Aspiring Writers – How to Make Money as a Freelance Writer
Computers & Technology → Blogging / Forums
- Author Cari Sommer
- Published May 7, 2011
- Word count 484
You aced your freshman composition class and professors have always praised your writing abilities. If you're thinking about making the leap from writing term papers to freelance writing projects, here's how you can kick-start your way to making money as a freelance writer:
Gather Your Writing Samples – In the world of freelance writing, you're only as good as your writing samples. Put together a writing portfolio that contains brief writing samples – not a 25-page final paper. Your samples should include all kinds of writing from a feature-reporting piece you've done for the school paper to a witty blog post to Tweets (yes, writing for social media can earn you money, too). If you don't have samples that fit what employers are looking for, starting as an intern is a great first step to a paid gig.
Go Corporate – Freelance writing can involve pitches to local publications or big time media outlets, but it's often business owners who need the help and are most ready to hire. Don't just think freelancing involves traditional publications. Business owners often need help with all kinds of copy including: blog posts, social media updates, newsletters, blog posts, white papers, product descriptions, annual reports and marketing materials.
Create a Niche – When you're first starting out, you may take any job that you can get, but it's always best to specialize in a specific area as your portfolio grows. Are you interested in writing about everything environmentally friendly? Look for businesses that are green service providers (perhaps a local cleaning company that uses organic products) or stores carrying eco-friendly wares. Or maybe you're not after an industry, but you'd rather write a blog post than product descriptions. Go ahead and specialize in blogging and educate yourself on SEO and blogging best practices rather than short, catchy product copy. As the saying goes, if you're a jack-of-all-trades, you're never a master of one.
Show-off Your Tech Skills – While writing can help pay the bills, it's much easier to land a new freelance job when you can add tech skills to your credentials. Get experience using blogging software like WordPress and Blogger so that you're comfortable creating posts from start to finish. If you're interested in e-mail marketing, get familiar with e-mail platforms like ConstantContact and MailChimp. An employer is more likely to hire someone who can put together a project from start-to-finish.
Grow Your Business – As you start to grow your portfolio and your niche, it's time to grow your business by asking for recommendations and referrals. Including a client's recommendation in your portfolio or cover letter can establish your credibility and create trust instantly from perspective clients. You can also let your current clients know that you're looking for more businesses, and that you would appreciate any referrals from other business owners looking for a bit of extra help.
What do you think? Have any tips to add to this list?
Urban Interns is an online job marketplace that connects high-growth companies with talented candidates looking for internships, part-time jobs, freelance work and contract positions.
Article source: https://articlebiz.comRate article
Article comments
There are no posted comments.
Related articles
- How to Turn E-Scrap for Cash
- 100+ Brilliant Informative Essay Topics and Writing Tips
- How Do You Get to the Setup Wizard on a Brother Printer?
- Expert Tips For Implementing Contract To Hire Recruitment Solutions
- The Ultimate Guide to Dental IT Support Services by LA Dental IT
- AWS Automation Tools For Disaster Recovery
- Is Blogging Dead? Why you should ( still ) start Blogging in 2024
- The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right HR Compliance Solution for Your Company
- Local SEO Services – Boost Your Business Locally with Effective SEO Strategies
- How AI Can Help Automate and Improve Keyword Research
- AI Uses to Generate Written Content
- The Ultimate AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals Study Guide
- Unlock Your Creativity with Google Bard: An LLM Chatbot Tool
- The Pitfall of a 'Woke' Chat GPT and Why Elon Musk's xAI Could Be the Game Changer
- What is the Best Blogging Platform?
- What are the Best Free WordPress Plugins?
- How to Choose the Best Niche for Your WordPress Blog
- 10 Tips for Maintaining a Successful WordPress Blog
- What are The Most Important Pages to Include on Your New Website?
- How to Make Money by Creating a Content-Filled Website
- What are the 7 Things to Avoid at All Costs with WordPress Blogging?
- What are the Secrets of Writing Killer Blog Posts?
- What are Common Sense Guidelines for Using WordPress?
- How to Optimize and Speed Up Your WordPress Blog
- What Makes WordPress an Incredibly Powerful Blogging System?
- What Are the 10 Scariest Things About WordPress Blogging?
- How is WordPress the Best Choice for a Website?
- What Do You Need to Know About WordPress Security?
- How To Be More Successful At Blogging To Make Money
- How to Use a Security Checklist to Help Keep Your Blog Safe From Hackers