Whether you are a student seeking a freelance job to cover your student debt or an aspiring writer who wishes to earn money by writing texts, you have a lot of opportunities to build a successful freelance writing career. Even if you have no experience writing articles or YouTube scripts, you can learn how to do it and earn income with some effort and time. Luckily, there are a lot of writing jobs that can fit both tech-savvy and creative people. Let’s explore what steps you need to take to begin your freelance writing career.
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Identify Your Niche
There are a lot of industries where freelance writers are in high demand. Before you search for a job, you need to identify the most appealing direction for your writing growth and develop skills accordingly. Also, knowing the job title will narrow down your searches and help construct an adequate resume. Here are some job positions that you can try at the very beginning of your freelance writing career:
A freelance writer. Photo/pexels
Academic writer. This job may be an excellent fit for all fresh graduates and doesn’t require a certain degree. This position is a good starting point for anyone who wishes to polish their writing skills and get paid. All you need to do is to fill in the job opening form for writers at one of the writing services.
Video script writer. If you enjoy watching TikTok or Shorts and have experience creating videos, this creative job won’t leave you indifferent. Billions of users watch short videos daily, and successful video bloggers constantly seek scriptwriters. Along with video bloggers and influencers, you can collaborate with marketing companies to help them promote brands and products. This job may focus on short and long-form videos; choose one that suits you best.
Content writer. Many companies who sell their products and services online try to get higher in the Google search ranking by posting quality content to their website to increase traffic. For this position, candidates are expected to create well-researched and engaging articles, blog posts, scripts, etc. Such positions are SEO driven and require candidates to understand the basics of SEO promotion.
Copywriter. This position allows you to write more sales and marketing-driven content. Copywriters may write ads, product descriptions, landing pages, banners, and articles to promote services and products.
Technical writer. Those students who study engineering and other technical fields can show their proficiency in technical writing. Many technical writers focus on a specific theme or industry (e.g., IT, medical, biotech, engineering, etc.) and explain complex subjects in a simple and engaging way. You can choose a more specific sphere, like writing white papers and instructional manuals or articles and blog posts.
It’s only a tiny list of writing jobs you can choose from. There are also positions for medical writers, business writers, proposal/report/grant/resume writers, editors, product description writers, ghostwriters, and more! Do research on freelance marketplaces like Upwork, Fiverr, Peopleperhour, etc. As a beginner writer, you can try different jobs to see which suits your talents and skills best.
Develop Writing Skills
When you have chosen your sphere of focus, take some time to develop your writing skills and knowledge needed for a particular job. Identify your skill gaps and start developing those skills. We recommend you take into the habit of writing a certain amount of words or writing for a limited amount of time (e.g., 15 minutes every day).
Read job descriptions of specific positions and identify which skills are needed. For example, suppose you have chosen SEO content writing. In that case, you probably will need to learn more about Google Ads and understand the meaning of keywords, SEO titles, descriptions, and landing page principles. You can learn some information by reading thematic blogs and YouTube videos, and more specific themes you can find in online courses like Coursera.
Make up a list of topics you need to explore and gradually explore. Start with the most critical skills and move further, as professional authors should endlessly learn and improve to become successful.
Create a Portfolio
You must show your best-written works to help prospective employees quickly know your writing style and abilities. Even if you have no experience, dedicate some time to writing a specific piece. We recommend you create 2-3 well-written texts to have the possibility to share them. Moreover, if you aim to work with bloggers or as a copywriter, you can create a blog post and publish it as a guest blogger or as a contributor at a representative website. Create those types of content that correspond to the preferred niche.
Determine The Price For Your Work
We recommend you inspect resumes and job descriptions on websites like Indeed and Upwork to determine clients’ expectations about the price and average rates writers offer. Consider your skill level and experience. For example, Upwork claims that copywriters make $19-$45 per hour (if it’s an hourly payment) or $0.08 to $1 per word. Determine which type of content you are willing to write and search the offers accordingly. It takes time to find the correct rate as you need to balance attracting clients and evaluating your work adequately.
Develop Your Online Presence
Freelance writing career. Photo/Pexels
Publish your resume on various freelance platforms and submit proposals for job offers. Your aim is to find potential clients and define their needs. Don’t expect you to get a lot of orders, as it will take time to get a list of persistent clients. Experiment with your resume and attention-grabbing posts, actively respond to new offers and answer direct messages from prospective clients as soon as possible.
Deliver Quality Writing Pieces on Time
When you have received your first project, read the requirements, guidelines, and deadline attentively. You must try hard to meet the client’s expectations to develop a good reputation. For example, suppose you have decided to work for a college essay writing service. In that case, students will be highly disappointed if they miss the deadline or make a mistake in the paper format, as their grades are directly related to the paper’s quality.
Also, don’t forget to communicate with your clients actively, especially if you need to clarify something in the order instructions or if clients have questions. A quick response to clients’ messages shows your professionalism and dedication.
Wrapping Up
As you can see, starting a freelance career is possible at any age. With effort and persistence, you can enter the job market and earn money. And don’t forget to constantly improve your knowledge in the chosen writing niche and deliver quality written content to your clients to grow your reputation and income.
