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Starting out as a freelance writer can be confusing, can’t it?
- You have no idea what steps you should take
- How you should be spending your time
- Or if you’re even doing the right thing
Starting a freelance writing business is simple, easy and doesn’t require any money.
You just need to know the right steps to take to get your business moving.
That’s where this article comes in, because in it I want to show you exactly what you need to do start a freelance writing business.
Here’s what you can expect…
What Will I Learn?
- Who Am I To Teach You All Of This?
- What Is Freelance Writing?
- Why Become A Freelance Writer?
- Quick Start Checklist: Do You Have What You Need?
- 9 Ways Beginner Freelancers Can Make Money
- Step #1: Find Your Writer’s Niche
- Step #2: Where To Find Freelance Writing Jobs Online
- Step #3: Build Your Sales Tools
- Step #4: Writing Pitches To Get You Clients
- Step #5: Setting The Right Price
- Step #6: The Extras You Need To Know About
Who Am I To Teach You All Of This?
Four years ago I was a dead broke shoe-salesman, with £18,500+ in debt; working 10 hours a day for £5 an hour. I had:
- No qualifications
- No connections
- No idea what to do with my life
This transformed my life, freed me from debt, allowed me to travel to over 30 different countries and generated more than $120,000 in income.
My passions turned to help teach others to start their own freelance writing businesses.
And, I’m on the mission to help 1000 people like you start and grow a profitable freelance writing business.
As a writer my work has been featured in some places you might have heard of:
So, Matt approached me to write this article for you because, well…I know my stuff which lead me to create the Freelance Writers School.
And if you follow the steps and the advice in this article, you too can start and grow a full-time freelance writing business.
What Is Freelance Writing?
A freelance writer is what I like to call a “Pen for hire”.
You exchange your words (or time) for money, regardless of your niche or medium.
You provide freelance writing services to a client based on what their needs are, which you’ll work out in advance or will be published in their job description.
Let’s say you’re a freelance writer who writes blog posts, and you’ve been contracted to write an article for Matt’s site.
You’ll pitch an idea (or be given one) and you’ll work on this independently. The amount you’ll charge will be calculated on the amount of words, or the amount of time, it takes to write an article.
You get paid when he’s happy with the article (you can get paid before once you’re more established), and you work together to make it right for his readers.
You’re not an employee and you’re an equal partner to your client.
Whilst this is a service and you’re obligated to provide what the client wants – the same way your phone provider is – this is a relationship between the two of you.
Why Become A Freelance Writer?
I’ll admit I’m biased, but being a freelance writer is one of the greatest jobs to do.
Why? Because it allows you to become free from the 9-5 lifestyle.
Since 2014 I’ve been able to travel to over 30 countries, relocate to Germany, write for millions of readers, help people change their lives and earn more than $120,000.
All whilst being able to sit at my laptop, sip coffee, and create art.
You’re in control of your income – as long as you’re willing to put in the work – and can rid yourself of the shackles of a nine-to-five lifestyle. (Or use it to grow your income outside of your job).
There are drawbacks, because you have to:
- Find your own clients
- Motivate yourself
- Do your own taxes
- Learn extra skills
Quick Start Checklist: Do You Have What You Need?
There are a few essentials you’ll need before you get started.
The good news is that they’re freely available to anyone who wants to start this type of business.
Here’s a short checklist:
- Computer: So you have somewhere to do, and save, your work.
- Internet Connection: You’re here so you’ve got that down.
- Email Address: Make it professional – il[email protected] isn’t going to woo any clients.
- Word Processor: You can get this free from Google Docs or you can use Microsoft Office.
- WordPress Blog: So you can have a portfolio; but also practice writing and scribble down ideas as you go.
- A Paypal Account: That way you can get paid.
- A Desire To Write: Because this job is hard if you don’t enjoy it
The rest of it can be learned on the job. There’s no need for any extra products, or investments. If you find you do need anything you can just learn as you go.
For example I’d been writing for a year before I knew what the legal requirements for an invoice were. It didn’t stop me making money or building a business, it just gave me an extra 60 minutes work at tax time.
You also don’t need any qualifications. I have none, and I failed English at college.
If I can do it, so can you.
Get your blog started and learn as you go.
9 Ways Beginner Freelancers Can Make Money
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, I want to show you some of the ways that you can start making money writing in the next few months.
These methods have lower barriers to entry and you can mix and match them whilst you find what you like to write, and to increase the amount of income streams you have.
#1: Freelance Blogging
Freelance Blogging is how I’ve made 90% of my money over the course of my career (in conjunction with option #11 too).
It’s also one of the most beginner friendly ways to make money writing because the barriers to entry are much lower than elsewhere.
There are two main options you should look at:
- Content Marketing: Writing blog posts for companies who are using blogs, social media and SEO to grow their business.
- Helping Bloggers: Lots of successful bloggers don’t have time to create all of their content anymore. You can come on board and help them with their workload. (100% the most fun way to earn money).
#2: Freelance Website Copywriting
One of the easiest ways to break into freelance writing is by helping people create the copy for their new website. Here’s the thing:
Hundreds of people get new websites made for their businesses every day.
But they have no idea what they should write there. And why would your local plumber have any idea what they should write?
Two of my first ever clients were local businesses (they were across a corridor from each other, so when I landed one I landed the other) who needed their websites writing.
I saved them money doing it with the agency, and they helped me get my business off the ground. Brush up on these SEO copywriting tips for some extra leverage!
If you can find a local business with a new website where you can easily see they need better writing, or get friendly with a local design agency…
#3: eBook Writing
If you’re a specialist on a topic – let’s say from your past job, or what you studied at college – you can get your break into the industry writing eBooks for people.
My first ever freelance writing job came writing a fitness eBook for a client through Elance (now UpWork), because I was a personal trainer when I was in my teens.
Take a look at this video interview from Dave Koziel and Aleksander Vitkin:
Dave’s entire business is built on freelance writer’s creating eBooks for him. And that’s just one guy. Think of how many sites sell eBooks, or offer them as a free download.
#4: Podcast And Video Script Writing
Think Podcasters and YouTubers do everything off the cuff? Think again.
Many of them have scripts that they work from to keep them on track and focused. And, even as a beginner, you could be the one to write them.
One of my students, Rebekah Donovan, got one of her first gigs writing for a podcast in the health niche, without any experience as a freelancer.
#5: Transcription
Speaking of Podcasts, Transcription is also a great place to get your foot in the door because it’s a non-skilled position. (You’re basically getting paid to write what someone said).
However it can be incredibly valuable content for an online business.
So, if you see a podcaster using transcription, you could be the one to help her.
#6: Translation
Do you speak a second language, or is English not your first language? If so, there’s a market for you here.
Many bloggers and content writers want to reach a wider audience, and if you can translate their content into:
- German
- Spanish
- Russian
- French
- Arabic
- Chinese
To make a professional note: you need to qualified to be a translator.
However if you’re a fluent speaker of two languages, many potential clients won’t mind, as long as it’s accurate. Just be sure to declare up front.
#7: Review Writing
Review’s come in a lot of different forms.
You’re on an Internet Marketing site so you’re probably only thinking Amazon and Digital Product reviews, but your scope here fits into any niche:
- Product Review Writing: Amazon, Digital or other. This can extend into blog posts too, like this review Matt did of SERPed.
- Show And Performance Reviews: If you’re interested in the arts, you can get involved with publications that will pay you (or at least cover expenses) to go and review shows. I got plenty of experience doing this with a local publication.
- Service Reviews: You can be hired to write a review on services in your niche. For example, writing about the customer service provided by a hotel or a retail chain.
#8: Product Description Writing
When someone once asked me what I do for a living, I read out a mental list of topics and he said, “Oh yeah, I suppose someone has to write all of them!”.
What he was referring to was Product Content Writing.
Take a look at this random page for a fridge on Amazon that I pulled up:
Someone has to write them, right? And they’re readily available jobs. I once went through and wrote product content for over 200 customer claims sites.
It was as mind numbing as possible, but it sure felt good when I got that pay cheque.
#9: Ghostwriting
Here’s a surprising fact:
Many bloggers, business owners and authors don’t personally write all of their own content.
Often they bring in someone like me, a ghostwriter, to help them with their workload and create content they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to write.
In all niches you can find clients screaming out for ghostwriting clients, and if you’ve got the ability to adapt and change your writing voice…
This can be a long-term contract that pays well.
Step #1: Find Your Writer’s Niche
Choosing a freelance writer’s niche is damn scary.
By saying “I only write in this niche”, it feels kinda like you’re shutting yourself off from thousands of other paying clients you could work for.
And, you are…
But that’s a good thing. Let me explain:
Working in a niche is kind of like playing a video game. At the early levels you get all of the lowest grade items, small payouts for your quests and all of the higher level characters can kill you in one swipe.
But as you progress the levels, and specialise in a skill – magic, stealth, strength – you start getting better items, bigger payouts, and those n00bs will think twice before they try and fight with you.
The same goes for niching down.
At the start – where many freelancers spend their time – you can only get the low-paying entry level jobs because you’re not good enough, knowledgeable enough or well-known enough.
But once you get through those entry level jobs and start working yourself up through a niche, you build a portfolio and can start writing for other higher paying clients and begin commanding, $60, $100 and even $200+ an hour for your services.
So whilst you decrease the amount of total clients you can work with, you increase the amount you can earn.
In this section you’re going to learn how to find your niche and unlock a world of higher earning potential.
Start With The Past…
When I first started thinking about niching down I had no idea where to look. I didn’t feel like I had any real interests and skills (outside of writing) that could make me any money.
I told my Mum about this problem and she just looked at me like I was an idiot. “You’ve got lots of skills, what are you talking about?” she said.
She ran upstairs, grabbed me a pen and paper, and told me to write down ten things that I’d done, achieved, enjoyed or read about in the last five years.
Here’s what that list looked like:
- Worked as a personal trainer
- Backpacked around Australia and Europe
- Coached soccer in America for one year
- Was the highest KPI seller in my retail store
- Played in a semi-professional rugby league
- Mentored an 18 year old through his fitness instructor program
- Written guest posts for Lifehack and Addicted2Success
- Learned basic Spanish
- Read a lot of books on productivity and business
- Took a Salsa dancing class
Although not all of them were winning ideas, the options in bold are what I felt I would be comfortable writing about for a larger audience. .
If you feel that you don’t have any knowledge or skills you could write about, I’d highly recommend trying this task for yourself, and don’t underestimate any skills you might have from the past.
To steal a little from Ramit Sethi, even speaking English is a skill!
Follow The Money
The next best place to look for your writers niche is where you spend your money. This is usually a great indicator of what you’re interested in, and topics you could write about.
As I wrote about in this article, you can look at:
- Recent Amazon purchases
- Recent eBay purchases
- Courses and classes you’ve taken (both online and in-person)
- Your direct debit / monthly subscription payments
- Items you’ve always wanted to buy (but never had the budget for)
- The types of books you buy
Are you the kind of person who takes Thai cooking classes? Food blogs might be calling your name.
Are you the kind of person who has subscriptions to SERPed and Ahrefs? Then maybe a life of SEO writing is in your future.
The Drill Down…
Once you’ve fleshed out all of your ideas, you’d do well to group them into their major niche categories. This could look like:
- Travel
- Fashion
- Internet Marketing
- Technology
For example, if you were to write in the travel niche this could break down like this:
And if you want to write in internet marketing – much like I did – you might find a breakdown like this:
Each niche and sub niche will have businesses, blogs and podcasts associated with them. This is where you begin to really see all of the opportunities in your niche and where you can begin to look for jobs.
What If My Niche Doesn’t Have A Lot Of Money In It?
Trust me, it does.
Unless you’re into Albino Badger Wrestling or Bon Jovi Themed Horse Racing Events, you’re going to be able to be able to find at least one form of income.
Although, those niches probably need freelance writers too.
You can break down a niche into a lot of different chunks and there’s money to be made in all of them. Take your niche – I’m going to use Travel for this – and explore to see which of these elements it has.
Blogs
Perform a quick Google search of “your niche + blogs”, for example, “travel + blogs”:
If there’s blogs about your niche – which there will be – here’s one really lucrative opportunity for you to Freelance. In fact the more niche you go, the more money you can make for blog posts, because writers are few and far between.
For example, Model Railroad Hobbyist will pay a minimum of $230 for a blog post about model rail interests. And, as AllFreelanceWriting.com points out in this article, some writers have made over $1000 writing for them.
Companies With Products
If there are businesses in your niche selling products or services or information, there is an opportunity to make money with them.
For example, if I look for Travel Companies on Google I find STA Travel. On their site there is a section about Adventure Tours:
Somebody has to write all of this copy, why not let it be you?
Think of how many pages there are like this across the internet that you could get involved with. For every page on the internet, there’s a chance to write great copy (at a price).
Affiliate Programs
Where there are high ticket affiliate programs there is money to be made.
For every product you can find here, there are blogs and niche sites and businesses making money from them. And, all of those sites need copywriting to sell those products:
Not sure of the opportunities here? You can create: blog posts, sales pages, product reviews, website copy. Just about anything that involves writing and can help sell a product.
This Step In Short
Take some time to explore the niches that you want to work in. They can be based in:
Then explore the niche a little bit deeper; what products or services need you to write for them? Are there bloggers, product reviews, industry websites, news sites et al. that you could create for?
- Your past experience
- Where you spend your money
- The topics you’re interested in
If you get this step right, the rest of your business will effortlessly click into place.
Step #2: Where To Find Freelance Writing Jobs Online
In this step I want to show you where to find freelance writing jobs.
Don’t worry…you don’t need to pitch to anyone yet.
But as early in your career as possible you should get into the habit of checking job boards, content sites and classified ads. Why?
So you can get used to what a job description looks like, the little nuances in them, and seeing which work you’d like to do (and which you wouldn’t).
There are three sub-sections to this section:
- Advertised Jobs: How to find people that are actively looking for writers.
- Non-Advertised Jobs: Choosing who to pitch to and finding those hidden jobs.
- Super Secret Insider Info: Simple methods I use to find clients that work.
Easy Places To Find Advertised Jobs
These are the easiest types of job to find because they come from clients who are actively seeking your services.
They normally come in the forms of:
- Freelance writing jobs Boards
- Website Job Alerts
- Classified Ads
- Content Sites (like UpWork)
But keep in mind that they’re often high competition and low paying. They should be used as a tool to help you build your business and not as the lifeblood of it.
However I have found lots of clients here and built long term relationships with them, that have grown both of our incomes over time.
Not all the jobs here will be in your niche(s), but that’s completely normal and the whole point of having a niche!
That being said, let’s look at how to use them effectively…
How To Effectively Use Freelance Writing Jobs Boards
Freelance writing jobs boards are the place to find mid-range job with established clients.
Some people will say that job boards need you to be a better writer, but I don’t think that’s true. You just need to be good enough to get paid.
Below are the only job boards I’d recommend looking at. The rest are normally rehashed links back to the pages here:
There’s not much to this, really. You don’t need to sign up or do anything magical. You can just start bookmarking freelance writing jobs that you like the look of.
I’ve used this method to land some of my most consistent clients like Nichehacks and Canva, so you’ll definitely be able to find some higher paying work here too.
Setting Up For Freelance Writing Jobs Alerts
If you’re interested in taking on high-paying, corporate clients, you can use job alerts to notify you of work that is posted in your niche.
I use Gorkana for freelance writing jobs alerts because they have a ‘Journalism Jobs’ section; but you can also sign up to specific job boards, or use Matt’s advice in this article to set up Google Alerts.
Don’t read too much into the titles of jobs on these job boards – like Journalist or Customer Content Creator – they’re just business jargon.
All you need to do through a site like this is set your filters, find a search that suits your needs and then choose their update option. Like this email subscription box here:
That gives me a lot of emails a month, like the ones below, with job information.
These are usually pretty effective because they don’t just send you needless updates, they send them out only when a job gets posted:
Classified Job Postings
Classifieds are an underrated job search tool, but they can be highly effective. There are even services like FreelanceWritingGigs.com that pool the best of the best together for you for free.
You can look for these job postings a little closer to home as well using sites like:
Getting Stuck Into Content Sites
Content sites are a great stomping ground for beginners. You can get a lot of experience, and get paid for it because of the sheer volume of jobs.
But if you’re looking for a more tailored experience for this type of freelancing you can read this article about how I made $1,593 a month from Elance-UpWork and how you can too.
That’s it for advertised jobs, time to move on to unadvertised jobs.
Dig Out Those Unadvertised Goldmines
There’s an unwritten rule in Freelancing that says:
The highest paying jobs are never advertised.
And it’s one of the truest statement you’ll ever hear. In fact, a solid 90% of my client base right now didn’t advertise their jobs.
I went to them, or they were referred to me, and they’re willing to pay more.
That begs the question: how do you know to pitch to them if it’s not advertised?
The short answer is that you don’t. You just have to go out there and speak to people, network and find out what they’re looking for.
However there are a few strategies you can employ to make your search a little easier.
Finding People To Cold Pitch
Earlier you looked at breaking your niche down into categories – like Blogs and Companies – now you’re going to use those same searches to find people to pitch to.
When I first got into the Internet Marketing Niche, I’d look for the parts of the niche that interested me:
- Social Media
- SEO
- Blogging
- Blogs about Social Media
- Social Media Tools
Think of how you can apply the same to your niche. What do the different parts of your niche break down to? You can find:
- Blogs
- Retailers
- Manufacturers
- Corporate Sites
- Tools and Plugins
- Local Businesses
- Fortune 500 companies
- Hiking stores
- Camping equipment
- Travel Agents
- Online Guidebook Shops
Be thorough. Dive deeply into your niches and find all of the options of companies that will need writing in some form, as you looked at before.
From there you can add them to your list of people you can write a cold call email too.
Finding Referral Clients
If you don’t have any clients at all this is a step for the future. But, I can show you how to get around that in the next section.
Referrals are one of the most powerful ways of landing a client. Because you come with a guarantee, from someone they know, that your work is of a high quality.
I regularly send out emails like this to clients, asking if they know of anyone who is looking for a freelance writer. And, sometimes you land a winner. Like when our very own Matt referred me to Colin Klinkert of SERPed, where I became the content manager there.
Search For Local Clients
You have a huge network you’re not even aware of.
Like, seriously.
Just cast your mind out to all of the people you know and all of the people that they know. There is an endless supply of people who could hook you up to a new client.
Think:
- Friends
- Family
- Old Classmates
- Current Classmates
- Old Work Colleagues
- Current Clients
- Old Clients
- Your Hairdresser/Barber
- Your Social Media Friends
- People You See When You Walk The Dog
Two of my first ever corporate clients came this way. A Training Company and a Language Interpretation service that operated across the hall from each other.
The first owner was my cousin’s best friend, the second just came and sat in on the meeting and chose to buy in.
There will be hundreds of businesses in your local area that other writers have never even thought to pitch to, either. While they search the furthest reaches of the internet, why not walk into their building and request a meeting?
As Sean Ogle told me when I interviewed him for a Podcast (that never actually aired):
“Get to local events – conferences, marketing events and anything else. There is no substitute for meeting people in person.”
You can find a whole host of these events on MeetUp or pay attention to local publications and magazines.
2 Super-Secret Insider Methods For Finding Online Jobs
There are some really easy other ways of finding clients, too. In fact they’re right under your nose and they can be accessed easily.
Here they are…
The Upside-Down Method
I want to share with you the most effective way I’ve found of getting to write for people. These are instantly warm or hot leads you can pitch to, and the success rate is much higher than any other way I’ve tried.
Take a look at one of the online magazines or blogs in your niche. And, find for times that a freelance writer has contributed. Usually they’ll have a biography that tells you they’re a freelancers, like this bio from Kristi Hines on Nichehacks:
Now, even if there’s not a link in their profile, almost all freelancers have an online portfolio – whether that’s on their own hosted site or a free WordPress blog.
So you can find that by searching in Google for their name (include freelancer or blogger if their name is really generic):
Once you’re on their site, look for pages with names like Portfolio or Latest, where they show you a list of the clients they’ve worked (or are working for) by sharing their latest or most successful posts:
Right in front of you right now there is a full database of potential clients that are open to having freelancers work for them. They’re at least paying one freelancer so they’ll be open to others, too.
Using this method – including Kristi’s Site – I’ve been able to land writing work with a lot of big, high paying clients. Oh, and stay tuned for a niche little tip on pitching later on, too.
The LinkedIn Lead Generator
This process is a similar to the above. But, with a little twist that you can guess from the title. You do it on LinkedIn instead.
Once again, find yourself a freelance writer on one of your favourite publications in your niche. Then, instead of looking for them on Google, go ahead and search them on LinkedIn:
From there head down the page to find their Freelance Work Experience. This will either be under the tab of their company name, like it is for Kristi here:
Or under different experience tabs like it is on my personal LinkedIn Profile:
Once again you have a tonne of companies to reach out to and pitch to because they’re interested in freelancers.
Don’t worry about stealing income from that freelancer, either. Normally you’ll be working in-addition to them so it’s not like you’re taking food off their table. You’re just putting it on your own.
Okay, that’s how to find potential clients all wrapped up. Now, how can you actually get them?
This Step In Short
Freelance Writing jobs can be found in three different ways:
- Advertised: Where it’s posted on a freelance writing jobs board, forum or freelancer site etc.
- Unadvertised: Where you contact a company or person unsolicited looking for opportunities.
- Referral: Where friends, family or current clients send new clients your way.
Advertised jobs are best found on job board like ProBlogger Jobs or Freelance Writing Gigs.
Unadvertised freelance writing jobs take some searching; but you can use methods like The Website Hijacker to find companies that are open to working with freelancers.
Or, get involved in your local community and find the people around you who are open to it.
Referral clients come from asking the question and generating warm leads from people that you know. This can be a great method of automating your marketing.
Step #3: Build Your Sales Tools
Writing is far too subjective for someone to determine what makes a good writer and what makes a bad writer.
You can see it for yourself in literature. There will be writers and novelists who have a huge following but write in a way that you just can’t stand to read. I can’t bear to read Harry Potter, but J.K Rowling is still out there making a fortune.
The way someone can choose whether you’re a good writer, then, is:
- Whether they like your writing style
- How good your portfolio is
- If other people have published your work
- What other people say about your writing
But you do need to do need to be able to showcase your work to people, in order to land the client. So let’s look at how you can start to build these up.
A Rock Solid Portfolio
Your portfolio is where you can show people your work and let them make a decision for themselves. There’s no right or wrong way to do a portfolio, but it should be:
- Frequently Updated
- Relevant To Your Niche
- Relevant To Your Skills
Portfolio #1: Simple And Visual
This portfolio from Copywriting Is Art is simple, but really effective. If you’re going for a copywriting angle, this is a great one to follow:
Simple imagery gives it authority and is easy for people to see that there is an endorsement of his work. When you follow the links through the image you get a comprehensive breakdown of the work done, too:
Portfolio #2: Direct Links
This portfolio is my own personal one at JamesWritesThings. I use screenshots of my posts, with headlines that link directly to them:
Again it’s simple and effective, but it serves to show people I’ve been published elsewhere and can be trusted to write for their site. When they see a site they know, it’s also a big bonus.
Portfolio #3: Excerpts And Logos
This final portfolio comes from Erin at The Travel Copywriter. She again uses visuals – much like the graphic I showed you at the start of this post – to create a sense of authority:
And to create less of a barrier between a potential clients and buying from her, she’s added excerpts of her articles with additional links to grab attention:
Your Portfolio, Then…
You can see in all the above samples that they aren’t anything special. They don’t sing and dance, they just provide the information that’s needed. So don’t worry about needing a big ol’ website full of widgets.
Just create a space – using a site builder or WordPress or your own domain – and put your work online.
But, What If I Don’t Have Portfolio Pieces?
Great question.
If you’re getting started you won’t have anything that even resembles a portfolio yet. And that’s okay, I’m going to show you how to create a portfolio from scratch, with little to no effort. There are two steps to it.
Step #1: Start Your Own Blog
Learn how to start a blog about your Niche and start writing it. Use different techniques, use different styles and start writing as though you’re creating for a huge audience.
You don’t have to share it with anyone if you don’t want.
You can have it on a private link for all that matters. But you do need to give people an opportunity to see your style in the context of your niche.
Step #2: Find Freelance Writing Jobs And Complete Their Tasks
I used to use this method a lot when I first started writing. Because, it gives you something more tangible to work with. And, they can go on the blog you’re going to start.
Head to one of the freelance writing jobs boards or content mills and find a job posting. It doesn’t matter if it’s current or expired. Look for one with a pretty specific description, like this one:
Then just go ahead and create an article or piece to that specification and stick it on your blog.
This process has two benefits:
- You get to experience what clients are looking for and work to specification
- You get to build out your portfolio with real-world examples
You can even go the extra mile and screenshot the job and present it to a potential client you’re pitching too, so show what you’ve done.
Anything that gets you noticed from the other freelancers that are entering the field.
Okay, there’s another way you can pad out your portfolio and gain endorsements from people. That section deserves a whole section of it’s own…
Guest Posts
Guest Posting is my go-to strategy for building a profitable portfolio quickly.
It gives you valuable experience working with someone who will publish your work. It also teaches you to work to guidelines, deliver to an audience and what it’s like to have your content published.
For example, the guest post on Buffer that I mentioned earlier has brought me a tonne of emails like this:
And having written for sites like Addicted2Success and Lifehack and got a decent amount of shares showed that I could write for a big, well developed audience too.
Landing guest blog posts is a whole topic within itself. So when you choose this option, I’ll hand you over to this expert post from Venchito Tampon.
Testimonials
Testimonials are powerful pieces of information. In fact, 90% of consumers say that online reviews impact their buying decisions. So these glowing endorsements from people can play a huge part in this.
This Step In Short
There are three components you need to sell your online:
- Portfolio: Where potential clients can get a feel for your style, tone and the results your work can deliver.
- Guest Posts: Having an endorsement of your work on someone else’s site, even if only slightly relevant to your niche, can have a big impact on converting customers.
- Testimonials: These reviews of your work – from paying customers – can be the final blow in converting a client. Seeing a glowing recommendation can put their mind at ease and make them more likely to buy.
You can build a portfolio yourself by just writing blogs for your niche, or by finding jobs and writing them for your own site to gain experience.
Guest Posts can be obtained by following the link in that part of the section.
Testimonials can come from anyone who has seen or used your writing and can be built up over time. The sooner you get someone to write one though, the better.
Step #4: Writing Pitches To Get You Clients
Pitching is a numbers game – more on that in the next section – but you can create pitches that grab attention.
In fact, I’m not only going to show you how to pitch: I’m going to give you my own pitching strategy that you can copy and paste for yourself.
But first, let’s talk about what makes a good pitch…
Pitching To The Right Person
The first question about pitching is usually:
Who do I pitch to?
This is an important question because it can make or break whether you get spoken to or if you just get lost being passed around between departments in a company.
If you’re applying for an advertised job this is usually posted, like in the footer of this posting here:
But when you’re not it’s a little more difficult. There are three points of contact that you need to look for:
- Direct Email: The best you can find is a direct email. This is usually to an editor, marketing manager or content marketing executive.
- Department Email: There are often emails that go to someone in a department – marketing etc. – that you can get through to someone on.
- Contact Form: If there’s nothing else find a contact form under the ‘contact’ page on a site or a publication
Email Tools: You can also use a tool like Hunter.io to help you find the most contacted emails for the site.
When you’re on a site that you want to get in touch with go to the footer where you’ll often find tabs like this:
Click the Terms & Conditions tab (or Disclosure policy as it’s called here) and it’ll bring up a page full of legal jargon. A quick search of the page and you’ll be able to find and email contact, like this one right here:
Gotcha.
Now, you can pitch to someone in the company and find a way to the right person.
Pitching 101: How To Stand Out From The Crowd
Considering freelance writers are a group of individuals paid to write things…you suck at writing pitches.
Sorry, it’s just the truth.
Don’t worry, I did too. In fact, so did every freelance writer I know at one point or another.
Because pitching is hard. You’re trying to convince someone to pay you instead of the hundred other people they could choose from. It’s a daunting proposition.
That usually means your pitches go on far too long. They miss the point. Or, they’re too short for anyone to know why you’re even writing to them.
But I’m about to give you a simple acronym to help you remember how to write a perfect pitch every single time. It goes like this:
- Personal
- Easy To Understand
- Top-loaded
- Accurate
- Lean
PETAL pitches are the best kind, because they’re guaranteed to get responses. I’ve taught them to lots of writers and they’ve always come good.
Let’s break them down:
Personal
Personal is simple.
When you’re writing to someone, you should address them by their name. This will normally be the prefix in their email (‘james’@pitchtome.com) or on their job description.
If that’s not available I’d suggest you opt for a “Hey Guys”, or “Hi Team” because it sounds a lot more personal than just “Hello”.
Easy To Understand
The people you’re pitching to often receive a lot of emails.
So you need to be clear, concise and focused on why you’re writing to them. Especially if you’re cold pitching to someone who doesn’t know they’re being pitched too.
Basically you need to make sure nothing is lost in translation.
I usually combat this by saying exactly why I’m writing to them. Like:
My name’s James and I’m a freelance writer from Manchester, England. I’m writing to you to see if there was any room for a freelance writer on the Company X team? I think I’d be a perfect fit!
Now they can make no mistake about why I’m in their inbox right now.
Top-Loaded
There’s a rule in Newspaper writing:
This is because newspaper editors cut the information from the bottom of the article.
The exact same rule applies to pitching.
Put the most important information at the top incase they don’t make it to the end of your pitch. You’ll see more on how that’s done in the copy and paste section next.
Accurate
You need to state what you’ve done and where you’ve worked.
Provide information that’s relevant to the job you’re pitching for.
And, any additional information that’s required.
Lean
As a writer it’s normal for you to…waffle on.
You know, write more than is necessary. It comes with the nervousness with a pitch.
But follow this rule for writing your pitches and you’ll be fine (this is stolen from Winston Churchill):
A good pitch should be like a skirt; short enough to be interesting long enough to cover the subject.
The 100% Golden Rule Of Pitching You Must Obey
If you disregard everything else you learn about pitching in this article please remember this simple rule:
Read the job description.
When you’re pitching for an advertised job there will be part thrown in there to keep you on your toes. Specific requirements that will affect you getting the job or not.
The most common form of this is them asking you to put something in the pitch to prove that you read it. Like this job pitch where I had to put two specific words in the subject line:
So make sure you go through everything with a fine tooth comb before you send anything. Copy and pasting is great, but not if it loses you a job.
The Copy And Paste Pitch Template
Okay, so that’s how you should be pitching to get clients.
But I’m about to save you a lot of time by giving you a fill-in-the-blanks pitch for you to use.
You can edit this however you want but it is a sure-fire template that will help you land clients:
“Hey [Name],
I know you must be really busy so I’m going to keep this brief…
My name’s [Name] and I’m a freelance [Profession]. I’m writing to you to you about… [Insert Opportunity, for example, “Your listing on ProBlogger”].
In recent years I’ve…[Insert Experience]
In fact, you can check out some of my portfolio samples below:
__________________________________[Example #1]
[Example #2]
[Example #3]
__________________________________
Just so you know who you’ll be working with, here’s a little about me… [Insert Short Biography].
Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Cheers,
[Name]”
And if you want an idea of how this should look in action here’s one I made earlier to wet your creative whistle:
“Hey Liam,
I know you must be really busy so I’m going to keep this brief…
My name’s Steven and I’m a freelance writer from Detroit, Michigan. I’m writing to you to you about your job listing on ProBlogger. I think I’d be a perfect fit!
In recent years I’ve been able to work alongside small companies like Thwaites, Equilibrium and Maslen’s to help them create online content in the productivity niche.
In fact, you can check out some of my portfolio samples below:
__________________________________
Thwaites – Beer Comparison App – 3000 Weekly Users
Equilibrium – Messaging Application For Users
Maslen’s – iPhone Recipe App
______________________________
Just so you know who you’ll be working with, here’s a little about me:
I’ve been a writer for two years, but I’ve been tinkering with code since I was just a little kid. But, in the times I do get out of my coder-cave, I like to go Wakeboarding and Fishing, as well as setting up little music festivals out in the country. Everyone needs a hobby, right?
Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Thanks,
Gary”
But James, What About The Headline?
I didn’t forget, I promise.
I’ve tested a lot of different headline techniques and I’ve found two that work, at least for getting people to reply to your emails.
The first, if you’re applying for an advertising job is to put a simple subject like this:
But if you’re making a cold pitch, the undisputed best headline in my experience – and that of other writers I speak to – is to ask a question in your headline. I can’t tell you why this works, but it seems to be really effective.
Toy around and find your own unique stamp. Play with headlines and ideas to see what’s going to get you the most return.
Okay, you’re getting on to the final section, are you ready?
This Step In Short
People are pitching to your potential clients all the time so you need to craft pitched that make you stand out from the crowd. To do that, remember this (manly) PETAL acronym:
- Personal: Written directly to someone; in a conversational but professional tone.
- Easy To Understand: Be clear about what you’re writing or pitching to them for, and why they should care.
- Top-Loaded: Put the important information at the start and make it less important as you go down the pitch.
- Accurate: It should fit you, your niche, the job description and what your capabilities are.
- Lean: Short enough to be interesting; long enough to cover the subject.
Always remember to read the job description and edit your pitch to fit the specific client you’re talking to.
Ask questions in your headline, or reference the job listing, to get the best open rates.
Step #5: Setting The Right Price
Let’s talk money.
I’ve saved this until last because it’s the most highly debated topic in freelancing.
And, I want to make sure it get’s the coverage it deserves. But, I’m not going to spend too long telling you about it. Why?
Because, regardless of the arguments for and against what your prices should be, it comes down to you. Let me explain…
First, It’s About What You Want To Charge…
More to the point it’s about what you feel comfortable charging.
When you first step onto the scene you probably won’t feel like you can charge $100; you’ll not have the portfolio to back it up, either.
So don’t charge it.
If you feel comfortable charging $10, charge that. Then up it when you feel comfortable charging $20 and $30 and $40 and so on.
But do remember you have to put food on the table and you need to respect your time. After all, you can’t get it back.
I started at $10 and hour, and I now comfortably charge $60-$100+ an hour depending on the project.
Secondly, Don’t Worry About Pricing Out
One of the best lessons I learned came from the team at Nifty Marketing.
In this post they share how they set themselves a minimum that they refuse to budge on to attract the calibre of client that they wanted.
Set a minimum price that you will not go under by any stretch of the imagination.
It can be whatever you think it needs to be, but don’t just take work for the sake of it. Respect yourself and be proud of what you will work for, as well as what you wont.
Thirdly, It’s About Negotiation…
Always be open to negotiation. Now if you have a minimum prices, that’s the lowest point you can negotiate to. But also be open to negotiations on different things.
For example, let’s say you pitch $50 an hour and your minimum is $30, you have $20 wiggle room to negotiate with there. There’s nothing wrong with having different prices for different clients on different projects.
It’s the way the freelance world works.
Different Pricing Structures
There are a couple of ways that you can charge client with freelance writing.
Hourly Rate
This is exactly what it says on the tin; the price you’ll charge per hour.
This can chop and change depending on the client, too.
It’s not unusual to charge $30 for one client and $50 for another, because the jobs come with different specifications and require different levels of effort.
And, as you saw in the last point, you need to be open to negotiation.
I’m terrible at Math, so the simple way I use to work out an hourly rate is:
- How many words per hour
- How much research is needed
- The average price of work in that niche
That would charge less because you can get 1,200 words out an hour on that, you don’t need as much research and you can wrap it up in just a few hours. Also, the payment in that niche is lower.
But if you have a really niche, in-depth topic, that requires a lot of research – like SEO or Engineering – you would charge more. Why?
Because not only would you be writing less per hour, you’ll be spending a lot more time writing and referencing. You’ll also have to block out a bigger chunk of your day to do it.
The price per hour is also dependant on your experience. If you’re an established expert you can charge more than if you were the new kid on the block.
Price Per Word
We don’t mess about with the clarity of our titles in writing do we?
Price Per Word is one of the most common pricing strategies.
I use it for almost all of my articles, especially on those longer articles – like this one – because it often works out fairer for you and the client. And, it’s easier to pitch.
When a client hears 15 cents per word it sounds better than $150 for 1000 words.
I use a similar system to the above for working this out. If you’re productive you can really increase what you earn per hour.
Price Per Project
This is a standard pricing package for small businesses and copywriting clients.
For example, when I created the copy on this training company website, I set a fixed price for all of the content:
I find the price per project is normally based on your hourly rate, the hours you’re expected to work and a negotiation with the client. You can create a lot of ‘savings’ benefits here for a client, too. Where it feels like you’re doing more work and saving them money.
Negotiated Prices
Each client and project has it’s own specific needs. So, it pays to have a flexible option where people can talk to you and you will flesh out a price together for the work that needs to be done. This works on a per-client basis.
Getting Paid
There are a number of ways you can get paid, too. This is usually when you bill out when you receive money:
- 100% Up Front: This requires a built up level of trust but once that’s established it’s easy to employ.
- 50% Up Front: Clients are often open to this method – 50% up front, 50% on completion – because the risk is lower.
- Upon Completion: I don’t usually employ this method unless it’s per word pricing or with a client that I really trust. Because you can retain the rights to the article until they pay, there is also the option to keep it and sell it on if you do get stiffed.
Insider Tip: The Subscription Payment Model
Okay let me lay a little bit of insider knowledge on you:
Clients are sometimes flaky. They’ll need six articles one month, two the next, disappear for a couple of weeks, come back with more work than you can handle and then drop off the map forever.
That’s just the nature of the beast. Not all clients are like this, but there is always a level on inconsistency.
But there is a way you can make it more consistent and guarantee yourself an income. You just need to employ a subscription model.
With every client that that likes this model they agree to:
- A fixed number of hours or articles per month
- For a set price
- To be paid at either 100% or 50% up front
- For a fixed-term (three, six, nine months)
Clients are usually pretty responsive to this model too so don’t be afraid to pitch it.
This Step In Short
Setting the right price is personal to you. There is no right or wrong price to charge. Just what you feel comfortable charging, the value you offer and where you’re positioned in your niche.
But, as a rough guide, I’d suggest these prices:
- Beginner: $20-$30 per hour / $0.05 per word – $0.10 per word
- Intermediate: $35-$50 per hour / $0.15 – $0.20 per word
- Expert: $50+ per hour / $0.25 – $0.50+ per word
Look to employ a subscription payment model, or a 50% up front model when you’re negotiating with a client to make sure you get paid.
Step #6: The Extras You Need To Know About
In this step I want you to explore some of the ways to improve and refine your business. And, learn about other technical aspects of the job.
Project Briefs
Every piece of work will come with a brief. Sometimes that can be professional and in the shape of guidelines, like this:
Or it’ll be in a brief document like this (text covered, just in case):
There are also times where you’ll be asked to create the project brief.
Or, it’ll come in the form of an email chain or a written on a napkin or something illegible you have to decipher for yourself.
But it’s essential that before you start on a project you create a clear brief for you and the client. Point out what it is you believe you should be delivering and if that is in line with what the client wants.
There is nothing worse – for you and a client – than going in blind and hoping you hit the target. It’s a waste of time and effort.
Ask as many questions as you need to and go into as much detail as possible. The clearer the picture the better the end product.
Offering Revisions
I don’t recommend offering any more than two rounds of revisions. Why?
Because you’re a good writer. And you’re crafting articles or content based on what an audience wants. You’ve done you research and you’ve decided this is the content that is going to work.
You do have to pay attention to what the client is saying and offer some changes based on what they ask for.
But by the same token you have to respect your time and the decisions you’ve made.
As long as the article is in line with the above revisions and the thoughts laid out in the plan, then you’re fine to only offer limited revisions.
Invoicing
I didn’t know this when I first started out, you may not have either, but there are minimum legal requirements for an invoice that you need to meet. More than just slapping what you did and your price on a sheet of paper or in a document and sending it across.
If you’re creating your own invoices follow one of these links to see what requirement your country has (English speaking countries only):
You can just input the client data, send it across, and the rest of it is taken care of for you. They also have a 30 day free trial so you can try them out risk free.
Contracts / Terms & Conditions
A contract can come in many forms and has to be made up of certain criteria, like this one from HMRC in the UK:
Contracts will sometimes be sent to you to be signed, others will be be an email correspondence or done through a Skype call. And, there is a good chance you will never have to enforce a contract, but you should have one in place.
They cover your back; make sure you get paid the right amount for the right amount of work; cover your client and make your business more professional. Much like a project brief, be clear in:
- What’s being done
- When it’s being done by
- How much it’s going to cost
- What the end product will look like
- What you’re offering
“Hey Matt,
So I’ll going to be writing How To Become A Freelance Writer Online, it’s going to be 10,00o-15,000 words at the rate we agreed for the last article, and I’ll have it done by April 11th, is that correct?
Cheers,
James”
They accept it. You’re covered. It’s that simple.
Recommended Reading & Development
Phew! Okay, onto the last bit now.
Like I said right at the start of the article, you don’t need any qualifications to become a writer. But there’s a lot you can read and practice on to become a better writer and create stronger, more impactful content. Here’s some of my biggest recommends:
- Write To Sell – Andy Maslen: Probably the best book on Copywriting I’ve ever read. It’s not long, but it’s really in-depth and clears up a tonne of questions you have early on.
- On Writing – Stephen King: If you’re trying to create content with a story feel to it, this book is an endless supply of hints and tips to create them.
- Made To Stick – Chip & Dan Heath: Amazing for finding out how to write and create articles that people remember.
Wrapping It Up…
I hope by now you have a clear picture of what it takes to be a freelance writer and how to start your business the right way.
It may seem overwhelming at first, but it really is as simple as choosing one of these steps and taking action until completion.
As Matt often says, “Keep it simple, stupid” , and it’s a motto that works here too.
And if you want to take all of the information from this article and learn how to put it into action, you can also take my free email course where I’ll show you a simple trick to help you get your business to $1000 per month. You can sign up here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you do as a Freelance Writer?
As a freelance writer, you write for money. In other words, you exchange your words (or time) for money, regardless of your niche or medium.
Your mission is to produce any written text that is needed by your client.
You’re working on your own, which means that any company does not employ you. You can work from home, or you can rent office space if you feel more comfortable that way. Basically, all you need to start is a computer and a good internet connection.
How do I become a Freelance Writer?
Here, some advice to become a freelance writer:
1. Find your writer’s niche
2. Find out which platform is the best for you to get online jobs
3. Build your sales tools
4. Write pitches to get you clients
5. Set up the right price
If you want more detailed information, read my full post!
Is Freelance Writing Hard?
Well, I am not going to lie to you. Being a freelance writer can be pretty challenging and frustrating. Let’s say there are some good days and some bad days…
But what’s important to remember is, when things go right, it is gratifying. You feel like you have accomplished something important.
238 Responses
Great
Thanks :)
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Always happy to help my fellow freelancers!
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No problem!
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Keep Sharing
No worries, Ronan! More blog posts are coming!
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Thanks!
Hi Matthew,
I actually started with looking into ways of becoming a proofreader but also have an interest in writing and blogging. A quick search on the internet landed me on this article by James Johnson which I read with great interest and learnt a great deal from. However, being a stickler for detail, especially in the correct use of written English, I read through the article with both a learner’s and a proofreader’s hat on and in this latter mode I did come across quite a few mistakes, which, I hope James and yourself wouldn’t mind me saying, for an article on writing is not the greatest advertisement! I will say straight away that James is by no means alone and sloppy copy (rhyming not intended but it sounds good) is almost a trademark of all internet writing. So, as a little practice for me in both proofreading and editing, I took the liberty of going through James’ text and making corrections and suggestions throughout the text, marking them clearly so they can be viewed easily.
I found no other way of contacting you which would allow me to send you a document otherwise I would have let you see it straight away. If, therefore you might be interested in seeing my work, I would be more than happy to send it to you in whichever way you prefer. I have obviously provided my e-mail address so I would be delighted to hear from you.
Best wishes,
Lazar
Hi Lazar. Thank you for writing to me. You can contact me via this form https://www.matthewwoodward.co.uk/contact-me/
Don’t forget to check “I found an error/bug/problem on your blog”
Thank you!
Hello,
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Dear James and Matthew, How many words should need to write a cornerstone article? Please guide me. I new content writer. I am following you from today onwards. I found you very helpful for me on google. Thank you, dear.
Hey Alauddin!
I can’t give you a specific number because this is not how it works.
I think you should take a look at the content length of your competitors who are sat in the top spots in the SERPs and then write with their average word count in mind.
And if you need more tips I suggest you read this: https://www.matthewwoodward.co.uk/seo/on-page/seo-copywriting/
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Thanks a million!
No worries! Happy to help! :)
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That sounds great! You can also have a look at https://www.matthewwoodward.co.uk/blogging/how-to-start-a-blog/ – it might help too!
Hi Matt,
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Thanks a million!
Thank you Sagar and welcome on my blog!
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Great news! You should also have a look at this article to help you start your new blog: https://www.matthewwoodward.co.uk/blogging/how-to-start-a-blog/
Really appreciate the valuable tips on freelance writing jobs. It is going to help me a lot. Thanks a lot
Great! Feel free to share your experience as a freelance writer with us. I’m sure it can help others too.
During the quarantine period due to the Chovid 19 virus, I started doing freelance writing as an additional job and it brings me a nice income. I read your article and thanks for the tips.
Glad to hear that!
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Cheers!
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You’re welcome!
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No problem!
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I don’t accept guest posts George but thanks anyway.
In the first section of this post, you mentioned 3 questions and those are my questions. I was looking for answers. When I came to the end after reading the full post, I got my answers. Thanks, Andrew. You show me the right way to start my freelancing journey. I will study more and if I got any confusion how can I contact you?
You are awesome Mathew. thanks
Cheers Ramesh, so are you!
Hey Mathew,
Took me a while to read but I must say, it has been written brilliantly.
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Thanks for taking the time Mehul – hope you found it valuable
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Just subscribe and you’ll get alerted whenever I publish :)
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Great news – keep it bookmarked ;)
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Thanks Harry, I hope it continues to help
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No problem :)
That’s another amazing post on matthewwoodward.co.uk.
First of all thanks for sharing this useful tips.
We must follow all of them to become an expert freelancer in any field.
Cheers!
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Happy to help Shubham
Happy to help Shubham
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No problem and glad to hear you found it helpful.
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No problem, hope you can use these tips!
Wow. I’ve never seen a blog post in so much detail. Had to come back to it the next day haha great job on the content was really insightful.
Thanks James, yes it’s a long one haha
Can I write for you? I am a freelance content writer too. Please help me.
Any questions, send here – https://www.matthewwoodward.co.uk/contact-me/
great article mate thanks
No worrys robert glad you liked it!
Hey Matt, am new to the freelancing business and about to start mine. And like you said above, this library of information you’re providing is overwhelming But I dare to make a move for it. Hope you’ll always be there to provide more guardians for me. thanks alot, bro.
Hey Victor! Everyone has to start somewhere and you need to fight to become successful! But everything you need is just a Google search away! Best of luck
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Thanks Alekhya!
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No worries Neon, glad to assist!
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No problem at all. Glad to be able to help!
Hello
James Johnson
This site is very helpful for the people who are waiting for the free lancing writers jobs . You gave us amazing tips
Thank You
Hi Vey good Article
Thanks Faheem!
Wow, so much Knowledge. Thank you… Thank you so much
You are welcome Shilpa, I hope you found the guide useful.
This is amazing and it is incredibly kind of you to share your expertise for free. I haven’t set up my blog yet, I am writing it on paper first but I am loving it and would love to do a little freelance writing alongside my English tutoring so I am going to follow your tutorial and let you know how I progress. In the meantime, you have another follower!
Great news Shona! Sounds like a cool plan. Please keep me updated.
Hello
Thank you for providing valuable information that is very helpful for beginners and I always inspire from you and your blog.
That’s great to read, thanks very much :)
Thank you for making this easily to understand.
No problem Alice :)
No worries, welcome back!!
very nice article for bloggers
Thanks very much, hope you found it useful
My suggestion is to focus on a niche. This way, you have more of a chance of standing out. This prevents you from being another writer.
Thanks Ivan
Hello! Thanks for writing this post. Your blog post has been extremely helpful, thank you so much! I absolutely LOVE this article! Your blog posts have been so helpful for me Elna! I’m a new blogger and trying to discover some freelance writing gigs, so this was extremely helpful.Tq
No problem, good luck :)
Nice Blog….
Thanks, let me know if you have any questions
Great post shared i really need this post your blog is very useful to me
Glad you found it useful
Hello,
I am a recently retired Baltimore City Public School System English teacher and freelance copywriter. I just wanted to say thank you for this awesome article about freelance writing jobs.
I’ve read probably hundreds of articles about free lance writing and this is the best I’ve read!
Thanks again for the great info.
Regards,
Elliott M. Womble
Hi, thank you very much, it’s most appreciated!
nice article
Thanks
hey I think your article is great I just enjoyed it
according to me, the niche is very important.
There are many online writing jobs for every topic you can think of, but if you are a good researcher then you can write about anything.
But it’s better to write on specific assignment than any random assignment.
Peoples often take the paying jobs in freelance without knowing if they can’t do it or not.
So my advice is don’t fall into that trap.
Take those jobs which are easier for you, if you don’t know anything about something then it will take a lot of time in research which is the loss of time.
You can write about things you know better because it takes very little research by which you can finish your work quickly and can get paid.
For this above reason finding a niche is very important.
nyc blog btw
Some good points
Thanks for this information it’s very helpful for me.
Hi Amit, you are welcome!
This is such an awesome point. “You’re not an employee and you’re an equal partner to your client” So many freelancers forget this and end up taking less than ideal rates. We are equal partners with our clients and it’s not a master-slave relationship. Great article.
Thanks Sheeroh, it is so easy to forget!
One of the big problems with Upwork as I am discovering is trying to get your profile accepted in the first place. Even with a 100% complete profile with some “dummy” articles to use as a portfolio I am still banging my head against a brick wall trying to get past Upwork’s automated “bots” which are doing the rejecting. Does anyone have any advice as to how to get accepted?
Have you sent a ticket to support?
Great Post :)
Really a game changer for anyone just starting freelance career :D
Glad the post is doing its job
Thank you very much for sharing this valuable information. :)
No problem Joinal
Nice article with more details.
Freelance writing is the best way to make money online.
First and foremost we have to do some research on a topic and then writing article on it will give good result.
As soon as the client accepts our written article we will get paid. In other words this is the one of the fast way to make money online.
Anyone with basic english written communication skills can get in to this freelance writing online job.
Hi Rob, yes it is a good way to make money online. Thanks for your comment :)
Wow! What an excellent guide for freelance writers,
I hope it help me to build some positive.
Best of luck, hard work and perseverance
Neatly explained I really enjoyed reading. Keep up the good work!
Glad you enjoyed it Sanju
Hey Tracey,
James here – the author of the article. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
You’re definitely right that it can take a little while to get your business going. But I wouldn’t worry about competing with journalists, or anyone else, whilst starting your business.
For example, if you’re an Aussie and you need to make $20 per hour to live, you could always look for work *outside* of Australia to make up the difference. You’ll write in British English, so you could look for jobs with English companies. Alternatively, you can focus on higher paying American jobs (of which there are THOUSANDS) .
Whilst it is true there are writers from outside first world countries who are willing to work for less money; I wouldn’t worry about this, either. This is often low-value businesses looking to get cheaper labour within their price range. The quality here is often hit and miss – which is often the case for people with just an “ok” grasp of the English language – and they don’t tend ot stay on this path for too long.
If your work is of good quality, and you value your services, you won’t run into too many snags.
But, you are right, you should definitely settle in for the long haul and not expect super quick success.
Cheers,
James
Thanks for the article, lots of good information. Makes it sound super easy but I have to warn newbies, unfortunately a lot of the freelance work sites like Fiverr and Upwork are super competitive even for the crappiest paid jobs. If you don’t already have a portfolio on the specific site, it’s extremely hard to crack. In Australia many hundreds of experienced journalists have been laid off from newspapers and magazines that closed down due to low readership. They are now competing with everyone else for the online content jobs. On top of that people in first world countries like Australia who need minimum $20 per hour just to survive and pay rent are competing with writers from third world countries who can afford to write for much less money due to lower cost of living.
Newbies – it’s great to have a career you’re passionate about and can do from home, but it will most likely take at least a year to get enough work to support yourself (in Australia at least) – most freelancers I know have to keep their full time job for some time before they can rely on freelance income. You gotta start somewhere though! Great tips mate
Great advice Tracey!
Hey Tracey,
James here – the author of the article. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
You’re definitely right that it can take a little while to get your business going. But I wouldn’t worry about competing with journalists, or anyone else, whilst starting your business.
For example, if you’re an Aussie and you need to make $20 per hour to live, you could always look for work *outside* of Australia to make up the difference. You’ll write in British English, so you could look for jobs with English companies. Alternatively, you can focus on higher paying American jobs (of which there are THOUSANDS) .
Whilst it is true there are writers from outside first world countries who are willing to work for less money; I wouldn’t worry about this, either. This is often low-value businesses looking to get cheaper labour within their price range. The quality here is often hit and miss – which is often the case for people with just an “ok” grasp of the English language – and they don’t tend ot stay on this path for too long.
If your work is of good quality, and you value your services, you won’t run into too many snags.
But, you are right, you should definitely settle in for the long haul and not expect super quick success.
Cheers,
James
Holy Cow !
James, an amazing article and has certainly given me more than enough information & motivation to get of my backside and actually make a start.
Being a web designer ( primarily back-end code, PHP etc ) I have always dreaded the moment when I finish the actual site coding because I know there is only one thing left to do… write the damn content
But now I find myself at a bit of a cross-roads, after reading this article I am actually looking forward to making my first “proper” blog.
James & Matthew, thank you for such a great article guys !
Hope others found it as informative and motivational as I have
All the best & hope you have a cracking 2018 !
No problem Chris I hope it translates into success for you
Hey Chris,
Thanks so much for the kind words!
All the best for 2018.
James
I like to start writing my self.
Take action Luke :)
Thanks for providing deep information on freelance writing , much inspired :)
No problem, now get writing :)
Extremely helpful is It and interesting and very much looking the forward to reading more of your work .
No problem Johan
Matthew
To echo the good feedback you’ve had for this article, it’s a great piece, informative, honest, practical and most of all – useful.
I am also just starting down the road of freelance writing and about to put together my first blog. Your article has inspired me no end. Anyway, enough gushing.
Great work – thanks.
Thanks Craig, I hope it helps you reach your goals!
I find reading this article a joy. Extremely helpful is It and interesting and very much looking the forward to reading more of your work ..
Hope it helps you out!
Hi Matthew,
Nice article. It is the very useful article for newbie copywriters like me.
Can you tell me about legal requirements in India for invoicing?
Thanks.
Sulaksha
You would have to speak to someone from India about that sorry =/
It’s ok. Thanks for your valuable reply.
Thanks.
Sulaksha Gad
Thanks for your kind inquiry Matthew! Well, actually I have been writing online content since 2013 for small businesses and individuals who run a website or blog.
My favourite topics include make money online, online and Internet marketing (e.g. SEO, SEM, SM, SMM, PPC, article marketing, content marketing, etc), eCommerce platforms and software, web design and development, web hosting, plumbing, locksmith, home edition/extension, home improvement, roofing, general constructions, personal finance, insurance, online jobs and businesses, work at home guides, side hustles for extra income, blogging tips, website and blog monetisation, and more!
I would rather call myself a web designer and developer anytime soon as I am currently doing a full-stack web design and development course.
Thanks.
Sounds like you have a lot of experience in a lot of areas that you can leverage!
Wow, nice informational article going to bookmark this page for future reference and gonna share it with friends… Great Content, Thank you.
A very well-researched and detailed article for aspiring freelance writers looking to get started writing online. In my opinion, Upwork, Guru, and PeoplePerHour are freelance sites that feature a wide variety of jobs across different industries. They all feature writing jobs but the pay is not great in general, but there are high-paying jobs posted on these sites too. I am not sure though should I call them content sites.
Freelance writing jobs boards are a great place to find writing jobs. These sites usually work as a search engine, featuring writing jobs advertised all over the internet at one place. There is a big question mark on the legitimacy of the jobs listed on these sites though. However, most jobs seem to be legitimate opportunities.
A great source for paid article writing jobs is freelance article writing jobs sites like Textbroker.com, Online Writing Jobs, Greatcontent.com. iWriter.com, and more. These are called content mills, notoriously though. But they are great places for beginner writers to build a portfolio, learn SEO content writing and get paid immediately for writing articles.
Then there are some websites and blogs that accept writers with expertise in a certain niche or more. The writer usually submits a pre-written article on a topic covered by these sites and if it is approved by the site owner or webmaster, the writer gets paid. The pay rate can be based on the world count or an article-produced basis.
Some other websites (usually large content based sites) like wisebread.com, wiseGEEK, com, and LoveToKnow hire writers to contribute articles to their site. The applicant usually has to write a sample article or two and then the sample articles are evaluated by the editor. If the work is approved, the applicant is hired to write articles for the relevant site.
So the market for freelance writing is vast and there are many different ways to find work in freelance writing online.
I would like to thank you very much for producing such a great article packed so much helpful information for both the beginner and seasoned freelance writers. Keep up the great work :-)
Thanks for your additional insights Shaheen!
It sounds like you have or are working as a freelance writer yourself?
Great article. I am just starting out in copywriting and just wanted to know if you would advocate membership of any UK based copywriting associations? Specifically the PCA (Professional Copywriters Association) or the PCN (Professional Copywriters Network)? I have found quite a few articles advocating membership of the PCA and nothing to discredit it. It does offer what looks like an interesting course to get you started but the website itself is bloody awful, once you sign up to it the sales emails you get trying to sell you the course are poorly worded and formatted. These things seem a bit strange for a professional copywriters association?! The PCN is presented much more professionally but it’s not entirely clear how they would help someone like me who is just setting up in the business. Would appreciate your thoughts?
Well, this is the first time I have ever heard of it so it seems like a willy waving thing more than anything
Fair enough!
nice
Great article, gave me some content ideas for in the future.
Thanks
No problem Ruben!
Great Article. Also will be starting my Content writing services soon so it is a great resource for me.
I wanted to ask a question for the rates specifically For experts it is mentioned $50+ per hour. Now assuming least I write in 1 hour is 500 words so my rate the comes to $0.10 per word isn’t it?
But in article it is quoted at $0.5 per word? In that case per hour rate should be $250 & not $50 as stated.
It depends, some people can command much higher rates than others, but I’ve never seen anyone writing at $0.50 per word
Nice post,Thank you so much for providing such a valuable information at one place Matthew. Keep up the great work!
No problem, glad to be of service!
As someone who has been grinding on Upwork for a couple of months (fairly successfully) and figured there must be a better way, this article is incredibly helpful.
Many thanks for the insight and advice!
No problem Kathryn – how have you been doing with upwork so far?
Fairly well. I know a lot of people don’t like Upwork, and for some very good reasons. For me, though, it was a good place to start: it’s provided experience, the assurance that I DO, in fact, know how to write, the beginnings of a portfolio, and a few contacts that may turn into longer term clients.
The increase to charging 20% from any earnings is a step too far for me though.
I’m feeling like it’s time to “graduate” from Upwork and move up to bigger and better-paying things, and this article has given me some areas to think about and work from, so thanks for that!
Ahhh I wasn’t aware of the change in fee, I’m sure that will come back to bite them in the behind!
It sounds like you are already well on your way with your journey though especially if you have long term clients that have developed from upwork – I would start by asking them for referrals to new clients in exchange for a discount :)
nice information
This was such an epic article that I had to have two bites at it. Great suggestions. Just this past week I had a change of circumstance which has forced me to choose a path. I’m hoping to make a go of freelancing but scared how to start as I am not young and have a family.
My niche is more towards fiction, but I’m not scared to put the time into research and also write non fiction. This has given me a lot of confidence. Thanks again.
Age and family is an excuse, just roll your sleeves up and get started. Getting started is the hardest part but it can be done in less than a day!
Thanks James for sharing your experiences and tips on freelance writing. Freelance writing comes with a lot of perks and challenges. If you want to succeed in this field, you have to get familiar with the ins and outs of the trade. You also have to make sure that you have all the required resources for producing great content for your client such as computer, reliable internet connection, etc.
And if you are traveling, don’t forget about https://www.matthewwoodward.co.uk/work/growth/work-and-travel/
But…but….. what about all that SEO writing work at $5 per 500 words.
You didn’t mention how we can clean up writing that in five minutes.
Yes you can do that, but that’s really at the entry level/bottom end of the market and there are far more lucrative ways to make money with your writing
This is an an awesome article with lots of valuable information and insight on the nuts and bolts of freelance writing. Very encouraging for someone looking to be independent from a standard job. Thank you!
No problem Pauline, I hope you put it to good use :)
Awesome site, brilliant post, and a bit cheeky I love it!
I’m just starting to set up a website, blog etc and I’ve been scouring for articles for beginners advice and this is the best stop so far
This is really going to help me!
Thanks
No problem Dan, I see you already made a start on your own personal brand :)
Wow! What an excellent guide for freelance writers. Thank you for this piece.
No problem, although I cannot take credit for this one :)
This is a great piece with a lot of great info. As someone who is sick of the 9-5 grind, this will surely be an article that i come back to again and again as I start down the trail of freelance work. Thanks again.
No problem Adam, I hope you manage to quit your job!
Just a brilliant article that really opens up many more doors in the world of freelancing than I first thought were available. I’ve just made five pages of notes on this piece – here’s to the future! Thanks James!
Hey Dan,
Good luck with your venture, don’t be afraid to jump in with both feet and learn as you go!
Hey James, Nice article. You did very good and deep research for this topic. Really man.. Whenever I came on this blog, I always got some nice piece of information. Hats off to you guys..
Thanks Siddharth, James is an expert at what he does :)
James – what an epic blog post! Thank you Matthew for commissioning James to put together what should be considered the defacto guide to freelance writing online.
As someone who is now trying to make a real go at being disciplined in writing at least 5,000 words a week for my own blog this post is super useful and motivating.
James/Matthew – have you guys ever written about how to structure kick ass blog posts. (i.e. what’s your formula for how you write such long and useful posts, do you write out a high level structure with headings first, the put meat on the bones etc.).
I’d love for you to go deep on how you structure your writing at some point in the future :)
Ed
I don’t have a set structure, but I like to deliver first and explain later. So for example I always open with a what you will learn section, and then the results of what they are about to learn before teaching how to actually do it.
I think SEO copywriting is killing it.
If you are good at SEO and writing, you can make a lot.
Freelance writing is giving more and more people the option to start making money from home.
Thanks so much for providing such a valuable information at one place Matthew. Keep up the great work!
Yes, learning how to do keyword research doesn’t take long – but allows you to charge more/stand out from the crowd!
Excellent article James! So much valuable info and tips to action!
Personally, I’ve landed my first writing gigs through contacts. I find Upwork difficult to pitch on at the moment as I think there are lower paid jobs on there. The other writing job boards like ProBlogger have better quality adverts.
Thanks,
– David
Do you have any other additional tips/secret sauce to share :)
Well done Matthew I need a few days to check everything and it really is worth the time
No problem :)
Man… all your posts are epic lol.
You didn’t mention iwriter or textbroker, (maybe I missed it)
but they are great spots to get your feet wet, iwriter has 3,000 jobs a day, and once you become a 5-star writer your earnings jump up huge. Just over-deliver on your articles for people and they will notice ($tips) and request you personally (higher earnings per article). After you finish an article contact the client and ask them how they liked it. ~ leads to future on-going better paying projects. From there, you can start saying “I am a 5-star writer” for x, can builds your street cred :)
– end ramble.
Hey Brad,
SUPERB additional tips and insight, thank you :)
How iwriter website works , when it comes to writer’s protection ? For example lets say if someone post a job as a client there for 2000 words . A writer put his hard work and submit the article for apprval and client Rejects the article intentionally .
I agree Kamaal. I worked with iWriter and I experienced (or knew others who experienced) intentional rejection. That’s why it’s good to find your own clients like James has explained in this article.
What do you mean by “intentional rejection”?
Hi Matt,
I mean clients who never intended to accept the article they requested, so when you submit it they reject it with no valid reason. It may be because they are not willing to pay, they changed their mind about what they wanted, or they just enjoy wasting people’s time.
Regardless, I enjoyed the tutorial by James, and will be using it to further my freelance writing.
Thanks
Ahhhh I understand, well it could also be that the article sucked and wasn’t to their standards. I reject articles frequently!
I once worked there and I can tell you it’s a weird platform. First, they have no way of test/ranking their writers, but to ensure that clients are always happy with their services, they have allowed them unlimited freedom to hire and fire as many writers as they wish.
For new writers, try it at your risk!
Hey Brad,
I’m personally not a huge fan of iWriter and Textbroker, so I didn’t include them here. I feel there are more sustainable ways of building a Freelance Business.
But, if you’ve found a method that works for you, go at it balls to the wall!
Thanks for the extra advice :)
James
nice thought
Very detailed and awesomr guide. If someone is into Article writing then this is a best guide anyone can see.
What do you say on offering a little extra or something a bonus the client isnt expected? It always worked for me. Whats your take on it?
What kind of extras do you offer?
Hey Ali,
I’d definitely be interested to see what you add to ‘sweeten’ the deal for someone. It’s not a strategy I tend to run with, but if it works for you, go for it.
James
Hello James and Matthew!
I’m not an article writer actually but if i was one, i would surely be offering something like :
1. Let’s say if Im assigned to write 1000 words, I won’t mind adding 100 new words as a good gesture.
2. I could inter connect my other services as a bundle and offer him/her discount.
3. I would add some references link or some more evidences as a backup to prove my stance. (I know some do write it, but it’s again the type of article nature, but i won’t mind having them included.
4. If the person who is providing me work, I won’t mind writing a free bio for his profile. This thing alone can give you a lot of trust which can result in into big businesses.
Remember, thing big, don’t go for small money, focus big. If you follow the above steps and try to build a strong business relationship, I believe thats the best strategy for long term and big business.
Regards