Getting freelance writing jobs can help you turn your business expertise into a legitimate work at home job.
Even if you don’t think of yourself as a writer, you have probably written hundreds of reports and prepared dozens of presentations on your field during your career.
Now it’s time to put those skills to work so you can earn an income while working from home.
There are three key aspects of finding freelance work: finding the right sites, creating an online presence and learning how to bid.
Find The Right Freelance Jobs Sites
There are many different types of freelance jobs sites.
There are freelance marketplaces which cover a wide range of jobs and also include jobs for writers. Examples of these sites include Elance, Rentacoder, Guru, and IFreelance.
There are forums that include jobs listings such as the WAHM.com forum.
There are sites which cater for particular types of jobs, such as jobs for bloggers. Examples of these include the Problogger job board and Bloggerjobs.biz. And finally, there are sites which concentrate on jobs for writers, such as the Freelance Writing Gigs site.
You can also find freelance writing jobs through sites such as Craigslist and Indeed.com. These are only a few examples; there are many more.
Create An Online Presence
Just as you search for online jobs, potential clients also research you, so you need to make it easy for them to find you. This could include:
- A website of your own, which includes a resume, writing samples and testimonials.
- A blog that showcases your writing expertise.
- A professional profile on a business networking site such as LinkedIn.
- A profile on one or more of the freelance marketplaces or jobs sites.
Learn How To Bid
The key rule of bidding is to address the client’s concerns.
Most client briefs will provide several points they want you to cover. Make sure that you provide exactly what they ask for and this will be a good first step. Some may ask to see samples that exist, while others may just want a resume.
Showing that you can follow instructions is the first step in bidding successfully for freelance writing jobs.
Job Opportunities For Freelance Writers
There has never been a better time for freelance writers to make money.
Many employers are outsourcing writing services because of the difficult economic conditions, so the time is right for you to start a freelance writing business and earn some extra income.
There are dozens of ways for skilled writers to earn both online and offline. Here is a guide to some of the best freelance writing opportunities and markets.
Online Writing Markets
The best place to get started is online, with web content writing. This is a broad term that covers many types of writing niches.
There are millions of web sites and blogs on the web and they all need fresh content on a regular basis. It is the reason why there is a growing market for freelance writers.
Writing search engine optimized (SEO), keyword-rich articles is a key writing skill, as is the ability to research and write informational articles for web pages.
Other online writing markets for freelancers include writing online sales letters, writing press releases and writing blog posts.
There is also a growing market in providing ebooks, white papers, private label articles and other reports to be distributed or sold via websites.
Offline Writing Markets
Many people have a story to tell, but are not comfortable with the process of writing. This provides another job opportunity for freelance writers: ghost writing. This is where the writer gets paid for the writing, but receives no credit. An online variation of this is ghost blogging, where freelancers write and publish blog posts on behalf of clients and under their clients’ names.
Other offline writing markets for freelancers include researching and writing articles for newspapers and magazines.
Other Freelance Services
Don’t limit yourself to writing alone.
It is also useful to provide services related to writing for people who are happy to write their content, but need to have it tweaked so that it reads well.
Writers who offer freelance editing and proofreading services will find these useful add-ons which will increase their marketability to clients and enhance their income potential.
Are Freelance Writing Jobs Easy to Find?
This is one of the most important questions that you need to answer before starting out.
In all probability arriving at the decision to become a freelance writer will have been a journey for you. For many people the start of the journey will have included being made redundant from being an employee where you have learnt skills in writing. Often skills learnt as an employee are acquired over a long period of employment.
It is disappointing to discover after being made redundant that you can’t find employment. I have been there myself and that is why I have done the research to find legitimate freelance writing jobs advertised on a reputable website. If you want to share that information then go to the legitimate work at home jobs page.
