Beginning Freelance Writers can Gain Experience too
A lot of freelance writers that I speak with share the common problem of becoming frustrated because they do not have any samples to show prospective clients. In turn, they feel that their career is never going to take off. While it is true that obtaining work experience and samples can be difficult, there are several simple ways for doing so that you may be overlooking.
1. Simply put, you can volunteer to write for other people. Yes, this means that you are going to have to work for free. But remember, this is something that a lot of freelance writers have to do to get their feet wet. You can volunteer for webmasters, nonprofit organizations, or local businesses among others. As you can imagine, there are a lot of people who would love to get something for free; especially good content. In many cases, those that you volunteer for may offer you paid jobs in the future if they like your work.
2. Do you know a friend or family member who owns a small business or holds a high position within their company? If so, ask them if they need anybody to help with writing related projects such as newsletters, blogs, web copy, marketing copy, etc. You may be surprised at how many companies are in desperate need of a quality freelance writer. Most companies do not have a full-time employee who handles all writing related tasks. In turn, hiring a freelancer is necessary.
3. If you are not yet a full-time freelance writer, ask your current employer if you can help within the company in this capacity. They may allow you to work on company newsletters, sales letters, and other writing projects that need to be completed. This is especially true for companies that do not employ anybody who is solely responsible for writing.
These are three of the best ways to obtain freelance writing samples in no time at all. If you exercise all three of these options, especially number one, it is safe to say that you will collect plenty of samples in no time at all. It is not always fun to work in this capacity, but in order to get samples it is something that you may have to do. Look at this part of your career as an investment. This will help you to quickly obtain several quality samples so that you can then move on with better paying jobs.
