Freelance Writing: Getting started for real
Freelance writing at first thought can be kind of a glamorous vision - getting paid for sitting in coffee shops, jotting down your opinions on a topic, working whenever you want, and getting paid for your published articles. I mean, Chris from Chrisblogging made $10,000 last month, and you probably already figured out by now that that comes to $120,000 a year. Easy right?
For real though, it’s tough. Finding clients and work is endless and stressful. Writing pieces can take a long time. Covering topics you hate is never a pleasure, and I’m sure the list goes on and on.
But, if you’re looking for some extra income in college and don’t really mind writing outside of class, here are some tips to get started.
Get Ready
Have your resume on hand, and make sure it’s unique and well suited for the positions you inquire about. Highlight your dependability, communication skills, and obviously writing experience. More importantly, have some writing samples on hand immediately because you’ll obviously be asked for some.
Another helpful thing is to have some sample cover letters ready for when you inquire about gigs. DO NOT, however, send out generic letters. It’s just that these sample letters can really speed up your inquiries, and they give you good “go to” phrases that can successfully sell yourself as the right candidate.
Finding Writing Gigs
There is no one-stop shop to find gigs, unfortunately. There are tons of listings and job boards, but some good starting points are Craigslist, Problogger Job boards, Performancing writing jobs, SitePoint, Digital Point, and Freelance Switch. There are tons of other freelance job boards that have tons of listings that are great as well, but these more populated boards are much more competitive and are generally lower paying.. however, you can find good long term contacts there at the same time.
Don’t Wait
Waiting would be easy, but stay active. Since you’re wage is completely performance based on your marketing of yourself and actual writing, waiting does nothing. Some side projects to avoid burnout may be blogging and starting up a personal site to host your portfolio and biography. Both indirectly can make huge impacts on your ability to find good work.
Just remember, it is not that easy to make bank writing freelance. Work is necessary, but the good thing is that a lot of work up front can pay for itself over time if you plan to stay in the arena. Freelance writing can be a good side income for college students, but don’t expect to reap the benefits without some investment of your time and effort.
Related Articles:
- Freelance Writers… You get what you pay for
- Where to Sell and Market Your Ebook
- Looking for a summer job? Don’t.
- Finding your market(s)
- Edit College Papers For Profit
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I agree, when it comes to any endeavor, waiting is to easy. Its taking action that makes all the difference!