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The Benefits of Freelance Writing
By Cambridge Who’s Who Member and Contributing Author Shirley Patterson
Freelance writing – the act of submitting authored works to a company or individual on a per project basis – offers a lot of advantages, especially for people looking to shapetheir own schedules. There are endless possibilities for the freelance writer, depending on your ability to tackle a wide range of projects. Writers are needed at every level of business, from corporate to creative. Some companies may hire a freelancer for copywriting, which is the act of generating copy specifically for advertising campaigns and publicity projects. Other organizations will seek out freelance writers for more in-depth marketing materials, corporate communications and correspondence with shareholders, investors and/or clients. Magazines usually have a reserve of freelance writers who can tackle investigative stories, depending on their specialties and interests.
You don’t have to be a published journalist to become a professional freelance writer; people are constantly looking for articles on every topic. With the migration of newspapers and magazines to the Internet and the emergence of blogs as self-publishing tools, there are more outlets than ever to choose from. You just have to prove that you possess the knowledge and skills needed to contribute relevant articles that will reach the organization’s intended audience.
How to Start a Freelance Writing Career
At first the idea of beginning a career in freelance writing may seem daunting – even impossible. But all you need is commitment, dedication, some specific areas of interest/expertise and the ability to come up with creative ideas, or story angles, that you can pitch to editors. Constructing a winning pitch is a skill that every writer considering a career in freelancing should have. Think about the different points to your story as well as the story’s cultural and historical context. Figure out a unique way to approach the subject matter that will make it more interesting or intriguing to the reader.
Now that you know how to approach an editor, let’s figure out where to begin. To make a living out of writing for the Web can be challenging because a lot of online publications do not pay well and you will have a lot of competition. Nonetheless, the Internet is a good place to start looking for freelance writing gigs. You can begin by writing engaging articles, blogs and essays on popular topics and sending out some article proposals to magazines and websites. Even if you do not get compensated initially, by getting your name out there and building your online visibility, you will create a robust portfolio that you can present to potential employers. You should also diversify your writing abilities and the outlets you select to publish your work in order to make more money. Write e-zine articles, contribute newsletter content and become involved in a variety of projects – your work load will grow and so will your income. Start your own website, join forums and writers groups and cover various article topics for an online magazine of interest. If they are pleased with your work, some of these online publications may ask you to contribute content-for-pay, including features in their print properties. Be patient. This process will take a lot of hard work and determination, but it can be very rewarding.
Gaining Success as a Freelance Writer
Perseverance and dedication will help you to reach your professional goals. If you work diligently at writing and obtain the necessary exposure for your content, your dream to build a lucrative career as a freelancer will come true. And the harder you work at your craft, the more your skill set will develop and the easier you will be able to find inspiration for your work. Once you are focused, ideas will begin to appear out of nowhere. Your characters will whisper in your ear as you are standing in line at the check-out counter of a grocery store. You will come up with a series of fascinating article ideas while sitting in the waiting area of a doctor’s office. It will hit you like a bad habit, but this time it is for the good! Actively seek work, maintain a website, join online communities, network with other professionals, and write articles and submit them to article directories. Your hard work will ensure your success as a freelance writer.
May 31st, 2009 at 8:59 pm
This article was extremely helpful in pointing out ways to build one’s brand as a freelance writer. I was specifically impressed by how the author detailed ways in which aspiring freelance writers can become successful from the start of their careers. I feel that this is a great read by Cambridge Who’s Who author and member Shirley Patterson about building online visibility and garnering success as a freelance writer.