Freelance writing can easily be done by anyone who speaks and writes well in English. Though someone who loves reading books and writing would be an advantage, it’s not required to earn good money. Freelance writing is one of the 10 ways to earn money on the internet, make sure to check out the other ways too! I’d like to make it clear that freelance writing is for everyone. Whether you’re a student, professional, businessman, or unemployed, you can earn big money in freelance writing.
In this article, we’ll teach you how you can earn at least P30,000 a month in freelance writing. But don’t expect any magic to happen because, like all professions, you’d need to build your portfolio first in order to reach a P30,000 (or more) monthly income. Part-time or full-time, this article will definitely help you. So, let’s start learning how to earn loads of money in the comfort of your own home (or in a coffee shop).
What you’ll need
In freelance writing, you’ll need the following:
- Laptop/Computer
- Stable Internet Connection
- Bank Account/Debit Card (you’ll be connecting this to PayPal or other payment methods)
- Good English Grammar
- Free Time
- The Will To Learn
The last requirement is very important. You’ll need to learn a lot about writing and use these to develop your writing skills over time. Remember, you’ll be starting as a newbie in freelance writing and, no matter what you currently know, you still have more to learn.
Where to look for freelance writing jobs
There are many websites where you can get freelance writing jobs but, as a newbie, you’re better off to start at websites like Upwork.
Here are some websites where you can look for freelance writing jobs:
- Upwork
- Freelancer
- Craigslist
- We Work Remotely
- Indeed
- Freelance Writing
- ProBlogger
- Let’s Workshop
- Fiverr
It’s way easier to use websites such as Upwork and Freelancer since they already have a healthy base of people looking for freelancers. The only problem is competition, so you would need to shape up your about me, resume and cover letter in order to stand out from the crowd.
But in other websites, you would have to approach your clients and you’ll need to send them an article pitch. An article pitch is like a test article related to the topic they’re interested in, if clients like your article pitch then expect to be hired. In LinkedIn, however, you’ll find many companies looking for full-time and part-time writing positions.
Check out our own ultimate guide about making money on Fiverr. We’re sure you’ll learn a lot from our previous post.
Building your client base
In order to get a steady flow of jobs (and income), you’ll need a large client base. This is hard to build since it would definitely take time and effort. So expect to send a dozen emails a day to potential clients and keep doing this until you have loads of work from your different long-term clients. This is probably one of the hardest parts of being a freelancer but don’t worry, you’ll get rewarded greatly.
If you want to standout from the crowd, you’ll need to convince your client that you’re the best pick. Yes! Sales talk is necessary. You really need to sell yourself in order to get freelance writing jobs but it’s not actually that hard. There are many tutorials in the internet on how to sell yourself via your resume, cover letter, profile, portfolio, etc. You can learn a lot from this blog post on how to get your first freelance writing job.
Negotiate with your client
As a freelance writer, clients would often ask your rates. Make sure that you know what to charge each client since some clients would find it unprofessional if you didn’t. Basically, a newbie freelance writer may work for a low rate. Be careful though because a very low rate would cause clients to belittle you.
Here are some tips on how to negotiate with your client:
- Show your latest (and best) writing samples.
- Communicate professionally
- Don’t make too much promises
- Always be punctual, even on online meetings
- Tell your client your experiences in writing before negotiating
- Always start with a reasonably high price, clients would usually negotiate it lower
- Know your worth
- Research what your client wants, and become what your client wants
If you’re still confused on what to charge your clients, you can learn more in this How To Set Your Freelance Writing Rates blog post.
Working on articles daily
You’d not be a freelance writer if you don’t write articles daily. This is your main source of income and at times your workload would get really heavy. One great benefit of being a freelance writer is that working for just 4 hours a day would still get you a nice income.
So, working for 8 or more hours a day would make you earn at least double every month. But this is very tiring and you’ll need to constantly recharge your creative juices. If you find it hard concentrating and being productive, you might want to read about Entrepreneur’s 9 Practices at Home and Work That Increase Productivity.
Keep working everyday and you’ll be surprised on how fast your paychecks grow each month. The problem is that you get only projects with short-term clients, you’ll need to look for more clients willing to work with you on a long-term basis. Analyze your monthly income and see how much your freelance writing career develops over time.
Payment methods
Clients pay may either pay you after each submission or at a weekly, bi-monthly or monthly basis. This all depends on your agreement with your client beforehand. There are many payment methods and most clients would ask how you would prefer to be paid. Each has its own pros and cons, so we recommend that you check out each payment method. Note that some clients would pay instantly but other big time clients may take days or weeks to release your payment.
Standard payment methods are the following:
Though most clients prefer PayPal and bank deposits, you can also request another payment method. There’s nothing wrong with requesting since clients would understand your situation.
You’re one step closer to your dreams
Being a freelance writer is definitely rewarding. You get to choose what time you’ll work, you have no strict bosses, you can attend important events in your life and so much more. You make your own income happen and there’s absolutely no limit.
We hope that this ultimate guide has helped you start your career as a freelance writer. If you have any questions and thoughts, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments section below. We’ll do our best to help you and answer your questions. Also, share this post to your friends on Facebook and you might even help improve someone else’s life.
life & money hacks 