Do you want to be a freelance writer? If so, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve compiled a list of some of the top skills and important attributes that successful freelance writers possess.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Identify your niche or specialization in freelance writing. |
| 2. Continuously improve your writing skills through practice and feedback. |
| 3. Develop strong research abilities to provide valuable and accurate content. |
| 4. Enhance time management skills to meet deadlines and manage multiple projects. |
| 5. Cultivate effective communication skills to understand client needs and deliver exceptional work. |
| 6. Stay updated with industry trends and adapt to changes in the freelance writing market. |
| 7. Build a professional portfolio to showcase your expertise and attract clients. |
| 8. Network with other writers and industry professionals for collaboration and opportunities. |
| 9. Provide excellent client service to maintain positive relationships and secure repeat business. |
| 10. Stay motivated and persevere through challenges to achieve long-term success as a freelance writer. |
1. Adopt A Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is an attitude that you have about yourself, your abilities, and your potential. It’s the belief that you can get better at something if you practice and work hard.
As opposed to a fixed mindset, which says that some people are just born talented (or not) and there’s nothing they can do to change their level of talent.
How do you adopt a growth mindset? It all starts with how you think about yourself…
If you’re a Gen Z freelancer, you can achieve success in the freelance economy by implementing these 15 tips. Check out our guide on helping Gen Z achieve success to learn valuable insights and strategies.
2. Set Goals And Make Plans To Achieve Them
Now that you’re clear on what you want and why it’s time to make a plan.
Set goals: Write down your goal(s) for the next few months or years. What do you want to achieve? When will you reach these goals? Be specific about what it is that you want to achieve, but also realistic about what are reasonable expectations for yourself. If your goal is too ambitious, then it will be hard to motivate yourself when things get rough.
Make plans: Once your goal(s) have been established, make a plan of action for achieving them. How will success be measured? What steps will be taken towards reaching these goals and how often should they occur?
For example, if my goal was “I want more clients as a freelance writer in the next six months,” I would need to develop my business by doing research into who needs writing services in my area; contacting local businesses, and asking them if they would like help with writing projects.
Creating an online portfolio of samples; building relationships with local businesses through networking events; etc., all with the purpose of generating revenue from freelance writing work within six months (with some flexibility built in).
3. Study The Business Aspects Of Freelance Writing
Once you’ve got the skills to write, there are a few things you can do to make yourself more desirable as a freelancer. First, learn how to market yourself. You need to know how to sell yourself and your writing services.
This includes knowing how to negotiate rates with clients and editors, as well as managing your time so that you can meet deadlines.
It is also important that you learn how to work with clients. Be professional at all times! The client will come back if they like working with you; however, if they don’t like dealing with you or feel like they aren’t being treated fairly, then they won’t use your services again.
Finally: Get an editor! Not only will an editor help ensure that everything is spelled correctly (which goes without saying), but also she/he will be able to catch any grammatical errors or typos before submitting anything for publication and this makes both parties look good!
Discover how freelancing is transforming the way we work and explore the opportunities it brings. Learn more in our article on how freelancing is changing the way we work.
4. Learn To Be A Good Communicator
Being a good communicator is one of the most important skills you can have as a writer. You’ll be expected to write content for multiple forms, and your audience will be expecting it to be delivered clearly and concisely.
You should learn how to speak clearly, with confidence, empathy, authority, and clarity. This includes knowing how to read aloud from your work so that it flows out smoothly without any stumbling or dryness.
Being able to read aloud effectively also helps you create an emotional connection with your audience because they’ll hear the emotion in your voice if you’re giving them something interesting or thought-provoking enough!
If you want people (including editors) listening when they hear what comes out of your mouth then make sure that every word has meaning behind it as well as any extra explanation needed for clarification purposes.”
5. Learn To Balance Your Time Effectively
As a freelance writer, you have to balance your time effectively so that you can maximize your earning potential while also staying sane. This means not doing too much at once and knowing when to say no, yes, or maybe (which is just saying no).
It’s easy for freelancers to get caught up in the excitement of landing an exciting project. But there’s a fine line between being excited about a new opportunity and over-committing yourself by agreeing to work on something before being able to properly evaluate whether or not it aligns with your goals for this particular project or even if it fits into your overall career plan at all.
When deciding whether or not you’re going to take on a new assignment from someone, ask yourself if this person respects your time and will commit themselves equally as hard as they expect from you?
Are they willing to pay what their services are worth? Do they need any help from other writers or editors who can do those tasks better than you? These are all important questions that need answers before accepting any kind of project because otherwise, things could spiral out of control quickly!
To excel as a freelancer, it’s essential to possess the right freelance skills. Read our comprehensive guide on essential freelance skills to enhance your expertise and increase your chances of success.
6. Be An Extremely Well-Organized Writer
It’s crucial to be organized as a freelance writer because you will be working with many different clients at once, and you must keep track of all the work that each client needs from you.
You should use multiple tools to help you stay on top of things: a calendar, a to-do list, reliable email software, a word processor (such as Microsoft Word), a spreadsheet program (such as Excel), a presentation program (such as PowerPoint), and database software (such as Access).
7. Always Be Professional And Courteous When Communicating With Clients And Colleagues
As a freelance writer, you will be communicating with clients and colleagues almost constantly. You should always be polite and professional when doing so, even if you don’t agree with their point of view.
The best way to do this is by always following up on things, being on time for meetings, and being a team player that does what needs to be done to move the company forward.
Always listen more than talk when working with people, whether it’s your client or colleague who has an idea for something new or simple things like going out for lunch/dinner together or drinks after work (most companies offer some sort of food service).
Good listeners make better communicators because they understand both sides of any conversation before responding with their thoughts or ideas.
The key qualities needed for someone to succeed as a freelance writer are honesty and reliability.
8. Do Not Become A Social Media Addict
Social media is one of the most popular ways to connect with other people and learn about what’s going on in the world. But it can also be a source of stress and anxiety, as well as a time sink that distracts you from work or other important tasks.
If you find yourself struggling to stop checking Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram every hour or two, this may be an indication that social media has become too much of an addiction for you.
To focus on your freelance writing career, you need to limit how much time each day is spent scrolling through social media feeds.
You should consider deleting those apps from your phone altogether (or at least removing their notifications) so that they’re out of sight and out of mind until after work hours.
We all know that we need some downtime after spending eight hours at our computers every day but if yours involve scrolling through endless newsfeeds instead of reading books or playing video games like everyone else does? That might not be healthy!
9. Learn To Be Disciplined And Reliable As A Writer
You need to be a reliable, disciplined writer. Being reliable means that you show up at a certain time and deliver your work on time (or ahead of schedule). It also means that you don’t let other things get in the way of your writing.
If you have an important deadline coming up, then nothing else should matter more than getting it done.
If you’re not disciplined enough, though, it’s easy to start procrastinating or ignoring your deadlines altogether which will result in missed opportunities for clients who want to hire freelance writers like yourself. So do yourself a favor: stay on top of things!
Want to become a top-rated freelancer on Upwork? Follow this step-by-step guide. Check out our detailed instructions on becoming a top-rated freelancer on Upwork to boost your profile and attract high-quality clients.
10. Become Familiar With Different Styles Of Formatting Documents For Different Purposes
It’s important to know how to format documents correctly if you want to succeed as a freelance writer. Formatting incorrectly is likely to make your employer look bad, which may affect your reputation in the long run.
There are many different ways of formatting a document so that it looks good and can be read easily by those who view it but these methods vary depending on what form the document takes (blog post? eBook? website?), so make sure you become familiar with all of them before getting started!
11. Become Familiar With Using Popular Word Processors Such As Microsoft Word Or Google Docs!
One of the best ways to become a freelance writer is by becoming familiar with using popular word processors. If you’re using either Microsoft Word or Google Docs, you’ll be able to write for your clients more easily and efficiently. The most important thing is that both programs are free!
There’s no reason why anyone can’t use these programs to write their articles, blog posts, or other work. Even if you’ve never used Microsoft Word or Google Docs before, it’s easy enough for anyone to start using them today!
12. Be A Very Fast Reader And Learner
As a freelance writer, you’re going to need to read a lot of information. You want to be able to absorb it quickly and then apply it in your writing.
Many of us have trouble reading fast enough for this task especially if we’re not used to it but there are many things you can do to improve your speed and ability with reading:
Practice reading faster by listening (or even subvocalizing) while looking at images or symbols on the page; try not looking at words as much as possible but rather just glancing at them very quickly to get their general meaning.
This is especially helpful when learning something new that you can’t otherwise understand easily from context clues alone!
Practice hearing what people are saying rather than focusing so much on trying to understand everything perfectly before moving on; this way instead of getting stuck focusing too much on those parts which aren’t clear or making sense yet anyway because they don’t apply here either…
You’ll be able to move forward without being distracted by anything unrelated which might come up later down the road and trust me: there will always be some kind of unexpected challenge waiting around every corner!
13. Have An Effective System For Proofreading Your Work Before Submitting It
You can do this by using tools such as Grammarly and Hemingway Editor. They’ll help you make sure your writing is free of errors before submitting it.
Just make sure you proofread your work yourself before submitting it to anyone else. When it comes to writing, nothing beats a fresh pair of eyes looking over your article.
Looking to earn a six-figure income as an independent consultant? Our guide can show you the way. Explore your guide to earning six figures as an independent consultant and unlock the potential for financial success in your consulting career.
Conclusion
So, getting a degree in English or Journalism isn’t such a bad idea after all! You can learn a lot as you go along as well, but it’s not always easy to see what you need to know when you decide to become a freelance writer.
To make your journey as smooth and successful as possible, it’s worth looking into what skills an expert freelancer has before you start.
Takeaway: This article discusses how to acquire the skills necessary to succeed on your freelance writing journey.
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources for further reading on freelance writing skills:
Rock Content: Freelance Writing Skills: This comprehensive blog post provides valuable insights and tips to improve your freelance writing skills.
Entrepreneur: The 9 Skills It Takes to Succeed as a Freelance Writer: Explore the essential skills needed to thrive as a freelance writer in this informative article from Entrepreneur.
Skills You Need: Freelance Writing Skills: Discover the key skills required for freelance writing success and learn how to develop them effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is A Freelancer?
A freelancer is someone who works for themselves, by themselves. The term “freelance” comes from the Old English word “freols” (meaning “free”), and it has been in use since at least the 16th century.
The ubiquity of digital tools has made it easier than ever to work as a freelancer, which means that more people are doing it than ever before.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Being A Freelancer?
The biggest advantage of being self-employed is making your hours and setting your priorities you’re not beholden to anyone else’s schedule but your own! On the other hand, though you’ll have more freedom than most employees do, there will also be more pressure on yourself because there’s no one else backing you up if things go wrong.
What Are The Most Common Mistakes Freelance Writers Make?
It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and forget to keep learning. This will cause you to fall behind your peers and limit your opportunities for success as a freelance writer. There are three things you can do to avoid this pitfall:
- Read books about writing;
- Take courses on writing;
- Join a writers group where people have similar interests and goals as you.
Also, don’t forget that there’s always more than one way to achieve a result! Just because someone else did it in a certain way doesn’t mean that’s how you should do it too (unless they’re famous).
What Do You Mean By Freelance Writing?
Freelance writing is a broad term that can encompass anything from writing blog posts, to article content, to research papers and more.
What Are The Different Types Of Freelance Writing?
There are lots of different types of freelance writing! Some examples include:
- Writing blog posts for sites like this one or my site (link included)
- Writing articles for magazines or newspapers
- Creating social media posts for companies
- Consulting with businesses on their marketing materials
What Are The Skills Required For Freelance Writing?
You’ll need some kind of computer literacy and some experience with grammar. If you don’t have experience yet, there are plenty of free resources online where you can figure out those things!
You should also make sure that your work is high quality if someone pays me $50 per article and I turn in something riddled with typos and misspellings, they’ll never use me again (and neither will anyone else).
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.