You enjoy writing, and you’ve heard plenty of stories about people who’ve quit their day jobs and made a full-time income from their passion. Freelancing is becoming increasingly popular, so you might be wondering, what’s stopping you from doing the same? In fact, the good news is that there’s nothing stopping you from taking the plunge into your new freelance career. In fact, the nature of the work makes it easier than ever to ease yourself into it – you can continue working in your regular job until you feel that you’ve built up your portfolio and clients to a point that you’re comfortable with to go full-time. However, it is important that you knowhow to work on your skills for your career advantage. This way, you are certain that you’re equipped with everything that you need to become a successful freelance writer. Here are our top tips.
Tip #1. Determine if it’s Right for You:
Many people see freelance writers as having the dream life. Answering to nobody but themselves, controlling their own time and working whenever they want, it’s easy to see why it’s an enviable lifestyle. But, bear in mind that you will need to be disciplined, organized, and able to follow a routine that you set out for yourself. You’ll need to have a strong degree of self-control and be able to ignore the distractions present at home during your working hours. And, all the benefits that you take for granted as an employee no longer exist. Is this something that you think you’d be able to do?
Tip #2. Find a Niche:
When it comes to freelance writing, there are many areas that you might be interested in. Perhaps guest blogging for clients is your thing, or maybe you think that you will excel at writing website content. Perhaps you want to ghostwrite e-books or even write your own books that you’ll sell on sites such as Amazon. Perhaps you’re thinking about joining a team of affordable essay writers to help with academic tasks. Maybe you’re considering doing a little bit of everything? Take the time to sit down and think about the niche that is going to work for you.
Tip #3. Build Your Online Portfolio:
To get clients that are going to pay you for your work, you’ll need to have an online presence. Invest time, effort and money into building an online portfolio that stands out from the crowd and convinces potential clients to choose you over the rest. Examples of your previous work are one of the best ways to lure new clients in, but if you’re just starting out you may not have any to show off. Starting your own blog is a great way to do this – you can blog about your journey to becoming a freelance writer or consider writing about a topic that you enjoy and are interested in.
Tip #4. Build Your Online Visibility:
As a freelance writer, one of your main jobs is to help your clients build their online visibility, so it’s essential to ensure that you can showcase that you can do this effectively for yourself. Take the time to advertise and market your services on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and work on building your personal brand. Find freelance communities and forums online and be active on them, asking and answering questions – you can build strong relationships with your peers which often leads to learning and referrals, and you’ll often find many prospective clients in these online areas who are on the look-out for writers who they feel will be a good fit for their requirements.
Starting your career as a successful freelance writer isn’t always easy, but with the right amount of dedication and perseverance, you can achieve your dreams.
