Become a Freelance Writer Online
For people who love to write and have a way with words you could become a freelance writer. An online freelance writing career is a great way to earn extra money. Today more than ever, there is a huge demand for writers who can provide fresh content for the thousands if not millions of websites which are now online.
First of all, the obvious question – what is a freelance writer and how do I become a freelance writer?
In a nutshell the “freelance” bit means that you work for yourself and sell your service to different employers without a long term contract with any of them. This mean that you can set your own pay rates, take on what you want, work in the hours to suit you and is a great way to start making money online which in turn could grow into a successful business.
The other great thing if you become a freelance writer is that there are minimal startup costs – just your time and your computer. Indeed, all you really need is the ability to write good English (or in other languages if the job calls for it), an email address, and the willingness to work hard and meet deadlines.
So far so good. But how do you go about getting business when you become a freelance writer? Getting your name known and building up your customer list is probably the hardest part of being a freelance writer, but once you are established you can really make money.
Now there are several different routes you can go when you become a freelance writer – you could specialise in article writing, or ebook creation for clients, or resume writing, or writing technical guides.. the list really does go on.
However, lets just concentrate on probably the easiest entry level writing and that is article writing. My advice to anyone wishing to become a freelance writer is to start with writing articles.
How It Works (freelance article writing)
Website/blog/membership site owners need content! New content is what makes the internet go around.
- Articles posted to blogs keep search engine rankings high.
- Articles posted to article directories create backlinks and increased traffic.
- Articles used for membership sites/newsletters need to be delivered to keep the members happy.
There is so much demand for so much content that the busy website owner just does not have time to write all their own articles. That is where you can step in as a “ghostwriter” and write their content for them and get paid for it!
Where To Find Freelance Article Writing Jobs
The best places to start are online freelance job boards. Go to sites like www.elance.com or www.guru.com and you will quickly learn what is need.
These are places where website owners go to find “freelance” staff to help them with their online business.
When they need a job done, they will post their job description on the board and then you, the freelancer, will reply to the request with your quote on how much you are willing to complete the job for. Bear in mind that there will be other freelance writers replying/applying to the same job with their quote so it is not always a straightforward process and is often decided by a mixture of quality and value for money… it’s not always the lowest bidder that wins
You will notice that other freelancers will provide sample articles to show off their skills and you should do the same. .
Another way to find article writing jobs is to go to webmaster/internet marketing forums such as
These are forums where internet business owners who need articles hang out.
In most cases, you will need to pay to post your advert but it can be a quick way to get clients. Package deals often sell well with posting an advert in a forum. For example, you could offer 10 x 250 word articles for $20 or 10 x 500 word articles for $35. Check out what others are offering first and price accordingly – you may need to provide sample work and feedback from other customers (if you have any).
Alternatively it may be a good idea to give away some articles or a small article pack for free – bear in mind these have to be top-notch quality to encourage your potential customer to be your actual customer in the future.
It does require some organisation to become a freelance writer, so I have listed the pros and cons
Become a Freelance Writer – The PROs
- Free and fast start up – If you have an email account you can get work almost immediately.
- No running costs – There is no expensive software or memberships to pay for to run your freelance writing business. All you need is any text editing and document creating program like Word which is on almost all Windows pcs.
- No website required – You do not need to have a website or know anything about one. A website will help to improve your credibility and is a good idea to have one in the long run but not essential at first.
- Set your own hours – Work little or as much as you want.
- No Contracts – Be your own boss. You take on as much or as little work as you want without being tied down to one job. You can take on several different jobs at once also.
- Choose your work- You can choose the writing jobs that suit you best.
- Work from home – All you need is your computer, text program (Word) and internet connection.
Become a Freelance Writer – The CONs
- Typing speed – You get paid on a per article basis so it means the faster you type, the quicker you can get work done and your pay rate will turn out to be reasonable. If you type very slowly (like me) then you will find it a low paying job.
- Expert Knowledge – If you get a job that requires articles on a topic you know nothing about or have little interest in, it will be hard to write about (hint: use the internet to research, especially wikipedia)
- Writers block – Often the person who requests the articles will give you the topics they want articles about so you at least have an idea. But for longer articles, 400-500 words, you might have a hard time coming up with the number.
- Don’t want to type – Unless you love writing, you may have days where you don not want to type for hours. This job requires effort and commitment to finish your writing jobs and meet the deadlines of your employer! Treat it like any other job and you will become a freelance writer in no time
Become a Freelance Writer – More Information
A really good and comprehensive (and low cost) guide – the Freelance profit method can be found here:
The Freelance Profit Method teaches you everything you need to know about freelance writing for profit and the best part is it’s only $7 and instantly downloadable via Paypal. Highly recommended
Go on, become a freelance writer today!
