I’ve created a quick guide for new freelance writers who are just starting to dip their toes in the waters of the freelancing world.
This will give you answers to some of the many questions that come up as you’re just getting started--and will point you in the direction of some helpful resources, too.
What makes a successful freelance writer?
Believe it or not, talent is NOT what makes a successful writer.
A talent for writing and storytelling is certainly important, but without the following qualities, you’ll struggle to make a living out of full-time freelance writing.
Luckily, most of these can be developed over time. Let’s look at what skills make for a successful freelance writer.
A specialized skill set: Expertise in a particular topic or type of writing will help you attract clients willing to pay expert rates. Specialized subject matter experts become go-to people for that one very specific “thing.”
Discipline and reliability: While the freedom to make your own schedule and choose your clients is a big part of the appeal of freelance writing, it’s not all poolside writing retreats and mimosa brunches. The most successful freelance writers develop and stick to a process that makes them efficient with their time while also meeting deadlines and delivering the best possible results for their clients.
Curiosity and willingness to learn: Writing for a living requires that you check your ego at the door and be open to – and eager for – constructive criticism. Even if you’re a master at your craft, there’s always more to learn. One of the things I love most about freelance writing is that each new assignment brings with it an opportunity to discover something new.
A strong, supportive network: Freelance writing can be a lonely road. Make sure you have plenty of companions and guides on your journey by filling your circle with fellow freelancers, mentors, and loyal clients who will share knowledge and advocate for you.
A distinctive point of view: Successful freelance writers aren’t afraid to bring their values, creativity, expertise, and integrity to the table. It may cost you a project or two with potential clients who only want to hire order-takers, but expressing an informed point of view will help you win respect in your field.
A go-to set of tools and resources: Most freelance writers I know gleefully collect time-saving tools and troves of information. Here’s my personal stash of home office stuff, writing tools, books, and learning resources to get you started.
Native-level fluency in the language you’re writing in: This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many freelance writers are getting paid (in pennies) to write in less-than-fluent languages.
How do I start freelance writing with no experience?
Ask any freelance writer working today and they’ll tell you the same thing: to get started in freelance writing...just start writing.
“Create content for yourself. Don't wait till you have a personal website,” says content strategist Seema Nyak. “Publish it on Medium or LinkedIn. Let people know you are available for work. Share the content you create on your social profiles to let your network see it.”
Publish on Medium or LinkedIn: As Seema says, publishing content on a social platform demonstrates your writing skills to a built-in audience. It’s a great way to develop your writing voice, hone your content writing skills, and challenge yourself to improve engagement with each post you publish.
Create your own dream spec projects: Rewrite ad or web copy for a big brand, write a video script for your favorite product, create an email from a fictional character...use your imagination. If you’re really brave, you can then show these spec projects to the clients you created them for--and it might get you hired.
Volunteer for a non-profit organization: Flex your client management muscles while also learning the freelance writing ropes by giving back to your community and supporting a cause you’re passionate about.
Build a website or blog: There are loads of easy-to-use website building platforms that don’t require code and have powerful content management systems for blogging. I recommend Squarespace.
Use a portfolio/writing sample platform: These tools are great ways to collect your writing projects in one spot to display to potential clients. Contently, Behance and Medium are all good options to consider.
What types of freelance writing jobs can I get?
Many successful freelance writers I know (including myself) started out in non-writing careers and “fell into” freelance writing on the side after discovering it through their previous jobs.
If you’re in a full-time position right now, try asking for more writing-focused projects to see what kinds of writing you like best.
Here are the most common types of writing that freelancers do:
Blogging
Ghostwriting
Article/Feature writing
Website copywriting
Social media content creation
Ebooks and whitepapers
Email copywriting
Sales page/landing page copywriting
Editing
Once you’ve given different types of writing a shot, you’ll be ready to choose your specialty, aka “niche.”
How do I find my freelance writing niche?
The beauty of picking a freelance writing niche is that you can build your career around a topic you already know or are passionate about.
“Consider your entry point. Did you leave a different role to become a writer? If so, you can write about that industry,” says copywriter Kayzie Garza. “After you've done a few different things, you can consider the kind of content you like writing most. Maybe it's a tight focus on editorial, or as varied as ‘any marketing collateral related to X products/industry.’ I do think the more specific you can be, the better.”
Should I use a job board to find freelance writing gigs?
I’m not the biggest fan of giant job boards or writers for hire sites like Upwork and here’s why: Quite simply, the pay often sucks.
Upwork, like other gig economy apps (think Uber and Instacart), grabs a chunk of commission off your pay (20% off projects under $500, 10% of projects $500 and up), while also charging clients fees for the use of the platform. Oh, and that’s in addition to charging freelancers a fee for the opportunity to bid on work.
This would be fine if you could reliably fill your pipeline with work at a rate that will support your lifestyle and with clients that you could build long-term relationships off-platform. But as you can see from job listings like this one that pays $20 for a 9,000-word blog post (?!!?), you’ll often have to compete for dismally low rates.
Don’t waste time vying for low-paying jobs.
Verdict: you can find excellent work as a freelance writer without using job boards or content mills.
How do I find work as a freelance writer?
Instead of searching for work, focus on building your freelance writing business. Successful businesses are built on relationships. I call the process “The Freelancing Flywheel.”
The Freelancing Flywheel
Learn: The learning process is ongoing for any freelance writer. Learning helps you expand your expertise, perfect processes, and charge higher rates as your skills and knowledge grow.
Network: As you build your network, you’ll not only discover more opportunities for work, you’ll also discover what kind of work you don’t want to do (and the kinds of clients you want to avoid). It also gives you more access to communities of other freelance writers, prospective clients, mentors, and thought leaders in your industry.
Cultivate: Become invaluable to your community of colleagues and clients by answering questions, sharing your rates, and referring work that’s not a good fit for your skills.
Seek Work: If you’ve developed a strong network and actively add value to your community, be prepared: new client opportunities will literally land in your DMs and inbox. All you need to do is ask for referrals and send pitches to clients and editors you already have relationships with.
How do freelance writers get paid?
As a freelancer, your livelihood relies on your ability to charge competitive rates while supporting your costs of living and keeping your project calendar full. Here are some ways you can charge for your work:
By the word: For content writing, I charge by the word and factor in what’s included for my experience level, a round of edits, the level of research involved, etc. This way it’s easy for both parties to scope the project and prevents scope creep.
By the project: Some types of freelance writing, like copywriting for websites, require fewer words but more in-depth research and methodology. That’s when I charge per project. To determine your project rate, ask around to see what the going rate is for freelancers at a similar tier. Also factor in the market your client is based in and see what the going rates are there.
Need more? See more common questions from freelance writers answered here.
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