Woman at computer learning how to become a freelance writer

Did you know that the writing industry is growing, and fast, with the employment of writers in the United States projected to increase by 9% between 2020 and 2030? Building a freelance writing career is a lucrative one, but knowing how to begin can be confusing.

The good news is, you don’t need to spend hours on job boards or writing guest posts for free. When you follow the right steps, work persistently, and don’t give up, there’s a high chance you’ll create a successful freelance writing business. However, knowing the right steps to take is crucial to your success.

If you’re going to devote your most precious resource to creating a potential business, your time, I’m sure you want to use it wisely. Instead of scoring the internet for viable jobs, try focusing on these three steps and see where they lead:

The Importance Of Mastering Your Writing Skills
Types Of Freelance Writing
Secure Your First Writing Client

Remember, it takes time to build a business, and the same is true for freelancing. Writing is one of the most subjective fields you can participate in—it’s a creative job after all. When you commit a specific amount of time every day to pursuing your goal, your effort will accumulate. First, let’s talk about the importance of your skill.

#1 - The Importance Of Mastering Your Writing Skills

When you first start out, create a free website and write a blog post once or twice a month. This will help you grow accustomed to habitually writing. Additionally, as you grow into a part-time, and eventually full-time writer, it’s crucial to grow in your writing skills.

There are so many writing rules to follow, and it can feel overwhelming in the beginning. To combat this feeling of overwhelm, try following some of these points from bestselling author Jerry Jenkins.

This list aims at fiction writers, but nonfiction should be as engaging as fiction. Rules like thinking reader-first and using active instead of passive voice are key to becoming a success writer.

Once you grasp some of these rules, the blogs you post on your website will act as writing samples of your work. The more you understand and apply various writing skills, the stronger your writing, and therefore your freelance business, can become.

Bear in mind that mastering any skill as a creative is arguably impossible. Writing is highly subjective, and articles that sell well today may not be trending next month. Choose to focus on learning the timeless skills that will carry you through every article you write. A few of my favorites are:

Write actively
Less is more
Give the reader credit

For more on these skills, check out this blog. Mastering you skill is an endless process, so keep at it, and let’s move on to types of jobs.

#2 - Types Of Freelance Writing

Strengthening your writing is core to growing your freelance work, but so is deciding what niché you want to fill. There are many types of freelance writing jobs, and early on, you may need to accept any job you can. Once you build a reputation you can niché down if you choose to.

While you could become a speech writer, write press releases, or some other form of writing, below are three common freelance gigs you could go into.

#1 - Content Marketing

Clients hire writers for content marketing in order to attract, engage, and retain an audience by creating and sharing relevant articles and various forms of marketing material. A content marketer uses their writing to show the client’s expertise, while staying on-brand and building brand awareness.

If you love branding and marketing, you’ll likely thrive in this writing environment. When you choose to create content for marketing, make sure you are comfortable capturing the particular voice of the brand you work with. Creating content for Nike will embody a much different tone than if you work for Burberry.

#2 - Technical Writing

While writers are commonly thought to be creatives, right-brained, and sometimes lacking in the area of STEM, this isn’t true. Technical writing encompasses all documentation of complex technical processes. If you are interested in writing one of the following, this form of writing may be for you:

Reports
Executive summary statements
Briefs

Technical writing is extremely broad, to the point where any technical information that is communicated via writing is, in fact, technical. If you love reports, summaries, and briefs, try finding your first potential clients in this niché.

#3 - Social Media Content Creation

TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, reels, going live, you name it—social media is alive and as impactful as ever. If you started freelance writing and feel a bit overwhelmed at the amount of words you must output daily, consider social media.

High-profile individuals from an array of fields need to be active on social media but do not have the time to do so. This is where good writers come in. When you learn to embody an individual’s voice, know their brand, and can ideate content they’d love, you’re well on your way.

Whether you batch social media content by the month or work with a client for a special product release, if you love social media and writing, you’re bound to thrive in this type of content creation.

#3 - Secure Your First Writing Client

The day you book your first client is one to celebrate, but don’t let yourself get discouraged if it takes time. Everyone has to start somewhere, and as a writing mentor once told me, “We have to get you on the map.”

Once you book your first client you’ll gain confidence, add to your portfolio, and begin getting your name out there. Remember not to be choosy when it comes to your first job. While it’s wise to only book projects you know you can succeed with, don’t be afraid to:

Take a small job
Book a project you’re not passionate about
Work with a client for a one-off project

Every time you land a job you take one more step to becoming a full time, freelance writer. It’s easy to talk about wanting to become a writer, but sitting down to do the work is what helps work your dream into reality.

Draw up a contract, a way to receive payment (and don’t forget to charge a percentage up front), and then get to work. Tip: A mentality that has greatly helped me is to consider every low-budget project a high-budget project, and devote sufficient time to give my absolute best work.

Keep in mind that once you book your one and only first client, anytime someone asks if you’ve done this before, you can say yes. Let this help you get over that initial fear. Once you book your first client, you never have to again.

What Does A Freelance Content Writer Do? Take That Momentous First Step.

Dreams are just that until you choose to take your first step. It’s easy to talk about dreams but it’s much more difficult to live them. Keep in mind that hard does not equal bad. Do something hard, and you will reap the benefits.

Every freelance writer started out with an empty resume. Part of the process of realizing your dream is to recognize that dreams don’t make themselves. It can be nerve wracking to take that first step, build a website template, publish your first blog, and book that client. Remember, all you need to focus on right now are three steps:

Grow in your writing skills
Find a type of writing to pursue
Work toward booking your first client

The good news is, the market is growing and you can grow with it. It may feel difficult to learn three different areas at once, but it’s better to start small than not start at all. And if you need help along the way, reach out. I’ll leave you with a quote I resonate with by an author I love:

The ones who make it keep writing no matter what. —Kristin Hannah

Keep writing. Slow and steady wins the race!