What are the main qualities of a freelance writer
Working as a freelance writer is a very comfortable and profitable job both for students and graduates and will be an ideal part- or full-time job. However, good freelance writing companies that offer high rates and are tolerant both to the customers and writers are not that easy to find. Even if you are lucky to find such a company, you will most likely have to pass a serious application process, as such companies value their image on the market and need very good writers to work for them. Before you apply for a writing assistance position, check the list of the qualities that will most likely be demanded by the HR team of the service. It will give you a possibility to improve some of your skills and make the best application possible.
Writing skills will be a must!
As your main job will be to write the papers for customers, here are the necessary writing skills you will have to possess:
- Overall writing skills and ability to write smoothly. This is one of the most important factors that will determine your ability to write good papers. Recall the grades and comments you were getting for the written assignments. If your teachers were satisfied with the style of your papers, you have nothing to worry about.
- Formatting styles. The customers can request formatting the paper according to different citation styles. The most common you shall know how to use are APA, MLA, Harvard and Chicago/Turabian. It will be a pity to turn down a good profitable order simply because you cannot format it correctly.
- Plagiarism-free work. This is the number one must-quality for a freelance writer. If you want to be requested for more orders, you have to make sure you will not make the using of your service dangerous and the customer won’t risk being expelled from the university.
Overall business skills that will also come in hand.
- Ability to work a lot and start working immediately. Urgent orders are usually paid much better than those where you have a few days.
- Ability to admit and correct your own mistakes. Sometimes you can misunderstand the requirements and complete the paper incorrectly, be ready that you will be asked to correct yourself.
- Business communication skills. This will still be a job, even if you do not communicate with your customer in person. If you want to look like a professional, be polite and learn basics of official style communication.