The Beginner’s Guide to Freelance Writing

How to quickly establish yourself as a top freelancer

How do you make it as a freelance writer? The answer is simple enough: land enough high paying clients who help you cover living expenses plus a little extra.

Lowering your cost of living will help anyone. It’s easier to pursue a flexible lifestyle when you have fewer expenses. However, lowering your expenses only goes so far.

You’ll need the freelance writing income to back up your costs. For many, a 6-figure freelance writing income is sufficient. That figure can sound daunting to a beginner, but it’s within reach.

I started freelance writing less than a year ago. After writing for myself for several years, I decided to write for others too. Freelance writing helps you learn about new topics and build on existing knowledge. You’ll write thousands of words for your clients each day with some off time when you need it.

In one week, you can go all-in and work long hours to make extra money. In another week, you may not write anything at all because you’d rather enjoy your vacation. Not every freelance writer has enough work to do the former, but that can change. I’ll outline some of the strategies that helped me quickly establish myself as a freelancer.

Write Your Own Content First

Every freelance client will ask for work samples before considering your services. Work samples help clients gauge your abilities. Every other applicant will also submit work samples. It’s not a way to stand out but rather give yourself a chance.

As you write more content, you’ll get better. You can change your work samples over time, so you lead with your best work.

Not sure how to accumulate work samples? It’s as simple as writing articles like this one. You can write content on Medium or your blog to build up your work samples.

Even though I’ve produced content for several years, I created new content for the purpose of assembling work samples. Older content represents who you were. New content gives a better perspective on your writing style. If you’ve improved over that time, writing new content lets you lead with your best foot forward.