Do you love to write? Do you have a knack for making words come
alive on a page? You may want to consider freelance writing as a
way to make a good living from home.
Freelance writers write anything from newspaper columns to web
content and even ebooks.
Getting Started
Before you go looking for freelance jobs, you should build up a
portfolio of articles. You can write for your own website or
blog, offer to write free articles for friends, or contact your
local paper about writing a column for them. Work on some
articles that you can use as samples of your work and build a
list of references for your potential clients to contact.
Where To Find Work
The next step will be finding potential clients. You can visit
some of the big freelance sites like elance and bid on projects.
It is also a good idea to set up a website that showcases some
of your writing, tells a little about you and your area of
expertise, and of course you will have your contact information
on the site. You may also want to consider adding a blog to your
site. It's an easy way to add articles, short tips and any other
writings to your site on an ongoing basis.
Networking is another great way to find work. Think about
friends, former colleagues, bosses and clients that would be
interested in having some writing done and call them up. As you
start building your own client base, ask for referrals. Do you
know someone that successfully freelances now? Ask them for
advice on getting started and spend some time with them. They
may refer clients to you that they don't have time for. Do the
same for other freelancers if you are contacted with a project
you can't handle.
Many magazines will accept freelance work. Keep a spreadsheet
with names and addresses of the editors of the various
publications and pitch story ideas on a regular basis. It can be
tough to get a foot in the door with magazines, but once you
start getting published it will become easier and in many cases
more lucrative.
Getting Paid
How much you will get paid will largely depend on the size of
the project and how involved it is. Short articles on general
topics that don't require research may pay as little as $5.00 a
piece while doing research for and writing an ebook may bring
you several hundred dollars.
If you love writing about a variety of topics, I encourage you
to give freelance writing a try. It's a great way to do what you
love and stay home with the kids at the same time. The main key
to becoming a successful freelance writer is to practice writing
all the time, whether you get paid for it or not. Just get out a
pen and paper, or open you favorite text editor and start
writing.
|
Categories 
