What is Freelance Writing? | How to Make Money Writing
What does being a writer mean exactly? Writing as a profession is an extremely broad definition and can encompass anything from writing books, writing for your own online blog, writing for a publication like New York Times, writing scripts for films or short stories, or best of all, writing as a freelance writer who chooses their own writing assignments.
What is Freelance Writing
Freelance writing is no different than other types of writing, except that you’re not as “locked” into a singular writing role. Put simply, freelance writing is no different than traditional writing, except that you may have more one-off gigs, versus a steady stream of writing assignments. As a freelance writer, you make yourself available as a “free agent” of sorts and pitch your writing skills and portfolio to publications and entities that are in need of your services.
This is in contrast to writers who are employed full-time and generally have a more defined selection of what and how they can write. That’s not to say that writers cannot both be employed full-time and be a freelance writer at the same time–in fact many writers today are!
Types of Freelance Writing
Freelance writing has truly unlimited opportunities and can’t be defined as a singular type. It’s also a great way for a writer to discover what they’re passionate about. Roles can range from very “serious” writing like news, current events, to more creative writing like film scripts, short stories, and copywriting for brands. In today’s highly digital world, here are some more specific and common examples of what is freelance writing:
Common Freelance Writing Roles:
Writing for online blogs, exactly like this post including SEO writing
“Copywriting” for brands to convey a specific tone of voice or “personality”, can include both physical retail brands and ecommerce and also any collateral like direct mail flyers, promotional emails, etc.
Script for short videos or full film
Magazine or newspaper articles, in physical or digital format
Research reports
Company communications, internal or external
How is Freelance Writing Different from Traditional Writing?
Writers who are employed full-time and receive a W2 typically write about very specific topics and have less control over what they can write about. For example, you may be a full-time writer at The Guardian specializing in the sports column. In this role, you probably are mostly writing about sports, and sports news. However, perhaps you have other interests, or want to also write about other subjects, or simply share your opinions about current events. As a full-time writer, while you are free to explore other interests, you may not get paid by your employer for that work, since you were hired specifically to contribute to sports media, in this case.
How are You Paid as a Freelance Writer?
Freelance writers have more freedom to choose how they are paid as well. Some writers charge by a project basis–i.e. On completion, charge an agreed upon fixed rate. Some writers may charge hourly, and then bill clients hours as milestones are achieved, like every 5 hours. Lastly, some writers may charge by word count–this has become increasingly popular for blog writers, or SEO writers. That said, the sky's the limit as a freelance writer/sole proprietor! You can make as much as you’re able to sell your work and services, often more lucrative than being a traditional full-time writer. Let’s illustrate some examples:
You are a freelance blog writer: Websites will pay you to write blog posts so that they have valuable content, or web pages that rank in SEO. You get paid per post based on word count, at a fixed rate, or hourly. Usually webmasters are not shy about web payment methods so they can pay via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, etc. How you’re paid depends on how you’re invoicing your clients.
You are a copywriter for a brand: A brand like Nimble Made may have brand guidelines and need to figure out how to convey that tone of voice. A writer can help founders realize their brand by writing blurbs throughout the website that “speaks” to their customers. This is a very creative writing role–typically you may be paid hourly, since you may spend a lot of time brainstorming and establishing that perfect tone of voice balance, rather than sheer word count.
You are a copywriter for flyers, direct mail or other promotional items: It’s likely you’ll work with a graphic designer to “fit” your writing into both the tone of voice of the client, and also the graphics. Promotional materials can have more sizing limitations, like physical boundaries for a small direct mail flyer, so you must work within the confines of those limitations. Typically, companies will pay hourly or at a fixed price for these types of engagements.
Before you embark on your journey as a freelance writer, make sure you understand the art of being a freelancer and how to invoice and manage your finances.
Why Does Freelance Writing Exist?
Freelance writing has become an increasingly needed service, as modern society continuously becomes more and more digitized. As all of our information migrates to the digital world, there’s an ever abundance of content and media available to us.
In the past, news and content primarily came in the physical form of newspapers, newsletters and flyers. Now, because everything is digitized, there is literally an unlimited resource of information, content and media. Just imagine how much there is to possibly write about between all of the news sites, general blog websites in every niche possible, social media, and online brands.
Thus, the demand for writing is higher than ever. Sometimes, individuals, brands or publications may only need a one-time or very specific writing need–that's when freelance writers come in. They provide very specialized writing skills, personality, or an on-demand service that is readily available. Instead of going out and hiring a full-time writer, vetting that writer and keeping them on staff, those who have writing needs can simply pay on-demand for the service. It’s also easier than ever to find writers around the world. Thanks to the internet, there are platforms available for anyone to find writers of all kinds and even review their portfolios to determine if it’s a good match.
Similarly, it’s never been easier for a writer to find freelance gigs! It doesn’t take much effort to host your portfolio online for anyone to see and showcase your skill/writing personality. Freelance writing is truly a robust and lucrative ecosystem in today’s world.
Why become a freelance writer?
Pros of freelancing writing:
More freedom to choose what you write, how you write, and even how much you’re paid for your writing
More freedom on your usage of time. Don’t want to be stuck in an office all day? Freelancing lets you choose your own hours
Higher earning potential, since you can “sell” your services better than you can at a more structured workplace
More variety–you can explore different writing styles, prompts, topics since you choose the jobs to take on
Cons of freelance writing:
Uncertainty: Just because you CAN make more, doesn’t mean that you will. It takes a lot of effort to construct a strong portfolio and sell your services.
Stress: With uncertainty can come a lot of stress. You may not know when you’ll win your next client or gig, which makes you may not get paid. This can lead to feelings of anxiety or pressure.
Competition: Some would argue that because the world is so global, freelance writing is incredibly competitive and it can be hard to stand out. This is directly correlated to how difficult it could be to win a new client/gig.
Lack of benefits: Full-time employees often get benefits like health insurance, retirement options and other small pluses, but you typically do not get these luxuries as a freelancer. For those who prefer a more structured HR or Payroll experience, freelancing can have added stress.
How to get started as a freelance writer:
You should ignore any website that advises you to immediately go and apply to as many gigs as possible on Upwork or Fiverr. The truth is, freelance writing is incredibly competitive and it’s unlikely you would be successful just taking the shotgun approach. Here’s what we recommend for steps to take in becoming a freelance writer:
Think about what you want to write about and focus on: are you more of a serious writer, or do you have a unique voice? Do you prefer research-based writing, or fiction?
Build a portfolio: you can’t win any clients/gigs if you can’t show them that you can actually write what they want you to write about. If you want to write cheeky one-liners for cool new brands, you better be able to demonstrate that tone of voice.
To do this, create a website on something like Squarespace and upload sample works to tell your story. The work does not even have to be actual paid gigs, remember, you’re just trying to convey that you can offer what the client is looking for. You can actually just create your own fabricated engagements that don’t actually exist to showcase. Here’s an example
Practice your pitch: in today’s world, this will often be in the form of an email or short cover letter. Perfect this short pitch for each client/gig you’re pitching to so you’re really speaking to their needs.
Find gigs: lastly, go on websites like Upwork, Fiverr, Indeed, etc. to find jobs that are relevant to your niche or preference. If you can demonstrate that you have a specific skill or niche, you are much more likely to win a job. For example, if your portfolio shows many example works of cheeky one-liners, you will have a good shot at winning gigs that are looking for casual tone of voice writers.
FAQs:
What are examples of freelance writing?
The most common examples of freelance writing includes
Blog writing
SEO writing
Screenwriting
Magazine/newspaper writing
Research-based writing
How do I start freelance writing?
To start a freelance writing career, take these steps:
Establish your writing specialty/niche. Are you a serious or more casual writer?
Build your portfolio: create a website to showcase your work that demonstrates that niche specialty
Apply for gigs: go on freelance resource websites like Upwork or Fiverr to compete for relevant jobs. Stay focused on your niche, don’t apply to everything.
How do freelance writers get paid?
Freelance writers typically get paid via one of the following methods:
Hourly rate, billed as milestones are achieved, or when project is completed
Agreed upon fixed rate per project basis
By word count or per article
These payments are usually facilitated via invoicing software and then paid through PayPal, Zelle, Credit Card, or physical check.
