How do freelance writers make money?

How To Make Money As A Freelance Writer

You have put in a lot of hard work into starting your new business, and now it’s time to make some money. Are you ready to talk about how to get gigs that pay and what gigs to avoid?

How To Get Gigs That Pay

There are plenty of ways to get writing gigs that pay. A lot of your gigs will come from friends, family, local businesses, and word-of-mouth recommendations. 

I would venture to say that once you have solidified a few clients, most of your new clients will come from recommendations.

Even so, there are times when you will experience lulls or want to make a little more money. Here are some of the best resources you can find on the internet to help you find high paying gigs.

Here are some resources:

• We Work Remotely. This is the largest remote community in the world and often has great job listings for writers.

• Who Pays Writers. This is a website where you can get ideas of companies to pitch and how much they pay.

• FreelanceWritingGigs. This website posts a new blog post every day with links to daily new freelance writing assignments. This site is oversaturated, but you can find some gems.

• Freelance Writing. This website is similar to freelancewritinggigs.com, but they segment the new freelance writing jobs into different categories. That way, you can quickly locate the type of freelance writing job you have in mind.

• BloggingPro. I have found some truly great clients here, and they also post new jobs daily.

• ProBlogger. I like the layout of this site, and people respond quickly to your pitches.

• LinkedIn Jobs. LinkedIn is a gold mine for freelance writers. If you search for freelance writing jobs, you will find many different options. You can even subscribe to the job feed, and receive new emails when new positions become available.

• FreedomWithWriting. This is another favorite website of mine. You have to subscribe to their email to take advantage of great content, but they will email you links to paying gigs almost every day.

Using any of these daily message boards or subscription services is a great way to get freelance writing gigs. Another way to get gigs is to do the research on your own and find blogs within your niche that accept paid guest posts.

For example, I do a lot of travel writing, so I often seek out travel companies to see if they pay for guest travel posts. I have had a lot of success with this option. 

When you guest post, the blog owner will typically let you include an author byline with a link to your website, which will drive more clients to your site.

Gigs To Avoid

It's essential to avoid gigs that pay so horribly that it’s not even worth your time. There are a lot of companies out there who will only pay a penny per word. Unacceptable.

There are also sites where there is so much competition that you only end up getting like $8 for an article. Doubly unacceptable.

Here are the types of websites I don’t recommend:

• SEO Websites. Many SEO content websites will pay you a penny per word for 200-500 word articles. Do the math on that. It’s just not that much if you’re trying to make real money and justify quitting a corporate job.

• Content Mills. Content mills are sites like Upwork. These sites are so oversaturated with freelancers who will do work for ridiculously low prices that it’s not worthwhile to make a pitch.

If you are genuinely looking to make money as a freelancer, stay away from SEO websites and content mills.

Easy Strategies To Get More Clients And Make More Money

It's also important to use strategies that will bring people who are looking for freelance writers to contact you. 

Here are some ideas:

• Author Bylines. It’s okay to ghostwrite if the price is right, but if your client is okay with it, it’s a lot more lucrative to add an author byline to the end of your post with a link to your website. That way, when a business owner reads a post you’ve written for another client, they can click on your link, find your contact page, and hire you.

• Social Media. Every time I write an article, I post it to my business social media profiles. This shows people that I am writing actively and allows them to view my work and hire me. 

• Network. Take the time to build meaningful relationships with other freelancers and marketers. You will get jobs from your network of freelancer friends.

• Guest posting. Sometimes it’s not all about making money from your writing. Sometimes it’s about getting the right kind of exposure to drive people to your website. If you can get an article published on a site with a massive following like Huffington Post, Slate, or something similar, you will end up driving a ton of traffic back to your website. Additionally, you will build your credibility as a killer writer. 

As you actively build your brand, seek out clients, and follow these strategies to bring buyers back to your website, you will grow your freelance writing business to a point where you are living the freelance writer’s dream. That’s the dream of making more money by doing less work, and working from wherever you want and whenever you want.

Want to learn how much freelance writers charge? Check out this 34-page report.

Mary Oliver said this....What are you going to do about it?

Nearly three years ago, my best friend invited me to go on a cruise. I was swamped with work and declined the invitation.

Months later, she was gone.

Mary Oliver beautifully poses the question that rests—sometimes nitpicks—at the back of all of our minds:

Tell me, what is it you plan to do

With your one wild and precious life?

I can say with certainty the pile of extra work I had a few years ago that I chose over time with my bestie means nothing to me now. I don't remember the client. I don't remember the work. I don't remember the check.

I do remember the reget.

Now, I'm not saying that you should quit your job, shirk your responsibilities, and Thoreau yourself (get it?) into the woods to live more deliberately. Although, that would be super cool.

I am saying that if you have the luxury (which sometimes we don't), it's okay to slow down. It's okay sometimes to choose your family, mental health, or plain old fun with a friend.

As an independent business owner and natural over-achiever, slowing down is PAINFULLY hard for me.

While I do intentionally slow down at times, I am also continually looking for ways to work smarter and free up my time. Here's what I've learned so far.

1. Consider the opportunity cost.

That grand old economic principle of "how much will it cost me to do this myself vs. how much will it cost me to hire help?" should be a guiding polestar in life and your freelance writing business.

If I can make $100 in an hour writing an article, it makes more sense to pay the neighborhood kid $20 to mow my lawn and take on another project.

The same sentiment applies to subcontracting to writers you trust and with full disclosure to your clients.

Similarly, if the pay is low on a time-intensive project, it's a better idea to say no to that project and yes to a better client. 

2. Don't waste your time on things other people have already done for you.

If you're learning a new skill or building a new business, you don't have to start from scratch. Several experts and proven resources are available to help you avoid gobs of research and falling down a rabbit hole.

For example, I am continually looking for ways to improve my writing methods and business strategy.

Trial and error work, but it takes so much time to do everything myself.

Looking for help from top industry blogs, good ol' Google, and other freelance professionals saves me time (and headaches). I am always trying to learn what others do to be successful and using their strategies to speed up my work.

3. Raise your prices.

I started freelance writing penny per world articles during downtimes at my 9-5. While I had to decrease my funny cat videos viewing on YouTube, it was a fun way to get my feet wet and learn a new skill.

It would not be good if ten years later, I was still charging .01/word.

I've raised my prices several times since those first days and now I don't look at a project unless it at least starts at $1/word.

4. Create processes and invest in automation.

I cannot stress how important it is to solidify your processes and automate what you can.

Stats show that the average worker spends an additional 4 hours a week on mundane tasks that could be automated.

If you're working 20 hours a week, that means you're wasting 20% of your time--time where you could be making more money or doing something more enjoyable.

Here are some tools that will automate or speed up your work (FYI: some of these links are affiliate links, but I don't recommend crappy tools):

• A content brief

• An automated introduction email

• An automated onboarding email

• Proposal software (e.g., Bonzai or Proposify)

• An easily customizable contract

• An accounting and invoicing software (e.g., Freshbooks or QuickBooks)

• An editing software (e.g., Grammarly and Hemingway)

• A project management tool (e.g., Asana, Basecamp, Monday, etc.)

There are several other tools and processes I use to make writing faster, SEO optimization easier, and work move along more quickly. I'll share more soon.

5. Hire a research assistant or virtual assistant.

I personally haven't hired a research assistant or a VA yet, but I know many successful freelancers that do.

When I scale up my business when my kids are both in school, this will be my next step.

And there you have it

If you can take some time to slow down, do it. If you can't afford a break, then use the strategies listed above to speed up what you're already doing.

Either way, hopefully, you'll experience my favorite benefit of freelancing—flexibility and fewer time constraints. And that you'll take the extra time to take care of yourself in whatever way you need.

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.