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Last Updated on December 27, 2022

Best ways how to make money as a freelance writer

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Freelance writing is one of the ways to make money in the comfort of your home. One thing I love about this work is that anybody can start it and succeed. All you need is the right guidance, like what I’m going to share in this article. Once you get the points right, you’re set to make it. So, if you’ve been wondering how to make online, I have good news for you.

In this article, I’ll be showing you how to make money as a freelance writer.

Yes! It is possible to make money writing than killing yourself in your 8 to 5 work.

Many people think that freelance writers don’t have many opportunities because it doesn’t sound very interesting.

RELATED: TOP ONLINE JOBS THAT PAY IN NIGERIA FOR STUDENTS AND FREELANCERS

When you tell someone, “ I get paid to write,” their first question is, “What?” what do you write about and how does it work.

Sometimes it’s hard to explain to them, but when I do, they’ll go, “Wow,” can someone make money writing?

The answer is YES! So, let’s show you how to do it.

Getting started as a freelance writer:

Freelance writing doesn’t require much investment to kick-start the journey.

Your must-haves include a laptop, internet connection, electricity, a good table, and a chair.

Some people didn’t even buy a table when they started.

They only placed their laptop on the bed, and that was it.

But it’s advisable to get a comfy set up to help you dish out some informative and well-structured masterpieces.

Believe me; quality content will take you places as a freelance writer.

That’s why you must always give your best.

Apart from getting your writing materials ready, there’re other things you must do to make money writing.

These actions will place you right where the jobs are online and also help potential clients to locate you.

1. Start blogging

This is one of the wisest actions to take as a new writer.

I didn’t know this from the beginning.

But when I look back now, I realize that it would have been the best thing to do.

Starting a blog has many benefits for someone who wants to make money writing.

The first benefit is that your blog will be your practicing ground, and we all know how it helps.

The more you write on your blog, the faster you develop a unique writing style.

Also, writing on your blog will give you an audience who may turn out to be your first clients.

Your blog will be a pathway to lead clients to your writing website.

You can add your blog to the website and also link your writing website to your blog.

That way, people who visit your blog can check out your website and vice versa.

While creating your website, try to add some pages such as:

  1. About me
  2. Portfolio
  3. Hire me
  4. Testimonials
  5. Blog
  6. Contact page

Also, on your blog, try to add your services and contact pages as well.

These pages will tell your audience that you’re a freelance writer and redirect them to your website where they can view your portfolio. 

Another important reason to start a blog is to create other means of making money as a writer.

You can monetize your blog with google ads and also offer writing and coaching services too.

Also, you can try some affiliate marketing on your blog to bring in some money as a writer too.

All it takes is to register and promote some products or services that are relevant to your audience.

Once they buy or subscribe to any of them, you’ll get a commission.

2. Focus on high-paying niches

  One thing about niche selection is that you need to get it right from the beginning.

If you don’t, you may spend years struggling to make any money at all.

There’re many niches online, but not all of them are profitable.

Then again, some of the profitable niches out there are already saturated.

But don’t worry because you can still make money from those niches.

After all, quality content is king.

All you have to do is to be an authority in the niche you selected and attract the right kind of clients.

For example, it may be very hard for a writer to make money on religious studies, but easy to make money on the parenting niche.

So, it’s no longer about your passion but about what sells.

Find out the solutions that people are searching, and develop a passion around it.

Yeah! If there’s no passion at first, the more you research and delve deeper into it, you’ll become passionate about it.

I know I did.

3. Write samples around the niche topic

Before a client hires you to write for them, he/she will always demand to see a sample related to your niche.

That’s why you should write some killer-contents around the niche and keep.

I know you may be tempted to offer writing services in every niche, but things have changed.

Now, writing clients are looking for writers who have mastered one particular niche or the other.

If your niche is Finance, entrepreneurship, Tech, or health, clients expect the best from you.

They believe that having spent years researching and writing about it, you’re now a pro.

That’s why they may not be convinced to hire you if you’re offering multi-niche writing services.

So, if you want to enjoy freelance writing for money, create samples around a particular niche to show your clients.

How to become an online article writer?

4. Create a solid presence on social media

No one can ignore the far-reaching power of social media.

If you want to get writing clients faster and easier, you need to be a brand on social media.

Freelance writing service is usually an online business that you can do remotely.

So, where’s the best place to search for clients if not on social media platforms?

That’s why you must be an active player on many of them to be visible to potential clients.

You may post something on Twitter, and someone notices it.

Then your LinkedIn profile becomes the next place where the client will visit to know you better.

Afterward, you may land a high-paying content writing job that you never expected.

So you see, your presence on these platforms is necessary to advertise your services to millions of people.

5. Apply directly to writing jobs

Here is another way to make money writing for companies.

You don’t wait for them to come to you first.

You can reach out to them with a convincing pitch on their job postings.

Remember, the company must be those operating in your niche.

That way, you can send your sample to them too.

But the truth is that you have to take time and search for legit companies.

Many companies post their need for freelance writers on a lot of platforms.

You can apply to these jobs but look closely to know if the job posting is legit or not.

I have been scammed by some online hoodlums who just wanted to get free service from new freelancers.

Anyway, that was during my early years.

Due to my experience, I check out every posting thoroughly to know if it’s legit or not.

Some of the alarming signs to look out for are:

  • Quick turnaround without time to research and write great contents
  • Mention of hiring freelancers and not one
  • Searching for someone to write on different topics
  • Asking for 2 to 3 articles every week
  • Not offering much in terms of payment.

Some of these job postings are not worth your time.

Before you apply to any of them, check it thoroughly before wasting your time and effort for nothing.

6. Try a content site

Apart from getting clients through your blog or social media account, you can try some content sites.

You can opt for writing simple pieces of articles and get paid writing.

But bear in mind that content sites don’t accept half-baked results.

So, do everything possible to offer error-free writing.

When it comes to content sites, you’re going to be trained and tested before acceptance.

One of the best places to check out is Crowdsource.

The site is great, and you have a good opportunity there, but they only accept quality.

That’s why you must undergo a test before anything else.

So,  I recommend you learn everything possible and available before taking the test.

The reason to be patient is to nail it the first time.

If you fail, you’re in for a long wait, say some 4-6 months before retrying.

So, if you want to make money writing on a content site, be ready to deliver the best always.

7. Search for a guest post opportunity

Many blogs in your niche will accept a guest post.

This is not easy, though, because many also don’t like to hear about it.

But there’s no harm in trying, though.

Send them a pitch for it and if they accept, write the best post of your life and get a byline that’ll send clients your way.  

The secret to achieving this feat is to study the blog.

Try hard to understand the posting requirements and send your pitch.

If you’re successful in delivering what they accept, you’re on the right track already.

When their large audience sees your byline, they’ll be curious to check you out, especially if the post is amazing.

That way, many readers from that blog will visit your site and eventually hire you for your services. 

8. Publish a book on Amazon Kindle

Many freelance writers make money writing their books and self-publishing them on Kindle.

Instead of waiting for clients to work for, you can write self-help e-books and make money from your sales.

Apart from these kinds of books, you can write a novel, a collection of essays, or a travelogue.

Once you complete and upload, you can start marketing and promoting it.

If you’ve already established your blog and have a good audience, you can start promoting the book right there.

Also, your social media platforms are great promotion channels to use for the book.

So, you can be a freelance writer who also self-publish books on kindle for more money.

9. Register on freelance marketplaces

Many new freelance writers start on these platforms.

If you don’t want to start a blog or any other suggestion here, you can register on freelance marketplaces.

The truth about these sites is that they’re highly competitive.

Few of them include Freelancer, Fiverr, UpWork, Guru, Hirewriters, etc.

Many bloggers, e-book publishers, companies, and business people post jobs on these sites.

As there are many employers on these platforms, there’re many freelance writers too.

On some of these sites, you’ll search for a job and send a bid just like thousands of other writers.

If you start on “Freelancer,” you’re going to be competing for jobs with many writers.

Due to the cut-throat competition, it’s very hard to land good-paying jobs.

Some of the people you’ll meet there are outsourcers or scammers, and they may not pay at all.

Although sites like Freelancer and Upwork use the milestone strategy to help writers, their dispute resolution system favors the employers more.

Fiverr is another good place to start, although the payment is usually low due to competition.

Many writers are ready to start as low as $5 just to get reviews.

If you’re up for such competition, you can register and create your gigs on Fiverr.

The only thing to focus on is SEO.

If you don’t use the right keywords in your description, your gigs will remain invisible.

10. Join a contest

Writing contests sometimes seem like a waste of time, but you can be lucky to hit the jackpot.

The best part is that your level as a writer doesn’t matter when it comes to entering a contest.

Both professionals and newbies can enter a contest, and the best wins.

So, you can make money as a freelance writer via contests

There are lots of them on the internet.

Even on the freelance marketplaces, you can find interesting ones to join.

If you know your worth, why not showcase it to make some good winnings.

11. Try copywriting

Many companies are constantly searching for copywriters to help them achieve their business goals.

Copywriting is a wide discipline that pays higher than other writing jobs.

Some of the contents you’ll be handling as a copywriter includes product descriptions, sales letter, and video scripts.

But bear this in mind, not everyone can be a good copywriter.

That’s why you need to study it well and also master the art of writing conversion-focused contents

In years past, copywriting was not too demanding.

The focus was mainly on hyping goods and services to such an extent that’ll provoke an action.

It was working then but not anymore.

Nowadays, if you overhype any particular product or service, readers will become very suspicious and ignore it.

What businesses need now are more empathic and conversational copywriting that lead to conversion.

That’s why you must be trained as a freelance copywriter if you want to make good money out of it.

The good news is that as more and more people embrace online shopping, the demand for copywriters will continually be on the rise.

No matter the amount of money you spend learning it, you’re going to recoup it in no time.

12. Make money as a freelance music writer

If you love music and wondering how to make money as a freelance music writer, you don’t have to worry.

Freelance writing doesn’t end with writing about tech, health, business, entrepreneurship, finance, or fitness.

You can still write about music.

The first step is to create a music blog of your own and start the journey.

On your blog, you can write about artists, review music, write song lyrics, and promote music apps and gadgets.

Apart from writing in your blog, you can also offer your services to other music enthusiasts in the industry and get paid writing.

This is where your passion comes to play.

It may be hard for someone who doesn’t love music to write about it.

But if you do, make money sharing everything you learn about music.

Final Word

Freelance writing for money can be demanding but fulfilling.

There are many ways to make money as a freelance writer.

You can start a blog, get paid to write video scripts, become an online article writer, become a freelance columnist, start affiliate marketing, join a contest, or even write for content sites.

Many opportunities are available online for you as a writer.

You can source for clients through your blog or contact clients directly.

Also, you can register on freelance marketplaces such as Fiverr or Upwork to meet potential clients.

One thing to remember is that quality content will take you higher.

The industry is already saturated, and the competition is high.

That’s why you should select a profitable niche and become a master in it.

That way, clients who hire you will remain loyal for a very long time.

So, if you’ve been wondering how to make money as a freelance writer, I hope you’ve gotten your answer.

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