What is Freelance Writing — How do I become a freelance writer?

You might have heard from people or seen on the internet that freelance writing is quite in demand and easy to get into. However, you may have little to no idea of this field. You have landed at the right spot as we have a beginner’s guide on what is freelance writing a freelance writer.

Let’s talk about this amazing and common field briefly.

What is Freelance Writing?

Freelance writing is writing content for clients while sitting comfortably at home or anywhere. Many people get into freelance writing because it gives you the freedom to choose the project of your interest and work from anywhere. The freelance writer works as a contractor that deals with multiple clients instead of working full-time for a company.

Freelance writing allows individuals to grow and learn from different kinds, genres, and niches. The work that falls under freelance writing is quite broad and covers every kind of writing that sells. The biggest benefit is you work on your specific time, learn from diverse niches and grow much better.

Now that you are thinking of freelance writing, let’s get to know the basic kinds of freelance writing that you will come across.

Different types of freelance writing

When you start getting into freelance writing, you will realize there are different types and each requires distinct guidelines. Let’s show you what different types of freelance writing are you will come across.

SEO writing

It involves writing content based on SEO guidelines. The purpose of this writing is to rank the content among the top SEO results. Nowadays most freelance writing jobs are for SEO writing because everyone wants their content to be seen and read by people.

Copywriting

Copywriting involves writing marketing content copy. As it takes more practice, copywriting also pays more. The other reason it pays more is that you write to make people buy the specific product.

Technical writing

Technical writing is mostly in engineering and IT fields as it involves documentation processes. You need to write the manual, guides, and related stuff about the system or products.

Blogging

Blogging is the standard form of freelance writing. It is also known as content marketing. Every article you see online is a blog post and the practice of it is blogging. If you get the blogging job you just have to write web content on a given topic.

B2B writing

It is a business-oriented type of freelance writing. B2B is abbreviated for business to business and revolves around one business talking to another. This form of writing is professional and aims at selling products and making deals.

How do I get started?

Now, after what is freelance writing, the main question is how you can become one?

Follow our basic guidelines.

Get educated and train

You actually do not need a degree to become a freelance writer. Just read about the niche and get yourself educated. If you get a project related to writing laptops and you have zero knowledge about their mechanism and parts, then research. Do your search and get to about them as much as you can. If you have the right knowledge and language skills, you can write an article.

Practice your skills as much as you can with different niches. You can start blogging on your own to work on your writing skills and increase your knowledge. Remember to read a lot and consult multiple sources for authentic information and make a library in your brain.

Start pitching

Once you are somewhat confident in your skills, start pitching for freelance jobs. You can find multiple platforms for freelance writing jobs. Apply as much as you can and keep improving your pitching content. State your skills with confidence and assure the client you will write just like they want.

Even if you are a beginner, it is good to start applying as you will get the experience and skills along the way. Even if you make a mistake, it is alright and you can learn from it. No one is perfect from the beginning and you are no different.

Showcase your work

If pitching for jobs not working for the time being but you are confident in your skills then start showcasing your work. By having an online portfolio many clients will reach out by seeing your work. It also works in the favor of pitching as you can attach the work as a portfolio and give insight into your skills. Make your portfolio on Contently or a blogging website that can easily be linked. If you have some work done for the client then make a google drive link and share it with your new clients. Online portfolios will really boost your chances of landing a freelance writing job.

Networking

Good at making friends? Now do it for work.

It might not be the same as making best friends in school and college, but networking will help your freelance writing career. Impress clients with your work that they come back for more work. Connect with similar freelance writers and get to know the tips. If they have extra work they might share it with you or refer you to the client. Referrals really work wonders for freelance writers. Moreover, Linkedin is also a great place for connections and help you land a job by reference or employers contact you themselves.

Payments

If you are a newbie then payments are your least worry but you should not leave it out of your planning. You will get paid by online means and you should figure out which safe way you will have to receive payment from the clients. Make a record of your work and payments to keep track of each penny. Freelancers mostly rely on online means because either client can be from any part of the world. Get it sorted out by looking at different methods at the start of your career.

Final words….

I hope you have now known what is freelance writing and how to become a freelance writer. You should also know this field is not all glam and sometimes quite frustrating and tiring. However, if you enjoy writing about your favorite topics and like the method of earning then it is worth it. Go and get started.