How to Become a Freelance Writer in 2024

Wondering how to become a freelance writer? You’re in the right place. Freelance writing is a career that can be done remotely, which is one of the main benefits of pursuing it.

Freelance writers usually specialize in different niches, and in types of writing. You could be a freelance copywriter, a content writer, or a creative writer.

Most freelance writing is what we call ‘ghostwriting’ which means while you aren’t credited for the work, you are paid for the work that someone else is using for their content.

I worked for almost a decade as an elementary school teacher, while doing freelance writing as a side hustle. I had been writing for fun since I was a child, and I really enjoyed writing as a side job.

Eventually, I was eventually able to turn writing into my full-time income, by freelance writing for clients, as well as starting my own blog.

I’m going to share with you more about what it means to pursue freelance writing as a career (especially in a post pandemic world, full of AI) and how to launch a small business as a freelance writer.

8 Steps to Become a Freelance Writer

Step 1: Consider what type of writing you’ll specialize in

There are different types of professional writing that you can make money in as a freelance writer.

There’s copywriting, content writing, technical writing, and ghost writing.

Copywriting

Copywriting involves a call to action, to get people to act on something. It could be to click on something, buy something, or sign something (like a petition.)

You probably read more copy on a day to day basis than you realize. Anything that prompts you to do something, such as click to buy, pick up the phone and call – is copy.

Skilled copywriters that write good ‘copy’, can be paid very well for it, because well-written copy that resonates with the reader can generate much more income than a company that doesn’t have well-written copy.

Writing good copy involves good empathy and people skills. You need to be able to recognize your reader’s pain points and motivations, and write in a way that makes sense to them. For this reason, its especially important to specialize in a niche when it comes to copywriting.

For a while, I made money as a freelance copywriter by freelancing on Fiverr, and for a small wellness business.

If you’re good at copywriting, you can be well paid for it. However, its important to know also takes time, practice (and some education beforehand – which we’ll get into below) to hone your skill as an effective copywriter.

Pro Tip: One very rewarding aspect of copywriting is the difference you can make – you get to help businesses succeed by generating more clients and revenue. When you choose a niche you’re knowledgable or interested in (such health and wellness, for example) you’re making a difference by helping people see the value in a product. Plus, you get paid well for it; its a win -win-win.

Content writing

Content writing is what we see when we read a magazine, blog or news article. The goal of content writing is mainly to inform or educate, rather than to lead to a call to action, as copywriting does.

Content writing for large publications (such as Today’s Parent or MacLeans) can be fairly competitive, as larger companies tend to pick experienced content writers with impressive portfolios.

However, we all start somewhere. You can find many small to medium sized businesses that are looking for a talented writer to produce original, and high quality content for their blogs or websites.

I spend a lot of time in blogging circles, and see that there are many bloggers looking to hire content writers, for example.

Technical writing

Tech writing is about conveying information about a very specialized topic. While content writing usually focuses on lifestyle topics like health and wellness, travel, family and relationships, etc, tech writing on the other hand gets a lot more ‘technical.’

Tech writing is for user manuals, troubleshooting guides, employee handbooks, step by step instructions, and things like that.

Technical writing needs to be clear, concise and thorough. It has less ‘personality’ than content and copywriting needs to have, and you need to be able to think through steps and communicate them in an understandable way.

Ghost writing

A ghost writer can be any kind of writing – copywriting, content or technical. All ghost writing really means is that you will not be given credit for your work. You will be paid, but not credited as the author.

This has a couple implications, as it means you might need to seek approval if you want to use something you were paid to ghostwrite in a portfolio (especially if its a public portfolio, such if you were to make a website with your work public.)

This is because part of why you were hired to ghostwrite in the first place is because people did not want it to be known that they didn’t write the content themselves.

So, as a ghost writer, you’ll need to create some content for a portfolio that is indicative of the type of content you’ve created or will create for ghostwriting clients.

There are many clients seeking ghostwriting services. Some of the jobs ghostwriters are hired to do include:

• write ‘About me’ and homepages for websites
• writing blog posts
• writing people’s memoirs or life stories (I’ve seen this a lot lately.) Anyone from from A-list celebrities to your average every day people seek out talented ghostwriters to write their memoirs
• writing novels or children’s books (sometimes established authors hire ghostwriters to write certain books in their series)

Tip: There is such a thing as being able to do more than one type of writing. There are many writers that say they are a “content and copywriter.” So, don’t feel like you can only choose one or the other.

Step 2: Write, write, write

You probably already have some idea of what kinds of topics you’re interested in or want to write about.

The best way to get started as a writer is to … write. Start writing a little bit every day. It can be by hand with pen and paper, or on Google docs- or both.

Don’t think too much about who’s going to see it, what you will use it for, or if its perfect at this point. Too many of these thoughts might hurt the writing process and make it hard for you to get words onto the page or document.

Set aside 10 minutes a day to write for fun, and see what kinds of topics come up, that you enjoy covering. The best reason to do this is because the more you write, the better you get at it.

For a while, I was writing articles about dating and relationships for fun, and I still have many of those docs on my Google drive, which have never been read by anyone but me.

But thats ok, because I enjoyed the process of writing them, and in the mean time, I was developing my skills as a writer, too.

Step 3: Determine your niche

With all of the above types of writing, choosing a niche that you specialize in is important. To be clear, choosing a niche isn’t the same as choosing a type of writing.

A type of writing is copywriting, content writing, tech writing, etc. Whereas a niche is a topic like: sports and leisure, health and wellness, etc.

You see, not everyone is an expert in everything, and its much easier to write about things that you have knowledge, or at least, some interest in. Typical niches can include:

-health and wellness
-science and tech
-travel and lifestyle
-sports and leisure
-parenting
-dating and relationships
-celebrity gossip

Think about what kinds of things do you enjoy writing about for fun. What are you an expert in? What could you talk for hours on end about without stopping?

You don’t have to necessarily choose only one niche, but I wouldn’t market yourself as having more than 2 niches at the most.

With only focusing on one or two for clients, you can more easily reach clients that are looking for writers in those niches.

Pro Tip: There’s a saying ‘you catch more fish with a smaller net.’ For example, a health and wellness website would be more likely to hire you if you specialize in this type of writing, rather than if you say you’re a ‘general writer.’

Step 4: Get some inspiration from professional writers

One thing that helped me get started as a freelance writer was to go see other freelancers who were already doing it and making money from it.

Seeing freelance writers who were already making a living from their services allowed me to see what was possible for myself. Seeing how they run their business gave me insight into how I would run my own freelance business one day.

You can find freelance writers who are currently making a living from writing from:

• searching on online platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork
• a Google search (some have their own websites)
• LinkedIn
• Facebook business pages

To be clear, I’m not asking you to copy or replicate what other writers are doing. But when you are new to a career, it helps to get an idea of what it looks like to be a professional writer marketing your services and making a living from it, before you embark on that journey yourself.

Step 5: Start building your portfolio

Now that you have some idea of what you want to write about, and you know its possible to make money from it in your niche, its time to start building a portfolio to show to potential clients.

Clients will not often care if you have a degree or experience in writing. What they really care about is the quality of your work, and what you’re capable of.

They’ll want to see examples of your writing to make sure they think you can do a good job for them, so you’ll want to put together some of the work that you’re most proud of.

There are a few different options when it comes to building a portfolio that you can showcase to clients:

• Use Google docs, and share with people who ask to see writing samples
• Use Journoportfolio to set up an online portfolio and gallery of your work
• Build a website from scratch to display your work (a bit harder to do if you aren’t used to building websites, but its cheaper than Journoportfolio with better flexibility)

If you’re not sure what kind of writing you want to do, it might be helpful to create a few different kinds of writing examples in your profile to have on hand. For example, have some examples of:

• blog posts you’ve written
• copy that you’ve written
• a snipet from a memoir/life story (even if its not a real story)

Pro Tip: Ensure that any written work in your portfolio is free of grammar and spelling errors. This is something that clients may pay extra close attention to when deciding if you’re the right one for the job.

Step 6: Get some feedback on your writing

I highly recommend seeking feedback on some of your writing before polishing up your portfolio and trying to get clients.

You could ask a trusted friend, family member, or there are strangers online that will do it (there are subreddits on Reddit dedicated to getting and giving feedback.) You could also pay an editor to look over some of your work.

Whoever you ask to look over your writing samples, make sure it is someone who isn’t just going to tell you what you want to hear (or who is going to discourage you from your goals of becoming a paid professional writer.)

When getting some feedback on your writing to make sure it resonates with others as well as it does with you – you want someone who can be subjective, and offer constructive criticism if needed. Make sure its someone who’s opinion you trust.

Step 7: Start marketing your writing services to clients

After you have been experimenting with writing, honed your technique and have a portfolio read to showcase, its time start offering your services to clients.

There are many platforms where you can find clients who are looking for writers. Here is a run down of a few of them:

• Fiverr (my personal favourite) Sellers and buyers are both rated, so you can make sure your potential client has a good rating before working for them
• Upwork
• Social media (especially in Facebook groups)
• LinkedIn
• Indeed

Many freelance writers set up a social media business page for their writing business. This isn’t mandatory, as not everyone does it. But it does establish you more as a professional and promote some trust from your client’s end.

Step 8: Set your prices and get paid

The process of payment for freelance writing can happen in a number of different, depending on where you find the client.

Part of what I like about Fiverr or Upwork is that its very ‘secure.’ The platforms manage the payment process (but they also take a percentage of your earnings.)

If you find clients independent of a platform, then you can either:

• request a deposit, or 50% upfront
• request payment upon completion

As someone who has been in the writing industry for 2 years now, I have to warn you that it is possible (especially in the beginning) that you will come across some clients that try to underpay you. Don’t be discouraged by this or think it means that no one will ever want to pay a fair price for quality work. Because, this simply is not true.

How much can you make as a freelance writer?

Freelance writers charge anywhere from 0.05 cents to 0.25 cents per word. So, for 1,000 words, you can make anywhere from $50 to $250.

When you’re just starting out, I would start on the lower end before you build up some experience, good reviews and references. However, don’t set your prices so low that you would burn out.

Writing can be very time consuming, and you want to make sure you’re covering all the hours you will spend researching and perfecting.

I was charging 0.065 cents (6.5 cents) during my time as a freelance writer, but personally I wish I had set my prices higher than that. I understand starting lower in the beginning, but I should have ensured higher payment for myself as demand grew.

Based on this, I recommend setting your freelance writing prices around 0.07 or 0.08 cents per word as a starting point, and move upwards as the demand for your services grow.

Pro Tip: You will see that there are some freelance writers charging very small amounts for their writing. Do not let this drive your prices down. Writers base their prices on a variety of things; sometimes this can include their region. If you want to make a living from writing, then you’ll need to charge enough to make it worth your while.

2 Myths About Freelance Writing

Myth #1: Al is killing all writing jobs

Many people might be weary to invest in a freelance writing career because they worry about all the jobs disappearing due to AI.

While this concern is valid, it’s not true. Some basic writing jobs have disappeared and are disappearing.

You see, those of us that want our content to to beat out others on search engines know that the only way to stand out is to have original content.

Pro Tip: Even if AI is used in the writing process, quite a bit of tweaking and prompting is needed to have it sound the way you want. That will always require human input.

Myth # 2: Freelance writers hardly make any money

You can make good money as a freelance writer, if you’re good at it and can set your prices accordingly.

If you provide quality work, then people will come back and they will refer you to others. If you are charging prices that reflect the hard work and expertise that you are putting into the work, then you’re more likely to make a sustainable income.

Earning the top salary might take a bit of time, but do not set your prices too low at the start.

Where to Find Jobs as a Freelance Writer

1. LinkedIn

Create a profile (or use your current one) and set your current job to being a writer – even if its just a side hustle at this point.

Start adding connections, following publications relevant to your niche and applying to writing jobs.

Pro Tip: I recommend telling everyone -friends and family – that you’re looking for work as a freelance writer! Word of mouth is one of the most powerful forms of advertisement.

2. Facebook

The best way to find clients on Facebook is to hang out where your ideal client would hang out. For example, if your ideal client is a travel blogger, then join travel blogging groups.

If you identify as a women, I recommend joining the Facebook group Female Digital Nomads (You don’t necessarily have to be a digital nomad.) There is a lot of discussion about work that can be done remotely, and occasionally there are also job postings.

3. Indeed

A quick look through indeed will show you that there are a lot of writing positions; some are in-house, and others are remote.

4. Instagram or other social media

Using Instagram or TikTok to find clients serves the same purpose as creating a Facebook business page – it promotes you as a professional, and as a knowledgable expertise.

5. Platforms like Fiverr or Upwork

Fiverr and Upwork are living proof that there’s still a lot of money to be made from freelance writing.

A quick search on these platforms will show you some writers that are receiving lots of clients, and charging a premium their work.

How to Become a Freelance Copywriter

Becoming a copywriter is its own skill, but its a skill I’d recommend whether you’re

1. Read a book (or two)

Depending on what type of writing you want to do, I would do some reading on that type of writing and learn about the skills that it takes to be an effective writer.

I’m a believer that reading improves your writing, but in this case, the books you read about writing are going to teach you about a valuable skill.

Before I began offering my services as a copywriter, I read a few different books about copywriting and what it takes to become an effective copywriter that can charge top dollar for copywriting services.

Whether you’re planning to be solely a copywriter, or pursue content writing in addition to it, then here are some books that help you get started as a copywriter:

• The 16 Word Sales Letter by Evaldo Alburquerque. This book is very short, but one of the most helpful books I’ve ever read
• The Ultimate Sales Letter (4th Edition) by Dan S. Kennedy

There are many books out there about copywriting that you can choose from. It’s a very popular skill that is worth reading about. The above two books are two that I read and found the most helpful for getting started on my (copy) writing career.

In addition, if writing is a new career for you, then books on changing careers can be beneficial too.

If you’re serious about becoming a copywriter, I also recommend this free 5 hour-training on YouTube that teaches you the basics of how to get started as a copywriter.

Other Skills Needed to Become a Freelance Writer

One of the best things about launching a business as a freelance writer is that it doesn’t cost much to do so. All you need is a decent laptop, internet connection. However, th

Basic Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

If you’re planning to write for blogs or other online publications (which I’d highly recommend) then almost all of them will want some knowledge of SEO because they rely on SEO to drive traffic to their website – that is how they stay in business.

Many clients will want to see that you know how to write an article or website that is SEO optimized, with certain keywords.

The basics of SEO can be learned online, from many free resources, as well as inexpensive paid sources too

• This video on youtube by SEO-specialist Neil Patel (7 minutes long) is helpful way to learn the basics, and he has a wealth of other informative videos on his channel as well
• This book, SEO Workbook: Search Engine Optimization in 7 Steps by Jason MacDonald teaches you everything you need to know about SEO

Freelance Writing FAQ

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about being a freelance writer

Can I make $1000 a month freelance writing?

Yes, it is highly possible to make $1,000 or much more freelance writing, if you can write good quality and original content. It can take time to build up a client base, but once you do, you can make thousands of dollars per month from freelance writing.

Can I be a freelance writer with no experience?

You don’t necessarily need experience as a professional writer to start freelancing as a writer, but most clients will want to see some examples of your work. Therefore, its a good idea to create some writing samples to showcase your writing style and capabilities.

Is freelance writing a good side hustle?

Freelance writing is a good side hustle that you can do from home or remotely. Often, you can freelance write from anywhere with an internet connection, and you can charge anywhere from 0.05 cents to 0.25 cents per word.

Are freelance writers in demand?

Talented freelance writers are still in demand, even in the age of AI. Publications require original, high quality content that can only come from a human being the main player in the process; regardless of whether AI was used or not.

How to Become a Freelance Writer: Final Thoughts

By now, you have some direction on how to become a freelance writer in some easy, clear steps.

Being a freelance writer is a rewarding career because of the ability to connect with and inspire others through writing, helping businesses succeed, and the ability to use your creativity every day.

By ‘nicheing down’ to topics that you’re interested in or passionate about, you can help make a difference in those areas. For example, if your niche is plant based food; it is rewarding to be able to help those businesses succeed by writing compelling, high quality content.

One of the best parts about freelance writing is that it can be done as a side hustle, or as a full-time job. Myself personally, I worked as a private tutor while also pursuing writing full time.

Regardless of whether you’ll be doing any other jobs alongside your writing business, I hope that this has helped you get started in the right direction.