If it’s always on your mind, what are you waiting for? Just start.

That might sound too simple if you have a million things buzzing inside your brain about how to be a freelance writer like choosing a niche, finding entry-level writing jobs, setting rates, productivity, mindset, writing skills, and more.

But here’s the thing. There’s no better way to learn the business and craft of freelance writing than to jump in, get started, and carve out a niche for yourself.

Take one step, and then another. Move up and earn more. Get a couple of solid writing samples, raise your rates, and keep going.

You can’t do any of that if you’re stuck on waiting to find the perfect path for how to be a freelance writer instead of just getting started.

Be a writer, not a waiter. That’s what you’ll learn from the 25 amazing break-in stories from freelance writers featured in this post. Ready to get started?

1. How I Got Freelance Writing Jobs Worth $15,000 in 7 Days Flat

What if you made up your mind to swear off job boards, online classifieds, and content mills to find freelance writing work? That’s what freelancer Jedha Dening did when she decided to focus all her efforts on one simple marketing task for a week.

2. 5 Karate-Inspired Moves to Beat Fear and Doubt for Freelancers

Freelance writer John Makohen couldn’t stop thinking about the beat-down Daniel Laruso gets in the cult classic movie The Karate Kid. It felt a lot like getting his freelance writing career off the ground. And then he had one of those wax-on-wax-off moments that changed everything.

3. Side Hustle to $50K in 6 Months: This Writer Made It Happen

A little extra money from a freelance side hustle is great. But how do turn a part-time gig into full-time freelancing? Lindy Alexander’s seven-step plan helped her make it happen within six months.

4. The Journey From Bottom Feeder Content Mills to Six-Figure Freelancing

Freelance writer Nicole Dieker knows what it’s like to crank out blog posts for $20 a piece. It’s a soul-sucking, time-consuming experience that doesn’t pay the bills. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Her goal-setting and habit-tracking methods changed everything.

5. Stop Making Excuses: One Writer’s Doubt-Slaying Strategies for Freelance Success

“Believe me. I know what it’s like to keep second-guessing yourself, steer clear of networking and marketing, and get stuck feeling like every other writer is killing it but you,” says freelance writer Tara Brophy. After plenty of struggle and self-doubt, she figured out how to tap into other career experiences to win at freelancing.

6. Pitch Accepted: The Newbie Strategy That Landed a Major Magazine Assignment

Who says you can’t write for a popular, widely-read consumer magazine without a massive portfolio of work?
Douglas Fitzpatrick spent months spinning his wheels getting nowhere. Then he learned how to study a magazine and write an effective query letter to break in.

7. How to Land a $6,000 Contract in Your Underwear with Warm Leads

One of the many perks of being a freelance writer…you can work in your underwear if you want to.  But to do that, you need to know how to market your services to book well-paying clients. Freelancer Williesha Morris wasn’t flush with work until she discovered a simple marketing strategy that made her bank account feel better than warm and fuzzy pajamas.

8. Article Writing Secrets of a CIA Analyst Turned Freelancer

Ever wonder what you can learn from your day job that will help you be a better freelance writer? Every job you’ve ever had can help you be a freelance writer. Even if your day job doesn’t involve writing, your work can connect you with sources, build a referral network, and fill your brain with niche story ideas. Freelancer Abigail Keyes took what she learned as a CIA Analyst to launch her freelance writing career.

9. 5 Steps Older Workers Can Use to Launch a Freelance Writing Career

Think you’re too old to launch a freelance writing career? Think again. Debra Giuliano spent 30 years working in banking and law before she made the leap to full-time freelancing. When her day job closed its doors before she was ready to retire, she had to figure out how to make it happen.

10. The Unusual Business Writing Niche That Pays $500 an Hour

Kendell Rizzo go started like a lot of freelance writers by taking low-paying gigs and working with flaky clients. She was willing to hustle, but she didn’t see a clear path to earning pro rates. And then something happened that tipped her off to an untapped niche and plenty of prospects willing to pay top dollar.

11. Writing for Money: The Path to Your First $3,000 Month

When Kaitlin Morrison worked in retail running a cash register, stocking shelves, and talking to customers, she always had a manager hovering nearby telling her what to do. But when she made the leap to full-time freelancing, she needed to figure out her own way of doing things. After plenty of trial and error, she figured out a five step process to move up and earn more as a freelance writer.

12. 4 Top Obstacles Young Writers Face – and How to Beat Them

If you don’t have a stellar portfolio of work, how are you going to get well-paying gigs? And if you don’t have a lot of experience, how are you going to land assignments to build a better portfolio? That’s enough to keep a lot of freelancer writers from ever starting. As a young freelance writer, Christina Vanvuren faced those same kind of frustrations until she figured out how to overcome the four obstacles blocking her path to earning six figures.

13. Getting Freelance Writing Jobs at $250 an Hour – The Brainy Way

When long-time accountant Tammy Farrell left the business for freelance writing, she had her sites set on earning pro rates from day one. Instead of following the common path of working for low-paying clients and moving up, she discovered a Freelance Writers Den Bootcamp that helped her score her first client at $250 an hour.

14. How to Become a Freelance Writer – Even if You’re Living Paycheck to Paycheck

When Molly Carter reached a tipping point at her day job in addiction services, she knew she had to make a change. Her plan…full-time freelancing. With three kids, a mortgage, a car payment, and another family business just getting started it wasn’t easy to make the move. But she made it work. Here’s how:

15. How I Quintupled My Freelance Writing Income in 1 Year

The first time you make money from a freelance writing assignment, it’s pretty exciting. Even if the paycheck isn’t huge. But if you’re the kind of person who wants to move up, earn more, and enjoy the freelance life, you won’t settle for earning just enough to get by. Here’s how Alison Lueders gave her fledgling freelance writing career a boost to 5x her income in one year.

16. How a Newbie Blogger Negotiated a 100 Percent Raise

How do you go from charging $50 per blog post to $100 per blog post? Just ask. After landing her first gig, freelancer Amy Hardison wrote a lot of great content for her client. When she decided it was time to move up and earn more, she didn’t drop this client for another. Instead, she proposed a 100 percent raise and got it. Here’s how:

17. From Content Mills to Writing for a TV Network in 2 Months

Did you know it takes 7,143 words to make $100 if you’re writing for 1.4 cents per word? That’s what Patrick Hearn was earning three years out of college. And it wasn’t sustainable. Instead of giving up, he developed a five-step strategy that helped him land a $500 script-writing gig that transformed his freelance writing career.

18. 6 Basic Steps to Score Your First Freelance Writing Gig

You’ll never feel 100 percent ready to put yourself out there, says freelance writer Richard Rowlands. But you can’t let that stop you from getting into the game. When another writer challenged him to carve out a plan to earn his first $1,000, Rowlands created a game-plan to make it happen.

19. One Shy Writer’s Lazy LinkedIn Strategy for Landing Great Freelance Clients

If you think you have to be an outgoing extrovert to make a living writing, think again. If you’re a little shy or a bit of an introvert, it’s hardly an excuse to keep you from being a freelance writer. Here’ how self-described shy freelancer Amy Dunn Moscosco learned to use LinkedIn to go from earning $200 a month to $7,500.

20. How I Got My First $10,000 Freelance Writing Gig

Do you really need to have a niche when you’re starting out? You could try and be a generalist and write for a broad range of niches and industries. But when Erin Walton was just starting out, she discovered that choosing a niche can be a highly effective way to fast-track your freelance writing career.

21. How a $5 Article Writer Landed a $900 Article

What’s the difference between earning $5 per article and $900 per article? Freelance writer Thomas Hill knows. It wasn’t that long ago that he was writing for bid sites and taking gigs from online job boards. But he wanted to make a living writing. Instead of waiting around for something magical to happen, he took a few specific steps to move up, earn more, and start landing well-paying feature writing assignments.

22. How I Found a Steady Stream of Writing Clients in 9 Months Flat

There’s more than one way to build your career as a freelance writer when you’re starting out. Leslie Jordan Clay was a part-time freelancer with a regular job for years. When she finally decided to turn it into her full-time gig, she booked thousands of dollars in ongoing work with a handful of niche clients within the first nine months.

23. One Writer’s Crazy Quest to Earn Six Figures-Working Part Time

You can earn six-figures in a lot of professions other than freelance writing. But you’ve can’t do than in many career fields working very part time hours. But when Elizabeth Hanes, RN, decided to jump into freelancing, that was her goal. Her marketing strategies helped her book $8,500 in assignments. Here’s how:

24. How This New Freelance Writer Made $11K in Her First Two Months

Make $11,000 in your first 60 days as a freelance writer. If you’re thinking about how that’s possible writing for content mills and bid sites, your brain might explode. But it’s totally possible, says freelance writer Jane Callahan. Here’s what her marketing plan and hustle looked like to make it happen.

25. One Writer’s Fear-Busting Journey to $1,500 a Month in Blogging Gigs

If Steph Weber let being a stay-at-home mom be an excuse for not getting started, her freelance writing career might not have taken off for 18 years. Fortunately, she got tired of waiting around for that to happen, faced her fears, and got busy. After that, it didn’t take long to book $1,500 a month writing blog posts.

Be a writer, not a waiter

If you want to learn how to be a freelance writer, stop waiting around for some magical event, sign from the universe, or perfect circumstances to get started. You’ll be waiting a very long time. Instead, just get started. Find your first client, and go from there. That’s how every one of these 25 writers were able to break in, move up, and earn more.

What do you need help with to be a freelance writer? Let’s discuss on Facebook or LinkedIn.

At the start of the year, my email inbox fills up with questions about how to get started in freelance writing. Rather than try to answer them one at a time, I’ve created an ultimate guide below, that walks you through all the common questions and gives you everything you need to know to get out there and start getting paid as a freelance writer.

Ready? This guide takes it step by step, with sections for each topic. It’s got a breezy, Q&A format, to make it easy to read through and quickly move forward with your freelancing goals.

Want a copy of the whole answer sheet? Grab your PDF copy.

Ready? Let’s get you started in freelance writing:

Table of contents: How to Become a Freelance Writer

1. Big tips
2. Mindset first
3. Set up your business
4. Decide who you will serve
5. Create an online presence
6. Build your network
7. Get samples
8. Decide what to charge
9. Find first paying clients
10. Avoid scams
11. Do the writing
12. Deal with clients

1. Big tips

If you don’t have time for the long Q&A, let me give you a few top-level insights that should help calm your worries:

• Freelance writing is a real, viable career. Not a myth.
• There are no hard-and-fast rules in freelancing — experiment and see what works for you.
• There are no ‘going rates’ — every client situation is different.
• You don’t need ‘credentials‘ or to be an expert.
• No one can predict how much you’ll get paid to write, or how quickly. It’s up to you.
• You don’t need ‘contacts’ — you can write your way in the door.
• The answer to many of your questions is, ‘It depends.’
• Take your goals seriously — even if others in your life don’t.
• Don’t worry about finding the best apps or tools to use in your freelance biz. Instead, focus mostly on getting clients.
• In general, fiction, poetry, and personal essays are not the basis of a bill-paying freelance career (you can get paid to write poetry, but don’t expect it to be a full-time career). The money is in reported articles and writing for businesses.
• Pitch more and worry less about whether you’re ‘doing it right.’
• To make this go faster, find a writer community and ask peers what works.

With all that in mind, let’s dig into the nuts-and-bolts of launching a freelance-writing career:

2. Mindset first

The number one thing that stops aspiring freelance writers is their own fears. It won’t matter what nuts-and-bolts knowledge you have, if you’re too scared to go out and get clients.

So let’s bust those fears first!

Q: How do I know if my writing is ‘good enough’ to earn a living?

A: Ultimately, you’ll only find out by writing for clients. But if you’re truly a bad writer, you don’t usually try to make it your career. The problem generally is lack of freelance marketing, not lack of writing craft.

Q: How can I get over my fears of failing as a freelance writer?

A: Start taking action. The more actions you take, the more you’ll build confidence. All writers make mistakes. The thing to know is, it’ll be OK.

Q: What if I have trouble making myself do the marketing work?

A: That’s why you need an accountability buddy — find another freelance writer newbie you can call weekly, to keep you working on your goals. In my experience, newbies with a buddy have a much higher success rate than newbies with no buddy.

Q: How do I get started when I don’t feel qualified?

A: This worry stems from thinking you need to know something besides how to write well, to become a freelance writer. You don’t. You can ask experts, research, and learn things. Your strong writing skill is what you bring to the table.

Start with something you know and feel confident in (more on this below in section 4).

Q: What if I’m an ESL writer and want to earn writing in English?

A: Wish I had good news here, but with changes Google has made, that’s increasingly difficult. There may be easier ways for you to earn online than writing.

Q: What if no one takes me seriously?

A: If you take yourself and your writing career seriously, others will, too. Not kidding.

Q: What if I totally screw up an assignment?

A: You will live to write another day. Ask me how I know…

3. Set up your business

Q: Do I need to register my business?

A: No one can make you, but it’s a real good idea. If you want to write off your business expenses, being registered with state and city tax authorities helps convince the IRS (or your national tax body) you’re a real business.

Q: What should I name my business?

A: Just starting out, your own name is fine. You can always choose another name later, or ‘do business as’ another name. For instance, TiceWrites is my business name, but I do business as Make a Living Writing, Freelance Writers Den, and more.

If you want to be fancy and have serious branding for your freelance writing biz, I recommend choosing a name with keywords that would help clients find you, like: “Healthcare Writer Dana.” Avoid meaningless words and phrases such as ‘communications’ or ‘solutions,’ that don’t really say what you do.

Q: Can I use a fake name in freelance writing?

A: Not usually, no. Noms de plume are for fiction authors. You’ll need to reveal your real name when you get paid to write, anyway — and having a fake identity will make editors wonder what you’re hiding. There’s a legit exception to this if you’re a woman with a stalker…I’ve known people in that sitch, and editors do understand. But otherwise, no.

Q: Do I need a separate checking account for my business?

A: Yes. Just get one. You can thank me later for sparing you endless hours trying to keep your business and personal expenses/income separate.

Q: Do I need to become an LLC or corporation to be a freelance writer?

A: No. I operated as a sole proprietor for many years. An LLC does provide a layer of liability protection between your personal assets such as a home or car, and your business. If you don’t lie or make stuff up, you’ll likely never be sued, so it’s not a big concern, especially just starting out.

Q: What tools do I need for running my business?

A: Beyond a computer and the Internet, the rest is optional. I kept a paper income/expenses ledger for years — but if you want to be more pro, choose a solution such as Freshbooks (which I use and recommend) or Harvest. As I mentioned in the Big Tips, most would-be freelance writers spend way too much time wondering if they need a grammar app, and not enough time trying to find clients.

Q: What do I need to know about taxes?

A: Not much, the first year. You’ll just pay what you owe, end of the year. Set aside a portion of your freelance income for taxes that’s similar to the tax bracket you had last year, as a guesstimate. In the U.S., once you hit the level of owing $1,000 or more in annual tax as a self-employed person, you’ll make estimated quarterly tax payments, based on the previous year’s income.

Q: What about health insurance?

A: If you’re leaving a job and taking the plunge into freelancing, you’ll want to make sure you have health insurance. The good news is there are numerous viable self-employed health insurance plans available for freelancers.

4. Decide who you will serve

Q: Do I need to choose a niche for my business?

A: Only if you’d like to make this launch process quick and easy. It’s hard to market yourself as a ‘freelance writer,’ because that’s so broad. Clients aren’t searching for that — they’re searching for a freelance technology writer, or a Dallas healthcare writer, or something like that.

They want to know if you write their type of thing, so the broad approach often attracts zero clients. Being a generalist also makes it harder to build expertise and raise your rates.

Q: What is a niche?

A: Good question — What I mean is an industry, such as healthcare, software, finance, marina management, metal-smithing. Think of these as niche verticals.

You could also niche horizontally, meaning you specialize in one type of writing, like only case studies or blog posts. I don’t recommend going this route, as a newbie. It’s much harder to get enough clients when you limit yourself to a single type of writing, and easier when you’re a utility player with knowledge of a particular industry sector.

Once you’re established and are turning away offers, you can become someone who does only one type of writing. Until then, focus on industries of interest and write whatever clients need — that’s the quickest way to get this going.

Q: How do I know what a good niche for me would be?

A: Your easiest, best-earning niches generally lie where your experiences and interests intersect with a lucrative topic or industry.

Not sure whether your niche idea would work? Ask yourself, “Who would the big-money clients (or publications) be in this niche, that would pay great rates and have steady work?”

If that question is hard to answer, it’s probably not a great niche. If you’re unfamiliar with the writing marketplace, you’ll want to join a writer community where you can ask around and learn from working pros.

Q: Do I just choose one niche?

A: Actually, I advise choosing 2-3. Staying a bit diverse will help keep your business thriving as the economy and individual industries wax and wane.

Q: Isn’t it bad to turn away clients who aren’t in my niche, when I’m just starting out?

A: Weirdly, it isn’t. Writing for everyone and anyone makes your career very scattered, and it’s hard to get any traction. Like they say, ‘the riches are in the niches.’ Focusing your writing on a few topics will help you quickly gain expertise and impress clients.

Q: What if I super-hate the idea of choosing niches, and I want to stay a generalist?

A: Hey, it’s your business to run — I’m just trying to make this succeed quickly.

One other way to niche your business is by geography. You can market yourself as a Dallas Freelance Writer, for instance. If you’re in a mid- to larger-sized city, this can also work, if you like working with local clients.

5. Create an online presence

Q: I know I need somewhere online people can find me — but as a broke newbie, what can I do?

A: Use your LinkedIn profile (here’s my tip-sheet on how to optimize your profile). Yes, once you get rolling, a writer website will be much better. But for now, you can go a long way putting your portfolio on LinkedIn. You can add clips to Experience entries, and also in your Summary.

Q: Why not just put clips on Contently or an Upwork profile, or somewhere like that?

A: Mass writer sites have a reputation for low rates — and their platform makes it easier to browse through others’ portfolios than to find your contact info. By contrast, LinkedIn is a huge platform where great companies are searching for freelancers, every day. I think it’s a better place to look pro.

Q: What if I don’t have a byline on my clips, like with copywriting work?

A: You can still use your clips in your portfolio, as long as you didn’t sign a nondisclosure agreement that swore you to secrecy that you authored the work.

Q: What if my clips are too old?

A: There’s actually no such thing. You’ll be surprised how seldom prospects care about the age of your clips — they just want to read your work. If you have old print clips that aren’t online, see if a good print shop can create a PDF for you, where the article is readable.

Q: What if I want to do a writer website now, as a newbie?

A: Great idea! Makes you look more professional. And the secret is, the copy you write on your writer website is a writing sample. It can be your first clip. You can get good web-copy jobs from writing your own terrific site copy!

Q: What if I have a blog — can I use that as my writer website?

A: It’s not ideal, unless your blog is very successful and popular. Then, you can put a ‘hire me’ tab up and solicit writing jobs there. A writer website is a stronger way to present yourself, where the Home page is all about your client and the services you offer, rather than an ever-changing set of blog post headlines.

Q: I’m not very technical. How can I get up a good writer website?

A: WordPress is the dominant website platform by far, and I recommend using it because it has the most available designers, tools, and plug-ins to help you make it look great. (I’ve also seen decent sites on SquareSpace, and recently, one on Wix).

I don’t recommend writers learn to create websites from scratch — don’t have to become a coder here! Because many new freelance writers struggle with getting their websites done, I basically begged my designer to create FolioSetup (yep, that’s my affiliate link) — check it out if you’d like ready-made templates, hosting, help, and a quick solution.

6. Build your network

Q: This is all great — but how do I actually get freelance writing clients?

A: One great way is to start building a big referral network, and letting people know what sort of writing client you want. Don’t have a network? Build one! You can do that through in-person networking in your town, or virtually, through online groups such as the interest groups on LinkedIn.

Q: Who do I want in my network?

A: A mix of other writers, related service providers such as designers, editors, and photographers, as well as prospective clients, or people who would know your prospects.

Q: What do I say at in-person networking events?

A: Ask people to tell you about what they do, and who their ideal client is, so you can refer them. They’ll probably ask you the same. Have a little ‘me’ speech prepared to introduce your freelance writing services.

Q: What if I’m really shy and don’t like big groups?

A: You can do one-on-one meetups for coffee or after work, or hop on short phone or video calls. Doesn’t have to be big meetings!

Q: How do I ask for referrals?

A: Big tip: Make it mutual. Ask contacts if they are looking for referrals, and if so who’s their ideal client. Then, tell them yours, and that you’d appreciate their keeping an ear out for anyone who needs your type of writer.

Q: How do I build my network online?

A: I love LinkedIn for that — you can import your rolodex, send connection invites to people who Viewed My Profile, or join Groups and then invite group members to connect. You can look for LIONs (LinkedIn Open Networkers) who connect to all comers, and use LinkedIn’s ‘Discover’ listings to find more people who might be good contacts.

Once you’ve connected, ask how you can help. Share and comment on their content. Send them articles that might interest them. Hop on a Skype call. See what you can do to get to know your connections better. The more you stay on their radar, the more likely they’ll remember to refer you when they hear about a writing need.

7. Get samples

Q: How can I get clients when I don’t have any samples yet?

A: The easiest way is to go out and get some samples. This is also known as working pro bono. You’ll want to choose publications or companies to work with who will give you great samples in your chosen niches.

Define a limited project, and get a testimonial to go with your sample. Boom! Once you’ve got 4-6 of these, you’re ready to impress paying customers.

Q: Is guest posting a good way to get samples?

A: It can be, especially if it’s on a popular site. If you’re posting free for exposure, be sure to choose your sites carefully, and appear where your clients might see your byline.

Q: What about writing for content mills, as a way to get first clips?

A: I don’t recommend it, even for those struggling to land entry-level writing jobs. The requirements of mill work are very different from what you’ll be asked to do in well-paid client work, so it doesn’t serve as a very effective training ground. Often, you don’t end up with clips you can use — they’re ghostwritten for an end client who isn’t identified. Also, mills can be capricious about who they ban or give crummy ‘ratings’ to. You’re basically not in control of your career.

Meanwhile, the tiny pay makes you wonder if you could earn a living writing very fast on there…and the answer is no, you usually can’t. But writers get stuck writing for tiny pay in mills, for years on end. Mill work is also fading away, as there’s less call for short, dashed-off, SEO-keyword-stuffed content, because Google doesn’t like that anymore. So it’s increasingly a dead-end street.

By contrast, doing pro bono work for small publications or small businesses for your first samples gives you clips that impress, and keeps clarity that you can’t earn this way and will need to move up. It also gives you real-world experience writing for the exact types of clients you want.

Q: What about using posts from my own blog as samples?

A: It’s better than nothing, but not ideal. Clients know you didn’t have to please an editor or marketing manager and could publish whatever you wanted, so it doesn’t exactly impress. But if you write kick-ass headlines and get a lot of comments and shares on your blog posts, it could help you lure those first clients.

Q: Does it matter if the sample I do is for a relative or friend?

A: Not really. If they’ve got a small business, an e-commerce site, or edit the hometown paper, go for it!

8. Decide what to charge

Q: How do I know what to charge my first clients?

A: There are a few ways to figure this out. First off, if you’re writing for a publication, they may have set rates and tell you what they are.

If not, you can ask clients what their budget is — and sometimes, they’ll tell you.

If their lips are zipped on that, you can ask around that network you’re building, to learn about typical rates. You can also calculate your daily rate, and simply charge what you need to, to pay your bills and maintain the lifestyle you want.

Big tip: Don’t worry a lot about pay rates in your early days. It’s more important that you get to work for good clients in your niches, and build your portfolio. You can just keep raising your rates as you go, until they’re where they need to be.

Q: Should I charge by the word, hour, page, or project?

A: Ideally, you want to charge by the project. Project rates are especially great for newbies, because then your client won’t be penalized if it takes you longer to write than a more experienced writer. They’re what pros do — we’re not hourly clerks, as writers.

When you work on project rates, you will automagically increase your hourly rate over time, as you become more efficient and take less time to write. And your client will never be the wiser. So yeah. Project rates all the way.

Q: What’s a good average hourly rate my freelance writing should work out to?

A: As a newbie, try to shoot for at least $25-$35 per hour with first clients. Less will mean you’ll never earn enough to stay afloat. Aim to rapidly raise that into the $50-$75 an hour range, and keep moving up from there. Experienced freelance writers earn $75-$100 an hour and more.

Q: How do I know how long it will take me to do projects?

A: By tracking your time. Lots of free software out there for that. Figure out how long it takes you, and then challenge yourself to get it done faster on the next project. Keep improving!

9. Find your first paying clients

Q: How do I find my first clients?

A: There are two basic approaches — you can look in your town for clients in your niche, or you can look online. Look at the online presence of businesses you like, go talk to owners, and propose a project to help get them more clients.

If you’re in a small town or not in the same country as your prospective clients, you’ll be looking online. There are plenty of blogs that offer unpaid guest posts, and many that pay for guest posts.

You can also target small business websites in your niches — most business owners are overwhelmed, not good writers, and will really appreciate the help.

Q: What is the one best, free, fastest way to market my services?

A: There isn’t a single answer to that question, because it depends a lot on you. (I warned you up top some answers would be ‘it depends!’) There are many free and low-cost ways to market your writing.

I am marketing-method agnostic — meaning I don’t care how you do it, as long as you do lots of it. Think in terms of 100 pieces of freelance marketing per month, to get launched.

You could send customized marketing emails, do in-person networking events, pick up the phone and cold call, work your LinkedIn network, send direct-mail packages out. It’s all good, and more. I’ve actually taught 40 Ways to Market Your Writing. Lots of ways to skin the freelance marketing cat.

Think about your personality and the types of clients you want and how they do marketing — you may want to use a similar mode to how they reach out to clients. Then, study the best practices in that form of marketing and feedback from your writer network, so you know how to crush it.

Q: Who do I pitch at businesses?

A: In a small company, it may be the CEO. Beyond there, look for a marketing manager. The guy whose name is on the press release is often a good pick.

Q: Which editor should I try at a magazine?

A:  Managing editor is my default, if there isn’t an articles, features, or editor in my specific topic, i.e. “health editor.” Above the managing editor, those editors aren’t really editing the paper.

Q: What about responding to online job ads?

A: Most mass online job boards such as Craigslist are a waste of your time. All those postings will get hundreds of responses, so your statistical odds of getting hired through them are tiny. Look for niche boards that aren’t as widely circulated, or boards where either job-seekers or employers have to pay to participate, such as FlexJobs or LinkedIn Jobs.

10. Avoid Scams & Ripoffs

Q: How do I know if an online offer of writing work is a scam?

A: Try Googling: “Is <site name> a scam?” and see what comes up. That’ll usually help. For instance, there’s this classic scam. You can also use the “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” test.

Q: I found this site, Master Writing Jobs — do you think I should sign up?

A: Actually, the consensus is that Master Writing Jobs is a scam. To build a thriving freelance business, you’re going to need to develop a good nose for what’s a legit offer. Any site that makes you join and pay a fee before you can see any testimonials or info about what the platform offers, you wanna run.

One of the biggest ways new freelance writers waste time is signing up on various platforms that promise to give them loads of great-paying writing jobs. Know that There. Is. No. Such. Platform. Finding your own clients is what’s for dinner, if you want to pay your bills with freelance writing.

Q: What about signing up on Upwork?

A: Very few people find professional pay rates on Upwork, PeoplePerHour, and the like, is the feedback from the 11,000+ writers I’ve mentored over the past 7 years. Sure, you might be that one exception. I’ve met two or three, in the past decade. But in general…just no.

Having a profile on these sites signals to clients that you’re willing to work for very low rates. Ripoffs abound, along with teeny-tiny paychecks.

11. Do the writing

Q: What’s the best way to make sure I do a great job on my assignment?

A: Study the publication, the blog, or the company materials you are writing for. Really take it apart. How do they start their articles, quote their sources, how long are paragraphs, what sort of experts do they use? How do they conclude? Then, you do that.

Q: I’m scared to turn in my writing to my client. What should I do?

A: Have a writer-friend give it a read and make suggestions. Or consider trading services with an editor for a while, while you build confidence.

Q: What if I don’t have enough article ideas to get assignments regularly?

A: Then don’t write articles. There’s a ton of paid writing for businesses, where they will dictate the topics. Alternatively, learn about how to be a story idea machine.

Q: What if my article gets killed?

A: Like the old song says: Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, start all over again. Can’t let any little setbacks get in the way of your freelance dreams!

Q: My client hated my first draft, and I’m devastated. How can I prevent this problem?

A: Ask more questions up-front. Learn about the tone, style, and content the client needs. Pros ask a lot of questions. Here are some key questions to ask copywriting clients.

Q: What if I take an assignment and then I can’t meet the deadline?

A: Try not to worry about it — many deadlines are fungible. Try to build in extra time, until you get a better sense of how long it takes you to do things.

12. Deal with clients

Q: Do I need a contract?

A: Only if you want to get paid to write. There are plenty of examples online. Your contract doesn’t have to be long or complicated — a brief email your client responds to with ‘I agree’ that outlines the deadline/wordcount/pay terms will work. You can also use online-signature solutions for a full-blown contract, such as DocuSign, or attach a Word doc.

Q: Should I get an up-front deposit to start working?

A: With business clients, absolutely yes. Fifty percent up-front deposit to begin work is typical. Publications don’t work that way, they will pay on acceptance or publication. Strive for the former.

Q: What if clients want me to be available on nights or weekends, when I want time off?

A: It’s your business to run. You set the parameters of when you’ll be available. Usually, it’ll work out fine, but you may occasionally turn down a client who wants you available 24/7.

Q: What if I’m in a different time zone than my clients, will that be a problem?

A: Mostly no. Beyond a first (virtual) meeting, most clients don’t need a lot of real-time contact.

Q: What if I invoice my client but they’re not paying me?

A: You have a range of options to get flaky freelance clients to pay up. If it happens a lot, realize that you need to change where and how you prospect for clients. Check out our full freelancer invoicing guide for more useful tips.

Q: What if I want to ask for a raise?

A: Like all businesses, you should be looking to raise your rates steadily as you go. Here’s a post on how to raise rates with existing clients.

Learn how to become a freelance writer

And there you have it — my epic compendium of all the basic questions I get asked on how to become a freelance writer!

The big thing I’ve learned in my decade helping writers get clients is that no matter how many questions I answer…there are always more.

What are your freelance writing questions? Leave them in the comments and let’s get you some help.

“What is freelance writing?”

This makes me feel I should back up and start at the very beginning. Clearly, I shouldn’t assume every reader knows what this career is about.

Apparently, some folks know that term well enough to search to find out more about it…but they don’t yet know how freelance writing works, exactly.

So let me fill in the blanks today with answers to some of the most basic questions about the world of freelance writing:

Freelance writing defined

Let’s begin with a definition: Freelance writing is any sort of writing assignment that you do for pay, outside of a staff position. Simple as that.

You are not an employee receiving company benefits such as sick leave or vacation pay, or 401(k) matching. And you are not required to appear at your client’s office and do your work there. You work in a place of your choosing, with your own tools, setting your own hours.

That last part is important, because if you work on-site for freelance clients that require you to keep regular hours at their office, the IRS may reject the idea that you’re really a freelancer. If they do that, IRS will disallow all your expense deductions associated with running your freelance business (ouch!), and potentially sue your client to reclassify you as an employee.

It’s worth taking a moment to read up on the legal difference between staffers and freelancers, so that you don’t get into a tax mess later.

Common types of freelance writing

What sorts of writing can be done as a freelance gig? Just about anything you can think of that staff writers, communications specialists, or marketers do, freelance writers also may get assigned. Here’s a starter list:

• Web pages (informational or sales pages)
• Blog posts
• Magazine articles (for consumer, custom, or trade publications)
• Newspaper articles
• Direct mail sales letters
• Newsletters (physical or email-delivered)
• Annual reports (corporate or nonprofit)
• Business plans
• Media kits
• White papers
• Case studies
• Press releases
• Research reports
• Speeches
• Radio scripts
• Video scripts
• Video sales letters
• Marketing emails
• Internal/intranet company communications
• Ghostwriting of anything above that takes a byline

As you can see, the world of freelance writing offers a wide variety of writing types to suit every taste. There’s also freelance writing for businesses in every type of industry, from aerospace to washing machines. And publications covering every imaginable topic.

Yes, it can be overwhelming! The trick is to narrow it down so you can focus, and find clients.

What’s the opportunity in freelance writing?

Are you wondering if freelancing is a fad? Just the opposite.

Companies increasingly love working with freelance creatives, and all studies indicate the percentage of people who freelance will only grow in the future. In fact, there are 53 million freelancers of all types now (out of a 322 million population). Which really puts the lie to the frequently-circulated myth that it’s impossible to make a living as a freelancer. It’s expected that 50 percent of Americans will freelance by 2020.

Learning how to become a freelance writer is the best way you can create career stability for yourself.

How to get started in freelance writing

I get emails every day like this:

“I just recently stumbled upon the world of freelance writing! I’m out of work and think this would be a great thing to do, I loved writing in college.

“How do I get started?”

There are several common ways writers break into freelancing and begin creating a portfolio of work, including:

• Volunteering to write for a nonprofit
• Writing for friends’ businesses
• Writing for local businesses you patronize
• Leveraging writing experience and connections from a day job to get freelance gigs

For more, I wrote an e-book that takes you step-by-step through exactly how to get those first clips and start finding paying gigs.

How to waste time trying to get started

You may have noticed that list of break-into-freelancing ideas doesn’t include “Get on UpWork and start bidding for gigs against 1,000 other writers” or “sign up for a content mill.”

Sadly, while that’s a super-easy step to take, most writers don’t find these productive places to spend time. On intermediary platforms such as UpWork or Textbroker, you may not know who the end client is and are often ghostwriting. Also, many of these listings seem to turn out to be scams.

That means you don’t get clips, referrals or testimonials. Those are the three things you urgently need to get your business launched, so hanging out in these places is generally a colossal waste of time.

Did I mention pay rates on these places are usually painfully low? That’s another reason this doesn’t help you build a freelance writing business — it’s more for hobbyists.

How to figure out pay rates

One of the most complex questions in freelancing is, “What do I charge?” and its corollary is “How do I physically get paid?”

There are resources on going rates, and I recommend you study them to get a sense of professional pay (hint: not $20 a blog post). But freelance rates are highly variable.

There are two simple methods for arriving at appropriate freelance writing pay rates:

The slow method:

Set a rate.

Next time you get a client, ask for more.

Repeat with each new client until you can’t get any clients — then, you know you’re too high (or that you need to find bigger, better clients).

The fast method:

Join a writer community where you can benchmark your rates and get feedback from other working writers on bids you’re planning to submit. Trust me, it’ll be a serious eye-opener about how much to charge. Namely, lots more than you’re probably thinking if you’re comparing your freelance hourly rate to what you used to make in a day job. That’s a mistake.

As far as how to get paid? Check, electronic bank transfer, and Paypal are the most common methods. You can use all three with clients in another country, too.

Big pay tip: Ask for an up-front deposit of 30-50%. That tends to weed out the scammers who’re planning to stiff you.

2 Answers that cover most newbie questions

When you’re a new freelance writer, you’ll have many questions — about deadlines, deliverables, contracts, and more. The vast majority of them can be answered one of two ways:

1. Ask your client
2. It depends

New writers think there is one secret, mystical set of rules about ‘how it’s done’ in freelance writing that they aren’t privy to. And they’re afraid to ask.

But really, nearly every freelance gig is different. Asking your prospect or client is the only way to find out. Pros ask loads of questions, so go for it.

No one else but your client can tell you how they want the writing delivered (Word doc? WordPress?), who you should report to, how long this contract is for, and so on.

What is freelance writing? An opportunity

I’m hoping the information I’ve shared above provides a comprehensive answer to the “What is freelance writing?” question. This is a career you create by taking action to find clients — and the income can range from a little monthly mad money to six figures and more, depending on your drive and your talent.

If you know anyone who’s intrigued by the concept of freelance writing, please pass this post along to them.

What is freelance writing, to you? Leave a comment and let’s discuss.

Every day, writers email me and ask how to become a freelance writer. Where is the door that you go through where you can start earning a living as a freelance writer?

Well, I’ve created a door.

There’s so much to know when you’re getting started as a freelance writer — how to find and approach clients, what to charge, how to negotiate, and more.

But now that there are nearly 900 posts on the blog, it’s increasingly difficult to find the most useful posts that answer your particular question. Sure, I’ve got those categories in the ‘we talk about’ sidebar, but it’s still a lot of slogging given how many posts there are, and you end up looking at the most recent posts on the subject, not necessarily the best ones.

My best new writer resources in 1 spot

That’s why I’m finally getting my act together and creating resource pages that bring together the very best Make a Living Writing posts of all time on popular topics. The first page is now up, which offers my best resources for new freelance writers:

What resources have I got for you on this page? I’ve stashed links to a dozen of my all-time most useful posts for new freelance writers, for starters.

https://makealivingwriting.com/start-here/

Then there are a few other super-helpful free and cheap items that are perfect for when you’re just getting started. Plus, this page also links you to the most recent posts aimed at new freelance writers, too.

In other words, it’s a one-stop-shopping spot for learning how to become a freelance writer.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed and confused as a new writer, if you read through scores of posts on a topic. I’m hoping this resource can serve as a primer for launching your freelance writing career.

As you’ll see, there are no dumb questions to ask! This resource page starts at the very beginning and teaches you the lingo, defines the career, and gives you those first steps.

I’ve known for ages that I needed to create topic pages on popular topics, to help you quickly find the best resources for your situation…but it takes a little work to get them in place.

This is the first in a series of resource pages I’m developing on important topics I write about here on the blog. With help from my awesome team, I’ll be creating additional resource pages on blogging, self-publishing, how to move up and earn more as a freelance writer, and more.

What would you like to know about freelance writing? Leave your hot topic here — I’d love your feedback on what other resource pages you’d find useful.

You hate your job, or you can’t work outside the home, or you want to be home with your kids…the reasons vary.

But the glamorous reputation of freelancing has caught your eye. Being your own boss sure sounds great!

Everyone wants to know how this gig works — how to stay home and pay your bills with your writing.

Aspiring freelancers usually have strong writing skills. But there are other strengths you may lack that could doom your chances.

What does it take to be a successful freelance writer? Is this career for you?

Here’s my unvarnished, let’s-get-real list of key traits you’ll need:

1. Business attitude

Many freelance-writing careers begin like this: One day, a friend asks you to write their website, or your former boss wants you to ghost their blog. So you say yes. That leads to another low-paid writing job.

Soon, you’re broke and need to find a day job again.

What I had going for me when I started freelancing in 2005 was the dim sense that I was starting a business. I’d been a business reporter and covered startups, and I realized that I was a new business now.

That meant I would have to run this like a business — do proactive marketing, decide on my rates, send out contracts, set healthy boundaries, chase late payments, turn down crummy offers.

Having that attitude has made all the difference. I never would have earned a six-figure income from freelance writing just drifting along, taking whatever clients wandered over my way and accepting whatever pay they offered me.

It hits many writers like a thunderclap, after years of barely scraping by, that they’re starving because they haven’t taken their freelance goals seriously. Save yourself a lot of grief and put on your business hat on day one.

2. Self-confidence

Ever met someone who’s been dreaming about launching their freelance writing career for oh, 20 years or so? I see writers like this all the time.

They’ve bought every book, taken every class, read every newsletter. But they never actually go out and find clients. They haven’t even started trying to land some good writing jobs for beginners.

Gah!

What’s up? Many writers are afflicted with deep-seated fears that keep them from going for their dreams. If this is you, find a good therapist and release these demons before you quit your job.

Seriously. Don’t wait 20 years — the world needs your creativity.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking if you sit in your room alone long enough, you will someday magically acquire the courage to write for clients. That doesn’t happen. You gain confidence by going out and doing client work. That’s how you see you can do this, and start to feel strong.

Successful freelance writers go out in the world confident that they have something valuable to offer the marketplace. Low self-esteem is a ticket straight to the land of crummy pay. If you can look in the mirror and see that you have skills and offer a valuable service, you’re well on the way to building a lucrative freelance business.

3. A can-do attitude

In freelance writing, no one is going to hand you great clients or terrific rates. You’re going to have to go out and make that happen. When you hit obstacles, you’ll need to figure out a way around them.

Commit to just keep going until you solve it. Defeat is not an option.

If you don’t know how to do something, ask around in a writer community, or research how it’s done. You’ll need to overcome the learned helplessness so many acquire in academia or in Corporate America, and become a crack problem-solver.

The secret? There is no ‘typical’ or ‘standard’ way things are done in freelancing. So rear up on your hind legs, whip out your machete, and carve your own road. You can do it.

4. Resilience

Are you crushed and lie in bed moaning for a week if your query letter gets rejected? Consider writing a hobby.

Professional freelance writers don’t fear rejection — they prepare for it. Because it’s a normal part of freelance business (see #1).

Not every client will be happy. Articles will get killed (one of my first ones was). And you’ll live to write another day.

Your ability to bounce back and keep smiling, like a figure skater after a bad fall, is important.

5. Hustle

Freelance writing is not a game for the passive or timid. We’re on the hustle all the time — finding clients, finding better ones, raising rates, negotiating deals.

I’ve believe that great freelance writers have a hustler gene. Fall in love with the thrill of the chase, the win of landing a client you went after, and you will thrive.

Yes, you won’t have to hustle as hard once you get established. But you don’t ever want to get complacent and stop prospecting, because no client is forever. Build those hustle muscles and keep them in shape to become a freelance writer who’s never hungry.

6. Self-discipline

How to become a freelance writer? Begin by setting some regular business hours and showing up. Don’t fold laundry, chat with your neighbor, or bop to the drugstore for toothpaste during that time.

No one is going to stand over you and make you get your writing and marketing done. Remember, you wanted to be your own boss! So this is 100 percent on you.

If you just eat Fritos Scoops and binge-watch Netflix when left to your own devices, freelancing is probably not your game.

7. Love service

Paid freelance writing is not about ‘getting your story out there,’ or ‘advocating for a cause.’ This is a common confusion.

If that’s what you want to write, then scribble your novel or send off unpaid op-eds to the newspaper. There isn’t a reliable living in relating your personal travails, or writing about one topic that bugs you, over and over again.

If you really want to know how to become a freelance writer, it’s this: You write well, and love to serve others. You derive happiness from seeing your clients succeed — and you’re willing to write whatever they need.

Your goal is to use your writing to meet their goals.

I recently had a freelance writer tell me they feel really bothered when their work gets edited.

“Why?” I asked. “The only thing that matters is that the client is happy.”

If you’re crushed when your precious words are altered, write poems in your bedroom. Never share them with anyone.

Freelance writing is a service business. It’s about using your creative gifts to help others. The more you listen to their needs and meet them, the more you will earn.

If you can learn to love the challenge of meeting others’ writing needs, this will be a great career for you.

Keep learning

Freelance writing is a world that never stops turning. New trends are always emerging — from longform blog posts to Instagram Stories to…well, whatever’s next.

There’s always something new to learn. If you love learning, building a freelance writing career will be endlessly fun and never boring. Even if you’re writing about seemingly dull stuff like surety bonds or washing machine-technology or chemical ingredients (all subjects I’ve actually written about). Honestly, the years go by in a flash.

If you enjoy learning new tricks and tools, and new ways to use your writing skills, you’ll love being a freelance writer.

What do you think are the traits you need to be a freelance writer? Let’s discuss on Facebook or LinkedIn.

This post originally appeared on the WM Freelance Writer’s Connection.

The mindset of an independent, self-employed, home-based business owner — yes, that’s what you are! — is worlds apart from the mentality you need to survive a corporate job.

Freelance writing is a head game, no doubt. If you can’t psych yourself up to market your services, or if one rejection crushes you, you’re unlikely to have enough good-paying clients to sustain a nice freelance lifestyle.

What are the important attitudes to adopt, as a freelance writer? Here’s my 10-point mindset manifesto (check out the infographic version below, that you can download and save):

1. Ignore naysayers

Anytime you try to seek a better life, you’ll see someone around you who’ll try to tear you back down. It’s sort of mind-blowing, but your attempts to live your dream threaten a lot of other people’s self-esteem.

I learned this early on when I quit a job to enjoy myself for a few months, and threw a celebration party…and no one came.

Beware of ‘you think you’re better than us’ syndrome

A great read on this topic is reporter Pete Hamill’s memoir, A Drinking Life. He relates that once he sobered up and started pursuing journalism and getting bylines, rather than seeing praise or encouragement from his neighbors, many in his hardscrabble Boston-Irish neighborhood resented him for it.

“Oh, you think you’re better than us now, do you?” was the general consensus.

There’s a lot of this going around. You may find out who your real friends are.

Watch out for ‘that’s not a real job’ criticism

There’s also the challenge of explaining to Greatest Generation parents or grandparents that having many freelance clients rather than one big corporate employer who can fire you in a hot second is actually a more secure lifestyle these days.

They will never get their heads around that, because in their working life, a job meant security, so smile big, tell them it’s going great, refuse to answer any specific questions, and change the topic to the weather. When you start winning at freelancing, take them out and buy them a nice dinner. The light will begin to dawn (worked for me, anyway).

Action: Avoid people who don’t support your goals. Remember, naysayers don’t know your heart. They can’t see into your soul, to see all you have to say.

And remember, writing well is the best revenge on those who would tear down your dreams.

2. Set goals

The thing about freelance writing is that it’s what I call a bottomless-pit job. There’s always more you could be doing, learning, writing.

You’ve got to get a handle on it and set some attainable goals, to get you rolling.

Choose process goals you can measure and control

If you’re wondering, good goals for freelance writers are goals to do things that are within your power to accomplish. Not “I will have three clients by the end of the month.”

Remember that goals are aspirational. They push you in a direction. Getting all the way there is not absolutely necessary. Progress is what’s important.

Reward yourself for going hard at your goals, rather than beating yourself up if you said you’d send 20 pitch letters this month but only sent 18.

Action: Once you have goals, find an accountability buddy you can call weekly, to help break down bigger goals into doable chunks and keep you on track.

3. Take action

Are you wondering where to start in your freelance-writing career? The answer is: Somewhere.

Seriously. Take an action, any action. It doesn’t matter if it’s not the absolute best, most efficient one.

Because action is contagious. Action leads to more action. Actions also mean you get real-world feedback, and you can quickly learn what’s a waste of time and what really moves you forward.

Don’t get stuck in the world of reading stacks of books, taking classes for years on end, and never actually venturing out in the world to try to get hired. The more you study without taking action, the less likely this is going to be your line of work.

Action: At the risk of stating the obvious… take action. Stop worrying if you’ve chosen the ideal starting point, and just go ask someone if you could write a little something for them. Any action is better than none.

4. Write (almost) every day

If you are studying-studying-studying the idea of freelance writing, but you are not writing anything…stop kidding yourself.

Writers write. Writers who write for a living write all the time, or they starve.

We write because the challenge of crafting compelling sentences is our idea of fun. We write in a journal, on our blog, for the church newsletter — anytime someone asks us.

If you don’t have a daily writing habit, you’re not building the muscles you’ll need to meet deadlines. Regular readers may know I’m a big believer that we all need to take one day off a week.

So while I know many gurus say ‘Write every day!’ I say, write six days a week. Take one day to rest and refresh.

Action: Build a regular writing habit (six days a week, let’s say), Doesn’t have to be all day or anything. But create some writing projects for yourself and make writing a habit.

5. Conquer rejection

Here’s one of the biggest fears new writers have, that keep you from moving forward: You’ll pitch a story, and it will be rejected. You’ll see that as — you have been rejected.

But problem: If you have to go lay in bed and cry for three weeks if an editor gives you a ‘no’ — or more likely, just never gets back to you — this isn’t going to be for you. This is a mental hump you need to get over.

Use the science-experiment approach to beat rejection

Try to reframe this… because rejection is a normal part of freelancing. Say it again: It’s. Normal. Challenge yourself to get rejected a lot, to build up your resilience for it.

Remember that every ‘no’ is good practice and helps you learn about the marketplace. Every ‘no’ gets you closer to yes.

Try thinking of it as a science experiment and adopt a dispassionate-scientist attitude: “I’m going to send this pitch, what will happen, mwahahaha! I will collect the data…”

Or make up your own mental script for dealing with rejection. But one way or the other, conquer your fears around this — this is Job One for becoming a successful freelance writer.

Action: Instead of fearing rejection, expect it. No working writer alive has had zero rejections in their career. Accept rejection as a normal part of the freelance life. Understand that most of the time, that ‘no’ is not about you.

6. Take yourself seriously

Are you serious about becoming a freelance writer? I ask because often, when people talk to me, I can’t tell. Things that make me think you’re just playing at this include asking questions phrased like this:

“Excuse me, um, but can you tell me how one would find clients?”

One? You mean YOU, don’t you? Are you in this, or not? Or are you asking for a friend? That’s what that sounds like.

Come on now.

Another “tell” is embarrassed smiles or apologetic soft laughter, when you describe what you’re doing, or who you’re pitching.

Say it loud and proud, please!

• “I’m a freelance writer.”
• “I’m launching a career as a freelance writer.”

Why are you acting like it’s some sort of minor crime, like you’re doing something wrong? Take a look in the mirror and think about what’s going on with your self-talk here.

Because if you don’t believe in you, you’re in trouble.

Action: Own that this is your chosen career. Don’t shuffle and look at your feet and cough, when people ask you what you do. Be proud of pursuing your own creative life! Take yourself seriously — and then, others will, too.

7. Keep learning

Freelance writing is a complex undertaking, and there’s a lot to know — about good niches, positioning your business, how to pitch, price, negotiate, manage client relationships and more. You can start with what you know now, but commit to continuous learning to keep moving forward.

Don’t get me wrong here — I don’t want you to get stuck in learn-learn-learn mode, where you never take action. (See #3).

Adopt a learn-execute-learn approach

For instance, I recently bought a sale-priced bundle of resources for coaches, with dozens of individual e-books, tools, templates, and courses. I started with a masterclass on how to level-up your coaching, because I’m always looking to improve my coaching program.

But… I’m stopped around module 5, because the trainer gave a tip on how to attract more of your ideal coaching clients… and I honestly don’t have that process well-organized. She gave a few tips that I would do well to implement, so I’ve stopped learning to take time to build that out. Once that’s in place, I’ll watch the next training.

Don’t overload your brain — it’s easy to do with freelance writing, because there’s so much to learn!

Stop and DO as you learn. That will anchor the learning in your brain and make it take hold. Then, learn some more.

Action: Identify a top learning priority, and find a good resource for it. Invest in your freelance career — it will pay off for you. Markets keep evolving, so learn-act-learn to keep growing your skills.

8. Advocate for yourself

I have a question (especially for Freelance Writers Den community members who’ve belonged for years, but never asked a single forum question):

Are you afraid to ask questions about freelance writing? If so, I have to ask:

“Whatcha scared of?”

New writers often worry that they’ll look dumb if they ask questions. What’s really dumb is staying silent and guessing at what to do.

In reality, pro writers ask tons of questions of their clients and of their network, all the time. My stock final question in a first client interview is, “What’s a good email to contact you at, once I realize what important question I’ve forgotten to ask you?”

Set the expectation that you will be asking questions. Then, ask until you have what you need to move forward.

Action: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You may look dumb once, so what? Questions are good. Questions save you time and help you build the career you want.

9. Reject peanut pay

The Internet teems with offers to write articles and blog posts for $5 or $10. Understand that these gigs are for hobbyists looking to fund an occasional latte. Not for you, if you’re a serious freelance writer wanting to feed your family and pay your rent with your craft (see #6).

How to find better-paying freelance jobs

If you’re seeing a lot of bitty offers, you’re probably looking for jobs in all the wrong places. Get out of the world of bidding against hundreds of other writers for one small job — that’s not a good place for you. Instead, start proactively targeting and pitching clients who seem right for you.

You may think you can’t make a difference in the marketplace by refusing to work for next to nothing, but every little bit helps.

Every writer who says, “My floor for that is $100, sorry” instead of accepting $5 or $10, hiring writers for nothing gets a little harder. And more companies consider that maybe, it’d be worth paying pro rates to stop getting garbage posts, and actually get results with their content.

Special tip: Don’t just say ‘no’ to low pay, commit to not wasting your precious time venting in social media or to friends about crap offers you see online.

Sitting around saying, “Can you believe that? OMG!” Well, yes, yes I can believe it. It exists. We all know it.

Your job is to set phasers to ignore, and look for clients who understand your value.

Action: Just say no to tiny money. You deserve better!

Do a pro bono sample here or there, if you need a new type of clip. Otherwise, know your value, identify better-quality clients who understand your value, and bid high.

10. Don’t compare

Many freelance-writing careers are derailed because writers spend a lot of time comparing their progress to that of others.

Recent comments I’ve heard include:

“My college friend is a bestselling author now – I don’t want to be on LinkedIn and be public, because I think they’d laugh if they saw the small-time magazine bylines I have.”

“I was going to pursue health writing, but the market seems to be so saturated with others who have far more experience than I do, so I pulled the plug on it.”

Having interacted with about 14,000 writers in the past decade, I can say I’ve never seen a saturated market. And your former colleagues and college buddies are not fixated on looking you up on LinkedIn.

Tune out all the information about how great everyone else is doing, and just challenge yourself to keep improving. Compete with yourself. That’s all I ever did.

Action: Kill the negative self-talk about your progress so far, and the toxic comparisons of your progress as a writer with that of others. Remember, your journey is unique. Just walk your road and try to get better as you go.

How to be a freelance writer

There you have it — the ideal mindset for freelance-writing success. If you have the right mindset, the initiatives you try to build your business are likely to succeed. Once you know to stop the comparisons, to ask questions, take actions, keep learning… the rest will take care of itself.

What do you think is the most important freelancer trait? Let’s discuss in the comments.

You look at their website and you think…. uhhh…. I dunno. Looks great! You can’t tell what they need.

Well, good news — once you know what to look for, this is easy.

Most great first freelance projects fall into a few specific categories.

Once you know those, it’s simple to find a first project to propose that’s got a high probability of getting a ‘yes.’

What are these categories?

Here are my top five project types to pitch to new freelance writing clients for an easy sale:

1. The missing element

If you’ve spent much time looking at business websites, you know there are some fundamental items you expect to find. These include:

• Team bios
• A press page or ‘news’ area
• An About page that tells the company’s story
• Product descriptions
• Sales pages
• Contact information
• Some type of content marketing — press releases, blog posts, articles, special reports, e-books, white papers, case studies

Look at your prospect’s site. Is one of these standard items missing? That’s your pitch.

“I noticed that while most business websites have an About page that tells the company’s founding story, yours doesn’t. Since people buy from companies where they feel a personal connection, would it make sense for me to interview the founders to create a great company ‘origins’ story for your About page? Let’s tell the world about the passion behind this business!”

Pitch tip: Read their press releases. Did they announce a new product or partnership? Perhaps a follow-up that updates the public on their progress is the missing item.

2. The outdated item

Websites have a way of getting old and stale. If you spot a copyright notice at the bottom of the website that’s 5 years ago or older, that’s an easy pitch:

“Hey, I noticed it looks like your web copy was written quite a long time ago. I’m betting your business has some exciting new developments since then. What about hopping on a call to discuss a website refresh?”

You’ll notice that pitch script didn’t say, “Hi, your website copy sucks.” Even though it probably does.

Just note that it is out of date. Everyone likes to be current.

After 20+ years covering business, I can tell you if that business didn’t have some fresh news to add to its site after 5 years, it would be out of business. I promise you, there are new developments. They have added services or products, opened a new location, changed who their target audience is — there’s news to share.

Plus, online copy best-practices have changed a lot over the years, so the vibe may no longer reflect how the company wants to communicate with customers. Offer to do a style & tone rewrite, to convey a more 21st Century feel.

3. The interrupted marketing

Companies start many marketing initiatives. They have high hopes each will get them buckets of new clients.

Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. But what happens is that like all businesses, they try many things, and then find they don’t have the bandwidth to keep them all going.

The most obvious example of this is abandoned business website blogs. Of which there are legions. Truly.

You take a look at their blog, and the last post was a year ago. They understood blogging could help build their business, but they ran out of ideas or didn’t have time to keep it up.

Now, they have a sad, dusty-looking, abandoned blog — and you have an easy pitch angle. Think up 2-3 snappy, new blog headlines that would fit their audience and send off a pitch.

It’s not just blogs, either. For instance, I recently checked out a fairly large national company’s press-release zone online — and discovered their most recent release came out in…2016.

That means they understand press releases are a good idea, and could help them get free publicity. And in turn, more clients. But…the effort sputtered out.

Perhaps a fresh set of outside eyes could help them develop a new schedule of weekly press releases to kick that strategy back into gear, hm?

What I love about this pitch angle is you spend zero time trying to convince them they should have a blog, or put out press releases. They already get it — all you have to do is point out they should resume using this form of marketing.

4. The industry best practice

Take the top 10 companies in any industry. Look at all of their websites. Now, look at the sites of your prospects.

You’ll probably immediately spot some forms of content that the big dogs do that the medium- and smaller-size companies don’t.

That’s your pitch.

“I was checking out your website, and I noticed you don’t have any (X type of marketing). Since all of the top 10 companies in (niche) use this form of marketing, I wanted to check in to see if it’s time to bring your company’s marketing up a level, so you look as authoritative as the big guys.”

The best-practice items will vary by sector — maybe it’s explainer videos or a podcast you should be paid to script, or bait-piece e-books for blog subscribers. But when you point out their top competitors all do it, you won’t get a lot of objections.

5. The authority builder

You probably know that one of the hottest forms of marketing today is aimed at building authority — setting up the CEO or other C-suite exec as the go-to expert in their field.

It raises their profile personally, and can greatly enhance a business’s reputation, making sales much easier to make. These authority pieces take many forms — placed articles in magazines, special reports, e-books, white papers, print book ‘in the back of the room’ for public speakers.

If you check out a company website and don’t see any obvious authority-building efforts, that’s your pitch. Combine with your best-practice research for maximum effect, as in:

“I notice many of your competitors put out special reports, e-books, and print books that help build their authority. But I’m betting you have just as much expertise to share.

Have you always thought you had a book in you, that would raise your profile in the industry? If so, I’m happy to talk about ghostwriting and making that happen sooner than later.”

If you’re not up for ghosting books, maybe pitch them ghostwriting an article or series. Choose your authority weapon, and go for it.

Easy pitches for more freelance projects

With these simple elements to check on a company’s website, you should be able to come up with a great pitch idea fairly quickly. And that’s key to being a successful freelance writer — you can’t spend hours researching each prospect.

Take a quick spin around your prospects’ websites and look for these five elements. I’d love to hear what you find – let’s discuss on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Over the moon! You know I ran right down to my nearest mini-mart, the hour those papers got delivered, to grab myself a few copies.

Then, I followed up on that by doing…nothing.

When you’re just starting out, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of seeing your name in print, or getting that client check after your first freelance writing job. And to be a bit in the dark about what to do next, to keep building career momentum.

There are some key moves to make right after getting that first gig that can help you build your career faster — steps that most newbies don’t take. (I know I didn’t!)

Want to get some real mileage out of your first freelance writing jobs? Here’s what to do right after your work gets published:

Start a collection

It’s important to hang onto your published work samples. You never know which future client might be impressed by a particular piece you wrote in the past. Especially, when you’re starting out, it’s important to save them all.

I’ve still got a physical portfolio of my very first clips — and looking through those tiny articles I had in long-dead publications still brings me joy.

Now that we have the Internet, a big tip: Don’t just put up a link to the site where your work appears onto your LinkedIn, online portfolio, or writer website (or in a Word doc, if you don’t have an online presence yet).

Definitely do that, but don’t stop there. There’s more you can do to leverage your first freelance writing job.

Websites change their addresses, merge with other sites, and just plain vanish overnight. Then, your link goes dead, and poof! There goes your clip, into the ether. Speaking as someone who lost loads of great samples when Freelance Switch got folded into other Envato sites…ahem…preserve copies of your work.

How? If it’s a publication, you can contact their reprints department about getting a PDF copy. (I’ve also been known to use proof PDFs I’ve been sent during editing.) Otherwise, save a digital copy — here’s a good list of screenshot tools.

Offer visual proof

In a decade of reviewing writer websites, I’ve discovered there’s one thing that lands new clients like nothing else. It’s called a proof bar — a set of visual logos of clients you’ve worked for. With your first gig, you’re ready to start your proof bar.

As soon as you’re published, add the logo of the company or publication you wrote for to your online presence — ideal is right up in the header of your LinkedIn or writer site. Say “As seen on” or “Clients include” and then put up the logo.

Is that legal? Yes, it is. As long as it’s true that you wrote for them, that’s considered Fair Use of their logo — and trust me, companies never complain about it. That’s free publicity for them, right?

Posting company logos gives you instant credibility, that new prospects can spot in seconds. Trust me, no fascinating copy you can write on your home page will get new clients to pick up the phone like those logos will. So put ’em up!

Document the reaction

If you got published and your client is happy, your next step is to collect a testimonial.

Right away, you ask? Yes.

Do it before you forget. Before that editor leaves the magazine. Before time goes by and then you feel all awkward about asking.

The ideal place to do this is on LinkedIn. Then, you can screenshot that recommendation (which helps you get gigs off LinkedIn) and put it on your writer website, too.

Form a friendship

When you get published, it shouldn’t be a one-off situation. It should be, as they say in Casablanca, the start of a beautiful friendship.

When you turn in that invoice, turn it in with a couple of other article ideas. Or a note about the next piece of content marketing you think would help the company. Maybe it’s time to propose an ongoing retainer, to keep doing what you just did on a regular monthly basis.

Pro writers look to turn every first assignment into an ongoing relationship that provides a steady stream of assignments. That’s how the freelance life gets easier.

Keep going after your first freelance writing job

Once you’ve got a clip in hand, it’s time to ramp up your marketing. Be sure to mention your recent work whenever you write or speak to prospective clients.

You want to strike while that clip is fresh. It makes you sound professional and busy when you mention that you just completed a project.

With luck, soon you’ve got another writing job. Lather, rinse, repeat, and you’re building a freelance writing business.

How do you leverage your freelance writing jobs? Let’s discuss on Facebook and LinkedIn.

When you’ve created over 900 posts full of free help for freelance writers, it’s hard to remember every single post. Becomes a bit of a blur!

But a few posts stand out in my memory, because I keep sending their links out to struggling writers, week after week. They’re posts that address a writer’s critical need to understand some aspect of freelancing.

You’ve got urgent questions about how to make it as a freelance writer — and these are the posts that deliver the answers.

I can’t remember where I put my sweater half the time these days, but there are a few key posts that come easily to mind, because I find myself sending writers off to read them again and again.

After nearly a decade (!) writing this blog to provide help for freelance writers, these seven posts seem to address the most common problems freelancers face:

1. How to Figure Out Your Best Freelance Writing Niche

I often hear from writers who’ve spent a year staring at their bedroom wall, imagining themselves as freelance writers. They finally emerge and announce, “I’ve decided upon healthcare as my writing niche.” (Or finance, pets, parenting, real estate, or whatever.) And it makes me wanna scream.

That’s not how you find your most lucrative writing niche. This post describes how it really works.

2. The New Freelance Writer’s Quick-and-Simple Guide to Getting Started

Probably the top question I’m asked is, “How do I get started?” So I finally did a post to provide this kind of help for freelance writers. It outlines the basic time-saving steps that make for a rapid launch. Spoiler alert: Those steps don’t include joining UpWork or Fiverr.

3. The Deadly Math Mistake That Will Make Your Freelance Business Fail

Many freelance writers make bad assumptions about pay when they get into this line of work — and these errors can leave you broke and crawling back to take another hated day job. This post lays out the basics of how to calculate what you really need to earn as a freelance writer (a topic we delve into in detail in the first session of my upcoming Close the Sale bootcamp).

4. Earn Money Online: 92 Websites That Pay

My reader feedback tells me the #1 service I can provide on this blog is to connect writers directly with paying markets. That’s why we’ve been publishing a growing number of different lists of paying websites each year, including an annual ‘big list.’ This link is to the most recent one.

Stay tuned for another market list soon! I say, if you’re going to ‘guest post for exposure,’ why not also earn a paycheck for it?

5. Watch Out For This Income-Killing Online Writing Scam

Scam-busting is a regular feature here on the blog, which I consider a public service to the writer community. (See all the exposés here.)

This particular example goes out (almost daily) to prospective clients who email me each week, asking if I would take $50 or $100 to slip a link about them into a Forbes post. Or better yet, to write a whole post about them on a major site and pass it off as something I independently found interesting, as a reporter.

If you’re offered any of these career-ending ‘opportunities’ to torch your hard-won reputation for a pittance, you can send those gray-hat prospects to this link.

6. 3 Simple Ways to Find Better-Paying Freelance Writing Jobs

I wrote this one quite a long time ago. But it continues to offer my best basic primer on how to quickly leave the poverty mindset behind and discover where the real money is in freelance writing.

7. 5 Ways to Get Your Flaky Freelance Client to Pay

Next to death and taxes, nothing is so certain in freelance writing as that you’ll occasionally get a client who owes you a payment — and suddenly stops returning your calls. Recently, I’ve seen more than one writer use these tips to get their check.

More Get-Started Help for Freelance Writers

If you need more, I’ve organized a whole page of my top resources for new freelance writers. But these are the posts I use most often, to quickly fill writers in on the realities of freelancing.

What freelancing resources do you need? If these posts don’t cover it, leave me your question in the comments.

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