Freelancing is probably not for people who lack self-motivation. If you don't go looking for work, spending your days shooting off emails and writing pitches, then it is very unlikely the work will come to you. For most people, freelancing does not provide regular work at the beginning. So if you find it stressful not having a steady income then it's worth looking at other options, or indeed getting a second paid job for some initial security.
Freelance writing can be a great career, but it takes time and effort to build yourself up as a dependable, trustworthy writer. Starting freelance work can be overwhelming whether you want to pursue it as a career or a part-time hobby. The best place to start is with online publishing platforms and work your way up.
Step One: Start a personal blog. While blogging for a niche can be a great way to generate income, you will need to first familiarize yourself with the online publishing world. The best part about having a personal blog is that you can write about whatever you want, and you aren’t limited to one topic. Write about whatever you are passionate about and continually study your writing and how it can be improved.
Step Two: Join an online content publishing community. One of the best places to do this is Associated Content owned by Yahoo!. Your first few articles will have to pass an editor’s review, but after that you will be able to publish articles on whatever you like or pick up articles from the assignment desk. Pay is low on this site, but it will give you great exposure to the online writing world and there are some great community forums and community guides to help you out along the way.
Step Three: Join more content development sites. These can be paid or unpaid, but different sites have different regulations and will give you exposure and practice on different platforms. Some suggestions are Textbroker, Demand Studios, wikiHow, Break Studios, or Internet Brands. You can even reach out to niche sites that align with your areas of expertise.
Step Four: Create an online portfolio or landing page for yourself. Provide links to your site profiles where people can see your published work. You can also provide some personal information that will help in branding yourself, but you should stick to things that qualify you as a writer. For example, you can list your education and areas of interest and expertise, but avoid writing about your home life. While you may love it, the information comes across as unnecessary and annoying to potential clients or employers.
Step Five: Follow successful freelancers. Whether it is in Twitter or your blog feed, find individuals who have made a career of freelance writing and read all about their successes and failures. This will help point you where to go and may even uncover some wonderful opportunities for you.
Step Six: Focus on earning money. You will find that some sites pay much better than others. The goal of this step is not to earn a lot of money, but to gear yourself towards writing to a client’s detailed specifications. Chances are, the higher the pay, the pickier the editors are in publishing content. If you only want to freelance as a hobby, you can stick to the sites that are easier to publish on, but you will not receive nearly as much constructive criticisms on how to improve your writing.
Step Seven: Look for unique assignments. Sites like Elance and The Freelance Writing Jobs Network are some good sites that display high quality jobs. You may only land a few or none at all at first, but it is a learning process that must be embraced and you will be surprised at how much you learn from just trying. The better and more established you become, the more money you will be able to earn.
Keep yourself updated on correct writing style. Use books like “The AP Stylebook” or “The Elements of Style” by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White. Doing so will continually improve your writing and remind you of important rules to always follow.
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