Make Money With Freelance Writing
June 10th, 2008 by Monika MundellFreelance writing has been the business model for many online entrepreneurs to fuel their dreams of a better life. When we dream of making money online it is often to escape a life that has lost its spark. While many succeed, most never will and the dreams die as quick as they are born.
Hopefully after reading this article, you will understand that you too can make money online with freelance writing if you feel passionate about it.
As some of you know, I came to freelance writing more by accident than by design. After a failed business venture in MLM I discovered that I wasn’t cut out to be a die hard sales person, but more so a writer who enjoys blogging and writing about a vast range of topics, while expanding my ever growing knowledge.
I basically slipped into my business and I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity, regardless of what happens in the future. I thrive on writing about many subjects and every time I do, I learn something new.
The fun part of this is that you can too!
Here are some of the characteristics you will need (in my eyes) to make this work.
1.) You need passion for the written word. That means you mustn’t flinch at the idea of having to write a 600 word article, regardless of the topic. As a matter of fact, on an average day I write about 4,000 words for clients.
2.) You also need to be a voracious reader and learner. I’m convinced that reading hundreds of books has helped me to understand English grammar without having to study the subject.
In case you wonder, I grew up in Switzerland and what I know today is the result of years of reading and learning. Plus, I never feel that I stopped learning and am always soaking up new information. I guess I am like a sponge.
I simply crave new knowledge.
3.) Get into action. You’d be surprised as to how many people wish to be a freelance writer but never actually do anything at all to make it happen. Action is the magic word and the sooner you jump into the cold water, the quicker you will be able to swim. To help you get started, I created a freelance writing guide for new freelancers. In the guide I touch on many subjects to do with freelance writing so if you are interested to learn more, feel free to take a peek.
4.) Brand early. Branding is everything in our business. If people don’t know who you are, you make it complicated for them to find you. The best way for a freelance writer to brand himself is to use his own name.
The sooner you actively do this, the quicker clients can recognize you. More recognition = more work!
5.) Use an online portfolio. Show the world what you are about. Make a statement, like McDonald’s. Be proud. When you are good in your field, there is no room for false modesty but always, always stay humble.
There is a difference.
6.) Build step by step. No new freelance writer will be run over with tons of work when he first starts out. As long as you are prepared for this, you can build your business as it grows without the need for speed and pressure.
7.) Look for expansion. There will come a time in your business when you need to expand. You might need to outsource, or cap your clients to keep on top of all your assignments. The sooner you weigh up your options, the smoother your business will move into the next chapter.
8.) Never stop looking. Even if you business is flying along, it pays to keep a couple of options open. The nature of freelance writing determines that you won’t always be fully booked. Plan for those quiet times and work that plan.
9.) Network. Networking has been my biggest income source. Without networking, I wouldn’t have half of the clients I have now. Every day I am amazed at the power of networks and how they help my business. Before you wonder though, networking didn’t come easy. It required months of hard work to stay in the loop and connect with other bloggers to eventually get noticed by them.
A comment here, a blog post there and more will be required to build a strong network of other business owners who might be prepared to recommend your services to third parties.
10.) Hard work. I said it before, I say it now. Working hard is part of making it happen for any online business, regardless of the industry. Long hours, repeat work, frustration and success are all part of any serious entrepreneurs daily life.
The question is, do you want your own slice?
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June 10th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Great article here Court, thanks for sharing. You may consider in writting an overview about affiliate marketing in german? I am still lost in some parts which never can be found to be explained…
Regards from the rainy Swiss
Manuel
June 10th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I’ve been waiting for a post like this from you Monika - explaining how to make money as a freelancer. Really well done.
I hope people understand how much they can learn from you. Whether or not people want to pursue a career in freelancing, the ability to effectively communicate and persuade with the written word may be one of the most powerful, if not THE most powerful business skill there is.
Thanks for all your contributions to the site here.
June 11th, 2008 at 4:31 am
@ Mark: Seems that I hit the spot then, I appreciate your feedback. Unfortunately this subject is so vast that I could write about it for days and therefore it doesn’t fit into one blog post.
I totally agree with you about the written word though. While nobody is perfect, I see so many websites that could do with some improvements if they were to focus some more on their writing. Communication is indeed the key to relationships and doing business and since we use the written word online do to that, we have to make sure to do our best.
June 10th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
My writing skills are pretty low standard and I hate writing but and I know freelancers hate it but there is even a market for poor writers like myself.
I was broke when I started out on the internet so I used freelance writing to be able to afford the tools I needed to setup such as domains, web hosting, article submitter directory submitter and so on.
Respect to people like you Monika, I wish I could write better but it is never going to be my strong point i’m afraid.
June 11th, 2008 at 4:35 am
@ Ian: Thank you for the nice words. You know, standard is always in the eye of the beholder, like beauty. So while you deem your quality of writing poor, somebody else is very happy with that indeed and as long as you make money from it, who cares.
Good on you for going with your gut feeling and getting active to earn money with something you don’t even feel that good about. I take my hat off to you.
June 10th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
It’s hard to write on a topic i am not passionate about… But, like you said, to fuel the dream… i don’t want to be writing 6 articles 6 months from now… but, to get some sites off the ground, i’ll write some articles for people.
June 10th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Good post Monika. I am not a writer but I hire some freelance writer for my business. I agree with most of your points and specially the brand early and networking.
Almost half of the business in the world is being done because of networking. Ever wondered why Golf has become so popular among businessman
What do you think about people writing on ALL topics under the sun. I think its better if they specialize in one or two fields and build a team for other topics?
June 11th, 2008 at 5:01 am
@ Jeet: LOL, yes the big game of the boys with polo shirts and pressed pants, golf, I reckon golf is definitely a networking game since the cold beer afterwards beckons the slackest of couch potatoes into the open.
Your question is one I have seen asked before and I think opinions might vary on this but here is what I think, since you asked so nicely.
When a freelance writer first starts out there are two major factors which determine what he writes about:
1.) his/her experience in a certain field
2.) interest level about individual topics
As the business advances, a writer normally settles into an area of work, whether that be topic related or not. Often referrals are the determining factor s, since many business owners refer a writer to somebody who operates within the same industry.
So the writer garners many clients within a “niche’ and that is what he/she predominantly ends up writing about.
But…..
I also think that a good freelance writer also needs to be an excellent researcher, meaning that we can research any topic under the sun and then write an article about it that makes sense and appeals to those within that industry as well.
Personally I have written for many niches since i started out, ranging from bathrooms, to gifts, real estate, travel, Internet marketing, eco-thereapy and much more. If a client comes knocking on my door I’m not going to turn him away because I have to research the niche first. That is my own problem.
As far as I’m concerned, the client expects a quality article from me for the money I charge. I can give that to him or else he gets his money back. So, if that means I need to spend two hours learning a new industry, so be it. I actually love learning new things and always find new information while I write.
Despite this, I still ended up writing for a limited market in the end, due to the referrals I mentioned earlier.
I guess in the end it comes down to personal preference. I love research so I have no problem writing about a vast range of topics. However, having said that I don’t dig writing about tech related issues since this is too in debt for me to learn by studying the topic in a few hours. So in the end, there is a limit after all.
Well, before this turns into another blog post I hope this answered your question.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
OOOPs, that was a bit confusing. I was reading this wonderful article on RSS feed and I clicked through to the Writing guide, and went, “wait a minute, what happened to Court? He looks a lot prettier than I remember from these pages. So I clicked back to the actual blog and all became clear to me.
Hi Monika, I loved your article , will be reading your Guide. I love to write and blogging has been a great outlet for me. All your suggestions are key! And I’ve bookmarked you so I can come and visit any time.
Nick
June 11th, 2008 at 5:04 am
@ Nick: Oh my, sorry about the confusion. So you are saying that Court is prettier than me. Bah, bah….:-(
Thank you for the lovely words though, I look forward to seeing you over at my place.
June 11th, 2008 at 3:11 am
sounds all great and shiny , but what a web addict hunger for the moolah do when his mother language is nothing but englich .
one thing you can do is to learn it
but if you are too stupid and old to learn anything else beside my phone’s personal identification number, well…just one solution left:
enroll to BUX.TO and get that money rolling.
yes, it is not scam , it something pointed out to get bigger and bigger , a real network
June 11th, 2008 at 5:33 am
Yup. When I saw your comment it did look like a full post to me
Thanks for answering my question.
June 12th, 2008 at 12:12 am
@ Jeet: No problem, I couldn’t help myself.
June 11th, 2008 at 8:20 am
Monika,
Great post as always. With summer time weather already here, many new freelancers are learning about the “cyclical” nature of business. The weather is warmer and vacation time usually means “reduced income” time for freelancers of every variety. Which is why #8 is such great advice!
Last summer I didn’t have a slow down and I was actually disappointed because I had planned on developing a product last summer which has been horribly delayed as a result. Yeah, I know… it’s a problem I hope to have this summer as well. (grin)
June 12th, 2008 at 12:15 am
@ Kathy: For once that is a good problem to have, don’t you agree? I’m in a similar predicament myself. Keep trying to do extra things and never have enough time to do them. Oh the hard choices.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:42 am
I’m looking to get into freelance writing pretty soon myself and these are some great tips. Before reading this post I wasn’t really sure where to start looking, but now I have a foundation and some very helpful advice to build upon. Thanks, Monika!
June 12th, 2008 at 12:17 am
@ Tony: Good to see you have a starting point. If you look around you will find plenty of ideas, helpful tips and more regarding freelance writing. If you are ever stuck feel free to drop me a line. I help where I can.
June 11th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Freelance blogging has been a very good experience for me, even though I feel into it by accident.
June 12th, 2008 at 12:20 am
@ Steven: Hey, long time no seen. How are you? Yeah, I noticed you have done some blogging around. I think I heard you mentioning it on your blog before or else in a comment somewhere. Those things that happen by accident can often turn out quite fun. Don’t you agree?
June 13th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
what kind of money is out there for freelance writers?
most I know do it as a hobby rather than a way of living.
I’ve been trying to talk my wife into writing as shes quite talented, and giving her a carrot of cash would be a big boost in the right direction.
Here’s my rough math. Working 260 days per year and 8 articles a day and $10 an article is only about $20k. Am I way off on any of my estimates?
June 15th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
@ List of Hobbies: I’m not sure who you have been talking to, but many freelance writers i know do this full time as a serious business. I can assure you that there is more money to be made than $20k/year but in the end this all depends on the individual and their ability to write.
I stopped discussing my income when I hit full time back in January this year. Full time to me meant a minimum of $500/week after expenses to give you an idea. That is already nearly $30k per year.
One freelance writer who does post his income is Chris of chrisblogging.com As you can see there, he earns around $4,000-$10,000/month.
On the other hand, is your wife cut out for this too. You might want it more for her than she does and that would never work out. If however she is as keen as you on the idea, then giving it a go is the least she can do - don’t you agree?
June 16th, 2008 at 10:11 am
It looks like my estimate breaks down on the $10 per article. My guess is full time experienced writers are making quite a bit more per article.
Thanks for the feedback on Chris’ blog. Nice to read for his POV. I’ve sent it over to my wife for review
I only want her to do it if she wants to write. There is nothing worse than being stuck doing a job you hate. Years ago she used to tell me how much she liked to write. When I got into blogging I realized there’s a pretty big market for content and put the two together.
I suspect she’ll give it a go to see what its all about. Thanks again for the feedback.
June 19th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
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July 4th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Hi Court,
Can you also write an article from the other side of the table? How does someone go about finding a freelance writer?
I’ve got a few things that I need written up for my company but would prefer to outsource to a high quality freelance writer. How can I go about finding someone of high quality and within my niche?
July 5th, 2008 at 12:27 am
@ Stephane: You could try a Google search for freelance writers, or else send me an email on info [at] the writersmanifesto.com. I might be able to help you. I also have existing real estate clients if that helps you. We can discuss your needs and take it from there.
Did I mention my quality of work?
July 17th, 2008 at 9:36 am
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July 24th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
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