Freelance writers usually work from the comforts of their own home, which is one of the biggest perks of this career.
Anyone disciplined enough who has a talent for writing, a computer and stable internet access can pursue this career on a full-time or a part-time basis.
Freelance writing is an extremely versatile career choice as you can write about all sorts of topics, from finance and real estate to gardening and travel.
And the best part? You can do it from anywhere in the world!
Let’s see how you can improve your work and get the most out of this potentially very lucrative job.
1. Develop Your Craft
To succeed as a freelance writer and stay on top of your game you need to constantly read good material for inspiration and style tricks.
You should also:
- Pick a style that works for most clients and stick with it
- Develop your craft over time by trying different things
- Constantly improve it using technology
- Choose your favorite niches
- Become an expert on the most popular topics
2. Write Proposals
Learning to write high-quality proposals can land you more lucrative opportunities and help expand your portfolio. You can write proposals to
- Business owners
- Publishers
- In response to ‘help wanted’ ads
Doing this on a regular basis and doing it well will help you expand your network and the number of good business contacts.
3. Go Outside
Spending all day at home can be extremely monotonous so find the time to go outside every day and meet up with people for coffee, casual get-togethers and parties. This will help you:
- Stay in the know
- Find new inspiration
- Do research in terms of new products, attitudes and tastes of your potential readership
4. Befriend Editors
Being on good terms with as many editors as you can is one of the most important things you can do for your freelance writing career. In order to build a good relationship you need to:
- Shoot them an e-mail with an interesting story
- Intrigue them with a new tip
- Learn how to write high-quality articles they don’t have to spend too much time editing
5. Learn To Negotiate
In this day and age almost everything is negotiable and the sooner you master this skill the happier you’ll be with your job. You can negotiate the following aspects of your job:
- Your hourly rate
- A deadline if you’re swamped with work
- The rights under which you sell your work
- The terms of any agreement
6. Don’t Apply For Every Single Job
Building a network of clients that send work your way on a regular basis means you’re in business, but in order to get there – applying for every single job out there is not really the way to go. Why?
- You’ll waste time
- You’ll waste energy
- Not every opportunity is a good fit
7. Keep Learning
When you’re a freelance writer you’re definitely your own boss, but with such freedom comes great responsibility and you need to:
- Constantly keep learning new things
- Follow technological advances
- Follow new trends