How To Get Your Start As A Freelance Writer
I admit, I Googled “how to get a writing job online” in college and found the wild world of content mills where you can sign up with a writing sample and be assigned a skill level that determines your pay. It’s been over a decade since as being a content writer whose main job is to advertise products for magazines and online businesses.
While starting out as a freelance writer can be as simple as filling out forms and submitting samples, many hopeful writers tend to get frustrated with the job due to low pay and demanding clients. Here are a few ways I became a successful freelance writer despite my questions and emotions.
Creating The Perfect Writing Sample and Resume
Aspiring writers shouldn’t be afraid if they don’t have too much experience on their resume. You can pad your application to writing sites by stating your college degree and any awards you may have received even if it was in high school. For example, I was editor in chief of my college newspaper but was a Arts and Entertainment contributor before landing the title. Both of these are important to me as I prefer to work in creative projects as well as leading a team.
If you don’t have college experience, consider listing a blog or any job skills you’ve had that pertain to writing. Maybe you helped draft e-mails and proposals at a prior employer. Use your experience to your advantage when crafting a writing sample. You will usually get writing prompts such as “describe your favorite city” or “what makes you a great writer.” There, you can be creative or use technical writing to stand out from the crowd.
Wait Patiently For Your Acceptance
Content mills for aspiring freelance writers bring in hundreds of applications a day so you will have to be patient. If you’re second guessing your resume and samples, try to enhance your craft with writing courses in the meantime to feel more secure and apply to different companies to keep your options open.
Freelance writing for a potential client is all about boundaries and comfort. Once you’ve received your acceptance letter, you may need to look to a pool of orders and try a few here and there to see if you get positive reviews. Once your orders are accepted and paid, it’s ok to do a cold emailing technique to see if your clients would like to work directly. Try a template message such as “Thank you for your positive reviews, please feel free to send me articles directly!”
Do Not Be Discouraged By Rejections or Revisions
A good writer will advance their skills over time. While freelance writing work is known for paying less than a regular writing gig, there are still some clients looking for cheap work. You can establish your skill in content marketing but find a client who expects more from you than what you are paid.
As an aspiring freelance writer, you can find yourself finding too much time on a blog post or guest post with a major client that requires more than within your pay rate. Communication is key within this situation and if your client is too stubborn or rude for a revision, you should be able to cancel the order and save it as your own for a similar article. These websites side with the clients usually so it can be frustrating to lose a job but it’s not the end of the road for you as a content writer.
Never Give Up On Your Dreams As A Freelance Writer
When you use a writing service to start out your career you can find energy with tactics such as posting on a job board with your writing skills and see if you get an e-mail back. The freelance marketplace in my experience is more about showcasing your writing skill by showcasing to your clients exactly what they need.
Keep Going Until You Succeed
You can advance as a freelance writer by building your writing portfolio with legitimate and experienced word. If you don’t find success right away, try a writing course to learn the ins and outs of grammar as well as special marketing techniques including SEO.
Your potential clients are looking for a good writer who is worth every penny and you need to find a client that maintains friendly and professional communication. Utilize your own skills and expertise to save yourself a headache and get ahead in the freelance game.