Steps To Become A Freelancer And Earn High Income

 

FREELANCE WRITING: A SECOND JOB AND A LUCRATIVE WAY TO EARN CASH

If you are looking for a second job that will earn you more income, why not consider freelance writing?
Many do not know what freelancing is all about and how to go about it. Putting together the experience I have gained so far as a freelancer and the experience shared by other freelancers, I will guide you on how to start freelance writing.

If you are already a freelancer maybe you can gain more knowledge on how to improve your freelance career.

Before you venture into this career, you should bear in mind that it is highly competitive. The outbreak of COVID-19 has made people see the advantages behind freelancing as they can make money at the comfort of their homes.

This has given a significant rise to the competition in the writing market and tends to even increase in nearest future. The essence of taking the above into cognizance is not to scare or discourage you from becoming a freelancer, but just to make you see the need to make constant research and be sure your works are not just updated, but efficiently attractive, based completely on the subject been discussed and unambiguous.

Don’t worry, you can overcome the challenges.

Below are steps you need to follow carefully to become a successful freelancer- majorly for beginners:

1. To Get Started As A Freelancer, It Is Necessary to Get Writing Samples

 

Writing samples are very necessary to convince your potential client that you are a good writer- because most clients are merely after writers who can be concise and focus on the subject matter and you can only prove you are qualified for the job by providing samples.

No doubt, producing writing samples from scratch can be very challenging, so I advise you post essays you have written during your undergraduate days or even the ones why wrote during your days in the college.

If none of this is available, you can successfully produce a sample from a scratch by writing only on what you are sure you know very well. And what you like as a person.

Example, things like politics, education, fitness, philosophy, business or you
are good in relationship talks, I advise you major your area of higher knowledge.

 

The good thing about writing on topics you know very well is that you won’t lack the appropriate words to use thereby, making your job much easier for you.  The samples should be of a good number, let’s say 10
because different good works can easily convince a client that you a good writer.

2. Create A Portfolio

After getting your samples, the next step to take is to create a portfolio. Portfolio is just a designated location where you can post your works to make it easier for the potential client to have access to them.
This is because no client would want to go through the stress of them trying to find you work. You can consider using “Square Space” to create your portfolio because it makes it easier to create a website for an inexperienced web designer.

3. Pick A Niche or Be A Generalist

Picking a niche simply means having a particular area your freelancing work will be focused on. That is, choosing the topic you can only work on and this choice can increase your creativity. You may as well decide to be a general writer- write on any available subject matter.

 

When it comes to making a choice to either be a niche or a general writer, I will advise you do what works best for you because no choice is superior over the other. One may want to convince you that being a generalist will fetch you more money than being a niche, there is no formal prove to this claim.  But using common sense I will say
what will fetch you money is what you can do very well.

4. Create A Contract

As a freelancer, be very sure you read the contract presented to you by your client carefully before signing it.

Where the client fails to provide such contract, you are required to make it available and get your client sign it before further negotiations can be made.

The reason for doing this is to ensure your client will compensate you at the end of your work and at when due. Whether the client likes the job done or not, you are entitled to compensation as have agreed earlier.

You can create your contract using the resource provided by The Freelance Writer’s Union. Start Reaching Out to Potential Clients

After successfully following the above procedures, the next thing to do is to start reaching out to potential clients and you can achieve this by using job boards like Linkedln and Indeed, Opportunity of the Week newsletter and the Write Jobs PLUS+ job board.

 

The last two sources are paid and highly reliable. Another job board is the Pro Blogger Job Board. Refining your writing and making inquiries to get potential clients are the two major things you need to spend most of your time doing as a beginner because if you carryout these two assignments well, success is 60% assured.

A Brief Word on Pitches Before you pitch any place, try to figure out if they have a pitching guideline- if they do, ensure you strictly follow the guidelines to avoid pitching to them an idea that have already been published by them.

Conclusion

Make your pitch brief and concise; give a potential title and a summary of at least 1-2 short paragraphs on the subject matter, your intended sources, what makes you the appropriate person for the job and why you think the subject matter deserve publication.

At the end of your pitch, create another paragraph describing who you are and your experiences. Attach a link to your writing portfolio and links of at least three relevant writing samples in your portfolio.

Hope you enjoyed the article