The internet has revolutionized how we work, offering unprecedented flexibility and opportunity to anyone with an internet connection.
One of the most popular ways to earn money online is through freelancing.
Freelance writing in particular, gives a fantastic avenue for those of us who love to play with words.
Whether you're a seasoned wordsmith or just starting, our MMO guide will provide the essentials to kickstart your freelance writing career.
Why Freelance Writing?
Freelance writing really does offer the writer a multitude of benefits, which can include:
Flexibility Work from anywhere, anytime, and set your own hours. You know the thing, we are sure you have seen the insta posts from people working on the beach with their laptop.
Variety Explore diverse niches and writing styles, from blog posts and ghost writing to website copy and technical writing. Imagine getting paid for doing what you love. If you love to write technical guides about the latest gadget, then with a little bit of effort you can!
Earning Potential Set your own rates and increase your income as you gain experience and build your portfolio. It is common sense that the more your portfolio grows the more your potential earnings can grow too.
Creative Freedom Express your creativity and share your unique voice with the world. Many of us feel constrained in the 9-5 writing world, but going freelance you can unshackle yourself.
Getting Started
Before you throw yourself off the deep end, you need to set yourself up to succeed.
So here at MMO we recommend that you:
Hone Your Skills: Strong writing skills are a must. Brush up on your grammar, punctuation, and style. Read voraciously and widely and of course practice writing regularly. Consider taking online courses to improve your writing in specific niches especially if there is a lot of jargon involved.
Identify Your Niche: What are you passionate about? Writing what interests you can help get you started if you are encountering the dreaded writer's block! Focusing on a specific area like technology, travel, finance, or health can help you target clients and establish expertise.
Build Your Portfolio: Being a writer is an artform. I am sure you know about artists that have a portfolio of their best work, well being a writer is no different. Even with no professional experience, you can create writing samples. Start a blog, write guest posts for other websites, or offer to write for friends and family. The writers here at MMO are frequent guest bloggers thanks to their portfolios.
Set Your Rates: Research industry standards and consider your experience level. Beware of course that at the beginning competition will be tough and you need to be competitive to have a chance of winning work. Start with competitive rates and gradually increase them as you gain experience and positive feedback.
Find Clients: We shall explore where to find clients in much detail in another blog at a later date. In the meantime, there are numerous places to connect with clients.
Often the best approach is the Direct outreach where you Contact businesses and websites directly.
Typical places to start with are ...
Freelance platforms - Upwork, Fiverr, Guru, Freelancer.com
Content mills: Textbroker, WriterAccess, iWriter
Job boards: ProBlogger, Indeed, LinkedInStart a HIVE blog: This really is the best way to get you into the habit of writing and reading other styles in an informal format. You can of course see our MMO blog on Hive and we shall be posting more here about what this is and why you should be there.
MMO Tips for Freelance Writing - Do the following!
- Be Compelling
Whereever you write or even are a user, make a compelling profile each and every time! Showcase your your skills, experience, and niche expertise. - Always submit your best work
When you are making a proposal for a specific job, make sure you submit your best work. Remember you are a writer and that proposal is a written piece of work. Treat it like a test piece and always do your best quality work. Quality lasts and people remember that. - Be Reliable You might think you are the best writer in the world, but if you miss your client's deadline then often you won't win more work and even worse could forfeit payment for that work which is late!
- Be Communicative Respond promptly to client messages. If your client asks you a question, answer it there and then, not next week when you feel like it!
- Seek feedback Ask for constructive criticism to improve your writing. We all can do better at times. So ask if anything was unclear, could it have been reworded etc, was it too complicated, was your style too verbose (heaven forbid!).
- Continuously learn Here at MMO we say this applies to life in general but for your freelance writing you need to stay updated on industry trends and expand your skillset.
- See point 6 above - Create a HIVE blog
Building a Sustainable Freelance Writing Career:
Freelance writing is more than just stringing words together. It requires dedication, professionalism, and a commitment to continuous improvement to become a talented wordsmith.
By following these steps and consistently delivering quality work, you can build a successful and fulfilling freelance writing career.
After all, don't we all want to do something we enjoy and get paid for it!
Go forth and write!
We will stop here. In a later blog, we shall show you how and where to find companies who offer the chance to be paid to be a freelance writer.
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