Skills and Experience Required
Many people are fixated on the idea that in order to work as a freelance writer, they must possess a certain set of skills. You may believe that you require a degree in journalism… or a master’s in creative writing. While some periodicals, blogs, and other sources of writing jobs may include a list of prerequisites for applying, the truth is that if you can tell a story in a way that the reader can easily understand, you are probably qualified to work as a freelance writer.
You will require rudimentary writing abilities, such as the capacity to spell accurately or to make use of an efficient spell-checking tool; rudimentary comprehension of grammar; and the capacity to proofread your work in order to identify and correct as many errors as you can. The ability to think like a business owner is more crucial for successful freelance writing. You need the ability to market yourself in order to find clients, control your spending, pay taxes on income earned, bill clients, collect payment for unpaid invoices, and handle deadlines. These abilities are just as crucial as your prior writing experience, if not more so.
How much money can you make?
Rates for writing assignments vary a lot. You might be paid $1 or $2 to write brief product descriptions, $5 for a brief article, or $200 for the same brief article on a higher-paying website! When choosing the pay range you should accept, think about how long it takes you to research and write an article and what hourly rate you believe is appropriate for your efforts. If you’re just starting out, you might choose to take on lower-paying writing jobs in order to accumulate a portfolio of samples that you can later use when applying for higher-paying writing jobs, or you might choose to hold out for higher pay from the beginning. How soon you want to start making money will determine everything.
Where to Find Online Writing Work
Online job boards are widely available and connect writers with clients. It’s a great way to discover individuals and businesses looking to hire writers. It can be challenging to land writing jobs on job boards, but it’s a numbers game. The best course of action is to submit applications to as many writing jobs as you can each day; eventually, you will start receiving responses. Be one of the first to respond and have a standout cover letter (email) and resume if you want to stand out from the thousands of applicants for these writing jobs.
Job boards that frequently list remote or contract writing jobs:
Problogger
Freelance Writing Gigs
Freelance Writing Jobs
Craigslist
Read the job description thoroughly before applying for writing jobs so that you can customize your email and cover letter. Spend some time writing a cover letter that demonstrates your qualifications for the position. You want to demonstrate that you have the abilities, knowledge, experience, and skills to carry out the duties of the position. For instance, if you’re submitting an application to write articles for a parenting magazine, mention something in your cover letter about your kids and parenting style and why you’d be a great fit to write their parenting articles.
