**This article is also listed as its own page on this blog. Bookmark the page and come back often while learning and setting up your freelance business.
In a society where 9-5 jobs are becoming more and more
volatile becoming a freelancer seems to be the only solution. While practically
anyone can hang their shingle as a freelance writer, the reality of earning an
income large enough to sustain your lifestyle is much more difficult than most
anticipate. A freelance writer must be actively seeking new clients at all
times. They must be willing to put their work out there and face rejection and harsh
edits from unforgiving editors. Many people want to become independent of the
typical job but they do not know how to get started and break free from the
norm. There are a few must take steps in order to have success as a freelance
writer.
Determine Who You Are
This sounds weird, I know. But first things first, you need
to figure out what your writing style will be. Are you an author who wants to
publish books or even e-books? Are you a detail-oriented person who wants to
become a technical writer? Maybe you are a blogger who wants to take over
social media with your enthusiasm and wit. Then again, you might just be a
person with a lot of knowledge, a love for learning, or a knack for researching.
No matter what, with determination and a little leg work you
should be able to create a successful client base and earn a living as a
freelance writer. You do not have to be stuck in one niche of writing. Your
writing capabilities may include technical writing and creative writing so do
not limit yourself once you have established yourself as a freelance writer. I
started as a content writer and now write short stories, blog posts, research
projects, technical writing, and am a ghostwriter.
Set Up A Blog
This may sound simple enough. When you set up your initial blog,
pick one niche. It is okay to have a few different blogs if you have a few
interests that you want to write about and showcase your knowledge and your
talent as a writer. You can even link your blogs together to give yourself more
exposure. When I started out, I had a blog that covered the St. Louis Blues,
one that covered arts and crafts, and another that covered Christianity and
Inspiration. Obviously, these three topics did not have any common factors and I
could not easily incorporate the topics together into one cohesive blog. Therefore,
I set up three blogs and showcased my writing abilities on each one.
For those not familiar with blogs, you can set up a free
blog at blogger.com or wordpress.com. Each site is relatively easy to use and
even the novice blogger can set up a blog and start writing quickly. As you
become more comfortable with that blog platform, your blog will evolve into the
work of art you are envisioning. A jumbled blog will look sloppy and
unprofessional.
Once your blog is generating regular traffic, start looking
for advertisers or sponsors for your blog. Be selective and only choose
advertisers or sponsors that are related to content on your blog. If you are
creating a blog about dogs or dog training do not include ads about car care.
Instead, search for advertisers such as PetSmart or Jeffers Pet. Also, choose
advertisers and sponsors who offer either a percentage of each customer’s order
from your blog or a flat advertiser’s fee where they pay you a flat amount to
advertise on your blog. This will generate a little extra income each month.
Promote Yourself
This may sound odd since we are taught to not “blow our own
horn”, but this is a necessary step to becoming a successful freelance writer. Once
you have your blog set up and you have at least a few posts, start promoting
yourself. Send out notices to friends, family, and colleagues to check out your
blog and share. This builds your following and when you begin networking with
editors and other freelance writers this will lend a bit of credit to your
claim of being a serious freelance writer.
Social media and email newsletters are a great way to get
the exposure you need for your blog. By having a specialized blog or a blog
that covers one main topic you will have followers who are interested in the material you are presenting and they will, in turn, share some of your posts with
their friends and colleagues.
Do Guest Blogging
Many bloggers network among themselves as a way to promote
each other. Search for other blogs that have the same topic as yours and ask if
they allow guest blog posts. Many will ask for a return link from your blog to
theirs and this is another great way to grow your blog and promote yourself.
Once you have done a few guest blog posts within the topic
you are most comfortable with, step out of your comfort zone, and look for other
guest blogging opportunities. Choose topics that you may not be as comfortable
with but still have an interest in. This will begin the process of building a more
diverse portfolio and show that you can write intelligent, informative, and
entertaining pieces on a variety of topics.
Remember to be courteous to the host blog and host blogger.
Do not submit content that is offensive or combative toward the host blogger. Do
not get upset or have your feelings hurt if the host blog asks for edits to the
piece you have written. You are constantly learning and established freelance
writers will help you evolve as a writer.
Networking Is Key
Companies, whether they are large or small, are always
looking for new and inventive ways to promote themselves in the business world.
Take a page out of their book and do the same. Print up some business cards and
take every opportunity to hand them out, you never know who will pass it along
to a company in need of a writer. Let friends and family know you are stepping
out into the freelance world. They may come across someone looking for a writer
and they can recommend you for the project.
Social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn are
excellent ways to network with other freelance writers. Listen to your peers
and follow any leads that they post. The lead may not pan out, but it could
present an opportunity to get your name and portfolio out there for others to
view.
Once you have accumulated enough work to build a solid
portfolio, you will want to create an online resume along with links to your
work or samples of your work. If your portfolio includes samples of your
writing, include the link if it is still active or the original published location.
For example, if you have an article published on a blog that is no longer
active you will put “originally published on (name of blog here)”.
Finding a Paying Freelance Writing Job
For most freelance writers this is the reason they are here,
to figure out how to make money sharing their written work. There are a few
writers who are absolutely blessed and jobs just fall from the heavens and
right into their laps. For the majority of us, this is just not the case! Therefore,
we have to be out hitting the pavement, chasing down leads, and praying that a
client base can be built to make us able to say farewell to the drudgery of a
full-time job.
Sign up for job lists from reputable freelance websites.
Many send out weekly lists of new writing opportunities. Freedom With Writing (www.freedomwithwriting.com)
offers a weekly list of freelance jobs available. Sign up is free and there are
some great offers that come through there. Freelance Writing Jobs (www.freelancewritinggigs.com)
is another great resource to sign up for, it is also free. UpWork (www.upwork.com) is free to join and you can search for clients there. Never pay for access
to job listings! If someone is requesting that you pay money and they will
unlock the “secret” to success, chances are great that this is a scam!
Avoid content mill type websites. These sites have thousands
of “freelance writers” from all around the world willing to write 500+ word
pieces for pennies. If you get caught up in one of these sites, step back and
regroup. There is more to freelance writing than churning out content that is
not well thought out or well written.
Content writing is not the same as writing for a content
mill. Content writing is simply creating web content, generally wording for web
pages or entire web sites. Content writing can be steady work depending on
which company you are hired to write for and can be a decent paying job.
Despite its less than stellar
reputation, Craigslist can be a good source for finding clients. Just remember
to take many of the posts with a grain of salt. You will learn quickly how to
spot a scam, a content mill, or a legitimate writing lead. Do not be afraid to
ask questions about the company or the writing assignment being offered.
Building A Client Base
This may sound daunting, but to be
a successful freelance writer you will need to build a solid client base that
you can count on getting a paycheck from week after week. These clients will
become your bread and butter, the ones that give you steady work that enables
you to pay your bills.
Your client list will constantly
change and you must be diligent in seeking new clients. As projects end or
editors become uncooperative or pay cuts happen, you need to have the ability
to continue to earn an income. By always being on the lookout for new clients,
you are actively taking control of your earning potential. The writers who sit
back and wait for the clients or projects to come to them will not be
successful.
Anyone can say that they are freelance writers. To be successful and earn an income as a freelance writer you
have to get out there and find the best clients for you and promote yourself.
Most of the well-paying clients expect to see a solid portfolio that shows off
a writer’s personality and diversity.
Do not be afraid to be a ghostwriter for a
client, even though your name is not on the written piece; you can include
ghostwriting on your resume. I make about half of my income ghostwriting for 5
different clients.
And Finally…
There will be set-backs and you
will no doubt become frustrated when starting out as a freelance writer. Stick
it out and keep beating the bushes for those clients that will fit your style
and your needs. Remember, your online presence is how many clients will
determine if you are the right writer for them. Whether on Facebook or on your
personal blog keep things professional and remember this is your “interview”
and you must present an image of professionalism and competency.
A freelance writer who presents an unprofessional online presence will have a much more difficult time securing a
paying client base. Just like a brick and mortar business, you are selling
yourself to potential clients and they will comb through your online content
and presence before deciding to hire you for their project.
I wish the best of luck to those
branching out into the world of freelance. It can be scary at first, but in the
long run, it is very rewarding!
