Freelance Writing
How do you know if what you are doing is freelance writing? There are many freelancers out there and you want to distinguish yourself within your niche.
Freelance Writing
If you walk about our page, you must have come across our article on ghostwriting. While discussing ghostwriting, there were perks and strands of freelancing. When we talk about ghostwriting, the freelance writing doesn’t go away. This is to say that they are entangled.
Most freelancers have one motive – to make a living off writing; that has made freelancing a business and not a writing style. Some freelancers work onsite, while others work remotely; either way, they make ‘cool’ money delivering their work.
Who is a freelancer?
A freelancer is anyone who does work on contract and not as a staff of the company or firm. This is the simplest explanation of the term I’d give. Freelancing is engaging in any work that doesn’t require you to be a staff; a paid-off job you do on contract. Freelancers enjoy freedom much more than nine to fivers and make their choice of work. There are some disadvantages to freelancing – nine-to-fivers enjoy company benefits, salary increments, leaves, etc. Freelancers come straight and do their job and leave.
Examples of Freelancing about writing include:
1. Article writing – like what you’re reading now
2. Whitelist
3. Project and thesis writing
4. Case studies
5. Novel writing (ghostwriting)
6. Research Writing
7. Blog writing, etc.
How do I become a freelance writer?
There have been questions of this nature flying about. Budding writers who tend to transform their works to profit are often the ones at this end. There are ways to become a freelancer and
make a good profit, either as a living or a part-time job.
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Some of the ways include:
● Learn to write – When you want to become a freelancer, you must first learn how to write, build your vocabulary, work on your writing style, and ensure you have good grammatical sentence structure. No one wants to give their project to a freelancer and get a wack delivered to them.
● Build your brand – The above is a good way to start your journey as a freelancer. However, you must be consistent enough to develop yourself and your services and make them your brand. Create a portfolio and make yourself formidable to be relevant to clients who need your services.
● Hunt for jobs – Advertising comes in when you must have learned the fundamentals. There are several platforms online to look for jobs. For example, upwork.com, freelancer.com, Fiverr.com, etc. You can also find jobs through direct contact with the clients by sending emails or proposals. You sell yourself to your potential clients, convince and make them believe you’re the best man for the job, and hire you.
● Maintain your brand name – Always remember that you’re now a brand and must live up to the expectation and hype. If you fail to maintain your name, your value deteriorates, and you lose contracts coming your way. One bad review from your client can tarnish an image that took years to build. The brand name is an important aspect of freelancing; maintaining the name is another.
● Write different niches – You are a professional; that is at least what your clients see you as. When you engage in freelancing, you are not expected to only focus on one writing style. However, the choice is yours to make. Different niches make your experience broader and enhance your professionalism. You may be a newbie initially, but a professional consistently.
There are strategies that you need to possess as a freelancer to make you a professional. These include:
● Knowing your strength and weakness – Work on discovering your energy and the type of writing you love most. This discovery leads to the perfecting of a niche you’d proudly claim
to be your best.
● Stay in the know – You must be well informed about change and advancement. Incorrigibility is not an attribute of a freelancer. A freelancer must be dynamic in learning and writing. Therefore, you must have to be available online for learning, upgrading, and for networking, and self and brand marketing.
● Build a portfolio – If you don’t have a blog or website where you update your work, you ought to have a portfolio to show your clients. This may be hard for budding writers as they’re still new to the field and have little or nothing to show. However, their practices and drafts have to take another form to be included in their portfolio. Your portfolio serves as the mirror of what you have in store for your client. Therefore, it should
be perfect, one that your client will love and crave.
Conclusion
There are, however, shortcuts to becoming a good freelancer, and they are professionalism and creativity. Being creative enough lulls clients and make them seek you. Now, it is your consistency that will make them stay and add to your network.
Freelance writing has been top-notch for many book lovers and creative writers. Venturing into it is also meant for only one purpose – to make a profit. You do not necessarily need to stop your regular work to be a freelancer; it is best as part-time work. Professionals transform it into their full-scale job, and they make a decent living out of it. It can be either way, but for a budding
writer, it is best to remain a part-time job.