I get many emails asking “how to become a freelance writer,” and this is my response.
Freelance writing is for anyone who has their way with words. If you always seem to nail those reports or have received compliments about a piece of writing, this might be for you. Imagine having unlimited income potential, being your own boss, and working from home. For me, that means being a better parent to my kids and countless family vacations. I couldn’t ask for more. Obviously, if you are based solely on your computer you will need to make sure that you are utilizing all the right software and practices to make it easier on you when working from home, this also includes your own health. Your eyes will take a beating if they are not properly looked after especially with staring at a screen constantly. You may require to use blue light blocking glasses to help make sure that your eyes are not straining and you can keep working and grinding to become the freelance writer of your dreams.
As good as that sounds, I have a lot of planning to do before I can work from home and become my own boss. Many of my friends are remotely working from the office and have said that whilst it’s so much better, if you don’t have the relevant technology in place to help with your tasks, then it will be very hard to find the motivation that came with such ease in an office environment. One thing they definitely told me to do was to spend some time researching about something called software defined wan to see how it can provide my network with the best security, as well as allowing me to connect with applications easily so I can alleviate my performance and productivity. This definitely sounds like something I could do with, and this is just one of the many things that need to be taken into consideration when you’re thinking about becoming a freelance writer and working from home.
So, what does it take to become a freelance writer?
Start with the Simple Stuff
Let’s face it; nobody is going to hire a newbie for a high end copywriting gig. You must start small and work your way up the freelance writing ladder. And that usually means starting with SEO writing. Most of the content written here is for link building, and the quality requirements are not stringent. That gives new writers a space to learn on the job, which is always a welcome idea
A basic article contains a headline, introduction, subheadings, and a conclusion. You might also have to throw in a few links into the mix, but that depends on the brief. The idea is to find content mills that offer free training to get your feet wet. That’s what I did.
Choose a Niche
When working with content mills, I got work from various industries and clients. And that meant writing a lot about topics I knew nothing about. Most of the time goes to researching these articles, which increases the time spent on every piece. And that’s why niching out is a great idea.
Finding a niche makes your work simpler. If you can land freelance writing gigs within your realms of knowledge, you’ll be writing about topics you know about, making it possible to create amazing pieces in record time. For example, I choose to go with the finance niche. Now I only accept finance-related articles, which makes things so much easier on me.
Build a Portfolio
Once you feel confident about your writing, it’s time to build a portfolio. Think of it as your online resume that you can show to potential clients.
The best part?
You can set it up for free. I went with clippings.me that allows free signups. The only catch here is the domain name. You cannot customize it on the free version. But the subscription fee is nothing compared to the benefit of having a portfolio.
You can also choose to build a website from scratch. That gives you control over the domain name and gives you space to share and get feedback for your work.
Write Great Samples
A portfolio is only as good as the samples on it. That’s why I put extra effort when writing these essential pieces. You need to have an editor go through the work just to be sure it’s high quality.
Remember that clients will judge you depending on how good those samples look. There is no room for error.
Once the samples go live, share your articles with relevant people on social media. It is an easy way to get eyeballs on your content for free and attract the right clients.
Find a Printer
If you’re in the process of writing a book, you’ll need to get it printed at some point to present to a publisher. You could also self-publish, but either way, you’ll need someone to print your books professionally for you. Head to sites like https://www.printivity.com/books/perfect-bound-books to find the perfect printer for you. Once you have your work printed, you can start to publicise it.
Pitch, Pitch Pitch
Once you have readership on your portfolio website, start pitching. And this is the hard part. Most clients will never reply to your messages, and others will ask for free guest posts. The idea is to ask for a byline for the free pieces and charge standard rates for interested clients. I also include a small editor fee in my pricing so I can deliver quality articles every time.