Do you have a burning desire to become a freelance writer? Do you think you have what it takes to write compelling content, but have no idea where to start? Then this is the guide for you! By following these steps, I taught myself how to become a freelance writer in only 10 months.
And I’m not talking about getting paid $5 per article writing pieces that people don’t read. No, by the time 10 months had passed, I was getting paid more than my previous salary working full-time at my old job.
The amount of positive feedback I received from readers was overwhelming and humbling. The moral of my story? You can teach yourself how to become a freelance writer too even if you’re starting from scratch as I did!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Becoming a freelance writer is achievable with dedication and learning. |
| 2. Focus on improving writing skills and building a strong portfolio. |
| 3. Explore freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr for writing opportunities. |
| 4. Network with other writers and join writing communities for support and advice. |
| 5. Consider specializing in a niche to stand out and attract clients with specific needs. |
| 6. Create a professional website and promote your work on social media for visibility. |
| 7. Offer your writing services directly to businesses, websites, and publications. |
| 8. Set competitive rates by assessing your skills, experience, and industry standards. |
| 9. Stay dedicated to continuous improvement and delivering quality content to clients. |
| 10. Embrace the journey and be patient; becoming a successful freelance writer takes time and effort. |
1. Pick A Topic
Pick a topic you are passionate about.
The first step in choosing the right topic for your freelance writing career is to decide what subjects you enjoy and will want to write about. It’s best if you can find a niche that fits this criterion, but even if it doesn’t, these are still great questions to ask yourself.
You should choose something that interests you enough that your enthusiasm shines through when writing about it otherwise, why would someone else care about what you have to say?
Think about whether or not there is enough demand for this particular subject matter for it to be profitable as well as enjoyable for clients. Also, try thinking outside of the box – don’t just stick with what everyone else is doing!
For example: Should I go with the obvious choices such as fashion/beauty/home decorating (which everyone has already done) or should I try something different like sports equipment reviews?
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2. Create A Blog On That Topic
It’s time to choose your niche.
The first thing you need to do is find a topic that you are passionate about and can write about for years. If you think it will be fun, then it will be more likely for your audience to enjoy reading what you have written as well. You also want to choose a topic where people are willing to pay for the value-add of what they learn from reading your articles/content on that subject matter or industry.
If I were going into freelance writing today, I would probably write about SEO copywriting (search engine optimization), since there isn’t much competition in this field yet and it’s always changing due to Google updates & algorithms changes every few months or so!
Once again, there are many niches out there; however, if I had only 10 months before graduating college…I would pick something like this one because even though I’m not an expert yet (and hopefully never will become one haha!).
I still have enough knowledge from my classes during school days plus some knowledge from watching videos online at night when bored after work 🙂
After choosing a niche topic idea…it’s time now for setting up a domain name(s) & hosting accounts!
3. Make Your Blog Look Professional
Use a professional theme.
Your blog should look like an authority on the subject it covers, and not some amateur’s personal Tumblr page. A good theme makes your readers feel confident that they’re reading from someone who knows what he or she is talking about and will therefore trust you more when you make recommendations for products or services.
Use an author logo and social media images that match the overall aesthetic of your website (or vice versa). A consistent brand is essential to making sure people remember who you are when they see your name again later! If one thing doesn’t look right with how things are set up, chances are good that something else will seem off as well.
Curious about freelance writing and copywriting as career options? We’ve got you covered. Explore the pros and cons of these jobs in our article on Are Freelance Writing & Copywriting Good Jobs? to make an informed decision.
4. Publish Content Every Week For Two Months
This will help you to get a feel for what it’s like to be a writer, and also how much time it takes. You’ll also get some practice writing about different topics, which is important because it forces you to think about what other people might want to read, as opposed to just writing whatever your heart desires.
Publishing content every week for two months can mean many things:
- Publishing on your blog (and hopefully getting traffic from Google search results)
- Publishing on other blogs (maybe guest blogging)
- Posting on Twitter and Facebook (or Instagram if that’s where your audience hangs out)
- Writing newsletters that are sent out by email or text message each month (if people are willing to receive this type of update from you)
5. Get Engaged In The Community Around Your Topic
It’s important to get engaged in the community and to join the conversations that are happening around your topic. There are several ways you can do this:
Ask questions on Quora, Reddit, or other discussion forums where your readers hang out. Their answers will give you insights into their needs, problems, and opinions about certain topics, which will help you create better content for them in future posts.
Share other people’s content on social media channels like Facebook and Twitter (and if relevant for your niche, Linkedin). This not only helps you build relationships with influencers but also gives them a reason to share their articles with their followers – which means more exposure for YOU!
Participate in discussions online – don’t just sit back and wait for people’s questions; take part actively by commenting on others’ posts or asking open-ended questions yourself (for example: “What do YOU think?”, etc.).
6. Define Your Ideal Reader
The next step is to define your ideal reader.
Who is the person you want to read your content? What kind of person are they? What do they like, and what do they hate? How old are they, and what does their life look like? Do they have kids or pets? Where do they live, and how often do you think this person will read your articles (daily vs weekly)?
Your answers to these questions may change over time as your business grows or you find yourself writing for different types of publications. But you must put some thought into this now so that when it comes time to create content later on in this course, you know exactly who you’re writing for and what kind of story will resonate with them.
Breaking into the freelance world is possible in any field, even engineering. Discover how one engineer achieved freelancing success in our insightful article, How I Became Freelance in My Engineering Field.
7. Learn About SEO And Keyword Research
What Is SEO?
SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” It is the process of optimizing your content so that it appears high in search engine results. If you want to be a freelance writer, you need to understand how this works and how to use it as part of your writing process. There are several ways that you can use SEO:
- Keyword Research
- Writing Content That Uses Keywords Well
- Optimizing Your Website For Search Engines
8. Set Up A Newsletter To Collect Email Addresses
Now that you have a website, a blog, and some social media accounts, you need to start collecting email addresses.
Your email list is the foundation of your business as a freelance writer. If you don’t have an email list, then there’s no way for people to subscribe to learn more about what you’re doing and when they can hire your services.
You can set up a newsletter quite easily by using MailChimp or Aweber or another similar service that allows users to create newsletters without having any technical knowledge or experience with HTML or CSS code.
They provide all the tools necessary so that even beginners can create professional-looking newsletters without needing any knowledge of how websites work under the hood!
The next step is gathering subscribers you want people to sign up for your newsletter so they get notified when new posts are published on your blog (and hopefully buy them). The easiest way I’ve found is by asking my friends who already know my work whether they’d like updates from me directly via email rather than Facebook Messenger chats etcetera…
9. Create An Editorial Calendar For Your Content Strategy
An editorial calendar is a grand plan for how you’re going to publish your content. It’s like an outline, with all the major points and events planned out (as well as some minor ones). The calendar can be as simple or as complicated as you need it to be, depending on what your goals are.
If you want to build up a loyal following of readers who trust and respect your opinion, then creating an editorial calendar will help keep track of when it’s best to publish what type of content. A great way to do this is by using an editorial management system like Editorial Calendar or CoSchedule if you want something more advanced than what Google Docs offers.
Once created, stick with the schedule! It may feel restrictive at first but once you get into the habit of posting regularly and consistently on social media channels like Facebook and Twitter, people will start coming back again and again because they know they’ll see something new every time they visit those pages.
10. Conduct Research About Guest Posting And Create Targets
Now that you have a list of sites that accept guest posts, it’s time to create targets for them. Use the information from your previous research to locate some target sites and writers within those sites.
For example, if you were writing about travel and wanted to pitch a post about traveling with kids as a freelance writer in Los Angeles, then your target site would be The Balance and its writer would be Sandra Boose.
Your next step involves researching keywords for each of these target sites so that when someone searches for those keywords on Google or Bing (or any other search engine), one of their top results is the article The Balance by Sandra Boose!
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11. Create A Pitch To Send To The Editors You Want To Write For
Once you’ve identified the publications you want to write for, it’s time to create a pitch. As a freelancer, your pitches should be focused, personalized, and tailored to each publication. The goal is to convince the editor that your idea will be of interest to readers and that you can execute it well. Don’t send over a generic pitch template that’s just lazy!
When crafting your pitch:
Do include who you are (your name), why this topic interests you, what makes it unique/relevant right now, and how long you think an article on this subject should be (usually one page).
Do not include irrelevant information such as previous work experience or current location. If they ask for it later in the process, then go ahead! But never put that info in a cold email unless specifically requested by an editor or publisher.”
12. Land One Guest Posting Gig And Publish It
To become a freelance writer, you have to commit to the idea that it’s not going to be easy. Your first few months might be slow, but if you continue taking steps 4-11 (and maybe even step 12), the money will come.
In your eighth month as a freelance writer, consider yourself successful because of what you’ve done so far:
- You learned how to write by reading books and practicing every day.
- You learned how to find clients by pitching yourself over email and through cold calling/cold messaging.
- You learned how to land guest posting gigs by networking with other writers and editors online or at conferences.
- Repeat steps 4-11 for 8 months
- Now that you have completed the first step of your journey, it’s time to repeat steps 4-11 for 8 months.
The goal of this second 8-month period is to write at least one guest post every month, so make sure you are consistent in your efforts and don’t give up. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it; even if you think it’s a stupid question or too basic, someone else might have an answer or advice that could be helpful. And don’t be afraid to fail failure is a part of life!
Feeling exhausted from freelancing? Consider starting a side hustle business for a refreshing change. Read our guide on Tired of Freelancing? Here’s How to Start a Side Hustle Business and explore new opportunities.
Conclusion
The point is, that you can do this entire process in just a few hours each week for 10 months. After that, you’ll have everything needed to be a successful freelance writer and will know exactly how to find your clients!
This course has been designed for busy people like yourself who want to learn more about something but don’t have time to attend classes or even watch videos – this is done entirely through reading materials on Teachable.
Further Reading
Wordtune Blog: How to Become a Freelance Writer Learn valuable tips and strategies to kickstart your freelance writing journey on the Wordtune blog.
Location Rebel: How to Become a Freelance Writer Discover how to become a successful freelance writer and build a location-independent career with Location Rebel.
Morgan Overholt: How to Become a Freelance Writer with No Experience Learn how to start a freelance writing career even if you have no prior experience in the field, with insights from Morgan Overholt.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve Been Trying To Become A Freelance Writer For A While. Why Should I Sign Up For This Course?
This course is designed to teach you exactly how to become a freelance writer in 10 months. It’s not like other courses that promise the same thing and then leave you hanging after you’ve paid for them. This course is different because it gives you all the tools, strategies, and resources you need to succeed right away.
What If I Don’t Have Any Experience In Writing? Can I Still Take This Course?
Yes! This course is designed for anyone who wants to learn how to become a freelance writer, so whether or not you have any experience with writing will not affect your ability to complete this course successfully.
How Much Time Will It Take Me To Complete The Course?
You can expect that it will take about 10 hours per week over 10 months for you to get all of the information necessary for becoming a successful freelancer.
What Is The Best Way To Become A Freelance Writer?
The answer is simple: write. That’s all it takes, but there are a few things you should keep in mind as you do so. Keep your eyes open for opportunities, and be sure to stay active on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. You never know when an opportunity might present itself!
Should I Get A Degree If I Want To Become A Freelance Writer?
Not necessarily. While having some kind of formal education can help you in the long run, it’s not necessary for getting started in this field. Many successful freelancers don’t have any formal training at all—they just get out there and start writing!
I am a content writer, and I love what I do! Writing makes me feel like the words are flowing through my fingers, and then onto the keyboard, like magic. My experience as a writer has taught me that writing makes me feel good, as well as helps others to feel better too!