The notion of becoming a freelance writer is very intriguing to the masses. Many people dream of writing a best seller, and living by the beach in a little writer’s cottage while they work on their next masterpiece. Of course the average income of a freelance writer certainly doesn’t allow for a cottage on the beach.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s very good money in freelance if you are talented. Most writers who write best sellers set out to write a book that they believed in, not to earn a fortune, which is why they turned out to be best sellers.
Freelancing, as a career, takes a few special ingredients. Talent, dedication, self discipline, imagination, and flexibility. Whether you are interested in writing only fiction or writing technical jargon for textbooks, these are all still requirements along with organization, time management, research skills, and of course, the ability to navigate a computer and to type at least fast enough to get the sentences on the screen before sundown.
So, you’re ready to start earning your living as a writer, so the first thing you need is something to write. You’ve decided that you have the necessary ingredients and you want to find some work. You have two basic options, the snail mail way or the internet.
The snail mail way involves buying the writer’s bible, The Writer’s Market, and finding publishers that you believe would be interested in what you have to say for one reason or another. You send them query letters that express your interest, your experience (if you don’t have any then just don’t mention it) and what it is that you have to say, how long it will take you to say it—in words not time—and that the manuscript or article is ready to send. That means it has to be written first. If they are interested they will respond to you. The Writer’s Market will tell you how long it usually takes before you hear from them.
The internet method, just like everything else, is faster and in some ways easier. It’s not easier in every aspect, but it takes much less time to find out if you have what it takes. The internet raises the competitive bar by at least 75%, and the competition is instantaneous. Projects are posted on various websites, and it’s up to you to bid on them. If someone is interested in what you have to say and how much you’ll charge them for what you have to say, you’ll land the job. There are two types of freelance writer websites out there. The type who offer high competition for higher pay and the type that the competition isn’t so good, but the bids are so low you may find yourself writing articles for less than $1. It’s hard to make a living that way.
For those of us who have been around longer than the internet ease, the internet market made life a lot easier. For new and beginning writers, the competition on the upscale websites may be a little intimidating. The websites are expensive, at least the ones that you can make a reasonable living from. Joining them is anywhere from $60 to $100 per month, plus they take a more than fair chunk of your writing fees, anywhere from 8 to 10%.
If you are talented it is perfectly possible to make upwards of $50,000 per year as a freelance writer. You not only have to be talented at writing, but also at getting projects in on time, maintaining professionalism, and have the talent to write about just about anything under the sun. If you’re in it for the money you won’t last. Not all projects are about personal expression, in fact very few are. You have to love to write. The money is just a bonus. You have to want to write between 8 and 14 hours per day nearly every day. Yes, you are in control and if you need a day off, take it. But you’ll have to make up that time somewhere. If you’re not motivated to write for the challenge and joy of it, this isn’t a job for you. Most of the time, you’re completely on your own, and whatever you’re bringing to the table has to come from somewhere within. If you want to make real money, you have to have at least three to five projects going at any given time. That’s a lot of writing and a lot of loving to write.
Now that I’ve been cautionary, let me tell you how cool it is to become a freelance writer. You are your own boss. You call the shots. You work at home. If you’re good, sooner or later you get to set the rules and even demand higher prices than most. Laptops mean you get to work where you want and how you want. You can live anywhere you’d like and never have to worry about a job. It is one of the few jobs in the world where the only thing you are judged on is the quality of your work and your professionalism instead of your waistline, hairline, crooked teeth, crooked nose, or your supermodel good looks.
When starting a freelance writing career, you have to set daily goals and meet them. This never really changes, but after awhile it happens effortlessly. You have to build a portfolio and market your best stuff. People respond well to good writers. It’s that simple. The market is flooded with writers. The market is very dry when it comes to good writers. Tire kicking writers who set off with a dream and little talent and take projects for $1 don’t last very long. Writers with a little ambition and a strong command of the English language who simply love to write last forever. Becoming a freelance writer is a journey for those who truly love to write.