How to Make a Living as a Successful Freelance Writer (7 Free Steps)

Freelance writing can be fun, challenging, and fulfilling not to mention lucrative. And the best part is that you get to work from home, in your pajamas, if you’d like! As long as you’re willing to do some legwork (and learn a thing or two), it’s easy to get started in this exciting field.

Do you want to become a successful freelance writer? Are you keen on becoming a professional freelance writer? All these questions will be answered in this article. Without further delay, let’s get started.

7 Steps To Become a Successful Freelance Writer

Here are 7 steps to guide you toward success as a freelance writer.

1. Prove Your Worth

One of the biggest challenges you’ll face as a freelance writer is proving your worth to potential clients. After all, why should they hire you over someone else?

Here are a few ways to show them what you’re made of:

• A portfolio: Show off some of your best work in an online portfolio or print it out and take it with you on interviews. It’s important that this includes a variety of different writing samples – not just the ones that make you look good. 
• References: Give potential clients names and contact information for people who have worked with you before so they can contact them for recommendations.
• Testimonials: Ask past clients if they would be willing to write you a testimonial describing their experience working with you. You could also ask if they would be willing to provide any relevant feedback about your skills and strengths. 

Also, include social media links in your portfolio so potential clients can see examples of your writing on sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etcetera.

2. Get the Right Tools

To become a successful freelance writer, you need to have the right tools at your disposal. This means having a laptop or desktop computer that is fast and reliable. 

You will also need a word processing program like Microsoft Word or Google Docs, and a way to store your files online (like Dropbox or Google Drive). 

Finally, it’s helpful to have a project management system like Trello or Asana to keep track of your assignments.

3. Finding Freelance Writing Jobs Online

One of the great things about freelance writing is that there are always opportunities available. No matter what your niche or area of expertise, there’s a good chance you can find work online.

For example, if you’re an expert in gardening and sustainable living, you could find work at gardening sites and sustainability blogs. If you have a knack for fashion and design, then publications like InStyle magazine will be looking for writers like yourself!

The best way to start searching for jobs online is by doing some research on the publication’s website to see if they’re currently hiring writers.

4. Be Persistent

The freelance life isn’t always easy, but it is possible to make a living or become a successful freelance writer. The key is to be persistent. Keep submitting your work and keep pitching your ideas. Persistence pays off and soon you will find that your hard work is finally paying off. 

If you do happen to get turned down on an idea or assignment, remember that this is the way of the freelance world: rejections are part of the game so don’t let them get you down.

5. Turn Down Bad Work

You can’t make a living as a freelance writer if you’re constantly saying yes to bad work. You have to be willing to turn down projects that don’t pay enough, that are too much work for the pay, or that you simply don’t want to do. 

Figure out what type of work you’re best at and then stay true to those types of assignments. Eventually, word will get around and the type of clients who fit your profile will start coming your way without even having to advertise yourself.

6. Understand Payment Terms

When you’re first starting out as a freelance writer, it’s important to understand the different payment terms that clients may use. Here are four of the most common:

• Work for hire: You’ll be commissioned by the client to write content on their behalf. 
• Copywriting: The client will provide text and images but need help structuring it in an engaging way. 
• Editing: You’ll be asked to edit existing content (maybe from another freelancer) and fix any grammatical or formatting errors in order to make it perfect for publication. 
• Proofreading: You’ll read over published material to check for spelling and grammar mistakes. 

As you can see, there are many different types of writing jobs available to writers so don’t worry if one type doesn’t suit your skillset. With time and dedication, you can explore what type of work suits your interests best!

Waptutors Academy has launched a course on writing profitably. It’s a one-in-a-million course. You will be trained and guided to become a profitable writer. Enroll now and start making money.

7. Always Maintain Professionalism

As a freelancer, you are  a self-boss. This means that it is up to you to maintain a high level of professionalism in order to succeed. This means always meeting deadlines, being responsive to clients, and delivering quality work. 

It can be easy to let things slide when you work from home, but remember that your reputation is on the line. If you do not take care of yourself, how will anyone else? Set boundaries with yourself and stick to them.

Conclusion

No matter how good or bad the clients might be, you should always be good to them. To become a successful freelance writer, you need to be very patient.

You will come across some clients that will be good and nice to you while some are otherwise. Your response determines how the relationship is going to be. Enroll into Waptutors Profitable Writing Guide and be trained to write profitably.

With these 7 steps, you now know what it takes to be a successful freelance writer. Do you have more points to add? Are you a freelance writer? Share your experience in the comments section as you subscribe to Waptutors below. Thanks for reading.