the beginner’s guide to freelance writing
…even if you have no experience!
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Did you know:
The United States has the largest market of freelancers, with just over 57 million people doing freelance work in 2020.
Plus, the freelance market is still expected to grow by another 10 million within the next few years.
This also means:
We have the biggest need for new freelance writers, just like you!
Now, I’m not sure if you know this or not…
Freelance writers are the OG’s of spending their days:
- Working from home and lounging in your coziest pajamas
- Sip on endless cups of coffee while meeting with your soulmate clients
- Jumping on flight after flight traveling the world while working from your laptop
But, you still may be thinking:
“Do I have what it takes?
Could this really work for me?
Can I actually become a successful freelance writer?
Well…
Whether you’re wanting to:
- Completely leave your 9-5 corporate job (without second-guessing yourself)
- Start a side-hustle to make some extra cash (even if you only have a few extra hours a week)
- Have more freedom and flexibility to spend time with your family (without compromising your income)
Freelance writing can help you build a healthy work/life balance with infinite opportunities for growth (which I’ll show you in just a bit).
Plus…did you see the part about endless cups of coffee and working from your bed?
Really, it’s a no-brainer–
Let me prove it to you.
what is freelance writing?
Freelance writing is the new black.
Seriously–
Freelance writers provide services like writing emails, blog posts (like this one), social media captions, and so much more.
Basically, when a company gets stuck on using their voice, selling their products, or entertaining their audience…
They can hire a freelance writer (like me) to help create more content and sell more products to quantum leap their badass businesses!
But, when you start your journey as a freelance writer–you become your own boss.
This can be pretty intimidating because…
- You don’t get any benefits (like health care or 401k)
- You have to find your own clients and build a network
- Sending out invoices, tracking payments, and making sure you’re getting paid by everyone on time can be overwhelming.
That being said, there are a hell of a lot of perks, too.
You get to choose…
- Who you work with (and on which projects)
- How much you get paid (and how long your contract lasts)
- What your hours are (and when you’re completely off the grid)
You might be thinking to yourself,
“Yeah, Jess, that sounds great and all, but what do you even do as a freelance writer?
Can you even really make money as a writer?
Where would I even start?”
Well, my friend–
The incredible thing about becoming a freelance writer is that your world literally becomes your oyster!
A career in writing isn’t just for authors anymore.
If you can read and write…
People will pay you to write:
- Their latest email campaign for a new service
- An abundance of content for their website to engage their audience
- Juicy product descriptions for their e-commerce store
- Social media captions to encourage engagement
- Impactful ads that sell new products
You even have the flexibility to niche down into a specific topic if you want!
As a freelance writer, you have full control over who you work for–
And what projects you complete.
how to start your career as a freelance writer
The coolest thing about freelance writing is that you don’t need any experience to get started (or succeed).
Actually, all you really need is a functioning computer, some decent wifi, and bare-minimum writing skills.
If you have those three ingredients…
You don’t even have to be a native English speaker to become a successful writer.
As long as you can read and write at the standard 4th-grade level–
Starting your freelance writing journey is so much easier than it seems…and it’s actually never been simpler.
To help you out, I’ve broken it down into a few actionable steps.
1. determine the services
Sometimes what we are great at writing isn’t what interests us the most.
Or…
Maybe what you enjoy writing isn’t what you’re actually the best at (yet).
Do some research and decide what type of services you’d like to provide.
Consider the types of things you like to read, as well!
- Whose emails do you look forward to reading in the morning?
- Are you addicted to reading your favorite blogs for new information?
- Did you recently purchase a helpful ebook that you couldn’t put down?
You never know:
A freelance writer may have written each one of those!
2. determine soulmate clients
Explore what niches are out there!
I promise you–
There are WAY more than you think.
Create a list of industries that interest you.
As you go through that list, write down the stand-out qualities you want to find in your dream clients.
- Are they a large firm or a solopreneur?
- Do they pay you on commission or by a set project fee?
- How much money do they make each year?
- What values do they have?
Now, you’re ready to start preparing to work with them!
3. build a dream portfolio
Listen up:
I will never, ever tell you to work for free.
You deserve to get paid for every project you do.
But…
It could be in your best interest to create a portfolio of work you will be providing your soulmate clients.
To build a portfolio prior to having a client, think about your services.
You could write a few mock email campaigns, 1-3 product descriptions, or a sales ad for your favorite product.
Even though you aren’t actually hired for this work, it will help you get paid (quicker) in the short + long run.
Now, when you get in touch with your ideal client, you have something to show them (and it might be exactly what they need).
4. start pitching
“Wait, Jess…you mean I have to pitch myself and my services to someone who has no idea that I exist?
Isn’t that a little gross and salesy?”
That is exactly what you have to do.
And it’s NOT gross and salsey…at all.
Think of it this way:
If you never pitch your services to people you want to work with…
How will they ever get the opportunity to potentially benefit from your fantastic skills…
When they don’t even know what you do?
When you pitch to clients:
You eliminate the need for your soulmate client to do ANY work.
They don’t even have to look for a writer because a great one just landed in their laps.
You, a writer who is about to solve the exact problem they are having!
If you never pitch to your dream client, you’re taking away their opportunity to massively improve and succeed through your services.
When you think of it that way, it would be selfish of you not to pitch them. (;
Now…
If you’re still on the fence about cold pitching to clients, there are a few other options.
(Huge shoutout to the internet for giving us killer freelancing platforms to start on!)
top 7 best websites for freelance writers to get work
Online presence makes it easy to find work anywhere, connect with businesses all around the world, and market yourself for everyone to see.
It also makes it easy to connect with other freelance writers, network with your soulmate client, and cultivate deep relationships with everyone you encounter.
Here are the top sites for freelance writers to get started:
1. linkedin
2. social media
3. fiverr
4. upwork
5. legiit
6. contra
7. your own website!
your freelance writing freedom is right around the corner…
Beginning your freelance writing journey is sooo much easier than it seems.
It just takes some time to build a solid clientele and honestly…
Even after you’ve solidified a few soulmate clients…
You should never stop pitching to potential clients.
Plus, once you get a few pitches under your belt, you’ll realize you’re unstoppable!
Contrary to society’s belief that writers can’t make a living…
If you want it–
You sure as hell can achieve it!
And if you want some more support along the way, I send out weekly emails with helpful tips for freelance writers.
I’m always here to answer any questions you have!
Catch ya next time.
–Jess
related badass freelance writer information:
21 (Free) Top-Performing Headlines (with 11 real examples)