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Abstract

es to apprehend the writing style they are looking for.</li><li>Tell them what value you can bring to the table or how the company will get benefit from your services.</li><li>Keep a couple of your written samples ready to showcase your writing skills.</li><li>Keep all your “Um(s)!” and “What If(s)” aside and be ready to flaunt your ‘I can do it’ attitude.</li><li>Think beyond money. Ask yourself if you would be interested in doing research for that niche or if it suits your interests. If the answer is NO, then don’t apply on that project.</li></ul><p id="15da">With these little suggestions, you must know that every pitch might require a lot of editions and additions. What works for the beauty industry will not work for the tech one! So, be mindful while creating a pitch and sending it to your writing client.</p><h1 id="2f46">Write a couple of samples</h1><p id="852f">In the writing industry, your previous writing samples matter more than anything else. Think of a situation where you are hiring a writer, will you give him or her the project solely based on the pitch? The answer is Hell, NO! You will ask for a couple of samples to assess his or her writing style and see if it matches your requirements. And that’s why it’s a good idea to have a couple of samples ready beforehand.</p><p id="c699">This strategy will help you in two ways:</p><ul><li>Building a portfolio that you can share with your clients.</li><li>Helping you find out if ‘make money from writing’ idea is a mere temptation or you really want to pursue it.</li></ul><p id="894d">You can craft your samples in any of your favorite niches either in the MS Word doc format or publish your work on a free/paid blog or website based on your preferences. The latter not only gives a professional look to your profile but also portrays how serious you are towards your work. Anyhow, either of them works until you have a decent or captivating writing style.</p><p id="f9a6">When it’s about freelance writing, clients are looking for candidates who can write follow their writing guidelines to the T and give them flawless content. Here, the word ‘flawless’ implies nothing flowery or using fancy words, but easy-to-understand, and informative content that is ‘almost’ free from grammatical errors. In simpler words, they want writers who can add value to their projects and create content that readers can instantly connect with.</p><h1 id="8ea1">Search for clients</h1><p id="12a8">The internet offers you a plethora of opportunities for finding freelance writing opportunities. You can work for more than one client, have more than one well-paying projects, and work from anywhere and anytime.</p><p id="e83d">When I had started my writing career, one of my favorite things was to get paid in the U.S. currency. This might sound a bit kiddish but converting those earnings into my national currency (INR) was certainly a thing for me in those days.</p><p id="234d">For finding clients, you can use the following alternatives:</p><ul><li>Job boards like LinkedIn, Indeed, etc.</li><li>Freelancing platforms such as ProBlogger, Upwork, Guru.com., etc.</li><li>Writers’ communities on social media platforms such as Facebook.</li><li>The power of networking and tell your friends and family that you are open to freelance writing opportunities. You never know you might get your first client through a referral with this economical ‘spread of word’ strategy.</li></ul><h1 id="3897">Continue applyi

Options

ng for projects</h1><p id="759c">What happens after you have created the perfect samples and sent pitches to the right client? Stare at the fan and hoping that they will respond back?</p><p id="be86">When I got started with writing, I did this one blunder of applying on one project at a time and keep waiting to hear back from my prospective client. This is a naive mistake that most of the newbies commit in the initial stages. I didn’t know that this ‘waiting time’ was stealing my chances of getting a new client or a new project.</p><p id="2d9f">It’s always good to keep applying for projects until you finalize a deal with a client. The more you apply, the better are your chances of landing a freelance opportunity. And if you feel that you can handle more than one project, then don’t shy away from applying on other projects.</p><p id="ae79">There are times when we feel upset or less worthy after not hearing back from clients. Sometimes, it can almost be a month that you don’t receive any responses for your pitch. But hey, don’t think about quitting or stepping back. I have been in your shoes then, but the only thing that kept me going was ‘faith’ and ‘perseverance’. Had I stepped back then, I wouldn’t have written this story and shared my experience with you.</p><p id="800e">Just believe in yourself, do your part, and things will fall in place.</p><h1 id="2b52">View criticism as an ‘improvement opportunity’</h1><p id="f0b7">We, as humans, should always be ready to learn and evolve. Remember that your first piece or article will not be always exceptional. Sometimes, the client might want you to make some editions to your piece. But don’t let that affect your ego or self-esteem. Be open to criticism and ready to make the piece fit in the client’s requirements.</p><p id="3e18">In my journey of 6 years, some of my articles require some editions even today. And instead of taking it to heart or thinking like ‘how could the client challenge my writing experience and ask me to make changes to the piece’, I see it as another improvement opportunity. Instead of cursing the client, I prefer learning from it and applying that knowledge to my other projects.</p><p id="e756">Anybody can be a freelance writer. If your sole motive is not making ‘quick money’, then you should try it. Work on your skills, reach out to clients, apply on projects, and create articles meeting clients’ requirements, and money will find its way toward you, or I should say ‘your bank account’. LOL!</p><p id="58ad">You never know you might get lucky in landing a project just in 1 day! But if not, just be patient, keep doing your thing, and gradually, you will see results.</p><blockquote id="a9bf"><p>“No matter how much experience you have, how many degrees you have, or how well known you have become — there is always something new to learn. Don’t rest on your past experiences. If you do nothing to improve your skills, you won’t stay where you are.”― Laura Spencer</p></blockquote><p id="1764">One of the best things about writing is that you don’t require any previous experience or educational background in it. If you can express yourself in words, and spark that connection with readers and clients, then you are all set to rock your writing career.</p><p id="7114">You will learn throughout your journey, and someday, you’ll be sharing your incredible experiences with me or adding something awesome to my knowledge.</p><p id="1b01">Cheers!</p></article></body>

How To Get Started With Your Freelance Writing Career

A mini-guide to kick-start your freelance writing journey today!

After completing my MBA back in 2014, I started my freelance writing career with no specific intention of sticking to it in the long-run. I know an MBA choosing the freelance writing path might sound a bit off to some, but yeah, I wanted to give it a shot until I had found a full-time job in my field.

Eventually, I found that freelancing gave me peace of mind as well as the flexibility to choose my hours and work for myself. So, I ditched the idea of doing a full-time job then and focused on expanding my writing business.

As I was a newbie without knowing the nitty-gritty of freelance writing, I had no idea of how to get started with it. In this timeline of 6 years, I have managed to earn quite a good chunk of income and be financially independent.

In the initial stages, people had a lot of doubts if it would work or help me make any money. But being a stubborn one, I knew what I was doing and didn’t bother about anybody’s comments. Instead, I focused on making it big, getting more clients, networking, and just making things work.

In these years, I have realized that freelancing is not something you do for ‘free’. It is something that allows you to have a sense of ‘free’dom and work at your own pace.

“The life of the professional writer — like that of any freelance, whether she be a plumber or a podiatrist — is predicated on willpower. Without it there simply wouldn’t be any remuneration, period.” — Will Self

I believe if I could make it in the freelance industry, then anybody can. I was the one who knew nothing but a few grammatical rules followed by a bit of sentence structure. I think that was and still, is all required to pave way for success in this industry. So, if you want to get started with your writing career, (whether full-time or as a side-hustle) and are still clueless about where to start from, then these insights are here to guide you.

Draft a pitch

The freelance writing industry is packed with crazy competition. Every fourth person claims or at least wants to be a freelance writer. But on the brighter side, there is a demand for a lot of writers as well. Thanks to the essence of technology!

You feel tempted by the idea of working from the comfort of your home and earn a decent amount of money. But what’s that one thing that differentiates you from your fellow writers? Yes, I am hinting about the pitch.

Having a great pitch can be the ultimate icebreaker between the client and you. Not just that, it further helps you stand out from other writers who have applied on the same project(s). Here are a few things that you should consider while penning down a pitch:

Do thorough research of the client/company you intend to apply for.
Have a killer headline.
Read their blogs and articles to apprehend the writing style they are looking for.
Tell them what value you can bring to the table or how the company will get benefit from your services.
Keep a couple of your written samples ready to showcase your writing skills.
Keep all your “Um(s)!” and “What If(s)” aside and be ready to flaunt your ‘I can do it’ attitude.
Think beyond money. Ask yourself if you would be interested in doing research for that niche or if it suits your interests. If the answer is NO, then don’t apply on that project.

With these little suggestions, you must know that every pitch might require a lot of editions and additions. What works for the beauty industry will not work for the tech one! So, be mindful while creating a pitch and sending it to your writing client.

Write a couple of samples

In the writing industry, your previous writing samples matter more than anything else. Think of a situation where you are hiring a writer, will you give him or her the project solely based on the pitch? The answer is Hell, NO! You will ask for a couple of samples to assess his or her writing style and see if it matches your requirements. And that’s why it’s a good idea to have a couple of samples ready beforehand.

This strategy will help you in two ways:

Building a portfolio that you can share with your clients.
Helping you find out if ‘make money from writing’ idea is a mere temptation or you really want to pursue it.

You can craft your samples in any of your favorite niches either in the MS Word doc format or publish your work on a free/paid blog or website based on your preferences. The latter not only gives a professional look to your profile but also portrays how serious you are towards your work. Anyhow, either of them works until you have a decent or captivating writing style.

When it’s about freelance writing, clients are looking for candidates who can write follow their writing guidelines to the T and give them flawless content. Here, the word ‘flawless’ implies nothing flowery or using fancy words, but easy-to-understand, and informative content that is ‘almost’ free from grammatical errors. In simpler words, they want writers who can add value to their projects and create content that readers can instantly connect with.

Search for clients

The internet offers you a plethora of opportunities for finding freelance writing opportunities. You can work for more than one client, have more than one well-paying projects, and work from anywhere and anytime.

When I had started my writing career, one of my favorite things was to get paid in the U.S. currency. This might sound a bit kiddish but converting those earnings into my national currency (INR) was certainly a thing for me in those days.

For finding clients, you can use the following alternatives:

Job boards like LinkedIn, Indeed, etc.
Freelancing platforms such as ProBlogger, Upwork, Guru.com., etc.
Writers’ communities on social media platforms such as Facebook.
The power of networking and tell your friends and family that you are open to freelance writing opportunities. You never know you might get your first client through a referral with this economical ‘spread of word’ strategy.

Continue applying for projects

What happens after you have created the perfect samples and sent pitches to the right client? Stare at the fan and hoping that they will respond back?

When I got started with writing, I did this one blunder of applying on one project at a time and keep waiting to hear back from my prospective client. This is a naive mistake that most of the newbies commit in the initial stages. I didn’t know that this ‘waiting time’ was stealing my chances of getting a new client or a new project.

It’s always good to keep applying for projects until you finalize a deal with a client. The more you apply, the better are your chances of landing a freelance opportunity. And if you feel that you can handle more than one project, then don’t shy away from applying on other projects.

There are times when we feel upset or less worthy after not hearing back from clients. Sometimes, it can almost be a month that you don’t receive any responses for your pitch. But hey, don’t think about quitting or stepping back. I have been in your shoes then, but the only thing that kept me going was ‘faith’ and ‘perseverance’. Had I stepped back then, I wouldn’t have written this story and shared my experience with you.

Just believe in yourself, do your part, and things will fall in place.

View criticism as an ‘improvement opportunity’

We, as humans, should always be ready to learn and evolve. Remember that your first piece or article will not be always exceptional. Sometimes, the client might want you to make some editions to your piece. But don’t let that affect your ego or self-esteem. Be open to criticism and ready to make the piece fit in the client’s requirements.

In my journey of 6 years, some of my articles require some editions even today. And instead of taking it to heart or thinking like ‘how could the client challenge my writing experience and ask me to make changes to the piece’, I see it as another improvement opportunity. Instead of cursing the client, I prefer learning from it and applying that knowledge to my other projects.

Anybody can be a freelance writer. If your sole motive is not making ‘quick money’, then you should try it. Work on your skills, reach out to clients, apply on projects, and create articles meeting clients’ requirements, and money will find its way toward you, or I should say ‘your bank account’. LOL!

You never know you might get lucky in landing a project just in 1 day! But if not, just be patient, keep doing your thing, and gradually, you will see results.

“No matter how much experience you have, how many degrees you have, or how well known you have become — there is always something new to learn. Don’t rest on your past experiences. If you do nothing to improve your skills, you won’t stay where you are.”― Laura Spencer

One of the best things about writing is that you don’t require any previous experience or educational background in it. If you can express yourself in words, and spark that connection with readers and clients, then you are all set to rock your writing career.

You will learn throughout your journey, and someday, you’ll be sharing your incredible experiences with me or adding something awesome to my knowledge.

Cheers!