Are you considering becoming a freelance writer? If that is the case, then you are in the right place. I will show you how to become a freelance writer and make $30 dollars per hour, or more.
Many people want to become freelance writers, and for some good reasons. Freelance writing can be fun, creative, and lucrative. Some people enjoy the variety of freelance writing. Others are interested in this career path because it enables them to work from home.
Whatever your reason for wanting to freelance as a writer, you are not alone. Thousands of hopeful freelancers are looking for online information on becoming a writer.
I’ve been doing freelance writing for years and I absolutely love it. I’ve spent years perfecting my skills – I want to help you learn how to become a freelance writer and get paid top dollars to write.
Becoming a freelance writer is not an easy task. You might have seen a lot of articles, blogs, and social media posts that make freelance writing seem quite difficult to break into.
But there are ways you can get paid to write online. If you’re interested in becoming a freelance writer or think you may want to give it a try one day, follow these steps carefully you can build your reputation and finally make some money.
Quick Guide
Here’s a quick overview.
- Choose your niche
- Research your niche
- Create a target client
- Set up a website or blog
- Write great sample work
- Check writing job boards
- Pitch yourself everywhere
- Showcase your work online
- Figure out how to get paid
- Collect client testimonials
Detailed Guide
1. Choose your niche
Choosing your niche is the most critical step in starting freelance writing. If you only write about one thing, that will be your target audience. You can decide which you like the most or choose a subject that meets the market needs.
When you choose a topic on which you’re passionate about, and you’ll find it easier to write without spending hours researching. One popular niche or a favorite hobby or interest of yours could serve as a good starting point for you.
Here are examples of niches you can pick from.
- Technology
- Fitness and diet
- Health and wellness
- Travel
- Family or relationships
- Cooking and nutrition
- Finance and budgeting
- Yoga and meditation
- Leadership and careers
- Crafting or knitting
To be a successful freelance writer, you need to find a niche topic you’re passionate about. Many online writers have a narrow focus. This allows them to become an expert in their field and provide detailed, in-depth content that attracts readers and drives traffic to their blogs.
If this is your first blog, then you probably shouldn’t choose something overly broad like ‘traveling’ or ‘productivity’. Those niches are already saturated with many great writers who have established authority in the topic.
You should start out by choosing a niche that you have some kind of personal experience with, preferably a topic you love.
Read also: How to find your niche
2. Research your niche
Research your topic by searching for blogs and forums in your niche. Find out what their topics are and how often they are updating them.
Check out their following and see if their content is valued. If you can see that there is a steady audience already following the niche blogs, then you can track down more appropriate blogs to approach with a freelance writing proposal.
3. Create a target client
Start your freelance writing business by creating a target client. You need a target client to focus your marketing efforts. To find clients, identify one niche and then create a list of keywords associated with that niche.
Creating a target client is about understanding what a potential freelance assignment is all about and working out how you can add value to that assignment. It’s not just about writing a good copy; there are other factors involved related to the client’s expectations of achieving their business goals through an effective communication campaign.
The easiest way to do this is to visit the blog that you would like to write for and use the keyword research tool in Google Analytics to see what keywords people are using to find the blog.
Though many freelancers try to do everything, I’ve found that focusing on only one or two niches, such as health or beauty, makes it easier to specialize in that niche, which helps you build a loyal following.
See also: 7 Effective Strategies on How to Make Money with An Email List
4. Set up a website or blog
When it comes to becoming a freelance writer, an online presence is very important. Take the leap into freelance writing and start your own blog or build your website to showcase your skills which you can do free with sites such as WordPress.
Set up a website where you can publish your essays and newsletters and keep contact information updated as you gain new clients. By advertising your services, your business will eventually start to grow at its own pace. Being a serious professional requires determination and persistence.
Remember that blogging is a long-term commitment. Even if you don’t get paid for it at first, your blog posts will improve with each entry. Resolve to write every day, even if you post only one short article per week.
It does not need to be anything fancy—just a place for clients to find out about you and the kind of work you do.
Read also: How to Start a Blog in 20 Minutes or Less: A Beginners Guide
5. Write great sample work
The freelance writing industry is large and competitive, which means hiring a freelance writer is a risky prospect for any business owner.
To become a successful freelance writer, you must establish a reputation with potential clients as someone that can consistently provide them with quality content.
One way to achieve this is by providing a free sample of your work to each prospective client, and ensuring that the sample work you choose to give them demonstrates your best abilities.
It is mandatory that you create sample work to serve as your portfolio before proceeding. Online writers generally write for blogs or write guest posts for other blogs and online publications.
Your sample work can act as a resume when you start sending pitches for paid work.
See also: The Ultimate Guide on How to Create an Outstanding Freelance Project Proposal
6. Check writing job boards
Check as many job boards as you can for work. Try freelance writing directories such as:
All of these resources have both the ability for you to post your freelance writing jobs as well as for you to search for freelance writing jobs.
7. Pitch yourself everywhere
If you want to freelance, you have to become an expert in whatever field you are writing about (naturally), but you also have to learn how to pitch yourself everywhere. You’re an expert in one field and they love it; now pitch them the idea that they need you.
The difference between freelancing and working a full-time job is that freelancing is all about pitching yourself. Once you get good at it, there’s no limit to the amount of work you can find.
The more places you pitch yourself, the more likely somebody else will take notice of your writing talent and want to hire you.
8. Showcase your work online
Links to your online portfolio will make your pitches much more effective, so editors can explore your work. Nothing fancy is required. Static websites, including those created from templates, will suffice.
As a freelance writer, your reputation, and therefore your income potential, is tied to the quality of your work. Setting up a professional-looking website to showcase your work helps convince clients that you’re the right person for the job.
Find clients by listing a description of services offered directly on your LinkedIn profile. Include examples of work to showcase your expertise in a specific field. Many clients will search through profiles and reach out to talk about potential projects or opportunities.
Consider offering free content like blog posts to attract an audience and receive feedback, which can help you develop your freelance writing business.
Read also: Best Portfolio Website Builders
9. Figure out how to get paid
It frustrates many writers who genuinely want to be professional freelance writers but just don’t know the steps to take to get paid. The first and most important step in becoming a professional freelance writer is finding out how you can get paid.
There are a variety of ways one may receive payment. So you need to figure out which is best for your style and personality.
Smart writers start their freelance careers with a plan for charging clients. The freelancer who charges a flat fee for an article or limited word count rate will get less work and make less money than the writer who quotes rates per project (or per hour or per word, depending on your business model).
See also: 6 Ways to Get Paid For the Content You Create
10. Collect client testimonials
My journey into freelance writing started by landing small projects here and there. While some would say that I was just a newbie who knew nothing, many of my clients had nothing but amazing things to say about the quality of my writing.
Using these testimonials and some hard work, I have been able to build a well successful writing business that has allowed me to work from anywhere at any time.
Read also: Best WordPress Testimonial Plugins To Build Trust With Your Audience
FAQs
Is freelance writing hard?
You may find it difficult to earn a living just by writing, particularly at the beginning of your career. In reality, freelance writing isn’t enough to earn a living – especially during your career’s early stages – when you don’t have other jobs available.
What qualifications do you need to be a freelance writer?
For most freelance writers, getting a freelance job requires an accredited Bachelor’s degree in journalism or English, a portfolio of writing samples, and the persistence required to find and pursue writing assignments.
Is there money in freelance writing?
You can earn money from freelance writing in a number of ways, and if you succeed at producing quality work consistently, it can even lead to full-time income.
How much should I charge for a 1000 word article?
A 1,000-word article would earn you $80 if you charge $0.08 per word as an intermediate blogger. You will earn at least $40 per hour if you outline, write, and edit it in at most two hours (which is quite reasonable). I wouldn’t call that bad at all.
Is freelance writing a good career?
To succeed as a freelance writer, you have to put in hard work, have excellent time management skills, and be willing to hustle. Freelance writing can be a rewarding career once you have established your rhythm and established a client base.
Final Thoughts
So now you know the steps you need to take in order to become a freelance writer. But I have one more tip for you and it’s this: follow your feelings and don’t worry about what other people are thinking about your plans.
Freelance writing is one such writing skill, and so it’s necessary for you to know all the things about it that a freelance writer knows. All the efforts here are also a simple attempt to make this experience of becoming a freelance writer less difficult or challenging.
However, as far as the learning process goes, this will have to be your personal effort. Write regularly and practice writing on a daily basis (yes, you have to do this) since the more you write, the bigger your vocabulary bank will become.
Just like every other skill out there including painting, photography among others, the only way of making yourself achieve great results with writing is to practice regularly and never give up.
Want to find out other ways through which you can make money? Check out 500+ profitable business ideas. Thanks for reading.
