If you are considering starting a freelance writing career,
you will need to take some steps that can help ensure your success. As you are
preparing to start your freelancing career, make sure that you are fully prepared
by having the necessary tools.
A fair amount of discipline is needed to be a successful
freelance writer. You must dedicate time to ensure that you are meeting
deadlines and the commitment to submit only top quality work each time you
submit it.
Determine early on what your goals are for freelance
writing, both in terms of productivity and in terms of the time you wish to
commit. Then you'll be on your way to getting started.
What steps you need to take
There are some basic steps you'll have to take to pursue a
writing or blogging career online. They are:
- Getting
prepared - the first step that you will need to take before you
start searching for freelance writing jobs online is to ensure that you
have all your tools prepared. Equipment should be in good working order,
your internet connection should be stable and you should have the proper
software that you will need to succeed. You can use OpenOffice for most
word processing jobs, or you can use Google Docs. Either of these systems
will be sufficient.
- Create
your profile and portfolio - one of the key things you will want
to do is show your potential clients what your qualifications are. You
should create a portfolio and profile to highlight your skills and your
work. Your profile should contain a professional looking photograph of you
as well as your contact information. The portfolio section should contain
links to your work with the most recent work highlighted first. If you
have specific types of work you do not wish to do, you should avoid
placing samples of it (for example, press releases). If you are not
utilizing a freelancing site, you can easily set up a professional looking
blog that can serve as an online portfolio and resume.
- Establish
a presence - now that you have established your profile and
portfolio your next step will be creating an online presence. You can do
this by joining sites like LinkedIn. Set this up with your educational
experience, work experience and link it to your online profile and
portfolio. This will be a necessary step to getting your name out. You may
also want to consider setting up a page on Facebook to let people know
what you can do. If you do set up a Facebook page, link this to your
LinkedIn profile as well as your online portfolio.
- Set
your rates - one of the most critical things that you will need
to do to find freelance writing jobs online is to set your rates. There
are number of factors that should go into considering your freelancing
rates including:
- Type
of Content - press releases are often more difficult to write
than basic articles. You may want to set up a freelance writing fee
schedule based on level of difficulty of specific requests.
- Knowledge -
writers who have strong writing skills in one field, you may be able to
secure a higher wage for writing in that field. In addition, since these
topics would generally take you less time to write, you will be making
more than you would on articles that require a lot of research.
- Experience -
for those who have already established experience in freelance writing,
this should be taken into consideration when you are setting your rates.
The more experience that you have, the larger a fee you can generally
charge.
- Length
of Contract - A short term contract means you are going to have
to look for work much sooner than a longer-term contract. You may want to
consider charging a higher rate for short term work than long term work.
Keep in mind, these are general guidelines and each person
will have to determine what rates work for them and what the market for their
skills will bear.
It won't end there
The steps outlined above is only the beginning of your
journey to finding success as an online blogger or article writer. Some of the
more important steps you will have to take on your journey include:
The search
Once you have done these steps you are now ready to begin
searching for freelance writing jobs online. There are several sources that can
help you do this successfully including freelancing sites, and social networks.
- Craigslist -
You can search Craigslist for freelance writing opportunities. Use caution
when reviewing advertisements. Confirm with the client the rate of pay,
the length of the assignment and when you will be paid for an assignment.
- Freelance
sites - There are numerous opportunities for applying for
freelance writing jobs online. You can use sites like Get-A-Freelancer for
example. Make sure before you go this route that you carefully review all
the terms of service.
- Other
freelancers - Reach out to other freelance writers and let them
know you are actively seeking work. They may refer clients to you or
outsource work to you if they have too many assignments.
- Social
networks - Do not be afraid to review social networking sites
like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter for possible leads. You may be
surprised at how many of them appear on a regular basis.
- Article
sites - Demand Studios, Associated Content, Constant Content,
Blogmutt and Bright Studios often have regular work that needs to be done.
Review the terms of service on each site and find out which ones work best
for you. While you should be prepared to spend a great deal of time
finding your first assignment, do not despair. It takes some time to get
yourself established. In the meantime, continue to build your skills and
your portfolio.
