretty sure the web has changed in 10 years! The one thing I would change is putting this article closer to the end of this class when we are farther along in completing it and looking for our first writing jobs. I made a note to myself to come back to this lesson!!!
Be comfortable communicating. Unless you want to be the hermit novelist living in poverty, you’ll need to reach out to other people as a freelance writer. You’ll need to be prepared to market yourself, to drum up business, and to chase leads.
Well said!
Hi Tom,
Thank you for sharing your wisdom. The cogs are grinding and I am feeling very inspired. I am starting a new journey with my career and it is difficult to find wholesome advice without a catch.
So thank you 🙂
I look forward to reading your other blogs.
Alexandra
Hello, I got me very interested about become a profesional writer and to gain some extra money,
I would like to be self employed freelance style, I’ve been looking at ways to get new offers
and now I’m working with this site about workingfreelancer.com
I do not know if it is good idea but now has worked for me
Make Money Online
Thankyou for educating me on this. I have been wasting my time doing just what I should be doing. Now I will take your advice and change my strategy.
Thank you for all the posts. Writing is not my strength being a bilingual. I signed up to this training thinking it’s about learning the military style of technical writing which I need as a service provider for military families. However, I believe after finishing the first lesson, I can benefit from it.
I’m looking forward learning from all your blogs.
Wow, your article is very useful for me. I may use them soon. HAHA
hey your blog is simply amazing just enjoy it.
i will love to give a advice that
Give your 100% in every work no matter how small it is. The work should be done with the proper procedure and will satisfy the client so that he will return to you in further time.
Always give a descriptive detail about your self, you experience, your ability, your picture. These small factors will help the client to know your ability.