Just because I earn a full-time living through freelance writing, it does not mean that this is the path for everybody. If you are simply looking for a part-time gig, you may want to consider securing some of the many online content writing positions that are available. Webmasters are always in search of those who can write effective, SEO oriented content.
Here are three quick tips for aspiring online content writers.
1. Just like anything else, you are not going to get paid tons of money at first. In fact, with my first online content job I was paid $1 per 500 words; that is just about as bad as it gets. Over time this changed, but starting at the bottom is part of the process.
2. Use every method possible to find new jobs. This includes message boards, bidding sites, and “cold emailing.†While you do not want to spam webmasters, if you come across a site that you like send a quick email outlining your writing experience.
3. Online content writing is just as important as any other type. For this reason, you always want to put your best work out there. Some people think that writing SEO articles is not “real freelance writing.†The bottom line is that if you are being paid, you owe it to yourself and the client to do good work.
These three tips will help anybody who is interested in breaking into the online content writing industry.Â
Just like every other freelance writer, I have topics of interest. For me, these include sports, health, and real estate. While I am pretty sure that all three of these are common topics, they may not be as popular as travel. It seems that a large number of freelance writers are interested in the travel industry for one reason or the next. In my opinion, there are two main reasons for this:
1. If you get the right gig, you could end up traveling the world for free while simply being required to write a few articles along the way. Of course, this very rarely happens but most freelance writers interested in travel have this goal in mind. While it may be far fetched, there are jobs like this. You may not be able to secure one of these early in your career, but as you move forward who knows what will happen.
2. Freelance writing for the travel industry can be quite lucrative. A lot of this depends on the publications that you work for, but there are many that pay in excess of $1/word. My advice is to start out writing for local and regional travel magazines, and then move on from there. Once you are equipped with plenty of samples, obtaining the high paying, desirable positions will be much easier.
If you want to become a travel writer, the sky is the limit. As long as there are people roaming the earth, there will be tens of millions who are interested in travel. By putting your freelance writing skills to work, you may be able to land a gig that affords you the opportunity to travel the world on somebody else’s dime. Even though I am not particularly interested in this sort of writing anymore, the thought of getting to travel for free is quite intriguing. Â
If you are going to be a successful freelance writer you must also be a successful salesperson. Although this may sound difficult, anybody can learn to sell themselves; it just takes a bit of time and some practice.
Generally speaking, your freelance writing resume and website’s about page are essential to a successful career. Sure, samples will help you to obtain jobs, but your resume and about page will help to peak a potential clients interest in your work.
Here are several points that you should consider adding to your resume and about page:
1. A quick overview of who you are. This does not have to be anything special; just some information to show potential clients what you are all about.
2. Credentials. This can be difficult if you are new to freelance writing, but if you think long and hard you can fill up this area. Include past jobs, academic degrees, and any awards that you may have won.
3. Information on the services that you specialize in. While you want to include a variety of offerings, make sure that you do not overdo this section. For instance, you could include writing, proofreading, and editing. You want to show what you offer, but also that you specialize in particular areas. In other words, don’t spread yourself too thin.
4. Within each specialization you want to add more depth. Writing should include sub-points such as web copy, sales letters, brochures, etc.
5. If you have a lot of experience, include a partial past client list. This is definitely a good idea if you have worked with “big name†clients. When a prospect sees that you have experience in their industry, they are much more likely to choose you as the service provider.
Make sure you spend plenty of time putting together the best possible freelance writing resume and about page.
