Are you considering a career as a freelance writer? If so, you should check out this article on what being a freelance writer entails. Were you aware that freelance writing is one of the best careers to pursue if you want more freedom?
Being a freelance writer is all about making content for others, but it comes with a lot of room for creativity. You can write articles to boost a site’s SEO, blog posts, stories, and more.
Although many people desire to enter the world of freelance writing, it’s best to know a few things to help you determine whether it’s right for you. Fortunately, we’ve put together all the info you need!
Here’s what you need to know about being a freelance writer.
You Choose When to Work
When it comes to freelance writing, one of the main things you must know is that you can choose when to work. This is common with many freelance jobs, but writing gives you much more freedom because you can pick up something and drop it at any time.
Many freelance writers spend a portion of their days coming up with ideas for content. They can then take breaks and start writing whenever they’d like.
If you’re working with clients that have specific requests, it’s often easier to produce content because they’ll have most things laid out. This allows a freelance writer to have more time to focus on other clients and activities.
A Solid Portfolio Is Necessary
Another thing you should know before entering the world of freelance writing is that a solid portfolio is often necessary if you want to earn money.
Many clients are unwilling to work with writers that don’t have published works because they don’t know what kind of work they’ll get. While this can prevent a client from wasting time, it also prevents new writers from breaking into the industry.
However, before seeking your first freelance writing job, you can come up with your own content and publish it on a site. This will ensure you have something to show clients, so you’ll have a much better chance of finding work.
As you start working with different people, you can take your best articles and publish them on your site. From there, you can send the link to new clients so they can browse anything that interests them.?
Finding Clients Will Take Time
Aside from having a portfolio, you must also know that finding clients will take some time, especially if you’ve never worked with one before. Like any freelance job, you must build connections with people before you can easily find others.
Because of this, it’s crucial to provide the highest quality work you can give to ensure that all of your first clients are satisfied. Providing things go well, they may recommend you to someone else, thus allowing you to build a network of people to work with.
When looking for jobs for freelance writers, you can start with content mills and sites like Upwork.
A content mill is essentially a company that employs various freelancers to complete work for clients. You can apply for one like any job, and you won’t be required to network with clients to find work.
When working for a content mill, you can expect to have a quota and a variety of topics to write about. Depending on the company you work for, you may choose certain articles from a queue so you can focus on things you know a lot about.
Using sites like Upwork is often better if you want to build a portfolio because you’ll work closely with clients to fulfill their needs. By doing this, you can earn more money than you would with a content mill, though you’ll be responsible for finding work and fulfilling various requests.?
Taxes Are Filed Differently
Many people are unaware that being a freelance writer requires filing taxes differently than those with traditional jobs.
When freelancing, you’re responsible for setting money aside to pay for taxes each year. You can file taxes whenever you’d like, but many people do so quarterly and yearly.
Unlike those that have deductions when working for employers, you must calculate how much you’ll pay. The numbers will vary depending on how much you earn, where you live, your age, and whether you have tax-free income.
It’s best to review all the documents every freelancer needs so you can familiarize yourself with what you’ll fill out.?
You Must Set Decent Rates
The last thing to know about being a freelance writer is that you must set decent rates if you want to attract clients. While your rates shouldn’t be low enough to where you’re getting underpaid, they also shouldn’t be high enough to convince clients to find someone else.
Figuring out how much you should charge will also take some time because you need to network with other freelancers. You’ll have a better experience learning how to become a freelancer when talking to others that have done it for a long time.
Some of the things you should consider are how long it takes you to write and where you live.
When working with clients online, it may be harder to convince them to pay you more if you live in an expensive area. However, working with local clients will make it easier to get paid the amount you need to get by.
Consider Becoming a Freelance Writer Today
Now that you have a better idea of what it takes to be a freelance writer, we encourage you to consider becoming one.
All you must do is decide which type of content you’d like to produce, then you can seek clients that want it. Providing you go through the other steps, you’ll have no problem finding success.
To learn more about a variety of topics, check out our other articles!
