How to Become a Freelance Writer

By Andrea Spanik

Ready to ditch the 9-5 and become a freelance writer?

Does it sound too good to be true?

Trust me, I get it. 

As somebody who once spent an entire summer trying to find jobs that would allow me to work from home and make my own hours when I first discovered freelance writing, I thought it was too good to be true, too. 

These days, though, I’ve officially been working from home, full time, for close to three years, and I’m here to tell you that making money online, setting your own hours, and having the freedom to travel is not a silly dream. It’s something you absolutely can accomplish if you have the drive and determination to do so. 

But how?

I remember being so overwhelmed by all the pricey courses out there. I had no clue where to start, and the idea of investing money into something that I wasn’t even sure about seemed absolutely crazy! 

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It wasn’t until I simplified my approach to freelance writing that I started realizing that making money as a freelance writer was not only possible, it was a full-time career option for me. 

If you’re someone who loves to write, and wants to start profiting off your content, so that you can work from home, travel, and set your own hours, today, I’m going to show you exactly how to get started. 

Plus, if you’re really interested in this topic, I have a resource to share with you at the end of this post that will have your freelance writing business thriving in no time. 

Let’s chat!

 

My Secret Weapon To Growing a Freelance Writing Business 

I’m going to offer some unpopular advice here, but hear me out, okay?

One of the questions that I’m asked the most is where to find freelance writing jobs. 

There are a handful of answers to this question, and none of them is wrong, and all of them can work. 

I’m definitely not one of those people who believes my approach to freelance writing is the only one; however, if you want to beat the overwhelm and get started building your business today, I highly recommend getting signed up on Upwork. 

Yes, you read that correctly. 

You can learn more about what Upwork is here, but essentially, Upwork is a platform that allows freelancers and clients to connect. 

Sounds pretty great, right? 

I thought so, but as soon as I started looking into Upwork, I quickly realized it has quite a bad reputation. 

There are a lot of people who look down on Upwork, and see it as a hindrance to growing an online business; however, for me, using Upwork is what gave me the confidence to realize that freelance writing was a viable career option for me. 

I made $453 in my first month alone on Upwork, and that was with absolutely zero experience writing professionally. 

Sure, not every single job on Upwork is worth your time, but there are plenty of amazing jobs out there that can help you build your portfolio, which is extremely helpful if you’re just starting out as a writer and you don’t have many professional samples.  

And so, if you want to prove to yourself that you can write professionally and get paid, get signed up on Upwork ASAP. Trust me, you can keep sending cold pitches to potential clients, or you can connect with people who are already looking for talented writers just like you!

If you need more convincing on Upwork (and with all the negativity out there surrounding this platform, I don’t blame you), here are 16 reasons for why I always, always, always recommend Upwork for freelance writers, especially beginners. 

 

How To Ditch The 9-5 

Okay, so you’ve signed up on Upwork. Maybe you’ve started connecting with clients, does that mean you should quit your 9-5 job? 

Absolutely not!

Freelance writing is not a “get rich fast” scheme. It’s going to take some time to start building up your portfolio. Not to mention, I strongly believe that you need to get experience before you can start justifying premium rates. 

In my view, you can’t simply jump onto Upwork and assume that you’re going to make a full-time career from it right off the bat. 

Really, it’s just like any other job. You have to work your way up, gain experience, understand yourself as a writer, and gain the trust of clients who want to consistently keep coming back to you. 

This won’t happen overnight, but with my approach, you will be able to start making money right away to help give you the confidence to realize this is a viable career option. 

So no, while freelance writing won’t allow you to ditch the 9-5 today, you can start making money today and working your way into it. And then, once you have the experience, you’ll suddenly have the freedom to pick your own projects, set your own hours, and live your life on your terms. 

Pretty great, right? 

I think so! So let me show you exactly what I would recommend you do today to get started. 

 

5 Actionable Steps You Can Take To Start Your Freelance Writing Business TODAY 

 

1. Have the right mindset, and ensure you enjoy writing 

I know this tip might seem a little generic, but don’t skip over it. 

There is absolutely no point in building a freelance writing career if you don’t actually enjoy writing. 

Not only will you probably not get clients (if you don’t enjoy writing, this generally reflects in the quality of your writing), you also won’t enjoy the work you’re doing. 

What’s the point of putting all this time into creating a freelance writing business if it’s not something you actually want to do? 

Trust me, you don’t have to be Stephen King or J.K. Rowling in order to be a freelance writer, but there should at least be some passion there for the written word. 

 

2. Familiarize yourself with Upwork 

So you know you enjoy writing, you believe in your ability to build a freelance writing business, and now it’s time to get yourself signed up on Upwork. 

Here I will mention that there is an application process in order to be approved to use Upwork (which we’ll talk about in a second), but the main thing you’ll want to do in this early stage of building your business is getting yourself familiar with the Upwork platform. 

Learn the lingo, figure out how the platform works, and take the time to explore how other Upwork freelancers use the platform. 

With so much free content out there on the subject, you don’t have to dive into Upwork blind. You can go in feeling prepared, confident, and eager to get to work. This will make all the difference in how quickly you start making money. 

 

3. Think of yourself as a writer

When you’re just starting out and you haven’t done a lot of writing, there’s a good chance you don’t really know yourself as a writer. 

Even for me, as someone who grew up loving to read, I really didn’t know myself as a writer. I had predominantly written essays for school, and maybe a couple of creative pieces here and there, but for the most part, I really didn’t know what kind of writer I wanted to be, and for success as a freelance writer, this is key. 

Because yes, I strongly believe having a writing niche is important for aspiring freelance writers. 

In my opinion, one of the best ways to start experimenting with your writing style and niche is to start blogging. You don’t have the pressure of having to deliver work to a client, plus you can talk about any topics that you want in order to discover what you’re capable of writing on a consistent basis. 

Plus hey, having a blog works great for developing a writing portfolio, if you have no prior experience as a writer. 

Speaking of the portfolio…

 

4. Develop samples/a portfolio 

This is probably the piece of the freelancing puzzle that scares people the most.

When people don’t have experience with writing, they assume they have nothing to show in a portfolio, but this really couldn’t be further from the case. 

In today’s day and age of the internet, you have so many opportunities to show off your skills. As mentioned, it can be through a blog, but it can also come through any online business experience (and no, this doesn’t necessarily have to be a professional experience). 

Perhaps you have a really engaged Instagram following? Or maybe you have an Etsy store? 

Any skills that you can show that demonstrate your experience as someone who creates opportunities for herself/himself is something that clients appreciate. 

For example, in my second job ever, I had barely any experience writing, but I had a client who hired me specifically because he liked that I had run an online store. This wasn’t a successful online store, and it’s something that I ultimately had to close because it didn’t make me any money, but it was that experience that awarded me the job that really propelled my career. 

Believe me when I say you can build a portfolio, even if you’ve never been paid to write. 

 

5. Start from the bottom and work your way up 

As mentioned previously, with my approach to freelancing, I strongly believe that you have to start from the bottom and work your way up. 

This means that once you’re approved to use Upwork, and you have your profile all set up, you’ll have to start hustling hard to get your clients. 

For some reason, there are a lot of people who believe you should be paid expert level rates even when you’re not an expert. I am not one of those people. I believe in contacting smaller clients, delivering expert-level work, gaining testimonials, and proving that you’re worth higher prices. 

When you’re just starting out, clients aren’t going to come knocking on your door. You have to be open to different jobs and opportunities, and building your experience. Do that, and you’ll slowly start building your client list. 

And, before you know it, you’ll have you own thriving freelance writing business. 

But hey, those 5 tips might be all fine and dandy, but what if you’re looking for a little more guidance in how to start making the most of Upwork?

I’ve got your back 

 

Introducing Freelance Writing Simplified 

I know ebooks and courses aren’t for everyone. I’m notoriously extremely picky about what I’ll invest my time and money into. 

Having said that, I know that there are so many resources out there that give Upwork a bad reputation, so I wanted to create something that could really shed light on how aspiring freelance writers can use this platform strategically. 

Because sure, it might not be the only way to build a freelance writing business, but, for me, it’s undeniably been what helped build my freelance writing career. 

If you’re looking to do the same, but you’re overwhelmed and aren’t sure where to start, I want to quickly let you know about my ebook, Freelance Writing Simplified: Your Guide To Building a Thriving Freelance Writing Business Through Upwork.  

It’s a 100+ page ebook that goes over exactly how I started my freelance writing career, with everything from how I set up my Upwork profile, to how I get clients and even my biggest mistakes. 

I’ll provide you with samples of writing proposals that I have sent to clients, along with my actual Upwork profile copy so that you can see what works on Upwork for attracting clients (on average, I receive anywhere from 10-30 invitations to interview for jobs in a single month). 

In addition, I’ll show you how to ensure your Upwork application gets approved, and don’t worry, with this resource, once you’re on the platform, you’ll know exactly how to spend your time in a strategic manner.  

I know everyone says their approach is a no-nonsense approach, but really, in this book, I give it to you straight. There are no pesky marketing tactics for building your business, you don’t have to create a website…hell, you don’t even have to blog if you don’t want to! 

I’m going to show you how to get your freelance writing business off the ground so you can ditch the 9-5 job, and start living your life on your terms. 

 

It’s about time, right? I’d say so!

 

Check out Freelance Writing Simplified, and if you have any questions for me about the book or freelance writing in general, please feel free to shoot me an email (hustleandhearts@gmail.com). I love chatting with aspiring writers.