Kickstart your freelance writing career by sharpening your writing skills and assembling a compelling portfolio to attract clients. You would have to dive into networking, explore job boards, and pitch your ideas directly to publications and companies to seize exciting writing opportunities!
Freelance writing encompasses an array of services, from crafting engaging blog posts to meticulously researched technical papers and everything in between. It epitomizes flexibility and autonomy, allowing writers to work from their favorite coffee shop or the comfort of a home office.
Freelance writing offers numerous benefits, including the freedom to choose projects, set your schedule, and potentially earn a substantial income based on your skills and dedication. However, it requires resilience and a solid foundation in spelling, grammar, and writing proficiency.
In this guide, I’ll cover how to become a freelance writer, tips on freelance writing for beginners, essential skills you’ll need, and a few pointers on how to find great clients.
So, strap in, grab your notebook, and let’s get ready to literally write your future!
How Do You Become a Freelance Writer?
To become a freelance writer, start by assessing your readiness, considering factors like your writing skills, time management abilities, and financial stability. Develop your writing skills, create a portfolio showcasing your best work, establish an online presence, find your first paying clients, and set your rates.
1. Assessing Your Readiness
Do you have the basic essential skills and traits? Successful freelance writers need to be good at writing, but they’re also self-motivated, excellent researchers, and great at meeting deadlines.
Do you enjoy learning about different topics? Are you comfortable working alone? These are important traits for freelance writers.
Perform an honest evaluation of your writing abilities and work ethic. Take a hard look at your current writing skills. Are you comfortable with grammar and style? Do you have a flair for turning complex ideas into easy-to-read content?
Your level of skill will determine where you start, but don’t worry—everyone starts somewhere! Our site has a bunch of quick and handy skill tests that you can use to see where you fall in this category.
We also have a bunch of great courses and downloadable materials that you can take at your own pace to help you become an amazing freelance writer!
2. Developing Your Skills and Portfolio
Worried you have no actual projects under your belt? No problem! We all start somewhere, but there are definitely ways around it.
Start your own blog, contribute guest posts to established blogs and sites, or create speculative samples that showcase your writing style. There are also websites like Medium where you can create an account and post content that you can then use as work examples in a portfolio.
Also? Find your niche. Most newbies start out as generalist writers. This means you can write about several different topics from various industries with ease but not with any sort of expertise or from a place of authority.
But, nowadays, most clients are searching for SMEs (subject matter experts). What background do you have? What past jobs did you do? What did you study in school? What hobby are you extremely passionate about? These are all your subject matters that you can claim to be an expert in.
Finding a niche can make you more attractive to certain types of clients.
3. Establishing Your Online Presence
You can’t do much these days without some kind of online presence. But if you’re trying to build a career online, make sure that your presence is professional and centered around what you do.
Here are the three main areas I tell new writers to focus on:
- Set up a website and/or portfolio: Tools like Squarespace, WordPress, or Contently can help you set up a professional-looking portfolio without needing to code. And it doesn’t have to be a crazy, heavily involved site, either. A simple, single page is all you need. State who you are, what you do, any accolades, and show off some samples of what you’ve done.
- Optimizing your LinkedIn profile: I actually never realized how important this is until the last few years. Once I gave my LinkedIn page some love, I noticed a huge spike in online attention, and new clients started reaching out. Make sure your LinkedIn profile highlights your freelance writing services, showcases your best work, and is optimized with keywords that attract potential clients.
- Get a professional headshot and author bio: A professional photo and a compelling bio can set you apart from the crowd. You don’t have to run out to an expensive photographer, either. I set up my headshot myself using a good-quality camera and a nice office background. Also, your bio should be short and sweet but contain all the most important details a client would need to know upfront.
4. Finding Your First Paying Clients
It’s time to get paid for those words you’re spinning! Use my tips below to find and land those first-paying clients.
- Head to job boards and content mills: Content mills aren’t the most glamorous place to be due to high expectations and low pay, but they can be a good starting point to build up some experience and knowledge of the industry. Job boards are the next step up, where pay is still relatively low, but you have more control over what gigs you do.
- Direct pitching and networking: Take the leap and start pitching your services directly to potential clients via email or even social media. Sign up for industry networking events or webinars where you can meet potential clients or at least observe how they behave and search for writers.
- Cold emailing tactics: Cold emailing can be daunting. But it’s a powerful tool if done right. Tailor each email to the recipient, highlight your relevant experience, and always end with a clear call to action.
5. Setting Your Rates and Managing Your Business
Let’s talk money and management and, well, money management.
- Setting your rates: Most projects will be on an hourly or per-project/per-word basis. The lower end of most rates these days is $0.02/word or $20/hour. The higher end falls anywhere from $0.05 to $.10/word or $50+ per hour. Websites like the National Association for Independent Writers and Editors have a ton of helpful info on this.
- Use contracts and outline expectations: Always use contracts that lay out the details of the project, payment terms, and deadlines that you’ve discussed with the client. Simple programs like HelloSign can help you with that.
- Simple invoicing and bookkeeping tools: Do your best to keep your finances in order with tools like FreshBooks, QuickBooks, or PayPal. They make invoicing and tracking all of your expenses easy-breezy.
The Freelance Mindset
You need more than great writing chops; you also need the right mindset about several things.
Remember that imposter syndrome and fear of rejection happen to us all, and they are not even real! It’s like worrying about the tooth fairy or the boogeyman. Put your best foot forward, lead with confidence, be professional, ask for clarification, and the rest will fall into place.
You have to self-promote and market your services, but never bite off more than you can chew. Continually share what you do, what you’ve done, and what you can offer. Utilize social media, paid ads, and a lead magnet (some kind of freebie for signing up for your newsletter, etc.) and network with other writers on places like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Reddit.
My last tip is to never settle and NEVER assume you’ve learned it all. Develop a growth mindset and always seek continuous learning. I’ve been doing this for 15 years and am still learning new things every single day.
Think You’re Ready to Become a Freelance Writer?
Becoming a freelance writer is totally achievable with the right tools, preparation, and persistence. I promise! I’ve covered all the essentials you need to get started—from honing your craft to finding clients and managing your freelance business.
And don’t worry about imposter syndrome. Every successful writer started somewhere, and with dedication and strategy, you can, too. If you want even more helpful tools and info, take a look at our other guides right here on the site! Happy writing!