3 things new freelancers should know

3 Tips for New Freelance Writers

It’s exciting to ditch the 9-5 and start your freelance writing career. It's also important to remember the benefits of freelance writing (financial security, writing from the pool, and total flexibility) don't come easily or all at once.

And that’s okay! It takes a bit of time and strategy to build your freelance writing business, but it’s possible. Trust me; I’ve done it.

To help you start building your business, here are my top three tips for new freelance writers.

1. Reach out to your current network when you’re just starting with freelance writing

If you are just starting, and barely have a portfolio (or don't have one at all), that is perfectly acceptable. You have to start somewhere, and that somewhere is usually at square one.

A great first step is to reach out to your current network and ask if they need help with writing projects.

My dad is a graphic designer, and I started by asking his ad agency friends if they needed help with copywriting. This is a true story, you guys. It was the perfect way to get my foot in the door. Thanks, bad, rad, totally awesome Dad!

You’ll be surprised how many people in your network are chomping at the bit to get help from you.

In a recent survey, I asked professional freelance writers to provide advice to new freelancers. Here’s what some of them said about growing a network:

• ✍️”Network regularly. Investing in personal relationships leads to consistent work. Share your work and do content marketing for your own business. It’s an easy way for you to stay on top of best practices while showing off your knowledge.”

• 📘”Networking is far more effective than contacting people cold. Even though it might be uncomfortable, ask people for favors. “It’s all who you know” is a cliche for a reason.”

• 💻”Use your network and join freelancing sites that educate the client-side in the value of your type of work. Only take low-paying work for the first couple months and explain upfront to those clients that these are starter rates which will go up in the future.”

• 👯‍♀️”Leverage your personal and professional network. You never know when you’ll know someone (who knows someone) who needs your expertise.”

• 📨”If you think you're sending enough cold pitches/LOIs/etc., you're definitely not! Send as many as you possibly can, and then send some more. It's one of the best ways to find new clients, especially if you don't have a network who can refer you out yet.”

Additionally, working for people you know will provide a safe space where you can create assets for your portfolio, and remain open to feedback from people you care about. 

As you start, you may not want to charge expert prices, but don’t work for free either. When you feel your portfolio is strong, branch out, and pitch more prominent clients within your niche.f

2. Build your freelance writing website

You 100% need a website. Why? First and foremost, a website is how clients will find you.

Think of it like this. If you need help from a plumber, how are you going to find one? You’re going to go to Google, type in “plumber in...wherever you live,” and check out their website. 

When people need freelance writers, they follow the same pattern. If your website doesn’t exist, neither do any possibilities for you to capture clients via an internet search.

It’s also difficult to establish credibility as an online content writer if you don't have your website. People want to be able to stalk you online, read your about page, check out your services, and follow you on social media before hiring you.

Let them.

Here is a quick tutorial on how to set up a WordPress website all on your own. Remember, your website should include a home page, an about page, samples of your work, links to your social profiles, a way to contact you, and a blog.

3. Leverage social media to build your network and land clients

Most of my clients have come through referrals. However, when I first started, I didn’t know anyone that could vouch for my work.

At this point in my career, clients found me in one of three ways. Some found me by reading my byline on another blog post and contacting me via my website. Others saw articles I posted on LinkedIn and contacted me. Most came from relationships I established on LinkedIn and Twitter.

It’s worth it to engage on social media and build your network online. It’s also worth it to post your work (#samelessselfpromotion) to your social profiles.

Social media is a powerful tool and a great way to get exposure and increase your client base.

For more information on freelance writing, check out the rest of my blog, or sign up for my newsletter below.

Freelance writing: what is it?

This is a guest post by fellow freelance writer Kaleigh Moore. She specializes in creating long-form blog content for eCommerce platforms and the SaaS tools that integrate with them. She also writes about retail for publications like Forbes, Vogue Business, and Adweek.

What is Freelance Writing?

Step into any coffee shop and you’ll find someone sitting at a table, sipping a latte and tap-tap-tapping their keyboard as they fill up a Google Doc (...or a Word Doc *shudders*)

Maybe you notice them on your lunch break as you’re rushing through the line to get back to the office with your afternoon pick-me-up and you think, “Man, I’d love to be able to do what they do.” 

Well, you can...and freelance writing is your ticket to it — like it was for millions of Americans in 2019.

Now’s about the time you ask, “What is freelance writing, anyway?” 

Maybe you got brave and chatted with the writer in the coffee shop or you’ve been reading about freelance writing in dozens of “ditch the nine-to-five” type blog posts...but you’re still a little fuzzy on what it actually means, what freelance writers really do and, most importantly, whether you could actually get paid enough to do it sustainably.

Let’s clear out the fog and talk about freelance writing so you can walk away knowing if it should be your next career move. 

What is freelance writing, exactly?

First things first — a freelance writing definition. 

Freelance writing is when a self-employed person is paid to write for other businesses or publications.

Clear as mud, right? Let’s break it down a bit further. 

First of all, a freelance writer is a self-employed independent contractor, meaning you’re running your own business. You take care of invoicing clients, paying taxes, tracking business expenses, and all that other fun stuff that comes with being a business owner.

You’re your own boss — you make decisions about who you work for and the work that you take on.

Second, you get paid. While there’s a place for unpaid guest writing to help you get your name out there, you still have to pay your bills, which means you need to bill clients for the work that you do. Getting paid sets hobby writers apart from freelance writers.

Last: freelance writers write for other businesses and publications. This means you aren’t tied down to one business like you would be as an employee. Instead, clients hire you to work on individual projects and you’re free to take on as many clients as you can handle (or you can stick with one or two loyal clients that send a good volume of work your way.)

Different types of freelance writing

Remember, freelance writing gives you options. You can choose everything from when and where you work to the industries you work in and the types of writing you do. 

You’ll find all sorts of freelance writing options, but don’t feel like you have to do them all. You’ll be better off picking just one or two areas of focus that you know you can execute well (‘cuz trust me, there’s plenty of work to go around.) 

Here are a few types of freelance writer titles and some details on what they do.

Freelance blogger

Freelance bloggers get paid for writing and crafting content on other people’s blogs. (This is primarily what I do as a full-time freelance writer. 

Blogging is one of the most common freelance writing specialties and a great option for getting started. Your work will help your clients teach people and build up their organic ranking in search results. You’ll want to come armed with some basic search engine optimization (SEO) skills, some basic copywriting knowledge, and a solid process in place for tackling projects.

News/feature writer

As a reporter or journalist, you’ll likely do news/feature writing while freelance writing for newspapers, online publications, and/or magazines. These stories are timely, often have a personal touch, and can come in all different lengths depending on the publication. 

Web copywriter

A lot of companies struggle to write their own website copy, so they’ll hire a web copywriter to help them craft a message that expresses who they are and what they do in a clear and engaging way. Freelance web copywriters write anything from homepage copy to about pages to staff biographies. Basically, anything that would show up on a website. 

Conversion copywriter

Conversion copywriters are experts in conversion optimization and write sales assets like landing pages, email campaigns, and sales funnels to help clients land more sales and make more money. Understanding persuasion and how people make decisions goes a long way in this niche, and it requires a deep understanding of best practices around conversion rate optimization (CRO.)

Social media writer

If you’re the master of telling stories in 280 characters or less and you’ve never seen a picture you couldn’t caption, businesses will pay you to help them build relationships with their customers on social media. Freelance social media writers excel at writing with personality in short-form.

Technical writer

You’ll need a knack for complexities and detail to be a skilled technical writer. These freelance writers create things like instructions, user manuals, and product brochures to make sure their clients’ customers know how to use their products. This type of work is best suited for writers with patience, that don’t mind diving deep into the nuts and bolts of a product, and that understand the importance of attention to detail.

Who can be a freelance writer?

You can. 

Seriously. There’s no job description for freelance writing. Anyone can do it.

You don’t have to have a college degree or years and years of industry experience for someone to hire you to write for them. In fact, this survey found that only 69% of freelance writers had a Bachelor’s degree.

Your certification isn’t what matters. Instead, your clients just want to know that you can get the job done--and that you’ll do it well. 

You should have a good grasp of the English language and an appetite to learn and research. If you can show your clients that you know where to find the information they need, that you have a track record of success, and that you can write about the topics they assign you in a way that people actually want to read, you’ll be on your way to freelance writing success. 

Where to find freelance writing work

Of course, finding freelance writing work is easier said than done, especially when you’re first starting out. You need to have a game plan for finding your first project and on-going work after that. 

It’s easy to get slip into the bottomless pits that are Upwork and Fiverr — avoid them at all costs. These platforms force you to compete with thousands of other freelancers for the same work from shady clients. It’s a race to the bottom on these sites, making it difficult to charge what you’re actually worth. 

But there’s a better way. I call it the Freelancing Flywheel. 

The flywheel breaks down the client-getting process into four steps:

• Learn. Here’s where you hone your skills as a writer, a researcher and a business owner. This process never ends because you can always become more of an expert in your niche and more efficient in your business. As you do, you’ll charge more for your work while spending less time on tasks that slow you down and keep you from work that makes money.

• Network. Growing your network with clients and other freelancers will help you improve your writing, build community, and find new opportunities. These people are your freelancing lifeline. They can help you fix problems, point you to new places to find work, and even send you referrals or hire you directly. 

• Cultivate. As you build your network, you need to strengthen your relationships. Do little things that make other people look good — especially if those “other people” are your dream clients. Share their work on social media. Offer helpful insights in writers’ groups. Check in with past clients. These relationships will help you reach your freelancing goals. Cherish them. 

• Ask. If you do the first three steps well, the last one should come naturally. Now, that doesn’t mean it won’t scare your pants off the first several times you pitch an idea. Instead, it’s the next logical step in finding freelance writing work — asking for it. You can pitch publications directly, ask your past and current clients if they have any leads or talk to other freelancers in your network about new opportunities. If you’ve built strong relationships, the work will come. 

I talk a lot more about the Freelancing Flywheel in this blog post if you want a more in-depth explanation with lots of resources to help you find freelance writing work.

Getting started with freelance writing

Freelance writing is a pretty sweet career path. Sure, it has its ups and downs, but what job doesn’t? The ups definitely outweigh the downs for me — and I hope they do the same for you too!

But you can’t be content to just read about freelance writing. You have to get out there and give it a try. Set goals for yourself to hone your skills, build relationships, and ask for work. 

Freelance Writing Rates Stats To Know

How much will it cost to hire a freelance writer podcast

For a detailed analysis of the Freelance Writing Rates Benchmark Report, listen to the podcast. Christoph Trappe and I sat down to discuss things like:

• How freelance writers price their projects

• Whether or not it makes sense to set hourly rates

• Whether or not a higher education degree is critical for writing and marketing

• And more!

How much will it cost to hire a freelance writer report and infographic

If you’re interested in reading the full 34-page report about how much freelance writers charge, you can find it here.

Helpful note: The infographic has an embed code if you would like to share it on your own website.

Top 10 freelance writing rates stats all writers and marketers should know

1. The most popular highest form of educational degree for freelance writers was a bachelor’s degree (69%), followed by a master’s degree (20%), and, finally, a doctorate (1%).

The majority of freelance writers have a bachelor’s degree. While it’s helpful to have a master’s degree, it’s not necessary for success in freelance writing and marketing. Online writing and marketing trainging will service you well and be much more affordable.

2. 40% of freelance writers price per project

The most popular way freelance writers price their work is per project. Forty percent of participants indicated they price work on a per-project basis. Considering website copy was the most popular type of content, this isn’t surprising.

3. Only 18% of writers price per word

The data also showed the least popular way to price work was per word (18%), even less popular than hourly pricing (38%). This did surprise me, considering the second most popular type of content was blog content, which seems to be the easiest type of content to price per word.

4. 66% of freelancers find new work via client referrals, 57% through referrals from their freelance colleagues, and 46% through networking sites

Sixty-six percent of freelance writers said they find clients through client referrals. The second most popular way to find clients is through referrals from freelance colleagues (57%), and the third most popular method is via professional networking sites (46%).

The power of a freelance writer’s network can not be understated, as the qualitative data in this study showed.

Here is some advice about building a network from top-earning freelance writers in this study:

• “Former bosses and coworkers have been my #1 source of future clients. If possible, work full time before freelancing so you can begin building a solid network.”

• “Connect with other freelancers who do what you do or serve similar clients differently (e.g., a designer, business coach, etc.). Get to know them on a personal level and look for ways to support them genuinely. Often, referrals will grow organically from there.”

• “Network like crazy and cultivate good relationships with clients once you are working on a project. You never know where it might lead. Look for interesting opportunities that will help you produce strong work samples.”

5. The top 5 criteria freelance writers use to determine per project prices are hours required to complete the project, research involved, total word count, scope or scale of the project, and the complexity of the product

The top 5 criteria freelance writers use to determine per project prices are:

• Hours required to complete the project

• Research involved

• Total word count

• Scope or scale of the project

• The complexity of the product

If you are new to freelance writing or are considering switching to a per-project pricing model, consider these factors when putting together your proposals.

6. The largest group of freelance writers that charge per hour charge over $100 per hour

While the freelance writers that charge per hour, charge different rates, there is good news. The most popular hourly rate for freelance writers was over $100.

7. Over 60% of freelance writers charge over $50 per hour

Slightly over 60% of all freelance writers that charge per hour are charging at least $50 per hour.

8. Freelance writers with 8+ years of experience are charging over $100/hour

Freelance writers with over 8 years of experience are charging over $100 per hour, which is much more than people with less experience are charging.

9. The majority of freelance writers that price per word (only 18%) are only charging up to .35 cents per word and 49% are only charging up to .25 per word

First off, these rates are low, and less experienced writers are charging per word. Most participants (49%) that charge per word are only charging up to .25 per word, and the majority (over 69%) are only charging up to .35 per word.

10. Freelance writers with more experience are charging over $1 per word

While freelance writers, overall, are charging less per word, the data shows that freelance writers with more experience are charging much more per word than those with less experience.

For more information about how much freelance writers charge, download the full report now!

Hopefully, these 10 stats provide insight into how much a freelance writer will charge you and how much you should charge as a freelance writer. For more detailed information, including average and median prices for how much freelance writers charge per project for different types of content, check out the full report.

How much should I charge my freelance writing clients?

How Much Do Freelance Writers Charge?

A Study To Help Freelance Writers Benchmark Their Rates

When I first started freelance writing, I scoured all the popular copywriting blogs and books to answer my two most pressing questions:

• How much should I charge for my services?

• How much do other freelance writers charge?

While there were some available resources, they weren’t comprehensive or had such wide ranges that the information wasn’t helpful.

My goal in conducting this research was to reach out to a network of successful freelance writers to get detailed insights and numbers on:

• How people price their projects (e.g., per project, per word, per hour)

• What criteria freelancers use to set rates

• How much freelance writers charge for different types of content

With the help of this data, I put together the following report so that other freelance writers can benchmark their rates.

As you read this study, keep in mind these findings aren’t hard and fast rules, and you’ll still find a lot of variation. However, these results will provide insight into where your prices fall in relation to other freelancers, and whether you need to ask your clients for more money (you do).

You can see the full report here or the TL;DR infographic is below. Feel free to use the embed code that appears after the infographic to share the infographic on your own website.

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