How to Become a Freelance Writer 2023 – The Definitive Guide

Are you looking for step by step on how to become a freelance writer without any experience? This is one of the best and easiest ways to make money online.

So I’m going to give you a complete guide and an actionable plan to start right now. Then I will tell you the things you need to consider from using the right tools to building a portfolio.

Freelance writing is a fantastic career opportunity that you can start today. There is a lot of space in this field and it isn’t difficult to write.

In fact, there is no subject too difficult or technical to write about. As long as there is a viable market for it and a need for quality content, freelance writing can be a profitable business.

What is a Freelance Writer?

Freelance writing is a profession where someone writes for a client or company as an independent. This can either be someone who does marketing for an apparel or retail company.

It is the practice of using your skills to earn a living for yourself. This can be done from home or anywhere other places with internet connectivity.

Freelance writing jobs are an extremely popular career option right now. There are tons of places you can look to find work online.

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This is the fastest-growing profession that is getting popularity around the world. Because it allows you to work from home or anywhere else where there is web connectivity.

Web content, being one of the most important mediums for marketing a business.

Freelance writers are required to write all kinds of articles, such as educational articles for students, travel articles, fashion blogs, and so on.

What are the jobs for Freelance writers?

writer

A freelancer is someone who works for somebody else for a wage. You may start out as a contractor or an independent contractor without much formal training.

There is a lot of things that you need to consider to get hired as a freelancer. Freelance writing is a fast-growing field.

Depending on the size of your project and your prior experience with writing. You might be able to stack multiple jobs on top of each other.

Freelance writing is a somewhat flexible job that can be done from home or a coffee shop.

There are many companies that offer positions to freelance writers. As they are able to get projects from various clients.

This is a job that doesn’t require an education or advanced degrees. Here are three main categories for a freelance writer.

  1. Content writing
  2. Scriptwriting
  3. Proofreading

Content writing:

Content writing can be a part-time job or a full-time job. Being a freelance writer can be a great way to make money and learn new skills.

Whether you are getting freelance income or you are an entrepreneur that writes for others.

There are things you should consider when choosing your freelance blogging target market. Famous people write in ways that are unique to them.

If you want to get some attention for your blog, then figuring out who can attract the most readers is important.

Scriptwriting:

A scriptwriter is one who is getting hired to write a script for a video.  This is also a very popular and low competitive profession for writers.

A freelance scriptwriter can make some good money. But only if they know how to monetize their skills properly.

You have to be willing to take big risks to develop your skills. And bring in the sort of freelance work that will lead to bigger and better commissions.

Proofreading:

A proofreader is a person who reads manuscripts to make sure they are clear, consistent, and easy to understand.

He makes sure your work isn’t cluttered or difficult to read. He identifies mistakes in grammar, spelling, and style before finalizing an article.

Most importantly, a proofreader makes sure your ideas are clear and coherent.

Freelance proofreaders are people who help other people with their publishing projects.

Whether it is to take care of copyediting tasks or review blog entries for grammar mistakes. This all process is done with the help of a proofreader.

How much a freelance can make?

freelancer

With the on-demand economy growing by leaps and bounds and workers in control of their own destiny. Who wouldn’t want to know how much a freelance can earn?

Understanding is important because freelancers must have realistic expectations about their income.

If we rely solely on an elite or fortunate few to set the standard on which freelance life is measured. It paints a grossly distorted picture.

There are several factors that influence how much a freelance can make. But the expertise of the person determines the earning potential more than all. It all depends on the knowledge and experience level of a freelance person.

Related Post: 11 Best Payment Methods for Freelancers

A freelance can earn $100 to 10,000 per month or even depend upon his expertise. It’s hard to predict an exact number for every freelancer. If you have a bit of skill or knowledge on a specific topic. Then you can easily demand a high price.

How to Become a Freelance Writer:

work

The internet has given millions of potential freelance writers the opportunity to be their own boss. And they can turn a passion into a laser-like focus or even a full-time career.

Freelance writing is a very lucrative way to make money from home. It allows you to write about any subject matter as long as you have the expertise.

Whether you don’t want the bother of a boss or working with co-workers or just want to have more control over the situation. Becoming a freelance writer can be an ideal route for you to take.

Becoming a freelance writer is a dream job for a lot of people. In fact, it may be your dream job, too. If so, this guide can help you get started.

The most difficult part of deciding to become a freelance writer is getting started. Our freelance writer tips will walk you through the steps to become a successful freelance writer.

Research about valuable resources:

research

Nowadays there are so many Internet resources that can be very useful to get knowledge about any topic.

Some of them provide accurate information while others share outdated or even unreliable data. But you need to give some time to find and learn valuable content from the internet.

In addition, I also recommend you to read the best books on writing. So that you can get deep knowledge about your skill.

There are a lot of books that can help you with this. And I’ve published detailed posts about the best books about writing;

There are a lot of resources and sites that can give you an insane about of knowledge and actionable plans about your niche.

I know it would be not as easy to find them but you need to give some time. It won’t be an easy way, but it will be time-efficient if you know what to pay attention to.

Here are some of the most trusted and powerful sites on content writing;

Choose your niche:

writing

The most important step of starting an online business or freelance career is to define your niche. A niche is a subset of the main category (content writing).

There are a thousand different freelance writing niches you can go into. But before you choose an industry that suits your passion and talent.

You need to also think about how much money you want to make. It’s not just about the money, though. It’s about the time element as well.

By researching the market and following these steps below. You will have a better idea of what each niche is offering and how much it will be worth in your time.

Here are few tips to choose a successful niche;

  • Pick a niche you’re passionate about
  • Think about your competition
  • Pick a niche with room for growth
  • Consider your passion and interests
  • Conduct a SWOT analysis

Explore tools of your niche:

man working on project

No matter in which niche you’re going to start your online career. There are always dozens of free tools and resources that can help to do your tasks fast and effectively.

Exploring these tools can provide you with insights into trends and techniques that could make a difference in your revenue.

For example; if you write an article on any topic. There will be a high chance that you must have some mistakes. But if you use tools like Grammarly then it will clear all these mistakes for you.

Tools are different for creating content, marketing online, and running a business. Some tools are essential for all of these areas.

While others may be more useful for one or two at the most. But you can choose what you think is best based on your own needs and preferences.

Here are some of the most popular and important tools that a writer must have to explore;

  1. Google Docs: Counting is an essential skill for a writer. Whether you’re working on a novel or a long-form piece. When you’re writing or correcting something, using Google docs not only helps you keep track of what you’re writing. But it also gives you a chance to see your changes appear live on the web before you publish.
  2. Grammarly: Grammarly is one of the most popular online tools for writers. Grammarly is a free app that helps you check your grammar error and improve your writing skills. Then, you can export your text as a grammar checker report or simple text score for use in free or paid products.
  3. ConversionAi: Conversion Ai is a technology solution for improving connections with your audience. It is a very helpful tool that offers about 40 tools from outlining an article to getting it publishing. It helps you deliver the right messages at the right time with targeted traffic & conversions.
  4. To-Do list: To-do list is mobile available on the Google play store for free. It helps you to schedule your whole and set reminders at different times. It is something that will help you both stay focused and maintain a productive pace.
  5. Canva: With the help of illustration, you can influence the way people perceive your work. Canva is the tool that can help you to create a beautiful illustration for free. With its pre-made templates, you can save a lot of time.

Pick up the keyboard and start practicing:

virtual assistant

Practice is the main key to success in any field of like. Writing is an excellent habit and improves memory, generates new ideas, and sharpens analytical skills.

It is a skill that can be mastered by practicing on a regular basis. You can improve your skills every day and become better at using these skills.

As a beginner writer, you need to practice a lot more. This is the best thing that you can do to improve is your speed and experience in writing.

Some people prefer music when they write, and some find it soothing. Whatever the case, getting into writing mode is an empowering experience.

It forces you to look at problems in new ways and probe for solutions before you start typing. Each time you get into a rut, try practicing a new technique or writing at a different speed.

This will help you to rebuild your associations with the keys. And it will shift your focus from processing information to thinking. The more focused you are, the easier it is to bounce back from failure.

Create a writing portfolio:

graphic designing

Writing can be a really helpful skill to have. It can help you get better at work, make connections in the industry, and even make money.

It keeps you on top of new trends and helps you build credibility by publishing your work.  But having a portfolio is something that can help you to get hired fast and at a high price.

A portfolio is a digital representation of your skills and work. It can be created online through a website or using some other third-party websites.

Once you’ve created your portfolio, it can be used as a reference when applying for freelance jobs. It also helps others to understand what type of work you might bring to them.

This is something you can show to your potential buyer when applying. It shows that you’ve thought about writing about your field and are willing to invest time in it. As result, this can increase your chances of getting hired fast.

If you’re just starting out a freelance career as a writer. Then here are few tactics that you can use to create your portfolio for free.

Google Docs:

Being an efficient writer serves as an important element of successful content marketing.

Making something on Google Docs can be as simple as clicking a button.  Publishing a new article in Google Docs is a great way to track your progression as a writer.

As an efficiency measure, he suggests using the built-in features of Google Docs for faster writing processes.

It’s also a great way to get some free content ideas from the web and test out your writing skills. You can share your publications with a community of users who might benefit from them.

Medium:

Medium is aiming to be the go-to place for content marketing. It’s a fully-featured microblog that hosts user-submitted.

Here you can publish content on any topic starting from short notes to long-form articles and even tutorials.

Medium is a versatile publishing platform that has helped me build a decent online portfolio. Whether you’re a writer or freelance illustrator, you can start publishing content on it.

For newbie freelancers, the medium is great for building their portfolios. Because it’s more systematic than other blogs.

It also gives you an opportunity to pick and choose from a suite of content assets that best fits your needs.

Guest Post:

Writing guest posts for other sites gives you the opportunity to gain credibility by providing content on third-party websites. It allows you to build trust with your audience and gain clients.

It’s one way you can help yourself scale your writing efforts. Since you can target potential networking opportunities with people outside your network.

When you guest post on other sites, you are exposed to a much larger audience. This can lead to additional sales, more coverage in the press.

In addition, every post that you publish on other sites acts as a portfolio of you. It shows your credibility and trust towards the clients.

Start applying for small gigs:

man working

The hardest part of being passionate about anything is that your potential is so tiny. You can only do so much.

By starting small and ramping up your efforts, you can create a large impact.

Therefore, always start with something small like applying for a small project or finding low-volume gigs.

The risk in doing anything big is that you underestimate the obstacles. But the risk in being tiny is that you underestimate what you can achieve.

Here are few tips that you can try to start getting jobs;

  1. Freelancing site:
  2. Facebook Groups
  3. Jobs Site:

Freelancing sites:

Freelancing is becoming an independent professional to start your career online. There are several sites that allow you to set your own fee structure and earn a livable income for doing what you enjoy.

Freelancing is a job that pays well depending upon your skills. That’s why it’s important to find the best freelancing site for you. So that you don’t feel any trouble in the future.

Here are top some of the most trusted freelancing sites that I recommend to the MohsinZox audience to earn money online.

  1. Fiverr
  2. Upwork
  3. TextBroker
  4. Freelancer.Com
  5. The Writer Finder
  6. Constant Content
  7. People per Hour

Facebook Groups:

If you are unable to find any work through normal channels, then Facebook groups are a great place to look.

Joining a Facebook group can provide you with a convenient way to network with other people. These are those people who are looking for jobs too.

Jobs are often posted in these groups by people who have been unsuccessful in finding other employment. It is important to read through the posts in these groups.

When you’re ready to apply for a job. Then it would be a good idea to talk with other people in your industry about their experiences.

Get testimonials from your clients:

Getting testimonials from your clients is one of the best ways to build credibility. It can also help with making a competitive offer to them when negotiations begin.

When people hear that you’ve worked with a client they’re more likely to believe you. And this will also help you to lead more referrals and more clients.

People trust a service when they hear from others who have used it. Positive reviews bring conversions and positive relationships with your clients.

Mian Mohsin (MohsinZox)

About Author:

I'm Mohsin Raza the founder of MohsinZox Blog. Here, I share detailed case studies, step-by-step guides, and software reviews from my personal experience. Learn more...

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