Digital Nomad Tips

✍️ 7 Steps on How to Become a Freelance Writer Online

For many people, freelance writing conjures up images of digital nomadic life, working from coffee shops and co-working spaces in different parts of the world.

And rightly so, it really is a remarkable career that allows you the freedom to travel whilst working – I’m currently writing this article from a coffee shop in Bangkok.

However, learning how to become a freelance writer online and getting paid for it, isn't without hard work.

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Key Takeaway: In this article we’ll share seven tips to set yourself up for success as a freelance writer, as well share with you what you can expect in terms of hourly rate and lots more.

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✍️ What is Freelance Writing?

Freelance writing is creating copy, blog posts, articles, or any other form of written content for someone else and a specific purpose. A freelance writer is a self-employed individual who typically doesn’t have a long-term contract with any one client.

This means that they can work with multiple clients at any given time and are free to choose the projects they want to work on.

🏝 Why a Freelance Writing Business is a Perfect Remote Income Source

For those looking to make money online whilst traveling the world, a freelance writing business is one of the best options.

You don’t need to be in any specific location or have expensive equipment – all you need is a computer and internet access.

It's also a highly versatile income source, where you can work in various industries on multiple topics, creating different content forms that align with your interests and preferences.

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Added bonus: The pay from freelance writing is usually higher than any other job that requires no prior experience.

Girl working in a Coffeehouse.

Instagram: @felixbraas — Photo by Felix Braas / Unsplash

⭐️ What Skills Do You Need to Be a Good Freelance Writer?

Generally, you don’t need formal qualifications to become a freelance writer. However, there are specific skills that will make you a more prosperous and in-demand writer, which we’ve highlighted below.

✏️ Excellent written communication skills

This is a given. As a freelance writer, your bread and butter will be your writing. If you don’t have strong writing skills, it won’t be easy to succeed in this career.

🎨 Creativity

Many freelance gigs need you to be imaginative and develop new ideas. If you can be innovative and develop creative solutions, you’ll be in high demand as a writer.

🤸🏼‍♂️ Flexibility

The ability to adapt your writing style to suit different client needs will make you a very successful freelance writer.For example, if you’re writing for a corporate client, you’ll need to use a more formal tone than if you were writing for a lifestyle magazine.

⌛️ Time management skills

When you’re a freelance writer, you’ll work on multiple projects with deadlines. You must know how to manage your time effectively to submit all your work on time.

🔎 Research skills

A lot of freelance writing will require you to do some research. Whether you’re writing a blog post about a new topic or an article for a trade publication, finding reliable sources and conducting effective research are crucial

In the small city of Split, Croatia, situated along the Dalmatian Coast, there’s a co-working space that was purpose-built for inspiring work to be done – with the Adriatic Sea just outside the front door, lots of community events, music instruments hung from the walls, and a dedicated local team that go above and beyond to make your experience welcoming and filled with growth. — Photo by Johnson Wang / Unsplash

How to Become a Freelance Writer With No Experience

👷🏽 #1 Build Up Your Writing Skills

The best way to improve your writing is… to write more. It sounds simple, but many people think they must create perfect pieces from the get-go.

One way to start could be by creating a blog or journal (like this one) where you write about a topic you’re passionate about.

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You could also follow an online course to help refine your writing skills. There are many different types of writing courses available online, and we recommend the courses below to help you get started.

⚡️ Recommended courses from Udemy

🔥 Recommended courses from Coursera

👍🏼 #2 Select a Writing Niche that Aligns With Your Experience and Interests

Before you start offering your freelance writing services online, choosing a niche is crucial. As a freelancer, you’ll have more success if you focus on a specific area or type of writing.

Not only will this make it easier to market your services, but potential clients will also be more likely to trust your expertise.

By narrowing your focus, you can build a strong reputation as a freelance writer and attract clients who value your expertise.

👀 Checkout the many options you have below!

📈 SEO Writing

As a freelance SEO writer, you would be responsible for creating optimised content for search engines. This includes incorporating keywords and phrases into your writing to improve a website’s ranking on SERPs.

🕸 Web Copywriting

As a web copywriter, you would be responsible for creating the text that appears on websites. This includes everything from website descriptions to product descriptions to blog posts.

👨🏽‍💼 Business Writing

Business writing is another popular niche for freelance writers. As a business writer, you would be responsible for creating various content, including sales letters, business plans, and proposals.

⌚️ Product Descriptions

Freelance product description writing is copywriting that focuses on creating short, catchy blurbs about products. Product descriptions are typically used on websites, catalogues, and other marketing materials.

👻 Ghostwriting

Ghostwriting is freelance writing where you write for someone else. They might give you an idea or a topic, but you will be the one who writes it.

📑 Grant writing

Grant writers help organisations secure funding from foundations and government agencies. They must be able to write clear and persuasive proposals that convince reviewers to award funding.

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Whatever route you decide to take, remember that there’s no one “right” way to become a freelance writer; the most important thing is to find a niche you’re passionate about that fits your individual skill set.

🎯 #3 Leverage your first testimonial

A great way to get started as a freelance writer is to land and finish one successful project. Once you have completed a project that your client was happy with, ask them for a testimonial.

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This testimonial can then be used when approaching new clients, as it will act as social proof that you are a competent and reliable writer.

🔨 #4 Build a portfolio to show to customers

As a freelance writer, one of the most important things you can do is build a strong portfolio of work. Your portfolio is a collection of your best writing samples that you can show to potential clients to demonstrate your skills and expertise.

It would be best if you also tried to include various content formats, such as blog posts, articles, and web content, to show your ability with varying content formats within a given niche.

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Be sure to choose well-written writing samples and showcase your unique voice and style.

📉 #5 Don’t undervalue your services

As a freelance writer, setting high prices is one of the most crucial steps. While it may be tempting to work for less money to attract clients, this can do more harm than good.

Not only will you end up working for less than you’re worth, but you’ll also inadvertently devalue your work. Clients are more likely to respect and trust freelancers who charge a fair service rate.

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Some clients will only work with expensive writers as they perceive them as having higher quality work. As a result, pricing your services high is essential to becoming a successful freelance writer.

📝 #6 Clear revision policy

As a freelancer, having a clear revision policy in place for your writing is important. This will help ensure that you’re providing the best possible service to your clients and that they’re happy with the final product.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when setting a revision policy for your freelance writing.

Make sure you’re clear about what revisions are included in your fee. For example, will you make unlimited revisions or only up to three?
Set a timeframe for revisions. For example, you may give your client one week to request revisions. After that time, additional modifications will be charged at your hourly rate.
Be clear about what types of changes are considered revisions. For example, you may consider spelling and grammar corrections to be included in your fee, but substantial changes to the content may be additional.
If you have any questions, ask your client before starting work. This will help avoid any misunderstandings later on.

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By setting a clear revision policy upfront, you can help ensure a smooth working relationship with your clients and avoid any problems down the road.

⚡️ #7 Get Paid Up Front

Whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced freelance writer, all freelancers want to get paid for their work. Unfortunately, not all clients are willing to pay upfront. If you face resistance, you could require a deposit before starting work.

For example, you could propose 50% upfront and 50% on delivery to show your willingness to meet the customer in the middle. This also gives you some financial security if the client cancels the project or doesn’t pay the balance.

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If potential clients are unwilling to do this, you may want to reconsider the gig depending on how reputable the company you’d be doing the work for.

💰 How Much Money Do Freelance Writers Make?

According to Payscale.com, the average base rate for a freelance writer is $24.64. However, rates vary greatly depending on experience, content type, and location.

For example, a novice freelance writer just starting may only make $10-$15 per hour, while an experienced writer could earn between $50-$100 per hour and above.

Additionally, rates also vary depending on the type of content being written. A blog post may only pay $50, while a well-researched whitepaper could pay $500 or more.

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Another common way freelance writers get paid is per word or by the project. For example, a beginner writer might charge as little as $0.01 per word, while a more experienced writer could command rates of $0.10 or even $0.50 per word.

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Conclusion

One of the best aspects of being a freelance writer is that you can do your job practically anywhere there’s an internet connection. This makes it a perfect job for digital nomads who want to travel whilst working.

As we highlighted in this article, becoming a freelance writer online with no experience is definitely possible and also potentially lucrative if you can find a niche you’re passionate about and don’t devalue your services.

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