You have finally decided to take the freelance writing plunge and become your boss. Congratulations! As you begin this new journey, you are probably wondering how you can make money as a writer. Here is some information to help get you started.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Diversify your income streams to increase stability and earnings. |
| Offer premium services or packages to attract high-paying clients. |
| Leverage your expertise to create and sell digital products or courses. |
| Build a strong online presence and promote your services through social media. |
| Network and collaborate with other freelancers or businesses to expand your opportunities. |
Blogging
Blogging is a great way to build your online presence, establish your expertise in the field, build an email list, build your brand and reputation, network with other experts in the industry, get discovered by potential clients, and/or showcase previous work.
In addition to these benefits for freelancers who already have an audience or following on social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook (more on that later), blogging can also help you establish credibility if you don’t already have one.
It’s important not to forget about SEO when thinking about blogging! Just because it’s helpful for readers doesn’t mean it isn’t also valuable for search engines as well.
By publishing content regularly on a blog that includes keywords related to your topic area(s), each time something is published on the site (and especially when new posts are added) there will be more opportunities for people searching Google or other search engines looking specifically at terms related to those topics you’ll want both visitors AND search engine traffic!
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Advertorials
Advertorials are a form of native advertising that is sponsored by an advertiser, who pays the publisher to publish it. The advertorial will look and feel like regular editorial content, but it’s paid for by the advertiser.
Advertorials can be found in magazines, newspapers, blogs, and websites. They’re not ads because they don’t have any sales pitches or calls-to-action; however, they do include links back to the website being advertised. This helps readers discover new products and services at no cost and sometimes even with money-saving offers!
Copywriting
Copywriting is the art of writing for sales. Copywriting is often used in advertising and marketing, but it can also be used in other areas such as creating catalogs or even email newsletters.
Copywriters write to persuade people to buy a product or service. This means that they’re not allowed to be boring! The language they use has to be compelling, engaging, and persuasive if they want their readers (or potential customers) to make a purchase.
E-books
- Don’t write about things you don’t know or like.
- Don’t write about things you’ve never experienced before.
- Don’t write about topics you’re uninterested in writing about.
I know this sounds obvious, but it’s critical to your success as an author. If you want to be successful selling e-books, then choose a topic that interests you so much that even the thought of writing it makes your heart race with excitement and anticipation!
Freelance Writing For Content Mills/Online Job Boards
Content mills are sites that offer content writing or article writing jobs. They can be a great place to start your freelance career, as they provide a steady stream of work and keep you busy with assignments. There are a lot of advantages to working for these sites, but there are also some drawbacks.
Content mills are not just any website where freelance writers can post their profiles and bid on project requests from potential employers/clients. They have strict rules about what types of articles you can write for them (usually related to SEO) and how many articles per day you must complete to earn the minimum payment rate.
Some companies even require that you use specific software programs (such as WordPress) which may cost money if you don’t already have access to them through another employer or client!
That being said, if this sounds like something that could work well for YOU then here’s how:
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Freelance Writing For Websites And Magazines
As a freelance writer, you can make money by writing for websites and magazines. You can write articles for blogs, online magazines, and newspapers. You can write about any topic you like; however, some topics will pay more than others.
Here are some examples of different types of articles that might be available:
- Business-related blog posts or newsletters
- Personal finance articles for online magazines and newspapers (e.g., Money Magazine)
- Product reviews – think smartphones, laptops, etc…
This would require access to the product to review it. Be sure to check with the company before doing so as they may have rules about how product reviews must be done (e.g., only using photos taken by yourself).
If they don’t allow photos/videos then just write your description based on experience with using the product over time e.g., ‘I’ve had this phone since 2017 so here’s my take on how it has held up over time.’
Ghost Writing Books & Articles
Ghostwriting books and articles is another way to make money as a freelance writer. If you have a knack for storytelling and can create captivating content from scratch, ghostwriting may be the perfect opportunity for you.
What Does It Mean To Be A Ghostwriter?
A ghostwriter is someone who writes books or articles under someone else’s name. That person might be the author of the book or article, but they won’t be attributed to it in any way. In some cases, they may even want their name removed altogether!
Ghostwriters are paid by the word, which means that they earn less if their work isn’t published or well-received by readers. This also means that there are fewer legal restrictions on what they’re allowed to write about (however there’s always risk involved).
Guest Posting (And Self-Publishing On Amazon)
Guest posting is a great way to get exposure for your business. If a blog publishes something you wrote, it will raise awareness of your freelance writing business and help establish yourself as an authority in the industry.
Self-publishing on Amazon is another way to monetize your freelance writing business. You can write books about any topic that interests you, and then sell them through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing program (KDP).
KDP uses ebooks so that content can be easily accessed by readers all over the world and because it’s digital, there are no printing costs or distribution fees!
When someone buys one of your ebooks from KDP, they immediately receive an email with links where they can download it onto any device (computer, phone, etc.).
You also keep 70% of all sales revenue without having to pay any fees upfront – which means more money in YOUR pocket! So if this sounds like something YOU want to do… awesome! But if not… maybe just stick around here at Hubstaff 🙂
Another option for monetizing your freelancing career involves selling products related to what’s going on within the industry itself rather than creating new ones based solely upon personal experience/knowledge base alone.”
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Public Speaking & Webinars
Public speaking is a great way to make money. Not only that, but it’s also a fantastic way to grow your business by building credibility and authority as a freelance writer.
In short: public speaking is when you get paid for talking at events and conferences about topics related to your industry. It can be done in person or online through webinars.
To get started with this method of income generation as a freelancer, here are some steps you can take:
Choose the type of event you want to speak at a conference, workshop or seminar are all options and find out what their submission timeline is so you can plan.
Most events will require speakers-slash-presenters to submit their topics by mid-to-late summer before they accept any applications at all so start planning now!
The sooner you get started on submitting proposals (or “pitches”), the better off you’ll be when it comes time for them to consider them seriously; don’t wait until the last minute!
Once your proposal has been accepted, find sponsors who would benefit from sponsoring your talk (read: paying for something). This could be in the form of receiving free tickets or even paying for travel expenses beyond what the conference itself provides it depends on how much money they’re willing to pay
Press Release Writing & Distribution Services
You may be wondering what a press release is, and why you should care. A press release is a document that provides information about a person or business, typically in the form of an article. Press releases are written to inform readers and attract their attention.
The goal of writing a press release is to get your content published by different websites, magazines, and newspapers. Press releases are used when someone wants to share important news with the public (or at least with those who read the news).
Press releases can be used for any number of reasons:
- To announce new products or services
- To announce that an event will take place in the future
- To announce a merger or acquisition between two companies
Resume Writing Services
A resume is a professional summary of your skills and experience. It should be targeted to the job you’re applying for so that hiring managers can quickly see how well you fit into their needs.
A cover letter is an introduction to your resume, and it helps employers understand why you’re the right person for the job.
Cover letters are essential because they give hiring managers insight into who you are as an individual not just what kind of work experience or educational background you bring with you.
The best way to write a resume is through trial-and-error: create a draft version of your document, revise it based on feedback from friends/family/colleagues who have also worked in similar industries like yours, then update it accordingly until everyone agrees that it’s ready!
The most important thing is to highlight both your accomplishments (what did I do?) as well as how those feats helped my company grow (why was this important?). This will show prospective employers how much value they could get out of working with someone like me!
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Social Media Management, Marketing & Consultation Services
Social media management, marketing, and consulting are all services that you can provide to your clients.
Some of the things you’ll do as a social media manager:
- Create and manage content for your client on their social media accounts
- Engage with their followers in an authentic way (not just pushing out self-promotion) to help build trust, credibility, and brand awareness
Some things you may be called upon to do as a marketer:
- Develop strategies based on audience data analysis (e.g., Facebook insights) to promote the client’s business on different platforms
- Create relevant ads that target the right people at the right time (e.g., retargeted banner ads on Facebook or Google AdWords ads when someone visits your website)
There Are So Many Ways To Make Money As A Freelance Writer!
Once you’ve decided what kind of freelance writing business you want to run, the next step is to decide how.
There are so many ways to make money as a freelance writer! You can do it for businesses that sell products or services like e-commerce websites and marketplaces or for businesses that offer services themselves. If you’re working with companies who need help with their content strategy, there are so many options: from inbound marketing (SEO copywriting) to website copy optimization; from branding materials like brochures and social media posts through marketing campaigns on behalf of other companies.
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Conclusion
We hope you’re as excited about these ideas for building a writing career as we are! There are so many different paths to success, and we’re thrilled that you’ve decided to join us on one of them. We wish you the best of luck in your freelance writing career, and we can’t wait to be there with you every step of the way!
Further Reading
How to Become a Freelance Writer: A comprehensive guide on the steps and strategies to kickstart your freelance writing career.
Make Money Freelance Writing: Learn practical tips and insights to earn a living as a successful freelance writer.
Make Money as a Freelance Writer: Discover various avenues and opportunities to monetize your skills and passion for freelance writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Money Can I Make As A Freelance Writer?
The amount of money you make depends on how hard you work and how much time you’re willing to put into your business.
Freelancers can make anywhere from $10 per hour to $100 per hour, depending on their skills and experience. If you’re just starting, your rates will likely start low and increase over time as you build up a portfolio of work and gain more experience.
How Do I Get Started?
You’ll need to find clients who are willing to pay for your services, which means getting yourself out there in the world by networking with other writers and potential clients, attending conferences, joining professional organizations like [organization name], etc.
Once someone hires you for an assignment, it’s up to them whether or not they want to continue working with you so be sure to impress them during every interaction!
I’m A Freelance Writer. How Do I Get Clients?
The best way to find freelance writing jobs is by looking on job boards like [job board title]. You can also check out sites like [site name] where freelancers post their jobs and apply directly to them.
How Do I Price My Work?
When it comes to pricing your work, it’s important to think about your goals as a freelancer, how much time you can spend on each project, and what your rates should be based on similar jobs in your area of expertise.
For example, if you’re working on a blog post and the client wants it written in one day, then you might want to charge $50-$100 for the post. However, if the client is looking for someone who can write 2-3 blog posts every week for 6 months, then your rate should be higher than that ($100-$200 or more).
How Do I Accept Payments From Clients?
Some clients will pay before they have seen any work from you (for example: if they are paying for an article or blog post), but most will require that you submit something first so they can approve it before paying
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.