Freelance writing is a good career option for anyone looking to make a living in the gig economy. Whether you’re writing reviews or preparing website copy for an established brand, working as a freelance writer can be a great way to make money doing what you love. However, with the number of freelance writers looking for work right now, it’s important to know how you can build and nurture a successful career despite the competition.
This guide will help you get started.
1. Choose your field of specialty
Before you decide to start your freelance writing career, you need to determine your niche. You have numerous options to choose from. In addition to writing guest blogs and social media content, you can also accept ghostwriting jobs from authors and create online and traditional ads for small business owners.
Choose a niche that suits your writing style and experience. From there, you can branch out into other areas where you can further develop your skills.
2. Build a profile and portfolio
Once you’ve chosen your niche, you can create a writing portfolio that contains samples for that niche. Since you’re just starting out in your career, add original articles or ad copy to your portfolio to give people a better idea of your writing style.
Along with a writing portfolio, you should also create a professional profile on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. With these platforms, you can tell other users that you accept writing jobs. Just be sure to include your phone number and email address in case anyone is interested in your services.
3. Start looking for a job
You can’t always expect potential clients to stumble upon your professional social media page, so you can also find work on platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, or Toptal. These websites include listings for media and creative jobs in your area, as well as remote work opportunities from business owners and people in other countries. However, be sure to review the details such as the fee and the number of words you have to write before accepting a job.
4. Get the writing tools
No matter what job you’ve taken on, it’s important to use the right tools that will make the job easier. With the amount of time you’ll spend researching and editing your work, you need tools like Evernote and Notion to help you structure your drafts.
To make editing less hectic, use Grammarly to catch small mistakes before submitting a draft.
5. Never stop learning
The best writers know better than to stay at their current skill level. You will need to stay ahead of others by learning new skills and tools. Look for every opportunity to nurture your skills and excel as a writer. Take online workshops, grow your network of influencers in the freelance writing community, and learn other essential skills outside of your niches like SEO, web design, and web development.
Becoming a successful freelance writer takes a lot of time and practice. Still, knowing these basics should at least get you off to a good start.