So how do you become a freelance writer? You have to take the first step. There are many opportunities out there for writers, but not everyone is willing to put in the work it takes to become successful. If you want this career path, then you need to be committed and proactive about your success. In this article, I’ll share how freelancers can write for clients as well as how they can blog on their own site.
What is freelancing and the benefits of it
Freelancing is a full-time or part-time job that you can do on your own time, with complete freedom over how to work and how much money you make. It’s also the easiest way for writers to start building their portfolio before they transition into working for publications in an office setting (if they so choose).
The benefits of freelancing include being able to set your own hours, choosing what projects you want (or don’t), getting paid upfront when clients hire you, as well as having total control over how often you take on new assignments.
How to find freelance writing jobs
Freelance writing jobs are available both in print and online, but finding the right gig can take time to find.
Here’s how to get started:
- Look for freelance opportunities on websites like Fiverr and Upwork.
- Use keywords to search job boards when looking for a specific type of work (like “freelance writer,” “copy editing” or “journalism”).
- Create your own blog where you post about topics that may interest clients who are looking for freelancers with experience in those areas. When they contact you it’s an invaluable lead because you already have built credibility as someone knowledgeable in their field.
- Network with other writers and learn what kind of work is out there.
Tips for getting clients
Don’t just rely on networking. Use cold calling or email to connect with potential clients and let them know how you can help their company succeed. Be sure to have a portfolio of your work available so they are able to see the type of writing you do, how well it speaks for itself. You may also want to offer an introductory rate which is typically cheaper than what freelance writers charge per hour after they become established in the field.
So how long does this process take? Generally, expect about six months before you start getting repeat clientele that will make up most of your business income. It takes time to get to a comfortable place.
Benefits of blogging as a writer
One of my strongest suggestions is to maintain a blog and to write a blog post daily (if you’re not working). This will help build your writing skills, establish you as an expert in the field of freelance content creation, and give you something substantial to show potential clients when they ask how many published pieces of work you have completed.
One thing that most people might not know is how much money can be made from blogging for companies! Businesses with a strong online presence are always publishing new content, publishing at least 2-4 new articles every week.
Putting out this much content is easier said than done. Most businesses that try doing their own blogging will burn out and stop posting.
If your content does well on its own, getting traffic and showing some earnings, you can add that to your resume.
The only other major benefit is learning time management: because it takes less than 30 minutes each day to maintain a blog.
Ways to make money from your blog
The way you monetize will depend on how good the content is and how many visitors it gets, as well as how much effort you’re willing to put in. You could also share a percentage of earnings from advertising revenue should your blog be popular enough. In order for this type of income to work out, there need to be at least 3000-5000+ unique viewers per month.
This is a “sweet spot” for websites to start earning reliable income.
The amount of posts it takes to reach this sweet spot is somewhere between 50-100 posts on a single website. The amount of posts depends on the topics and their search volumes.
If your blog has examples of product reviews, you can even monetize your blog with affiliate offers. Affiliate programs offer a way for media publishers to earn commissions for referrals.