Hello, everyone. This is @Eirolfeam2 .
So I have been reading a lot of articles and even watching vlogs about how to become a freelance writer.
I was 17 years old when I first heard about this business, and now, I am interested to go into it again. And because almost all of you here are now into writing, I want to share to all of you the basic information I found out about this online job that you might want to know.
What does freelance writing means?
Freelance Writing is the practice of writing for money while working on one's own and not being employed by a company or organization. Freelance writers produce whatever written text is needed by their clients, either working from home or in a rented office space. Writers can have many different clients, or one large client with a lot of steady, ongoing work. Writers can work as generalists and cover topics as diverse as automobiles and architectural design. Or they can specialize in one area, such as the culinary arts.
How does freelance writing works?
Freelance writers are not only writers; they are also marketing themselves and their skills to potential clients. Freelance writers are often business owners because they must form a business to separate their personal finances from their business finances. The successful freelance writer is often a combination of creative wordsmith and shrewd businessperson. Writing well is just the start. You must sell yourself effectively and manage your finances.
What does a freelance writer do?
Freelance writers compose whatever text their clients need. That is the creative side. But, freelance writers often approach their work like any other business, spending part of their time seeking new business and the other part of their time staying on top of record-keeping. However, between 60 and 75% of the writer's time should be devoted to writing copy—whether it's magazine articles, websites, press releases, blog posts, newsletters, internal corporate communications, or brochures.
What do freelancers write about?
Just about anything you can think of that staff writers, communications specialists, or marketers do, freelance writers also may get assigned. Here’s a starter list:
Web pages (informational or sales pages)
Blog posts
Magazine articles (for consumer, custom, or trade publications)
Newspaper articles
Direct mail sales letters
Newsletters (physical or email-delivered)
Annual reports (corporate or nonprofit)
Business plans
Media kits
White papers
Case studies
Press releases
Research reports
Speeches
Radio scripts
Video scripts
Video sales letters
Marketing emails
Internal/intranet company communications
Ghostwriting of anything above
How do freelance writers get paid?
Every client has its own process and payment type. Sometimes a client will want the writer to send an invoice when the work is done, or they pay half up front and the remainder when the work is handed in. Sometimes, clients simply want a Paypal message reminding them payment is due, and then a check is dispersed. Other clients have intricate computer systems that tell them when it’s time to pay a writer, and no action is needed on the part of the freelancer.
Why do freelance writers exist?
One reason this career exists is that people, or companies, often need only one project done at a time, such as one booklet written to launch a new product. Perhaps a business needs copy produced for its new website. Hence, there’s no reason to hire an employee. Instead, it’s simpler to enter into an agreement or contract with an individual writer. Even if the business ends up having several projects in a year, it's still less expensive to farm out the work as opposed to hiring an employee who requires benefits such as health care.
Additionally, in today's digital work world, many companies simply don’t exist in a fixed physical location. Those companies need workers who are able to work independently, in their own space. More and more of these companies are contracting with individual workers not just in different ZIP codes, but in different parts of the country.
What are the benefits of freelance writing?
Being a freelance writer does require a certain amount of self-reliance – there’s no regular, monthly salary, sick or holiday pay to fall back on – so it’s not for everyone. However, for any writer brave enough to become freelance the benefits are enormous.
leave the daily 9-5 behind as they are able to choose their own hours.
have the freedom to choose who they work for. So, if they want to, freelance writers can only write about dog training, cats, knitting, backpacking etc.
do not have to engage in a daily commute as most freelance writers use a room in their home as an office.
can tailor their work environment to their own needs with daylight simulation bulbs, ergonomic furniture etc. that would probably not be available in a traditional office.
can take holidays without having to work around colleagues.
can choose how many hours they’d like to work so, they can work for 5, 20 or 40 hours a week.
How much does freelance writers earn?
How much a freelance writer gets paid will depend on a number of factors that include the following:
How much experience do they have?
Where is their work being published?
Are they writing for wealthy businesses and clients?
How hard do they work?
Does their writing lead to proven sales?
Do they have a strong and happy base of client reviews?
It ultimately depends on their experience, their reputation, and whether or not their writing is unique and desirable. If a writer can craft product descriptions that help a business sell 10 times more than their rivals, then that writer would be in very high demand and their rates would reflect that.
These are the basic information you need to know if you are also an aspiring freelance writer like me.
I will try to dig deeper and research about this topic again and share to you my journey into this freelance writing business.
Sources:
www.thebalancesmb.com
www.writersbureau.com
www.blog.copify.com
www.makealivingwriting.com
To me Freelancer good job as far you have clients to give you a contract