How To Become A Freelance Writer In The Grant Writing Industry

Grant writing is a lucrative industry. It’s also an in-demand industry and one that can be quite lucrative for a freelance writer. However, as with any kind of writing job, it’s important to know how to get started in the right way. 

You’ve probably already read your fair share of articles on how to become a freelance writer and maybe even spent some time testing out different websites. 

But if you want specific advice on how to utilize your existing skills as a writer and jumpstart your career as a grant writer, then this article is for you!

Takeaways
Becoming a grant writer requires a combination of strong writing and research abilities, project management skills, communication, and attention to detail.
While having a degree in a related field can be beneficial, it is not always required to become a grant writer.
Building a portfolio of writing samples, gaining experience through internships or volunteer work, and networking with potential clients are all important steps to becoming a successful freelance grant writer.
Freelance grant writers can make a significant income, with pay varying depending on the complexity of the grant, the size of the organization, and the writer’s experience.

Listen To The Experts

If you’re serious about this industry, there are a lot of experts out there who can help you learn what it takes to be successful. What does an expert look like? They have probably published at least one book, or maybe even written multiple books on that particular topic. 

They may also have written online articles and blog posts about their experience or interest in this field. 

Or maybe they’ve created podcasts or videos about how to get started as a freelance writer in this niche! Whatever their medium of choice for sharing information with others, it’s important that we listen and take notes!

As AI technology continues to advance, many freelance writers fear being replaced. However, the reality is much different. Check out our article on why freelance writers need not worry about being replaced by AI to understand the future of the industry.

Read Books By Experts

There are many excellent books available on writing grants that can give us deeper insight into the process of applying for grants than what we would get from solely relying on our own experiences working at some nonprofit organization before deciding whether or not it was right for us professionally. 

Because every situation will vary depending upon what kind of company they work for as well as whether they prefer working independently versus being assigned projects within other companies’ offices instead (which could affect how often clients contact them).

Read Success Stories

We’re pretty big fans of reading success stories here at [some website name]. There are so many people who have achieved their goals and written about how they did it, so why not take advantage of these inspirational examples? 

You can learn from their mistakes and challenges, even if you end up taking a different approach to the problem yourself. You might even see that your own experiences echo those of others. 

For example, when we were trying to figure out how to become freelance writers in the grant writing industry, we learned from other writers who had done it before us and then went on to learn even more from our own mistakes as we worked towards achieving our goals.

Get Certified In Grant Writing

Certification programs are a great way to boost your resume and market value as a grant writer. If you’re looking to get certified, you must know what types of certifications are available and what they mean.

Certification is often confused with education or training, but it represents more than just the hands-on skills that students learn at school. 

Certification is an independent credential earned through examinations and application processes conducted by an organization or association whose purpose is to provide professional recognition for those who meet certain criteria in their field of study or practice. 

There are several different types of grant writing certification offered by some organizations:

Master Grant Writer Certification (MGWC) – The MGWC provides individuals with advanced knowledge in all aspects of grant writing and management so they can work independently as consultants on federal grants; state-level needs assessments; program analysis; 

Monitoring progress reports; developing budgets; coordinating project teams; administering contracts/agreements/awards; working effectively with clients at all levels within government agencies

Master Grant Writer Advanced Skills (MGWA) – The MGWA designation recognizes master level proficiency in professional practice across multiple disciplines related to federal funding opportunities including research methodology, proposal development skillset proficiency

Cultivate Your Writing Style

You need to write for your audience, not yourself. It’s important to understand that there is a difference between writing in a way that sounds good and writing in a way that makes sense for your reader. 

You have to be able to get past those feelings of uncertainty when you don’t know if your work is going to sound good or not.

Your writing has to be purposeful. The most effective writers are those who can communicate their message with the least amount of words possible and they do so while still maintaining an audience-friendly style! 

If you’re having trouble figuring out what should go into each section of your piece, try asking yourself: What information do I want my readers/audience members/etc., etc., etc., (you get it) to know?

The debate between AI and freelance writers continues to be a hot topic. But is it really a competition? Learn more about the AI vs Freelance Writer debate and how AI and human writers can actually work together.

Know Your Audience

Knowing your target audience is essential to successful grant writing. Before you can write a winning proposal, you must first understand who you are writing for.

You need to know:

The background of the people who will be reading your grant proposals. How much knowledge do they have about your subject? 

Do they already hold strong opinions about it? Are they familiar with any academic studies related to this area? If so, how does yours differ from those studies, and what does that mean for how your readers might react to your approach?

What their goals are in reading your proposal. Do they have specific questions that need answering by it (e.g., “How can we improve our customer service standards?”) or are they mostly looking for general information (e.g., “What is the history of our industry?”). 

If there’s no clear goal specified in advance, “what would need doing” may simply be too broad without further guidance on which direction is preferred.)

Choose A Niche

Once you’ve chosen your niche, it is time to start researching. You will need to know as much as possible about it to write accurate articles and make good recommendations. 

Researching can be done in many ways including reading articles, watching videos, taking classes, or attending seminars and conferences on the subject matter.

Once you have gathered enough information about your niche market, create a list of clients that may need the type of services offered in this niche market. 

This will include their names, contact information (if available), and other pertinent details such as company size or annual revenue generated by each client.

Join A Freelancer Site For Grant Writers

One of the best ways to find freelance writing jobs is by visiting websites that connect people in your industry.

For example, you can join a freelancer site like Freelancer or Upwork and search for jobs from there. These sites allow you to bid on projects and work with clients directly, which gives you more control over your earnings than working as an employee for an agency or company. 

The downside is that these sites take a cut of the fee that you charge clients typically 20% so it’s important to negotiate hard when negotiating rates with potential clients!

Another great resource for finding freelance writing jobs is Guru, Elance, and other similar platforms where employers post products or services they need done (and are willing to pay someone else to do). 

This approach allows companies with smaller budgets to get exactly what they need to be done without having their employees spend time searching around instead of performing their actual job duties!

Upwork is a great platform for freelance writers to find work, but standing out among the competition can be challenging. Check out our guide on how to write a killer Upwork cover letter to learn tips and tricks for crafting a winning proposal.

Build Up A Client Base

To become a successful freelance writer, you need to build up a client base. This means that you will have to market yourself and your services to get work from companies and organizations that need content written for them. 

Building your brand is an important part of being able to do this successfully; however, there are other steps you can take as well.

The first thing that you should do when starting as a freelance writer is to look for potential clients on social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter. You can also try posting ads in groups related to the writing industry where people might be looking for help with their projects; 

However, make sure that they aren’t already getting paid to publish articles before contacting them directly because they may not want another person doing the same job at no cost! 

Once you find someone who needs help with something related specifically everyone else? If so then great but if not then don’t worry because there are still plenty more options out there too!!

Prepare For Rejection, It’s Expected!

As a freelance writer, you are entering the writing industry intending to make money. Therefore, you must prepare yourself for rejection because it is expected and very likely.

Rejection is part of the process: When you approach an editor or publisher with your work, they will most likely reject your product. This is not personal, but rather an indication that you need more practice or training before submitting another piece of writing.

Rejection is a learning experience: Learning how to deal with rejection can be challenging at first because everyone wants their work accepted but it’s important not to take this personally! 

Rejection can help us learn more about ourselves so we become better writers over time – so embrace those moments when someone doesn’t like what you have written!

Don’t Give Up!

If you’re looking to make a career as a freelance writer, you’ll need to have a strong sense of what motivates and inspires you. If it’s money, then write for the highest paying clients. If it’s working from home, then focus on finding jobs that allow remote work or freelance opportunities. 

Whatever drives your passion is important because it will help keep your spirits up when things get tough.

Don’t give up! Even if times are hard right now with writing gigs and feeling like no one wants to hire someone like yourself keep going! There are always opportunities out there if only we keep looking for them instead of giving up before we even try our hardest the first time around again!

Don’t let rejections discourage you either; they are just part of the process and happen often among writers who aspire towards success but aren’t willing enough yet or haven’t found their niche yet either professionally speaking or otherwise speaking (i.e., where their passions lie).

Sometimes rejection can be a stepping stone to success. Learn how one writer turned rejection into opportunity in our article, How I Went from Rejected to Freelance: Short Story of My Life, and find inspiration for your own journey.

Tips From Successful Grant Writers

When you’re starting as a freelance grant writer, it’s important to remember that it may take some time. It can be easy to get discouraged and give up if you don’t get any bites right away. Remember: persistence is key!

Be patient. Patience is key when dealing with potential clients and their requests. It may take some time for them to respond or for your pitch letter to be read, so try not to feel discouraged by this fact alone it will happen eventually!

Don’t give up too easily on your dream of becoming a successful freelance grant writer! You’ll need patience, but there are other ways that you can persevere:

Don’t be afraid of rejection; while it might hurt at first, keep going! As Dr. Seuss once said: “Don’t cry because it’s over smile because it happened.” If someone doesn’t want what YOU have written FOR THEM then there are plenty of other people who do – remember that!

Creating a successful freelance career takes more than just luck. Check out our article on manufacturing the best long-term freelance career to learn about the skills, habits, and mindset you need to thrive in the industry.

Conclusion

I hope this blog post has given you some insight into starting a career as a grant writer. I know it can be difficult to leap, but if you stick with it and follow these tips, especially the one about not giving up! you may find yourself reaching new heights sooner than you think. 

The key is to keep going, no matter what happens. You will have days when nothing seems worth it; there will be times when your clients can’t pay their bills, or maybe there are times when all of those things happen at once! 

But those tough patches will pass quickly, and they’ll make you even stronger in the long run. It’s an exciting time for freelance writers like me. With so many people needing help finding funding for their projects, we’re in high demand right now!

Further Reading

Here are some additional resources to help you learn more about becoming a grant writer:

How to Become a Grant Writer: A Beginner’s Guide – This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the skills, education, and experience needed to become a grant writer.

How to Become a Grant Writer: A Step-by-Step Guide – This step-by-step guide offers practical advice on how to become a grant writer, including tips on building a portfolio, finding clients, and developing a successful career.

How to Be a Freelance Grant Writer: Your Ultimate Guide – This guide is specifically geared towards those interested in freelance grant writing, offering insights on how to find work, set rates, and manage your business.

FAQs

What is grant writing?

Grant writing is the process of creating written proposals to secure funding from organizations or individuals for a specific project or program.

What skills are needed to become a grant writer?

Some essential skills for grant writing include strong writing and research abilities, project management, communication, and attention to detail.

Do I need a degree to become a grant writer?

While a degree in a related field such as English, journalism, or public policy can be beneficial, it is not always required. However, having a background in the field you are writing grants for can be advantageous.

How do I get started as a freelance grant writer?

To get started as a freelance grant writer, it is recommended to build a portfolio of writing samples and gain experience through volunteer work or internships. Networking and building relationships with potential clients is also important.

How much can I expect to make as a freelance grant writer?

Freelance grant writers can make anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per project, depending on factors such as the complexity of the grant, the size of the organization, and the experience of the writer.

How Do I Become A Freelance Writer In The Grant Writing Industry?

Becoming a freelance writer in the grant writing industry is a lot like becoming any other type of freelance writer. You need to be able to write well, have some experience, and be able to find clients.

How Much Money Can I Make?

This varies depending on what kind of work you’re doing, but it can be anywhere from $30-100 per hour or more. It all depends on how much work you get, what kind of clients you have, and how many hours they’re willing to pay for.

How Do I Become A Freelance Writer?

Becoming a freelance writer is simple. You just need to write great content, prove that you can keep your deadlines, and have a good portfolio of work. You can find clients on LinkedIn, or by reaching out to companies directly through their websites.

What Kinds Of Clients Should I Target?

You should target small companies and organizations that are looking for grant writers. These companies are often not well-funded enough to afford full-time employees. 

But they still need help writing grant proposals and other reports they need to submit to receive funding from foundations or other organizations. 

They will pay you much less than large companies generally around $100-300 dollars per project but this is an excellent way for new freelancers to build up their portfolios with high-quality work!

How Do I Get Started?

You can start by reaching out to your local community college or university. They will likely have a grant writing course that you can take. You can also find online courses and study guides to help you along the way.