How to Become a Freelance Writer

By Timothy Hayes on April 15, 2015

(image via www.indianfreelancewriters.com)

So you like to write? Welcome to the club. The writer’s club is a disparate group joined by a variety of people for a variety of reasons for a variety of lengths.

We have our superstars like JRR Tolkien, JK Rowling and CS Lewis from the British Isles. Next door, our very favorite Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker and James Joyce from Ireland.

Here in the U.S., we’ve got our favorites like John Green, Henry David Thoreau, Robert Frost and Maya Angelou. Up north our rock stars include Margaret Atwood, Lucy Maude Montgomery and Pierre Berton from Canada. Down Under, we’ve got Richard Flannigan, Tim Winston and Marcus Zusak.

These writers have of course one common trait. They made it big. For the majority of writers, they will slip into obscurity and never be heard from again.

They are, however, the most important class of writers. They produce the bulk of writing needed to make our world go around. Some are paid regular salaries and have a desk job where they get assigned writings about anything and everything their boss needs them to write.

The rest of writers are what are known as freelance writers. As an aside, the term came from knights in the late medieval period who would not swear fealty to any lord and instead would go about as mercenaries, fighting wherever there was a war.

Freelancing is a great option for starting out writers because they have the option of picking and choosing topics to write in. This can be in areas that interest them or that they have strong experience in.

They do however have trouble with job placement as other freelancers and positioned writers are always vying for the job. Freelancing therefore can be a difficult job and hard to even do on a regular basis. For those starting out however, this can be a Godsend.

Starting out writing on your own is difficult because you’re going to have to make yourself do it. You are your own boss and write what you want when you want. However, this makes you susceptible to the pitfall of procrastination. Setting goals and deadlines makes it easier for you to get work done. Making yourself scramble makes you write more.

If you’re going to be writing freelance, you might as well write something well. This means going the extra mile. You might stay up late on an article for a paper and submit it 10 minutes before the deadline, but if you did it well, then your writing will speak for itself.

By establishing a good basis for future employers to look back on, you establish a certain credibility. This can help you make the move from freelance to full time.

When finding freelance jobs, Google is a great search tool, but sites like Monster can help narrow the field a bit and better specify what you want in the job. You can find jobs in your area physically and in your area of expertise. So using a job search engine will get you the jobs you want in the time you need.

Additionally, larger papers like The New York Times will occasionally hire out positions or contracts. Their travel section has done this particularly. These can be great for resume building.

Start a blog. Blogs are the easiest way to regiment yourself to write constantly. Don’t let a lack of followers or readers stop you. Just write about whatever you like. If it’s kitchen or cooking, that’s great. Own that blog and promote it.

Expand outward by showing people your work. There’s an old saying that goes “do a job well and your name will get around soon enough. Do a terrible job and your name will get around faster than you can.” So go write about current events or make a YouTube channel where you can write out your scripts. Whatever you do, do it with passion.

Write. Write, write, write, and write some more. It doesn’t matter what. It doesn’t matter how. It doesn’t even matter if it’s good.

(image via www.themazerovgroup.com)

It’s not about being good at anything. Writing is about sucking until you do something good. For every article, paper, and poem you write that’s a knockout, you’re going to have 50 that are terrible. So write.

Lastly, I’d encourage you to write for Uloop. This web newspaper is a great source for all kinds of opportunity. Whether you want to manage a team or write yourself, Uloop can let you into the world of journalism as an easy start.

As you start out, you’ll apply online, submitting several pieces you’ve written, and selecting your university. From there, you’ll be notified if you’ve made it onto the team. Usually it’s just one article a week submitted to your editor, but you can do more if you want.

The editors are very friendly and helpful. If you stand out and the National Editor wants you, Megan will contact you and get you set up for the National Team. You might even get in the Huffington Post, a great bit for resumes.

For more writing opportunities check out this list.

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