Do you want to be a freelance writer?! I have been freelancing for more than four years as a side gig and consistently make over $1,000 per month. You can see my income reports here! I have FT job, two toddler little girls, another girl on the way, a husband and a big house I take care of. I love my life and love having extra spending money each month!
There are many ways to get your foot in the door when it comes to freelancing. I first recommend you start your own blog to develop contacts, guest post and use your blog as writing samples for when you apply for freelance writing positions or work for a content mill (like Demand Media) to get your feet wet. Content mills usually will hire inexperienced writers because they typically pay less than most other clients, so it’s a good place to start and gain experience. You can pitch article ideas to print and online magazines. You can search websites like oDesk or Elance and so on and so forth.
My Freelance Story
When I got pregnant with our first child, my husband and I knew that I was going to be a stay-at-home mom. I also knew that I wanted to try to break into the world of freelance writing. What started off small (around $200 per month) has grown into a part-time income ($1500-$1800 per month), and once my two kids start school I hope to grow my income even more through freelancing.
How to Be a Freelance Writer
Freelancing writing is a career just like any other. You have to have a resume, a network and a background in your field. If you want to be a doctor, you can’t just “be” a doctor. You have to go through all the necessary training first. Freelance writing is the same.
I’m going to be completely honest and recommend you do two things if you want to break into freelance writing: First, you have to start a blog and use it as your portfolio. I didn’t break into personal finance freelance writing until I created the frugal millionaire. If you want to write on parenting, start a mommy blog. If you love food and nutrition, start a site on that. It will give you credibility in your chosen area. It will also give you a landing page to use as your resume or portfolio. This is especially important for brand new freelancers.
Second, I recommend you take a course on freelance writing. There is so much to know and learn – everything from creating emails to pitching cold clients to determining your rates to landing high-paying, consistent gigs. Gina Horkey, who’s a freelance writer, a blogger and a virtual assistant, started her own freelancing business last year and currently makes more than $10,000 per month. If there is anyone who knows her stuff, it’s Gina. Oh – and she also has two toddlers at home and worked full-time at the beginning! Gina has created a course for new freelancers called 30 Days or Less to Freelance Writing Success.
Gina’s course will walk you through the steps to becoming a freelance writer. There is no better way to break into the field than through her course, trust me on this!!
If you’ve been daydreaming about quitting your 9-5, spending more time with your kids, making extra money on the side, or even possibly making enough money so you and your spouse can stay home, invest in Gina’s course, 30 Days or Less to Freelance Writing Success. Head on over and take a look!!
Why do you want to be a freelance writer? What questions do you have for me?
Erin @ Journey to saving says
atI also like Freelance Writing Jobs. I think it’s incredible you made that much in six months! It’s awesome you were able to completely surpass what you thought you would earn, and continue to make a decent amount from it! I just started freelancing in June, and it’s felt like a slow start, but I feel like things are picking up steam.
Jayleen Zotti says
atI do not freelance. It seems hard enough to keep up with my blog;0) It’s amazing how much you make freelancing though! That’s awesome!!!
DC @ Young Adult Money says
atI’m not a HUGE fan of Freelance Writing Gigs, mainly because I have never actually received work through it. Granted, I haven’t applied to jobs through FWG since starting my own blog.
I just recently decided to focus more on freelance writing income. I’ve gotten a bit burnt out from managing my blog and trying to launch additional websites, so for now I’m focusing on increasing my freelance income to the point where it’s a healthy amount. Besides that I’ll improve my blog (I have a long to-do list I’ve put off).
I have only one writing gig now, but it’s a great one with FeeX. I just pitched a second weekly article that we are going to give a test run for a month. I try to give them really high-quality (and lengthy) articles. I hope to add about 3 more weekly clients before year-end. Not sure what my plan is to find them, though, because I’ve gotten all my gigs through people reaching out to me on my website. I haven’t been proactive but it might be time to give being proactive a try.
sbrooks52111@yahoo.com says
atYes, definitely be as proactive as possible and you will find stuff! A few financial websites are bankrate.com and nerdwallet.com. I’m pretty sure bankrate pays around $100 for an article. Also..don’t be afraid to check out content mills!! If you can write a 500-word article in about 20 minutes, you can make $60-$75 an hour, so speed is key when it comes to working for those sites 🙂
DC @ Young Adult Money says
atHmmm I may check out the content mills. For me the real work is in making an outline of the post. Once I have my key points and outline done I can crank out posts quick. I definitely am looking to specialize in finance/investing/business writing because they seem to pay writers more. With that being said I’m also interested in pursuing some more “fun” niches like daily fantasy sports or other sports niche. We’ll see 😉
Natalie @ Budget and the Bees says
atThank you for sharing your secrets! I hadn’t heard of Freelance Writing Gigs, but it sounds like something to check out. Networking with other writers, like your friend, is always good, too.
Toni @ Debt Free Divas says
atThanks for sharing your secrets. I never really consider this and this is a very good idea.
Brittany @ funonabudgetblog says
atThank you for sharing! Freelancing is scary when it’s unknown territory, so your tips are definitely helpful 🙂
Jaime Lila says
atI got Gina’s class and am going through it right now. I’m going to write my samples from
Nov-Dec. and I’ll start pitching on January 4th. We shall see. There’s a huge part of me that is a skeptic about freelancing. I can’t help it.
I’d love to earn money as a student and I like the flexibility that freelancing provides. You and Gina are currently my freelance role models right now.
Sarah Brooks says
atYou can absolutely do it!! My sister is in college to be a nurse and has gotten quite a few health freelancing gigs!! It’s a great way to earn extra money 🙂