• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Submissions
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Jun 2, 2023
  • Startup
    • Creating a Plan
    • Funding a Startup
    • Franchise Center
    • Getting Your Office Ready
    • Making Your Business Official
    • Marketing Your New Business
    • Personal Readiness
  • Run & Grow
    • Customer Service
    • Human Resources
    • Innovation
    • Legal
    • Operations
    • Risk Management
  • Leadership
    • Best Practices
    • Communication
    • Green Initiatives
    • Open Culture
    • Strategic Planning
    • People Skills
  • Sales & Marketing
    • Advertising and Lead Generation
    • Marketing Innovations
    • Marketing Plans
    • Online Marketing
    • Relationships
    • Sales Activities
  • Finance
    • Budgeting and Personal Finance
    • Payments and Collections
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Pricing Strategy
    • Working with Investors
    • Working with Lenders
  • Tech
    • eCommerce
    • Hardware
    • Software
    • Security
    • Tech Reviews
    • Telecom
  • Shop

SmallBizClub

Helping You Succeed

taxbandits banner
Home / Startup / Creating a Plan / 5 Tips for Launching Your Freelance Writing Business the Right Way
5 Tips for Launching Your Freelance Writing Business the Right Way

5 Tips for Launching Your Freelance Writing Business the Right Way

3627 Views

Sep 22, 2016 By SmallBizClub

After a car accident and two surgeries—which occurred during my struggles to secure a full-time job—the thought of starting a business began to reverberate in my mind.

I have a knack for writing and real love for the Internet; so, you know what? I started Googling about the possibility of running a writing business from my room. But I had no writing samples. I was a newbie writer. I had no online presence.

Still, I wanted to launch my freelance writing business. And I did.

Though I made a couple of mistakes during my first 2 years, I learned some valuable lessons the hard way. I’ll share 5 tips with you from my learning toolkit, so you can launch your freelance writing business the right way.

1. Identify Your Niche

I didn’t have a plan or strategy, niche or specialty when I started my freelance writing business 5 years ago.

I positioned myself as a “generalist writer.” “I can write op-ed political articles, landing page content, and do product reviews,” I’d claim on my profile. “I’m a talented writer.”

I was like a generalist doctor: I was a neurologist, a pediatrician, and an ophthalmologist all in one. Clients didn’t want to hire me to kill their projects.

It took me a year or so to realize that. Sure, that scared a lot of clients from coming my way, slowed my earnings and business growth.

The moral lesson of my story? Identify your niche before you kick-start your freelance writing business. To do that, look for a topic that:

  • you love
  • you know
  • you’re passionate about

Do you love politics and love writing about it? If yes, stick to it, and tell the world “I’m a political writer.” People love experts in specific niches/fields.

People will hire you.

2. Get Some Writing Samples

I sent gazillion cover letters to clients; they all came back without a job. Noticing clients’ admiration for portfolios and writing samples, I stopped bidding and started writing on topics that interest me.

Luckily, I wrote a piece on politics, pitched it to a national daily in my country and got published. I used the article as a sample, and it had earned me some high-paying jobs.

Don’t rely on a gig. Write your own samples.

3. Register on a Freelance Marketplace

Now that you have positioned yourself as an expert writer in a specific niche and have written one or two articles on the subject, you’re ready to go.

Head to your chosen freelance marketplace and register. Some of the well-known marketplaces include:

  • Upwork
  • oDesk
  • Freelancer
  • Guru
  • Peopleperhour

Warning: These sites pay as low as $1 for a 500-word article. And that’s pretty bad, but as a newbie, you must start somewhere.

I recommend you register on only one of these websites so you get laser focus on your work. Registration on any of these sites is simple, fast, and, above all, free.

You have no reason to procrastinate.

4. Start with Low Rates or Free Services

All freelance marketplaces are competitive. It’s common, for example, to see 34 freelancers bidding for one job on Upwork.com or oDesk.com. That’s one of the reasons why services on these sites are cheap.

As a beginning freelance writer, you’ll be rubbing shoulders with experienced pros that have a lot of samples to brag about, show, and attract the clients.

To survive and thrive in this market, you need to start with low rates or offer free services for a feedback. With one or two positive feedback under your profile, you can boast: “Take a look at my successfully finished jobs and feedback,” and close the deal: “I always get the job done and meet the deadline.”

Trust me, you’ll be hired.

5. Learn from Your Failure

The more you work on a client’s project—whether free or paid—the more you’ll learn, the better your client base will expand.

I once wrote a 1,000-word article for a US client. Unfortunately, the client threw the words back to my face. The reason, he said, was because the “angle” I took wasn’t what he wanted.

I later learned that it is always great to ask questions before you start a client’s work.

So what questions should you ask your client? Start with these:

  • Who is your audience?
  • What angle do you want the article to focus on?
  • What writing style do you want?

These questions not only help you deliver quality work, they also help you write content that your client loves.

Anyone can start a freelance writing business, but only a few people launch it the right way. Use these five tips—they’ll help you get jobs faster. And who knows? You might become the next success story.

suhaib-mohammedAuthor: Suhaib Mohammed is a professional freelance writer, lecturer, and prolific blogger. His blog Cademica teaches new freelance writers the art of writing quality words that build businesses and blossom careers. You can follow him on Twitter and catch him on Facebook

Filed Under: Creating a Plan Tagged With: Freelancing, Getting Started, Writing

SmallBizClub

SmallBizClub

SmallBizClub.com is dedicated to providing small businesses and entrepreneurs the information and resources they need to start, run, and grow their businesses. The publication was founded by successful entrepreneur and NFL Hall of Fame QB Fran Tarkenton. We bring you the most insightful thinking from industry leaders, veteran business owners, and fellow entrepreneurs. That means guides to the complex worlds of financing and technology. It means business owners sharing their personal stories—both successes and failures— through articles, video, and most important, answers to your small business questions. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn

Related Posts

  • How to Make Money Writing About Business Travel
  • Advertise Your Freelance Business With These 6 Tips
  • 6 Essential Things to Consider When Starting a Hot Sauce Business

Primary Sidebar

Random

Why Hiring a Competent Financial Expert is Essential for Business Growth

Feb 22, 2023 By Andrew Deen

How can I do a background check on an individual, to see if they have a criminal record?

Aug 30, 2013 By Bill Wortman

An Essential Guide to Making Your Retail Business More Productive

Feb 10, 2022 By Lynn Ruthe

5 Hottest Franchise Options for Veterans and Why

Jan 26, 2018 By Eric Bell

Why Adopt Cloud Accounting in 2015?

Feb 6, 2015 By SmallBizClub

Footer

About Us

Small Biz Club is the premier destination for small business owners and entrepreneurs. To succeed in business, you have to constantly learn about new things, evaluate what you’re doing, and look for ways to improve—that’s what we’re here to help you do.

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 by Tarkenton Institute, Inc. All Rights Reserved | Terms | Privacy