The median household income is just under $52,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. I don’t know about you, but in my opinion that is not enough money for a family of four to live off of. Healthcare expenses, emergency funds, retirement accounts, rent/mortgage, etc would leave nothing left over for “fun,” at least, not without getting into debt.
What if I told you there was a way to bring in substantial income for your family from the comfort of your own home? The internet and technology has made that possible for thousands of people. With a little knowledge, the right resources and a HUGE desire to succeed, I believe that anyone can make six figures (or more!) per year as a freelance writer from home.
I started freelance writing over four years ago. I’m going to be completely honest with you – I truly believe it was easier back then to break into the field than it is now. Freelancing has become so popular over the years, and for good reason!! Who wouldn’t want to be their own boss, set their own hours, choose their assignments and have an unlimited income potential?!
But, if you truly want to pursue this now – whether you’re a SAHM looking to bring in extra income for your family or you’re hoping to quit your FT job and become a business owner – there are a few things you need to do to be successful and land jobs. No longer can you just respond to a few job postings and hope for the best. Freelance writing is too competitive now; you need to build a portfolio and make it so you stand out from the pack!
Ready to start your journey to six figures a year as a freelance writer?! Follow these steps!
Step 1: Get Experience
“How do you do that?,” you may be thinking. If you know someone who freelances or is an editor, you probably have an in. Just being real! No matter the job, who you know matters. But, luckily, you don’t HAVE to know someone in order to be successful. In fact, every single freelance writer I know did NOT have an “in,” and they’ve all grown very successful six figure businesses.
If you don’t have an “in,” don’t fret. You can create your own portfolio simply by starting a blog. The beauty of going this route is you have complete control over your topic. I used this blog right here to break into personal finance freelance writing. I had writing experience AND a degree in finance, yet was never able to land a job until I started my personal finance blog. Because of my blog, I now had writing samples that I could send to editors in my pitches.
If you’re looking to start a blog, check out my tutorial here! By using my link, you’ll get a special discount from Bluehost and I’ll send you a copy of my book – The Beginner’s Guide to Blogging – for free!
Before you start a blog, though, I definitely recommend brainstorming what it is you want to write about. There are thousands of topics out there and writers are needed in all of them. Your blog should match the area of interest you’re hoping to break into.
See How to Choose a Blogging Niche >>
**Another perk of blogging is you can actually earn a substantial income just from your blog alone! This takes time, but companies will pay you to put ads on your site, promote their products and more. I make money both freelance writing and blogging. You can view my latest income report here.
Step 2: Take a Course
Again, freelance writing is not what it used to be. If you truly want to make this a career, you need to invest in yourself. If you wanted to be a real estate agent, you’d take a class. If you wanted to be a doctor, you’d have to go to medical school. Freelance writing is no different!!! The more knowledge you have, the better your chances of success.
One of my favorite professional writers is Holly Johnson. If you read about personal finance, you’ve probably seen her work somewhere. She writes for U.S. News and World Report, Fox Business, LendingTree, The Simple Dollar, Personal Capital and more. And, she is set to earn more than $200,000 as a freelance writer this year!!! That does not include income she has made from her blog, this is just freelance writing! And, she has two little girls to boot.
Lucky for us, Holly has created a freelance writing course called Earn More Writing where she is spilling all of her secrets. The course is packed with information on how to land high-paying jobs, how to attract the right type of clients, how to set rates you deserve, how to schedule your day to maximize efficiency, and more.
Specifically with Holly’s course, you’ll get:
- 8 Video Modules
- Course Worksheets
- Actionable Advice
- Bonus Materials
- Access to a Facebook Group
- Training from Holly!
One of my favorite resources she’s including is a list of 250 businesses with blogs. Corporate writing gigs can be harder to find, but with Holly’s list, the legwork is done for you. I’ve written for quite a few businesses and it’s safe to assume that these are usually where the highest-paying gigs are at 🙂
But why do I need a course? Can’t I just find all this information online?
While you can find tons of information on freelance writing online for free, you don’t know exactly who the information is coming from and the information is scattered and all over the place. If you’re serious about earning big bucks as a freelancer, Holly’s course will equip you with the tools you need to get there! You’ll build a network, gain contacts, and work with literally the best freelancer in the industry.
Save money on Earn More Writing this weekend only!
Holly’s course launches on Monday, October 3 (but the course is entirely self-paced, so you can buy it now and start whenever you want). This weekend only, she is offering Presale Savings of $20 off the Standard Package and $35 off the Pro Package.
Step 3: Apply for Jobs
You’ve started a blog and taken a course, now it’s time to put your experience (ie, your blog) and your knowledge to use by applying for freelance jobs.
There are a few places I scour everyday for postings. These include:
- ProBlogger Jobs
- Morning Coffee Newsletter (jobs emailed to you every morning!)
- Indeed.com (search “freelance writer,” “personal finance freelance writer,” “finance editor,” etc.)
Now, job boards can be competitive, so if you go this route, be diligent about checking postings every day and applying for jobs you’re interested in immediately.
I also recommend beginner’s pitch websites and blogs at a minimum of three pitches per day. If you take Holly’s course and are interested in writing for corporate sites/blogs, you can start working your way down her list 🙂
You can also find sites and blogs by doing a Google search of your niche followed by “blogs” or “businesses.” So for me, a personal finance writer, I would search “personal finance blogs” or “personal finance blogs hiring.” I recommend spending a few hours researching sites and blogs you want to pitch to, then the next day you can start pitching three sites per day. Use the same basic template for all of your emails to make the process easy and smooth!
Feeling overwhelmed?!
I totally understand that this is a ton of information to absorb and it can seem like too much work just to get started. Trust me, I’ve been there. But, you HAVE to take that first step if you ever want to be working for yourself as a freelance writer and/or blogger. My blog will make over $2,000 by the end of this year. That’s just income from my blog! Two weeks ago, I wrote a personal finance piece for a huge corporation for over $900! And the piece took just a few hours! There is so much money to be made online, but you have to start!!
My biggest piece of advice is to break everything down into small chunks. You’re not going to make money freelancing immediately, but you can do things now that will provide you a solid income in the future. When I started my blog two years ago, I committed to doing one thing per day on the blog. I didn’t overwhelm myself and instead took it literally one step at a time. Within four months, I landed my first personal finance freelance job. Within five months, I made my first $100 off my blog 🙂
What questions do you have for me? What’s holding you back from making big money as a freelance writer?!