P.J. Aitkin

fifteenth Jan 2024

Studying Time: 11 minutes

On-line freelance writing is a good way to earn extra or full-time revenue, and also you don’t even want to depart your own home to do it.

There are numerous alternatives on the market, you’ll be able to work as little or as a lot as you need and you can also make in extra of £100,000 a 12 months in the event you observe the correct recommendation and work laborious.

You don’t essentially want earlier expertise so long as you have got some pure writing expertise. You simply must work laborious, stay skilled and be prepared to check your self. There are additionally just a few issues it’s essential to know earlier than you start.

 

What’s Freelance Writing?

Merely put, a contract author is somebody who writes for cash however isn’t tied to a single organisation. A contract author gives his or her companies to anybody who wants a job completed, getting paid for that job after which transferring onto the subsequent one.

It’s usually mentioned that freelancers are their very own boss and that nobody dictates what they do. That is true, to an extent. However freelancers even have many alternative bosses. And they should meet deadlines and to work to specs identical to another worker.

A contract author might be tasked with finishing plenty of jobs. The most typical job is easy content material writing. There are are over a billion web sites on the market they usually all want content material. A contract author is usually the one tasked with creating that content material.

 

Different jobs embrace:

• Novel Writing: Private memoirs, fiction/non-fiction for publishers.
• Script Writing: All the things from TV pilots and movie scripts, to commercials and animations.
• Marketing: Press releases, model tales, slogans.
• Educational Writing: Essays, educational non-fiction.
• Technical Writing: Instruction manuals, guides and how-to’s.
• Authorized Writing: Phrases and Circumstances. Privateness Insurance policies.
• Enhancing/Proofreading: Correcting the entire above.
• Critiquing: Offering recommendation on private initiatives (novels, quick tales).
• Consulting: Offering steering on publishing, writing, search engine optimization and extra.

 

What Are Freelancing Platforms?

On the subject of the idea of “on-line freelancing”, all of it revolves round one thing often known as a “freelancing platform”. It is a primarily service that acts as a bridge between the consumer and the freelancer. These websites embrace Upwork, Guru and Freelancer, however not all ought to be judged equally as many are a waste of time.

You should utilize a freelancing platform to showcase your skills such as you would on a CV, and you can even use them to search out and full jobs.

Shoppers submit job availabilities, writers apply to those, and the purchasers interview them. All of that is completed by way of the platform, together with the interview itself. And when the author is employed, the platform continues to behave as an middleman.

If the freelancer and consumer agree a charge of $100, then the consumer should pay that $100 upfront. The platform will then maintain that cash in an Escrow account, sitting on it till the job is completed. Upon launch, the platform takes a small lower and the author will get the remainder.

 

What Do You Have to Get Began?

There’s little or no it’s essential to get began as a web based author (aside from expertise that’s!). Mainly you want:

• Laptop: You don’t want something flash. If it connects to the web, it’s adequate.
• Phrase Processor: Shoppers will normally anticipate to obtain work in .doc or .docx kind. Nevertheless, most phrase processors can convert, so that you don’t want MS Phrase. There are free options on the market.
• Planner: When the roles roll in, it’s simple to lose observe. So, be sure to keep organized.
• Financial institution Account/PayPal: You will want a checking account for Upwork to pay you, or typically a PayPal account to obtain funds.
• Skype: Many consumers will need to join with you through Skype or over the telephone.

You’re additionally going to wish to enroll to Upwork. There are different freelancing platforms on the market, however that is the largest, the very best and it’s the place a lot of the work is.

 

What Will it Price Me?

Upwork makes use of a system of ‘Connects’, which it’s essential to apply for jobs. The extra you cost, the more durable it is going to be to search out work and the extra Connects you’ll use.

Upwork now fees a small charge of $0.15 for every Join, so it might be essential to spend slightly cash earlier than you safe a job. If in case you have a superb CV and provide a pretty service, it’s best to hopefully land a paid gig with out spending greater than a dollar or two.

Upwork additionally takes a lower of your earnings (from every consumer) based mostly on the next sliding scale.

• First $500: 20%
• $500 to $10,000: 10%
• Over $10,000: 5%

This may occasionally sound like loads. However they put you involved with the consumer, they make sure the working relationship is protected they usually act as a mediator if there is a matter.

In addition they care for the webhosting and, as Upwork is a trusted platform, it will get a number of visitors from potential purchasers. So, it’s a small worth to pay.

 

What Can I Earn?

As a contract author on Upwork, you’ll be able to anticipate to earn a maximum of $100 an hour for contracts paid by the hour (consultants and grant writers can earn extra). Nevertheless, many contracts are paid on a set worth and in the event you work rapidly, this will enhance to $300 an hour.

The charges differ fairly broadly on Upwork, so check out what others are charging and set your worth on the decrease finish as you get began. As you begin writing on extra advanced matters and get a really feel for the market, you’ll be able to regulate your charges accordingly.

Keep in mind it is sensible to base your worth on the competitors, not in your velocity.

In case you’re a mediocre author however you’re additionally very sluggish, that doesn’t imply it’s best to cost 3x the going fee simply to make an honest hourly wage.

As with something, it’s best to quickly velocity up as you get used to the work, and may determine after just a few jobs if that is one thing you need to critically pursue.

  

Getting Began on Upwork

There are numerous freelancing platforms on the market, however none come near Upwork. It’s greater (which suggests extra initiatives), it’s simpler to make use of and there are extra advantages for each the consumer and the freelancer.

It additionally has its flaws, however it used to have many extra and they’re steadily being ironed out.

There are thousands and thousands of purchasers on Upwork posting tons of of jobs each single day. After all, there are additionally thousands and thousands of freelancers competing for a similar job as you. Any given mission can have in extra of 20 functions and a few have over 100.

However with a superb profile, a superb work ethic, some confirmed credentials and slightly expertise, you’ll be able to go a good distance.

The flexibility to work laborious counts for lots on this website. In case you can usually meet deadlines, at all times hit targets and reply to consumer messages inside 24 hours, then you definately’re already performing a step above a lot of the different freelancers on the positioning.

An amazing tip is to go online throughout regular enterprise hours and bid on the latest job postings. Jobs on the second web page possible have already got many bidders, so the possibility of touchdown the gig is decrease the older it’s.

In case you’re one thing of an evening owl, you can even go surfing throughout US enterprise hours (New York is 5 hours behind the UK, Los Angeles eight hours). Many consumers on Upwork are based mostly in America, so chances are you’ll discover plenty of new jobs showing from round 5pm or later within the UK.

 

Establishing Your Profile

The very first thing it’s essential to do is setup your profile. Use an image that exhibits your face, and ensure it’s skilled.

Create a profile description of between 2 and 4 paragraphs and ensure it’s flawless. You can be anticipated to edit your individual work, so any errors right here will put a consumer off. Ideally, have a trusted good friend give it a as soon as over for any remaining errors!

You’ll need to fill each part of the profile, however must focus extra on some than others. On your work historical past, omit something that’s irrelevant (whether or not it’s a GCSE in geography or a managerial function at McDonald’s) and focus purely on inventive endeavours.

In case you lack expertise, spice issues up, be imprecise, however inform the reality. If in case you have self-published an eBook, written an article for a print journal and achieved a level, then your expertise can embrace:

• Printed Writer
• Labored for a significant nationwide information outlet
• Achieved a level in my chosen subject

It doesn’t matter if that e book failed, that journal “article” was really a reader’s letter and that diploma was in Sports activities Science. What issues is that you’ve got one thing that catches the attention.

 

Portfolio

Your portfolio must be visible. You’ll be prompted to add paperwork and writing samples, however nobody pays consideration to those. The truth is, if a consumer needs to learn a pattern they may anticipate you to ship them one in the course of the interview.

As a substitute, submit pictures that characterize your work. They are often covers of books, comics or anthologies you wrote/edited, stills of movies that you simply scripted; advertising and marketing posters you helped to compose; and even screenshots of internet sites you wrote for.

You must also embrace a single doc of your greatest written work. Use samples from fiction, non-fiction, scripts, website content material and advertising and marketing. Paste all of them right into a single doc and use headers to explain every of them (for instance, “a advertising and marketing piece written for a number one UK beverage firm”).

Most purchasers assume that writers can solely write in sure genres or niches. This manner you’ll be able to show in any other case.

Additionally, see our article on how one can generate profits writing quick tales right here

 

Discovering Jobs

On this business you reside or die based mostly in your earlier success. Your references won’t rely for a lot in an workplace job, however as a freelancer they’re what separates those that scrape by on minimal wage from those that earn a six-figure wage.

To start with, a single piece of dangerous suggestions may finish you, so it’s essential to be sure to solely work with purchasers who’ve a observe report of leaving good suggestions.

Utilizing the choices on the left of the Upwork search, slim the outcomes down to incorporate the next:

• Expertise Stage: Skilled—At “Intermediate”, purchasers will anticipate to pay not more than $20 an hour; at “Entry Stage” you’ll be fortunate in the event you make $5.

• Shopper Historical past: 10+ Hires—9 out of ten purchasers posting a job for the primary time will disappear earlier than hiring anybody. And even when they continue to be, they don’t have sufficient of a historical past so that you can belief them.

• Shopper Information: Cost Verified—Solely these with a observe report of paying freelancers might be proven.

• Finances Worth: $100 to $100k—This helps to weed out the purchasers who anticipate the earth for $0.50 an hour.

When you discover a job that fits, it’s essential to test the suggestions of every consumer earlier than you apply. The trick shouldn’t be to take a look at the suggestions that others have left them, however on the suggestions that they’ve left others.

You don’t care if freelancers suppose they’re slightly sluggish, incomprehensible or annoying, simply that they generally tend to depart 5-star suggestions.

Do what you’ll be able to to maintain your common ranking high and be ready to provide a refund in the event you obtain poor suggestions (a refund will delete the suggestions). This could hopefully be very minimal, however will defend your high suggestions ranking.

Learn how to generate profits copywriting right here

 

Staying Employed

Freelancing will open a number of doorways. It would introduce you to publishers, publicists, web-masters and enterprise homeowners. In case you keep linked to all of those, utilizing social media to maintain them shut, then a easy job may result in one thing huge.

Work will dry up now and again, however the good factor is that this not often occurs upon getting a longtime profile. Till you get to that time, right here’s what you are able to do to maintain the work coming:

• Ask: If a consumer promised extra work that they didn’t ship on, simply ask them about it. If a consumer who gave you a number of work prior to now immediately stops messaging you, e-mail them. I like to provide them a pleasant nudge within the type of a catch-up message, following it up with a easy, “In case you want something completed, the place to search out me”. You’d be shocked at how usually this works.
• Deal with one Web site: It appears counterintuitive, however in the event you concentrate on one platform you’ll have extra work. The trouble you place right into a single platform exhibits, and that is what potential purchasers need to see. If it isn’t working, don’t go elsewhere, simply double your efforts the place you’re.
• Maintain Making use of: It doesn’t matter what number of initiatives you have got proper now, it’s best to at all times discover time to ship extra proposals, apply for extra jobs and sit by way of extra interviews. You may be busy now, however quickly you’ll meet these deadlines and accumulate your cash, and then you definately’ll notice you don’t have anything else to do.
• Get Rated: Do what you’ll be able to to change into part of the High Rated and Professional packages on Upwork. These will increase your invitations considerably and normally, you simply want just a few good marks in your profile to hitch.
• Decrease Your Charges: In case you’re struggling to search out work, cut back your charges barely to get the ball rolling once more. It’s higher for work at a lowered fee than to not work in any respect. You possibly can at all times kick that mission to the curb when a greater one comes alongside (simply be sure to end it first).

 

Lengthy-Time period Shoppers and Lengthy Time period Success

Not solely will a superb consumer proceed to offer, however they’ll introduce you to different purchasers and open many doorways.

Whether or not you’re employed on a platform like Upwork, otherwise you do the entire legwork your self, hold the next in thoughts:

1. At all times exit of your approach for a consumer you respect. By no means take liberties and apologize profusely in the event you make a mistake.
2. At all times be ready to strike a deal. Provide cheaper charges for bulk jobs within the hope they may enhance your workload.
3. In case you haven’t heard something for just a few weeks, ship a message to investigate if they’ve something out there. In a aggressive market, freelancers might be forgotten.
4. Give them recommendation. You’re the knowledgeable right here, so in the event you discover an space of their website that may very well be improved or added to, inform them. They’ll admire it and also you’ll get extra work.

 

Various Revenue Streams

The work isn’t at all times going to be there. It’s necessary to maintain making an attempt, as a result of it’ll get simpler. However there are additionally different methods you can also make cash.

So, when you’ve got the time however you don’t have the roles, and in the event you’ve completed all you’ll be able to by way of making use of and being interviewed, you’ll be able to attempt among the following:

• Search “write for us”: Increasingly web-masters are turning to websites like Upwork to supply content material, however there are nonetheless websites that watch for the content material to return to them. These websites sometimes pay properly, and in the event you Google the phrase “Write for Us”, you shouldn’t have a difficulty discovering them.
• Web sites/Blogs: In case you don’t know something about search engine optimization now, you’ll after just a few months. You should utilize this information to ascertain your individual content material web sites and earn advert revenue on the facet.
• Flipping Websites: Flippa is principally eBay for web sites. You should purchase and sell all types of blogs, high-profile domains and established on-line companies. You should purchase poor-quality websites, rewrite the content material, do some extra and sell them on. It’s identical to Properties Underneath The Hammer—when you’ve got the capital and you may lower prices by doing the work your self, you’ll flip a revenue.
• Contribute: Contributors to websites like Huff Submit don’t get paid. Nevertheless, they’re allowed to write down what they need (inside purpose) which provides them a possibility to embed hyperlinks of their articles. There are numerous purchasers on Upwork searching for freelancers who can get a single hyperlink on Huff Submit. In case you’re a contributor to this website, you will get wherever from $200 to $500 for that hyperlink, and also you solely want to write down a brief article with the intention to submit it. Forbes pays much more and works in a lot the identical approach.

See how one can make fast money and win prizes by writing letters to magazines right here