Freelance Writing

in Work and Money

If you like to write and have a strong grasp of the English language, you will never be at a loss for work at home, freelance writing opportunities.

Writing is one of the most diverse freelancing jobs you could have - and you can get started easily.

Freelance Opportunities - Writing

Once I stopped taking on web design and courseware creation work (from my own freelancing business) I got busy writing. You could say that writing is what I do for a living, but personally I think it's much more than that...

At any rate, the work ethic is very similar to freelancing, except I don't have paying clients. If I want to earn money at writing for myself, I have to be darn good.

Freelance writing from home can be classified in two distinct categories: writing for print or writing for the web. 

Freelance Writing for Print Publication

Writing for print is what most people envision when they hear "freelance writer". These freelancer writers need to start out by building a reputation as a reliable and eloquent writer. If you’ve never written for print markets before, I'd advise to start with small publications (newspapers and local magazines) and work your way up from there.

As you research freelance writing jobs, you’ll be looking for a list of publishers that are accepting "queries".

Queries are a combination of a unique and personal letter of introduction that includes a pitch for a story idea. Many writers used to rely on the Writer’s Market reference guide (a $40-$50 book available at any Chapters or online at Amazon) for lists of publishers who accept open queries. But the internet has changed how freelancers are working and finding jobs today.

The only drawback to writing for print is that the period between when you write and when you get paid can be months. For many freelancers, this is just not feasible.

Freelance Writing for Web Publication

On the other hand, writing for the web meets many freelancers immediate income requirements and still allows them to write from home, on topics they enjoy.

There are many categories within the freelance web writing opportunity umbrella. You might be retained as a ghostwriter for ebooks or business blogs. If you have sales and marketing experience you might be retained as a sales letter writer. Actually, if you have strong writing skills you might be more interested in teaching others to write online for higher rewards. Either way you go about it, freelance writing opportunities are unlimited.

Breaking into Freelance Writing

Breaking into freelancing (from home) as a writer isn't too far of a stretch for most people to imagine. Freelance writers have always worked from home (or on location depending on the assignment).

Starting your career as a work at home writer is literally as easy as performing some research online, then applying for assignments. If you don't know how to perform research online there is no time like the present to learn as you will no doubt need this talent in your upcoming freelance writing assignments!

Freelance Writing Jobs That Pay

Writing articles or website posts for pay is mostly done in the non-fiction genre. Don't even bother with fiction writing or poetry contests - these opportunities seldom pan out and you're left with content and no cash for your efforts.

What You Need to Start Writing Today

Start with a reliable Internet connection, good written communication skills, the ability to research any topic online or offline, and (possibly) the desire to interview experts in many fields. As you begin to accept freelance writing assignments from a variety of publishers and business owners, you’ll need to learn about, as well as write about, topics that you may have limited experience in.

Since you you will be in charge of tracking your time and expenses, you'll want a good notepad, journal or PDA to keep track of notes, receipts and hours.

Good luck to you, whatever you do!

Laura Childs
Living the Dream
Life in the Country, Working from Home

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Finally, if you just need a little one-on-one consultation to get you started on the right path, don't hesitate to drop me a line here - contact Laura Childs.