Everyone wants to make their hobby their job. Cooking, tailoring, or in this case; becoming a freelance writer. Freelance writing is contract work, you will be able to take work from a multitude of clients and dedicate your time to them as you see fit. Read on to discover how to become a freelance writer.

To get to that point, you’ll need to build your business from the ground up and get yourself out there. You’ll need a website, portfolio, a little bit of luck and the time and skills to manage your business as well as hone your craft.

Photo by David Iskander 

How to Become a Freelance Writer, Begin!

Never be afraid to specialise. Make a list of some general topics that you feel you’d be able to write about. If you choose to attempt to write about anything and everything, you can very easily find yourself overwhelmed by the amount. Find and choose a subject that you have some background with, as this will cut down on research time by a considerable amount. Don’t feel like you need to limit yourself to just a single topic, but it will always help to write about something you are passionate about. This could be any of the following:

• Cookery
• Finance
• Travel
• Family
• Fitness

 

You are now your own boss, and freelancing is a vast field. A good place to start is always blogging. You’ll be able to create your fully customisable space and fill it with the topics that you’ve selected. Never be afraid to specialise here either.

• Instead of your average cooking blog, perhaps a blog about your favourite meals or recipes.
• One primary source of income on a blog is selling advertising space.

Here are a few top tips on how to become a freelance writer / blogger:

 

 

If immediate income isn’t your priority, consider seeking out assignments as opposed to your passion. Pitch yourself to news editors at outlets, websites, papers and magazines. If you’re fortunate enough to have connections, this will be a perfect start for your career.

• If you lack connections, do not fret. You will still be able to write for clients on a trial basis, possibly at a reduced rate. This is always an excellent way to start forging those connections.

If you have a talent for this kind of thing, use it. Consider taking on some projects from marketing or public relations firms if you fancy trying your hand at copywriting.

• There are numerous types of specialities in copywriting, for example, marketing, content and creative. It never hurts to try and get in touch with experienced writers to find out which one would work for you.

Every company that has a product needs someone to explain that product. If you’re a quick study or have previous experience in a technical field. You may be who companies are looking for to turn their complex language into something any reader can understand.

• An offshoot of this can explore further speciality fields such as the legal or medial side of the company.

In the second part of this article, we will explain how social media tools and pitching can advance your freelance writing career even further. ​