How to Work as a Freelance Writer
If you have solid writing skills, part-time work as a freelance writer gives you the opportunity to make extra money from your home office. Some choose to turn their passion for writing into a full-time freelance career. Whether you work full-time or part-time, maintaining a professional demeanor and providing exceptional service to clients should be two of your top priorities. Satisfied clients may hire you for additional projects or refer other clients to your business, giving you the opportunity to make more money.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Challenging
Instructions
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Preparation
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1
Determine which services you want to offer to clients. Your options include case studies, reports, business plans, white papers, sales letters, website content, advertising copy, books, television scripts and blog posts. Choose writing projects that interest you or fall within your areas of expertise.
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2
Start your own website if you plan to market your services online. Your website should include a short biography, a list of your services, samples of your writing and contact information for your business. If you do not have the technical skills to create your own website, consider hiring a website designer or trading your writing services for design services.
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3
Develop a freelance writing portfolio by gathering your best writing samples and putting them in one central location. If you plan to visit potential clients in person, store your samples in a professional binder or portfolio. If you plan to use the Internet to market to potential clients, add the samples to your website.
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4
Set your freelance writing rates to determine how much money you need to earn to reach your financial goals. If you plan to charge clients by the hour, set a target annual income and divide that target by 50, which will give you the amount of money you need to earn per week if you work 50 weeks per year. Divide the result by the number of hours you plan to work each week to determine how much you need to charge per hour. If you want to earn $60,000 per year working 40 hours per week, you need to earn a minimum of $30 per hour to meet your goal.
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5
Set up a writing workspace in your home. If you have a spare bedroom, add a desk, chair and office supplies to turn it into a home office. If you do not have separate office space, set aside space in the living room or dining room.
Marketing
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1
Search for available writing assignments by visiting job posting websites, reading the newspaper and visiting freelance writing job boards. FreelanceWritingGigs.com, AllFreelanceWriting.com, JournalismJobs.com and WritersWeekly.com publish job listings for freelance writers.
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Apply for writing assignments by following the directions in each advertisement. Pay special attention to what potential clients want in an application. If the advertiser requests a minimum of three writing samples, do not send an application that does not have at least three writing samples.
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3
Identify prospective clients by conducting a search for businesses within your area or businesses that offer services in your niche. Write a customized email to each business owner and emphasize how your services will benefit the business.
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4
Join social media networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Promote your writing business by sharing writing tips, offering free or low-cost writing workshops, or holding free seminars to teach people about the importance of writing in business. Avoid overly promotional marketing tactics, as they could result in the loss of new business.
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5
Attend professional networking meetings in your area. These meetings give professionals a chance to connect with each other and form mutually beneficial relationships. If you do not have a local networking group, start your own or search for a group in a nearby town or county.
Working
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1
Develop a daily work schedule that meets your specific needs. Consider personal obligations, child care needs, standing appointments and other factors. Some freelance writers work during regular business hours, but others work early in the morning or late at night to accommodate their family obligations and individual sleep schedules.
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2
Create a list of items you need to complete each day. Break large projects into several smaller tasks to keep them from overwhelming you. As you complete each task, cross it off and continue working until you have completed all of your scheduled tasks.
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3
Follow project guidelines closely. If a project requires a specific word count or format, ensure that the completed work conforms to these guidelines. Giving clients what they want helps you improve customer satisfaction.
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4
Meet project deadlines consistently. If you have an emergency and have to reschedule a deadline, contact your client immediately. Good communication helps preserve client relationships.
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5
Communicate with clients regularly to answer questions and provide project updates. Staying in contact with your clients increases your credibility and improves your chances of earning repeat business.
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6
Invoice each client soon after you complete a project. Because some clients do not pay until 30 or 60 days after receiving an invoice, sending out the invoice as soon as possible helps you avoid additional delays in payment.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Consider converting all of your writing samples to PDF format so that Mac users do not have difficulty opening them.
Create standard forms for your business to streamline the process of marketing and working with clients. Have clients fill out a project brief so all project requirements appear in one location. Create an invoice template so you only have to fill in a few fields when you finish a project. Develop new forms as the need arises.
Save all of your payment information in one central location to make it easier to file your taxes each year.
Before starting your business, obtain any required permits or business licenses to avoid fines and penalties.
Some clients require freelance writers to fill out a W-9 form each year. If you do not feel comfortable giving your Social Security number to clients, apply for a taxpayer identification number with the Internal Revenue Service. The TIN allows you to fill out tax forms without revealing your Social Security number.
