Do you want to learn how to make money freelance writing?

I’ve already been there! And guess what? I became a successful freelance writer despite blood, sweat, and tears.

Here is the deal: I make $30 per hour writing articles, blog posts, and press releases for small businesses.

So what’s the catch?

In a word: competition.

There is no shortage of freelance writers willing to work for a few bucks.

But don’t worry, there are some ways to stand out from the crowd and make a living from freelance writing!

I will share my hard-earned knowledge in this guide: how to learn the fundamental writing skills, build your freelance writing business, and find your first clients.

The topics covered are:

I’ll walk you through the whole process!

Introduction: My freelance writing journey

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links ( learn more ).

Like many online writers, my journey began on freelance websites.

At first, I wrote articles on Fiverr and Flexjobs. My salary was about $10 per 1,000 words.

Don’t get me wrong; I like writing. But the ratings were just too low at that time. I was about to give up!

That’s when I realized that some writers make more money than others (I’ll reveal their secrets).

So, I chose a niche that pays well (financial writing). Over the years, my income has increased to about $50 per 1,000 words.

With persistence, motivation, and hard work, I am now able to earn a respectable income.

And you? Do you think you have what it takes to become a freelance writer?

Be warned: freelance writing is not for everyone.

A friend of mine invested a lot of time and money into freelance writing before realizing he doesn’t like the job.

Don’t make the same mistake! Make an informed decision before you start.

To guide your decision, I have gathered my knowledge about writing jobs: the pros, the cons, and how much money you can make.

Pros and cons of being a freelance writer

There are some aspects of freelance writing you need to know.

Let’s start with the bright side:

Freelance writing is a career-oriented job. Even though your income is relatively low at the beginning, there is decent growth potential.

Like most freelance jobs, you get the opportunity to work wherever and whenever you want.

There is no required equipment besides a computer and internet access.

No specific education is needed to land writing jobs, but prior experience is almost always required.

Nothing’s perfect; there are also some disadvantages to consider:

The workload isn’t consistent; you have to hustle every day to find writing jobs.

It can be challenging to cope with writer’s block.

Working alone can be difficult.

There is a wrong perception that giving a freelancer work is giving them charity. Too often, I get caught writing many articles without seeing any paycheck.

And you’re probably wondering: what about the salary?

How much do freelance writers make?

On PayScale, a part-time freelance writer salary is put somewhere in the range of $25 per hour.

Note that there is a significant discrepancy between starting level earnings ($10 per hour) and top-level earnings ($55 per hour).

That’s what I experienced as well.

It takes time and hard work to land top-tier writing jobs. But don’t worry, I’ll tell you exactly how I did it!

Is it easy to find freelance writing jobs?

Yes.

When I started freelance writing, I was amazed: there are a lot of opportunities out there!

Companies often hire freelancers to write:

Web pages and blog posts

Video scripts

Radio scripts

Magazine articles

Newspaper articles

Press releases

Marketing emails

You name it!

Once you have gained some experience, you can decide what format you want to stick with. Specializing in a market is usually an excellent way to increase your income.

Now, let me teach you how to take advantage of these opportunities.

Step 1: Improve your writing skills

Before you start freelance writing, you need to make sure you have decent writing skills.

The better your skills, the higher your income!

I’ll teach you how to turn those skills into gold later, now let’s focus on what makes a good freelance writer.

I have gathered in this section: a list of essential writing skills and the best courses/websites to master them.

Enjoy!

Skills every freelance writer should master

Let me be honest with you; freelance writing is not as easy as it seems.

Believe me, it takes a lot of work to become a successful writer!

Have a look at this list of the most fundamental skills you need to master:

A good grasp of grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Strong research skills! It adds value and credibility to your content.

You need to be able to adapt your writing to meet your audience’s needs. You should not write a blog post in the same way as a press release.

If you are writing content for the Web, you need to understand the significant aspects of SEO. Experienced writers know how to make their content Google-friendly.

Having a vast vocabulary gives you an edge over your competitors.

There is no need to worry. If I have successfully mastered these skills, so can you.

How to improve your writing skills

Now that you know which skills you need to improve, it’s time to get down to work.

Most writers think they were born with whatever talent they have, and they won’t get much better.

They’re wrong!

When it comes to writing, practice makes perfect!

If you can set aside 30 minutes to an hour every day for writing practice (and set yourself a word or page limit to meet), you will become a better writer.

Best courses for freelance writers

It can be challenging to stick to a learning schedule.

From my own experience, following online classes was the best way to stay motivated and become a proficient writer. Here are the classes that I recommend:

3-step writing system: blogging and writing secrets (Udemy) – the best course when it comes to blog writing. It transformed me into a masterful blogger.

Writing with flair (Udemy) – when I followed this course, I received valuable advice from an ex-Wall Street Journal editor. It’s the best course to make your writing sparkle!

Productivity hack for writers (Udemy) – I loved those simple techniques to become a more productive writer and get the most out of every writing day.

Now, if you don’t want to spend money on online classes, I recommend that you subscribe to the following blogs. They will teach you valuable lessons on how to improve your writing skills:

The Write Life – the go-to resource for writers who want to make a living from their craft.

The ProWritingAid Blog – ProWritingAid is a grammar checker and style editor tool. Their blog is a gold mine for writers!

The Jeff Goins Blog – Jeff Goins is a best-selling author. He shares his secrets on his blog.

Elna Cain’s blog – Elna is a freelance writer and blogger. She helps people just like you to become a profitable freelance writer.

The write practice – want to improve your writing skills? This website is a great way to start your writing practice.

The advanced guide to SEO – Quicksprout’s guide covers everything a freelance writer needs to know about SEO.

I don’t know about you, but I have poor spelling and grammar skills.

Don’t worry, there is are tools to perfect your writing styles!

Here are my recommendations:

Grammarly – by far the best writing assistant. From grammar and spelling to style and tone, Grammarly helps you eliminate errors and find the perfect words to express yourself.

ProWritingAid – another online grammar checker and style editor, pretty good.

Hemingway Editor – want to write like Hemingway? Paste one of your articles into this editor and see how many issues it finds!

Step 2: Find your first writing jobs

It’s pretty easy to land low-paying writing jobs.

In the beginning, you should focus on these low-hanging fruits!

Why? Simply because it’s a great way to get some experience.

The more experience you get, the easier it is to land top-tier jobs (more on that later).

Starting slow is also a great way to judge if you enjoy working as a freelance writer.

Easy writing gigs for beginners

There are a lot of different writing jobs out there!

Some of them are suitable for beginners; some aren’t.

Here are the best gigs for beginners:

Articles for websites and blogs – Blogging gigs are amongst the most accessible jobs, not to mention that it is a great way to develop your research skills.

Scripts for Youtube videos – I wrote a few scripts for Youtube videos, it is a great way to get into freelance writing.

And more – product descriptions, resume writing, Linkedin profiles, transcription, you name it!

Now, let me explain how I land these jobs.

List of freelance websites for writers

Freelance websites are the place to go if you want to land low-paying writing gigs.

A lot of freelancers get their first gigs on freelance websites. It is an excellent way to build your reputation as a competent writer!

Here is a list of the best freelance websites for writers:

ProBlogger’s job board – for ten years, the ProBlogger Job Board has been the leading marketplace for blog related jobs.

TextBroker – gives you access to thousands of projects to turn your writing skills into cash.

BehanceJobs – an online platform for creative professionals.

You can also find writing gigs on these websites:

Fiverr – the world’s largest freelance services marketplace.

PeoplePerHour – a website where freelancers can bid on jobs.

Upwork – a platform that connects top companies to talented freelance workers.

Flexjobs – for about $15 a month, you get access to a list of remote jobs.

TopTal – through a rigorous screening process, TopTal identifies the best freelancers and connects them to potential employers.

Step 3: Build your freelance writing business

Now that you have some experience, it’s time to build your freelance writing business.

Here is the deal: some writing jobs are way more profitable than others.

Writing Youtube video scripts and product descriptions will only earn you peanuts!

So what does it takes to land top-tier writing jobs? In a word: professionalization.

I’ve already been there, and believe me, some steps are essential to becoming a successful freelance writer.

Let me break it down for you:

Pick your niche Set the right price Pitch to writing jobs

Let’s dive in!

Pick your writing niche

Finance, travel, digital marketing, education, ghostwriting, white papers, email writing, tech writing, entertainment writing, etc.

There are a ton of different writing niches out there!

Focus on one of them.

Why? Simply because if you become an authority on a specific subject, it’ll get easier to land writing jobs.

So how do you pick your niche?

Think about a topic you want to explore or a subject you are already familiar with.

Do you still have no idea?

Here is what I recommend: have a look at job boards and Facebook groups to find out what jobs are in demand.

Given your knowledge and writing skills, decide which writing jobs suit you best.

Now, let me teach you how I managed to land these writing jobs.

Find prospects in your niche

Cold pitching is my favorite way to land recurring gigs.

I found out this technique in this article: The Cold Pitch that Made Me $5,024 (Writers in charge).

So what is cold pitching?

Cold pitching is the art of contacting bloggers, small businesses, and companies to let them know how your writing skills can help grow their business.

Forget about freelance websites; it’s too much competition. You’ll have a better chance at landing gigs when you contact clients directly.

Yes, I know, it sounds hard, doesn’t it? Especially if you’re new to freelancing.

But, you know what? It’s ridiculously easy.

First things first, you need to spot websites to cold pitch to.

Some companies are trying to grow their online presence; your writing skills can certainly help with that. Writing quality articles is a great way to get traffic from Google!

It’s also a good idea to pitch to websites with established blogs, just in case they need a writer.

In your pitch, make sure to include:

How you found out about them

How you can help them

Why you are the best freelance writer for the job

It’s that easy!

How much should I charge?

Now is a good time to start thinking about your rate.

To determine how much you should charge, you need to know what your peers are charging. Look up other freelance writers and make a list of all their pricing plans.

Then, you need to adjust your pricing based on the following factors:

Your services

Experience and ability

Years in business

Location

Experience is the most critical factor. Inexperienced writers charge around $0.02 per word, while some experts can earn as much as $0.30 per word.

Want to know how to charge more? Let me teach you how to increase your income!

Step 4: Increase your writing income

As I said in the introduction, some freelance writers earn $10 an hour, while others make $50.

So what’s their secret?

In short, these writers can do what most can’t. They have authority and specific skills that are hard to learn.

Here are a few tips to help you break the glass ceiling.

Guest post on authority websites and publications

Think of yourself as a personal brand.

If you can publish a few articles on Forbes, HuffingtonPost, or any authority website, your credibility will go through the roof.

And guess what? A lot of publications and authority websites accept guest contributions!

So, how do you secure a guest post these large publications?

First, take the time to research everything you can about your targeted publication:

Potential topics.

The publication – some sites have an editorial calendar.

The editors – know the person to whom you’re pitching.

Once you have the editors’ names, find the proper email address to send your pitch and cross your fingers. Make sure your email is personal and grabs the reader’s attention.

The most profitable industries for freelance writers

Here’s another great way to increase your income: specialize in the right niche.

It’s no secret that some industries pay better than others.

Check out this list of the most profitable writing niche (here is where I found it):

Niche Hourly rate Financial $50-60 Sales/Public relation $50-60 Medical $60-70 Ghostwriting $50-60 Technical/trade $50-60

These niches are only for experienced writers as they require specific writing skills.

It’s hard to get a job in one of these niches, but it can be done!

In my case, I started writing product reviews for an outdoor blog. Let me be honest with you; my income was relatively low.

Fortunately, I was given the opportunity to write financial articles for an authority website. It’s certainly more challenging to write than product reviews, but at least I earn a living wage!

Create a website to show off your skills

There are a lot of lousy freelance writers out there. So it’s crucial to stand out enough to make yourself noticed.

Unless you’re not interested in growing your brand, you need to have a website.

I recommend this course on how to create a portfolio website (no coding required).

Here is the most important information to display on your website:

Details about your writing services

Pricing

An online portfolio to showcase your writing skills

A contact page

The most important part of your website is undoubtedly your portfolio. A portfolio is a proof that you know how to write decent articles. It also proves that you can get results for your clients.

Conclusion

Here’s a short recap of how you can start your career as a freelance writer:

Learn essential skills: grammar, research, SEO, etc. Land your first writing job on a freelance website. Professionalization: market research, list your services, pitch to jobs. If you want to increase your income, publish a guest post on an authority website, and create a fantastic portfolio to display your skills.

Now, it’s your turn to make money writing online!

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