A Quick Guide To Freelance Writing: How To Make A Good Start

Freelance writing jobs can be a great way to make a fulltime living, supplement your income, or make some money in between work. You can work from anywhere, and with a diverse set of clients you’ll never get bored. Following this advice can help make a successful start to a freelance writing career.

• Use a website to find clients. You may find writing jobs listed on Craigslist or other help wanted sites, but these can be scams. Until work is completed you will have no idea whether the client will actually pay. Instead use find a website that will act as a go between for payment with you and the client. There are many freelance websites out there, and each one has a slightly different focus. Some list mainly programing jobs, while others are mostly blog and article writing. Choose a website, or several websites, that include the kind of writing you want to do. This will make finding jobs easier for you, and will help connect you with clients looking for a writer like you.
• Focus on your strengths. You can find freelance work for almost any kind of writing: creative, scientific, academic, grants, technical, articles and blogs. Apply for jobs that you’re qualified for and that match your strengths as a writer. Not only will you be more likely to get them, but you will be able to complete them more efficiently and effectively.
• Build your rate over time. Before you get started applying for jobs, figure out how much you need to be making per hour to make it worth your time. This may depend on whether you are writing fulltime or to supplement your income. When you are getting started, and are new to freelance website, you may need to bid lower than you normally would at first. This will help you get experience and build a positive reputation and credibility.
• Build relationships with clients. One of the keys to stable freelance work is building relationships with clients to get repeat work. After you’ve finished a job for a client, let them know you’d be interested in working with them again in the future.
• Think ahead. Once you start getting freelance jobs, map out how many hours a week you’ll be working on each one, and for how long. This will help keep you from overextending, and will let you know when you need to start applying for more jobs.