What does a freelance writer do?
Knowing what a freelance writer does for a living is the first step in learning how to become one without any prior experience. In essence, a freelance writer is someone who writes articles, blog posts, etc. for businesses, magazines, and publications.
In addition to writing niche topics, freelance writers also promote themselves as one or more of the following:
- Speech writers
- Grant writers
- Technical writers
- Press release writers
- Copywriters
- Translators
How to become a freelance writer?
Your passion
One of the worst errors a new writer may make is failing to identify a specialty. If you want to learn how to become a freelance writer without any experience and actually earn money from this career, you should be aware of this fact.
Choosing a niche will enable you to gain expertise and authority in that subject.
Even though potential customers might not know you personally, they will ultimately start to approach you because of your subject matter expertise.
Being a master of all trades can be beneficial, but regrettably, it can also cost you, clients.
Consider the following scenario: You write on a variety of technological subjects, and a customer asks you to produce an article regarding video editing software. Even though you have some knowledge of video editing but you don’t have in-depth knowledge of the subject. So you can’t answer many of the questions about video editing
Continue practice and learn
When starting out as a freelance writer, the proverb “practice makes perfect” is true. Producing many articles for different clients and guest posting websites is the right way to gain expertise in freelance writing.
Improve yourself along the way, by attending training and skill improvement programs if you have never written for pay before.
You can enroll in a variety of free online tutorials and courses to get off to the best possible start. The top courses will explain the most lucrative and in-demand writing specialties as well as how to sell yourself to clients in a way that will land you high-paying gigs.
Focus on improving your talents first if you want to learn the secret to becoming a better freelance writer without any prior experience. Taking free online writing classes might make it easy for you to enhance your skills.
Create a blog
Establishing your own blog is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to show off your writing skills to the world. Using a user-friendly content management system like WordPress is not too difficult to accomplish.
WordPress has a huge selection of free themes and plugins that make it easy for you to build a blog that looks professional without paying a lot of money.
Your distinctive writing style and areas of interest should be displayed on your blog. Include a biography that provides details about you, specifically your professional background and accomplishments.
Look for freelance jobs
Focusing on platforms that specialize in the kinds of work you are searching for will help you discover opportunities as a freelance writer. Many platforms provide flexible freelancing jobs in particular sectors and businesses. Social media is a great resource for obtaining freelance gigs.
Sites that pay freelance writers
Here are some top sites that pay freelance writers:
- Freelancer.com
- Pro blogger job board
- Writers work
- Upwork
- Fiverr
- Writer Access
- Textbroker
- Contently
- Blogging Pro
- IWriter
- Flexjobs
- Glassdoor
- Indeed.com
- SolidGigs
- nDash
- Verblio
- Contently
- The writer finder
Factors that affect a freelance writer’s earnings
A freelance writer’s earnings depend on a few factors which include:
Industry
The industry is one of the main causes of the wide variations in freelance writers’ earnings. Larger content budgets are common in some areas, including technology, eCommerce, software as a service (SaaS), cybersecurity, and cryptocurrencies. They provide higher rates than lifestyle platforms that concentrate on money-making, personal financing, fashion, animals, parenting, health and wealth, etc.
Niche
Writers that are self-employed can specialize even more in industry. While some writers primarily work on website copy for SaaS companies, others concentrate on writing for health and wellness products.
Some markets offer better compensation than others. Case studies and e-books are examples of long-form content that pays well but may take more time to produce. Even while some writers might find them tedious, technical writing, company plans, grant applications, and press release writing all pay well.
The typical income of copywriters in higher-paying B2B sectors may likewise be higher than that of their consumer-facing colleagues.
Experience
Writers are more likely to feel sure in their rates the more experienced they are. Additionally, they’ll probably charge extra. According to Cummings’ analysis, authors with more than 8 years of expertise are more likely to charge over $100 per hour.
According to a 2022 report by Zippia.com, the median hourly wage for skilled service freelancers nationwide is $28, which is 70% more than the average wage for traditional labor. The average hourly rate for all other freelancers is $20, or $1.20 more than the national median hourly wage for workers in the U.S.
According to the reports:
- 19% of them earn between $75,000 and $99,999 annually, up from 9% in 2014
- 12% make between $100,000 and $149,000 annually
- 5% make $150,000 or more annually, up from 3% in 2014.
Conclusion
As a freelance writer, it allows you great flexibility and independence, and you may work anywhere, including from home. The work itself might be exciting, and if a client doesn’t work out for whatever reason, you can let them go and keep marketing your company to find other customers who are a better fit.
