Newbie Freelance Writer Needs Advice

Hi Jodee,

I am very new freelance writing. Writing has always been a passion for me, and I finally decided to publish some stuff online. I have published an academic dissertation on scribt.com and received good feedback.

I have written on Hubpages purely for fun and recently I have started ghost writing, as well as writing for an article directory.

Of course, the income is very low, but it gives me pleasure to research and write. Despite the low income, I ensure that what I write is of high quality.

I have three questions:

1. How to make that step-up form being a content and directory writer, to a freelance writer?

2. What do I need to do to increase my income?

3. Sites like Demandstudios.com ask for a resume- if new to the business, will a covering letter do?

Thanks,

Iva

Hi Iva,

To answer your first question, you already are a freelance writer. The number or type of projects you take on or the size of your pay check doesn’t determine when you get to use this expression to describe yourself. You write and you work for yourself: you are a freelance writer. Congratulations!

If you want to increase your income, start applying for better-paying gigs. The leads posted here at FWJ on weekdays are a good place to start. Get some business cards made and start telling everyone you know that you are a writer and that you’re always happy to talk to prospective clients.

You can also make a list of prospective clients you would like to work with and start pitching them to hire you for their writing needs. Setting up a blog or a web site is another way to get the word out about your writing services.

One thing you do need to do if you want to get hired for writing gigs is to follow the client’s instructions to the letter. If you are asked for a resume, you will need to send one in. Failing to do what you are asked to do will lead to your application being discarded.

Here’s some tips about freelance writers and resumes:

Do You Need a Freelance Writer’s Resume?

How to Translate Previous Work Experience onto a Writer’s Resume

Functional Resume Format for Freelancers

What would you add to Iva’s questions about how to increase your freelance writing income? Do you have a question you would like to get answered in an upcoming column? Tell us what you are thinking in the comments section.

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