Taking the plunge and diving into the world of freelance writing seems daunting when you’re first starting out. It’s a bit like jumping into a cold lake or scaling a mountain.
Terrifying but exhilarating
When I first dipped my toe into the water three years ago it was originally just a hobby to work on alongside my day job. As my confidence grew I realised I could make a living from writing alone and took the plunge, never looking back since.
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing since. Freelancing can be a thankless job and I’ve had to learn fast, picking up new skills and developing my talents whilst making my living.
If you’re interested in taking steps to become a freelance writer or just improving your writing, these are some of the skills you’ll need to succeed.
1. Effective Communication
Communication is something vital in almost any line of work and probably a skill you already see yourself as having. There’s a difference between communication and effective communication, however, and as a freelancer, the difference becomes more apparent. As you work remotely most of the time and don’t get to interact face to face with your clients, being able to communicate effectively is crucial to every piece of work you complete.
Having to redo work because of a misunderstanding of what was expected is a nightmare and you’ll quickly learn that clear and concise communication solves this issue. If you’re unsure of something, don’t be afraid to ask for clarity and always be sure to proofread your messages just as you would with your work.
2. Organisational Skills
Being your own boss and having full control of your schedule often sounds like a dream but it comes with its own set of problems. If you’re anything like me, organising yourself and staying focused can often be a challenge.
As a freelancer, you should keep a calendar to help you stay on top of your deadlines. Google Calendar is a great choice as it syncs up your desktop with any mobile devices you have, meaning you can check your upcoming projects no matter where you are.
For more tips on how to stay focused and increase your productivity, you can check out my full guide here:
3. Technical Editing
The first draft you write will rarely ever be perfect for publishing. Make sure to read your piece back several times, weeding out any grammatical errors, overused words and unnecessary sections. You can use a free tool such as Grammarly to help you find grammatical mistakes and spelling errors which you might otherwise overlook.
Don’t be afraid to spend more time editing than you spent writing, your ultimate goal is to produce quality work for your client that will ensure you receive more projects in the future.
Make sure your work keeps the same consistent style throughout and if possible, reread your work back at least a day after writing. If you try and edit directly after writing it’s possible to miss mistakes. Our brains often gloss over glaring errors if it knows what you’re trying to say, something your reader won’t have the benefit of.
4. Self-promotion
As a freelancer, you have to be comfortable putting yourself out there and making yourself known to clients to find work. The ability to market yourself and find clients is the biggest difference between success and failure when it comes to freelancing.
Even the best writers can struggle to find work if they’re unable to effectively promote themselves and win over clients. You should aim to increase your online presence, making use of LinkedIn, Medium and other sites to showcase your writing abilities whilst making connections.
You’ll also need to be comfortable sending out cold emails to publications or companies who you think could benefit from your work. Be sure to include relevant samples of your past projects. You can set up a free website using WordPress or use a Google Document to showcase your work.
Examples of businesses I cold email include companies local to me and digital marketing companies. I usually explain how the type of work I’ve completed for similar businesses could benefit them and show them one or two examples.
Let me know in the comments how you got started as a freelance writer and what you’d do differently if you started today.
