You’ve decided that writing is your passion, and you want to make money from it. You know there are a lot of freelancing writers out there looking for reliable jobs. But how do you land your first job as a freelance writer?
If you have your eyes set on making money writing, the more time you spend thinking about it, the easier it becomes. Today we’ll discuss some strategies to help you get your first freelance writing job sooner rather than later. The MyPassionPayday Guide: How to Get Your First Job as a Freelance Writer by Tom Bell.
Find freelance writing gigs before you apply for jobs.
When you’re just starting out, you may not have much experience as a freelance writer. This means that you’ll probably have to start somewhere, but you don’t know where. Finding gigs before you apply for jobs means you’ll have more experience writing for different types of clients and companies.
You’ll also receive feedback on your writing. As you find freelance gigs, don’t forget to keep track of them in a journal. You’ll want to see where you’re getting jobs and what types of clients you’re writing for. This will help you determine where you want to specialize as a freelance writer.
Research the top sites to find freelance writing gigs.
There are a lot of websites where you can find freelance writing gigs. Before you start applying to jobs, though, you should research them. Google, Craigslist, and social media are your best friends here. Start by searching “freelance writing” on Craigslist and Google. Then, start searching through the job listings on each of these.
You want to find gigs that are in your area, but you also want to find gigs that are out of your area so that you’re not always traveling to write. You may find that certain types of gigs (like tech gigs or gigs that are local to you) are most frequent in your city.
Write a killer freelance writer’s portfolio.
When you first start freelancing, you want to write as much as possible. Your portfolio is your chance to show off your writing. You want to collect samples of your work from various types of clients, such as bloggers, businesses, and companies. It’s best to collect samples that are representative of the types of clients you’re interested in writing for.
If you have a blog, collect samples from blog posts you’ve written. Try to collect samples from different blog posts, and if you’ve written blog posts for clients, collect samples from those posts, as well.
Be flexible and open to changes.
As soon as you land a freelance gig, you want to start feeling out your potential clients. You want to know if they’re flexible and open to making changes to your work. But many clients are set in their ways.
You may have to be flexible and open to making changes. You want to keep this in mind when you’re writing your clients’ briefs. If your client has a specific way that they want their brief to be written, make sure you’re flexible enough to make changes to get your client’s message across.
Ask for a trial only if you’re certain it’s the right fit.
You may be under the impression that you have to land a client’s gig before you can ask for a trial. That’s not the case. Freelance writing is a trial-based business. If a client likes your work and is willing to offer you a gig, you can ask for a trial immediately.
There are some clients, though, that aren’t sure if they’re going to work with you. If this is the case, you may want to ask if you can do a trial first. Then, once you’ve proven that you’re a reliable writer, you can ask for a permanent contract.
Purchase the MyPassionPayday Guide
Individuals who have always wanted to work as freelance writers can gain valuable insight by purchasing the digital guide MyPassionPayday by Tom Bell on the official website.
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