Category: new writers

Newbie Writer: 7 Great Reminders to Cure Your Freelance Jitters

If you’ve been working full-time jobs, the idea of becoming a freelance writer can be both exciting and terrifying.

It’s like stepping off the ground to walk a tightrope where one false move will send you plummeting to your death. There’s more glory, a higher degree of difficulty — but also what feels like a huge amount of risk.

The good news is, freelancing doesn’t have to be so scary.

The fact is, the independent-contractor economy is booming, thanks to COVID-19 changing the way we live and work.

An estimated 59 million adults in the U.S. are part-time or full-time freelancers, according to a recent Forbes article.
To put that in perspective, that’s about 36 percent of all adults old enough to work.

So you’re a newbie writer trying to figure out how to be a freelancer? Welcome to the Gig Economy.

There’s plenty of opportunity. So what’s the trouble?

A lot of the anxiety about being self-employed comes from inside you. From fears you have about how hard this is that are unfounded.

If you’re full of doubts about whether you can ‘make it’ as a freelance writer, here are seven key ideas that helped me get over the fear hump and launch my freelance writing career:

How to Be a Freelance Writer: 25 Amazing Break-In Stories

How much time have you spent thinking about how to be a freelance writer?

If it’s always on your mind, what are you waiting for? Just start.

That might sound too simple if you have a million things buzzing inside your brain about how to be a freelance writer like choosing a niche, finding clients, setting rates, productivity, mindset, writing skills, and more.

But here’s the thing. There’s no better way to learn the business and craft of freelance writing than to jump in, get started, and carve out a niche for yourself.

Take one step, and then another. Move up and earn more. Get a couple of solid writing samples, raise your rates, and keep going.

You can’t do any of that if you’re stuck on waiting to find the perfect path for how to be a freelance writer instead of just getting started.

Be a writer, not a waiter. That’s what you’ll learn from the 25 amazing break-in stories from freelance writers featured in this post. Ready to get started?

10 Writer Websites That Kick Butt and Get Clients

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means at no extra cost to you, we may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Have you been wondering how to create a standout freelance writer website that would impress clients and...

Why Freelance Writer Job Ads Almost Always Pay Crap

Ever wonder why the pay always sucks on all those online job ads? There’s a reason for it. Put yourself in the shoes of an employer looking for a writer…

Freelance Writers: Are Sleazebag Clients Getting You Pregnant?

How to Write a Product Review to Hook Readers. Makealivingwriting.com

Here’s a question for freelance writers, you probably haven’t thought about. Are sleazebag clients getting you pregnant?

Sounds ridiculous, right? You wouldn’t do that.

You’re smarter than that. You wouldn’t fall for some sleazebag taking advantage of freelance writers.

Here’s the thing. Most freelancer writers don’t go looking for sleazebag clients. It kind of just…you know…happens.

One day you’re trying to stand out in the sea of freelance writers to land a gig, make money writing…even a little money.

And then one day, you realize you’re screwed.

I’ve seen this happen to freelance writers over and over. And I’m sick and tired of watching freelance writers get played, taken advantage of, and stripped of the money they deserve.

Have you ever been screwed by a sleazebag client? Want to avoid the pitfalls of making this mistake?

In this post, I’m going to show freelance writers what a sleazebag client looks like, how they try and use you, and what you can do to tell these losers to get lost so you can move up and earn more

3 Simple Ways to Find Better-Paying Freelance Writing Clients in 2022

Note: If you’ve been looking for freelance writing jobs on content-mill sites and job boards, you’re probably frustrated. Most pay bottom feeder rates. It’s something I’ve been hearing from writers for a long time. But great freelance writing jobs are out there, you just need to know how to find them. Check out this post from the past to learn how. —Carol.

Do you feel like it’s a pipe dream to find freelance writing jobs that pay pro rates?

I hear a lot of comments like this from writers who are about ready to give up on their writing dreams.

They write me to say:

“It just seems like there aren’t any good-paying clients out there.”

Have to say, I disagree. But whether you think freelance writing is a land of unlimited opportunity or a field no one can earn a living at seems to depend on your personal experience.

If you want to start landing well-paying freelance writing jobs, you probably need to do two things. Here’s what you need to know:

Why it’s So F*ing Hard to Be a Freelance Writer

With all the useful tips on how to become a freelance writer I've posted on this blog, you'd think I could sign off and be done. I just checked, and there are nearly 500 posts on here! Yet, each week I hear from writers with new questions. Why? It's not easy becoming...

What Is Freelance Writing? Answers to the Awkward Newbie Questions

I post a lot of tips here on Make a Living Writing for writers looking to earn more. But recently, a look at my Google Analytics revealed a surprising phrase writers commonly search on:

“What is freelance writing?”

This makes me feel I should back up and start at the very beginning. Clearly, I shouldn’t assume every reader knows what this career is about.

Apparently, some folks know that term well enough to search to find out more about it…but they don’t yet know how freelance writing works, exactly.

So let me fill in the blanks today with answers to some of the most basic questions about the world of freelance writing:

How I Became a Freelance Writer — and 7 Tips on How You Can Do It, Too

When I asked new writers for their biggest questions back in May, one of the responses I got was that readers would like to hear “what it was like for successful writers early in their career.”

So here’s the story of how I became a freelance writer.

My Best Resources For Freelance Writers

Every day, writers email me and ask how to become a freelance writer. Where is the door that you go through where you can start earning a living as a freelance writer?

Well, I’ve created a door.

There’s so much to know when you’re getting started as a freelance writer — how to find and approach clients, what to charge, how to negotiate, and more.

But now that there are nearly 900 posts on the blog, it’s increasingly difficult to find the most useful posts that answer your particular question. Sure, I’ve got those categories in the ‘we talk about’ sidebar, but it’s still a lot of slogging given how many posts there are, and you end up looking at the most recent posts on the subject, not necessarily the best ones.

My best new writer resources in 1 spot

That’s why I’m finally getting my act together and creating resource pages that bring together the very best Make a Living Writing posts of all time on popular topics. The first page is now up, which offers my best resources for new freelance writers:

What Does A Successful Freelance Writer Do?

Being a freelance writer sounds like a dream lifestyle to many people.

They think about the upside — “Yeah, working in my PJs, keeping my own hours, and not having a boss. Awesome!”

But most of the people I know who’re focused on those three things end up washing out as freelancers. They never take it seriously, don’t learn about how to run a business, and don’t take the steps needed to get their business going.

Soon, they’re broke and heading back to the day job world.

It takes a lot of work to be a successful freelance writer. And many people don’t even know what work is required.

Those of us who’ve been at this for (cough) decades tend to forget how boggling it can be, when you’ve been an employee all your life, to launch your own solo freelance biz.

Take this aspiring freelance writer, who recently wrote me:

“Basically, I don’t know anything about freelance writing. So, I guess I´d like to learn the basics. What does a freelance writer actually do?

“I know, write. But what about and who for, you know? Thanks!”–Marcia

What does a freelance writer need to do? Here’s my list of the essentials:

Professional Writing Win: How A Young Writer Ramped to $5K a Month

When I started professional writing as a freelancer, things were hard.

I’d just graduated high school and needed a remote job, so I started freelancing. But after working for a year, I was only making $800 a month.

I thought professional writing was supposed to pay well, but that definitely wasn’t enough to live on. Something needed to change. I needed a win.

Sound familiar?

Maybe you’ve got a few professional writing clients or landed some assignments, but you’re not making enough money.

Or maybe you’re just starting out, and have a lot of questions about professional writing, finding clients, and how much you should charge.

When I was really struggling, I signed up for the Freelance Writers Den 2X Income Accelerator program to get help from Carol Tice.

That’s where I learned how to ramp up my professional writing career and my income. Now I’m consistently making over $5,000 a month as a 20-year-old freelance writer. Many months, that number is over $7,000.

You can do it, too. Wondering how? Check out these key strategies I used to build my professional writing business and my income.

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Visit the Freelance Writers Den site to see if we’re open for new members right now. Sign up on the waiting list if we’re not, and you’ll be first to join when we reopen (plus, you’ll get useful free resources in the meanwhile).