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Useful Advice On How To Get Freelance Writing Experience

Freelance writing can be a surprisingly lucrative occupation, and it has a relatively low barrier to entry. If you can write well, without grammar or spelling mistakes, then you can find work creating web pages, articles, and other content for businesses and online publications. To become a freelance writer, you don’t need a degree in English or journalism. In fact, you don’t necessarily need a college degree at all. What you do need, however, is skill and experience. The best content writing jobs, which pay the most money, usually go to freelancers with experience writing professionally. If you’re new to the world of freelance writing, there are plenty of ways to get that experience if you’re willing to work hard and be persistent.

  • Try signing up for a “content mill.” Sites like Textbroker and iWriter aren’t necessarily the most lucrative places to find freelance writing work, but they’re among the best platforms for getting the initial experience that you need to get better paying work later on. You can easily sign up and start writing for money, although the pay is generally rather low.
  • Look for work on bidding sites. Websites like Elance and Odesk are great places for beginning writers to find some work. You may need to seek out lower-paying jobs at first, since without experience, clients may overlook you for higher-paying assignments.
  • Create a portfolio. Your portfolio demonstrates your writing style and proficiency for your potential clients. If you’ve never written professionally before, you can easily write up a few sample articles about various topics, web pages for fictional companies, and other examples to show that you know how to write clearly and effectively.
  • Don’t expect to support yourself full-time at first. It’s important to be realistic about your goals and expectations if you have little to no experience yet. Most freelancers work for a while before they’re able to pay their rent and bills, so don’t quit your “day job” initially. Pursuing writing as a part-time gig to supplement your income can lead to better opportunities later. It could take a year or more to establish yourself as a writer, at which point you’ll be better able to write full-time if you want to.
  • Have a contract. Unfortunately, it’s often all too easy for unscrupulous clients to scam novice writers. Bidding sites generally offer escrow systems and other protection, but if you’re working with a company directly, it’s in your best interest to write up a contract. This will ensure that you’re protected if the client tries to avoid paying you.

Feedback

  • If you intend to become a good writer, this blog will surely help you out!

    August 28, 2014 | (10 ) Comments

  • Very helpful for starters in a freelancing, but also good for advanced writers!

    September 5, 2014 | (10 ) Comments

  • Great tips from professionals! Good to see so many updates!

    November 19, 2014 | (10 ) Comments

  • Great ideas using which you'll never get down! Very useful for writers to get their skills prepared to freelance career.

    December 15, 2014 | (10 ) Comments

Expand Your Job Search and Add More Sources to Your List of Freelance Writing Resources

Keep your source list updated and continue expanding your search options. Sometimes writers are not able to land good writing jobs because they don’t expand where they look. In many cases good jobs are not advertised. You need know where to look and who to get in touch with when it comes to reputable sources with writing job leads. Great writers will know where to go to get work. This means your resource list should be diverse with leads in different niches. You should have an idea of which niches and writing jobs are in demand and those that offer lucrative earnings on a regular basis.

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