Breaking Into the Freelance Writing Scene

Freelance writing is an excellent way to earn money in one's spare time or as a full-time career. In most cases, no particular education is required, and the only thing a freelance writer will be judged on is their skill as a writer. That said, many struggle to find a way to break into the business. The good news is that getting started isn't as hard as many think, and there are multiple ways to work as a freelance writer online.

Job Sites

There are many sites created for the sole purpose of connecting freelancers with clients. Examples would be Upwork, Freelancer.com, and Fiverr. Generally speaking, signing up and getting started is easy, though freelancers do have to create their own profiles and be rated according to how well they perform.

Content Mills

Content mills are probably the best way to find work as a freelance writer as soon as possible. Sites like Textbroker allow their writers to select posted jobs and complete them at their leisure as long as the deadlines are met. One thing to remember is that the trade-off here is that writers typically get paid less while working for content mills than they would if they were working on a job site or working independently.

Working Independently

Some freelance writers don't use job sites or content mills to find work. Instead, they have a blog or website showcasing their services and abilities as a writer. They then rely on either free SEO traffic to their site or paid ads to generate leads. Sometimes they may use a job board, like ProBlogger Jobs, which connects clients and writers but doesn't actually broker the deals as job sites do.

Get Started with Freelance Writing Today

The main thing to remember about breaking into the freelance writing scene online is that it can take time to build a reputation. The sooner one gets started with online freelance writing, the faster they'll build up their reputation and portfolio. This will allow freelancers to use their experience and samples of their work to get higher-paying writing gigs. Experienced freelance writers can charge very substantial fees for their work, making this an excellent long term career choice.